Ep. 276: How This Travel Blogger Created a Multi-Six Figure Online Coaching Business with Jen Morilla
In this episode, I speak with Jenn who has scaled her online coaching business to a multi-six-figure online business and continues to impact the online space with her business-building expertise.
Her clients vary from coaches, creative entrepreneurs to service providers who skyrocket their business.
Listen on to find out how Jen transitioned from being a travel blogger to becoming an online business coach.
Listen Below:
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Transcription:
Debbie:
Hey everyone, thank you so much for being here.
I am really excited to speak with my guest today.
I’m here with Jen. Hi Jen. How are you?
Jen:
Hi, how are you? I’m so excited to be here.
Debbie:
I’m so excited for you to be here. So can you tell us about you Jen, and why you live an offbeat life?
Jen:
So I, oh, my story is so long, but I started out as a travel blogger seven years ago in 2015. And I worked with some pretty amazing tourism boards and pretty epic brands. And I was a different type of travel blogger, I was carrying clean water filters to developing countries and working with social and sustainable brands. And so I did that for about three and a half years.
Before that life, I was corporate New York. I was working for a marketing agency. But I did that for about three and a half years. And then I quickly began to pivot on educating people, how to build a brand online and what that looks like.
And so, I have been doing that since, we’re about seven years in total altogether, but about four years in being a coach consultant and mentor to online business owners. A lot of service providers is typically who I work with. And I teach them how to start, grow and scale their online business.
Debbie:
That is a lot of different hats that you definitely wore within the last few years, right? And it’s so interesting where life leads you. It’s like in some point in your life. You’re really interested in this and you go into that and then all of a sudden it takes you to a completely different direction.
So what made you pivot from a travel blogger? And that’s a lot of people’s dream and you were able to do that, to now being a coach and a mentor. How did that all come about?
Jen:
Honestly, it happened so naturally. And now looking back at it, I didn’t realize how natural it actually was. I resisted so much of it, cause I don’t think I’ll ever stop traveling, but there was a part of me that was like letting go on about identity. And so I think we have this big pressure to find our purpose, everyone always talking about finding purpose and we put purpose behind the doing instead of the being, right?
And so I thought my purpose was being a travel blogger because I was really good at it and I enjoyed it and it made me really happy and I was in a high vibration and good thing. Like things just came to me naturally, right? And then I quickly realized that it was in the being, that was the purpose, right? When I was being a travel blogger, I was in my highest vibration, right? I was helping and serving other people. I was carrying clean water filters to developing countries. And I love that.
The bottom line is that I was helping other people and that’s what I still do today. It just looks differently. And so what started to happen in like full transparency is like in late 2018, I had my very last collaboration with an organization. I tracked Nepal and I did a summit and it was at a most amazing trip. I had a wonderful time.
And I got back from that trip and I had a ton of footage to edit and I was so burnt out and I had a team, had one person on my team and this poor woman, like, God bless her soul. Like, I, would’ve not made it as far as I did if it wasn’t for her. And yeah, so she was working with me and I got back to New York and I was transitioning.
Jen:
Like I had an apartment that I was Airbnb-ing and my, I was staying at my parents for the time because I was moving so much. So I was like, I don’t need to live alone. Like I’m constantly out of a suitcase. Like, what’s the big deal.
So I was back at my parents’ place and I had a moment where I was like, I looked at my bank accounts and I was like, this is not sustainable for me. Like, I live in New York city. I made money, but it wasn’t to the amount that like I needed to feel safe and comfortable. And I was like, I can’t continue to do this if like, I can’t feel from an empty cup.
Like there was such an anxiety and such a, a pressure to like accomplish the footage, the deadline, all the stuff while also experiencing a trip and then also trying to have fun with it. You know what I mean? I’m sure you get it, but like, it’s just like, I got to that point that I was like, I don’t think I wanna do this. And then it just started to happen that naturally people started to see me as someone who knew influencer marketing, knew a lot about marketing and strategy and stuff like that.
So I was being asked to go on stages. So this was late 2018 and all of 2019. September of 2018, I launched my very first online course. And it was how to build an online brand. And that was an 11,000 launch. And from there I was like, “Holy shit. I figured it out.” And I loved it. Like, I love teaching people how to use social media. I love teaching people how to be themselves, right?
