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La Carmina was a teenage Goth who loved watching travel TV shows like Anthony Bourdain’s – but she never thought she could incorporate her passions into a creative career. All this changed during law school when she started her La Carmina Blog to share her love of Gothic fashion, Japanese subcultures, and offbeat travel.
Her dedication to daily posting paid off, leading to an engaged audience and innumerable opportunities in creative media – including writing books, freelancing for publications like BBC and The New York Times, traveling to over 70 countries as a blogger and content creator, and even appearing on TV shows on Travel Channel like Tony Bourdain himself.
Although the media landscape has changed enormously since her debut, La Carmina continues to “stay true to her DNA” by sharing her alternative travel, style, design, and food adventures around the world through a variety of platforms, including on @lacarmina Instagram.
Photo credit: by Joey Wong for LaCarmina.com
Thank you for speaking with us today. We’d love to hear your story, learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I’m La Carmina – I’m a millennial from Vancouver, Canada, who always gravitated to Goth culture and all things spooky as a child. I have also adored traveling since an early age. Starting in the 1990s, I spent time in Japan with my family (as we visited relatives in Asia almost every year), and fell in love with the wild Harajuku fashion/subculture.
I never thought these passions could lead to a career, so I ended up studying political theory and law. However, I needed a creative outlet (and always loved writing, photography, and tech) – so I started my La Carmina Blog as a space to share stories about Japanese Gothic style, wacky theme restaurants, and other alternative, offbeat topics. It was the early days of blogging; I was an OG and had no expectations for my site. To my surprise, it resonated with readers and took off, leading to the work I do today in a variety of media.
I’ve now written several books (published by Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster), and hosted food and travel TV shows on networks like Food Network, Travel Channel, and CNN. I freelance about travel, food, and culture for publications like The New York Times, BBC, Time, Nat Geo, Fodor’s. I also do content creation/influencer work and various partnerships in the travel industry, from speaking at conferences to press trips worldwide (I’ve been to over 70 countries to date). Although the Internet and social media have changed dramatically since I first started blogging, I’ve found ways to adapt and continue to share my adventures on @lacarmina Instagram and my site lacarmina.com.
What made you decide to go into business for yourself?
My family has long been intrigued by tech, especially since we got a first look at emerging electronics during our travels in the 90s to Japan and Hong Kong. I have fond memories of my first Mac computer, and the earliest days of dial-up Internet! I’ve always had a creative bent, and quickly realized that going into an office and working long hours at a law firm was not for me. I wanted to build something for myself that I could do remotely, which let me explore my passions for alt culture, travel, and fashion, and make the most of the latest web innovations like blogging and social media. I’m glad I gave it a go, as this turned out to be the path for me.
How did you market your business when it was brand new?
In the earliest days of my blog (around 2007-10), I relied on MySpace to make connections! Of course, this social network site no longer exists, and I’ve had to make many shifts in marketing my work over the years. For example, I used to share regularly on Twitter but have now quit that app. It’s vital to be able to adapt to new media platforms and formats – eg, right now I focus on @lacarmina Instagram and making reels – and port over your audience through all these inevitable changes over time.
What was the inspiration that started your journey?
As someone who identified as Goth and gravitated to subcultures since my teen years, I thought it was unfair to see how my friends and I were stereotyped and judged by conventional society. In the popular imagination, Goths can have negative and gloomy associations – but in reality, the community has a creative, uplifting spirit that happens to find beauty in darkness. I wanted to share this lesser-seen side of Goth (and other alt subcultures like punk, steampunk, etc) through my personal writing and photography. This inspired me to start my blog, and I continue to pursue this mission today through my various platforms – from magazine writing to hosting and producing TV shows.
How do you prioritize self-care and well-being while managing the demands of your business?
Over the years, I’ve found it more and more important to prioritize sleep, healthy eating, and exercise. I’ve built these elements into my lifestyle so they’ve become routine: it’s now second-nature for me to go for a jog or do mat pilates at home, and allow enough rest. I also find that I do my most efficient work when I have time to “lie flat” in bed. For example, rather than getting up super early and struggling with writer’s block at a computer, I’ll lie down and think about how to best word and structure an article. When I do this, the ideas flow naturally, and I can later sit down and put everything together without issue.
