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August 27, 2025 15 mins
On this episode of PASSIONEER Magazine The Podcast, Dr. Angela Chester sits down with Patrika Alis Cheston, a startup marketing professional, international speaker, and sustainable tourism advocate. Patrika brings her global perspective and creative strategies to the conversation, sharing how she helps tech startups, tourism boards, and event organizers stand out with campaigns that are both innovative and impactful.

From her talks on “Not-So-Sexy Marketing” to “Why Customer Experience Should Be Your Go-To Marketing Strategy,” Patrika has inspired thousands worldwide to think differently about how they connect with audiences. In this interview, she opens up about her work in sustainable tourism, why creative storytelling matters, and how businesses of all sizes can attract conscious, engaged customers. She also shares about her newly relaunched podcast, Destination: Journey, where she highlights responsible travel experiences and practical ways to explore the world with creativity and care. If you’re a leader, entrepreneur, or creative thinker looking to make an impact in your industry, this episode is full of insights and inspiration. ✨

Stay connected with Patrika Alis Cheston
  • Website: www.patrikaalis.com
  • Instagram: @patrikaalis
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Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Welcome to Passioneer Magazine. The podcast Well You're here, inspirational stories,
encouraging news, and in depth interviews with authors, influencers, CEOs
and thought leaders. Passioneer Magazine the podcast Bold Ideas, Brave Pursuits,
Boundless Inspiration.

Speaker 2 (00:33):
Hello, Hello, Hello, thank you so much for joining me
here today. I am so glad that you are here.
Welcome to Passioneer Magazine, the podcast.

Speaker 3 (00:47):
Thank you so much. I am so excited to be here.

Speaker 2 (00:51):
Absa, abs Absolutely. Now, I realize that there are so
many people who are watching who already know who you are.
Of course, there may be some folks who are listening
in or watching that are unfamiliar with you and your work.
So before we get started, can you tell us just
a little bit about yourself? What makes you you?

Speaker 3 (01:13):
Absolutely? My name is Patrika elist Cheston. I'm a marketer
by trade, and I run a marketing agency focused on
startups called Roundology. But I'm also a sustainable tourism advocate
who focuses on making travel more accessible and available to everyone.

Speaker 2 (01:28):
Oh, I love love, love that. And a woman of
many hats. You know, I am finding that more and
more of our women that are in the entrepreneur sphrace
that they're not just doing one thing right, that we're
realizing that we are a multifaceted people and we are
tapping into all of our gifts and talents. And I

(01:50):
think that is really making the world a better place
because we're not just trying to do one thing, but
we really are sharing everything that we have. I love that.
Now you said some awesome and amazing things there, so
let's kind of tap in just a little bit. You
have had a dinamic journey as a woman who is

(02:13):
on purpose, who is walking in her purpose, as I
like to say, and one that is of an influence
and not that type of influence where it's like just
for the ground, right, but you're really trying to be
the person that you talk about, and I think that
is so important. With that being said, have there been

(02:36):
any moments in particular that have really helped you to
embrace the all that you are?

Speaker 3 (02:46):
Absolutely yes, and thank you for that encouragement. I really
appreciate it. I do try to live a very purposeful life,
and I have been through quite a bit as someone
who works in startups. It's a very challenging world and
there's a lot of ups and downs. There's a lot
of thinking that you're essential and then they're kicking you
off the team. It's a very chaotic world to be

(03:07):
a part of, but I love it because I, you know,
like a little bit of excitement. But I would say
one moment that really stood out to me was a
moment where I pitched myself to speak for a conference.
And this was a huge conference that is known very
broadly in the marketing world. It's called Inbound. And when
I got accepted, I was completely thrown off, just completely

(03:29):
surprised because I didn't expect anyone to want to hear
what I had to say. But my topic really resonated
with them, and people were just so amazed at the
topic that I had chosen. And when I went on stage,
I gave my speech and I talked and I just
told my story and I talked about my marketing beliefs
and at the end, someone came up to me and

(03:50):
just told me that my confidence on stage was what
really inspired them and that made a difference in how
they were going to approach their next time that they
had to present in a meeting. And that meant so
much to me, and that told me that the way
that I present myself matters. The words that I say matter,
and you never know, even just portraying that confidence, even

(04:12):
when I myself was feeling very nervous, very you know,
very overwhelmed by being on such a big stage for
the first time. That made someone else's journey move a
little bit more forward, and that was so impactful to
me and encouraged me to keep moving forward in my
journey as well.

