{"id":23937,"date":"2024-05-22T12:42:45","date_gmt":"2024-05-22T09:42:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/?p=23937"},"modified":"2025-07-18T10:57:08","modified_gmt":"2025-07-18T07:57:08","slug":"the-story-of-bucketlist-bri","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/the-story-of-bucketlist-bri\/","title":{"rendered":"The Power of Meow: How Bucketlist Bri Turned Her Travel Lifestyle Into Her Full-Time Gig"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I Couldn\u2019t Have Done It Without Yoda<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The first money I ever made from blogging came from my cat blog, The Fluffy Kitty<\/a>. My partner and I started that blog after adopting Yoda \u2013 our adventure kitty who traveled and lived abroad with us for 10 years in 9 different countries around the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In January 2024, our sweet boy took his last adventure across the rainbow bridge. We never grew the blog beyond 75,000 monthly sessions, but even so, we made a comfortable monthly income from commissions and ad revenue. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what I am most proud of with that blog is its legacy. We created a community that supported us through Yoda\u2019s cancer before and after he became a tripod. Even now, in his afterlife, we see how our guides help so many readers begin to travel with their cats and also feel supported in their own cat cancer journeys. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I will always be grateful for our humble beginnings as \u201ccat bloggers\u201d (something I used to feel shy to tell people) because it is from that blog that I learned affiliate marketing, SEO, backlinking, networking, brand collaborations, and much more. More than that, it paved the way to a passionate and adventurous life that I\u2019d later embrace as \u201cBucketlist Bri.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Becoming Bucketlist Bri<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I started Bucketlistbri.com<\/a> (formerly Bits of Bri) in 2015, when I was living in Kathmandu, Nepal. Back then, I published mostly journal-style content. <\/strong>But after 2019, I began to take blogging seriously and that\u2019s when I truly stepped into my travel blogging era.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Now, it\u2019s more than just a blog that I monetize; it\u2019s my very own digital guidebook, containing many cherished memories and experiences from living around the world.  I feel that a personal touch is invaluable when it comes to blogging, which means that I have a very hard time putting on my business hat and delegating work\/outsourcing. But I know that, eventually, I\u2019ll need to loosen my grip if I wish to grow beyond my current output and retain sustainable growth in every area of my business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How I Boost My Blog<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

My traffic has been slightly over 100k monthly pageviews for the last two years\u2014I hope to grow it to 200k monthly visitors this year. Unfortunately, I was unable to publish much in 2023 because it was a hectic year for me professionally and personally, so I\u2019m now focused on updating old posts from 2021 that I neglected. Whenever I do publish, however, I rank quickly, and I think it’s due to my site\u2019s stability over the last few years. \u201cNo shortcuts, no bs,\u201d is my strategy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Growth is slow but gradual with a steady baseline, but the times when I\u2019ve done \u201cblogging challenges,\u201d in which I aim to publish\u2014say, 25 times in 30 days\u2014is when I always see huge jumps in traffic. Everyone talks about Google\u2019s updates changing all the time. While I agree that it is beyond frustrating, I\u2019ve found that what Google really wants\u2014has always wanted\u2014hasn\u2019t changed all that much: quality, intentional, and original content, published and updated frequently. Mostly, I\u2019ve learned that where your focus goes, growth follows. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organic search is my main driver of traffic, followed by Pinterest<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Since my blog is fairly established, I don\u2019t do much brand awareness. Instead, I try to nurture the audience I already have, so I\u2019ll link to blog posts in my Instagram Stories<\/a>, turn my blog posts into Reels, or send out periodic newsletters to my subscribers, who always engage with me by email and on my blog. I deleted TikTok but kept Facebook, and I stopped chasing YouTube years ago. <\/p>\n\n\n

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Now, there\u2019s only Google search, Pinterest, and a bit of social media left. Good SEO\/organic rankings are my priority since those drive long-term growth to the blog.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Overcoming Challenges<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Seeing those first commissions trickle in was amazing, and it became clear that blogging was becoming more than a hobby. And yet, it took me another four years of living abroad in multiple countries and finishing my education in humanitarian aid to finally pursue travel blogging full-time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My journey was not without its challenges, however. The biggest difficulty I had to overcome was allowing myself to show up and get out of my own way. I had the knowledge, the tools, and the experience, and yet, I felt like I needed someone to give me permission. There wasn\u2019t any \u201cone thing\u201d that solved my doubts. Rather, I pushed forward by focusing on the process rather than the result and what felt good. And I know that when I write, I feel good. Sometimes it\u2019s as simple as that.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

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Even now, as a successful six-figure annual income blogger, I still face difficulties and need to overcome self-doubt. I think that\u2019s pretty normal in this industry, where you are quite literally creating your own job and using your identity as the heart of your business\/brand \u2013 and the pressures and expectations that inherently come with that.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

