NSW—Meet Sydney’s latest social media sensation, Leanne Melody (LM). The cheeky Australian-Filipina travel enthusiast is on a collision course to become Cancun’s next CEO – “Cancun Experience Officer” and be the face and personality of Cancun, that beautiful beach destination in Mexico.
Marco Andre Selorio (MS) caught up with Leanne Melody to find out the real story about this inspirational young lady and go-getter.
MS: What is your background, Leanne?
LM: I’m a western Sydney based travel enthusiast. My life consists of working, saving, travelling – repeating. But before getting into social media I worked as a professional makeup artist for weddings, film, and television.
MS: How did you become a social media influencer?
LM: Throughout my travels over the years, I’ve always made my own personal travel content like vlogs, journal entries, and photos. Last year I won a viral competition for “The Best Job in the World” with Busabout and that gave me a platform to put all those skills to good use!
MS: What got you hooked into it?
LM: I travelled across 20+ countries in Europe and shared my journey with the world. After a job creating content and sharing so many great experiences abroad I knew for a fact I couldn’t go back to any normal job when I got home. So now I’m hooked to find a way to turn this into a full-time living!
MS: Tell us about Cancun and the job you are applying for. Why are you going for it?
LM: Cancun is looking for a CEO (Chief Experience Officer) by living, breathing and immersing themselves in Cancun for six-months. The CEO will help Cancun.com showcase the beauty and wonder of this tropical paradise and show the world why Cancun is a must-visit destination. They will be staying in luxury resorts and creating many exciting adventures, all in the name of work! It’s really the Best Job In the World…again.
MS: That’s amazing! What kind of support do you need from the Filipino community?
LM: Although the voting period is officially over, please follow my journey on @lionmelody and @cancundotcom to see this incredible experience unfold! Whether or not I get the gig I know sharing my travels are what I will wholeheartedly pursue so every eyeball on the screen and every person who engages with my work makes a difference!
MS: What gets you motivated? Who/what inspires u to do what you do?
LM: I have bumped into strangers on the streets in Europe who said they watched my stories and followed my journey and I was the reason they booked a ticket or a tour to XYZ. It blows my mind to think that social media has the power to make such a huge impact on people and I am driven by the thought of inspiring others to make new experiences and take a leap to new destinations.
MS: What is your motto in life?
LM: I don’t follow one life motto but something I’ve been very conscious of this year is where I put my thoughts and energy. We have the power to create any kind of reality we want and it all starts with the thoughts in our head.
MS: What do you want to do with your influence?
LM: I want to be a voice for the travel industry. As a Filipino woman, I understand that we are a minority in the media. I want people to have a real and relatable experience when they watch me and show that anyone can do it. I want to uplift the Filipino community to travel more and make it a higher priority for our culture to see and learn about the world. I understand not everybody has the financial means and we are very privileged to live in Australia, but travel does not have to be a luxury pleasure or only for the rich.
MS: What’s your advice to aspiring social media influencers?
LM: Now more then ever is a time to get on board as brands are really starting to recognise the power we have to create content and the impact of social media. There are great once in a lifetime jobs like this popping up all around so just go for it! Keep building quality content and share an authentic story while engaging with the audience you are trying to build.
Follow Leanne Melody on Facebook @leannemelody and on Instagram @lionmelody
