Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessika Angulo.
Hi Jessika, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’ve been creating content for social media for about 10 years. What started as something I did purely for fun eventually became my career.
I’ve always loved recording myself, talking to the camera, editing videos, and finding creative ways to tell stories. One of the things I was especially passionate about was creating aesthetic travel content.
I remember scrolling through Instagram and seeing videos of incredible hotels and destinations. I would always think, “Wow, I want to go there someday.” Eventually, I decided to stop just watching those videos and start creating my own.
I began making videos from my trips, vlogs, recaps, and little travel memories, mostly just for fun. Then one day, I came across a beautiful cabin in Granbury that I really wanted to visit. I thought, “Maybe I can reach out and see if they would be interested in exchanging a complimentary stay for content that I could share with my audience.”
I reached out, and that became my very first collaboration.
At the time, I barely had 10,000 followers, so I was honestly amazed that a property was willing to work with me. I remember thinking, “Wait… I can actually do this?”
From there, I kept reaching out to properties that genuinely interested me, and more opportunities started coming in. Eventually, I had the opportunity to collaborate with hotels and major hospitality brands, including Marriott and Hilton.
I started taking advantage of every trip and every experience as an opportunity to create authentic content. And I think that’s one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned as a creator: when you genuinely love what you’re doing, people can feel that authenticity through the content.
I was also thinking about how I could turn content creation into something more sustainable financially. That’s when my husband suggested that I start creating restaurant content.
At first, I completely resisted.
I was like, “No! I want to focus on travel. I don’t want to make restaurant content.”
But I decided to give it a chance.
And I ended up LOVING it.
It wasn’t just about getting free food. It was about discovering different cultures, trying new things, learning about the stories behind restaurants, and finding hidden gems that I genuinely wanted to recommend to people.
I continued creating restaurant content for more than two years, and then the last everything changed completely.
I started getting invited to media events and working with prestigious brands and experiences, including Coca-Cola, Monster Jam, Omni Hotels, and so many others. My audience continued growing, and I started seeing opportunities I never imagined would come my way.
But there was one problem: I was trying to live two lives at the same time.
I was working a traditional corporate job 40 hours a week while also trying to build my social media career.
My weekends were constantly booked with trips, events, and collaborations. Even when I was in Dallas, I was usually busy creating content. There were days when I would wake up at 4 a.m. and not go to bed until midnight.
I was exhausted, but I kept telling myself that I could handle it.
Then came the moment that made me realize I couldn’t keep doing this forever.
I had a trip planned to Miami for a collaboration. That same weekend, Dallas experienced a major snowstorm, and my flight was canceled. Instead of getting back Sunday as planned, I wasn’t able to return until Wednesday.
I called my boss to explain what had happened, and her response was essentially:
“Why did you travel if everyone knew it was going to snow this weekend? I don’t know what you’re going to do, but you need to come back to work.”
By that point, My bosses already knew how much I traveled and how seriously I was taking content creation, and there had been increasing tension around it.
That conversation was my wake-up call.
Until then, I had convinced myself that I could keep balancing everything. But that was the moment I realized I needed to make a decision.
I had to choose between staying in a job that was causing me an incredible amount of stress or taking a chance on the dream I had been building for years.
So I made a plan.
I looked at my finances, calculated what I needed to make, and really evaluated whether leaving was realistic.
By the end of that year, I realized something incredible:
I was already making almost as much money from social media as I was from my full-time job.
That was my sign.
It was time to leave.
And now, it’s been six months since I became a full-time content creator.
Walking away from that stressful environment completely changed my life.
I haven’t slowed down, in fact, the opposite happened.
I’ve been able to dedicate more time to my personal brand, which has led to even more partnerships and opportunities. In just six months, I’ve grown my audience by more than 20,000 followers.
I also went back to something I had to put on hold because of the stress and lack of time: my education. I’m currently continuing my studies at Dallas College to pursue my marketing degree.
And for the first time in a long time, I have more time for the people I love. I can spend more time with my friends and family while still doing something I’m incredibly passionate about.
