Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Levinson.
Stephanie, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
When I graduated from journalism school in 2009, I made a decision to go into public relations instead of journalism and wanted a way to keep writing regularly and blogging seemed like a great way to do that. I loved to cook so it was natural that I gravitated towards writing a food blog. In the beginning it was mostly homemade recipes, but as it picked up speed and readers I started attending food events around Chicago and writing about them as well. Then in 2016, my husband and I made a big decision to quit our jobs and travel the world for 6 months! We traveled to New Zealand, Australia and all over Asia and wrote about our travels on my blog. When we returned I decided to incorporate more of my everyday adventures into my food blog and Dash of Adventure was officially born!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Keeping up with a blog can have its challenges. Especially since I’ve been blogging since 2009, the world of journalism and social media has evolved a lot. When I started my first blog, Instagram didn’t even exist! I’ve struggled a lot with blogger burnout throughout the years and how much of my life I really want to share on social media. My husband and I are pretty private people and becoming “Instagram famous” was never the goal when it came to blogging for me. Spending lots of time on social media contradicts my whole life (and blog) philosophy of trying to live in the moment and be present. I love to write and that’s the bottom line of why I started blogging. I’ve found over the years that validation doesn’t come from how many comments you get on a post or how many people “like” a photo, it comes from the satisfying feeling that you’re sharing what you love to do with others! For me, that’s travel and food content! No matter what, be true to yourself and you’ll find more joy in whatever you’re doing.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Dash of Adventure – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I’m lucky in the fact that I get to incorporate my passion of writing into both aspects of my career, my work as a public relations professional at a new agency called Wye Communications and writer of Dash of Adventure, a Chicago-based food, and travel blog. I specialize in anything content creation! Sometimes, that means ghostwriting LinkedIn thought leadership articles for an executive, writing copy for a company rebrand, putting together thoughtful social content or writing a blog post – I do it all! On Dash of Adventure, I write a lot of posts giving readers ideas for travel itineraries, healthy(ish) recipes and restaurant and event reviews. I love what I do and I think that comes across in my work as both a PR professional and a blogger. Oh, and all my enthusiasm is 100% natural, I don’t drink coffee (or any caffeine)!
Were there people and/or experiences you had in your childhood that you feel laid the foundation for your success?
When I was in elementary school, I was diagnosed with a learning disability, I had to work twice as hard as other kids to read and write. I was lucky that my parents and teachers were extremely supportive and encouraged me to keep a diary and try and write every day. Over time, it became less of a challenge and something that I loved to do. I think my hard work ethic and my persistence comes from those days when I really had to hustle to keep up.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dashofadventure.com
- Email: dashofadventure1@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dash_of_adventure/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DashOfAdventure
Image Credit:
Stephanie Levinson
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