It’s 2018 and I have some super exciting announcements and updates to share!
Hey y’all! Greetings from a sunny (but cold!) New York City, where I’m enjoying a few quiet days at home before dashing off again on my next round of travels and assignments. I can’t believe it’s March already.
Every year, for the last few years, I’ve done a reflection/update of sorts (see my posts from 2015, 2016, and 2017) so this year is no different. 2017 was phenomenal, and the crazy thing is that 2018 is already shaping up to be even better! While I’ve been pretty good at sharing my latest news, projects, and achievements on social media (cue shameless plug of my Instagram and Facebook feeds), it goes without saying that I’m long overdue for a personal update on the blog.
So without any further ado, here’s what’s new with me. I feel so blessed and grateful to be able to share these wins with you.
Big news: I’m hosting for Travel Channel(!!!)
This is super old news to those who following me on social media, but I still think it’s worth mentioning here that I became a host for Travel Channel. Yup, THE Travel Channel! Early last year an executive producer from the network reached out and the next thing I knew I became the host of not just one, but TWO web series!!
My show One Bag and You’re Out is where I show you how to live that one bag, carry-on life. Clearly my minimalist packing tips were needed– the first episode garnered over 1.3 million views! Catch it online on Facebook; watch and subscribe to it here.
In my second show, Big City, Little Budget, I take you to some of the most expensive cities in the USA, and show you how to do them on the cheap. Episodes from our jaunts in New York City and San Francisco have already been posted Facebook (so do me a solid and subscribe, will ya?) and episodes from all over Texas will be out next month. While BCLB is primarily a web-based show, a handful of my readers have reached out to me to say that they’ve seen episodes air on the actual Travel Channel television network! I haven’t had cable for years, so I’m going to have to take their word for it… 😉 Stay tuned for loads more content!
Partnerships
I’m happy to say that the last 12 months have been some of my lucrative yet in terms of partnerships. I’ve continued to grow as a travel blogger, journalist, and influencer and luckily major businesses and brands have begun to take notice.
For example, last year I produced a French-language video series for Lonely Planet, which was super silly and fun as you can see below!
I also filmed series for Land Rover, HGTV, and became an year-long ambassador for Alamo Rent-A-Car. I even tried my hand at fashion blogging when I did a campaign for Ralph Lauren!
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bbx6bEhHlUG/?taken-by=oneikatraveller
2018 is gearing up to be just as awesome on this front. There are too many exciting collaborations to name here, but here are a few notable updates of which you may not be aware:
-I’ve become an ambassador for Universal Orlando Resorts. As a lover of amusement parks, I’m thrilled to join the Universal Orlando Blog Squad for the next year, as well as show you why you should incorporate a visit to Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, and Volcano Bay into your vacation plans. Stay tuned for my first blog post next week!
-I’ve just signed on as an ambassador with G Adventures. Never heard of G? It’s a leading travel company that offers small-group adventure tours around the world, and I’m super pumped to be one of their newest ambassadors (known as “Wanderers”), not least because they’re a Canadian company based in Toronto (my hometown), are dedicated to sustainable travel, and were founded by a POC dude with Caribbean roots like myself!
-I’m partnering with Hyundai on a campaign. Vroom vroom… In a couple days from now I’m flying out to Hawaii(!!) to partner with automotive company Hyundai on a special project. Needless to say, I’m pretty excited about it. That’s all I can say for now, but I’ll be sure to keep you posted, so watch this space.
-I already started the year with a number high-level collaborations in the food, lifestyle, and travel space. February saw a spate of awesome campaigns come my way with global brands that I love and enjoy. I travelled to Frankfurt for a project with Lufthansa, and worked on branded content campaigns with Lays and Gillette.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BfT_YY2HBv8/?taken-by=oneikatraveller
Speaking engagements and appearances
Public speaking is my calling, y’all. Here are my appearances for 2018 so far:
-Panelist at BlogHer Health. In late January, I appeared on a panel about social media at the BlogHer Health conference. Not only was one of my fellow panelists gymnast and Olympic gold medallist Nastia Liukin, I got to rub shoulders backstage with actress Kate Walsh and fitness guru Jillian Michaels!
-Keynote speaker at the Women’s Travel Fest conference. I shared my long and winding journey from teacher to Travel Channel host and received a standing ovation for my efforts. It was an amazing weekend all around– connecting with like-minded lady travellers was so empowering.
