From Seattle Mom to Hawaii Guidebook Author [Bonus Episode]

From Seattle Mom to Hawaii Guidebook Author: Marcie Cheung's Journey

In this special episode of 'Hawaii Travel Made Easy,' host Marcie Cheung shares her personal journey from being a Seattle-based Hawaii travel expert to becoming a successful guidebook author and business owner. Marcie discusses the challenges and breakthroughs she encountered, including her in-depth research trips to Hawaii, becoming a certified Hawaii destination expert, and the strategic decisions she made during the pandemic. She also highlights the creation of comprehensive travel guides and specialized resources for families planning Hawaii trips. Join Marcie as she opens up about her transition from a passionate traveler to a professional tourist, offering valuable insights for anyone looking to start their own travel business or become a destination expert.

00:00 Introduction and Personal Journey
00:52 Becoming a Hawaii Expert from Seattle
01:59 Building Credibility and Overcoming Challenges
03:07 Launching the Blog and Adapting During the Pandemic
03:58 Creating Comprehensive Travel Guides
05:38 Expanding Product Lines and Platforms
07:18 Maintaining Expertise and Authority
09:34 Diversifying Revenue Streams
12:11 Conclusion and Available Resources

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Transcript

  Aloha and welcome back to Hawaii Travel Made Easy. I'm your host Marcie Cheung, and today's episode is a little different. Instead of jumping into travel tips or destination advice, I wanna share my personal journey from being a Seattle based Hawaii expert and professional tourist to becoming a Hawaii guidebook author with a thriving travel business.



I get asked all the time, how did you become a Hawaii expert living in Seattle, and how did you turn your love of Hawaii into actual guidebooks and a business? Today, I'm pulling back the curtain on that entire journey. The challenges, the breakthroughs, and the lessons learned along the way. Whether you're curious about my story, thinking about starting your own travel business or wondering how someone becomes a professional tourist and certified Hawaii destination expert

from thousands of miles away.   📍 This episode is for you.

 Let me start with the question I hear most. How do you become a Hawaii expert living in Seattle? It's actually a fair question because being a Seattle based Hawaii expert comes with unique challenges that mainland based advisors often don't talk about.

First, there's the obvious distance factor. I can't just drive to Hawaii to check out a new restaurant or inspect a hotel renovation. Every research trip requires significant time and money investment. When I tell people I've been to Hawaii 40 plus times, they often assume I'm wealthy or incredibly lucky.

The reality is a little more systematic. I've been visiting Hawaii since I was 10 years old. My grandma used to split her time between Seattle and Kauai. About 20 years ago, my mom moved over to Kauai, so I always have a solid reason to visit the islands. I also approach each Hawaii visit as a professional tourist with specific research goals.

I'm not just vacationing. I'm systematically building expertise. Each trip focuses on different aspects. One might be all about family resorts on Maui, another about budget, dining options on Oahu, or seasonal differences on Kauai. Early on, I faced skepticism. How could someone living in rainy Seattle really understand Hawaii?

The answer became my professional hula dancer background and my systematic approach to cultural education. I didn't just visit Hawaii. I studied Hawaiian history, learned hula, and built relationships with local experts. I was actually a professional hula dancer for 25 years in the Seattle area. I was also part of the Hawaii Club and Pacific Islander Club in college where I danced in campus, luaus and I even spent a year teaching hula to moms with babies. Being a certified Hawaii destination expert through the Hawaii Tourism Authority was crucial for establishing credibility. When I can point to official certification in addition to 40 plus personal visits, it changes the conversation entirely.

Living in Seattle actually gives me a unique perspective that many Hawaii based experts don't have. I understand what families from cold, rainy climates are looking for when they plan Hawaii trips. I know the psychological need for sunshine after months of Pacific Northwest Gray, and I can relate to families who are investing a significant money in their dream vacation.

I launched my blog Hawaii Travel with Kids about a year before the pandemic, and it was just starting to gain traction. My background as a professional tourist and Hawaii cultural expert was translating into growing readership and families were beginning to trust my recommendations.

