INTERVIEW: Shane Mitchell

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Hi Shane, welcome to VENTS! How have you been?

I’ve Been good!

So, what made you want to become an entrepreneur?

I always wanted to travel. My businesses are almost 100 percent online, so I also have the freedom to travel to other countries as I work. It allows me to expand my mind, learn new languages and experience the world in a way few others do. The flexible work schedule is also a plus as I am also a full-time student.

From many of the fields you could go on – why did you choose travelling?

I was tired of spending my days scrolling through Instagram and seeing individuals living carefree lives while traveling the world, so I created a business I can run from anywhere. The travel niche is loved by everyone so it makes marketing for it very easy.  In the summer of 2017, I ran my internet-based businesses from the Bahamas, Bali, England, Italy, and Laos. My field of work allows me to travel the world for free and make money doing it… Who wouldn’t want that?

Having jumped into the world of politics prior to this – what was it about this that made you want to actually switch for a whole new direction?

Politics will always hold a special place in my heart. My ultimate goal is to represent my home district in the US House. I have always had the aspiration to change things, influence the course of governance, help people in the world of politics. Making a career in politics at my age can be a very hard job which demands a lot of sacrifices… Just like an entrepreneur. However, a family friend who is a current US Congressman advised me to go down my own path and make a name for myself FIRST because politics will always be there when I have fulfilled my hunger of being an entrepreneur.

How did you eventually come up with the idea of mixing hotel promotion with travelling?

Hotels around the world stand to gain a lot by marketing through the use of social media. They can use this platform to speak directly to potential guests and foster relationships but sadly most owners do not know how to utilize this new method of marketing… It started when my friend and I were sitting at my dining room table in Newport scrolling through Instagram when suddenly we came upon a video of the viral influencers Jay Alvarez and Alexis Ren on a tropical beach. The next photo on my feed was a smaller resort in the Bahamas I followed a few months back. At the time, most hotels had a small social media presence or no social media at all. Long story short, I decided to study the algorithms of Instagram, reached out to some smaller hotels to ask what they lacked in the marketing area, and made a jump I never thought I would make by mixing viral content and hotel promotion.

After you saw that you finally made it – did you start feeling any pressure?

I tend to work well under pressure! But after my hotel promotion business exploded a few years ago, I now have to deal with more pressure than ever. Having numerous deadlines to meet, phone calls to return by the end of the day, clients to meet for lunch and the occasional 100+ emails to respond to. My schedule is jam-packed, and the only thing holding it together is my ability to finish every single task in the time allotted. If I could give one piece of advice for striving entrepreneurs… is to always reply back on time!

What would you say is the most challenging aspect of your work?

While networking, I used to come across older professionals who doubted the sustainability and credibility of my business because of my age. I dealt with them professionally at all times, and treated them as they were any other client. Eventually I gained a reputation for maturity and was considered worthy of trust and respect by the older set. Above all, I have confidence in my own abilities and they saw that. I believe every young entrepreneur has this problem but if you show them success… age does not matter