Meet Zayla Brantley | Travel Influencer, Content Creator, & Social Media Marketer

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

Hi Zayla, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Growing up watching my mother run her own businesses gave me an innate passion for entrepreneurship, which really inspired me to pursue it for myself. My dream has always been to start my own business, but I never knew what it would be. I then decided to follow my passions and do what I loved, which is when I created Zayla’s Sweet Treats. Throughout my high school years and my freshman year of college, I ran a baking business where I specialized in creating fun and festive treats for all occasions. This included sweets such as cakes, cupcakes, chocolate covered strawberries, & more. I truly enjoyed baking but as the years passed by, I knew that I wanted to do something more. That’s when I started to travel with my partner, Chris, and explore the world. We started posting about our travels on social media and noticed that our content was gaining a lot of traction. Seeing that, we then took our social medias more seriously and created a platform about our travels, restaurants, and places we visited. That was the start of our business that is now known as Boss Up Travels. Then, as our audience grew, we began getting contacted about brand deals, partnerships, and influencer trips. That’s when I realized that we could monetize our platform while doing the things that we loved. After growing our platform, we then realized that we could help other businesses and brands grow their online presence as well. That’s when we created Trend On Media, a social media marketing agency that specializes in social media growth. Entrepreneurship definitely has its unexpected twists and turns as now I am a full time travel influencer, content creator, and social media marketer. All of the things that I love!

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
As an entrepreneur, you have your highs and lows, but how you deal with them is what sets you apart. It wasn’t an easy journey to get to where I am today. My early entrepreneurship journey started with me being homeless during high school. At that time, I had my baking business which I truly enjoyed, but I also wanted to help my family out financially with me being the oldest of four. I always knew that I couldn’t allow my circumstances to define me and wanted to take action. I learned a lot during this time and gained a deeper understanding of the little things in life that most people tend to overlook. This time period also fueled my spirit for success as I learned that execution is key. As I attended college years later, I quickly realized that this route wasn’t for me. It was definitely a mental battle because I was always taught by society that college is needed to succeed, but it didn’t align with my vision. I soon then learned that during entrepreneurship, not everyone is meant to see your vision. After leaving college, that’s when I traveled to broaden my horizon and execute on my goals. Since then, my partner and I are on route to having a six figure business in its first year! Entrepreneurship is all about being uncomfortable and taking risks. I learned that you’ll never reach your true potential if you’re stuck being comfortable. If you don’t take those risks, you will always work for someone who does.

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.
Being in L.A is always a fun time and there’s so many things to do while there! From walking the pier at Santa Monica beach to enjoying a rooftop brunch with the perfect views, you’ll definitely be in for a good time. I truly love L.A’s food scene as it’s so diverse and has something for everyone. There’s so many favorite restaurants that I have, but one of my ultimate favorites is Barton G. If you’re in for a show, their dinner presentations are out of this world and their lobster Mac & cheese is my ultimate favorite. There are also so many fun places for the perfect instagram photos. If you’re into museums, the Giant House & the Dreamspace Museum has very fun exhibits. The oversized Starbucks cup at the Giant House was my favorite. You also can’t leave L.A without checking out Melrose Avenue. This street is full of stores to shop from & even has some really good food places. In for a treat? Checkout VooDoo Doughnuts in Universal’s City Walk for some of the best donuts you’ll ever taste! If you’re a Lakers fan, you definitely can’t leave L.A without attending a game at the Staples Center, now known as the Crypto Arena. It was such a great time and there also so many good places to dine in that area. The beaches are also amazing, perfect for enjoying beautiful sunsets. Whether it’s catching a glimpse of the Hollywood sign, or seeing some of the world’s greatest artists performing live, this city is an experience you’ll never forget and you’re bound to find something that you’ll love.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to shoutout and thank my partner Chris, who is the other half of Boss Up Travels & Trend On Media. I wouldn’t be where I am today, as we are constantly elevating one another. He helped create our brands and our success has come from what we’ve done together.

Website: https://msha.ke/allthingszayla

Instagram: allthingszayla

Other: TikTok: @bossuptravels