Meet Sarah O’hara

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sarah O’hara. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Sarah, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

Honestly, I think imposter syndrome comes from a huge misunderstanding of what it takes to be successful. When I was younger, I used to believe that people were successful because they were just naturally gifted — like doctors or lawyers were born smarter than everyone else, or musicians and actors had some magical talent that the rest of us didn’t. I thought success was all about having something special that no one else had.

But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that’s not really how it works. Success isn’t about natural talent — it’s about hard work, dedication, and showing up every single day. And those are things that are totally in your control. I don’t struggle with imposter syndrome because I know how hard I work. Everything I’ve achieved has come from hours of researching, learning, and practicing — not some secret skill I was born with.

You don’t need to be naturally good at something to succeed — you just need to be determined to figure it out. Read every book, watch every YouTube video, ask questions, and practice until it clicks. That’s how you become successful — by putting in the work, not by being the smartest person in the room.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

At The O’Haras Travel, we’re all about helping families with young kids get out and explore — whether it’s across the country or just down the road. My husband and I started creating travel content with our two toddlers because we genuinely love going on little adventures together, but we quickly realized there weren’t a lot of resources out there for families traveling with really little kids. So we started sharing our experiences — the good, the chaotic, and everything in between — to show other parents that adventure doesn’t have to stop just because you have young kids.

What I think makes our brand really special is that we’re not just trying to highlight picture-perfect vacations. We show the real side of family travel — how to plan trips on a budget, what it’s really like traveling with toddlers, and how to embrace the messiness that comes with it. I always say that adventure doesn’t have to be perfect — it just has to be fun.

One of the things I’m most excited about right now is that we’ve just launched our very first product — My First Alphabet Adventure Journal! It’s a guided travel journal for kids ages 3-6 that helps them document their adventures while learning the alphabet. Each letter corresponds to a different activity prompt — like “A is for Aquarium” — so kids can build early writing and drawing skills while creating their own little travel scrapbook. It’s available now on Amazon, and we’re already working on a “Big Kids” version for ages 7-12 that will be launching very soon.

Our whole mission is to inspire families to explore the world together — whether that’s hiking a local trail, taking a weekend road trip, or flying across the country. We want to show parents that adventure is possible at any age — and that the memories you’re making along the way are always worth the effort.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Looking back, I think the three most impactful qualities in my journey have been confidence, curiosity, and community.

Confidence is without a doubt the most important. If you don’t believe in yourself, why would anyone else believe in you? That doesn’t mean you have to think you’re the best at what you do or that everything you create is perfect — but you have to trust that you have something valuable to offer. I’m a math teacher first, and one of my favorite things to tell my students is: “Know your worth, then add tax.” If you wait around for someone else to validate you, you’ll be waiting forever. You have to decide that what you’re doing matters — and then show up like you belong in every room you’re trying to get into.

The second quality that’s helped me tremendously is curiosity. You should never stop learning. No matter how good you get at something, there’s always room to improve — and that’s the difference between being good and being great. I’ve taught myself everything I know about content creation by watching endless YouTube videos, reading articles, and just constantly trying to figure out how I can make each video better than the last. If you’re just starting out, my advice is to become obsessed with the craft. Study people who are where you want to be, ask questions, and don’t be afraid to try new things.

Finally, I wouldn’t be where I am without my community. I have an incredibly small but powerful support system, and that has made all the difference. The only people I let into my inner circle are people I trust 100% — people who I know always have my back and genuinely want to see me win. When I first started creating content, I know saying “Hey, I want to make a career as a TikToker” was probably a parent’s worst nightmare — but not once did I have to second guess whether the people closest to me would support me. Putting yourself out there online means opening yourself up to criticism, but I am so fortunate that the cheers from the people around me are so loud that none of the negativity ever breaks through.

If you’re just starting out, protect your energy. Surround yourself with people who genuinely believe in you, and never let anyone else’s doubt become louder than your own belief in what you’re building.

Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?

Honestly, overwhelmed is pretty much my default state — I have ADHD, so juggling a million things at once is just how my brain works. Right now, I’m working full-time as a middle school math teacher, pouring everything I have into growing The O’Haras Travel before and after school, all while being a mom to two toddlers and a wife to my amazing husband. It’s definitely a lot.

When everything starts to feel like too much, I always come back to one simple question: What’s the end goal? Why am I doing all of this?

I heard an interview once where a content creator was talking about why so many influencers fail, and what he said has stuck with me ever since. He asked:
If someone told you that if you spent 20 hours a week outside your day job working on your platform, there might be a small chance after a year that you’d make a little money from it — would you do it? Probably not.
But what if instead, someone told you that if you spent those same 20 hours a week for a year, you’d be guaranteed to quit your job and make a living from content creation? Suddenly, those 20 hours feel like a small price to pay for the payoff.

That’s the mindset I try to keep when things feel overwhelming — work like success is inevitable. If I just keep showing up, day after day, I know that all the sacrifices will pay off.

My advice is to set crystal-clear goals and remind yourself of them constantly. If you always keep the bigger picture in mind, the day-to-day stresses feel so much smaller.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @TheOHarasTravel
• Other: TikTok: @TheOHarasTravel