Meet Shanay Braxton | Travel Marketing Professional and Lifestyle Youtuber

We had the good fortune of connecting with Shanay Braxton and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shanay, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I was standing in the garden, surrounded by cacti and plants that grow in desert climates, when I looked at my phone to check an email—the signature of the email sender read, Influencer Manager. As my colleague walked past me, I said, influencers have created a new job called Influencer Manager. At that point, I knew this field would continue growing and expanding.

Now, I’d like to briefly explain why I was in a garden checking my emails. Jnane Tamsna (pronounced J-nan-e T-am-s-na) is a boutique hotel in Marrakech, Morocco, where I worked as a Reservation and Events Manager. I helped manage all requests, from hotel stays to partnerships. That email was the first time I saw someone discuss a partnership on behalf of an influencer. Since I worked with the hotel owners, I was privy to the conversation about whether they would work with an influencer. They were a forward-thinking organization and viewed these partnerships as opportunities to tap into new markets. My experience working with this hotel showed me that influencer marketing should be taken seriously.

Simultaneously, I was in the infancy stages of building a personal brand and thought leadership in the tourism industry, which meant it was a critical opportunity to learn from the perspective of the brands I worked for.

After realizing there needed to be more connection between influencers and brands, I planted the seed for Business In Travel, my content marketing agency. Now, I connect brands with creators to develop partnerships that drive revenue
in the Tourism Industry.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Eagerly, I told my parents I wanted a job when I was 15. My first interview was at McDonald’s, and I showed up in a two-piece skirt suit with tights and dress shoes. It was my mom who picked my outfit for the interview. She wanted to instill in me that I should always dress professionally, no matter the job I apply for. I share this story to demonstrate that I take myself seriously regarding professional development and experiences. With that being said, I only lasted two weeks at McDonald’s; I needed to make orders faster for the manager’s liking. I thought I was Speedy Gonzales with the orders. You know, when it feels like you are moving and grooving, but to the outside world, you are moving in slow motion. It was one of those situations. Nonetheless, I didn’t give up; I moved on to the next opportunity with the lessons from that experience. At this point, my professional career has spanned close to two decades. My ambition has allowed me to work as a bank teller, a Disneyland cast member, a wedding coordinator, a graduate assistant, a Peace Corps volunteer, and a Property Manager at two boutique hotels in Marrakech, Morocco.
Before working for Business In Travel full-time, I was Director of Operations for a chamber of commerce for black business owners. In that role, I applied my knowledge of WordPress to help keep the company’s website current. I also created the operations manual and a one-week training program and implemented a project management system to organize the day-to-day operations. I started this role remotely because I was still living in Morocco, which I wanted to continue, but my position’s responsibilities warranted me to return to the US.
Simultaneously, as Director of Operations, I built Business In Travel and my brand as a Travel & Lifestyle Content Creator on YouTube. Becoming a Youtuber is enjoyable because documenting my life gives me something to look back at. However, growing a YouTube channel takes great effort, starting from writing the script, editing the videos, and then marketing it to viewers once it is published. Some of my most popular videos are Travel Vlogs to St. Lucia, Getting Married in Morocco, Living in Morocco as a Peace Corps Volunteer, What is a Travel Content Creator, and How do Travel Content Creators Make Money?
My professional career has recently focused on developing Business In Travel into one of the best Tourism Marketing agencies connecting travel brands to content creators.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Cleveland is the city where I come from, and it pleases me to show visitors a great time. My friend, Marilyn from Puerto Rico, came to visit a few years ago, and she had such a great time that she wrote me a letter after her trip, thanking me for a great time. The Play House district is a fabulous place for visitors looking for entertainment. Cleveland has the 2nd largest theater district next to New York City. My favorite things to do there are seeing the Lion King and attending film festivals.
Summer is my favorite time of year because there are many outdoor activities for all interests. If you are a music lover, then on Wednesday, a live band plays at Wade Oval on the museum’s lawn in the University Circle neighborhood. On Thursdays and Fridays, the live music transports you to Euclid Beach Park and Edge Water Park beaches, where you can enjoy the cool breeze from Lake Erie and stunning city views while dancing to some smooth grooves.
Cleveland is a gem with a tremendously flavorful food scene; it’s one of the best places to eat corned beef, Jamaican, Ethiopian, and soul food. This city is a melting pot of cultures, with spices representing the flavors of the creative people from the city. Visit these neighborhoods, and you will understand what I mean by melting pot.
Tremont
Shaker Square
University Circle
Detroit Shoreway
Downtown
The Flats

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Go Girl: The Black Girls Guide to International Travel and Adventure deserves a shoutout. I have read and shared this book multiple times. It was my first peak into the world of travel writing. The stories from this book emboldened me to move to Morocco. Challenging me to think, speak, and view the world as a global citizen. I saw myself in this book. It is filled with stories from Travel Writers who are black women sharing their ventures from around the world.

Here is a snippet of an excerpt from Emma T. Lucas called “A Homestay in Namibia.”

“She picked up a delightful lean piece and put it on my plate. She then instructed me to reach into the second pot of millet, form a ball, and dip it in the stew. The first ball was very gritty, and my face gave away what I was feeling. Everyone laughed at me. MaMa instructed me not to chew the millet but to swallow the ball whole. This proved difficult to do. I then tried to bite into the meat but found that it was very tough, and I could not bite it. The stew, however, was spicy and delicious.”

The collection of stories in this book helped me feel unafraid, made me think about things to buy to feel prepared for my life in Morocco, and helped me create mental pictures of potential experiences I may encounter. This book symbolized reassurance that I made the right decision to become a Peace Corps Volunteer in Morocco.

Resource: Go Girl: The Black Girls Guide to International Travel and Adventure By Elaine Lee

Website: www.businessintravel.co

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/businessintravel.co/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shanaybraxton/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/404325711910621/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ShanayBraxton/community