Today we’d like to introduce you to Ady (Wright) Meschke.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Ady. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I’ve always had a passion for marketing and business since high school and dreamt of being an entrepreneur. I started my blog as a creative outlet in 2012 while following the corporate path. I’m a professional life liver, hotel connoisseur, and the founder of Verbal Gold Blog. With over 13 years experience in both marketing and sales, in less than a year, Verbal Gold Blog took off and I gained a spot in the blogging community as a travel expert. I suddenly realized I could make it a business while also having fun. Eventually, the corporate world and I parted ways and I decided to follow my passion. I became a full-time blogger in 2017 and haven’t looked back since. I have a deep passion for travel and I’m excited to take on the world! Life is short and the world is wide! I believe that when you explore the world around you, you discover the world within you.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There are always challenges and obstacles. From people using you just to get what they want to blog clicks, to backlash for sharing your life, being a freelancer and finding work, being your own boss, to wearing every single hat and having to figure everything out along the way.
My advice to other women who are just starting their journey is to not quit when things get tough because they will. Be prepared to work all the time and continue your learning and education. Networking is key, find a group of like-minded women to lift you up when things get tough. You can’t do it alone.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
Verbal Gold Blog is an award-winning travel and lifestyle blog. We’re not your average travel and lifestyle blog. Headquartered in Atlanta, GA our contributing squad covers over 15 states and four countries! VGB spans the Globe, all the way from Ireland to the regal UK to exotic Australia. While focusing on our life of style we graciously garner a reach of over 330,000, over 2 million views, and up to 17M impressions/month. I’m ranked in the Top .1% by Klout as an expert in the category for bloggers, travel, tourism, vacation, and influencer marketing. I was also awarded as Top 100 Travel Bloggers in the World 2017! I provide a positive plus-size atmosphere that supports women of all ages and sizes to love themselves and feel worthy to live their best life. Whether you’re looking to partner or just enjoy a good read, we invite you to join the #VGBsquad!
I’m most proud of where the blog opportunities have taken me. Interviewing Khloe Kardashian was a huge win for me as well as working with big brands like Dr.Pepper. I’m also extremely proud and grateful of all the messages I get from my VGB squad, my community, that tell me how I’ve inspired or helped them in some way. It still blows me away. I’m also proud of expanding my business to more than just the blog. I’ve invested in a new product called Trek, coming soon but it’s already breaking record orders, I bought an athletic apparel company called Zions Den Apparel that just recently got on Amazon, started a social media marketing and consulting company called Social Gold so I could help other small businesses, and bought our second house that we flipped and are set to profit 37%, all while traveling the world with my amazing husband. And currently, I’m most proud to announce that our family will expanding come July 2019 with our very first child. #pregnanttravelblogger
Do you have a lesson or advice you’d like to share with young women just starting out?
Dream big, the sky isn’t the limit, it’s the goal.
Pricing:
- Sponsored content creation on Verbal Gold starts at $1,000
- Zions Den Apparel prices range from $39-59
- Consulting prices start at $150
Contact Info:
- Website: www.verbalgoldblog.com // www.zionsdenapparel.com
- Email: hello@verbalgoldblog.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/verbalgoldblog
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/verbalgoldblog
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/verbalgoldblog
- Other: www.pinterest.com/verbalgoldblog
Image Credit:
Jennifer Oetting Photography
Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
