Today we’d like to introduce you to Keon Steele.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was a military brat so I spent much of my time growing up in Germany. This provided a lot of opportunities for international travel at a very young age. Family vacations would be a very short flight to Italy or Disneyland Paris. I think my mom saw I had an early appreciation for travel and other cultures, so we would sometimes go to other countries alone to explore. As I entered my adult years, I continued to travel more and see new places. I quickly noticed I lacked travel in America. At one point, I had been to more countries than states and I realized I am missing out on a lot of beautiful places in my own backyard. I also noticed, there was a lot more focus on stamp collecting and country counting amongst the travel community. This is when I created Black & Well-Traveled to document not only my own travel but the travel of others who look like me. I try my best to highlight places in America or less traveled to countries around the world. If it is a country a lot of people travel to, I try to highlight spots that are usually not on a tourists list.
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?
No, it has not been a smooth road at all. I think I come across the same challenges as anyone who runs their own company and it is mostly about balance. I also work a 9-5 that takes up a lot of time so it can be kind of difficult to pour time in Black & Well-Traveled. I also am trying to start a few other things in the travel business so that can take some of my time also.
One of the most difficult obstacles is setting myself apart. The black travel movement has taken off and absolutely boomed these last few years so there are a lot of platforms very similar to mine. It can be difficult to stay true to my message and also stay authentic and original.
Please tell us about Black & Well-Traveled.
Black & Well-Traveled is a platform that highlights domestic and international travel. I started out solely on Instagram but expanded to writing blog posts and selling merchandise. I try to write about my own experiences traveling but learned I can be a tourist at heart sometimes. Tourist stories are important but you can find them all over the internet. I started to introduce guest bloggers to not only give them a platform but also give readers a chance to read other experiences. Traveling is about mixing cultures and experiences so I thought that was important to reflect on my blog also. I think what I do to set myself apart is showcase domestic travel. I think it is easy to think if you have not been to 20 counties but you have been to 30 states, then you are not well-traveled. I think that is a myth that causes people to stamp collect and not focus on how fulfilling travel can actually be.
I also started @Memesfortravel to add a little humor back to the travel community. It is important to remember all the benefits that travel offers and rediscover why you love it.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite childhood memory would be the trip I took to London when I was 11. My mom and I went on a tour with other people on the military base and did two days in London. I remember instantly falling in love with the city and quickly learned how much I enjoy old buildings and history. We were able to see all of the landmarks, the wax museum, and ride the ferry. The memory that sticks out most is soon as we got to the top of the double-decker bus, it began to rain very hard. I was stuck on top of the bus for 20 minutes getting poured on until I passed by Hamley’s. Hamley’s is the world’s oldest and largest toy store. Being only 11 years old, I quickly hopped off the bus and spent hours exploring while the rain slowed down.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.blackandwelltraveled.com
- Email: blackandwelltraveled@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/blackandwelltraveled
- Facebook: facebook.com/blackandwelltraveled
Suggest a story: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
