Ep. 265: How This Writer Turned Her Love for Travel Into a Career with Jordi Lippe-McGraw
In this episode, I speak with Jordi who is a freelance travel writer and family travel expert.
She’s traveled to all 7 continents (including Antarctica at 5 months pregnant) and writes for top outlets like Forbes, Travel + Leisure, Conde Nast Traveler, and more.
Listen on to find out how Jordi is able to balance her career and family life as a writer and freelancer.
Listen Below:
RELATED EPISODES:
Ep. 264: How This Nomad Turned A Backpacking Trip Into Lifelong Freedom with Paula Carvalho
Ep. 263: How This Serial Expat Helps Others Create Their Dream Lives Abroad with Richelle Gamlam
Ep. 262: How this Top Travel Podcast Host Created a Community that Embraces Unique Travel Experiences with Jason Moore
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 Jordi.
Hi Jordi. How are you?
Jordi:
I’m doing well. How are you?
Debbie:
I am wonderful.
I am so honored for you to be here because Jordi is an interesting guest.
I actually approached Jordi because she had featured me in one of her articles and this podcast and you have a job that a lot of people are interested in and that’s why I was like, she would be so perfect for this podcast, but be before we get to all of that, can you tell us about you and why you live an offbeat life?
Jordi:
Oh, well, let’s see. I live an offbeat life because I don’t work your traditional 9 to 5.
I used to work a traditional 9 to 5 and a little over six years ago I decided to leave that life to become a full-time freelance travel writer.
So, I am my own boss now, I am hustling and I get to travel the world and I get to write about it. So, I don’t think that’s pretty typical.
And also, I became a mom. I have a 3 year old and I’ve managed to continue that career and continue to travel with a little one in tow. So I guess that’s how I live an offbeat life.
Debbie:
And it’s really fun to watch somebody who is living a very untraditional type of lifestyle, and still become a mother, right? Because a lot of times people will tell you, you can’t have a career that you really enjoy, and also raise a family and you’ve been able to do that Jordi. I mean, obviously it’s not a walk in the park and there’s a lot of different things that you have to go through, but you’ve been able to do it and I strive to do that.
I’m like, I want to be like Jordi in a lot of sense. I’m like, that’s pretty awesome. So what made you leave that typical job to start becoming a travel writer? Because that’s a huge step to work for yourself.
Jordi:
Yeah absolutely and I should mention my full-time job, I guess was also not traditional. I was a gossip reporter.
Debbie:
That’s awesome.
Jordi:
So, that was also slightly an offbeat life, but it was a full-time job where I had benefits, I had hours, etc. It just happened to be going to red carpets and interviewing celebrities, which was really, really fun.
That was my dream growing up; it was, I wanted to be an entertainment reporter. I wanted to interview celebrities, I wanted to go to these events and I accomplished that.
I was working with Life & Style and InTouch Magazine, and I ended up working my way up to becoming the entertainment director, getting everything that I have ever dreamed of, and then I had one of those moments that a lot of people have in life, where your whole life gets turned upside down and in December 2010, my dad died in a plane crash and, you know, it completely changes your perspective on things and I realized that that job didn’t make me happy anymore.
I was tired about writing about other people’s lives and not living my own. And so over time, it wasn’t like overnight, I just decided to up and quit, I spent about a year working on building up my credentials outside of gossip reporting and entertainment reporting because I had built up such a name for myself in that industry.
So, little by little I started writing on the side and was able to build up enough clients on the outside to go full-time freelance, and I took that leap in February 2015 and That was sort of the moment that changed it all. I didn’t know that I would become a travel writer. All I knew was that I didn’t want to be in an office anymore.
I wanted to travel the world. I wanted a flexible schedule. I wanted to be able to craft my own days and take time off when I needed to. Live a healthier lifestyle and what came to fruition was becoming a travel writer. So that’s not necessarily what I set out to do. It was just focusing on all of those little pieces that I knew I wanted, and what happened was where I am today.
