A Fireside chat with Sarah – The Road Warriorette

Welcome to a new Sunday series that will be a bit like a fireside chat. I count it a privilege to be a part of an amazing group of Travel bloggers here at BoardingArea.com. But just how well do you know “your” BoardingArea writers? Are you reading all the blogs you should be each day? This series will help you get to know them one by one. Now on to this weeks chat.

BoardingArea is so amazing due to the fact that no matter who you are, you can find an expert that is just for you. From luxury travel to family travel, you can find this at BA. But one topic that few cover well is business travel for women. Not only are women under-served in so many business areas (a big mistake IMO) but same thing goes for blogs. But then you have Sarah, the Road Warriorette, a southern gem who travels a bunch for business. I enjoy all she posts and my wife is constantly asking me if I have seen this post or this topic Sarah has blogged about. So let’s get to meet “THE Road Warriorette”

Rene – Hi Sarah, it is great to have a chance to get to chat. I have to say, having your viewpoint on travel makes me a better person “on the road”. It is so helpful to me to have your perspective on travel and opens my eyes. So tell us, how did you start your blog and what moved you to do so?

Sarah – Thank you! I first started traveling for work about eight years ago. At that time, I had never traveled for business and had no idea about how to pack, what to bring, what I needed, etc. When I searched the web for help for women business travelers there was nothing. The most helpful piece of advice I found was to put your nylons on once you arrive at your destination–that way if the plane catches on fire your legs won’t melt. Super helpful. So once I had enough experience, I wanted to share that with other female business travelers.

Rene – Oh my. I am both giggling and so sad at the same time. I have to say I so many times read your blog and have “duh” moments, but let’s get back to you. So many want to know how bloggers ended up at BA. So your turn, how did you find Randy and pick BA as the home for Road Warriorette?

Sarah – I started with WordPress, writing sporadically for about six months. I wrote about how much I was looking forward to the movie “Up In the Air”, and Randy left a comment telling me about Boarding Area and asking if I wanted to chat sometime about joining. The rest is history 🙂

Rene – I know many of your tips are clearly geared toward women, but who would you say is your target reader and do you write with “guys” in mind too?

Sarah – I would say my target audience is women travelers and new business travelers. I did a survey last summer and found that my audience is about ⅔ female. On the one hand, I want to write what I know, which is what it’s like for women traveling for work. On the other hand, I don’t want to ignore the guys! So while I write a lot for women, I try to ensure that no more than half of my content in a week is specific to women.

Rene – Nice balance. On to another question everyone seems to want to know about. Are you loyal to one hotel or airline alliance or cover whatever is the best for your travels?

Sarah – I do my best to stay in Hilton properties and to fly American and Southwest. However, I am starting to get fed up with all of the changes to the American AAdvantage program and plan to target Southwest more. At this point, I have a Southwest Companion Pass for my husband and my son is under two, so they both fly for free. Since we don’t have plans to go anywhere international right now, Southwest seems like the best bet. A long winded answer!

Rene – There is real value there and as a mom, wife and business woman you have experience we all can learn from. I have to say, I love your contact me page (readers, please go look if you have not seen it – a picture truly is worth 1000 words)! Do you welcome readers to reach out to you for help?

Sarah – Absolutely! I love reader interaction and questions. Some of my best posts have been inspired by a reader question or experience. My goal with Road Warriorette is to make sure that people have as smooth a business travel experience as possible, and if there is any way to help with that I want to do it!

Rene – I so think this is one of the things that sets BA bloggers apart from the rest of the web; their willingness to help. Sarah I so thank you for taking the time to get to know you and share what you do with readers!

Sarah – Thank you! I love our Boarding Area family, and have enjoyed getting to know the other bloggers in your Fireside Chat series. Thanks for having me on!

You can follow Sarah on her blog, on Twitter and Facebook. Subscribe to her RSS and be sure to check back next week as we get to know one more of your BA bloggers! – René
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