Then March, 2020 happened and the travel world stopped while many travel businesses panicked. I made a strategic decision. I figured that people would be dreaming of Hawaii vacations as a treat for getting through such a crazy time in history. Instead of pausing content creation, I doubled down.

And I was right. My website traffic skyrocketed toward the end of the pandemic as families started planning their post COVID dream trips. But with that surge came a new realization. People were overwhelmed and desperate just to go to Hawaii, but they didn't have time to do all the research and planning.

That's when I knew I could help by creating comprehensive digital travel guides. I kept thinking about all those overwhelmed families reaching out for help. They needed more than blog posts. They needed comprehensive, actionable guides

they could follow step by step. But here's the thing, my brain doesn't think in graphic design terms. I can write detailed itineraries and create amazing content. But making it look professional and visually appealing, that was completely outside my wheelhouse. So I hired a graphic designer and together we created my first Hawaii with Kids Guidebook series.

The investment felt scary at the time, but it was absolutely the right decision. Those first family focused guides sold like crazy. But then something interesting happened, I started getting messages from people asking if I had guides not geared toward families. Honeymooners. Couples celebrating anniversaries, friends traveling together, people with teens or adult children.

That feedback led me to create my second series of guidebooks for different travel styles, same detailed planning approach, but tailored for a different audience. After getting tons of questions about island hopping in Hawaii, I realized there was a gap in the market. Most Hawaii guides focus on single islands, but many families want to experience multiple islands.

So I wrote an entire guidebook specifically about island hopping with itineraries for one, two, and three day visits to each island. This guide, required me to leverage my expertise as a multi island Hawaii expert in a completely new way instead of deep dive planning for single islands, I had to create efficient highlight focused itineraries for quick visits. Over the past few years, I've had tons of requests for one-on-one consultations and extra help for people wanting to plan their own trips to Hawaii.

While I love helping families directly, I realized I could serve more people by creating a comprehensive travel planning workbook. This physical planning tool walks families through my entire Hawaii planning expert process, the same methodology I use for personal consultations, but in a format families can work through themselves.

Then parents started asking for something to keep their kids engaged during the planning process and the trip itself. That's how my Hawaii Travel Journal for Kids was born. It includes activities, games, and spaces for kids to document their experiences. What I love about this product is how it reflects My understanding is that keiki Kids Hawaii expert, is not just busy work for kids, but actual educational content about Hawaiian culture and geography.

I started by just selling these items on my website through my existing audience. But then I realized there was another audience on Etsy who would love these products, people specifically searching for travel planning materials and printable guides. Etsy opened up a completely different customer base and provided validation that my products had appeal beyond

my existing blog readership. Then I learned about Amazon KDP, which is Kindle Direct Publishing, which was perfect for people wanting printed versions of my guides. I was getting a lot of requests for physical books, and KDP allowed me to offer that without managing inventory. Each platform serves different customer preferences.

Immediate digital downloads on my website, printable planners on Etsy and physical books from Amazon. Being a Seattle based Hawaii expert means constantly proving your credibility. Local Hawaii experts have the advantage of daily immersion, but mainland experts have to work harder to demonstrate their knowledge.

My solution was systematic credibility, building official certification, documented extensive travel cultural education through hula and consistent content creation that demonstrates deep knowledge. Hawaii changes constantly. Restaurants, close hotels renovate regulation shift, even beaches

change due to weather events. Staying current as a Hawaii Insider while living 3000 miles away requires systematic information gathering. I maintain relationships with local contacts, subscribe to local news sources, monitor tourism industry updates, and make regular visits specifically for research purposes.

It's more work than being locally based, but it's absolutely doable. Living in Seattle, I experience completely different seasons than Hawaii. When I'm writing about Hawaii summer activities, I might be in the middle of a Pacific Northwest winter. This requires me to be very organized about content planning and seasonal messaging, but it also gives me empathy for my audience.

Most of my readers are also mainland based and experiencing the same seasonal disconnects. Building authority as a Hawaii travel expert and professional tourist required a consistent high quality content creation. Blog posts, social media, email newsletters, and eventually this Hawaii Travel Made Easy podcast.

