eco-luxury, lifestyle & travel

So, here's my story...

Born in Paso Robles, California, I called the scenic Central Coast home until my mid-twenties, when I left to travel. Within a year, Madrid, Spain became my global home base; it won me over with its thrumming nightlife, quirky tapas bars, and winding, gem-filled streets.

I spent ten years traveling to and writing about some 40+ countries across Europe, Africa, Central & South America, and Asia. Some favorites — I could never choose just one– have been Morocco, Malaysia, and Greece.

On March 2nd, 2020, I returned to the Central Coast for a vacation. (you know where this story’s going!) Just days after my arrival, the COVID-19 lockdown froze travel and changed everything. The airline canceled my flight, the clock was ticking on my husband’s 90-day tourist visa, and we’d sparsely packed our carry-on luggage. Yikes. It was time to think on my feet and find a creative, fulfilling solution. I’m happy to say we made it through the uncertainty of 2020, and have bright days ahead.

Though my extended stay in Paso Robles came about under the most unusual (and admittedly, stressful!) circumstances, it has been a unique pleasure to return to my hometown with worldly eyes. I’m full of appreciation for the stunning natural beauty, scantly populated spaces, and the soothing cold breezes which sweep through the oak trees in the evenings. There is something poetic about this region that evokes memories of so many places I’ve loved around the world.

Okay, let’s talk business. This site is home to my creative portfolio, and you’ll quickly see my work reflects my interests and values. I’m varied yet predictable. If it’s sustainable, well-crafted, and oozes personality, I’m sold!

Before we get into it, though, I want to talk about “ideaphoria.”

IDEAPHORIA

AN EXPERIENCE WHERE ONE FEELS A CONSTANT ONSLAUGHT OF NEW IDEAS; CREATIVITY.

This is my natural state of being and the reason why I have a stack of well-loved Moleskine notebooks with me wherever I go. Creative solutions, unconventional strategies, and endless optimism are the pillars of my work and life.

If left unchecked, ideaphoria could easily steamroll a person! But, with years of professional training and coaching, I’ve developed the methods to channel my boundless ideas into actionable steps. I’ve created protocols for testing theories and genuinely enjoy tracking, tweaking, and perfecting systems!

If you’re looking for ideas that keep your business fresh, moving into parallel markets, and expanding your current customer base, let’s talk! All large-scale projects require custom quotes, and I offer a complimentary 20-minute phone or video consult to ensure we’re a good match.

Countries

Cities

Clients

articles

In 2009 I was the Marketing and Wine Club Manager of a family-owned estate winery on the West side of Paso Robles. I loved this job for many reasons, most importantly because of the variety of duties I was able to excel at.

Educating & entertaining tasting room guests
Dreaming up sellout events on the winery grounds
Agency to innovate new marketing strategies; tripled Direct to Consumer sales!
Creative writing opportunities to drive sales via email newsletters
Innovating a successful Wine Club phone sales regimen
Ensuring we hit our monthly and annual sales goals both on and off-site

The greatest gift from my time at the winery was the deep relationships I nurtured with the Wine Club members! Over a decade later, I’m still in contact with many club members, several of whom have visited me in Spain! This reinforces my belief that putting the customer experience first always yields the best long-term results.

Once I left the wine industry, I transitioned into a more portable career: travel writing.

After launching my own travel website, I branched out into writing for travel journals, jetsetting brands, and exclusive destinations. It has been a pleasure to work underneath judicious editors, and acquire over a decade of experience in everything from copywriting to ghostwriting novels. I’m so pleased to have contributed to projects, books, magazines, and brands that I wholeheartedly adore.

My portfolio includes destination campaigns for Google Travel, Travelocity, Paradores Hotels, Hipmunk, and many more travel industry leaders. You can find my take on responsible travel experiences in the book Elephants in Asia, Ethically, Tiny Buddha, and Kasbah du Toubkal Quarterly.

