Meet Michael Jensen | Author, editor, and one half of Brent and Michael Are Going Places, a couple of traveling gay digital nomads. Subscribe to their free travel newsletter here.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Michael Jensen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Michael, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
My husband and I have been writers for most of our professional lives. Between the two of us we’ve been traditionally published, self-published, had novels optioned, sold screenplays, founded a website, and done editing work.

But it wasn’t until we started publishing our Substack newsletter Brent and Michael Are Going Places that we felt like we’d found the perfect way to run our own business.

We decided to start publishing on Substack after our travel memoir didn’t sell to a traditional publisher. But once we started writing about our travels via newsletters we realized we didn’t need a traditional publisher. And, in fact, we’re probably better off without one.

Not only do we make more money writing our newsletter than we probably would have with publishing a traditional memoir, we get to be in complete control of almost every aspect of things. And that isn’t a small deal as we’ve both had agents and editors completely screw up projects we were working.

Now we could get to decide what we think works best in terms of our voice, look, content and even our publishing schedule. And given our success so far, it seems like we are right.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’ve wanted to be a writer ever since our sixth grade teacher gave us the assignment of creating and publishing a book. The idea that I could create a book was mind-blowing because until that moment, writing a book had seemed like something only extraordinary people could do. It also seemed like magic.

But making a living in the arts is one of the most challenging careers a person can choose. Not only is the competition fierce — everyone believes they can write a book — but the written word has never been valued less than today in a world of user generated content.

What most sets me apart is sheer tenacity. No matter the number of rejections or the career changes — from writer to entertainment journalist to editor to travel blogger — I’ve managed to find a way to keep writing. It definitely wasn’t easy but I’m definitely proud of the fact that after all of these years, I’m still here fighting the good fight.

Along the way I’ve learned to be flexible and adaptable and to understand that today’s setback is only that — today’s setback. Tomorrow is another opportunity to find success and that if you keep trying, you will find that success. Even if it won’t always look like what you first envisioned.

Because believe me, thirty years ago I never imagined being a travel writer. Yet here I am and absolutely loving it.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Since we have been digital nomads for the past five years, we are always living in different areas. So the specifics of what I would show people would vary hugely from from place to place. In Istanbul, Turkey, I’d want them to see the city from Galata Tower. In Como, Italy, I’d want to walk with them along the Via Verde with Lake Como sparkling beneath you. And in Boulder, I’d want them to see the eastern plains from the Flatirons on a chilly fall morning.

But what I would most want to show them though aren’t’ specific museums or attractions but a different mindset in how to see the world. I would want to show them that best part of travel isn’t the specific things you set out to see, but the unexpected things — and people — that you encounter.

And that when you look back, what you most remember aren’t the most famous things you saw — the Sydney Harbor Bridge or the Acropolis in Greece — but the small quiet moments that stick with you. The long rambling walk along the coast in Croatia, the amazing meal in Tblisi, Georgia; or the bottle of wine you shared with friends in rural Armenia.

Those are my favorite spots wherever we go.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My shoutout goes to Substack.com, which has given writers an amazing platform from which we can actually monetize our writings. They truly value the written word and every day and in almost every way they put writers first and foremost.

Website: https://brentandmichaelaregoingplaces.substack.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brentandmichaelaregoingplaces

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-jensen-ba289337/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrentAndMichael

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mjensen

Image Credits
The single image of me by myself should be credited to AJ Stetson Photography. All other photos are by me.