Speaker 2 (04:29):
And it's really interesting that you say that and thank
you for sharing, because for so many people, I don't
think that they realize that the person before them is
still human, right, that we're still dealing the excitement or
the concern. Like I really want to make sure that
people get these nuggets that I'm leaving for them, because
we poured our all into these presentations, right.

Speaker 3 (04:52):
But at the.

Speaker 2 (04:53):
Same time, I think it says a lot about who
you are that you humbled in the moment of they
picked me. Oh wow, Oh that's awesome because it shows
that you really and truly are living in that purpose
as opposed to, like I said before, really just trying
to do it for someone else's approval. And so many
people have a hard time because they're trying to live

(05:15):
in that cycle of someone else's approval and not just
being their authentic self. So I love that people have
been able to acknowledge that in you and to want
to give you a platform so that you can continue
to do it. I love it. I love it now
speaking of those attributes here at Passioneer, we love talking

(05:37):
to Passioneers Folks that are living their heart, They are
living with impact, and they are the type of folks
who like to not only share their knowledge, but turn
around and, like you know, grab somebody and bring them
with them. With that being said, what are some ways
you think in your day to day that you are

(06:00):
able to integrate your creativity or your expression of who
you are professionally while still honoring that voice of who
you are personally.

Speaker 3 (06:14):
That is an excellent question, and it's a big challenge
and one that I find myself still navigating as I
continue to grow in my career. But I think the
most important thing is taking time to listen to myself.
There's a lot of times where I have had the
habit of kind of talking myself out of my instincts
and the knowledge that I've gained throughout the years. There's

(06:35):
a reason why I think the way I think, and
I've built a built I've taken the time to build
a resume that has brought me to where I am today,
and that is so important and it's powerful. And I think,
especially we as women, we're always kind of making ourselves
smaller and trying to make others in the room more comfortable.

(06:55):
And I've started to realize just even day to day,
I'm like, Okay, wait a minute, what was your instinct there?
It's typically correct because there's a lot of knowledge backing
that up, and it's important to be able to listen
to that. So when I'm trying to do something creative
for the first time, or I'm taking a step out
that feels a little bit unconventional or feel scary, a

(07:16):
lot of times, it's just taking a step back, taking
a deep breath, and really listening to what my mind
is telling me, what my experience is telling me, and
what my instincts are telling me. Because there's so much
that's already there, and if I trust myself enough, then
I know that I can take what I've learned and
apply it. And that really applies to both creative and

(07:37):
creative and professional and the personal life.

Speaker 2 (07:39):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely, And you know, I find that unfortunately,
some of the pauses we take is because of the
learned behaviors right to someone else's doubt or mistrust or
their inability or the fact that it's not their vision
or it's not their talent. Right, they have almost poured

(08:02):
their insecurity about what your life is supposed to be
into you. And then for whatever reason, we of course
want to soak in all of all of that, and
then it makes us have those moments of pause, doubt
or worry along along the way until we are reminded
of exactly who we are. And that is one thing

(08:22):
that I feel that is a part of my calling
of what I do is to remind people like you said,
who am I, to listen to that voice and remember
you think this way for a reason, right, because we
have to have people that are thinking outside of the
box or thinking in the box, outside of the box,
away from the box, you know, in a blue box

(08:44):
a box, right, Like we have to have all of
these things where it's like I don't even want a box.
We're gonna put this in a circle, you know, And
just to be that visionary and that dreamer. I love
that now when it comes to the why question, and
people are always talking about that, right, like, what is
your why? Why are you doing what you're doing? Now?

(09:06):
I want to ask you, in context of how you
keep your why fresh? How do you keep it? I
think of our why as like a flame that burns right,
it's there and it helps keep our passions burning. How
do you make sure that your why flame doesn't go out,
that it continues to burnstop.

Speaker 3 (09:28):
That is an excellent question, and I think it's sticking
with giving that flame oxygen. So a flame cannot burn
if it doesn't have oxygen, and that means that if
it's covered up, if I'm hiding what makes me passionate,
if I'm hiding what keeps me going, or pushing it
to the side, it's going to get neglected. And it's

(09:50):
so easy to think, Okay, I just got to buckle
down and do this thing just so that I make
my boss happy or I make you my partner happy,
or something like that. You have to think about what's
actually going to fuel you. And for me, it's really
you know, my family is one of the most important
things in the world to me, but it's also my
personal happiness and satisfaction knowing that I am doing something

(10:14):
that is making me happy, which is usually a very
altruistic purpose. I am trying to help others. I'm trying
to brighten the world for others, and that makes me happy.
So if I take time to look at what I'm
doing and think is that making me happy? Is that
allowing me to help other people? Then I know that

(10:35):
I am giving oxygen to that flame. And then I'm
going to keep going Because every time that I start
stepping away from the things that I truly love and
the things that I have found really empower me to
keep going, those are the moments where I start to
feel more anxious. Those are the moments where my projects
fall apart. Those are the moments where I'm like, Okay,
nothing is aligned, everything's crazy, I can't get it together.