What advice would you give to a new business owner? Or to your younger self?
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket, in terms of a single social media platform or monetary stream. I’ve seen fellow creators find success on one platform (such as MySpace or Vine) and then fail to adapt or grow their audience elsewhere when the site goes defunct. Always remember that when you post or sell on other people’s platforms, you are at the mercy of their algorithms and arbitrary rules, such as forms of censorship. It’s key to have your own self-hosted website or business, which you fully own and control, as your “home base” that can’t be taken away from you.
How do you set your business apart from others in your industry?
I can think of two factors that have set me apart. First, specialization: I have a genuine love of Goth and alt culture, which comes across in everything I share – from Czech skull and bone ossuaries to Japanese hell temples and Mexican witch bars! I’m able to bring this unique and fun perspective to my travel/food/fashion content (videos, photos, articles, TV shows, etc), which makes me the go-to expert for anything related to these topics.
Second, I feel I’ve been able to diversify and adapt over the many years to new media and trends. For example, blogging and travel television used to be a bigger deal – but that has changed with the rise of social media, AI, search engines, and film/TV industry changes, and other factors. I’ve seen previously big-name bloggers fail to adapt their content to different platforms or keep evolving. On the other hand, I’ve recently been able to shift my focus to magazine and newspaper freelancing, and social media content creation (reels and partnerships), which lets me continue to do what I love while riding the waves of these changes.
What social media platform is the best for business growth, and why?
The answer changes all the time, as social media platforms rise and fall – I’ve seen this firsthand, having been active on social media since MySpace. It’s important to keep on top of each new platform by saving your username, getting familiar with the format, and testing out content (without overextending yourself). For example, during the brief Clubhouse audio app phase, I got a regular, well-paying gig hosting a weekly discussion for a company. It was great while it lasted, but I never put all my stock into a single job or niche – I know things come and go, so it’s important to branch out and be receptive to new opportunities and social media platforms as they develop.
Do you have a favorite quote or motto that inspires you?
My bestie Yukiro Dravarious, who runs drag queen Haus von Schwarz in Tokyo, turned me on to the funny saying, “Always go forward, but never straight!” We love the double-entendre and realness of the motto: keep on strutting ahead on life’s catwalk, no matter what is thrown at you, but don’t expect the journey to always go smoothly. But that’s part of the fun of experimenting and building your own business. Straight and predictable are overrated and boring anyway!
Do you have a favorite quote or motto that inspires you?
My bestie Yukiro Dravarious, who runs drag queen Haus von Schwarz in Tokyo, turned me on to the funny saying, “Always go forward, but never straight!” We love the double-entendre and realness of the motto: keep on strutting ahead on life’s catwalk, no matter what is thrown at you, but don’t expect the journey to always go smoothly. But that’s part of the fun of experimenting and building your own business. Straight and predictable are overrated and boring anyway!
Do you have a favorite quote or motto that inspires you?
My bestie Yukiro Dravarious, who runs drag queen Haus von Schwarz in Tokyo, turned me on to the funny saying, “Always go forward, but never straight!” We love the double-entendre and realness of the motto: keep on strutting ahead on life’s catwalk, no matter what is thrown at you, but don’t expect the journey to always go smoothly. But that’s part of the fun of experimenting and building your own business. Straight and predictable are overrated and boring anyway!
What would you like to share with our community in closing?
I’m constantly on the hunt for fascinating travel, food, style, and culture stories around the world, especially if they showcase alt communities and cultures in positive ways. Next up, I’ll be in Japan for Halloween, followed by a buzzing culinary and archaeology destination that I’ve yet to visit. I’ll keep on sharing my discoveries on @lacarmina Instagram and my blog lacarmina.com, so please stay in touch.
Photo credit: Joey Wong for LaCarmina.com
Photo credit: Joey Wong for LaCarmina.com
Photo credit: Joey Wong for LaCarmina.com
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Melissa Stewart is the founder of SheOwnsIt.com. She is a Purveyor of Possibility, Entrepreneur Advocate and Coffee Addict. She believes that behind every successful woman is her story. What’s your story?
