Recently, I had the pleasure of photographing an Editorial Mini Session with Jodi Grundig, the founder of Family Travel Magazine! You can find her on Instagram at @jgrundig. Read on for an interview with Jodi, and to see some of the portraits from our Mini Session!
Q: Please introduce yourself!
A: Hi! I’m Jodi Grundig and I’m the founder of Family Travel Magazine, a website/travel blog offering destination reviews and travel tips. I am also a co-host of the Wander and Chat travel podcast, which is on both Spotify and Apple Podcasts. When I’m not traveling, I live in Natick, MA. You can read about my travels on FamilyTravelMagazine.com, and see my travel photos on my personal Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/jgrundig.
Q: What were you like as a child? Did any of your interests align with your current work?
A: I always loved to travel and also enjoyed writing. I didn’t just enjoy the actual trip, however, I also loved the lead up and planning for any vacation I was taking. I took every advantage to travel, including taking a high school sponsored trip to Europe, and later studying abroad in London.
Q: Can you tell me about starting your business?
A: I was intrigued by mom blogs back in 2007, and started my own as a way to share some of the best baby products that I found. In 2011, I created a separate travel blog because I found that I was writing more and more about family travel. While I always hoped it would grow into a business, it did start out as more of a passion project.
Q: Can you share a favorite story from running your business?
A: I don’t have a specific favorite story, but my favorite thing is when I hear from readers or listeners that my travel tips and advice helped them with their family vacation. It’s fulfilling to know that others find my advice to be helpful.
Q: What is your favorite part of your work / running your business?
A: The travel is definitely my favorite part of work. I love experiencing new destinations, whether it’s a Caribbean Island or a small city in the middle of the US. I love finding the hidden gems in each place, and enjoy sharing travel tips with my audience.
Q: What is a typical day in your life like?
A: When I’m not traveling, I spend most of my day in front of my computer. I outline and write posts and podcast episodes, record episodes, edit photos, create and schedule social media posts, research new topics to write about, and go through my email. There’s so much more to running a travel blog than traveling and writing.
Q: What are your hopes and dreams for your business?
A: I’d love for it to continue to grow - especially the podcast, which is very new. I’d love to keep creating new content for as long as I can.
Q: Are there any words of wisdom that you live by in your work?
A: There are real families planning an important vacation who read my reviews and advice. It’s important to me that I am honest and thoughtful in my reviews. It’s also essential for me to disclose when I’ve received a discount or a comp.
About Editorial Mini Sessions
If you’re interested in signing up for an Editorial Mini Session, please email dianalevinephotographer@gmail.com to sign up! At Editorial Mini Sessions, Diana uses the same backdrops and studio lighting she uses when photographing magazine covers. You can book 15 or 30 minute photo sessions—so that anyone can join for beautiful, creative, magazine-style portraits! You can learn more at dianalevine.com/editorialminisessions
About Diana
Diana Levine is a Greater Boston based editorial, headshots and branding photographer, specializing in portraits of people of all ages. Her clients include Boston Globe Magazine, Boston Magazine, BC Law Magazine, Simmons Magazine and more. She has photographed notable personalities such as Kim Kardashian, Alicia Keys, Usher, New Kids on the Block, One Direction, among many other musicians, actors, politicians, athletes and more. You can find her full portfolio at dianalevine.com
To sign up for an Editorial Mini Session, please email dianalevinephotographer@gmail.com