Don’t Stop Living: Jonny Blair Travel Interview Unpublished

I did this travel interview years ago for an online magazine that never published it, so here it is on here. Haven’t read it, or can’t even remember which publication it was for. Found it when deleting emails.

Don’t Stop Living: Jonny Blair Travel Interview Unpublished

– Business Name and what it does

My name is Jonny Blair I am a professional travel writer, poet and author, hailing from the city of Bangor in Northern Ireland. My online travel blog business began way back in August 2007 when I started a blog called “Don’t Stop Living“. Here, in 2023 that blog is now 16 years old, still going strong and has over 3,000 blog articles on it. Aside from that I launched another project called Northern Irishman in Poland and along with Crossing World Borders, they provide me with my writing and blogging platform as I backpack the world. My business is mostly to focus on the daily life of a tourist and blogger in lands afar.
The Tourist Peak - the Highest Point We Got

Don’t Stop Living: Jonny Blair Travel Interview Unpublished

– Business Strategies

I’m very open and diverse with my business and the strategies change depending on circumstances in the world. For example when I worked in Australia on farms and in bars, I focused on writing about cheap backpacking, how to get jobs abroad, touring sites and off-the-wall spots on a cheap budget. When I worked in PR and online marketing, I promoted how to start and develop online blogs and maintain enthusiasm for them as you travel. When living in Hong Kong (for 4 years) I focused on my life in Asia as a foreigner and jobs like teaching English, translation and barwork. When COVID-19 started, I adapted my business to be a lot more online focused and with less physical travel due to the travel restrictions at the time. I now live in Poland so I mix my time between teaching Business English and Marketing here with my writing of books and blogs. I have released 8 printed books so far, with about 8 more in the pipeline.
My New Book: STAROGARD GIRL Is Released

My New Book: STAROGARD GIRL Is Released

– Founder’s/Owner’s story and what motivated them to start the business

I was backpacking in Toronto in 2007 when I met two travel bloggers, Lee Price and Mike Burkimsher. They both had been backpacking like me and they both had travel blogs. I was inspired to start one and so I did. August 2007, I published my first ever blog post on Don’t Stop Living and the rest is history. There was no going back – I would now document my entire life on travel blogs.

Backpacking Toronto in 2007

– The challenges the business/market is facing

As with many things in life, the biggest challenges are related to health, money and war. Before the COVID-19 pandemic in December 2019, travelling was much cheaper and easier. Border crossings and visa had less issues, and even security checks were smoother. This slowed down my travels and my blog and my business. Although it didn’t slow down my writing, as I still write everyday in some capacity.
War impacts on us too with visa issues, problems with logistics and fear of being caught in a danger zone. I have backpacked in danger zones such as Northern Ireland, Venezuela, Iraq, Israel and Afghanistan and they can be challenging, but usually the most satisfying and as a writer, they often produce the best stories and the most unexpected moments.
Backpacking In Afghanistan: Touring Jahan Nama Palace in Kholm, Tashkurgan

Backpacking In Afghanistan: Touring Jahan Nama Palace in Kholm, Tashkurgan

– The opportunities the business/market is facing

AI and the development of online technologies means there are always new opportunities. People can become famous now on Twitter, TikTok and Instagram. When I started blogging way back in 2007, people were only really using Facebook back then. New chatbots like Chat GPT and Google Bard are also game changers and it’s a great time to embrace such new things.

– Advice to others about business

Don’t delay or hesitate to start it – set up your business now! And don’t start with an Instagram Page or a YouTube Channel – way too limited and not personal. Get your OWN website where you are in control and can do what you what. Once you have that set up, the world is your cheese oyster and if people start to respect you, you can use the internet to run your business and backpack the world!
“Tomorrow is too late” – Léonide Moguy.
“For all we know, we might not get tomorrow” – Pitbull.

– Lessons learnt from running this business

Be yourself, ignore others and do what you want to do. A bit of selfishness, stubbornness and ruthlessness are needed to get to where you want. Also – try to block the fakes, wannabes and small-time gurus – they’re nobodies to you. I was stalked and lied to down the years and now I just block all those people and report them to the authorities. Also – don’t be afraid to ask for help from others – I’m useless at IT and technological things so I had to pay others to do my editing and back-end work.

Biography

Jonny Blair is a Northern Irish travel writer, perpetual tourist and long term blogger. Jonny grew up in Northern Ireland but his global adventures have seen him live in Australia, Uruguay, England, Kyrgyzstan, Poland and Hong Kong. With over 30 years writing experience, Jonny is a veteran writer with a taste for the unusual and quirky. Jonny’s 200+ country journey around the world saw him feed hyenas in Ethiopia, play football in Afghanistan, hitch-hike in Iraq, ride the iron ore train in Mauritania and visit disputed regions unrecognised by the UN. Jonny is usually based in Poland but is never far away from another adventure and runs travel blogs in several niches as well as releasing an endless plethora of books.
The Day I...Lobbed the Goalkeeper From 30 Yards in Afghanistan

The Day I…Lobbed the Goalkeeper From 30 Yards in Afghanistan

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