Meet Bruce Wallin | Editor, Writer, and host of the podcast Travel That Matters

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

Hi Bruce, as a parent, what have you done for you children that you feel has had the most significant impact?
I’m not sure if it’s the most important thing that I’ve done, but traveling with my kids has had a major impact on them and me. When my oldest daughter was a baby, I got in an argument with my best friend about traveling with young children. His doctor told him that there was no point in taking little kids on trips because they wouldn’t remember anything. I disagreed then and even more so now. My first memories as a child were on a trip to London. And there’s no question that my kids were affected by their early travels, whether they remember them or not. Taking young children out of their element and exposing them to different sights, sounds, and smells, in my opinion, starts opening their minds from a very young age. I’m not saying it’s made them smarter or better people, but all three of my kids became accustomed to traveling from the time they were born and they’ve been great travelers ever since. That’s meant I’ve been able to keep pushing the boundaries with them and taking them farther afield, interacting with different environments, cultures, cuisines, and more. I think that has had a huge impact on who they are, and in fact my oldest daughter is now working in the hotel industry and studying hospitality in school. Either way, even if all that travel didn’t have a huge effect on them, it has been fascinating for me to see the world through their eyes.

What should our readers know about your business?
I came out of magazine publishing, a career that started for me back in the 1990s when I cofounded Trip, a quarterly publication for young travelers. We eventually went out of business—the first of many failed ventures for me—but it was the first time in my life that I had truly thrown myself into a project. The idea stemmed from my love of travel, but it led to a love of magazines, a passion that led me to become the editorial director at Robb Report for nearly 15 years. Of course, the magazine business has been completely turned on its head since my early days in the field, which has forced me and everyone else in the industry to adapt. I think one of the things I’m most proud of is that I have been able to learn new skills even at a later point in my career, including hosting a podcast—which was way more difficult than I thought it would be! Today, in addition to hosting Travel That Matters, I produce videos and, yes, magazines for a variety of travel companies, all of which has allowed me to continue in a creative field covering a subject I love.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Given that my career has revolved around travel, sometimes I feel like I know more about other parts of the world than I do about my hometown! But my main advice for people coming to L.A. is to focus on one area. Don’t try to go to Venice Beach, Disneyland, Beverly Hills, and everywhere else all in one trip. And if I had to pick one favorite spot in the greater L.A. area to focus on, it would have to be Malibu. I love that you can have an ultra-luxury experience at places like the Nobu Ryokan but then easily get an “old Malibu” experience up and down the coast. One of my absolute favorite examples of the latter is to stop at Wylie’s Bait & Tackle—which I think has been there since the early 1900s—and pick up some bait and gear to go fishing on the Malibu Pier. Whether you catch anything or not, the views watching the surf, the birds, and all the beautiful people walking by are amazing. I also like to rent a paddle board on glassy days, followed by a lunch at Malibu Farm. Nobu Malibu is awesome for dinner—you feel like you’re on vacation at a Four Seasons resort but surrounded by celebrities. But my favorite spot for dinner is the old school Taverna Tony, where there’s always good food and fun. There are so many great hikes in the area, some of which I’m afraid to mention for fear that they’ll become too popular. But a short one that I think captures the physical beauty of Malibu the best is at the Point Dume nature reserve. Hike one way toward Zuma Beach or the other toward Paradise Cove—either way, it’s spectacular.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My wife, Lisa Sweetingham, is an amazing journalist, a wonderful mother, and an incredibly supportive partner who has helped me immensely in my career—but who is also not afraid to tell me when something I come up with is a stupid idea.

Website: sweetwallmedia.com

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bruce-wallin-46304238/