Meet Caitlyn Lubas | Travel Author and Consumer Product Strategist

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

Hi Caitlyn, what’s your definition for success?
I would say that I’ve lived a successful life if I accomplish my dreams, on my terms. For me, that definition of success means following my heart and working on projects, products, and creative pursuits that matter to me and align with things I’m passionate about like travel, music, and community. If I can spend my time doing work that I am uniquely positioned to do, while enjoying it and making an impact on others’ lives, that is the greatest form of success. With my creative pursuits writing a travel book and living my life as an example of someone who maximizes every day and pushes herself to get out of her comfort zone, I am satisfied that I’m inspiring others to live life in a similar way and try to make the most of every day and every trip in an intentional way.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
On the creative side of my career, I am a travel author who published “You Are Where You Go”, a collection of short stories about my experience visiting 70 countries and all 7 continents during college. Launching this book has led me to speak on podcasts around the world, at schools, professional organizations, and travel conferences with the intention of inspiring others to prioritize travel as a powerful tool for personal development.

On the professional business side of my career, I am a consumer product manager who has built key innovative features for Instagram Stories, TikTok ads, and now artist-to-fan online experiences at Moment. I enjoy using my travel experiences to inform my global perspective in building social apps for users around the world.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I live in Santa Monica and would say that one of the best parts of living here is the immediate access to nature – whether it’s the ocean itself, the beach, the mountains, or driving down the coastline, it’s a beautiful and refreshing experience to just soak it all in under the eternal sunshine. Coming to LA after a few years in New York City especially makes me appreciate the year-round incredible weather and the bliss of just taking a walk with the sounds of the ocean in the background. I’d take any visitors with me for a walk, bike, or roller skate down the beachside path in Santa Monica, then grabbing sushi or incredible Italian food at some of my favorite restaurants along the waterfront in downtown. A weekend trip to Malibu is also a must – the beauty of the ocean in places like Point Dume is unmatched. And in general – people watching in LA is always so interesting! Just walking down the promenade and seeing who’s out and about in terms of general passerby as well as street performers is always a good time.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d give a huge shoutout to the Launch House community for helping me take that scary but important first step of quitting my safe, predictable corporate job at Instagram in favor of trying something risky and new. My time at Launch House was the catalyst that pushed me to spend a few months working on a travel startup, exploring new career paths, dabbling in travel content creation, and boosting my personal brand as I finished writing, promoting, and launching my own travel memoir. Being surrounded by other people who take risks for the sake of doing what they love and care about was truly inspiring and intoxicating in the best of ways.

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caitlynlubas/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/caitlynlubas