Debbie:
Wow. So if that’s a lot to unpack there, Jordi, cause I’m like, “oh my gosh, you’ve gone through so much like already”, so many lifetimes in the last, like few years that you’ve, you know, like just the last what, 5, 6, 7 years, you’ve gone through so much.
And this is the thing that I find interesting, is that someone like you, right? Who literally got the career, the dream career that they wanted and you work your whole life to get to that point. You dream about it, you want it so badly. And then when you finally get it, either you realize it wasn’t right for you or what happened to you, which is an absolute tragedy. Like, that’s crazy, Jordi, that you had to go through that. Like you went through that and you lost your father that way. So like I’m going to keep saying that I’m like, that’s really crazy Jordi.
That’s like I like, I’m kind of speechless cause I’m like, was it both like, the passing or the death of your dad and also realizing that it wasn’t for you and it kind of just like culminated to all of this stuff and allowed you to see life a different way? How was that thought process like for you?
Jordi:
Yeah, I think, and it kind of goes back to what I was saying before, where what started to crystallize in my mind was what I want and what I didn’t want. And like I mentioned, I knew I didn’t want to be in an office anymore.
I knew, not that I was ever like partying, really intensely, but I was out at these events and stuff and having a cocktail every night. I’m never drinking in excess but still, like it wasn’t the healthiest lifestyle. And I think when I was going through, that really intense grief in the beginning, I didn’t have the energy to do those things. I didn’t want to do those things anymore. I was barely keeping it together. Let alone like, having to go on to interview Kim Kardashian on a red carpet and pretend like I care about her life. And putting my whole life into someone else’s life. So I started to just focus on what I knew I wanted.
Like what I mentioned before, I didn’t want to be in office. I wanted to be able to go to the gym regularly, cook my own meals, travel, make my own schedule. And that was what I kind of tapped at the forefront of my brain and just did something small every single day to get to that point. And like I mentioned, what happened was like, you know, I became a travel writer.
It wasn’t exactly the plan that I had, and I think what’s really important, you mentioned this, is that, you know, so many people are like me, right? You go to school for a certain career, and you do the internships and you work your way up and then you find yourself maybe not fulfilled by it or your interests have changed, and what I always say is stop shooting all over yourself. Don’t do something because you think you should be doing it, that’s not going to serve you and you’re going to end up living a life where you’re not happy. And we’re creatures that constantly evolve; constantly change and adapt and so give yourself the space and the permission to be like, “oh, okay. I work so hard for this thing. I got this thing. I should be happy, but it’s not making me happy.”, and that’s okay. What’s that next thing?
And I feel like I’m going through a transition of that right now. Like, things are going to happen in your life. Maybe you get married, maybe you have a child. Maybe you move. Maybe you have a death in the family. Like so many moments can shift your perspective and it’s totally okay to keep reinventing yourself and trying new things and taking that leap.
If you have that vision in your mind of what it is that is going to make you happy, I would tell someone, picture yourself what and you’re waking up and it’s your dream day. It is your dream life. What does that look like? I’m not talking about a specific career or specific job title. Maybe that’s it. But instead when you wake up in the morning, what is it that you see, when you first open your eyes, what are the sounds that you hear? Is it a city? Is it a beach? What are you going to go and have for breakfast? What are you doing for lunch that day? Start to visualize that, and that becomes the foundation for whatever happens moving forward.
Debbie:
Yeah, I think we all have this misconception that in order to be happy, you need a certain job or a certain amount of money and we always wait to get that right? Before we finally start living.
And you know, as you get older and as you found, too, Jordy is that, it’s not necessarily about that, but it’s the lifestyle that you have because you can have, you can have millions of dollars in the bank, but if the day-to-day living situation that you have is just unbearable.
You’re stressed out too much. You’re not around the right people. It’s not a happy situation, you know, and this is exactly what you live through.
