Meet Rachel Miller

We were lucky to catch up with Rachel Miller recently and have shared our conversation below.

Rachel, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?

I started traveling solo at 26 to find fulfillment and be more comfortable in my own skin. At the time, the job market was incredibly difficult, and the endless job interviews chipped away at my self-esteem, which made me feel insignificant compared to my peers. I had always wanted to travel, but had no one to go with and looked up others who bravely traveled the world alone. So I took temporary work and saved money for solo trips around Europe. I am also a fearful flyer, so challenging myself to take trips abroad definitely created a strong sense of self-esteem and confidence. In the face of anxiety, it takes a lot to believe in your own inner strength and ability to live life on your own terms. Afterwards, I wrote a travel blog (Blond Wayfarer) to encourage others to travel alone, as well as created a podcast (Bon Voyage Besties) with my close friend to motivate others to travel and live a life that’s truly meaningful to them.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

Currently, I’m focused on producing a travel podcast Bon Voyage Besties with my friend, Rosa. I’ve written about solo female travel for a long time, but I love meeting new people and learning their stories. Bon Voyage Besties is a wonderful outlet for making new connections in the travel industry and building a strong sense of community. I have been traveling solo for years, and now feel like I’ve come full circle in the sense that I’ve gone from having no one to travel with building to an amazing network of likeminded people. Rosa and I have had so many vibrant and brave guests who I deeply admire. We want these episodes to encourage our listeners to build a life that they will cherish and create memories that will follow them for years to come. We are so passionate about travel, and this project is another outlet for that.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I think it’s important to have the ability to communicate with people. Like many others, my screen time is through the roof, and I think putting down the phone and actually having conversations with others is so important for personal growth and development. In addition, you need to be flexible. As a solo traveler, I was constantly running into canceled trains, incorrect directions, random illnesses, petty scams, etc. and it was important not to panic and change plans on a whim if necessary. This ability helps with podcasting, because it’s taught me not to freak out if an interview needs to be rescheduled or if I have unexpected tech issues. Respect for one’s time and energy is also important to avoid burn out. Don’t ever forget to listen to your body. For folks who want to create a podcast, my biggest advice is to just do it. I knew absolutely nothing about podcasting, and I still have so much to learn, but it’s fine to learn on the go and not wait for perfection. If you wait, you won’t do it.

Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?

My parents are my biggest supporters. I know sometimes solo travel makes them nervous, and they’re occasionally concerned with me burning out (I’m constantly busy), but in spite of that, they’re proud of my hard work and give me encouragement when I’m feeling down or stressed. They were supportive of me majoring in English, as well as earning a Master’s in English, which was a big relief as a young person who was trying to “figure it out.” Having family support is absolutely priceless.

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