ENTIRE PARAGRAPH HERE IS PLACEHOLDER FOR NOW: From guiding in Alaska to leading the global small-ship adventure travel market, I bring a lifetime of firsthand experience, leadership and vision to AdventureSmith Explorations. My career reflects a rare combination of front-line expertise and strategic achievement, making me an authoritative voice in the expedition cruise industry.
Hi, I’m Lis
I help small ship cruising get on your bucket list.
My path to adventure travel started while working as managing editor for a regional magazine. It was there that I began telling stories of the places and people that made it shine.
Today I’m proud to be one of the longest running employees and a senior staffer at AdventureSmith Explorations. Since I started here in 2012, I’ve been on dozens of expedition cruises and I know what valuable stories this style of travel has to tell. And how impactful it is for our travelers not only because I’ve been there but also because I’ve read thousands of our client testimonials come in for nearly two decades. Some highlights of my work here include:
- Trend forecasting: Connecting both travelers and the media with current trends
- Brand ideation: Bringing AdventureSmith’s expert voice into all our marketing efforts
- Search engine optimization: Ensuring travelers who seek our style find us online
- Tradeshow representation: Representing AdventureSmith annually at tradeshows worldwide
- Firsthand travel: Bringing my depth of experience (all 7 continents before age 37) to both our travelers and internal team via in-house trainings
Featured Media with My Expertise
- ALL BULLETS TO COME – IDEAS HERE FOR NOW
- panelist on xxxx
- think I’ve been quoted on one or two, or could showcase a few articles that use my words
- list awards I helped write applicaitons for Sunset, Conde Nast, etc.
Content, Editorial & Travel Experience
- Freelance copyeditor & proofreader, with multi-year contracts with the Center for Basque Studies Press, helping a culture preserve and tell its stories to an English-reading audience.
- Content manager for a online outdoor gear retailer, where I honed my foundations in search engine optimization, producing blogs and social/video for maximum organic traffic reach.
- Managing editor of Tahoe Quarterly Magazine & a decade-long tenure at the publication that included managing the annual home awards tours, travel section and publishing other regional guides.
- Assistant guide & llama wrangler for an outfitter in Escalante, Utah, trained in wilderness first aid (WFA) through NOLS.
- Lifestyle model, including multiple shoots for Apple, Inc. & other brands, working with art directors & location scouts to best tell visual stories in an outdoor setting.
- Bachelor’s of science in English & Spanish, double majored in two languages and studied abroad in Madrid, Spain.
- Traveled to all 7 continents, reaching my seventh in 2019 (fun fact: it wasn’t Antarctica)
Personal Roots & Hobbies
I love maintaining a sideline creative edge with my love for travel sketching, block printing and sending/making my own postcards. And my philanthropic passions center around animal rights and safety. Before I was busy raising a young child, I spent years volunteering for a wild animal rescue center.
My wanderlust extends to my personal life, and it’s taken me hitchhiking in New Zealand, officiating a wedding in Tulum, driving down the entire Baja California Peninsula and many other special experiences. Some of my favorite recent family travels have included watercraft: spending an hour with a pod of dolphins surfing the bow of my husband’s boat off the coast of Santa Barbara; fishing and exploring small islands out of Loreto in Baja California on pangas; and taking Zapcat F1 racing skiffs around the southwest coast of St. Croix with our 4-year-old aboard.
INSERT PHOTOS OF THESE MOMENTS? HAVE SOME GOOD ONES
Travel Expertise Straight From the Field
Travel is central to my work at AdventureSmith. Each journey deepens my (and my team’s) firsthand understanding of the ships, crews, and destinations we share with our travelers. The articles below bring that experience directly to you and will help inform and inspire your next adventure. I’ve traveled to every continent, and aboard ships that range from xx to xx guests.
- FULL LIST TO COME of my top blogs like Todd has
Talk Travel with Me
While my day-to-day doesn’t involve planning trips for our clients, my work is always behind the scenes. I consult with our Adventure Specialists daily on trip logistics, insights on comparing itineraries and more. HOW DO WE WANT TO PRESENT THINGS HERE? ADD A LINK TO THE MEDIA PAGE??? Connect with me on LinkedIn and follow my travels and sketches at @lislarsontravel.
