The Shooting Star Academy

Immersive courses and workshops on conscious travel and impact storytelling

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About Your Instructor

Shivya is a passionate traveller, award-winning travel writer and bestselling author. In 2011, she quit her full-time job to pursue her dream of travelling the world, and gradually gave up her apartment, sold most of her belongings, and began living out of two bags. She has spent time in 60+ countries, and funds her adventures primarily through Instagram and her travel blog. She is a recipient of the prestigious Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Awards, and her journey has been featured by BBC Travel, National Geographic Traveller and The Washington Post, among other leading publications.

Shivya
BRANDS I’VE WORKED WITH

Featured Courses

Get Paid to Travel the World with Purpose

An in-depth course for storytellers, creators and influencers, to get paid to travel – and have a positive impact on the world in the process!

  • 8 Modules
  • Access for 90 days
  • Monthly live chat
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Fix the 5 Biggest Mistakes Travel Creators Make

A crash course on how to tell impactful stories, attract the right audience and work with brands as a travel creator (even if you’re just starting out).

  • 5 Lessons
  • Downloadable PDFs
  • Creator cheatsheet
Learn More
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What Course Participants Say

I had been struggling with readership on my blog since the past so many years. But with this course, I am coming up with so many ideas to work on and have the motivation to pursue them. I am sure, if I keep going, there will be opportunities for me to grow and make a dent in the space of travel, climate, and conscious storytelling.
Vagisha Anant
@vagishaanant
This course helped me to understand a lot of behind-the-scene aspects of becoming an impactful travel storyteller. These include creative writing tips, building a media kit, creating a strong niche & credibility to collaborating with brands, getting paid to travel the world and taking care of mental health in the process. It is brilliantly done!
SUNEELA V​
@holistic_travellers
I have been running my business for almost 3 years now, made 6 figures, and done many courses from some of the best mentors. I just want to say that you have created a phenomenal course. I love how easy you have made it – adding in values, actionable tips and more complex strategies. I am extremely conscious of who I learn from, and I can say, I’m lucky it was you.
Rutuja Bandi
@rutujabandircreatives
The course helped me understand how the industry works and how to leverage digital media to work with brands. I particularly appreciated how Shivya is committed to not just delivering a course but also ensuring students get the opportunities they need to put what they have learned to practice. I loved the collaborative and supportive space that this course created so that we can also learn from one another!
Anuradha Prasad
@knowbangalore
I’ve learnt so much about personal branding (more so than I did on my Oxford MBA, no offense, just a different lens), individual entrepreneurship, and handy storytelling tips. You’ve put so much care into sharing and making your skills and knowledge accessible. Most of all, I love how passionate you areabout sustainable travel storytelling. Hats off for ending with a mental health module 🙂
Abhishek Katta
@twentylegend20
Shivya touches on how to build your niche, educates on the creative journey, but then also speaks about business, money, and how to make sure you stay sane. And she does it in a way it feels friend-to-a-friend. We also have an active community on whatsapp so that’s great as well. I finished the course inspired, more confident, and driven not to find excuses (yes, my mind over-thinks very often with perfectionism!).
KRISTINA BARABA
@travelismysong
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