Easy Money: “I Make Up to $5,000 Per Month as a Travel Coach!”
Dawn Pick Benson offers expertise that younger travel coaches don't have.
Following a divorce, avid traveler Dawn Pick Benson, 49, found herself longing for adventure and the open road — so she packed up and set off for Europe. Along the way, Benson realized she was learning valuable travel skills that could greatly benefit other women going through similar life transitions. The Grand Rapids, Michigan native has since started her own traveling coaching business, helping other women pursue their travel dreams as a lucrative side hustle.
The Origins of Dawn’s Business
“Traveling has always been a way for me to take a step back from my everyday life and just breathe,” Benson tells Woman’s World. “As a writer and marketing expert, I have the flexibility to travel and still work at the same time. So after my divorce, I decided to pack up and move to Europe for three months — a profound emotional and spiritual healing journey that I really needed.
“Other women going through similar transitions heard what I did and started asking me for guidance. I did some research and learned that travel coaching, helping people think about and plan a solo trip with the transformation they want in mind, is actually a thing. It seemed like the perfect fit, and I realized I could offer life experience that other, younger travel coaches couldn’t. And so I started my own travel coaching business.
“I offer a small-group coaching program called ‘Brave Journey’ via Zoom. I never have more than five to six in each group to ensure it’s small enough that the women can get to know and build community with one another and also have a lot of one-on-one coaching with me. I help them explore who they are, envision what their lives might look like next, and if a trip is in store, how they can craft a journey. I also offer support when they’re on the trip and when they return, and offer resources and tools for travel. As a result of the coaching, the women feel empowered and have a better time on their trips.
“I love watching the transformation they have, and their feedback has been phenomenal. I make up to $5,000 a month — money that pays the bills, goes back into business, and allows me to travel!”
A version of this article originally appeared in our print magazine, Woman’s World.