All contributing to the perception of expertise. The key was always providing value first. Instead of immediately trying to sell products, I focused on building trust through helpful, accurate information. Becoming a certified Hawaii destination expert was crucial for building authority. Even though I'm not a travel agent, having official recognition from the Hawaii Tourism Authority gave my recommendations additional credibility.

It also connected me with a network of other certified professionals, which enhanced my industry knowledge and relationships authority building required being present across multiple platforms, written content, podcasts, social media, and downloadable resources. Each format serves different learning styles.

Each format serves different learning styles and preferences. Expanding my reach as a Hawaii guidebook author. What started as a passion blog evolved into multiple revenue streams, digital guidebooks, physical planning materials, Etsy products, Amazon books, affiliate partnerships, and speaking opportunities.

This diversification was crucial during the pandemic when some of my revenue streams disappeared, but others thrived. The family stuck at home became my biggest customers for planning materials. Success came from deeply understanding my audience. As a multi-generational Hawaii planner and Hawaii family travel specialist, I know that families need different resources than solo travelers or couples.

My products reflect that understanding, positioning myself as a professional tourist rather than just a travel blogger was key. The framing communicates systematic expertise rather than casual hobby, which justifies premium pricing for detailed guides and planning resources. You can't fake travel expertise.

Whether you're focusing on one destination like I do with Hawaii or multiple destinations, you need genuine deep knowledge. That means investing time and money in actually experiencing what you're writing about. My success came from identifying real problems that overwhelmed family space when planning Hawaii trips.

Then creating comprehensive solutions don't create products you think people want. Create products that solve problems. People actually have my business changed when I invested in professional graphic design for my guidebooks. Content quality matters, but professional presentation is what allows you to charge premium prices.

Success requires being present where your audience is. Blogs, social media, podcasts.

Blogs, social media, podcasts, email newsletters, and multiple sales platforms. Each touchpoint reinforces your expertise and expands your reach. Today is a Hawaii guidebook, author, Seattle based Hawaii expert and professional tourist. I have a sustainable business that serves thousands of families annually.

My guidebooks planning resources and educational content helps families create better Hawaii experiences while building my authority in the travel space. The business continues evolving based on customer feedback and market needs, new products, updated content, additional destinations, always in response to what families are actually asking for.

That's part of the reason I launched this Hawaii Travel Made Easy podcast. What I'm most proud of is establishing the concept of professional tourism. Approaching travel with systematic expertise and sharing that knowledge to help others. It's a model that other destination experts can follow regardless of where they live.

Okay, before we wrap up, let me mention the current lineup of resources available for families planning Hawaii trips. I'll also drop links to these products in the show notes. My comprehensive island guides for Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and the big island include detailed itineraries.

Family tested recommendations and insider tips from my 40 plus visits the Hawaii Island. The Hawaii Island Hopping Guide helps families efficiently experience multiple islands with practical logistics and time optimized itineraries. And my Hawaii Travel Journal and planning workbook provides the organizational tools families need to plan their trips like a professional tourist.

You've heard my story about falling in love with Hawaii, and I wanna help your family fall in love with it too. That's why I offer personalized Hawaii travel consultations where I share everything I've learned from 40 plus trips across the islands. My 60 minute consultation is $149, and because you're working with me, my travel agent partner waives her planning fee.

So Kim at Stuff's suitcase handles your bookings and you get expert planning and professional booking help in one package, or grab a 30 minute session for $69. Book your consultation at Hawaii Travel with kids.com and let's plan your Dream Hawaii trip together.

All of these products reflect the same systematic approach to Hawaii expertise that built my authority as a Seattle based Hawaii expert and Hawaii guidebook author.

The Journey from Seattle Mom to Hawaii guidebook, author, and professional tourist wasn't always straightforward, but it was always driven by genuine passion for Hawaii and desire to help families have better travel experiences. The key lessons, invest in real expertise, solve actual problems. Present professionally and stay consistent.

Whether you're thinking about starting your own travel business or wondering how someone becomes a destination expert from thousands of miles away, these principles apply. Thanks for joining me on this more personal episode of Hawaii Travel Made Easy. I'm Marcie Cheung, your Seattle based Hawaii expert and Hawaii guidebook author, and I'll see you on Wednesday  📍 for another episode.

Mahalo.