Your Girl: The High Ticket Coach Podcast: Scale Your Business, Marketing & High Ticket Sales

Introducing My Travel Podcast..

• Anastasia Marie

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0:00 | 59:24

I am still on vacation in the south of France, drinking wine and frolicking through lavender fields! I will be back April 20th, but in the meantime.. enjoy my other podcast the Culture Cult Show.  ( yes I have 2 podcasts!? ) We are learning about every country in the world and people's craziest travel stories. 

To listen to more of the podcast:

Listen on Spotify 

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Today we are joined by my client and travel UGC Queen, Maddy Garrett and her crazy and unforgettable trek in Peru that went sideways. 

We also talk about how to build a  location-independent income with UGC (user-generated content)… to the truth about van life burnout and nervous system overload… to one of the most unhinged travel stories I’ve ever heard. 

If you’ve ever dreamed about getting paid to travel, starting an online business, or living a more flexible life—this episode is your reality check and your inspiration.

✈️ What We Cover:

  •  How to make money online with UGC (user-generated content)
  •  UGC vs influencer marketing (and why you don’t need followers) 
  •  How Maddy built a $5K+/month UGC income working part-time
  •  The best UGC platforms for beginners
  •  Van life expectations vs reality (what no one tells you) 
  •  The mental health side of full-time travel & digital nomad life
  •  How to build a flexible, location-independent income stream
  •  Tips for doing UGC while traveling or living nomadically 
  •  The importance of consistency when building an online business 
  •  And… the most chaotic Peru travel story you’ll ever hear 

💸 Resources & Links:


UGC creator, user-generated content, make money online, digital nomad jobs, van life reality, paid to travel, remote income ideas, content creator business, side hustle ideas, online business tips, travel lifestyle, passive income streams, beginner UGC tips

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If you’re ready to scale your coaching business, attract dream clients, and close more high ticket sales — I’m your girl. 

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Want a Podcast Strategy Sesh to brainstorm your podcast? DM me at  @yourgirlmedia 

 Join the conversation: DM me your biggest biz question or what topic you want next on the pod!


SPEAKER_03

Hey y'all, it is week two, and guess what? I'm still in France. I'm still in France drinking amazing wine, eating amazing cheese, wearing beautiful dresses, walking in the markets, and it's uh I take hard vacations. You will not see me. I am off Instagram, I'm out. So that's why we're doing different episodes the weeks that I'm gone. I will be back the 20th for you guys. So, fun fact, I actually have another podcast besides this one. I actually have a travel history podcast on the side, and it's called Culture Cult. And I am trying to learn about every country in the world and I tell y'all the craziest fucking story from that country. We also tell travel story episodes to have people come on and tell me their best travel story. And if you're like, ugh, I just want to hear about business. Listen, I will leave my favorite business podcast in the show notes for you to go listen to this week. But if you're like, hmm, I want to see what else you do, yeah, I have a very unhinged travel history podcast. And if you like it, yay, you can keep listening. And if you're like, ugh, I'll just wait till you come back from vacation. That's fine too. All right. So enjoy my other podcast, The Culture Cult Show. And I will have this week, I'll feature a travel story episode, and I'll feature our best country episode where again, I pick a country and I tell you the craziest story from that country. And I'll see y'all back doing our regular content April 27th. Enjoy.

SPEAKER_00

We are face down, ass up, in the dirt, all just like puking in a circle, basically.

SPEAKER_03

Hey y'all, welcome to Culture Cult. My name is Marie. I am the host of the show, and today's episode, we are doing a travel story. Usually on this podcast, we are covering every country in the world, and I tell y'all the craziest fucking story from that country. But today we're doing a travel story episode, and that's when I have someone come on and tell me their craziest fucking travel story. And this one, this one's going in the books because this is one of those stories where, like, okay, first of all, if you listen to this podcast, there's a theme of like poop. I like love a poop story. And I feel like if you're like, no, I have a good poop story, no, I know a good poop story. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. I know it doesn't top this one. I know it doesn't top this one. This is a crazy poop story in Peru. And guess what? It's with my client. My client and UGC Queen Maddie Garrett is on this episode. It's so funny because, like, if you see her on Instagram, you're like, this girl has it all. She has it all. Yeah, she does. And she has the craziest poop story. In today's episode, we're gonna talk about actually like how to make money online using UGC. We're gonna talk about van life. We're gonna be talking about definitely like, yeah, like the things you don't see about van life online for sure. And again, how to be making money if you want to be making money online and start living a more nomadic life, like um, and just actually just take control of your life with making money with UGC. We're gonna get into that. But then, of course, we're gonna get into her crazy fucking travel story. Thank you, Maddie, for feeling safe enough to come on and tell it. Um, and yeah, she's also my client, and I'm just I love working with her. So, anyways, enough of me. Let's get into it. I'll start with a basic question that I always ask people if you were a country, what country would you be?

SPEAKER_00

Oh, I feel like I would be something like Costa Rica, where like there's kind of everything. Like they have mountains, but they also have the beach. Like it would definitely have to be a country like that. Maybe like Croatia or something. I don't know. Yeah, one of those.

SPEAKER_03

My instinct was Argentina. I've never been. Well, I'm saying that because it's like very outdoorsy, but I also know you love a good bit of party, so there is that culture there. And then they have a good like LGBTQ space. My friend went, she said, like the gay scene's incredible. Oh fun. So I feel like I'm gonna throw you under as Argentina.

SPEAKER_00

Okay, love that. Yeah, if there's anything gay, I'm there.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, yeah. I just never knew that. And she was like, Oh, the gay scene's amazing. I go there for every year for like pride. And I was like, Oh, we had fun. No one's talking about that. Nobody's talking about that. Have you ever done your astrocotography? Yes. Okay, I'm very curious what your lines would say over that. My I actually have very, very good lines over Argentina, really, like good sun lines.

