Story & Lesson Highlights with VFC from VFC’s Travels of Key West, Florida

We recently had the chance to connect with VFC from VFC’s Travels and have shared our conversation below.

Good morning VFC from VFC’s Travels, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: Who are you learning from right now?
I learn from everyone. We’re always learning and we should always be willing to learn more. From everywhere and everyone. Every time I take a trip, even to places I’ve already been, there’s always something new to learn, about the people, about the culture. I learn from all of those who interact with my social media and business platforms, learning what different people like about travel and learning about how I can improve on the content and services I provide. The key is to be willing to learn. Too many people get into their comfort zones or their areas of complacency and are either unwilling or unable to learn more. That’s not a good place to be. Open mind, open hearts, open eyes and open ears. We learn from each other and from the world. Ah yeah.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m VFC. My social media platform is based around VFC’s Travels, starting first as a YouTube channel and growing into other social media platforms before culminating in my travel advisor business where I offer travel planning and bookings based on VFC’s travel styles and destinations from my home base in Key West, Florida. I can help plan and book a trip to locations around the globe, but the experience is maximized when I help those plan trips to locations I am familiar with. My YouTube channel is a great place to start for ideas and destinations.

Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
A few years back I was in Benagil Beach Cave in the Algarve, Portugal. I was approached by a Portuguese gentleman who asked if I was VFC from the YouTube channel VFC’s Travels. Of course, I said “Who wants to know?” Lol, just kidding, I said I was and he went on to tell me that he was there that day because he had watched one of my videos and he said he had no idea something so beautiful was right here in his country. Those words were more inspiration to document and share my travels, because it opened my eyes to not only helping those from other places learn about foreign locations and cultures, but sometimes we miss those things that are right in front of us. It shaped my view to look at the world that a lot of people may live in bubbles and not see outside their own experiences or comfort zones. It changes your perspectives and how you interact with people sometimes. Be willing to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and see the world through their eyes.

What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
Due to the nature of my career, I’ve seen some of the worse that mankind has to offer. Every day in different parts of the world there are people doing terrible things to other people that before these experiences one only attribute to movies. The movies are one thing sometimes, but the realities are worse when you see firsthand how people can treat each other. I’m not sure you ever recover from having your eyes opened like that, but concentrating on the positives and beauty in the world – through VFC’s Travels – I’ve been able to remind myself how much good and beauty there is out there. Concentrate on that, and if we all replicate that we can change the world.

Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Where are smart people getting it totally wrong today?
Smart people are getting it totally wrong these days by shutting themselves down to communication with other people. The politicians divide us because it’s good for their power, The media divides us because it’s good for their ratings. Social Media companies divide us because people like their comfort zones and personal algorithms. When two people from seemingly different sides of the social and/or political spectrum have reasonable discussions, it’s amazing how much they may have in common. But people choose isolation and hatred over outreach and discussion. That’s how the political parties and media behemoths win.

Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: If you retired tomorrow, what would your customers miss most?
I would like to believe they’d miss my story telling, my humor, my attempts at a Scouse accent, and my insights. In reality they’d probably just miss my big nose and chicken legs jokes lol.

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Image Credits
Images credits: VFC’s Travels, LLC

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