Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelsey Kennedy.
Hi Kelsey, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
The Austin Things is an online resource of the best things to do, restaurants to try, and places to stay in Austin. After running a popular lifestyle blog in Austin for five years (it’s called So Much Life), getting my first book published (Austin Food Crawls), and answering THOUSANDS of DMs about things to do in Austin, I decided to launch a brand that’s completely about Austin things!
I think that people really enjoy hearing from someone who has been living in Austin for a long time and really knows the ins and outs of the city. I only recommend places that I’ve tried and wholeheartedly love. If I wouldn’t recommend this restaurant or museum or hotel to my sister or my bff, I won’t mention it on the website. I work with several other Austin experts who help provide well-rounded recommendations on all things ATX.
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?
I’m a mom to two baby boys (six months old and two years old) and learning how to navigate motherhood while also pursuing my passion and my career has been challenging. I’m a big believer that life should be fun, and when we’re on the right path, our work will be inspired and feel easy. And so if I’m having a day when it just feels like the struggle is REAL and I’m exhausted and nothing is flowing easily, I just take a break. I snuggle my babies and close my laptop and I wait until I feel aligned and rested, and then I work again.
It seems to be working because the business and page views and partnerships are all growing! I love what I do, and I absolutely adore Austin, and so getting to explore it and share it and call that my job is pretty fun.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
The AustinThings.com is a website of really great recommendations in Austin, written by local Austinites. The website and the accompanying social media accounts are where both locals and visitors can find ideas of beautiful hotels, hot new restaurants, and fun things to do.
Something that sets The Austin Things apart from other Austin-based sites is that all of the writers always personally exploring and eating and spending our own money in Austin. We are brutally honest! Rather than just providing generic lists of places, we curate the best of the best so that folks can quickly and easily find amazing restaurants, happy hour deals, gorgeous hotels, and fun things to do in this city.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
One of the most important things I’ve learned during the COVID-19 crisis is that Austin is a vibrant and fun and beautiful city because of the amazing restaurants. We need them! Without them, we’d be a pretty boring place. It’s made me think more about fair wage for both front AND back of house, and the prices that meals should cost when we dine out. (Hint: it’s good for the prices to go up! These amazing chefs and servers need to earn more because they’re the heartbeat of this city.)
Contact Info:
- Email: kelsey@theaustinthings.com
- Website: theaustinthings.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theaustinthings/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheAustinThings/
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/theaustinthings/
Image Credits
Kelsey Kennedy