SPEAKER_00

Um you would have to go back and look, but I know that I have really strong lines over Portugal. And what was your experience in Portugal? Amazing. Yeah, it was great.

SPEAKER_03

Same. I had an amazing time. Yeah, I have um I have very challenging lines over Bali in Australia. So it makes sense when I did that 10-month stint last year. The I would not call it like the the downer of the trip, but the more challenging emotional challenge has happened intensely in Australia and Bali, like a lot of inner work. Yeah, I kind of pay attention to those lines, and the that same line is over Medellin. So these all those two digital nomad hubs are actually very heavy lines for me. And it says to not stay there that long.

SPEAKER_00

Interesting. I know that's fascinating. Yeah, I also have strong lines in Mexico, so like near Proto Vallarta, like really strong lines, and then Colorado. Okay, yeah. What are your lines over Colorado? Because that's where you live. Mm-hmm. Yeah, it's I forget what it is, but it's a strong, it's a good line. Um, and it's like right through like Aspen is where it's like strongest. And then yeah, kind of this like surrounding area. But I was like, wow, crazy.

SPEAKER_03

What's like the vibe of Colorado that people maybe don't assume like assume? I'm assuming people think mountains and weed.

SPEAKER_00

Yes. Um gosh, Colorado's just so different depending where you are, because there's a lot of like random hodung towns. Like it's yeah, and if you go east, it's like deserty. It's like not mountain. Yeah. Um, so that's interesting. But I mean, it really is a ton of mountain towns, especially like out here, um, like near Denver and like South Colorado. It's interesting because I was talking about this with someone the other day. I think people think of Denver and they think like, oh, a bunch of like granola people, we're all wearing Chacos, blah, blah, blah. But that feels like a very like specific subset of people who live in Denver, where I feel like the average Denver person isn't like that. Like Denver's a city, so like it's just like normal city people, and it's not quite as like city city as like New York or something. No, yeah, you can feel it there. Yeah, but like, yes, we have our own vibe similar to how like LA has its own vibe, but it's not a bunch of like granola taco people. I think people assume that, but that's not really, I would say, the norm.

SPEAKER_03

Interesting, yeah. I I would assume that personally that it's still like a city. I noticed when I went to Denver, it was like I feel like everyone's outside, so that's why the city isn't as bustling as like other places, because everyone's they're outside, like they're in what surrounds Denver is like you have the Rocky Mountain National Park, which is one of my favorite parks in the world. Like, oh my god, and then you have all these great little towns. Like, I feel like people aren't really in the city as much as you think. That's very yeah, I could see that. Do you have any like secret little Colorado towns you want to spill? Because everyone knows Breckenridge, Aspen. Um I have my own that I love to shout out, but I didn't know if you have any that you want to spill.

SPEAKER_00

I mean, they're not really small, but I just feel like my favorites are like Steamboat, um, and Telluride. Like those two are just my absolute faves. If I could go all the time, I would. Um, they're just so beautiful. So beautiful. Telluride, Ura. Um that whole area is my favorite part of Colorado by far.

SPEAKER_03

So, okay, we love Colorado, but you also I want to talk about how you do van life. You bought your own van. What are the tips of buying a van? I feel like that's for me, that's overwhelming. I'm like, I want to do it one day, but like, is it better to build your own or is it better to buy it new?

SPEAKER_00

Like, oh gosh. Uh, I feel like so many people are like, I'm gonna build my van, I'm gonna undertake this project, it's gonna be so cool. I want to do my own thing. So many people either never finish it or it takes so much longer than they think, or they just get burnt out, or like I've just ex, I don't know, seen so many people go through that and like hate the process. And I would say, unless you like are really, really passionate about that kind of like project, and like that's something that really interests you, or you have done it before, or like done something similar before, don't build your first van. Like, first of all, because you've never lived in a van before, so you don't really know what you like and like what kind of layout you like, what's gonna frustrate you, what kind of things you need in your van. So I would recommend just buying a built-out van first. That's what I did. I just got mine on Facebook Marketplace. So I just searched on Facebook Marketplace. This guy had a van in Portland and he was selling it, and I went and looked at it and then just bought it.

SPEAKER_03

Okay, hell yeah. I I I agree. I think time is money, and you think you're saving money, but you actually might not be if you don't actually know what you're doing, you don't actually have the time for it. I feel like that's for like the nerds out there, like not nerd in a bad way, but like for the the builder nerds, the guy, like people who love that shit, go for it. Yep.

SPEAKER_00

What kind of van do you have? Do you recommend your van? I love my van. 10 out of 10 recommend. It is a T1N sprinter van. It's a 2006, so it's a very old van. Um, and it's diesel, and it's one of like the best vans out there. It's known so the 2004 to 2006 T1N sprinters are known as the million mile vans because they run for so long. And I've had this van now for three and a half years, and I've had like two mechanical issues ever, and they were not major.

SPEAKER_03

Holy crap! And it's like it's like a 20-year-old thing. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03

Maybe they put like miles on that thing, it's not like a casual thing.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, yeah. I have like 350,000 miles on that van. Wow. Yeah. Okay.

SPEAKER_03

Okay. So, like, yeah, if you're gonna invest in it, like do that one.

SPEAKER_00

It's like one of those, I just feel like people who don't know vans and don't know, yeah, that side of things would be like, oh, I'm not gonna buy a 2006 van. Like, that was probably dumb. But they are the best vans.

SPEAKER_03

Okay, I heard. I'd rather have my car and then have an attach-on like thing because if the van breaks down, I mean obviously you have a good van, but if the van breaks down, then your whole life breaks down. I okay, you use it more of like a weekend thing, right? Obviously. No, I do, yeah. Okay, but you used to live out of it. Yeah. Okay, what was that like living out of the van versus like weekend or yeah, it was crazy.

