We just got back from an amazing week in Tucson, Arizona, soaking up the sun and the awesome vibes at TravelCon!

For those who haven’t been, it’s the spot for travel content creators – Youtubers, influencers, photographers, podcasters, the whole shebang from all over the world.

And honestly, it was fantastic!

As the owner of both The Creator CPA and TravelCon, it was a bit of a whirlwind, but in the best way possible. I packed my bags with business cards for the CPA side and a whole lot of excitement, ready to connect with the incredible people who make the travel world so inspiring.

My mission? To show my fellow creators that dealing with taxes and bookkeeping doesn’t have to be this scary, stressful thing.

Connecting with Familiar Faces

One of the highlights for me was definitely catching up with some of our amazing Creator CPA clients. It’s always such a treat to put faces to names and hear firsthand about their latest adventures and how our support has helped them focus on what they love most – creating awesome content.

I had a great chat with Matt and Nat from The Adventures of Matt and Nat, hearing all about their recent trips and what they’ve got planned next.

Seeing their passion and how dedicated they are is truly inspiring. I’m really proud that my team at Creator CPA can be a part of their journey by handling the financial stuff for their incredible business.

We also got to see Qroo Paul, who’s learn Spanish channel and communities are doing really well. Other clients and connections included: Rich and Abigail Toy from Explore This City, Katherine Fan (the conference emcee), and keynote speakers, Pat Flynn and Richard Kerr.

Those in-person connections really remind me why I love working with creators – your energy and creativity are just infectious!

Meeting the Future of Travel Content

Beyond seeing familiar faces, TravelCon was buzzing with so much new talent. I had the pleasure of meeting tons of passionate folks who are just starting out or looking to really take their content creation to the next level.

On the Creator CPA side, we were basically offering free tax and bookkeeping advice to anyone who stopped by. It felt really good to answer their burning questions, try to make complicated tax stuff easier to understand, and give them some practical tips for managing their money better.

From figuring out what you can deduct to choosing the right business structure, my goal was to give these creators the financial knowledge they need to really thrive.

The conversations were super insightful, and I was thrilled to see how eager everyone was to get their financial ducks in a row. It’s clear that more and more people in the creator world are realizing how important good financial management is, and I’m excited that The Creator CPA is right there helping to support that.

Learning and Growing Alongside the Community

But TravelCon isn’t just about networking; it’s also a fantastic chance to learn from the best in the business.

I made sure to attend a bunch of sessions covering everything from how to get your content seen online (SEO stuff) and video editing tricks to building a strong brand and actually making money from your content.

Here are a few key things that really stuck with me:

  • First off, being authentic is king (and queen!). The big message was to just be yourself and create content that feels real and connects with your audience. Followers are smart, and they appreciate creators who are genuine and relatable.
  • Also, the travel creator community is just so supportive. People are all about collaborating, sharing what they know, and making real connections, which is so important for growing and sticking around in this industry.
  • Another big one is that you can’t just rely on one way to make money. The creators who are doing really well are exploring lots of different options, like working with brands, using affiliate links, selling their own products, and more.
  • And you can’t forget video! Short videos, long videos – they’re still such a powerful way to grab people’s attention and tell great stories. So, if you’re a creator, getting good at video is key.

These insights don’t just help me understand what my Creator CPA clients are dealing with, but they also help me think about how we can better tailor our services to what they really need.

A Big Thank You to the TravelCon Team!

I also want to give a huge thank you to the entire TravelCon team (including the team members from The Creator CPA who served as volunteers for the event) for putting on such an amazing and valuable event.

From the informative sessions to all the great opportunities to connect with people, everything was top-notch.

The energy and enthusiasm of everyone who came were truly inspiring, and I left Tucson feeling even more energized and committed to helping travel content creators succeed financially through Creator CPA.

Looking Ahead

Looking ahead, my time at TravelCon Tucson has just reinforced how much I believe that creators deserve financial support that really gets the unique challenges and opportunities of their industry.

I’m excited to keep building relationships within the travel creator community and helping you navigate the financial side of your passion through Creator CPA.

Did you make it to TravelCon? I’d love to hear what your experiences were and what you took away from it in the comments below!

And if you’re a travel creator looking for some help with taxes and bookkeeping, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Creator CPA – my team and I are here to help you focus on creating amazing content while we handle the numbers.