Brandy Jo Hastings

• Title: Review Author
• Email: adventuresofbrandyjo@gmail.com
• Location: Longwood, Florida
• Social Media Links: Website Instagram LinkedIn
• Pronouns: She/Her

• Topics of Expertise: Travel, hiking, kayaking, paddleboarding, birding, fishing, metal detecting, and being a beach bum
• Years in This Expertise: 20+
• Number Of Products & Number Of Hours Expert Has Tested: 500+ products, 2000+ hours 

Education & Certificates

• Education: Bachelor of Arts-Interdisciplinary Studies, University of Arkansas at Little Rock-Magna Cum Laude
• Years of Writing: 20+
• Certifications: Professional in Destination Management
• Club or Association Memberships: Outdoor Writers Association of America, Destinations International-Appointed member of Community Connection Professional Task Force
• Awards or Recognitions: 40 Over and Under Award from the Florida Alliance for Vacation Rentals, Named as one of Tallahassee Woman Magazine’s Women to Watch, Completed the Florida State Forest Trailwalker Program, and once won 1st place in a Mardi Gras mask making contest at Wekiva Island
• Previous Publications: WDBO.com, Lake Martin Living, My Deltona Magazine, etc.

Experience

Brandy is a contributing writer for GearJunkie and several other online and print publications. She also holds roles as a reporter for an Orlando based radio station, works for a tourism technology company, and owns and operates OutdoorTravelWriter.com.

Her experience spans the travel/tourism and journalism fields. She has spent many years in broadcasting and has worked for multiple radio and television stations throughout her career. Her journey eventually led her to an opportunity to explore tourism and destination marketing as well. She spent many years with Visit Florida, the state’s tourism marketing organization, and had the chance to help promote many great destinations throughout Florida. She also helped start a new tourism marketing organization for an outdoors focused destination in rural Alabama. As the sole employee working with a board of directors, her keen marketing efforts were recognized within her first year and half when the destination received the awards for Tourism Office of the Year from Southeast Tourism Society and Tourism Organization of the Year from the Alabama Tourism Department.

During her time in destination marketing, she embraced her inner storyteller, and found that to be the most rewarding part of her role. As one of her initiatives, she started the destination’s blog and saw the strong impact that it had in promoting the area. However, the most exciting part of it was the inspiration that she was able to provide to others to just get out and enjoy the outdoors. It was then that the light bulb went off in her head, and she realized that she could take her personal passion for the outdoors and combine it with her destination marketing and journalism backgrounds. She launched her own website to promote her freelance outdoor travel and gear writing, and since then she’s had the opportunity to work with many great publishing partners. She feels truly blessed to be a part of promoting the outdoors and the gear needed to enjoy it to the fullest.

Career Highlights

• Landing a role with GearJunkie to be able to tell others about her favorite gear and attire
• Swimming with manatees and pigs, snorkeling between two continents, seeing the northern lights, hanging beachside with monkeys in Costa Rica, and hiking Europe’s largest glacier
• Surviving the many interviews and rock star parties from her time in radio (Best interview ever? Hands down-Vanilla Ice!)
• Creating the Lake Martin Hiking Challenge

A Word from Brandy Jo Hastings

Growing up by the lake in Louisiana, the outdoors have always been a part of my personal life. I fell into broadcasting at a very young age, and that career path eventually led me to Florida, where I also discovered a love for travel and tourism. I never dreamed I could blend my passions for travel, the outdoors, and journalism into a career, but here I am!

In addition to serving in multiple roles in radio and television, I have also had the opportunity to work in a few great roles in the tourism industry. In one of those roles, I started a blog for my destination and soon realized how impactful it was to our marketing. I also realized how much I enjoyed inspiring and educating others about our awesome outdoor activities. It soon became apparent that I had many stories to tell, and I ventured out as a freelance outdoor travel and gear writer.  I’ve had the chance to contribute to many awesome publications and websites, including GearJunkie.

I enjoy exploring the world, but also appreciate all of the great things I have close to home here in Florida. I love visiting our beaches and springs, fishing, metal detecting, kayaking, paddleboarding, birding, and hiking. I’m an active person, but also have a great time at home working on my butterfly garden and creating random art projects out of the interesting items I find in my adventures. I also greatly value my leisurely days floating in the pool with a fruity drink in my hand. Except during football season when I’m cheering for my New Orleans Saints and LSU Tigers, I can’t hide that I’m a sunshine-loving Florida girl!