(10:57):
But I just take a step back and just say,
what am I doing this? Four? Let me give some
oxygen to that flame. I need to give some attention
to thinking about what it is that I'm doing in
the first place, and that is usually supporting my family
and making the world a brighter place. And those two
things are going to make me so happy, and then
I'm gonna feel better and keep going, Oh.

Speaker 2 (11:17):
I love that answer. And you know, I find that
some of the most successful people in the world are
successful not because of just because they provide a service
or a product, but because they have that mindset as well,
what is the thing that's missing in this other person's

(11:37):
life that I can help them find that I can
help them fix? Right? That it is about the giving
of yourself to another to help someone else, And you know,
it really intruly makes sense. I think the older the
older I get, the more the I promise you giving
is better than receiving. Like you don't understand that as

(11:58):
a little kid, and you're going like, what, how could
that be better? Like Christmas is good when you receive gifts.
I mean you like given too. As a little kid,
you don't understand. But then you get older and it's like, oh,
if I get something, I get something, but I want
to see everyone else happy, I'm gonna give to them.
And that's kind of the best example that I can

(12:20):
give for people, you know worldwide that it's like, aren't
you excited when that person opens that gift and you're
you're like, you know, we're supposed to like yeah, it's like, well,
that's what It's like when you hear an entrepreneur say,
if I can help you, then it was all worth it.
You know, working sixty hours a week was definitely worth it.
And I cannot agree with you more. Thank you for

(12:41):
that answer. Now, I know that I talk about legacy
a lot and making sure that we are helping the
next generation, that we are helping the next generation be
the best they can be. And not just girls, but

(13:03):
you know everyone who needs to listen to the words
that we say. But as women, I think we want
to of course help the next generation of girls in
your field of what really keeps your heart on fire?
What is a legacy that you're hoping that someone will
be able to look back at the end of it

(13:25):
all and say she changed this or she did that
and it really made a difference for them. Is there
any particular area of legacy that really keeps you inspired?

Speaker 3 (13:36):
Absolutely? That question is just so exciting to me because
I think about the power of storytelling all of the time.
That is one of my most That's one of the
themes that's been throughout my career as a marketer and
as someone who travels and helps empower others to travel.
It's really all about that story that you're telling. And
I think the most important thing that I want to

(13:57):
leave behind is empowering others to tell their stories, whether
it's through experiences or whether it's through the written word.
I think that being able to help young women, young girls,
anyone that's coming up through the startup world learn how
to tell their story and then continue to listen to
that story and have it amplified. Because in the rooms

(14:20):
that I've been in in these startups, a lot of
times I'm the only one that looks like me, and
it is an intimidating space to be in. But what
connects us all is that we all have a story
that we're telling. And whether or not you know that
story is being told on the golf course or in
the boardroom or in you know, a garage for a startup,
it's it's really still a story, like there's something that

(14:42):
everybody wants to tell. And I think a lot of times,
as women, our stories are pushed to the back burner.
And what I try to do in my daily life
is really find ways to amplify those stories, because I
think as anyone grows in their career, anyone has a
step up and they have an ability to amplify the
voice of someone that's coming up behind them. That is

(15:03):
the best way to leave a legacy, and that's the
best way to make an impact.

Speaker 2 (15:07):
I love that. I love that, Patricka. Thank you so
much for coming on and spending some time with me
here on Passion your Magazine, the podcast. I couldn't think
of a better way to end the show now before
I let you go, though, I know someone wants to
be able to reach out to you or to follow
you on socials. What's the best way to do that?

Speaker 3 (15:29):
Yep, I'm at Patrika Elise p A t R I
K A A L I S on basically every major
platform and you can also find my company at roundology
dot co.

Speaker 2 (15:39):
I love it. Thank you again for being a guest
on Passioneer Magazine the podcast.

Speaker 3 (15:45):
Thank you so much.

Speaker 1 (15:51):
Thank you for listening to Passioneer Magazine the Podcast.
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