As a Madrid transplant, it was a unique pleasure to create the Spain Guide for AFAR Magazine, and I am thrilled to be their Madrid Local Expert.

My latest project was creating a digital guidebook for Just Trip, a groundbreaking tourism app. It called for snappy copywriting, shrewd editing, meticulous organization, and tight turnaround times, but it’s challenges like these I thrive on!

In 2009 I was the Marketing and Wine Club Manager of a family-owned estate winery on the West side of Paso Robles. I loved this job for many reasons, most importantly because of the variety of duties I was able to excel at.

Educating & entertaining tasting room guests
Dreaming up sellout events on the winery grounds
Agency to innovate new marketing strategies; tripled Direct to Consumer sales!
Creative writing opportunities to drive sales via email newsletters
Innovating a successful Wine Club phone sales regimen
Ensuring we hit our monthly and annual sales goals both on and off-site

The greatest gift from my time at the winery was the deep relationships I nurtured with the Wine Club members! Over a decade later, I’m still in contact with many club members, several of whom have visited me in Spain! This reinforces my belief that putting the customer experience first always yields the best long-term results.

Once I left the wine industry, I transitioned into a more portable career: travel writing.

After launching my own travel website, I branched out into writing for travel journals, jetsetting brands, and exclusive destinations. It has been a pleasure to work underneath judicious editors, and acquire over a decade of experience in everything from copywriting to ghost writing novels. I’m so pleased to have contributed to projects, books, magazines, and brands that I wholeheartedly adore.

My portfolio includes destination campaigns for Google Travel, Travelocity, Paradores Hotels, Hipmunk, and many more travel industry leaders. You can find my take on responsible travel experiences in the book Elephants in Asia, Ethically, Tiny Buddha, and Kasbah du Toubkal Quarterly.

As a Madrid transplant, it was a unique pleasure to create the Spain Guide for AFAR Magazine, and I am thrilled to be their Madrid Local Expert.

My latest project was creating a digital guidebook for Just Trip, a groundbreaking tourism app. It called for snappy copywriting, shrewd editing, meticulous organization, and tight turnaround times, but it’s challenges like these I thrive on!

I am especially honored to have spearheaded the campaign for The Responsible Tourism Guide to Imlil Valley. I served as Chief Strategist, Marketer, and Editor for this project endorsed by the Morocco Tourism Board, SPANA, Education for All, and Parc National de Toubkal. The guidebook, video, and website were presented at the COP22 Sustainable Innovation Forum in Marrakech.

Madrid will forever be a home of mine. So I was incredibly delighted to collaborate with the Madrid Tourism Authority on a series of short films showcasing Spanish Dance in the prestigious Casa de la Panaderia.

When I’m not talking about responsible travel, you can find me collaborating with companies ranging from vegan dining guides to eco-luxury intimate wear.

some favorite clients & projects:

Copywriting & editing, GUTCHIES eco-luxury linens, and intimate wear
Editing, marketing, and social media strategy for Travel Fashion Girl
Expert Contributor on the Responsible Travel and Tourism Collective
Personal branding campaign & personality reel for Diana Edelman
Email marketing & editing for Prose & Poses by Leslie St John, MFA / RYT
Direct response copywriting campaign for PURE Yoga and Wellness
Script supervisor on the award-winning short film Virtually Happy
Driving dynamic B2B and B2C sales for Vegans, Baby
PR & Marketing for Madrid for Refugees
Villa Delenia Liaison & Estate Caretaker

When I’m not working with these fantastic companies and individuals, I enjoy:

writing poetry
films with subtitles
tending to my houseplants
enjoying a great glass of wine with dear friends
and Nordic Walking — my favorite way to explore hidden coves on the Central Coast!

If we sound like a good match, and you’re interested in seeing what I can do for your business
(or if you know of some great hidden hikes on the Central Coast),
please connect with me via email
brandyleebell@protonmail.com