You were in a dream job that most people would look at. And, you know, I’m hearing this from you and I’m like, oh my gosh, Jordi, that’s a dream job for, for a lot of people, you know, but it didn’t make you happy and it wasn’t something that was calling you anymore. Maybe it was, for a while. But sometimes like you, you mentioned, like there’s phases and changes in our lives, that yes, we needed this and then you become a changed person whether it’s through a situation, or maybe you just did everything that you could, right? For that job and you’re done with it.
But I also want to mention that there’s guilt to that too, right? There’s like guilt or maybe feeling like you wasted your time. You went through all of this like education for yourself. You went through so many hurdles to get there and then you’re just going to leave it all and then you’re going to start something new and then you’re going to go back to square one. So that is a hard thing, like it’s a hard pill to swallow too.
Did you go through that phase where you felt like, “oh my gosh, what am I doing with myself?
Jordi:
Absolutely! And I feel like I still have those moments, bad cases of imposter syndrome in all this. It’s really hard and I wish there was a secret message that I could provide to make it go away. The only thing that I can say is that, all of that time invested in whatever it is that was once a passion or interest is still going to serve you and you might not know how, I also wanted at one point to build a whole health coaching career.
I went to school to become a certified, holistic health coach and I thought like, okay, that’s what I’m going to do. And I spent thousands of dollars going and a year-and-a-half going to school thinking, I’m going to take on these clients and I’m going to help all these people and it didn’t manifest that way. But that’s not to say that all of that education that I learned isn’t going to help me in ways that I don’t even know yet.
And I think that it’s shifting your mindset around it, which I believe that everyone has control over their thoughts and how they perceive a situation. And you just have to put it into a different context to kind of take away that sting of guilt that you might be feeling and it’s okay, that education was super helpful.
Being a gossip reporter has made me an incredible interviewer. I’m really good at getting quotes from people because I had to do it on the red carpet in 15 seconds, like now, I get 30 minute conversations with really incredible, interesting people and I can pull nuggets out of them.
So if you look at those two worlds, are they necessarily related? No, I mean slightly cause of the journalism, but all of that like on-the-ground reporting work has made me super nimble in my thinking and like I mentioned a good interviewer and all of it builds to something and all of it helps and you don’t know where it’s all going to land in the future and that’s where you kind of have to let go and surrender and just follow the path and have trust that as long as you are following what sparks that joy in you, then you’re doing the right thing.
Debbie:
Yeah, and I always believed that we as human beings, especially now with so many opportunities that we have, that you don’t have to live, just one life, right? You can become this person, you know, for a few years like you were a gossip journalist or columnist, and then you became a travel journalist. And then now it’s like, you wanted to go into health and fitness.
Like there’s so many different aspects to us too as individuals that you can definitely do a lot of different things, you know, maybe not at once, but then focus on that, and it makes you more interesting as a person when you do that. And when you talk to your grandchildren, one day, even your child, when they ask you, like, “hey, Mom, what did you do with your life?”, And like, you were like, “okay, I was this, this, this, like I carried you and I was in Antarctica.”, they’re going to be like, “oh, shoot.”, like, “how do I get to that point, Mom? Like how do I get to where you are?”.
And I think that really makes, you know, our life was a book, like, every chapter should be a little different, right? You grow a little bit and something else happens and it makes it into this really full life that you have had. And I think that makes you so much more, I guess, you know, more of an interesting individual and there’s more growth that you see when you do that, which is pretty awesome.
Jordi:
Yeah, I mean, obviously, fun gossip facts make for great party convos.
Debbie:
They’re going to be like, “Jordi, was that person really like this, how did they look in person?”.
Jordi:
So, I always have that in my back pocket, at any party, I can just whip out some of those fun celebrity stories.
Debbie:
I know and it’s funny, sometimes people will ask you like, “Tell us one thing that’s really interesting about you.”, and you’re like “One? I have too many!”. But I’ve lived so many lives, like I could tell you more about them.
So it’s it’s funny Jordi, because, so before we even got into this interview, it was really interesting, because one of the things that you had written is that you went to all of, you know, the different, of all of these different countries, and then one of them was in Antarctica, all these different continents you visited, and one of them was Antarctica and you went there and you are pregnant with your child.
