As a multimedia journalist, I’m super stoked to interview fascinating humans, photograph the most incredible places on earth and tell stories that matter. Assignments for CNN, NBC, Travel + Leisure, ESPN, Lonely Planet and more have taken me to all seven continents. When I realized I could add content creation to the mix, it was a no brainer. Travel writing and content creation go hand in hand.
Around the time, I noticed a friend’s account had exploded in growth. Turns out, she had joined The Creator Passport, an online educational course that teaches content creators and influencers how to build a successful social media business. Because I had personally seen the huge leap in numbers and engagement for her, I knew it could be beneficial for me, too.
If you’ve been wondering what it’s like to be part of The Creator Passport, I’m about to spill the tea. I am going to share all of my thoughts on the program, who the program is best suited for, what skills I’ve learned along the way, what I wish I knew before joining and how it made a difference in our lives.
What is The Creator Passport?
The Creator Passport, or TCP, is an online education course that was created by Giselle and Stephen Jiroch who have built a 7-figure creator business from scratch and coached more than 800 students over the past five years. It’s a comprehensive coaching program on how to build a profitable content creation business. Modules explain how to create high-quality content, how to grow and nurture your audience, how to streamline your workflow and how to master videography and photography. The goal is for creators to build confidence, build multiple income streams and to attract their own tight-knit communities.
Want to know more about The Creator Passport? Join the TCP waitlist to get two free lessons.
How has The Creator Passport helped us?
If you are wondering “is The Creator Passport worth it?” we are happy to report that, yes, it is. The Creator Passport has taught us how to treat content creation like a business — all while moving from Hawaii to Florida, moving from Florida to Colorado Springs, moving again to another part of Colorado Springs and getting married in Yosemite and throwing two wedding parties. One in New Hampshire where Brandon is from. And one in Florida where I am from. All that to say, if you’re worried about having enough time to start a program like TCP, we are living proof that it is possible.
Since joining TCP, we have worked on campaigns for Hawaiian Airlines, Alaska Airlines and tourism boards; launched a digital product (How to Become a Travel Writer), created affiliate revenue streams, with top brands like Stio and Horizum and worked on UGC projects.
Stephen and Giselle teach way more than the basics. The course is extremely in-depth so you can learn about everything from content strategy to pitching to pricing to organization.
Who are we?
About a year or so ago, I asked my husband, Brandon Purington, if he’d be interesting in building a content-creation business with me. I remember being nervous to ask him. Would he think it was silly? A waste of time? Fortunately, he was open to the idea. He graduated with a degree in broadcast journalism so this was actually right up his alley. Soon after, we changed our handle from @sarahsomewhere to @findyoursomewhere to incorporate him.
I’ve been a travel journalist for 18 years, and I absolutely love the work I do. From paddleboarding with penguins in Antarctica to swimming with tiger sharks in the Bahamas to cliff camping in Colorado, it keeps me on my toes and provides me with tons of content that can also be used on social media. Brandon has a 9-to-5 in the software industry and does travel writing and content creation on the side. On our @findyoursomewhere page we love showing people how to live a bucket-list life through hikes, national parks trips and road trips. On @sarahsomewhere we provide tips on how to break into travel writing and work for top-tier outlets like CNN, NBC, Travel + Leisure, ESPN, Lonely Planet, Frommer’s and more.
What do we love about The Creator Passport?
One thing is certain: Being a content creator can be very isolating. Having the chance to get to know other creators from around the world at The Creator Passport meetups has been invaluable. From hiking in Colorado to beach time in Santa Barbara to picnicking in San Francisco, it is such a joy to have face time with other people who have the same passion as you do. I have no doubt that the people we’ve met in TCP will be lifelong friends.
The level of support that Stephen and Giselle provide always astounds us. When I needed help negotiating our first brand deal, for example, I watched several TCP modules and also got advice on negotiating strategies from Giselle and Stephen. Their guidance is so super helpful and gave us the confidence to land deals.
They’ve helped us post more consistently, create an organization system (still working on this), narrow in on our brand value and create a community of likeminded travelers.
Who is this course for?
The Creator Passport is perfect for people who are starting to get serious about content creation. Whether you are a total newbie and have an audience of 23 people or already making six figures from content creation, the program can be extremely beneficial.
Who is TCP not for?
If you have an extremely limited amount of time on your hands, it can be difficult to devote the time you need to going through the modules and participate in the live calls. It takes time and dedication to see results, so patience is key.
How does The Creator Passport work?
When you join The Creator Passport, there are four live group coaching calls where you get personalized feedback and guidance with Stephen and Giselle. There are monthly office hours, homework and hands-on trainings, student-only challenges to help you stay motivated, Q&As, cohort community and co-working events, templates, workbooks and resources.
Track 1, The Manual Method, covers photography, camera gear, shot planning, drone photography, photo editing, videography and more. Track 2 is Grow Like a Pro is all about mindset, brand foundation, social media growth, audience retention, viral video creation, content management and more. And track 3, The Six Figure Fast Track, is about revenue streams, digital products, contracts, brand collabs and more. Altogether there are 300 pre-recorded video lessons (that’s 50-plus hours of info) to watch at your own pace that you have access to for a lifetime. Because content creation is ever-changing, Stephen and Giselle update the modules throughout the year, so we never worry about the information being out of date.
We fully appreciate being able to hop on group coaching calls each month to ask Stephen and Giselle questions directly. There are inspirational guest speakers covering everything from mindset to affiliate sales and co-working sessions too. We also love taking part in the free challenges. It always motivates us to continue showing up consistently on social media. There are templates galore, workbooks and additional resources for most any content creation topic you can think of.
The mistake I made is joining during a very busy time in my life when I wasn’t able to hop on a lot of those calls. Therefore, I got a very slow start. While I was bummed to miss out on most of the live calls in the beginning, it’s all good — we took it at our own pace.
Want to know more about The Creator Passport? Join the TCP waitlist to get two free lessons.
Our advice
The best way to approach this program is to watch a module and then actually practice what you just learned. Also, there’s no need to watch the modules in order. Instead, watch the modules that pertain to projects you’re actively working on. And if you are on the fence about joining The Creator Passport, listen to The Creator Passport podcast each Friday, attend a free webinar, chat with someone who is already part of TCP and watch a few of The Creator Passport YouTube videos.
When I watched a free TCP webinar ($3K in 3 months), I signed up right after the call to get a bonus, which meant we had the chance to do a one-on-one call with Stephen. My only regret is not joining TCP sooner.
The TCP 6.0 cohort starts in January. There is a Don’t Get Ghosted challenge (Oct. 20 to 31) that we highly recommend. It’s a free 12-day public challenge designed to help creators pitch with confidence, connect with dream brands and begin landing paid collaborations.
Sign up for the Don’t Get Ghosted challenge through our link, and you’ll get daily, actionable prompts focused on strengthening your brand, improving outreach and communicating the value you can offer potential partners. Plus, you’ll have access to a private creator community for feedback and accountability.
Questions people often ask us about the Creator Passport program
What is the cost of joining The Creator Passport?
The price is $2,997. There is a payment plan if you prefer to pay as you go. Even though the program is pricey, with the new revenue streams we’ve created, we have already made that money back and then some.
Is this course only for travel creators?
No, the course is open to all types of creators. Many creators are focused on travel content, but there are also lifestyle creators, family accounts and financial creators, just to name a few.
Do you need to be based in the US to join?
No, you can be based anywhere in the world and still participate.
Affiliate Disclosure: This blog contains affiliate links. If you decide to join The Creator Passport with one of our links, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.