So yeah, I continued down that path and then all of 2019, I really just like honed in, on being that person and becoming that expert. And so naturally it evolved. I continued to travel, but definitely not as much. Like I went from traveling two to three times a month to maybe traveling once every three months.
Jen:
And then obviously COVID happened. And that was that, I don’t need to talk about that, but I mean, I did, I actually did travel at the end of 2020. I went to Mexico in October of 2020. And then I went back in 2021. I spent the whole, I spent like four months in Mexico.
So I mean, I built a business that I can still travel and I could take it anywhere. But I, I mean, like I was 25 when I started being a travel blogger, right?
Like I really enjoyed being a backpacker. I loved staying in hostels. I think the thought of me having to stay in a hostel today. Like I wouldn’t enjoy it as much as I did in the past, you know? Like I love it. I appreciate it. And my experience, but like, I think that when, you know, business is doing great, I can afford to stay in these like beautiful hotels.
I’m like, well, you know, so that’s kind of like the, the transition was that it was just naturally, it was slowly happening between people asking me to do consulting and then being on stages. And then just people were reaching out to me. They were like, you know, how do you do this? Like, you’ve built such a good brand.
Debbie:
Yeah. And it’s also amazing how, when you finally find the right thing, the right path for you, it’s so much easier. It’s like the entire time you’re trying to figure out like your purpose or whatever it is that you’re trying to find.
It feels like you’re just pushing a boulder up a hill, right? There’s always constant friction with everything that you’re doing. And then you get a little bit of like a nugget and then all of a sudden it’s back to, to pushing that boulder up. But then when you find something that really clicks, it’s like, oh my gosh, why is this? Yeah. Why is this so much easier?
And, and for me, cause that, that happened to me too. And I’m like, is there something here that like, I’m missing? Did I do like, am I doing this wrong? Why is this this so much easier? And sometimes you kind of question like, why is this so much easier than the other things that I’ve been doing and then making more money, but, and maybe even working less and not trying as much, but it just works.
Jen:
Yep. Yep. Yep. And I think that’s the sign too. Like, I don’t mean even in relationships, like I was single for a really long time and I would date guys and they’d be like, why is this so hard? Like, why can’t I find that person? And then when I found my boyfriend, I was very much like, this is easy. Like, this is easy. Like this is supposed to be hard. Like you’re supposed to like, you know, make me chase you or some shit. I
t’s like the cuts doesn’t work like that. And I had a moment where I was like, oh, this is, I mean, I don’t know how into you are like manifestation and like energy work or anything. But have you heard of Abraham Hicks?
Debbie:
No, I haven’t.
Jen:
Okay. So you should totally Google her when you, you know, finish out here. But, she talks about how the universe, or do you know who Gabby Bernstein is?
Debbie:
No, I’m so bad with these things.
Jen:
So Okay, Google Gabby Bernstein cause might be too Woohoo for you, but Gabby Bernstein, she’s an author and she talks a lot about energy work and healing and trauma and all the things. And one of the things that she says all the time is that it’s easy.
Like it’s not hard, but we’re so wired from society that in order for us to be successful, we have to work really hard. That, that is why we self sabotage. That’s why we question it. Like that’s why we basically like get in our own way. And the truth is that when it’s easy, like that’s a good thing. Like we didn’t come here to suffer. Like we came here to just have a human experience, but we create our reality. Like we have the autonomy to be able to do that.
And so yeah, it’s definitely been a journey and I’m not saying entrepreneurship is easy. I mean, we know this. But it’s definitely, it doesn’t feel like I’m pushing up a boulder up a hill, as you said, anymore. Like it’s just natural to me.
Debbie:
Yeah. And also you mentioned that entrepreneurship is definitely not easy and you know, you started this and probably even way before in 2015. So that’s a long time that it took you to get to this point, Jen, where it’s like, okay, things make sense now.
And I think a lot of us entrepreneurs who have been doing this now that we’re at a stage where it’s like, okay, it’s so much easier. People tend to just see the easy part where you are now and how we’re talking and like how your energy is right now. And then they wanna get to that point. But they kind of miss everything that happened to you.
When you were in that state of mind where you were saying to yourself, this is not sustainable. I can’t feed myself here in New York with this amount of money, because most of the time people just think about, you know, travel and all of this stuff. That, that is the good part, right? But honestly, and you were thank you for being so candid money plays a huge role in everybody’s life. And that’s also important.
