Kim Bennett of AtlasGuru on Building a Business based on Her Passion and Past Skillset

Please share a brief introduction about yourself and your business:

AtlasGuru is a publishing platform for travelers to share their itineraries and travel stories. Before starting AtlasGuru, I spent 15+ years in marketing in New York City and Seattle for lifestyle and consumer companies including Conde Nast, Martha Stewart, Amazon, and Nordstrom.

What excites you about being an Entreprenista League member?

Meeting other Entreprenistas and learning about growing a business.

What made you take the leap to start your own business?

I’ve always been passionate about travel, and after years in corporate America (Amazon, Nordstrom, Martha Stewart) I wanted to take my career to a new level and stretch my skills.

What was your background prior to starting your own business?

I’ve worked in marketing for 15+ years for brands such as Amazon, Nordstrom, Conde Nast, Martha Stewart, have a BA in business and marketing, and also an AA in photography!

Did you always know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

No way! I loved my past experience, and I’ve learned so much. However, I was ready to lean into my skills and be the driver of my life and career. I believe that having the foundation of years of experience in corporate America has given me wisdom to see the bigger picture.

Take us back to when you first launched your business, what was your marketing strategy to get the word out and did it go as planned?

I launched AtlasGuru a few months before the covid lockdown. Not ideal for a travel publishing website! I used this time to test and learn in a quiet way. My strategy was to grow content and test before I start marketing.

What is the biggest challenge you have encountered along the way and what did you learn from it?

I thought that if I built up content, then traffic would slowly follow. That hasn’t been the case so now I’m pivoting resources from dev to traffic drivers.

What is the accomplishment you are the most proud of to date?

That I’m still going. It’s been tough to launch during covid and other obstacles but I’m still here and I still believe in my business.

Do you believe in work/life balance? What are some of your best tips?

Yes, but some days I put in more effort in my business and some days I have to put more time into family. Not every day is a balance

What’s a piece of advice you can share that you wish you’d known when you first started your Entreprenista journey?

Growing a business is a marathon, not a sprint.

What have you achieved recently that you’d like to celebrate with our community?

AtlasGuru now has 600+ articles on the website. Lots of great travel stories and itineraries by real travelers.

What’s next for your business? What can we expect to see over the next few years?

I’m working on connecting travel advisors with travelers.

Learn more about the Entreprenista League and join today!