Meet Trailblazer Christine Connell

Today we’d like to introduce you to Christine Connell.

Christine, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
After I graduated from college, I started working as a forensic accountant in the DC area. Though the work was exciting at times, after a year, I found myself bored. I wanted to travel more. I wanted work that was more rewarding. I began taking more vacations, but it wasn’t enough. I always joked about how I would go work with one of the law firms we did investigations with so I could do more interesting work and make more money. Never thinking it was even a remote possibility, I joked about how I wished I could get paid to travel for a living. One day, as I sat bored at a client site, I used my lunch break to sign up for the LSAT. One thing led to another and I ended up in evening law school about a year later. Throughout law school, I jumped from job to job, struggling to stay on top of my mortgage and credit card bills. I wasn’t very active on social media at the time and was fairly new to Instagram, but sometime during my first-year law school, my sister Alison told me that I should make my Instagram public so that my hashtags would work. I listened. I posted mostly travel photos to my Instagram and once I made it public, started growing quickly. I re-branded and changed my handle to @christinexploring. Within a few months, I was able to monetize my Instagram by working with brands to promote their products. I eventually started a blog www.christinexploring.com where I share travel tips, destination guides, and hotel reviews. It’s been a few years since then, and today I work as a lawyer at a large law firm and as a blogger and social media influencer.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The road has been anything but smooth. In law school, I almost missed mortgage payments. I was so broke!! There were times I drove to the ATM the night before my mortgage was due and deposited dollar bills so I would have just enough to make my payments. I struggled so much with money and had to juggle several jobs at a time while I was in school and trying to grow christinexploring. At one point, I worked at a gym from 4:45am-10am. I then drove to the law firm I was working at and worked from 11am-5pm. After that, I went to class from 6pm-8pm. At night, I worked as a beer/liquor promo girl and as a cocktail waitress. I traveled most weekends so I could get content for christinexploring. I was ALWAYS exhausted. I was broke. And I didn’t know whether I would ever reap benefits from all of my hard work. My law school grades were good, but I wasn’t at the top of my class; I was more towards the middle of my class because I had so many other responsibilities. I was told that it was unlikely I would ever get a job at a large law firm. With a little bit of luck and a LOT of persistence, I landed a job at a large law firm and grew christinexploring into a successful business.

We’d love to hear more about your work.
Christinexploring is an adventure travel brand that focuses on sharing information about locations, hikes, and lodging around the world. I’m so proud to be able to have a brand that aligns with everything I love – travel, veganism, sustainability, and the outdoors!

We’re interested to hear your thoughts on female leadership – in particular, what do you feel are the biggest barriers or obstacles?
I’m in two very different industries – the legal industry and the outdoor/travel industry. Both present barriers to female leadership, though the barriers are quite different.

The legal industry is one of the most traditional industries in the world and is still dominated by old white males. Studies have shown that individuals reviewing resumes rate a resume with a male name higher than an identical resume with a female name. I think the biggest barrier in the legal industry is implicit bias and the constant need to prove myself as a female.

The outdoor/travel industry is much different. Honestly, in some ways, it’s easier to be a female influencer on Instagram. Photos of females tend to do better than photos of males. And many males in the outdoor industry are extremely supportive of females. I remember hiking a 14er in Colorado one time with some female friends. One of them was telling me about how one time she was on a hike and some males she met into on the trail needed some guidance and were happy to have her take the lead and follow her. However, there are still some males that feel the need to mansplain outdoor knowledge and who believe that females can’t carry their own gear.

Pricing:

• 500 social channels post
• 500 blog post
• 200 social channels story

Contact Info:

• Website: www.christinexploring.com
• Email: hello@christinexploring.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/christinexploring
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/christinexploring
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/christinexplore

 

Image Credit:
Personal: @docb96, @andrewlawrenceimages, @annaec1213, @kenton_steryous, @albmiadventures, @wilderness_addict, @madeleinecollinsphoto, self portrait, @wilderness_addict

Getting in touch: VoyageDenver 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.