Jen:
And we don’t talk about it as society it’s like, well, but also remember like 2015, travel blogging was like very new. You know what I mean? Influencer marketing was so new. I remember that the only reason, like my first brand deal was Microsoft and it was two months into me.
I didn’t even have a blog yet. And I pitched them an idea, right? And I think it was, I don’t remember how much they paid, but it wasn’t a lot. And now looking back and I’m like, I could have asked for way more, right? But it was so fresh and so new.
Whereas like now, I mean, now brands don’t reach out to me for Instagram, either reach out to me for YouTube. So I’ll work with like online business platforms or like tech companies and stuff like that. And I can literally say a rate and they’re like, “Yeah. Okay. We expected that.” You know what I mean? Because it’s like, not as fresh. Whereas like when I started, I was still trying to convince people that this works, you know, so like, it was definitely a lot harder.
Yeah. And I, before I, you know, went completely solo entrepreneur when I was working at corporate, I had my own business and I was a social media manager for small businesses. And so like, I’m a little bit of a workaholic if you haven’t picked that up yet.
I was in New York and I still was working with small businesses in New Jersey. Cause I grew up in Jersey and I was making good money, but I was running my own business. And I was like, you know, I didn’t know anything. I didn’t know what I was doing. Like, I didn’t know anything.
And then let alone being a solo entrepreneur at 25, you know, like, yeah, that was, yeah. I look back at it and I I’m very proud of myself because there was a level of naiveness that I had that was also drove me to be as successful as I was, because I didn’t know any better. And truthfully, I didn’t care. You know,
Debbie:
I love that about being naive and also ignorant with a lot of things, because you don’t know how much of a risk it is. Like you become really jaded when you know what’s gonna happen or you’ve been burned or you know, how much work it’s gonna be or whatever it is.
But when you’re naive, you’re ignorant with a lot of things. You’re just like, okay, this is gonna be great. And it actually leads you to other things too. So I definitely agree with that. Cause that’s happened to me a long time. I mean a lot of times
Jen:
Yeah, no, I think there’s such a beauty in it. You know, that’s why like you know, I always tell my clients, I’m like, go for it. The worst thing’s gonna happen is that you’re gonna learn. Right. Like take the plunge, go for it because you never wanna look back and be like, “what if.”
Like that wasn’t a determining factor for me. I was at a place in my life where I was like, I don’t ever wanna look back and be like, what if I actually did that? You know, who would I have become what could have happened? And it was one of the most amazing years of my life.
You know, I look back at 2015, I’m like, oh, I remember 2015. You sound like an old lady on your rocking chair when I’m like 80 and my kid, my grandkids are gonna be like, “Grandma, tell us about you traveling to Cambodia.” and I’ll be like, “Oh, that was back in 2015.”.
Debbie:
It’s so funny. Like where all of that stuff leads you and it’s, I don’t know. I think also too, and you talked about this, Jen, it’s like, you know, when you’re younger, you don’t care about travel being messy and uncomfortable, but then now as we get older, we’re like, nah, I’ve been there, done that. Like, I don’t wanna be with a bunch of like people and I can’t sleep at night. Yeah. Backpackers. I’m like, no,
Jen:
With respect you, like, I like, look, I’ve done it. I love it. I love it. Like thing my life. And the thing is that I, I feel like such a jerk saying it sometimes because it’s, it’s definitely when I realize like, oh my God, like, you should be proud of yourself. It was in 2020, no, it was 2021.
I booked a trip to Mexico for my birthday and I stayed in this beautiful hotel and I paid for the entire thing by myself. There’s been like for a whole week with everything inclusive as Mexico is like three grand and like a five star luxury hotel. And I remember I didn’t even flinch.
Like I paid for it. Didn’t even think about it. And when I got to the hotel room, I was like, wait a minute. So I had realized I had worked with the branch of this hotel before in a different location.
And when I was a travel blogger and I remembered that I couldn’t like if they would’ve turned around and said to me, okay, we need you to pay for the night instead of for free, like to do content. Like I wouldn’t have been able to pay for that hotel room.