SPEAKER_00

It was an experience. It's like literally hard to even explain what it's like to live in a van. You're just traveling full time, like your life is travel, and it was amazing, and it was so fun because I had so many friends who also were van lifers. Oh, it's fun, and so like it just felt so fun all of the time. And we would caravan and we'd go camp in all these cool places, and but it's extremely chaotic. Like it's one of those things where like your nervous system is never at rest, and it is so overwhelming all of the time, like you're in fight or flight all the time, is what it feels like, at least for me. And I think a lot of van lifers kind of share that experience. So after a while, you're like, okay, I love this. And like as much as this van is my home, it doesn't feel like a home because it is so chaotic all of the time. Um, and so it's just a lot. Like I lived in the van full time for basically like two years.

SPEAKER_03

Wow, and okay, yeah, it was just a wild experience. What do you mean by chaotic? Like, like you said your van didn't break down, so what's going on?

SPEAKER_00

No, it didn't break down, but there's always something wrong. Like, especially with the build itself, there's always something wrong. There's a leak, or there's you know, your power's not working, or the water's out, or you know, XYZ. There's always something wrong. Always.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, I get to remember you're living in a van. Like in the end of the day, you were what you're doing is pretty fucking wild.

SPEAKER_00

Like, yes. So there's always something. I hated cooking in the van. That was like a whole thing. So I felt like I wasn't like my healthiest when I lived in the van because it was hard to cook, it was hard to cook good meals, and so like I just like ate out a lot. So that was interesting.

SPEAKER_03

Our friend Laura, she lived on out of a rooftop tent on her car, and she's like, if I eat another fucking quesadilla, I'm gonna live my goddamn mind. Because like all she ate were quesadillas because she couldn't eat keep veggies or well, she lived in a different situation. They ate out of a cooler for like almost a year, and they couldn't have a lot of veggies, they couldn't definitely couldn't have meat or cheese. So they or they did, but she ate quesadillas like all the time. No, I think she hates quesadillas. What a shame. That's so true.

SPEAKER_00

Like the amount of like just protein bars that I ate insane.

SPEAKER_03

Yes, with Barish me fucking paying you, like literally. I'm like, I'm your biggest advisor. It's so funny you say that because like I okay, so like I'm a full-time digital nomad, slowly slowing down, and I feel like yes, we travel different ways, like I travel internationally, but it's it's the same sentiment. Like my nervous system, I notice my nervous system has been fucked, like fucked since since I started. Like, because I had to constantly change my routine, I have to constantly learn a new language, constantly make sure I'm being aware of the customs. Where's the gym at? What kind of fruits and vegetables are in this country? Like little stuff, you're like, okay, whatever, stop complaining, but it adds up.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, yeah. Yeah, I don't think people understand like truly how much it affects you, like your body, your mental state, everything. There was just never constants. And I this is what I tell people when they're like, why did you decide to stop doing van life? I was in a place in my life where I had no constants and no consistency. So, like, van life is so chaotic. So it wasn't like I was living in one place. It's yeah, that was just a whole thing. And then like I had just gotten out of a relationship, and like that whole area of my life felt very chaotic. My work life felt very chaotic because I was like deciding between things I wanted to do, and I didn't have like a solid, consistent community because with fan life, it's like people are very transient. You go to one place for three weeks and then people go somewhere else, and you go somewhere else. There was just no constant, and it was like driving me insane, and it was so bad for my mental health that I just reached a breaking point where I was like, fuck it, I have to get an apartment because I need some sort of constant in my life. I literally went on Zillow, found an apartment, called them, but like got the apartment. Like it was like such a quick decision that I was like, I'm moving to Denver, I'm getting an apartment, and like I just have reached my breaking point. And I think people don't realize that. Like when you travel so much, whether it's van life, international travel, it can really mess up your nervous system. You don't have routines, you don't have any sort of consistency, and that can be really hard for some people. And so after doing it for so long, I eventually was just like, I can't do this anymore.