More About the Content<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I take my own experiences as inspiration. Everything I write comes from a personal experience of some sort. There are posts that I published that were written because of their attractiveness as a good keyword, but I quickly lost my purpose in writing those. Instead, I use my travels and then find keywords that best suit my experience. This way, I\u2019m writing with intention and not for SEO\/ranking only.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My \u201cX-day\u201d itineraries always perform well, and I think it\u2019s because of the personal tips and recommendations I weave throughout them. Readers want to do what I do, and itineraries are perfect for nurturing that trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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While it\u2019s hard for me to pick favorites, these five posts have always always popular:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Things to do in Tulum, Mexico<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. San Pancho, Mexico<\/a> (A complete guide)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Things to do in Aix-en-Provence, France<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Lisbon\u2019s LX factory<\/a> (Portugal)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Things to do in San Pedro, Guatemala<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    I think these all stay popular because I actually lived in each of these locations long-term \u2013 from three months up to two years. Naturally, the guides are extra-packed with experiential insight and value. I\u2019m not surprised, but interestingly, that\u2019s what they all have in common! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Blogging Is Just the Tip of the Iceberg<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Beyond my blog, I earn from my signature blog course, Bootstrap Blogging<\/a>, and private 1:1 coaching. I don\u2019t have a store (yet!), but I am currently creating more digital products for my audience that will help them level up in specific areas in which I have the most expertise. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Aside from that, tourism boards and brand sponsorships are my next source of income. I also have a podcast, Slomad Stories, but I\u2019m not interested in monetizing it now as I\u2019d prefer not to capitalize on all my passion projects. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Before I took travel blogging full-time, I was a freelance writer. I always advise folks who are interested in getting into writing or blog content writing to start there (if starting their own blog isn\u2019t an option) \u2013 and from there, to follow where their intuition takes them. I once got paid to author a digital nomad book for Macmillan Publishers, which excited me about the publishing world. I even ended up penning creative poetry and social media posts for the Princess of Saudi Arabia! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Next, I\u2019m interested in writing books, offering group trips focusing on local and adventurous travel, and possibly speaking at travel conferences. There\u2019s so much I\u2019d love to experience and create! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Where I Make My Money<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Last year, I finally cracked five figures monthly from my blog. There will be a month or two where it dips below that, but that\u2019s just the nature of having multiple different income streams! In percentages, that breaks down to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    1. Ads (Mediavine) \u2013 35% <\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Affiliate programs and platforms \u2013 30%<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. Course sales and private coaching \u2013 25%<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    4. Paid partnerships \u2013 10%<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      I started dabbling in affiliate marketing in 2015, long before I used it for my travel blog. Booking.com was the first affiliate program I began making money from my blog. Even today, it\u2019s one of my top earners. Now, I have simplified (thanks to Travelpayouts!) and focused on a select few. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      I actually wish I had known about Travelpayouts<\/a> sooner because I could have scaled my affiliate earnings faster. And I greatly appreciate the diverse programs Travelpayouts offers. For example, as a traveler, I use Klook<\/a>, Airalo<\/a>, and Discover Cars<\/a>, so finding these programs and quickly creating affiliate links from them as a blogger without having to apply to each separately is such a game changer!\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

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      In my opinion, there are no other travel-focused affiliate programs like Travelpayouts. Just looking at the Travelpayouts dashboard makes me want to optimize old posts to boost affiliate conversions. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

      So, if you\u2019re looking for a reliable affiliate platform, I wholeheartedly recommend Travelpayouts. As a blog coach, I\u2019ve seen what\u2019s out there, and Travelpayouts is simply the travel partnership platform you can count on \u2013 and get real results from.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

      \n
      <\/div> \n \n
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      \n Join the Travelpayouts partnership platform\n <\/h5>\n\n \n\n \n Join today\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n\n
      \n Powerful<\/i> AI tools for grow<\/span>\n <\/div>\n
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      brands<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n \n \n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n

      My Tricks of the Trade<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      I want to leave you with a few recommendations that have become invaluable to me as a travel creator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Use Affiliate Tools Intentionally<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      In sales\/marketing, they say it takes \u201cseeing an offer an average of 7 times” before conversion occurs. For me, the real answer is not any number but whatever the content needs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Instead of linking left and right in hopes of converting, I link intentionally and strategically by creating more engaging copy around the affiliate link \u2013 leading up to it and after it. If someone scrolls over your affiliate link in the beginning, it\u2019s important to reintroduce it later down the post.  I\u2019m also a visual learner, so I always combine text links with visual widgets to create a different angle and make it more interesting for the reader. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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      But how can you do this while staying on-topic and intentional? For me, the secret lies in what you say, not how you present the link. Placement is important, but what you say while placing it is even more important. I\u2019ve tested my strategy in my guides repeatedly by numbering links in the order in which they appear to see at which point the conversion takes place. You\u2019d be surprised how the \u201cunoptimized\u201d link or widget naturally placed or buried in\/around a well-written paragraph can be the winning ticket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Stay Curious & Keep Learning<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      First and foremost,<\/strong> find a blogger doing what you want to do down to a T \u2013 someone who oozes your vibe and REACH OUT to them! I have helped fellow creators reach Mediavine just by giving them (free) tips in my DMs without ever pressuring them to buy my course. So, reach out to a friend. Blogging can be a lonely pursuit, but it doesn\u2019t have to be.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Second,<\/strong> don\u2019t be afraid to invest in yourself and, most importantly, give yourself permission to show up in this space! If I had listened to myself sooner, I would\u2019ve, could\u2019ve, done many things better, maybe faster. But there\u2019s no good in waiting until you\u2019re ready or until you know it all. Just start where you are; it\u2019s good enough already.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Lastly,<\/strong> read The Practice<\/em> by Seth Godin<\/a>, War of Art<\/em> by Steven Pressfield<\/a>, Atomic Habits<\/em> by James Clear<\/a>, Big Magic<\/em> by Liz Gilbert<\/a>, and You Are A Badass<\/em> by Jen Sincero<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Meet Bucketlist Bri<\/a>, the adventurous nomad, blog coach, and photographer who has been living abroad and slow traveling full-time for over ten years. Her story began after moving to France in 2013, where she harnessed her love of writing to document her travels. She has since grown her blogging hobby into a full-time endeavor\u2014with a six-figure annual salary to boot! Read as Bri shares her secrets to making money, scaling success, and building a life around your passion.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":88,"featured_media":23947,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_eb_attr":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[527],"tags":[48,541],"class_list":["post-23937","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories","tag-monetization","tag-success-story"],"acf":[],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23937","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/88"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23937"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23937\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28136,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23937\/revisions\/28136"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23947"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23937"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23937"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23937"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}