It’s like, I would’ve been like hire a staff, like, okay, put me in the kitchen because I wouldn’t have been able to. And so there, I was staying in this beautiful hotel and I was like, I didn’t even think about this twice. Like I’m having a wonderful experience. I just booked a spa day. And then I was like, wow, like, we’ve come a long way.We’ve come a long way from staying in cubbies, in Cambodia and Thailand. Like to luxury hotels. So yeah. I mean, I consider it paying my dues is how I see it.
Debbie:
Yeah, absolutely. I mean, you definitely do. You have to go through all the pain, the struggle, the failures to get to that point. And I also love that you transitioned from being a travel blogger to now coaching. And not having, because I’ve done it too, where it’s like, you literally just work with certain hotel companies, so you can actually afford these things. Right?
Because you couldn’t afford it before to now being able to pay for it yourself. And then I think the same way, I’m like, it’s so much better to just pay for it than like, come here and get it for free. But it’s not really free cause you’re doing so much work. You have to create so much content that it’s not actually a vacation. I’m like, yeah, this is a big difference.
Jen:
That’s a difference, that’s a difference, like you spent, you know, I mean, to me, I didn’t enjoy it as much. I got to the point that I was like, I don’t wanna create seven videos for you or seven big pictures.
You know what I mean? Like yeah. It was a lot.
Debbie:
Yeah, definitely. It’s, it’s a big difference, but it’s, it’s a good one to experience because you understand how, first of all, there’s so many skills that you learn as a creator. And even if you transition to a different type of business, you definitely take all of that because now there has to be content with everything.
Jen:
Yeah, definitely. I mean, you know, I work with a ton of photographers and videographers now on a different level, but like I know what’s happening behind the camera, you know what I mean? Like I know, I know how to edit videos.
Like when I have a video editor, like I, I know how long it’s gonna take her to complete something. Right? Like there is no you can’t and even like blogging and just like a website, like I actually was laughing about this the other day with one of my girlfriends. Like when I started my blog, like I built my own blog and if it wasn’t for MySpace, like I wouldn’t know how to code. Right?
So like, God bless MySpace. And because that’s how I learned how to create my website. And like today I’m like, y’all got it so easy. You have Squarespace and Wix. I was like, I had to do WordPress from scratch. Go look at my MySpace and I can’t find it, but like, you know what I mean?
Debbie:
Oh my Gosh.
Jen:
Like that’s how I learned how to do all of that. And of course I, you know, as an entrepreneur, as a CEO, like I now have a team and like I know how long it takes to do something. I understand and respect the art. You know what I mean? Cause it’s not, they’re an expert in their field, like respect, you know?
Debbie:
Yeah. Cause it’s, it’s a lot of work. It’s a lot of time and effort and and I say this all the time, the easier it looks, the harder it actually is. So, and that’s a thing if you’ve never worked with creators before, and then you just expect them to come out with things and you know, be like, yeah, you could do these things. It looks really easy.
And you’re like, no, it’s, it takes hours. And even if it doesn’t take hours, it’s taken years to get to the point where it doesn’t take hours because now you know what to do. But it’s pretty interesting when you transition to all of that.
So you had a background with content creation and marketing and all of that stuff, but you didn’t necessarily have a background in coaching, right? And teaching. So how did you make this work for you, Jen? Because you did, even though you had the skills to teach people and the knowledge to do this, it’s another thing to actually take it and teach it to people.
How did you make this happen and actually make this work and now make this into your bread and butter?
Jen:
Oh, I love that question. People don’t ask it often. I think it’s such a good question. It was a natural thing. Like I was getting people in my DMS that, that were like, how do you do this? How do you do that?
And I found myself coaching people for free, like telling them, do this, do that, do this. It was more mentoring. I was definitely telling people.
And then I, you know, really started to do a lot of like the healing work and the mental work. I’ve done a lot of workshops and seminars on like communication and coaching and all the things. And so I really understood the difference between mentoring and coaching. And so coaching is like asking the right questions to walk somebody through to get them into the direction that you, that they want to go to. Right? And then obviously hold them as a coach at their highest vision.
Right? So my clients, I see the potential, my clients, and I hold them at that space no matter what. So when shit hits the fan and they’re like done, like this launch, isn’t working or like, I didn’t make my goal or blah, blah, blah, blah. Like, it’s my job to be like, no, like it’s all right. Remember who you are, this is the plan. Let’s stick to the plan. We got this. Right?