SPEAKER_03

No, the spot that you're talking about is the breaking point I'm at right now. Like I went to Mexico and I turned around. Like I went the only, I was supposed to be there for two months. I was there for two weeks, and I was like, I I gotta go home. It's like nothing to do with Mexico, but I was like, I my nervous system is fucked. And I've been in Alabama for like six or seven months. And I'm sure like people are like, Why are you in Alabama? Well, you know what? It's it's where I'm from. Yeah, I my my nervous system understands it. And I know there's a gym, I know there's a Trader Joe's. Yeah, like that's all I need right now. And I'm at that point where like I don't give a fuck. I just need to move that's my goal. I don't my goal is California. Okay, but like if it's not California, I don't give a fuck. I'm picking a spot and I'm yeah, just like I need a place. I need a place. I miss talking about like the transient things. Like, I have so many friends from all over the world, but they're all over the world. I have this new, I want to call it jealousy, because I think jealousy is um just your body telling you what you want. So I feel like I it's kind of a negative word, but I'll use that word for it now. I have this jealousy when I see I don't know, my friends throwing like Thanksgiving parties and they're Christmas parties, and they're like, Oh yeah, me and my friends have this event tonight. And I'm like, your friends that you've had for years, yeah, not like three weeks. I crave that. I'm at that breaking point, and it's it's it's I love seeing that, like, okay, you you did it, I'll I can get back to that, you know?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, no, I completely agree. That was a big reason why I moved was like I really wanted consistent community and like those kinds of friendships, and I knew that I couldn't do that on the same level while I was traveling. Yeah, I think people just glamorize full-time travel a lot, and there are so many beautiful things about it, and it's amazing and what an experience. And also for most people, it's not sustainable long term, and it definitely has its cons.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, yeah. I would say it's like do it for like a short amount of time, but like stop it before you get burnt out. That's my advice, I think, with it. Um, okay, let's talk about how the hell you even did that. So let's talk about UGC, which is user-generated content. And this is gonna be like a little bit of one-on-one for people who don't know, because I I am a big believer at like even if you love your corporate job, have a side hustle because they're gonna dump your ass the second they can. So you need to have some, even if it's not to travel, you need to have some sort of side hustle backup plan just for yourself. It is F UGC, but I want to talk about that for you because that changed your life. So, what is UGC and how is it different from being an influencer?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, okay. So, user-generated content is UGC, and it's basically where you film videos for brands. So they'll send you a product and then you'll film a video kind of reviewing their product, and then you send it to them and they use it in like on their social media or in their ads. So you're not posting any of this content. So like you don't have to have a following or social media to do UGC. Um, because you're yeah, you're not posting any content, you're just sending it to the brand and they're using it. So I got into UGC about three and a half years ago, and um or three years ago? I don't know, three years ago. And um yeah, just like knew about it because I had a friend who did it a little bit, and I was like, whoa, this is really interesting. Like she was a content creator, and that's how I heard about it, and ended up just kind of going all in, and then that was my full-time job for a long time. Um, and yeah, that's pretty much what it is.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, it's really cool because you don't need to have a big account, you're essentially like just creating ads for other businesses. So, how would you get started? I mean, the obvious is like if if you want to excel in anything, you should invest in a coach. I'm sorry, but like you should. You need to like if you want to hit something by a certain amount of time, you need to invest in a coach. But let's say like someone's not ready for that just yet. Like, what are the app best apps to get started? Yeah, how do you get started?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. Um, YouTube is your friend. Go like look up, um, you know, what is UGC? How do I get started with UGC? All of that. Like, there's definitely plenty of resources just to like get your foot in the door and learn more about it. And then yeah, the best way to get started is just to get on some UGC platforms where brands are actually posting jobs. So it's basically like a job board before UGC, and you can go and apply to campaigns. Um, and there's a ton of them. Um Coley, Popfly, Vidzy, Vidovo, Billow, like those are just a few of them. But if you Google like UGC platforms, a ton of them pop up. And it's a great way to start doing some work for brands without needing to like have a ton of experience or a portfolio because you can just go on there and like apply with like a paragraph about yourself and why you'd be a good fit for the campaign. And then sometimes you have to upload like one example video. So I would A go watch UGC ads, like Google like what is UGC, figure out like what that is and watch a bunch of UGC ads, and then with stuff around your house, film some example content. Um, and that's gonna give you like a a little bit of experience, and then hopefully like a video that you could use as an example when you're applying to campaigns on these platforms. Um and yeah, the beginning's kind of a slow build of just like applying to a bunch of stuff, trying to figure out like what you're good at, what your niche is, and getting those first few first few deals under your belt. Um, and I always say UGC is a long game, like the beginning is just harder, it's slower. And then once you get good at it and like have proof under your belt that you are a good creator, things get really like so much easier. Now I do UGC like 10 to 15 hours a week, and I'm making at least like 5k a month doing that. So it's one of those things. It's a long game, it's such a nice thing to have on the side, and yeah, it's just great because anybody can do it. Like, you do not have to be an influencer. You don't have to look a certain way. You don't have to live a certain place. Like, brands want this content from everyday people because people trust that more than like influencers or models or just like ads that the brand is making. So it feels really genuine. It feels really authentic. And people are way more responsive to that. So yeah, it's this cool little marketing world and it's like a booming industry right now. So it's really cool to be a part of it.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah. What are like some of the um success stories from like your membership or like certain students that stood out? We were like, okay, see, this is the potential that you could have with UGC.

SPEAKER_00

Yes. Oh my God. I feel like the success stories that always stand out to me are either A, the ones that happen so fast. And like literally, I had a student last month who her second week in the program, like she's never done UGC before. Like she's brand new to this. Second week in the program, she signed her first deal for like$1,800. And she was like, this is crazy. And then like another student two months ago, and her first month, she made over a thousand dollars. Like it's like those kind of stories where you're like, oh my God, like those uh those people who are just they get into it and they're like, boom, let's go, let's do it. And they just like put their all in. And yeah, it's crazy. Like when you put in the work, it works, you know. So I love those. And then the long long-term students. Like I have several students who they took my program a year ago and now they're full-time UGC creators. They either travel full-time now or they were able to, you know, quit their job. Now they do UGC full-time. So it's really, really cool to see those students who like actually stick with it long term and then turn it into their full-time job.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, because I think with anything, especially if you're starting like a side business, um, it's gonna take about six months, I think, for it to see real real traction. There's always those like crazy success stories, but it takes about six months to get the hang of like understanding your niche, understanding your pricing, understanding how to create. Like this is even within my own business. It took me six months to get to$5,000 a month. But it's like if you like it and you're good at it and you enjoy it, if you stick with it, like you made like what, like 15k last month doing like UGC on the side.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03

Okay, yeah. Potential. There's there's so much potential with it. And it's like like any business, it's it's about like your strategy, how you show up for it. And in the end, not fucking quitting. Like you will never see those 15k months if you quit. Period.

