Meet Carly Danner of Seeing Local

Today we’d like to introduce you to Carly Danner.

Carly, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’m sure anyone you meet will say they have a passion for traveling. Who wouldn’t? But mine is a little different. When I’m visiting new places, whether it be a local coffee shop in Dallas or the coast of Ireland, I get that ooey-gooey feeling of falling in love for the first time. Seeing different pockets of the world, stumbling across different neighborhoods, and taking the wrong turns that lead to hidden gems is what I’m all about. After living in New Zealand for several months and traveling alone to different neighborhoods in the south island, I realized how much I not only love to travel, but how much I love to see the world like a local. I would go to restaurants and bars by myself and just strike up a conversation with whoever was there. I quickly found that every person I met helped me see their city through their eyes rather than through a map or tour guidebook.

After my time in New Zealand along with several other trips, I realized I wanted to create something that could help people become travelers and not tourists. I created my blog Seeing Local to provide travel tips, city guides, and how to experience the world as a local — whether it be in your hometown or abroad. There’s so much to discover wherever you go and so many stories to tell. I am nowhere near where I want to be with my “business” but every day I’m taking steps to get there. At the moment, I am working on several different travel series on my channel including one that partners with Dallas influencers who can help Dallas residents and visitors experience the Big D as a local. I am also continuing my top 2018 bucket list item by taking a “weekend getaway” once a month and documenting it all via video or blog. I am so excited for what’s to come and I can’t wait to look back on this year with so many new memories, friendships, and cities I hope to explore.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I think anyone creating a blog will say that the hardest thing is consistency. It is incredibly hard to keep up with a blog and to deliver quality content several times a week. It can be exhausting and when you aren’t seeing results it can make you want to give up really quickly. For me, the biggest bump in the road has been turning my ideas into actual projects. When I first began my blog, I was living in LA and had it centered around a very specific concept tailored to exploring Los Angeles. When I had to move back home to Dallas a few months later, I began to resent my blog because I felt as though I couldn’t make the video content I dreamt of here in Dallas. To be honest, I gave up for a year or two. I’d post here and there, but my heart wasn’t in it. But I am now getting back into it and I am reminded of all the hard work I put into creating it (creating city guides from scratch, branding on my own, learning how to code). I have a ways to go to get to the level of consistency that this blog deserves, but I am getting there. So many fun video projects are finally coming to fruition and I can’t wait to share them with the world later this year.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
My blog is Seeing Local. It was designed to help others see the world through a local’s eyes. I was sick of the hefty tourist books and tourist excursions getting in the way of really experiencing a city so I decided to create my little corner on the internet to inspire others to see the world as a local. I provide city guides, ultimate guides, videos, travel tips, and share my personal travel stories. Many things coming up include a video series with Dallas influencers, videos featuring the hidden gems of the city, and so much more.

What has been the proudest moment of your career so far?
Posting my first video. It had flaws, mistakes, and wasn’t some Steven Spielberg production. However, I have long listened to the voice in my head that anything I want to post on the internet isn’t good enough. The day I stop listening to that voice and finally posting videos was the day I really felt like I could turn this into my dream career (hosting my own digital travel series with a major brand). I know that my talent level or editing skills aren’t at the expert level yet, but taking that plunge and getting out there reminded me of all the things I can and will eventually accomplish.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.seeinglocal.com/
• Phone: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carlydanr/

Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.