Today we’d like to introduce you to Tavia Carlson.
Tavia, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My journey into travel content creation began after I left active duty military service to stay home and care for my oldest daughter while we were living in Florida.
Like many new parents, I was suddenly navigating a completely different season of life. At the same time, I wasn’t ready to give up traveling. My husband and I had always loved exploring, and I quickly discovered that while plenty of people had opinions about traveling with a baby, very few were sharing practical, real-world advice.
After a trip to Europe with our 6 month old, friends, family members, and even acquaintances kept asking me the same questions over and over again: What do you pack in a carry-on for a baby? Which stroller do you actually use when traveling? How do you handle jet lag with an infant? Is flying with a baby really as hard as people say?
Eventually, I got tired of typing the same answers repeatedly, so I created a simple webpage where I could send people one link with all of my recommendations and tips. That single page became the foundation of what would eventually grow into Big Brave Nomad.
What started as a resource for traveling with babies gradually evolved as my family grew and our adventures expanded. Over the years, we’ve explored destinations across the United States, the Caribbean, Central America, South America, and Europe. Along the way, I realized there was a need for honest, practical family travel content that showed families what travel actually looks like, not just the highlight reel.
Today, Big Brave Nomad reaches more than 50,000 readers each month through the website and connects with a community of thousands of families through social media, email, and my Solo Mom Travel community. I create detailed itineraries, destination guides, and travel resources designed to help families and solo parents feel confident exploring the world with their children.
At its core, the mission hasn’t changed much from that very first webpage. My goal is still to make travel feel more approachable by answering the questions people are already asking and giving families the information they need to create their own adventures.
I truly believe that having children doesn’t have to mean putting your dreams of travel on hold. In many ways, my children have inspired some of our greatest adventures, and Big Brave Nomad exists to help other families realize they can do it too.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely has not been a smooth road, although looking back, many of those challenges ended up teaching me some of the most valuable lessons.
When I started Big Brave Nomad, I had no background in blogging, digital marketing, or content creation. I was simply a mom sharing travel tips that other parents were asking for. I didn’t understand SEO, keyword research, website structure, or any of the technical aspects that drive traffic today. For years, I was creating content without realizing that even great articles won’t help people if they can’t find them.
At the same time, life was incredibly busy. My husband was serving in the military, which meant frequent deployments, training exercises, and long stretches where I was effectively solo parenting. Not long after having my first daughter, we welcomed our second child just 18 months later. Suddenly, I was juggling two very young children while trying to maintain a website during nap times and after bedtime.
There were many seasons where growth felt painfully slow. I would spend hours writing a blog post only to see very little traffic. Social media brought its own challenges. Just when I felt like I had figured out a platform, the algorithm would change and everything that had been working suddenly stopped working. There were times when engagement dropped, traffic dipped, and I questioned whether all the effort was worth it.
One of the hardest lessons was realizing that success online is rarely linear. There isn’t a point where you “figure it out” and everything becomes easy. The industry is constantly evolving. Search engines change, social media platforms change, audience behavior changes, and creators have to adapt.
What kept me going was the feedback from readers. Every time someone told me that one of my itineraries helped them take a trip they otherwise wouldn’t have attempted, or that a travel guide made their family vacation easier, it reminded me why I started in the first place.
Over time, I invested in learning SEO, understanding content strategy, and treating Big Brave Nomad like a business rather than a hobby. Those skills, combined with years of consistently showing up, eventually led to the growth I see today. Looking back, I think the struggles taught me resilience and patience more than anything else.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that meaningful growth often happens long before anyone else can see it.
We’ve been impressed with Big Brave Nomad & Solo Mom Travel, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Big Brave Nomad is a family travel platform dedicated to helping families and solo parents travel with confidence. Through destination guides, detailed itineraries, travel tips, and honest firsthand experiences, my goal is to make adventure feel achievable, regardless of family size, budget, or travel experience.