SPEAKER_00

Period. Like that's the biggest indicator of success is like how long you can stick with something when either it feels like it's not working or it gets hard or it's slow. Like successful people are just people that stick with it. That's it.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, for real. For real. I guess like what would you do for someone who's like listening to this and they're like, oof, but I'm a full-on digital nomad and like I don't have a home, or like I'm a van lifer, I don't have a home. Like, where would they send these packages to?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. So I built my UGC business when I lived in a van. So I was like traveling full time, lived in a van. And there's different ways you can go about it. So if you want to do physical products, you can either like have them ship to family and friends and then have them like ship it to you where you are, or if you like have family and friends somewhat nearby and you can go drive and pick them up. But also you can have brands send packages to like a oh, what's the word I'm looking for? Like a PO box? Kind of a P.O. box, basically sending them to like a UPS or a it's still oh my god, a post office. There we go. You can like have them send packages to a general post office, and like the post office will basically just hold it for you. Um, that's that's so true. I literally forgot what the post office is for. No, right, literally. Um crazy how that works. So yeah, you can do that, but a big thing that I suggest, and one of my students that I am working with right now, she is a full-time digital nomad all over the world. So like she's often in Europe, um, she was just in Asia, so like she's all over the place. And she's trying to make UGC her full-time income. Right now, she's probably at like$2K a month with UGC. Um, and we just had to shift the strategy to be like, okay, packages aren't the most realistic in this situation. And and she's had like struggles with trying to make that work, so we're gonna pivot. And so we started pitching um apps, services, um, softwares, AI products, the stuff like that. And since doing that, like she's had a lot more success. And there's so many of those companies out there, and they need UGC too. Like, there's so many apps, so many platforms, um, all that stuff. So it's just about figuring out the right strategy that works for your situation. Oh, that's so smart. I just love UGC because it is a cool thing that you can do like at any point in your life, and you can like pick it up, you can put it down. Like I've had several months where I just stopped doing UGC because I'm burnt out or I'm focusing on other projects or doing other stuff. And then maybe that stuff slows down, or like UGC has a busy period. For example, Black Friday was huge. So I'm like, you know what? Let's, you know, grind out this month. Made$14,000 last month doing UGC. So like you can pick it up, you can put it down. If you have a period in your business or in your life where things are slower, you can be like, Great, I have UGC to like lean back on.

SPEAKER_03

I love it. Oh my gosh. See, this is like I remember when I used to think, like, how do people make money online? And then now that I've been making money online, I'm like, God damn, there's so many ways. There's so many ways to like start traveling and getting paid. Um, actually, speaking that, let's talk about your podcast. I feel like that's where people should head to if they're actually interested, is like the podcast I edit and the one that you obviously it's your podcast, uh, paid to travel. Yeah. Yes.

SPEAKER_00

Pay to travel, the UGC podcast. Um, it's the best. We love it. Um, yeah, I talk about all things UGC, how to get started. I interview past students of mine, just tips and tricks that I have learned. I share like my UGC income, the deals that I'm getting, how I'm getting them, tips for pitching. So, like, there's literally so much in there. If you're like, I want to learn more about it, go check out the podcast.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, it's also on YouTube if you're a visual person. Yeah. So okay. So we talked about why the West Coast is the best. Um, Van Life is not what you think, and why y'all should be doing UGC, but let's get into yeah, let's do your travel story. Let's do it. I'm so excited. Oh boy, okay. So you know a good story is good.

SPEAKER_00

It starts like with a deep breath. Yeah, I'm like, oh my god, the trauma. Oh no. Okay, so a year and a half ago, I went to Peru and I was doing the Salcantai trek. Um, and that is like through the jungle, through the mountains of Peru. It was a five-day trek um and incredible, first of all. I mean, Peru is amazing. One of those places that like I did not realize I would love so much, but I was obsessed. Like, I want to go back so bad. It's just stunning, and the cities are really freaking cool. Everyone's really all nice. Like, I just was obsessed.

SPEAKER_03

So I'm looking at what you said, it's called Salk and Tay Ink Trail. It I mean, it looks like we were talking about Patagonia earlier.

SPEAKER_00

Um guys uh yeah, no, it was insane.

SPEAKER_03

Wait, whoa, I thought you meant like jungle, like tropical, like this is like Alaska, yeah. Okay, continue. Sorry, I'm just a visual person.

SPEAKER_00

Um no, yeah, it's like insane. Like you guys should look it up. It was just the most wild track, but yeah, it's like mostly mountainous, and then there's some parts that are kind of like more like jungle-y, which was really cool, but it's just I mean, an insane experience. So, and it was hard. Like it was it was a hard track. Um train uh a bit, yeah. Okay, yeah. So it was tough. And let's see, three days into the track, we had like got up that morning, had breakfast, we were continuing the track, and that day when we were walking, I was like, my stomach's feeling a little off, you know. But I'm like trying to like not make it a big deal because I'm like, you know what? It might be altitude, sickness, maybe you know, I don't know, whatever. I'm in a new country, you know, I might just have to shit. It is what it is. Um, and I'm like trying to hold it in. At one point, I'm definitely letting out some farts. Like, and I'm like, oh no.

SPEAKER_03

Is it like loud? Like people can be like not loud. Okay, but okay, actually that's not good. That means the silent ones are like you're in trouble. Deadly, yeah, like your stomach's actually fucked up.

unknown

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00

So I'm like feeling kind of like like almost like lightheaded, feverish, and I'm like, okay, Jesus Christ. But I like get through that day of the track because I it was like I could feel it, but it wasn't that bad. And I was like, maybe I'm just in my head, you know. We get to where we're staying for that night, and we like set up the tents, and then we're going on a tour of so we're staying at like a farm basically, and it was a coffee bean farm, and we're still comic. Right. So and so we get there and they're like, Great, let's do the coffee bean farm tour. And I'm like, Great, let's do it. So I we're going on this tour of the the trees and the farm, and they're opening up opening up the beans and everything. We're doing the whole thing, and I start just progressively feeling worse and worse. And I'm like, oh no, like I don't think I'm well. And then at one point, we're like picking the beans, and they're like, Okay, great. Like you can like chew on these, you can eat them. The thought of putting that in my mouth. I was like, I was like, so the thing is, no. Um, and that's when I knew I was like, it's gonna be bad. Um, and so I I am holding it, like I'm feeling feverish, I'm feeling bad. We get back to like the area with the tents, and they have like a little like house there, and they're showing us like the final process of like roasting the beans and all that stuff. And I'm with my boyfriend at the time, and I'm standing next to him, and we're watching them roast these beans, and I turned him and I go, I gotta go. And he's like, What? And I told him like I wasn't like feeling great, but like he didn't know it was that bad. Do you know where the bathroom is at that at this point?

SPEAKER_03

Like you have a scan of like where you could go.

SPEAKER_00

Yes, and I'm very close to the bathroom. I'm like, Thank God.