Jordi:
Yes.
Debbie:
So I’m like I mean going to Antarctica is interesting enough but being pregnant while you go there, that’s a whole nother level! So, I want to learn more about that. How did this happen?
Jordi:
So, my husband and I, when we got married, we made a pact that we would go to all the continents before we had kids. So we were doing that. We were checking them off steadily and Antarctica was our last one and we booked the trip, you have to book them pretty far in advance, maybe not now because of the pandemic, there might be more room, but I think we booked it like maybe a year ahead of time or ten months ahead of time, something like that, fully prepared to go, and then I got pregnant.
So, I wasn’t intending to be pregnant on our trip to Antarctica, but I talked to my doctor and I contacted the cruise line and they said, as long as my doctor gave me the okay, that it was, it was fine to go. So I was 21 weeks pregnant, and we went and it was actually where we announced that we were having a baby.
Debbie:
Oh my gosh.
Jordi:
So, it was actually this beautiful moment where it’s like, okay, we made this pact as a couple, to go to all the continents. Here we are in Antarctica and we’re announcing that we’re having a baby on our roster and our final continent. And so it was, it was incredible. Don’t get me wrong. I got extremely sea sick on the way down. I was basically when you go through Drake’s Passage, it is very rough waters, and at the time they were like, “oh, it’s calm out today.”, and I was basically sick in bed for 2 days.
Once we got to the consonant. I was much better once we got to calm waters and on the way home I preemptively took some dramamine so I didn’t get sick, but it was pretty brutal on the way down being pregnant and sea sick at the same time, but it was amazing. I was able to do almost everything that anyone else did.
The only thing that I didn’t do with the Polar Plunge, where you jump into the cold water, as I didn’t think that would be safe being pregnant, but other than that, I hiked the volcanoes, saw the penguins. I, actually, my husband and I camped one night on the snow on the continent and it was incredible. And I think as long as you get the okay from your doctor and that you feel healthy and well enough to do it, like I’m always like, yeah, go for it, go travel.
I went to the Amazon Jungle while I was pregnant. You know, we kept traveling until the very end when I wasn’t allowed to fly anymore and I was very uncomfortable in an airplane seat. And I loved it. I loved to be able to keep doing what I love while growing this incredible human being.
Debbie:
Yeah, and it’s funny because your child can technically say they’ve been to Antarctica already.
Jordi:
Well, and it’s funny too, because like I mentioned, I didn’t know I was going to get pregnant when I did, obviously the consequences of my actions, but I wasn’t prepared for it to happen so quickly. And so I found out I was pregnant when I was on a road trip through Europe.
Debbie:
Oh my gosh, Jordi.
Jordi:
So I had a suspicion that I might be pregnant when we were in the Netherlands, and I was like, “okay”. And then by the time we got to Brussels, I was like, “all right, I think I might be pregnant, let’s go find a pregnancy test.”.
So we went and we found a pregnancy test. It was sort of, like, inconclusive and so I wasn’t sure, but we had to move on to the next place. So we then drove to Luxembourg and we were in this castle spending the night in this castle and I took another pregnancy test there and it was confirmed that I was pregnant and so it’s crazy, it took like three different countries to find out the final results of being pregnant and then we drove on to Germany and Switzerland.
So I was pregnant in all of these countries, in my literal, like, the first months of being pregnant, it sort of like, it maybe set the tone, the pregnancy, of traveling to multiple countries, while you know, growing a baby.
Debbie:
Well, your child definitely had an interesting way of, you know, starting, I guess, their lifespans. So it’s so funny that all of this stuff was just happening. And you were trying to have all of these experiences. And again, you are still able to have all of this even, you know, while pregnant and still traveling and then doing what you love to do and being a journalist and all of these things.
So, how are you able to do this by the wage? Or do you like, how are you able to travel to all of these places and make it more sustainable for yourself? And obviously a part of your job is to travel, you know, being a mother and having all of these things. How do you make that more realistic for yourself?