-Speaker at Craft + Commerce. In June, I’m headed to Boise, Idaho to speak at ConvertKit’s 2nd annual conference. They asked me to speak last year but I couldn’t make it, so I’m pumped to be able to attend this year. Casey Neistat is the keynote!
-Speaker at TBEX North America. I kind of feel like I’m the only travel blogger on this planet who’s never attended a TBEX conference, lol. I’ll grace the stage as a speaker this September.
-Keynote speaker at TravelCon. Nomadic Matt is hosting his first conference in Austin this September and asked me to be a keynote! Looking forward to reuniting with all my peeps– the line-up of bloggers/journalists/influencers speaking at the event is pretty incredible. Everybody and their mama is going!
Sidebar: Interested in hiring me to speak at your event? Email me at oneika@oneikathetraveller.com !
Press
Only three months into 2018 and I’ve already had a lot of great press features in major publications like:
-The AP (Associated Press). Yes, THE Associated Press! They interviewed me about my experiences as a black woman who travels as well as my work as a social media influencer in the travel space. Check it out here!
-VICE. They did a video feature on why I want to empower black people to see the world. Love the way it turned out!
-New York Magazine. I share my recommendations for the best backpacks for long trips here.
-Mic. I was interviewed about my thoughts on the lack of diversity in the travel industry.
-Uproxx. In this article, I talk about the perils of the Instagram aesthetic.
And there’s lots more where that came from– O, The Oprah Magazine, interviewed me for a feature that will be out in their print magazine in June!
Travels and other awesome news
2017 was LIT in terms of travel: I visited my 100th country (Andorra!) and boarded over 100 flights. While I don’t foresee travelling quite as much this year, 2018 has already begun with a bang: In January I travelled to Los Angeles, the Caribbean island of Antigua, Toronto, and Orlando (twice)! In February I did a flash trip to Germany (for that gig with Lufthansa I mentioned above) and then spent 10 days in West Africa exploring Togo and Ghana. Then I spent another ten days bopping around Texas on a shoot for Travel Channel.
What’s next? Well, I’m still finalizing details for a bunch of trips, but so far it looks like I’ll be headed to Hawaii, Nashville, Jamaica (for carnival!), Uganda, and Rwanda in the coming months. Super excited for that!
In another big news, I ran my first marathon! As an avid runner of half-marathons, it’s always been on my bucket list to do a full. So on January 7th, 2018, I completed the Walt Disney World Marathon in Orlando, running 26.2 miles (that’s 46.2 kilometres for my metric folks) in approximately 4 hours and 41 minutes. It was tough (especially since I under-trained and sustained an injury about halfway through the race!) but it was oh so satisfying to cross the finish line!
2018 is going to be my best year yet!
I believe in positive affirmations and speaking things into existence, so I’m claiming 2018 as my best and most productive year yet!
2017 was all about daring to dream, having faith in my abilities, and allowing myself to truly soar.
This year will be about continuing to grind whilst cultivating a lifestyle that is fruitful, fulfilling, and above all, BALANCED.
To those of you following this journey, thank you for your continued love and support! Your community, words of encouragement, and other affirmations have propelled me to heights I never could have imagined reaching. Stay tuned!
What did you accomplish last year? What are some of your goals for this year?
65 Comments
KILLING IT. So excited that 2018 includes (at least) two hangs for us: Nashville and Austin! And who knows, maybe there will be more, the year is still young 😉
Thanks Kristin!!!! Can’t wait to finally meet in Nashville!! It’s long overdue! <3
So, so very proud of your Oneika! You treated 2017 savagely and 2018 is yours for the taking! Own it!
Thank you so much Amy!!!!
You inspire me so much. Congrats on all your big achievements!
Thanks Jonnae!
Congrats, Oneika! These opportunities are a long time coming and well deserved. Here’s to more opportunities in the future. 🙂
Thank you so much!
Congratulations! So many great things and you deserve them all. Hope to finally connect at WITS and Tbex NA!
I want to watch your series, but I’m not on Facebook, nor do I have cable ??♀️. Is it available to view in the travel channel website? Or should I just look that up myself? ?
Congrats, Oneika!
You are such an inspiration
They’ve said it all already, well done! It’s amazing how much you’ve grown , you’re in the big times now. Might be wrong but I cant recall you talking about money/personal finance on the blog. Hope you’re packing away some of what I hope is good remuneration for all this hard work you’re doing, setting yourself up for a good financial future…excited to see your 2018 unfold.
Thank you for sharing your inspiring story, i’ve Been a fan since 2015, best wishes to you!
Well done Oneika,
So much great stuff lined up for the year.
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