And then a mentor is somebody who tells somebody like, okay, go make, make a left, go right. Stop at the stop sign, like, and I do a combination of both of my clients. Right. And I think that was very natural for me, because again, I was already coaching people before I even started charging. And I recognized that and I was like, oh my God. Like when they started to see more success than I did, I was like, okay, I’m doing something wrong slash doing something.
Right? So I’m like, take a step back, like what’s going on? And yeah, I had coached about like four or five people technically for free, not realizing it, like in the DMS. And I would get on calls with them. And I realized like I was giving away all this free information and they were seeing better results than I was. And I was like, okay, there’s definitely something here.
And so that’s why I created that course to me, it comes natural to be an educator to teach people like, it’s not something I really struggle with and I enjoy it. Like, I love the community of women that I work with. I love, you know, just interacting and seeing people from where they are to when they finish with me, like just the transformation and the possibilities, being able to see that for them and then actually watch them get there. I think it’s so beautiful.
Debbie:
Yeah. And that’s the thing about this type of entrepreneurship is that you are responsible for individuals, right. And it’s a different thing when you’re a content creator, you’re responsible for content and obviously how it performs with the brand. But now it’s more individualized. It’s not just a whole company, but this individual person that you have more and in a lot of ways, it’s more of a connection that you’re creating with this person. And also it also becomes more emotional for you because you’re like, I wanna, it’s like being a parent in, in a way, you know, you wanna see them succeed because you wanna see that with your clients
Jen:
Yeah, no, totally. Yeah. It’s been a, it’s been such a beautiful journey and even just where I am right now in my business, but you know, when you do this for so long, you recognize everyone has the same patterns, like different stages, same patterns.
And when you start to see that, you’re like, oh, I know what’s holding you back. You know, I know how we can tweak this. And then it’s just sort of, because I came from content creating and marketing, like there is that part of me that, I mean, that’s what I do.
Like, I teach people how to market themselves, you know, on a strategic level. And so looking at messaging, like that’s never changed. I did the same thing with content. And with brands.
Debbie:
Yeah. That’s pretty amazing that you’re able to do that. And again, it just made it so much more easier for you. And it made more sense because you listen to what people want. And sometimes I think we’re so afraid to listen to that because maybe like we question our abilities and we tend to go somewhere where we’re like, okay, I’m more comfortable with this, but sometimes you have to listen to the market.
You have to listen to what your audience are actually wanting. And sometimes it takes a long time. Yeah. But, but you know, it’s like, it’s easier said than done because when you have blinders on, you don’t wanna see it, even if it’s right in front of your face.
Jen:
Yeah. Oh no, I’ve been there too, but that’s why I think that that’s why as an entrepreneur, it’s really important to have a community or a support system, whether it’s a coach, a mastermind, a course, people like surrounding yourself with like-minded people. Because when we spend so much time in our shit, like we don’t see the shit, like it’s normal, it’s natural. We’re on autopilot.
Whereas like someone from the outside, who’s looking at us, we’ll be like, oh, I see it all. Yeah. Like I know where you’re standing, you know? And I think that’s so important. Yeah. So people like undervalue that, you know, like, I think it’s one of the most important things about being an entrepreneur is having that support system, having that person or having that community, whether it’s friends or a mastermind that will say like, Hey, this doesn’t really fall in line with your brand, you know?
Debbie:
Yeah, absolutely. So you did talk a little bit about this and you know, I wanna know. So you obviously, you’re an entrepreneur, you’re a solo entrepreneur.
You travel often, you have a busy life, but you also have a love life. So how did you get to that point? Because for somebody so busy and for you to, to run your, your empire and also travel, how do you have time for, for your sweetheart?
Jen:
Okay. So I’ve been single for, well, was single for a very, very long time. Like, yeah. Very long time. Obviously I dated and all the things I know. I also took some time where I didn’t wanna be with anyone. And then the traveling, like the truth is that like, when you’re moving so much, it’s hard to find somebody who has the same ideologies about the future and how you see, I know the vision of the kind of life I wanna have with my person.
And it’s not as conventional as the normal people. Right. Like I obviously wanna house and I want to be a mother and all the thing, and it doesn’t look like everyone else. Right. Like I’m 33. I froze my eggs at 32. Like, I want children, I wanna be a mom, but I don’t want it to happen anytime soon.