SPEAKER_03

Okay.

SPEAKER_00

Yes. And it's like a little tiny bathroom, it's not a nice bathroom, but there is a bathroom. Okay. It's great. And I go, I gotta go. And I just like quick walk to the bathroom. And in my mind, I'm gonna throw up. Like, I'm like, okay, like that's what it was. I was like, I have to throw up right now. So I go to that bathroom, I like sit on my knees and I'm over the toy like this. I'm like, and I'm like ready to throw up, and then I'm not throwing up, and I'm like, and then all of a sudden I go, oh, oh no, I'm gonna shit. And I like get up, hold on my pants. Oh my god, just like explosion, explosive.

SPEAKER_03

Wait, like can people hear you? Like, how close are you to people? I don't think that they could hear me. Okay, because I'm like, what if it was the background sound to the tour?

SPEAKER_00

And you know what? It's possible. It's possible. I don't think that they could hear it, but it's possible. And I'm just sitting there like, oh no, like this is bad. So I'm on that toilet for 10 minutes, just shitting my brains out. And I'm like, oh fuck, okay, whatever. And then I'm like, okay, great. We did that, amazing. You get that shaky feeling, you're like, yeah, okay, like, like so. I like get up, I go out of the bathroom, I go up to my boyfriend, I'm like, yeah, so something's wrong. And I just shit so much. Uh, and then I'm like good for like 10 minutes, and then I'm like, not good. Oh, not good again. So I run back to the bathroom. This time I puke everywhere. Oh my god. Yeah. So I'm throwing up and it's just so bad. It's the most vile, like acidic, horrible throw up. And then, as you know, as our bodies do, I'm throwing up and then shitting my pants. No, I'm literally on the floor of this little bathroom throwing up and shitting my pants. And I'm like, oh my god. Like, no, this is not happening. Oh my god. And I was like, oh fuck, okay. So I throw up, go to the bathroom again, come out, and I'm like, babe, I just shit my pants.

SPEAKER_01

And he's like, wait, what?

SPEAKER_00

He's like, oh my god, like, wait, what's happening? I'm like, yeah, no, I'm really sick.

SPEAKER_01

Like every time you come back, you come up with me with worse news.

SPEAKER_00

No, literally.

SPEAKER_03

And then no, not an and then, and then another girl dropping like flies. Hey, no, no, no, no, no. I need that bathroom. Okay, right. Fucking find your own.

SPEAKER_00

There's one toilet. One toilet, and I I need it. Like another girl starts being like, I'm not feeling good. And I'm like, oh no. She's in the bathroom, shitting. And then guess what? A third girl. No way. And then a fourth. No way. There were four of us. Yep. So four of us ended up getting so sick. So we're like, it must have been something that we ate. But like the others didn't get sick. So it was just girls. Yeah, just the girls. Wild. Okay. So we're all down bad. And there's one bathroom. So you're all just like and there's one bathroom. So eventually, what happens? At this point, I've pretty much shit all I can, which is great. Good. Okay. Like I definitely had to go back a little bit, but like for the most part, I'm fine. Yeah. So we ended up puking in the field. We are face down, ass up, in the dirt, all just like puking in a circle, basically. And everyone else is like up at the house playing card games, and they can just hear us all in the background over and over again.

SPEAKER_01

Loss of words.

SPEAKER_00

Like no, it was hilarious. And we're all sitting there so delusional because we've been puking and shitting our brains out for like two hours at this point. We're so tired. We can't eat. We're thirsty. Like we can't keep anything down, but we're just like unwell. And this is so, oh my god. It was one of those things where like we I was so sick and so delirious that I could not give two shits about the fact that I am hands down, like knees on the ground in the dirt, throwing up. And there are Marie, I'm not kidding you, spiders this big crawling around us. Holy shit. I'm not even kidding you. It was the first one I saw, I was like, no, no. I turn to the other girls, I'm like, guys, there's really big spiders. And everyone's like, no. And we literally can't care enough because we're so sick that we are watching these massive spiders crawling around us. Oh my god. Oh my god. No, it was no, it was crazy. Like they were massive.

SPEAKER_03

Oh no, I've seen a spider that big. I I I truly believe you. And this wasn't even Australia, this was in Vietnam. The size of my fucking hand.

SPEAKER_00

Size of my hand.

SPEAKER_03

I've I've seen those spiders, and I would lose my goddamn shit if I was to bring up next to that. Hands and knees on the ground.

SPEAKER_00

I'm in the dart. You're in the same level as him. You are. Yeah. I'm like, they could they could crawl on me and I don't know what I would do because I'm I can't think.

SPEAKER_03

Oh my god, Maddie.

SPEAKER_00

This is like one of the worst stories ever. It just gets worse and worse and worse and worse. So we're just like, what do we do? Because none of us can stop throwing up. And at this point, we're just heaving up acid and it's horrible. And it's it's just awful. And so the like tour guide is like, they're trying to tell us that it's not foods, food poisoning.

SPEAKER_03

Okay.

SPEAKER_00

And we're like, babe, like it's okay. Like, we know that you cooked our food and we're not mad, but like, can we just can we acknowledge what's happening right now? Can we just talk about the fact that it it's food poisoning? Um, and they're like, Oh, you should take like they got us some kind of medication that they were like, take this. And I'm like, I'm not taking that because I have food poisoning, not whatever you think that I need to take because of whatever. And so then eventually they get us like anti-nause meds. So we take those. Um, but then I threw it up 10 minutes later. So that just really um, so basically it was just really writing that one out. Um, I can't oh, this is so gross. This is so bad. I was just again so sick. I couldn't think, I couldn't move, I couldn't do anything. I I had a fever, like I was running age. Oh fever, and I was shaking like it was like bad. I went to bed in the pants that I shit myself in. No, I didn't even change out of my like underwear and pants. That's how bad it was.

SPEAKER_01

Holy crap!

