Emmy Award-winning presenter, TV host, and travel creator Oneika Raymond (@oneikaraymond) joins CREATOR: The Podcast to discuss her remarkable journey in the travel content space. In this episode, Onika shares highlights from her recent five-and-a-half-month round-the-world adventure with her family through 24 countries, including surprising insights about destinations like Saudi Arabia. Host Ross Borden explores Oneika's transition from international educator to full-time creator in 2016, diving into her multi-year brand partnerships, her role as producer and host of Marriott Bonvoy's "About the Journey" podcast, and her approach to authentic content creation. Oneika offers behind-the-scenes perspectives on navigating the creator economy, plus practical advice on relationship-building that has led to her enviable position of receiving 99.9% inbound work opportunities. "The people that you meet on the way up are the same people you're gonna meet on the way down," she shares as a cornerstone of her success philosophy. Whether you're an aspiring content creator or simply interested in global travel insights, this conversation delivers valuable perspective on building a sustainable, multi-faceted career in the creator economy.
To learn more about CREATOR: The Podcast, visit creatorthepodcast.com
00:00 Introduction to Oneika Raymond
01:31 24 countries in 5.5 months with family
02:51 Taking time off vs. working while traveling
04:28 Planning and affording a round-the-world trip
05:22 Favorite destinations: Zanzibar and Saudi Arabia
06:02 Traveling as a woman in Saudi Arabia
08:39 Going full-time as a creator in 2016
09:55 The pivot from teaching to content creation
11:09 Most lucrative revenue streams as a creator
12:58 Multi-year brand partnerships vs. one-offs
13:39 About the Journey: Marriott's travel show/podcast
14:53 Becoming a producer, not just a host
16:43 The standout New Orleans episode
17:50 Future projects and what's coming next
18:32 Building long-term brand relationships
19:32 Why being inbound-only works
20:23 The importance of being easy to work with
22:07 How relationships lead to new opportunities
23:22 Three countries to live in forever
26:22 Thailand and the White Lotus connection
27:26 Where to find Oneika online