Jordi:
Yeah, and I think this is an important thing to note because there’s a variety of different types of freelancers out there. And I am very much a working writer and we are very much a two-income household.
And with that said, I don’t have to worry about certain things. My husband has a normal full-time job and he is our health insurance. So for a lot of freelancers, I know that’s a big question and that can be a huge expense. That is something that I gratefully do not have to worry about because we get it for my husband’s employer.
We also are able to afford a part-time nanny. So, she is incredible. She has been there since my son was six weeks old and she obviously allows me to get done, all the work that I need to get done in a day. In addition to my son going to school, which is where he is at, which is why I’m able to record a podcast. So I have to admit, I have a huge support network, to be able to to make these things happen, without that, I don’t know if it would be possible.
I’m also fortunate that we have a family that is extremely helpful. My little sister and her boyfriend have spent many nights watching my son and have spent full weekends with him. So, again, extremely lucky, I’ve in-laws that do the same. So having a huge support network certainly makes it plausible and possible. Otherwise, I don’t know how it would go. I also have an incredible husband who, when I say I need to go away for a few nights. He can pick up the slack. To me, it’s like an obvious thing but so many people are like, “who’s watching the kids?”, like, “yeah, they’re 50% of his DNA”, like, “what do you mean? His father’s watching him.”. Like, my partner’s watching him, whatever. And we find that so funny. It’s like, it doesn’t have to just be me and I actually like that he’s used to a lot of people taking care of him because he can feel really loved by a lot of different people and not exclusively feel like it has to be me taking care of him.
And then also, I’ve gotten incredible opportunities to bring my family along with me, which obviously makes it a lot easier. Not only do we not have to worry about child care and those types of things. It’s you know, I also get to expose my son to incredible places that I might not otherwise have the opportunity to do that. So when it comes to realistic and how I make it work, it is certainly being able to have a spouse that can provide some basic necessities, having a nanny that works and helps, you know, on the day to day and I’m having family as backup and another and supportive spouse that can allow me to, to do all these things.
But it doesn’t mean I don’t work at 6 o’clock in the morning sometimes or 10 o’clock at night after my son goes to sleep. It’s not all just hanging around on beaches like, I work, there’s a lot of writing gigs that I take on that are not travel-related, but pay the bills, so that’s the kind of stuff that you might not see on my Instagram, but it’s, you know, the work that I’m doing behind the scenes to be able to pay rent and pay card payments and all that kind of stuff.
Debbie:
Yeah, I mean, first of all, I love that you’re so transparent about this because a lot of people will see your life and just like, “oh my gosh, how does she do it?”, and then because we go through these processes of comparison, right?
And you’re just like, “okay, well they did that so easy, well, I should be able to do it”, and when you can’t you’re just like, “oh my gosh, then I’m a failure as a human being”, or whatever it is that you’re feeling like at that moment, but it’s so true, having a great support system makes all the difference.
Like I mentioned to you Jordi, my husband and I don’t have any children, but my cousin has two kids and everybody in the family, like supports her. When she needs the time, and we have our niece and nephew, and everybody takes the time to like, you know, babysit them.
And then so my cousin and her husband can have date night, you know? And she’s like, I want everybody to take care of them. I don’t need them all to myself all the time. Cause, she’s like so that way I could like, do whatever it is that I need to do and you know, I still have date nights with my husband and I think sometimes we’re so stubborn or we’re just afraid to ask for help that we end up being too overwhelmed and not also living for ourselves, right? Because we’re still individuals at the end of the day and it can’t just be, you know, as much as you know, you love your children, you still need some me time to or some time with your husband as well.
So, I love that. I love that you’re very transparent about that and that it is a hard thing to do. But if you have the right support system, it can definitely be realistic and it can be done.