SPEAKER_00

And I'm sharing a tent with my boyfriend, and oh my god. And he's laying there next to me, and I'm I go in the tent before he does. Like, he, I don't think he, I mean, no, no, he didn't realize like it was as bad as it was. So he was like hanging out with other people like at the house and kind of like comes back of it, like he had checked on him, check checked in on me a few times, and then like eventually we're going to bed. I'm in the tent probably for an hour before he like comes to bed. And I'm laying there, just like literally like shivering like this, and also I have a fever, and I'm like, I'm at that point done throwing up, I'm done going to the bathroom.

SPEAKER_03

There's nothing else coming out of here.

SPEAKER_00

There's nothing else in there, but I'm so unwell. And he comes to the tent, he's like, Oh my god, like, are you literally dying right now? Like, he was like, No, like I don't even know what to do right now because I feel like you're dying.

SPEAKER_01

Every time he sees you, it's like so much worse.

SPEAKER_00

So much worse.

SPEAKER_01

Like so much worse.

SPEAKER_00

No, when I tell you all night, I was just laying, and I'd be like, it's just to feel like I'm gonna die, and I'm gonna be so sick. And this poor man is like taking care of me, and he's like, I don't even know what to do right now. Like, I don't know how to help you. And I would like wake up in the middle of the night and I'd be like, and he would like put water in my mouth, and like, like it was so bad. I was so incredibly sick. And eventually fell asleep, woke up the next morning, and that was like pretty much the end of it. Like I was definitely still very tired, and I was like exhausted the next day, still couldn't eat anything, but there was no more throwing up or shit. A demon left your body, a demon left my body violently, and it was just insane. But the next day of the trek, like the four of us who were sick, we had to like get a car and like take us to the next point because we couldn't do the trek that fucking way.

SPEAKER_03

Also, in your poopy pants, you can't do that.

SPEAKER_00

Literally, like you can't be doing that track. It was crazy.

SPEAKER_03

I know the whole thing, not nearly as bad as I I I was like, oh yeah, little tummy hurt in Peru, girl.

SPEAKER_00

No, no, no, no, no, no. How much more of this trip is there? Can you enjoy the any of it? And there was one more day of the track. Which we did and was fine. And then the next well, yeah, then the next day was Machu Picchu. Oh we were like, honestly, we're just so glad it didn't happen that day. Or like, yeah.

SPEAKER_03

Truly. There's no bathrooms up there, I bet. Maybe there's like one. But the amount of tourism, you'd be fighting everyone for that bathroom.

SPEAKER_00

No.

SPEAKER_03

Did you get to see the view? Sometimes people get up there and it's too cloudy.

SPEAKER_00

We did. Oh, it was incredible. I mean, truly amazing.

SPEAKER_03

What's the energy of Machu Picchu?

SPEAKER_00

Definitely felt very sacred in a way. Um, yeah, I don't know. It was like very good energy. Very I don't know. I I really loved it. Like it just was like you got there and you're like, whoa, like this is something insane. Wow. Like yeah, it just it really was an incredible experience and just so yeah, cool to learn about it, cool to see it. And we got really lucky with the weather. It was like we just had an incredible view, it was amazing. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Some luck after that. I know. Oh my god. Because we were still in Peru for like five days after that happened.

SPEAKER_03

Wow. I mean, that's good. That means you still get to experience the country.

unknown

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03

Holy crap. Oh my god. Okay, did you and your boyfriend stay together after that?

SPEAKER_00

Right, crazy. Uh no. We broke up very shortly after that trip, actually. He's like, I've seen too much. Like, I can't go back.

SPEAKER_03

Dead. So funny. You you make me sound so weak. When I was in Vietnam, I got like pneumonia or something. I mean, I had a fever, might an ear infection, but I was being the biggest baby. Okay, I was in a home, I had a bathroom, I also got free breakfast. I was okay. In my way, I the way I acted like a little baby child. I wish I could get Ollie on here right now. Um, he would be he would agree. Like I was just like, oh, like how you were like the shaking, the like, the like dear God help me. Like literally. And he was having like feed. No, he didn't feed me. He like was always getting like hot water bottles for me. And like I was being the biggest fuck. I'm I'm a child, I'm a baby when I get sick. And I'm like, I'm embarrassed to this day about how I acted when I had pneumonia around him. And I'm like, you actually were attacked by a demon. And literally, like you had every right to be acting like that. But I'm embarrassed looking back at like that week I had pneumonia. I was doing the same shit as you.

SPEAKER_01

I was shaking and I was like, can you give me some?

SPEAKER_03

Yeah. I'm embarrassed. Sorry, Arlie, if you happen to be able to sleep this. I'm so sorry. I'm sure I'm sure that he clocked that in his head. He was like, This chick is weak.

SPEAKER_00

You're like, and that one's not gonna work. Yeah, no, what? Like, it's weird. I'm just thinking back on like that boy, that ex and I, we went a few months earlier, maybe in like February of that year, we had gone on a cabin trip for like three nights. The second night, I come down with strep throat. And I'm in the cabin for the next two days. Literally, I can't do anything. I have strep throat. I'm being such a baby, such a baby. I have oh, but strep, you are allowed to feel like a baby with strep. It's the worst. I was such a baby. I was just like, I can't move, I can't think, I can't eat, I can't drink, I have a fever, I just can't do anything. I am a little baby, I was dying. And I was just like, go skiing and I'll be here. And it was miserable. But I'm like, what's up with me like being so fucking sick when I go on trips with my partner?

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, like he's like, you're like in his head, you're like the sick ex. He's like, Yeah, she was always literally like almost dying every time we jumped a trip. Oh my god. Maybe that was your body being like, This isn't this isn't him. Yeah, stop doing long trips with this man. This is not your man. Because our body will tell us. But that listen, but all four of y'all got sick on this one. Someone, someone didn't clean the utensils, someone didn't cook right. Nope. Something, something. Oh my god, dude. That story just I'm literally red. I mean, I'm wearing pink, so I think it's making me more red, but I'm actually red for listening to that story. I'm like pink as hell from laughing.

