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

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