While there are many travel websites focused on luxury travel or picture-perfect vacations, I’ve built Big Brave Nomad around practical, real-world family travel. My readers aren’t looking for a vacation where everything goes perfectly. They’re looking for someone who can show them how to navigate a National Park with young children, plan a realistic itinerary, survive a long-haul flight with a toddler, or confidently take a trip as the only adult traveling with their kids.
One of the things that sets my brand apart is that I actually travel the way many of my readers do. I travel with three children, often road-tripping, hiking, exploring National Parks, and navigating destinations that people don’t always consider “easy” with kids. Many of my trips are also completed as a solo parent, which gives me a unique perspective on planning, safety, logistics, and managing expectations.
In addition to Big Brave Nomad, I founded Solo Mom Travel, a community that has grown to more than 25,000 women. The group was created to provide encouragement, resources, and support for mothers who want to travel with their children but may not have a partner available to travel with them. Whether their spouse travels for work, serves in the military, or they’re navigating single parenthood, the community helps women realize they don’t have to wait for the “perfect” circumstances to explore the world with their kids.
Today, Big Brave Nomad reaches more than 50,000 readers each month and has become a trusted resource for family travel planning. My content focuses heavily on National Parks, family adventure travel, Caribbean destinations, road trips, outdoor experiences, and practical travel planning. I work closely with destinations, tourism boards, hotels, attractions, and family-focused brands to create content that serves both my audience and my travel interests,
What I’m most proud of isn’t a traffic number or social media milestone. It’s the messages I receive from readers who tell me they booked their first international trip, took their first solo-parent adventure, or finally visited a destination that felt intimidating after reading one of my guides. Those stories remind me that travel has the power to build confidence, create memories, and change the way families see themselves.
If there’s one thing I want readers to know about my brand, it’s this: adventure doesn’t have to stop when you become a parent. In many ways, it can become even more meaningful. My mission is to help families and solo parents realize that the world is still accessible to them and give them the tools they need to go explore it.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I’ve never considered myself a reckless risk-taker, but I do believe that some of the most meaningful opportunities in life require a willingness to step outside your comfort zone.
For me, risk isn’t about acting without a plan. It’s about being willing to move forward despite uncertainty.
Some of the biggest risks I’ve taken have been personal. My family spent three years living in Barbados, thousands of miles from our support system in the United States. We moved our children overseas, navigated a completely different way of life, and built a community from scratch. While it was an incredible experience, there were certainly moments when it felt uncomfortable and uncertain.
Travel itself has also involved risks. I’ve taken my children to destinations that many people would consider challenging with kids, including international trips, long road trips, remote National Parks, and adventures as the sole adult traveling with three children. Every time I share those experiences online, I hear from parents who say, “I could never do that.” My response is usually that I felt the same way before I did it.
From a business perspective, building Big Brave Nomad was a risk as well. When I started, there was no guarantee anyone would read what I was writing. I spent years creating content with little financial return because I believed in the value of what I was building. There were plenty of opportunities to quit when growth was slow or when social media algorithms changed and wiped out months of momentum. Instead, I kept learning, adapting, and investing in the business.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that people often view risk as the possibility of failure, but I also think about the risk of regret. Sometimes the greater risk is not taking the opportunity at all and wondering years later what might have happened if you had tried.
That perspective has shaped both my business and my approach to travel. I don’t encourage people to take unnecessary risks, but I do encourage them to challenge assumptions about what is possible. Many of the experiences that have had the greatest impact on my family began with a decision that felt a little scary at the time.
Whether it’s moving overseas, taking a child on their first international trip, starting a business, or traveling solo with your kids, I believe confidence is built through action. You don’t become brave first and then take the leap. More often, you take the leap and discover that you were capable all along.
That’s a philosophy that has guided both my life and my brand. Big Brave Nomad was built on the idea that adventure exists just beyond the edge of our comfort zone, and some of life’s best experiences happen when we’re willing to take a thoughtful risk and see what’s possible.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bigbravenomad.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bigbravenomad
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com
- Twitter: https://www.facebook.com/bigbravenomad
- Other: https://www.facebook.com/groups/225617865018316