Right? And I did that on purpose. And so like my baby is my business. Like I have grown this from the ground up. So I wanna say like, most of my twenties was just me traveling and figuring out who I was, what I wanted. And then it wasn’t until 29, 30 that I started to date.
And I had a few boyfriends, but nothing that like exceeded anything that was like super serious. And it was, it was hard. It was totally hard, but it wasn’t until I actually transitioned, like as a travel blogger, it was definitely a lot harder for me to be in a relationship versus what I do now. I can make the time. I believe people make the time for what they want. Yeah. And my, my boyfriend and I are long distance right now. But we see each other often, he’s also an entrepreneur, so it’s easy for us to like move around.
I can work from anywhere he has to work where he is at, but he can, like, he doesn’t have to be there all the time, you know? So yeah, so I mean, I think everything falls into place as accordingly. When the time is right. And looking back at some relationships, like I now understand why they didn’t work, whereas like where I am today, I’m like, OK, I got it now, but you make time for what you want, you know? And for a long time, honestly, love wasn’t a priority for me. Like I was growing my business. I was growing, you know, my future.
Debbie:
Yeah. And especially when you’re somebody who is a little bit more unconventional, it’s harder to find somebody who’s in that same mindset level as you are and can understand what’s happening.
And since he’s also an entrepreneur, it makes so much sense that you are both together in, in that way. And that’s pretty awesome. See, there you go.
Jen:
It’s so funny. Like I was having a conversation. This is like years ago with one of my girlfriends and she’s like, I wonder why celebrities only date celebrities and it like, cause it’s like the lifestyle, right. It totally makes sense. And then I guess like, it makes, I’m not, obviously I’m not saying less celebrity, but it totally makes sense. Like you wanna date an entrepreneur?
Like, I’ve dated men in corporate and it’s hard because I also like to get up and go somewhere. Right. So I was dating somebody in 2021 and he was in corporate and I went to Mexico for my birthday. It was supposed to be a week and I never came back. I was gone to Mexico for three months.
I like just stayed in Tulum and so here I am starting a relationship with someone and like, he was such a sweetheart, like he came to visit, but also like, it didn’t work out because he had a corporate job. Like he didn’t have the flexibility to be able to do that. You know? So like next week I’ll be in Miami for two weeks, you know, and I get to do that. And that’s the kind of life I enjoy. Like I like being in that I’m in New York, I’m in Miami, California, wherever I wanna be.
Debbie:
Yeah, absolutely. And I’m actually gonna post about this about like one of the, the negatives of having this type of lifestyle, where you have a lot more freedom because we don’t meet a lot of people, usually in our circle that we’ve had. Right. Like friends. Obviously we meet somebody in our type of business. Like we meet each other.
We both have freedom to work from anywhere. One, we wanna work, we work, but not that a lot of people usually are in who are in our circle do that. So in a lot of ways it can become really lonely because even though you have all this time to do whatever you wanna do, most of the time, you’re still doing it solo because there’s nobody there to do it with.
So, if your partner is in that type of situation where they’re in corporate, like, and you’re like, yeah, I could work whenever I want, but you’re, you know, your partner can’t, then there’s gonna be a friction there, or you’re gonna have to do a lot of things by yourself. So that’s one of the things I think that I didn’t realize because you’re so busy trying to get to where you are and until you get there, you’re like, okay. Yeah. Like, it’s great that I have all this freedom, but I’m by myself because no one’s here.
Jen:
I was for such a long time. And don’t get me wrong. Like I love spending time alone. Like I love being alone. And it got to the point that it was almost like too much. My therapist was like, Jen, you gotta go out. And I’m like, yeah, but it’s work, and it’s cold right now.
You’re gonna be single forever. I’m like oh, so be it. No, I agree with you. And I don’t think you realize that until you’re in it, but if there, if there’s anything I learned about marketing is that there’s a market for everything and everyone. Right, someone once said to me, one, my old boss, when I worked at corporate said to me that I’ll never forget this.
He told me there was a woman on YouTube who washes cats. Like she makes videos on how to clean her cat. And she makes over a million dollars a year. Like now this, products. And so I’m like, now she’s probably like a multimillionaire, billionaire, whatever, but I’ll never forget him telling me that. And me being like, she does what, and she takes what? And I was like, what the am I doing? Yeah. I was making like, when I was working at corporate, I was making like 80, but I was like, so pretty good.
