Social media plays a huge role in the day-to-day of Gen Z. It’s important that we interact with content that lifts us up, and leaves us feeling inspired following a good scrolling session. #Influenced is a series of chats with social media content creators who not only bless our feeds with über cool content, but also make an effort to spread positive messages.

This month, get an insight into solo travel and some ace photography tips from Kiwi blogger and social star Alexx Hayward (AKA FindingAlexx).

How did you get started making content for your blog and Instagram?

To cut a very long story short, I studied marketing and psychology at university, did a six month exchange to San Diego (highly recommend an exchange if the opportunity arises) and then got my first job out of university at a global youth travel agency in the marketing team. I worked there for four years in New Zealand and then transferred to their London head office in 2017. In London I started my blog as a bit of a side hustle to share my European weekend adventures. In July 2019, when my UK work visa expired, I decided to take my blog full-time and have been self-employed ever since.

What does your average day look like at the moment?

I’ve been travelling full-time since April this year so there’s no such thing as an average day for me! It might be a full travel day of trains or driving, it might be an exploring day where I just wander around a new city, or it might be a content shoot for a hotel or tour company. Today is a bit of a mix, I’m on week ten of a twelve-week Europe trip and I’m pretty exhausted so I’m taking it slow. I’ve decided to treat myself to one of Amsterdam’s best brunches before heading to a co-working space to smash out some writing and photo editing. I’ll then go out to shoot the Christmas lights, and tonight I’m running a weekly coaching call with some fellow travel creators.

What do you believe makes you stand out from other travel content creators?

I think it’s probably my relatability. I look and act like any normal traveller rather than an Instagram model running! I’m not six feet tall or stick thin, I don’t travel with giant floaty dresses to wear in front of famous landmarks, and I don’t have a hot boyfriend to take romantic videos with. I’m just your average solo female traveller trying to share epic destinations and bucket list experiences that you can have too.

From your personal point-of-view, why do you think people follow you?

I like to think that people follow me for both the value I provide (in terms of travel information) and the authenticity of my content. I share all the details of my adventures, such as where I stay, where I eat, what I do and how much things cost, as well as the misadventures that happen behind the scenes - of which there are many! I like sharing the good, the bad and the ugly because I think people need to know what to expect while travelling and how to handle things when they go wrong.

When you are visiting a place for your work, how do you balance enjoying the destination with creating content?

I have to be honest here, I literally work every single day while travelling right now, but I still enjoy the destination too! I try to make sure I get outside for a decent walk each day to explore a new part of the city, I go out for local meals often, and I love booking things like food tours or adventure experiences which combine work with play.

I also know that because of my lifestyle, I’ll probably return to each of these destinations at some stage in the future, so there’s less pressure on me to see and do every single thing when I visit a new place. I’ll be travelling in some capacity for the rest of my life, so if I ever feel like I’ve rushed through a city or country (which happens often unfortunately as it’s just the nature of this job), I put it on my list to return to when my work is less demanding.

What are your top three travel experiences to date (if you can manage to narrow it down to three)?

It’s so hard to choose just three but I’ll try!

1. When I first started travelling full-time I had a crazy idea to visit a new country every week for a year. My itinerary was based on the cheapest flight each Tuesday using Skyscanner’s ‘Everywhere’ search. I managed to visit 39 countries in 39 weeks through Europe, the Middle East and Asia before lockdowns started, and spent less than $5000NZD on flights and transport between countries! I’d love to finish the final 13 weeks at some stage.

2. Standing under the Northern Lights in -10°C weather with one of my best friends on my 27th birthday was one to remember.

3. Earlier this year I did a night glamping out at the Great Barrier Reef, on a floating pontoon 2.5 hours away from Airlie Beach by boat. It is one of the coolest accommodation experiences in the world I reckon.

What are three lessons that travelling has taught you?

1. To be grateful for where I come from but also to be open to other ways of life.

2. To rely on myself and take a step back to fix problems when they arise rather than freaking out.

3. That a ‘traditional lifestyle’ of a 9-5 job, marriage and babies isn’t for everyone and that’s okay.

What are three tips you have for taking great travel pictures?

1. Shoot early in the morning for fewer crowds and softer lighting.

2. ALWAYS make sure the horizon is straight.

3. If you’re taking photos of a sunset, turn around! Often opposite the actual sunset, or the ‘anti-sunset’ as I like to call it, has more vibrant colours that are easier for our cameras or phones to pick up without looking over or underexposed.

What do you hope to achieve with your content?

I want to encourage and empower young women to get out and see the world, even if they have no one to go with! I want to show them that solo travel isn’t as scary as people think it is. I want to highlight the many ways to make friends while travelling, while giving young women some really detailed itineraries that they can essentially copy without having to stress about planning. I want to show them how to travel confidently, safely and responsibly, and have the time of their lives while doing it.

Follow Alexx on Instagram (@findingalexx) or read her epic blog here.