Connect
To Top

Conversations with the Inspiring Heidi Kerr-Schlaefer

Avatar photo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Heidi Kerr-Schlaefer.

So, before we jump into specific questions about what you do, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I barely escaped becoming a lawyer, which had been my life-long dream. Instead, after graduating from college and working for attorneys, I realized becoming an attorney would not make me happy. I made the agonizing choice not to go to law school. Instead, I began writing at a small newspaper in 2006. In 2007, I founded HeidiTown.com, and the rest, as they say, is history.

At first, HeidiTown reviewed books, movie, and restaurants but as I began to focus on festivals, readership went up. By 2010, I watched as the brand really took off. Today, I write about festivals and road trips and cover the Rocky Mountain Region and surrounding states that are within driving distance of Denver.

I have an engaged group of HeidiTown “citizens” who follow my travels closely via Facebook, Twitter, and HeidiTown.com.

Four years ago, I began to author The Heidi Guide for Mountain Living. I am the magazine’s online western destinations blogger. I cover all mountain regions including and west of the Rocky Mountains. I focus on travel and festivals.

I have lived in Colorado for twenty-years but I know the state better than many people who were born here. I have visited every corner of Colorado and now, travel beyond to places like Nebraska and Wyoming.

I wish I could say that I had a brilliant business plan and everything went according to this plan but quite frankly most of this has happened organically.

I still do a bit of freelance writing from time to time. For instance, I have a monthly travel column in NOCO Style Magazine.

I also have co-owned a furniture business with my husband, Ryan, since 2004. Since we are both self-employed, Ryan joins me on many of my HeidiTown outings.

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 freelance writer will tell you that the road is easy and if they do, they are lying. Being a travel writer isn’t something that happens overnight. I spent time writing a lot of stuff that was not travel-related but I learned a lot, especially from my time working at a newspaper.

It has taken time to develop a trusting relationship with my readers. I have also developed a reputation among the festivals and destinations that I work with as a trustworthy professional. This trust only develops over time and through networking and delivering on promises.

My advice is to always be genuine and honest. I think one of the biggest mistakes that young writers make is to not conduct themselves professionally and part of this is their willingness to write for free. If you don’t recognize your own value, no one else will.

Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of. What sets you apart from others?
There are a lot of travel bloggers out there with Twitter accounts and Facebook accounts. I think the main thing that has set me apart is that I am the Colorado travel expert because I mostly travel here in Colorado. I have been to most towns around the state more than once which has led to a sort of expertise that’s hard to find.

The majority of travel writers visit a place once and never return, I return to a town repeatedly. I keep people up-to-date on what’s happening around the state as far as new restaurants and new activities.

This depth of knowledge sets me apart.

As far as the thing I am most proud of is that I have developed a true group of fans that are huge supporters of the brand. These avid fans are people who follow me as I travel around the state and beyond and engage via Twitter or Facebook on a regular basis. I have become lifelong friends with some of these people, something I never would have guessed would have happened. It’s truly amazing and I feel lucky to be in such a position.

I am also proud of the relationships that I have built with the travel industry professionals across the country. These are genuine friendships that I cherish.

What do you feel are the biggest barriers today to female leadership, in your industry or generally?
Actually, I am in an industry dominated by females. We sort of rule the roost when it comes to travel marketing and PR. I work almost exclusively with females.

The biggest challenge facing women and men writers right now is getting reasonable pay for our work. Too many people undervalue what we do. It’s a chronic problem made worse by writers willing to write for free or to see
their byline somewhere.

In general, I think barriers exist for every person. We all have battles to overcome whether it’s personal or professional.

Contact Info:

Image Credit:
The two photos of Ryan and I in Keystone are by Lisa Kral, Dancing in My Head Photography. On the rest, the credit just goes to HeidiTown.com.

Suggest a story: VoyageDenver 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.

Related Items

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More in