SPEAKER_00

I laugh so hard telling that story because it's just one of those things you're like, that did not happen.

SPEAKER_03

Yes, also just the delirium of it all. Like, you those like what like 72 hours with just like where am I? You don't give a fuck. Like, all of y'all just throwing up hands and knees in the spider field, like, and everyone else is like having a good time inside, and then they're like, poor girls.

SPEAKER_00

Well, and okay, so that next day we drive to the next spot, and then obviously we're waiting like five hours for the rest to hike to where we are. So there's four of us just like we're at this restaurant, we are dropped off at a restaurant in the morning, like it's like 10 a.m. And we get dropped off at this restaurant. The restaurant's like closed, like it's not like people are like going into the restaurant, but it's like outdoors. Oh, great. So we're outside on the deck of this restaurant in Peru, and I literally just lay out my jacket on the deck and I sleep on the deck for three hours. I'm on a wooden deck and I'm like, I'm just sleeping. My boyfriend rolls up, they roll up after the five-hour trek, and he's looking at me like every oh my god.

SPEAKER_01

Every time he sees you, it's bad.

SPEAKER_03

Hey, at least you had a restaurant because it had a bathroom.

SPEAKER_00

Exactly.

SPEAKER_03

Thank God they were thinking of y'all.

SPEAKER_00

They were.

SPEAKER_03

Oh my god, that is just like such a fear of mine. I take charcoal pills everywhere I go, little little trick, little hack. It uh gets rid of all the toxins out of your body. So when I was in Bali, I had um, I got like that Bali belly, and the tummy stuff went within 24 hours, like and then it was just a fever. So I highly recommend always bringing charcoal with you. And little tip take charcoal before you drink and you won't get a hangover.

SPEAKER_00

Okay, literally, yes. I used to do this all the time, like right after college, when I was drinking a lot. Um I the next morning after drinking, I would always make a little like lemon charcoal water. Perfect, life-changing.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, that's I bring that. And my mom, she's a doctor, and she always gives me this like medicine that's for that situation. Like you just take it in an emergency like that. So I I bring that shit with me. Um, but I just went to Mexico, and the only time I had too many problems was nothing because of Mexico, it's because I was eating way too much frijoles. I love beans, like, and I was actually getting sick because I was eating too much frijoles. I was like, I I love beans, and so I had to put myself on a time, a big, big time out. Like there was a couple nights where everyone's like, hey, come out. And I was like, I can't, and I can't explain why, because I had too many beans. Stop. So I did get sick in Mexico, but that was my fault. Um, okay, well, this was ridiculous. Um, I don't want to say. Also, I was looking at those spiders. I just typed improved spiders, and I'm like, which one did you see? Because I'm just gonna share the screen real quick because I'm like, there's a compole on that there where I would have what did it look like? Oh my god.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, I'm so triggered.

SPEAKER_03

Wait, which one? Was it the really, really long legged one?

SPEAKER_00

Oh, it's giving like the one that says like gigantic spider from the Amazon. And oh yeah, it was giving that.

SPEAKER_02

That's so much worse. That's so much worse than the one in no okay, yo.

SPEAKER_03

Okay, the one in Vietnam was that size, it was that size, but that one looks scarier. No, it was I think it's because it's outside. Yo, Naddie, this is insane.

SPEAKER_00

I know it's okay. Every part of this story was just worse and worse.

SPEAKER_03

Oh my god, it's okay. You're here, we're here, you're you're not in that situation. God, uh, go to Peru, y'all. Yeah, so anyway, Peru was amazing. I'm gonna send this to my aunt who's going to Peru, and I'll be like, just don't do what she did. Which I don't even know what you did. You didn't do anything wrong. It's just someone cooked wrong.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, somebody cooked something wrong.

SPEAKER_03

Oh, it was so fun. Um, shout out where people can find you.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, well, you can find me on paid to travel, the podcast. Um, you can also find me on Instagram at madddyoutdoors.coach.

SPEAKER_03

Yes, and definitely check out all that stuff if you're like I want to be making some side income and get paid to travel. Um, I have two of my friends in there, Josh and Lara. And they love it. They love being in your community and everything. And I think that's why I've been like, maybe I should do it because I'm watching them and just watching like their journey. And I'm like, oh, okay, like they're making extra cash. Yeah. So if you are interested in learning how to make money online with UGC, like you literally can only go to Maddie for that. Like, go check out her podcast that we produce. It's called Paid to Travel. She's just such an amazing coach, and she has so many amazing like success stories coming from her community. Like, she's just the person for UGC, especially in the travel space. And she's just such a fun person to like be in her world. So definitely recommend listening to her podcast that we produce, paid to travel. Go check out Maddie. And yeah, this was such a fucking funny episode. Maddie's story was so holy fuck. I I really think y'all should look up the spiders that spiders in Peru that she was talking about. Like, look that up right now, just for the visualization, so you can see exactly what she was dealing with. Like the fact that she was that sick and she was like, I don't care. I don't care that these creatures from Harry Potter, the fucking spider from Harry Potter, are sitting next to me. So this is so bad. The story was so bad. Oh my god. Anywho, thank you guys for listening. As always, we are now a monthly podcast because I'm busy as fuck with my business, and this is all I can do right now. Um, also, I lied to you. There's one more Scottish podcast. Who would have guessed? I can't stop recording about Scotland. It's like I promise you this is the last one. And then we will finally move to Eran. I promise you. It's just because I met this badass girl who's Scottish and she's from the Highlands. And I was like, wait, I have nothing about the Highlands at all. And we only have one Scottish person that came on throughout the whole series. So one more Scottish episode, and then we're moving on to Eran. And that's gonna be such a special season. Okay. Love you guys. I will see you next time. Cheers, y'all.