Today we’d like to introduce you to Nadine Duncan.
Nadine, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I started the Traveling Black Women Network after writing and publishing my first travel guide–Diary of a Traveling Black Woman: A Guide to International Travel in 2015. I wrote this guide in response to the need for information on travel specifically curated for Black Women. Whenever I spoke of my travels, many of my friends and colleagues would ask the same battery of questions–How much did it cost? How do they treat Black people? How was the food? What can you do there? What about your hair? They seemed to view travel as a luxury reserved for a select view. They would then end the conversation by resolving to live vicariously through me.
I, however, did not want my friends and colleagues to be content with living vicariously through me. I wanted them to know that travel could be “a thing” for them too. As a result, I wrote a guide to inform Black Women on how to begin traveling internationally. Although blogs were on the rise at the time, I desired to reach beyond the digital platform and offer a good old-fashioned book that could be read anywhere as well as easily gifted to another person. I then decided to build a network that included a Facebook group where Black women could share ideas and experiences, an Instagram page where photos of Traveling Black Women are used to change the narrative on travel, and a Twitter page where I share travel deals and useful travel products.
Today, the network has now grown to having a total of 8 different travel guides (Solo Travel, Study Abroad, Jamaica, Iceland, Trinidad, Dubai, and Morocco) that are written specifically for Black Women by Black Women. We also have a t-shirt line that is currently hosted by Passports and Purpose, a Facebook Group of over 20K members, and several vetted travel agents. We are just getting started!
Has it been a smooth road?
There are many challenges to building a business of this nature. Other of the expense of marketing, it is difficult managing a new venture while working as a Special Education Teacher full time. As I try to build revenue through my business, I am still traditionally employed to maintain my finances. With so many demands on my time, I have to be intentional about making the time to keep building my business. As a result, time has been one of my biggest obstacles.
My other struggles come from learning the business along the way–marketing, social media marketing, partnerships, contracts, etc. It can be extremely costly to hire a business consultant, so I spend a lot of time on google, LinkedIn, and in the free sections of small business pages.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I am the founder and principal author of The Traveling Black Women Network. We are a travel resource that provides information, inspiration, and opportunities for Black Women who are interested in traveling internationally. We specialize in producing travel guides that are written for Black Women by Black Women.
I am most proud of the number of Black women who have been inspired to travel by our group or guides. I believe that the specificity of our target audience its what sets us apart. I also believe that our desire to appeal to a wide age group of women through the use of digital resources as well as paperback guides sets us apart from the traditional travel blog or the traditional published travel guides.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Yes, Atlanta is comprised of movers and shakers! It is a great place to become an entrepreneur and get the support you need.
Pricing:
- Our guides are all $9.99 with the exception of the Solo Travel Guide which is $12.99.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.travelingblackwomen.com
- Email: info@travelingblackwomen.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/travelingblackwomen
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/travelingblackwomen
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/trvlng_blk_wmn
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