We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Danielle Pointdujour a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Danielle , we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
I’d venture to say that my purpose actually found me. I’ve always been a writer. I wrote my first book on the planet in 4th grade, in Junior High and High School I was on the yearbook staff. In college, I joined the staff at the school newspaper, The Hilltop, where my first two stories were on sneakers and Ja Rule. But the writing I always found most interesting were the ones where I got to tell the person’s story. Bios, Q&A’s, etc, it didn’t matter the format as long as I got to learn about how dope they were and share that with the world. It has always come natural to me to tell the stories of others. However, it wasn’t until my first in-house editorial job at EBONY Magazine that I realized that the purpose behind the purpose was for me to pull others into the room with me. From hiring them as freelancers, to writing about their businesses and journeys in foreign lands, it filled me with great pride to be the bridge between amazing people and the world that needs to know about them. And creating space for others in the room opened up doors for me as well because it made me visible to other in the industry with the same mindset. Any editorial opportunity I’ve had is because someone pulled me into the room with them so that I can share my story and talents with the world, and I’m forever grateful.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
Currently, I work my dream job, which is still crazy to say. As a luxury hotel lover, to lead the annual list of new luxury hotel openings around the world for the industry bible, Travel + Leisure, is a dream come true. It also gives me the opportunity to take my purpose to another level. Black travelers are often ignored, not only in the general travel space, but definitely in the luxury travel space. Being at T+L, and as the only Black woman on the print editorial team, I’ve made it a personal goal to create space for fellow Black travel journalists to share their stories and build their name in this industry. For as long as I’m in that room, I want to share the space with them, and that’s the best part of the job. Beyond the magazine, I’m focused on taking up more space in the industry and would love to consult more with luxury hotel brands, speak at more conferences and kick this expert thing into high gear with branded opportunities. I did a social media commercial for a brand over the summer and it was so much fun!
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?
I think authenticity, constant learning and not giving in to a scarcity mindset have been the most impactful. From the very beginning, I’ve been me and did things my way. I never did what was popular to do, especially if it didn’t feel authentic to who I am. For example, as an avid traveler it would’ve been easy to fall into the influencer space, but that didn’t feel like my purpose. I had no interest in chasing algorithms, and I didn’t have a job that I needed to quit in search of freedom. Also, my big earth sign energy needs steady pay and I already knew from freelancing that I did not want to chase invoices. So I stuck to my guns until I landed an in-house role.
I also stay on top of my industry. So many influencers and creators on social will have “expert” in their bio, but no real expertise. I see luxury travel “experts” who can’t tell you anything about industry trends, have no idea who the major architects are for hotels, what major projects are in the pipeline, etc. They call themselves experts simply because they’ve stayed at a nice hotel and created content. To me, that’s not enough. One reason I never complain about being seen by brands like many people do online is because when I say I’m an expert, they know after one conversation that I’m the real deal. They don’t care about my followers or engagement, because I’ve proven my expertise when I can hold a conversation with them about their brand and audience, and they freely drop coins for that.
Finally, I’ve never moved as if there isn’t room for all of us. I freely share contacts and opportunities. I speak people’s names in rooms without ever telling them or feeling the need to let everyone know that I’m the reason for their press trip, partnership, etc. Everyone that is serious about their craft can sit with me. We can all be influencer, we can all be editors, we can all secure the bag. If I can help pull you up, why not? It doesn’t take away from my purpose and shine to shine a little light on someone else.
If you knew you only had a decade of life left, how would you spend that decade?
Figuring out my pivot. In Elaine Welteroth’s book “More Than Enough: Claiming Space for Who You Are (No Matter What They Say),” there’s a moment when she says editorial is where you go, not where you stay. This is a sentiment I’ve always felt in some way, but could never truly articulate, and when I read those words it was as if a lightbulb went off. Editors like her and Julee Wilson have been my secret role models because these are two women who successfully made a name for themselves in the magazine industry while simultaneously branding themselves in such a way that they could walk away from editorial and towards new dreams that still encapsulated their skills and passions, but just in new ways and high levels. This is what I’m trying to figure out for myself. I have all of these amazing skills, and I’m making a name for myself in the luxury travel space, but what’s next, and how do I get there? How do I go from badass editor to bad ass tv and red carpet host, brand ambassador, industry board member, etc like these women…and still keep the lights on? I haven’t figured it out yet, but I’m working towards it daily, so I know when it’s time, I’ll get a sign!
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Image Credits
The group image should be credited to
Janelle J
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