I’ve had the opportunity to work with brands and organizations I never imagined would know who I was, including NASA, SeaWorld, major hotel brands, entertainment companies, restaurants, and so many others.
When I look back at where I started, it’s honestly surreal.
Ten years ago, I was just making videos because I enjoyed recording, editing, and creating.
I never knew where it would take me.
And now I can confidently say that there is nothing better than building a life around something you genuinely love.
Taking that leap was scary. Leaving a stable job was scary. Choosing myself and believing that I could make this work was scary.
But sometimes you have to believe in yourself before anyone else does.
If there is something you truly want to accomplish, make a plan, work for it, and give yourself a chance.
Because if you believe you can achieve something, you’re already one step closer to making it happen.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Of course, this journey hasn’t been easy.
There have been so many moments when I’ve wanted to quit, to stop creating, stop posting, and just walk away. There are days when the creativity simply isn’t there, but you still have work to do. You visited a place, you have content to create, videos to edit, deadlines to meet, and somehow you have to find that creativity again.
There are also days when you don’t feel your best. You might be tired, overwhelmed, or going through something personally, but you still have to show up. You have a place to visit, a camera in your hand, and sometimes you have to smile and be energetic even when you don’t necessarily feel that way inside.
Honestly, that has been one of the most challenging parts for me—learning how to keep showing up even when I’m not feeling 100%.
But I’ve also learned that you don’t have to be perfect.
You’re going to make mistakes. Some videos won’t perform the way you expected. Some collaborations won’t go as planned. Some decisions won’t turn out the way you hoped.
And that’s okay.
I’ve learned to stop seeing those moments as failures and start seeing them as lessons. Every mistake has taught me something, every challenge has made me better, and every time I wanted to quit but decided to keep going, I became a little stronger.
Being a creator isn’t just about the fun trips, beautiful places, free experiences, or exciting collaborations that you see on social media.
There’s a lot of work behind the scenes that people don’t see.
And I’m still learning, still growing, and still figuring it out every day.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m an influencer specializing in creating engaging social media content while sharing real experiences that people can genuinely connect with.
Over the years, I’ve learned how to use my platform to help hundreds of businesses bring more traffic, attract new customers, and ultimately increase their sales. But what makes me happiest is hearing directly from people who visit a place because of one of my recommendations and hearing that they loved the experience.
That’s something I’m genuinely proud of because just with being who I am i can connect with people. I’ve built my community simply by being myself, sharing experiences I truly enjoy, and creating content that feels real.
And now, everywhere I go, I hear things like, “Hey, I saw one of your videos!” or “I went to that place you recommended and I loved it!”
Those moments mean so much to me. They remind me that what I’m creating is actually making an impact, and they make me proud of the community I’ve built over these years.
It motivates me to keep going, keep creating, and keep sharing experiences that people can discover and enjoy.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
One thing I never want to lose, no matter how successful I become, is my humility, my authenticity, and my connection with God.
I never want fame, being recognized, or becoming a celebrity to change who I am or make me forget to be grateful. Because honestly, who I am is what got me here in the first place.
Every time I meet someone, one of the things people tell me is, “You’re so sweet.” And I think that comes from something that has always been a big part of who I am: I genuinely love helping people.
If a friend has a business, I want to support them. If someone needs advice and I can help, I’ll give it. If someone simply needs to be heard, I’m always willing to listen.
That ability to connect with people, help others, and genuinely care is something I never want to change about myself.
And most importantly, I never want to lose my connection with God. I try to be grateful whenever I can, not just when everything is going right, but also during the difficult moments. I’m grateful for the good, but I’m also grateful for the lessons that come from the bad.
I’m proud of how far I’ve come, but I know I didn’t get here alone. My faith keeps me grounded and reminds me to appreciate every opportunity, every person I meet, and every experience along the way.
Because at the end of the day, I don’t want success to make me a different person. I want to become more successful while still being the same person, grateful, kind, authentic, and grounded in my faith.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/travelwithcielo/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61554281932971
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@travelwithcielo