Jordi:
Yeah. I think it’s important to note that, mothers in particular and women in particular, you know, feel this burden to kind of being a martyr that they have to sacrifice themselves in order to be a good mom and that’s just simply not the case. And this is not something that I have nailed down. I have mom guilt all the time and I compare myself to other moms all the time and that I’m not doing enough. So I’m certainly by no means like, an expert in this, but what I tried to remember is that when I am filling my own cup, and when I am taking care of myself, that makes me the best person that I can be and therefore the best mother that I can be.
So if that means taking time away from my son to go and do whatever it is that I want to do, go to acupuncture or travel to Panama or just watch really bad TV by myself at night, like if that’s what I need, then I’m going to, after that, I’m going to be such a better and happier person and therefore more present with my son for the time that I am with him and we shouldn’t feel guilty about that. No one wins a badge for being a martyr in this situation, it’s better to take care of yourself.
Debbie:
Yeah, absolutely and I think that is one thing that we have to learn is just have grace for yourself and take the time that you need when you need it. With or without children, cause I think a lot of times even without children, like, you feel guilty, if you don’t work enough, or you’re not hustling, cause that’s what we all are told to do.
You have to hustle, hustle, hustle. And then you burn yourself out, and you end up like, hating your life so much that you don’t want to do anything anymore, and you don’t become a good mother, or a partner or just a person, you know? You become like a shell of yourself and in a lot of ways.
So yeah, there’s a lot of things that we need as human beings, and it’s not just about money or all of these things are so much more to that to a person. So, that is a good thing to do to find out, but sometimes it takes a little while to get there. You have to make a ton of mistakes.
Jordi:
Yeah, and it’s a work in progress, like I said, I’m by no means perfect at it, especially as a freelancer, you know, you’re always kind of worried, you know, when where’s your next paycheck coming from and so I have a tendency to take on a lot of work because I’m always nervous that I won’t have the work. And if I say, no, that means I’m never going to have that work and that means I’m going to be broke and living on the streets, which is obviously not realistic and thinking.
But is that a feeling that I, that I get. So I tend to take on a lot of work and then I’m completely burned out. And it would have been better for me to say no to some projects and allow myself the space and time to take care of myself. And therefore, the work will be that much better. And I just have to have faith in myself that I’ve done it this long. I’ve been a full-time freelancer longer than I’ve ever worked in a traditional full-time job. So I’m clearly capable of doing this and to remind myself not to put so much on my plate just because I’m worried of what I might not have.
Debbie:
Yeah, cause there’s always fears that goes into your head all the time, that happens to me too. And I’m sure to all of us at some point in our lives.
So, what you are doing right now, you’re a freelancer, you’re travel freelancer, you’re family travel freelancer as well, and you came already from a journalistic background. But how did you transition to this?
How are you able to get continuous projects so that you can make a living from this and make it sustainable?
Jordi:
When I first started writing, remember I still had a full time job, so I took on, honestly, a lot of free work, you know, places that were just looking for articles and weren’t paying, or maybe it was like 20 bucks or something like that, just to build up my portfolio. So it wasn’t like, I quit my job and then was like, writing for the New York Times. That was not the case.
Debbie:
We all wish.
Jordi:
Yeah and that would be amazing. But I started writing free articles then was able to build up a bit of a portfolio and take that to other editors and say, “here, look at my track record, here’s the idea that I had”, and over time, it just built, and everyone’s like, “oh my gosh, you’re so lucky, you get to live this life”, and yes, I am lucky in many ways. But I also worked really, really hard. It’s not something that just came to me.
It’s not like all of these travel editors were like, “oh, please come work for me, we love you so much.”. No, I, you know, to this day, still send out cold pitches to places and don’t get responses back and I think it’s just, it’s, you know, part of the process. I have been lucky in that, I worked hard to develop relationships and one editor will then move to another outlet, and so then I’ll start writing for that outlet, the other outlet that I wrote for before already know my name, so then they’d let me keep writing.
So it’s just been a lot of relationship-building, editors moving around, again, sending out blind pitches, and getting my foot in the door somewhere and then just maintaining that relationship. And like, I mentioned some of the work that I do is not as sexy as travel writing. I’ll write press releases for people or I’ll ghost write op-eds for you know, energy experts, I mean like random stuff. And that’s kind of, you know, some of those are the things that pay the bills, all copyright branded content, things like that.
