Meet Henah Velez of Atlanta

Today we’d like to introduce you to Henah Velez.

Hi Henah, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m the writer behind Departure, a free weekly newsletter focused around travel for women. You may know my voice from my time on The Money with Katie Show, or my writing from essays on The Good Trade.

After graduating with a dual degree in Psychology and Communications, I pursued a Master’s Degree in Social Entrepreneurship and spent about 10 years in the social impact space. I then shifted to digital media, focused on ethical fashion, sustainable living, and wellness, eventually moving into the personal finance media sector where I became the Executive Producer and Operations Lead of The Money with Katie Show, which garnered 15m+ downloads and reached 500k+ women.

I noticed a gap in all of these verticals around travel—something I’ve always cared deeply about—and decided to start a weekly travel newsletter for women called Departure (joindeparture.com). Two years later, this newsletter has grown to reach thousands across 80+ countries and all 50 states, and I’ve had partnerships with Adobe, Black Tomato, Sky Key, and more.

I’ve loved every part of my career, and I’ve been so proud to see Departure grow.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My career trajectory hasn’t been a straight line by any means, so it hasn’t always been smooth.

– As anyone who works in the nonprofit space might know, we are often overworked and underpaid, and that took a toll, between burnout and an inability to save for my future. That’s what led me to the personal finance space though, and increasing my income that way taught me so much about financial independence and retiring early.

– At one point in my career, I tried to start my own small business offering services and consulting, and I had a tough time finding paying clients and had to eventually return to a full-time job. Today, I have no shortage of clients to work with, but it takes time to network and build a community before leaping into full-time consulting—a worthwhile lesson learned.

– I originally started the newsletter with a co-founder who had to stop working on it shortly after we launched. I never intended to write it entirely on my own, but I told myself I’d keep writing it as long as it was fun, and so I haven’t stopped in the two years since.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
At my core, I’m a writer, editor, and producer; it’s what spans over my entire career, no matter which industry I’ve been in. I’ve led scripts for podcasts, written personal essays about my health, run communications and social media for nonprofits, interviewed guests on slow travel, and produced long-form videos about business media.

I’m incredibly proud of my ability to tell—and share—stories in any vertical. I love my ability to shift from a tactical guide (how to spend a week in Hong Kong, for example) to being vulnerable and sharing a personal anecdote about my finances, to copywriting for a brand and understanding their tone of voice. Storytelling comes in so many forms.

I also have a lot of pride when it comes to empowering women to see the world in a thoughtful way. In a world of TikTok “Top 10” videos, I’m hoping to share a perspective that’s more slow, intentional, and grounded.

What was your favorite childhood memory?
I spent so much time outside with my best friend as a kid, playing Four Square outside on our driveway, building forts in the backyard, jumping on a trampoline or riding bikes around our cul-de-sac. I feel very lucky for how much sun I soaked up and how many memories I made during that time.

Pricing:

• Anyone can become a free subscriber.
• Paid subscriptions start at $5/mo and allow readers to enter giveaways and access 100+ past issues.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://joindeparture.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/henah