We were lucky to catch up with Angie Orth recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Angie, you’ve got such an interesting story, but before we jump into that, let’s first talk about a topic near and dear to us – generosity. We think success, happiness and wellbeing depends on authentic generosity and empathy and so we’d love to hear about how you become such a generous person – where do you think your generosity comes from?
Jesus constantly reminds us that our purpose on this earth is to love and serve others, and I consider that the foundation of everything I do. Everything I have has come from my Creator, so it makes sense that I would pass that along in the same spirit of kindness.
The Bible is so clear about the importance of giving to others. “It’s more blessed to give than to receive,” “Be generous and willing to share” and “Do not forget to do good and share with others,” are all verses that I think about often.
I hope that at the end of my days, people will remember that I was generous and kind. Not simply successful or funny or good at my job, but really self-sacrificing with the blessings I’ve received.
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?
I’m the creator of AngieAway.com, a travel and lifestyle website and digital media brand. In 2010, I left my career as a publicist to make my way around the world solo and write about it. It was just supposed to be a yearlong career break, but travel turned my world upside down and opened my eyes to options outside the cubicle.
All these years later, I see that whole wild year as the launchpad for the career I have now. I’m an award-winning travel writer, content creator and speaker. I host the weekly “Traveling with AAA” podcast and a travel web series, “The Jet Sisters,” with my little sister Rachel.
I’m currently focused on the release of my first memoir, due out in early 2024 from Hachette. I’m so excited to tell the whole story of my big round-the-world adventure – not just what fit on my travel site at the time.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
1. My degree is in public relations and I spent almost a decade in the industry before leaving to travel. What I learned as an agency publicist has been instrumental in my success as a content creator / blogger, because I know what publicists and their clients want. I know how to get there in a way that’s true to my audience and powerful for their brand. And that all comes from years on the other side of the fence. Everyone who wants to be an influencer or a content creator should do something else first. Get great at it and then be an influencer in that. We need experts in something besides just being Insta-famous. 2. I definitely wouldn’t be where I am without my neuro-spicy brain. Some people see that as a detriment or even a disability, but I like to think of it as a superpower. I’m a wicked problem-solver, super creative and impulsive in the best way. Want to try something out-of-the-box? Let’s do it! Want to do the opposite of what everyone thinks you should do? Me too.
3. I minored in French and Spanish in college and although I’ve forgotten way more than I remember, knowing even the basics has helped me communicate all around the world. I can usually find someone who speaks a Spanish or French, or even Portuguese or Italian, and I can get my point across or help someone else solve a problem. It’s messy, but it’s also like a fun puzzle to solve. It’s also wildly disarming to strangers who don’t expect American travelers to know much of anything, let alone other languages.
As for advice: whatever your strengths are, lean into them. Don’t try to fit yourself into a box because it’s what everyone else is doing. If you feel out of place in your town, there are other towns. If you feel like your job doesn’t “get” you, there are other jobs. If you were the hyperactive kid in class who was always in trouble for talking but mostly you were just bored, figure out the root of that and use it. There’s more to life than fitting in and there’s only one you. Be that person all the way.
What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?
The No. 1 challenge I’m facing right now is preparing to launch my travel memoir in 2024. Writing it was easy enough – that’s my wheelhouse. But now I’m staring down tasks like sales and self promotion and all the extras that come along with traditional book publishing. It’s a whole different skillset, and frankly it’s been a while since I’ve stepped out of my comfy little content creator world to do something on this level. It’s a process and there’s a steep learning curve, and the reality is that if this book doesn’t do well, I may not get to write another one. So I’m putting a ton of pressure on myself to bring my A game. I’m doing what I always do – reading everything I can get my hands on, asking author friends who’ve been through it already and just trying to rest in the knowledge that I wrote a great book and what comes next is largely out of my control.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://angieaway.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/angieaway
- Facebook: facebook.com/angieaway
- Linkedin: linkedin.com/angeleneorth
- Twitter: twitter.com/angieaway
- Youtube: youtube.com/thejetsisters
Image Credits
Angie Orth / Angie Away