But I was like, what the am I doing? Like, you know, and I wouldn’t change it for the world. And so I kept that belief, no matter what, like there was a certain standard that I was looking for in a, in a partner. And I didn’t want that to hinder my lifestyle at all.
You know? And I’ve date, I’ve dated the guy in corporate, I’ve dated the guy who had a different vision about the future, you know? And, and then I’ve dated guys. Who’ve been amazing and super supportive of what I did, but ultimately I was still doing everything alone and yeah. You know, that does, that does kind of, after a while it kind of just gets old and you’re like, no, I wanna do something with someone else, you know? Yeah.
Debbie:
Yeah, absolutely. And that’s why it’s, it makes so much more sense when you are with somebody who is in this type of lifestyle, because it’s, the experiences are so much more different. And you know, I, I’m pretty sure you’ve been in places and have had moments where it’s like, oh my gosh, this place is so beautiful. Or this experience is just incredible. And then you look around you and you’re like, there’s nobody here to share it with those. So I’m like, even though this is great, it kind of sucks.
Jen:
Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Well like this, the last year when I went on that trip in Mexico, I was, I went alone and I was in this beautiful hotel room. Like my hotel room had a balcony and the balcony had a hot tub. Right. Overlooking the ocean, like it was gorgeous.
And I was like the amount of beautiful sunsets. I saw seven days in a row. I was like, wow. So grateful. And then I had a moment where I was like, this is, this is really nice. And I couldn’t be more alone. And again, I was fine, but every once in a while, you know, it definitely hits a, hits a chord we’re not made to be alone. Like if you, there was a, a Ted talk, I forgot by who it was. Where he said he interviewed like 1500 old people and, and they did a study on what makes people live long.
And it was two things. It was partnership and routine. And so it was like having that person with you. And like, that’s why when, like, you know, older people who are like, we’re talking like grandpa and grandmas, right. That are together for so long. And like one passes away.
The other one passes away just quickly. It’s because they have been in that space together and that human connection. So we’re not made to live alone. We’re made to be collaborative. That’s why 2020 was such a shocker. And I don’t, I mean, I don’t know about you, but for me it was such an eye opener. And like, I recognized how much I love to be alone and how much I enjoy the company of other people and how much I really did wanna be with someone because I couldn’t do it alone anymore.
Like I was at a place where I was like, this is really lonely. And like, it’s not healthy. And so it’s not, we’re just, that’s just not how we’re wired as humans. Like we’re meant to be together. We’re meant to be collaborative.
Debbie:
So Jen, let’s fast forward to maybe 40 to 50 years from now. And you’re looking back at your life. What legacy would you like to leave and what do you wanna be remembered for?
Jen:
Oh my Gosh! That’s such a good question. So like 50 years from now, how old will I be? I’m 33 right now.
Debbie:
So you’re 83.
Jen:
Yeah. Whoa. Telling my grandkids about my travel stories. I want to be known for, definitely somebody who’s like disrupt the industry an innovator a speaker, an author. I have, you know, big goals and dreams that I wanna accomplish and, and how I wanna show up in the world.
But yeah, I wanna be seen as someone who left something for, not myself, but for my children and their children and not in terms of like selfish family, but like more so like on a global aspect, you know, for the future. Yeah. I don’t know. I know that was kind of vague, but that’s kind of where I, where I see it.
Debbie:
Yeah. But no, that makes so much more sense. And I also feel like most you know, your legacy is not, not about really what you know, like how much money you make. It’s how you’re remembered. Because at the end of the day, you can’t take that money with you when you’re dead.
You know, all the possessions and everything, but it’s really how people remember you as and how you made them feel. Because probably, you know, once we die, unless they’re like your grandchildren and children, they won’t really remember you cause people have their own lives. So, I love that.
Yeah.
Well, thank you so much, Jen, for being here with us, if our listeners wanna learn more about you or can they find you?
Jen:
They can reach out to me on social media, on Instagram. I’m always hanging out there, Jennifer dot Morilla or they can check out my YouTube channel also Jennifer Morilla. But yeah, shoot me a DM and give us a shout out if you hear this.
Debbie:
Perfect. Thanks Jen.
Jen:
Thank you, Debbie.
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