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

Hi Landry, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I’ve always had a passion for travel, and after my first trip to Europe, I quickly realized I fell in love with places I had never been and people I had never met. I knew my soul longed to explore as much of this beautiful world as humanly possible. After going through a hard divorce a few years back, I realized life was too short to not actively seek out and do the things that make you happy and feel alive. That year, I booked a much needed trip to Ireland with a few of my friends. I planned our whole road trip around the country, and had so much fun doing it. After sharing moments I had documented throughout our trip via social media, I had several friends reach out to me and want to know my itinerary, as my travels had inspired them to want to visit Ireland and plan a similar trip! I then quickly realized that I loved sharing my travel recommendations and stories with people, and that I could turn my love for travel into a fun side hustle. I’ve always been an artistic person, so I decided to create a travel blog as another outlet to express my creativity and share my favorite travel photos, travel guides and recommendations. I have always longed for a career that would allow me to work for myself and create my own hours, and there was no better time than the present to try and accomplish my dreams. Thus, Landry Has Landed was born!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Growing up in New Orleans, Louisiana, I undoubtedly developed a passion for the arts, as well as a strong appreciation of the surrounding culture. Living in a city with such an abundance of colorful culture, scenery, art, diversity and music helped play a strong influence in my ever-growing desire to expand my knowledge of the various cultures, history and beauty in the world around me. Since I was young, painting, drawing or sketching had always been my creative outlet. My love for painting slowly developed into an art business as a “side hobby” in college, and I still paint and take commissions to this day. As I grew older, I began to develop a strong passion for traveling and discovering more of this incredible world. My first time traveling to Europe, back in 2012, lit a fire in my soul and truly sparked my ever-growing love of traveling. I consider myself an “old soul,” and the Old World charm that envelopes Europe completely captivated all my senses and every ounce of my being. This experience left me with the endless desire to travel to the ends of the earth (as frequently as possible), soaking in as many cultures, cities and experiences as I can along the way! Traveling and experiencing new cultures is what has continued to expand my knowledge and appreciation of the arts and fuel my creative passion. Photography then became my newest outlet to learn and share my passions with the world. One trip at a time, I’ve slowly been building out my website and expanding my knowledge of travel blogging, photography, and appreciation of the arts through my passion for exploring the world and embracing new cultures. Although, learning photography, building out my instagram/blog and creating content wasn’t always easy (especially when I first started my blog, and considering I’m still working full time), and still provides challanges to this day. However, learning how to manage my time better and focusing on the tasks that will excel my career has been a game changer. I’m just a girl who decided to turn her passions into a reality, and am still learning along the way. My hope with Landry Has Landed is to help make travel planning (for all budgets) easier and more accessible for everyone! I also have developed a love for wine over the years, and I have grown to love sharing that passion through my instagram and blog, as well. On my Instagram and website, you will also find my favorite winery recommendations from my travels, favorite wine regions and even my the bottles I open from my collection! I have loved the positive response to sharing about some of my other passions, along with my everyday life, in addition to my travel recommendations.

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.
Oh, so many places, It’s hard to narrow down! My favorite wine bars we would have to visit would be Trova, Veritas, Bodega Wine Bar, Barcelona Wine Bar and Leela’s Wine Bar. I’ve also grown to love going to Royal Blue Grocery in Highland Park village, picking out my own bottle of wine from wine shop, and ordering a cheese + charcuterie board to accompany it on the patio! There are So many good restaurants, but I would definitely have to take my friends to Gemma, Homewood, Beverley’s, Enrique Tomas, Tulum, Musume, Toulouse, Il Bracco, The Charles, Town Hearth…the list goes on! Breakfast/Brunch: Love going to Village Baking Co. on Lower Greenville in the morning and grabbing an array of the best French pastries/bread Dallas has to offer! Reminds me of being in Europe every time. Nova in Bishop Arts is another fun brunch spot that I feel like doesn’t get the hype it should! Standard Service down Greenville has also become another favorite brunch spot. HG Sply is always a solid choice, along with Hudson House! Activities: See the Reveler’s Hall Band play at Reveler’s Hall in Bishop Arts, then head down to Marcel Market – one of my all-time favorite shops in Dallas, as it makes me feel like I’m in France (the owner’s are from France and everything in the shop, from grocery items, to jewelry, to clothing is all sourced straight from France!) From there, continue to stroll and shop around the Bishop Arts area. Desert Racer is a fun spot to grab a drink and some appetizers and hang out. Antiquing around town is also always fun! And we would definitely have to make a stop at Eataly, grab a bite to eat and explore all things Italy!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
It’s so hard to narrow this question down, as I truly believe that the love, support and encouragement from so many people I’ve met through social media since I started my blog have helped to pave the way for where I am today. I still have so much work to do to get my business to where I want it to be, which would allow me to go full-time and travel a lot more consistently, but without the friendships and support I’ve made thus far, I might have given up a long time ago! There are times when you feel discouraged and like the hard work won’t ever pay off, but a little love and encouragement from others in the same field always gives me the strength and insight to keep moving forward and never give up! One person that has helped me both directly and indirectly through her blog, though, is Helene Sula (@Heleneinbetween). Helene is a full-time travel and lifestyle blogger based in Dallas, TX, who also focuses on helping others try and do the same! Her instagram and blog are packed full of excellent blog posts, courses and encouragement that have helped me excel in this field!

Website: https://www.landryhaslanded.com

Instagram: @landryhaslanded

Facebook: www.facebook.com/landryhaslanded

Other: Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/landryhaslanded

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