With everything going on in the world today, and the countless quarantines and country shut downs its easy to get lost in some depression state because you are stuck inside and everything around you that you used to take for granted maybe, has been put on hold. That is why I invite you to take a ride on the magical train ride to @wordswhiskeyandwanderlust headed up by Claudia Santangelo. Get away from your mundane Friday night and explore a fantasy that only she can offer. Get lost in her interview.
Please tell us a little about yourself and what motivated you to document your journey through Instagram and to start your blog?
C: Everything reads like a spy novel in my head, so I wanted to create something different from the typical ‘travel-girl’ blog. There’s nothing wrong with those but when I do anything- it has to be in my own, Ernest Hemingway fever dream way, or not at all. More importantly, I actually work in the travel industry, which is where it all started. It began with travel marketing and ad design and soon I transitioned to creating my own itineraries, travel style and brand, SPELLBOUND.
In my work, I travel to discover hotels, experiences and hidden gems to better advise clients. I do it while scribbling story ideas down on bar napkins and exploring the world’s coolest bars and libraries, for fun. It came to me like a story idea actually. While reading Carlo Rovello’s Seven Brief Lessons In Physics, drinking an old fashioned in the Star Alliance lounge bar, awaiting my flight to Istanbul: This is what I bring to the table. A whirlwind of late checkouts, hotel bars, and insider secrets… with a literary slant.
How would you describe your personal brand?
C: “What if 007 was an Italian girl in a killer red dress with secret travel agent tips”
When did you realize that your hobbies of travel, spirits and photography could become a career?
C: I realized I had a unique perspective and travel expertise to offer as well as an eye for capturing those elements in a fresh way!
You are the founder of @getspellbound. Can you tell us a little more about that?
C: I created SPELLBOUND in 2016 when I discovered, no one was creating trips for the way I wanted to travel. When I’d plan a trip for me and my boyfriend or our friends, I’d have a hard time picking an itinerary or cruise. In the world of travel, it was all luxury products for a mature demographic or bare-bones trips aimed at the 18-40 crowd. SPELLBOUND is what I call adventure luxe.
We seek to find the uncommon magic. I specialize in custom honeymoons but sometimes I offer exclusive group departures based on our adventure’s favorite adventures. These trips aren’t for people who want to check all the cookie-cutter tourist attractions off their list. It’s active, adventurous and sexy but also laid back with lots of free time ‘Curated magic. For the modern explorer ‘
What has been the most exciting event/moment you’ve experienced since following your passion of travel?
C: The most exciting thing has been setting out to create magic for people and watching that come to life. Clients will text or direct message me on IG while on their trips to thank me for their unforgettable time and it’s so fulfilling! It’s why I travel the world finding all the coolest spots! Getting to basically test honeymoons with my boyfriend is a dream come true!!
How do you think libations and travel go hand in hand? What about the two that so relevant and similar?
C: To me, there’s nothing sexier than books, cocktails and hotel balconies. Ooh and literary-themed cocktails, rock my world ! All you can really do is create what excites you, and hope it excites others as well!
Your feed is aesthetically beautiful. Does it take much time to curate your photos to make sure everything in your feed catches the eye, or do you just go with the flow unplanned?
C: Thank you so much! I love red, black and gold so that’s represented a lot both accidentally and because it’s how our home is decorated. It’s always been important to me to build a feed I LOVE and I’m proud to say it does really reflects my taste, so it’s a bit of both to pull that off. I will photograph things that excite me as often as possible and pepper them in between posts about our current adventures-It’s trickier to insert me in those because I can’t photograph myself, but my boyfriend, Reginald is amazing and indulges my random shoot concepts, composition ideas, and otherwise hastily improvised vision for a photo.
What is your stance on influencers being paid to post about brands? Should influencers be transparent regarding payment for posts?
C: Truthfully it makes it really hard as a consumer, to find real reviews anywhere because websites are now built around clickable link opportunities. As a travel professional, I approach things a bit differently than most bloggers. My job is to design the best itinerary or experience for the client- regardless of which cruise line/hotel stopped by my office with cookies this week. ( if we don’t pick well as an agent, it could mean a vacation disaster for our client). Bloggers don’t have that direct fall out from iffy recommendations and blogs are never written by actual travel professionals. That’s because travel agents don’t want to give out free advice and travel bloggers don’t make money any other way than sponsored links and posts. So they counteract each other. Then there’s me.
Occasionally, I’ll include a few monetized links here and there if its something I really love, but I make my money planning luxury honeymoons, destination weddings, and group adventures- So my posts, recommendations, advice, and tips come from my professional expertise and personal experiences along the way. I’m very fussy about what I post and promote on Instagram for this reason. If I don’t book it for my clients regularly or personally love it, it’s not on there. I think it’s the responsibility of the influencer to really do their research and choose carefully what they endorse. If I don’t find that to be the case with a brand or influencer, that’s when I unfollow.
How do you think the rise of influencer accounts on Instagram has impacted on the way that people discover restaurants/chefs/bar/and food?
C: It’s certainly how I find spots to check out! Besides our favorite way- which is to just get lost in a city and see where the day takes us! I keep collections saved for every city on our list and things I don’t want to miss or forget for when a client needs a good recommendation!
General words of wisdom you live by?
C: Travel Farther. Live Deeper. Give More.
If you could collab with any brand, who would it be and why?
C: I’m pretty obsessed with Steamline Luggage at the moment. But I’ve been looking for a glassware brand to collab with, on some custom whiskey glasses.
Anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
C: Stay tuned for some special departures and a whiskey cruise coming soon!
