This 3-step shift makes your pitch 10x more magnetic
Issue #130
This issue is brought to you by JoinSecret.
Hey travelpreneur,
After I sent my launch date story yesterday, I sat with a lot of emotion.
Not just the memory of my grandmother…
But the quiet truth underneath it all:
There were so many times in my journey where I could’ve quit.
Times I almost did.
When you feel invisible.
When the pitches go unanswered.
When your ideas feel too weird or too small, or too late.
But what kept me going was a belief that’s only grown stronger with time:
✨ Your creative work is valuable. Even before the world validates it.
So today, I want to give you a reframe that helped me pitch with more confidence, even when I felt like no one was watching:
💡 Reframe: You’re not asking for a favor.
You’re offering a strategic solution to a brand’s problem.
Let’s be honest—pitching can feel a little needy when it’s framed like:
“Hi! I’d love to stay at your hotel in exchange for exposure.” 🙃
But that’s not what you're really doing.
You’re not begging.
You’re building a mutually beneficial partnership.
Here’s how to flip the energy before you pitch:
Find the gap: What’s missing or under-leveraged in the brand’s current marketing? (Outdated visuals? No Gen Z voice? Missing destination content?)
Position yourself as the bridge:
Show how you fill that exact gap—with your content, audience, style, or skillset.Speak their language:
Swap “I’d love to…” for “Here’s how I can help you reach X goal faster.”
This is how you go from:
“Can I have a free stay?”
to
“Here’s a content strategy that fills a gap in your current marketing—and gets your property in front of [exact audience].”
The shift?
⚡ You’re no longer pitching from lack—you’re pitching from leadership.
Tomorrow, I’ll be sharing something that helps you make this shift every single time you pitch.
No guesswork. No overthinking. Just clarity.
But if you already feel that nudge…
📩 Reply with the word STUDIO
And I’ll send you the link to access it early, before doors open to the public.
Keep creating.
You’re more powerful than you know.
With heart,
Daniella
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👉 The Craft Your Own Pitch Template Workbook was created specifically to help travel content creators design and customize their very own reusable pitch template.
👉 Discover my step-by-step process for pitching & landing travel sponsorships in this free mini course!
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Please do *not* mention me as the person who referred you in your applications & pitch emails. Just because I'm sharing these with you does not mean I am a reference, dropping my name won’t help you get the job :)
👉 Plannin—“a travel booking site powered by honest recommendations made by a trusted community of travelers”—is looking to grow its affiliate program. They also recently launched a tool that lets you add a script to your site to automatically add commissionable links across your blog.
👉 enRoute, Air Canada’s magazine, accepts pitches from freelancers. “We look for articles with unique, unexpected angles and for subjects that will remain fresh during our four-to-six-month lead time. Air Canada enRoute commissions stories that focus on everything from food and drink, design and architecture to style, arts and culture, technology, social trends and sports, all told through the lens of travel.”
👉 Conde Nast Traveler is looking for pitches for their Best Places To Go In 2026 list. Editors seek a mix of international and domestic destinations. Pitches are due by July 1, 2025. This opportunity is for paid members only.
👉 Fodor’s Travel (Michigan) needs local travel writers to write about Detroit, Mackinac Island, and the Upper Peninsula.
👉 The Arena Group needs entry-level travel writers (20 hours/week, $25/hour).
👉 Expat.com needs a remote freelance writer to refresh its Living in Tunisia guide.
👉 Head to Detroit, Michigan, to explore Dearborn Inn, Ford Motor Company’s nearly century-old hotel that has been meticulously restored. On this group press trip, you'll tour the reimagined hotel, including the property’s beloved colonial homes dating back to 1937, and visit local museums to learn more about the history of this town.
👉 On this group press trip, you'll head over to OKANA Resort & Indoor Waterpark, a family-friendly property set along the Oklahoma River. Home to the 4th largest pool in the country, this $400 million resort holds a 100,000 square-foot indoor waterpark, 13 unique dining outlets, a family entertainment center, and so much more.
👉 Win a trip to the famous Galapagos Islands in Ecuador with HX Hurtigruten Expeditions! The grand prize is a nine-day expedition including wildlife encounters and outdoor activities throughout the archipelago. Open to everyone, except residents of India, Belgium, Sweden, Quebec, Florida, Rhodes Island and New York. Contest closes July 31, 2025.
👉 Win a two-night luxury stay in Portugal. The grand prize is a two-night stay for two at Dream Guincho in Sintra-Cascais Natural Park. Breakfast and an afternoon tea experience are included. Open to all. Contest closes June 30, 2025.
👉 Have you joined Stay22 yet? If you’re a travel blogger who wants to earn affiliate commission from hotel bookings, then you need to join Stay22 ASAP! Honestly, it’s a no-brainer for any travel blogger looking to make their mark and their money.🌍💸
👉 Have you joined Travelpayouts? This free-to-join affiliate platform is 100% focused on travel collaborations. They also have a feature called Emerald that uses the power of AI to help automatically increase your referrals, no extra work required.
👉 Grab the latest AppSumo freebies! Free tools and resources that can help grow your blog's traffic, community, and income while simplifying your workflow.
👉 Have you installed the Grow by Mediavine plugin on your blog and applied to Journey by Mediavine yet? I’ve been using Journey Ads, and despite having only ~40% Tier 1 traffic, I’ve been getting high RPMs—way better than I expected! Now, you don’t even need 10,000 sessions to apply!
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Love this newsletter? Please share a testimonial here!
Until next week (or the next issue),
Happy pitching!
Daniella
PS. When you’re ready, here are a few ways I can help you 👉 https://beacons.ai/daniellaschoeman
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