As a part of the Morning Lazziness series about strong women leaders who attained success with their incredible ideas, I had the pleasure of interviewing Danielle Hu.
“If you’re too comfortable, it’s time to move on. Terrified of what’s next? You’re on the right track.”- Susan Fales- Hill
A Forbes-featured international business mentor and a podcast host, Danielle Hu is the founder of ‘The Wanderlover,’ which helps people design a location-independent lifestyle through online entrepreneurship: time, place, and financial freedom.
After realizing that she doesn’t belong to the corporate world doing a 9 to 5 desk job, she pivoted into building her business and making her dream come true. Danielle has visited 60 countries, worked with tourism boards and travel brands internationally with a mission to enable travel and freedom through entrepreneurship.
Moreover, in 2020, she has released ‘The Wanderlover Podcast,’ holding the community scaled to over 100K+ travelers, creatives, side hustlers, and entrepreneurs, with hundreds of clients and customers served.
Many thanks for doing this for us; please let our users know about yourself and your company- The Wanderlover?
The Wanderlover mission is to enable travel and freedom through entrepreneurship by building influential and profitable brands online. I provide resources, books, courses, programs, and coaching for those stuck in a 9-5, to think outside the box and build a life around location freedom, time freedom, and financial freedom.
What thoughts inspired you the most to start The Wanderlover? How do you feel like being your own boss?
I started The Wanderlover when I was working in a 9-5 finance job in New York City. I thought I had checked off all the boxes that would make me happy, but I could not believe that was going to be my life for the rest of my life. So I started pursuing creative projects outside of work, and The Wanderlover was the one closest to my heart because I had always loved traveling. 60+ countries later, I cannot imagine living any other way, and I encourage others to do the same.
How successful is The Wanderlover, in driving the best business ideas for the entrepreneurs?
With my deep understanding of social media and online businesses, I am very successful at being a thought leader and helping others turn their business idea into reality. Through my podcast, The Wanderlover Podcast, I share ideas and strategies to help new and aspiring entrepreneurs to think outside the box. We are constantly learning from others, helping our community, and contributing as thought leaders in the industry.
How is your journey as a successful coach entrepreneur, and what inspires you to become a Success Mentor?
Because I know what it feels like to be stuck in a job you are not passionate about, and now I have a successful, creative coaching business, I am determined to help others achieve the same level of success online. Travel was the reason I started my online business, and now I’ve been traveling full-time for the past 4 years, so I’m here to share this knowledge with everybody!
What makes your successful marketing strategies different from others? How do you make it productive?
I use a combination of mindset, social media strategies, and personal branding to craft your message and share it with the world. This opens up so many more opportunities as well when people are attracted to what you have to say. You become an influencer, resulting in media broadcasts, press trips, collaborations, and hitting income goals!
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting?
The first time I launched the Travel Influencer Handbook, I only made a few sales, and I was expecting so much more. I was discouraged for a little bit because I saw successful launches from so many people on social media, but then I decided to revisit my Marketing strategy to make it better. We have sold thousands of copies and helped so many individuals and small businesses grow their online presence.
Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Marketing and selling are so important; books are called “best-selling,” not “best-writing” for a reason. You can have such a good product, but you need to know your audience and get your Marketing strategies in place!
How do you keep yourself motivated and humble throughout the day?
I always encourage my clients to take breaks and fill their cups. You can’t pour from an empty cup! Find activities that make you feel alive. I wake up and journal every morning and always try to fit in a surf session every day.
What would you say are the top 3 skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur, and why?
- Resilience: There are inevitably going to be ups and downs in business, and how quickly you can bounce back determines how fast you can move forward.
- Determination: Entrepreneurs need to be driven and self-motivated. They need to be determined to reach their goals because they work for themselves!
- Creativity: You cannot be successful by copying what someone else has already done. Therefore, the element of creativity must be present in any business idea.
What helps you stay driven and motivated to keep going in your business?
The limitless opportunities and abundance in this world! Creativity is what fuels my business and my client’s businesses, and seeing them thrive gives me momentum in my business. I love working with groups and running my masterminds where there are so many synergies, so much growth.
How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
I give back to local communities and help people reach their fullest potential. People see me as an advancing person, who helps others get rich, and they, in turn, inspire others to live out their life fully.
What are your plans for the future? How do you plan to grow this company?
We would love to grow The Wanderlover internationally, with multiple coaches and live programs after the pandemic is over. We want to reach more people, so whoever wants to start a side hustle has the courage and resources to do so.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why?
- If it were easy, everyone would be doing it
- Don’t forget to stop and smell the roses!
- Spend more time on Marketing than Branding
- Learn from someone who’s already been there
- You can do it!
What valuable advice would you give new entrepreneurs starting out?
Find a hobby that keeps you healthy, and don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone! I started surfing two years ago, and it’s the best activity to challenge your limits.
People often wait for the perfect idea, and there is no such thing as perfect. The key is to get started. Before I started The Wanderlover, I started 3 other online business ideas, and they each taught me so much about myself, about business, and that’s where the real learning comes from.
Map out your lifetime goals, then break them down into 3-year goals and 1-year goals, and do something today that helps you get one step closer to where you want to be. It has to be something different than what you are currently doing because everything you have already done (inside your comfort zone) has gotten you to exactly where you are today. So if you want to be somewhere different, you need to do something differently.
At last, what’s one productivity tip you swear by?
Block out time on your calendar for certain tasks and set a timer on your phone to work on whatever it is you have planned. No distractions, just pure, concentrated workflow. This segments your day into bite-size, productive pieces, to make sure you are not only busy but productive as well.