So I just have a few really, I’ve gotten to the point where I’ve some few steady clients that I continue to work with, so I kinda have like a base sense of how much I’m going to get every month and then supplement by pitching out to other places or tapping other editors to see what they’re, what they’re working on. So it’s just, I don’t know, project management.
Debbie:
Yeah, that’s the thing when you work for yourself, you have to do all of these different aspects of, you know, being an entrepreneur rather than, you know, be in a full-time position where it’s done for you and then you just get these projects and then you write for them.
But it’s interesting and it’s also really fun because then you get to meet a lot of people you get to network. And that’s how, how you build your roster, build your portfolio and also become a better writer and in a lot of ways, so it’s definitely like you said Jordi, it’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it. Right? Cause you love what you do.
Jordi:
Yeah, and I think you have to have a certain personality to be able to do that. My husband is a much better person to function in a more structured job setting. I think he would even be happier to go back to an office right now cause we’ve been home for so long, where I’m much more type A, I manage my day if you looked at my schedule, right now, that’s up on my computer.
I literally break it out like, from 9 to 10, I am doing this and from 10 to 10:30 I’m doing this, 11:30, I’m working on a podcast and so I break out my day, but a lot of people their brains don’t work that way and that’s totally fine.
But I am very good at managing my time and multitasking and planning and so this life suits me because I’m able to do those things and outsource when necessary. So I don’t do my own taxes. I hired an accountant to do my taxes because I don’t know how to do them. So knowing where I don’t, my strengths are not, is also really important.
Debbie:
Yeah, I definitely agree with you in terms of outsourcing. I like to do that too, because you don’t have all the time in the world to do everything, especially things that you don’t like to do. I hate doing my taxes too.
So I outsource that as well to you know, an accountant and also to my husband, he deals with that stuff. I’m like, “oh no, I’m not, I’m not dealing with that.”.
So, one of the things I also wanted you to mention Jordi is that you’re launching an accessories line for families that travel. Can you talk to us more about that? Because I’m like, that is so interesting, I can’t wait to learn more.
Jordi:
Yeah, so I have obviously been fortunate enough to travel a lot with my family. Even with the pandemic, obviously we took a break from travel but I think my son, he’s three and he’s been to nine countries. I think, at this point.
So we’ve done a lot of traveling as a family and I was just thinking maybe last summer, I’m like, “whenever we travel I feel like I’m piecing together different bags and items to like make traveling with a kid easier”, and I wish there was just a product that kind of solves that for me and those do exist. Of course, there are diaper bags and baby bags out there. But to me, they just, like, scream, diaper bag, baby bag. I’m a mom and that’s not me.
I want, I find myself buying the, like designer backpack and then trying to make it work with what works best for having a kid. And that those two worlds don’t always collide. So I wanted to create a high-end accessories line for families that travel, and I’m starting with a bag and it has all of the functionality that you would want from, while traveling with children, but it doesn’t look like a baby bag, it doesn’t look like a diaper bag.
Debbie:
I love that.
Jordi:
It looks like it’s something that you could bring to work and no one would know that it has all of these capabilities to make traveling with a family easier. So that was what I wanted. I wanted to create a super, super functional product. That was also very high-end and is, you know, like a designer level because so much and we were just talking about this, you’re expected as a mom to give up so much of yourself and kind of be defined by motherhood and that just never suited me.
I always feel like I am this individual and my son is part of my life, but he is not defining who I am. There’s all these other things on my resume that are just as important to me as being a mother and so I don’t want to have to sacrifice my sense of style or have to like scream to the world that I’m a mother but I also want products that are going to make my life as a mother easier.
So I can enjoy those moments particularly when traveling. So it’s likely going to launch in June, a website will be coming and Instagram and all that will be coming. But if you want to find out more, or you can just all of my personal Instagram, which is @jordilippy and I can always, once it launches direct you to the right place to go for the bag and then hopefully enough people buy it and I can expand to a bunch of other accessories as well.
