Rachel Rudwall doesn’t just march to the beat of her own drum. She dances to it. And as a world-renowned globetrotter, travel storyteller, and Emmy-nominated on-camera host and producer, she encourages others to soak up our planet’s beauty alongside her.
Rudwall’s storytelling experience runs the gamut — a television host for Travel Channel’s “Epic Lists,” digital host for TIME, Inc. and Tastemade, producer for shows like “Ax Men” and “Ice Road Truckers,” and travel writer for publications like AFAR and Forbes. She has been named an Explorers Club Fellow, which puts her in the company of change-making globetrotters like Buzz Aldrin and Sir Edmund Hillary.
Although, Rudwall’s life as a travel storyteller is about more than crossing destinations off her bucket list or collecting passport stamps galore. “It’s the human connections, the connections to the planet, that great wow of being, that really excite me,” she says.
That authenticity — the ability to show the heart of a place — has largely become Rudwall’s calling card. Tourism boards, top media brands, and even global organizations like the United Nations now come to Rudwall for her signature storytelling.
How did she get here? And how can you, like Rudwall, find your own career drum-beat to dance to? We chatted with Rudwall (aka Rachel Roams) to find out.
Diving in Head First
Rudwall’s career, which spans seven continents and 70+ nations, started with a summer internship — the “ultimate world traveler internship.” Her responsibilities? Travel to 16 countries and produce content to help a company tell captivating travel stories.
“When I came back, I was like, ‘Oh, there’s a different way to travel and do some good. That is to be a storyteller, to connect people to the world in a way that excites them about it through story,’” she says.
From here, she scoured the Internet for industry intel and career role models working in media, documentaries, and production.
“I researched each of those people and started to understand the language and the potential jobs in this industry,” she says.
At that point, she built up the courage to reach out to these role models to let them know that not only did she love what they do, but her goal was to work in travel media too.
“What amazed me is how many people actually responded to my request for an informational interview,” she says. “I wasn’t asking for a job, or asking ‘Can you hire me?’ I was saying, ‘You’re really good at what you do, here are the projects I admire, could we please connect?’”
Those early risks paid off. After growing up and attending college in Ohio, Rudwall moved to Los Angeles. She started as a production coordinator with a company she admired, Original Productions. The opportunity directly resulted from those cold emails.
“It was all as a result of a conversation and a willingness to step out of my comfort zone, and a generosity of somebody on the other end of the line,” she says. “I’m pleased to say that same person continues to be a mentor 15 years later.”
Big Risks, Bigger Rewards
Sending cold emails to successful career role models is hardly in a college senior’s comfort zone. But Rudwall’s never been one for comfort zones. She learned early on that success requires going the extra mile — discomfort very much included.
“Fear is a sign that whatever comes next could be a big adventure. It could be something that changes us, something that expands our perspective.”
“Experiencing fear is totally normal. I feel afraid often,” she says. “The cool thing is, we can look fear in the eye and know this is a reminder that something really matters. Fear is a sign that whatever comes next could be a big adventure. It could be something that changes us, something that expands our perspective.”
There’s also one more important thing to remember when coming up against fear. “Ask yourself, ‘What’s the worst that could really happen?’” Rudwall says. “Most of the time, the worst thing that could happen isn’t bad at all. I always say that everything in life is either a good experience, or a good story later.”
Accept the Learning Phase
If you’re just starting out as a travel creator, it’s easy to be intimidated by Rudwall’s talent and accolades. But she’s quick to remind us that she, like everyone, started somewhere.
“When you begin, you’re a beginner—you have to start somewhere,” she says. “The people around us don’t expect us to make our first video and have it win an Oscar. Be generous and loving with yourself. Accept that it’s part of this greater learning process.”
Rudwall may have 15 years of experience under her belt, but she’s the first to admit her learning days are far from over.
“I’m of the opinion that any work we do right now isn’t going to be the best work we ever do,” she says. “I hope I can continue growing, learning, and improving. Not only is the concept of perfect boring — there’s no such thing!”
Intuition Over Algorithm
Even as one of the travel industry’s most esteemed creators, Rudwall’s felt the suffocating grips of the ever-imposing (and ever-changing) algorithm. Social media may have helped her career take shape, but these days, she’s choosing her intuition over the algorithm with work she most enjoys. If you’re feeling stuck, let this be your permission slip to do the same.
“What I find is I’m more in love with the process again. I continue to work with clients I love on campaigns that excite me, on content that inspires me, but it’s not driven as much by social media likes as it might have been in the past.”
Creativity is More than Good Gear
It’s easy to get wrapped up in the gear-accumulation phase. That’s the period where a new camera or high-end lens seems like the only link between points A and B. Although, while a solid kit can aid the final product, it won’t help you progress through phases of burnout or feelings of inadequacy.
“If you find yourself so focused on the gear, the specs, the screen in front of you, take a step back and remember what it is that inspires you,” Rudwall says. “Do you love the way light and shadows play? Do you get inspired by the sky overhead? Take a step back and ask yourself, ‘What was it that inspired me in the first place?’”
“I work to connect people to the world, and the world to people.”
For Rudwall, that “why” is simple: telling stories.
“I work to connect people to the world, and the world to people,” she says, noting that she finds creativity in strategizing the best way to tell those stories through multimedia. “Each client might have different needs. Some may need photos, [others] need video, or a human story, or an outdoor story. Recently, some of the work I’ve been most excited about is work in which I feel I’m of service to things bigger than myself.”
Use Your Voice
Like life, careers have seasons. The early days require grind and legwork to get things off the ground. The next few years are about finding your footing and settling in as your hard work pays off. Then you may reach a point where you yearn for more. This is not necessarily more money or prestige, but the desire to make an impact. Think Cristina Mittermeier and Paul Nicklen’s conservation work with Sea Legacy, or Colby Brown’s humanitarian initiative, The Giving Lens.
Rudwall’s greater-good mission work incorporates perhaps her greatest gift: storytelling. “What excites me now is finding new ways to use the skills I have in service of big-picture, change-making stories.”
Recently, Rudwall collaborated with the United Nations’ Refugee Agency, UNHCR, to create a multimedia package that “shines a light on the stories of remarkable and resilient people who’ve been forced to flee their homes and rebuild in new countries and new communities,” she says. She created a final multimedia product with a short film, written article, and images about a family from Syria who resettled in the U.S.
Stay Inspired
Whether you’re setting out on a new career path or searching for that career flame you once had, Rudwall shares some parting advice.
“Find what excites you and starting doing that. What will help you succeed is to not replicate what everyone else is doing or has done, but to be you in the context of storytelling. Only you can bring what you’re going to bring to the path. So find what really excites you, and do that.”
Rudwall’s Go-To Gear
If travel storytelling is in your future, here are a few of Rudwall’s favorite tried-and-true brands:
- Peak Design, including the Everyday Backpack, Travel Backpack, Travel Tripod, Camera Cube, and Capture Clip
- GoPro cameras, which are particularly important given the rugged conditions Rudwall often faces
- Olympus and Nikon, two of Rudwall’s go-to camera brands
- Adobe software, which Rudwall subscribes to for post-production essentials
For more travel-storytelling inspiration, check out our interview with another adventurous creative breaking the mold: Erin Sullivan, (aka Erin Outdoors).