Debbie:
Yeah. I’m like, that is such a great idea because I’ve seen it with, you know, family members where it’s like my cousin wants to go to like a nice occasion and then all of the stuff that they have is just like baby stuff. And she’s like, oh, it doesn’t go with anything so, I’m like that makes so much sense, you know, it’s different and I love that.
Thank you so much, Jordi, for that and we’re definitely going to check that out and I can’t wait until you get, you know, your website going and we get to take a look at that.
Jordi:
Me too.
Debbie:
You’re like, “yes, I’m preparing for all of that.”.
So, Jordi, let’s look forward to around 30 to 40 years from now, and you’re looking back at your life, what legacy would you like to leave? And what do you want to be remembered for?
Jordi:
Whoa, that is an intense question.
I don’t know if I’d thought that far.
I would want to be remembered as a, oh man, first and foremost, I would want to be remembered as someone who was a good mother, a supportive and loving spouse, a good sister, a daughter, a good friend.
Like those are extremely important to me, the relationships in my life mean the world to me and I love the people that I have in my life. And I would want them to, everyone to remember me as someone who is really, really kind and optimistic and driven.
And I think now, and maybe it’s because I’m in the process of launching this accessories line, but I would love to be known as someone who built a company that allowed and helped parents pursue their personal passions and personal career goals, while supporting their child care needs. I would love for that to be a legacy of mine.
If I can build a successful company that employs parents and allows them to have it all and you know, utilize their talents and who they are as individuals while supporting them as parents and making life as a parent easier. I wish more companies would do that and I would love to be one of those people that, that is able to provide that for other people. You know what’s so funny? Whenever, like my, you know, my family asks, “so, if you won the lottery, what would you do with it?”, and like my response first is always like, “I want to give it away. I would like to buy you a house like support..”. Everyone’s like, your dream of winning the lottery is to give your money away?
And if I don’t get me wrong, like I would love to have a you know a nice house and a chef to cook my meals all day, but I love building those relationships and I love feeling like I’m able to support other people particularly mothers and particularly parents.
Debbie:
Yeah, well, because what makes you happy is making other people happy and seeing that it’s kind of like winning the lotto too, you know?
Jordi:
Yeah, I love, you know, if I can make someone’s life easier or help them pursue their personal passion? By all means, oh my gosh, that would be an honor to be remembered if I did something like that.
Debbie:
And, you know, money comes and goes. I, I always say this too, money is very important, obviously, but you can always earn more, right?
There’s always, there’s so much money in the world, like you can always earn that, it’s the relationships and what you build, that’s so much more important.
Jordi:
Yes and you know, I always, I think Oprah said it maybe, money doesn’t buy you happiness, but it certainly buys you freedom. So if I am able to build up enough wealth to have that freedom and then be able to help other people and do that as well, I don’t need a tenth car. You know? I don’t.
I don’t need those things, but it would be incredible to have the freedom to be able to do more and support others to try to achieve that as well.
Debbie:
Yeah, I love that. I love that legacy, Jordi. We really appreciate you being here and for sharing with us your story.
Can you tell us where our audience can find you?
If they want to learn more about you or the new accessories line that you are going to be launching soon?
Jordi:
Yes, so my website is meet jordi dot com. So that’s kind of a little bit of a bio about me if you’re interested in learning more. And also some of my articles that I’ve written on there.
And then otherwise, I would just direct people to my Instagram account, which is @Jordilippy, and I’ll be posting updates about the accessories line and you can follow along on any of my travels or anything that you’re interested in there.
And you can always ping me, send me a message on there as well, if you have specific questions.
Debbie:
Perfect. Thank you so much, Jordy. We really appreciate you.
Jordi:
Thanks for having me.
Listen to Jordi’s extended interview where she talks about how to reduce stress when traveling with kids.
What you’ll find:
In this episode, Jordi shares tips on reducing stress when traveling with kids.
