Portfolio-building system
How to build a travel portfolio from scratch that brands can't ignore — even if you've never worked with a hotel before.
A self-paced masterclass with the exact system I used to collaborate with 50+ hospitality brands around the world — starting with 450 followers and no professional background. Everything unlocks the moment you join, and it stays yours forever.
You scroll social media watching creators stay at luxury resorts around the world — dreaming about doing the same, but thinking it's out of reach.
I thought so too — until I landed a 7-day stay at a luxury resort in the Maldives with only 450 followers, without being a professional videographer.
And on top of that — imposter syndrome is holding you back. You tell yourself you're not good enough, not experienced enough, not ready yet. I've been there. Not a single collab I've ever landed was because of my following. What matters is your portfolio.
Generic "UGC tips" content is everywhere. Most of it stops at "build a portfolio" with no real plan for what comes after. This is different — it's not advice, it's the exact system I've used to collaborate with 50+ hospitality and travel brands worldwide. Luxury resorts, safaris, yacht trips — experiences I couldn't have afforded otherwise. And eventually, brands reaching out to me instead of the other way around.
Everything I know about landing hotel collabs, in one self-paced masterclass. Four modules, 22+ videos, eight skills, every template and tracker I use — plus the live Q&A recordings from the past cohort to rewatch, and the bonuses below. It unlocks the moment you join and it's yours to keep forever.
All four modules, every template, every resource — plus the live Q&A recordings from the past cohort — available immediately. No drip schedule, no timezone to work around. Start tonight if you want to.
Lifetime access to the masterclass and every future update. Come back to the pitching module before each trip, re-open the templates whenever you need them. Nothing expires.
Eight skills, in the order you actually need them.
How to build a travel portfolio from scratch that brands can't ignore — even if you've never worked with a hotel before.
Proven ways to find hotels, resorts, restaurants and travel brands that are actively open to working with creators.
How to present yourself as a value-driven professional — not someone asking for a freebie.
How to approach hospitality brands, what to say, and how to follow up — so you get replies instead of silence.
How to structure your offer, price your work, negotiate, and protect yourself with a contract.
What to shoot, how to shoot it, and how to deliver content that leads directly to your next collab.
End-to-end: pitching, negotiating, shooting, delivering and closing — every step from first message to final invoice.
The exact path from free stays to paid collaborations — and how to turn one barter deal into a paying client.
Everything unlocks the moment you join — no waiting for drip dates, no schedule to keep up with. Do it in four weeks, or do it in one long weekend. Each module builds on the last, and it's yours to come back to for every trip after this one.
Understand exactly how the collab world works — what brands want, how to position yourself, and why your follower count is irrelevant.
Step by step, with my Canva template — so you have something real to send even with zero brand experience. Follow along and publish it the same day.
Learn where to find hotels and travel brands actively looking for creators — then send your first real pitch using my templates.
What to shoot, how to deliver it, and how to close every collab so it leads directly to the next — gifted stays, paid deals, or both.
The practical side nobody explains. If the collabs start turning into a life on the road — or even just longer trips — this is the admin sorted out for you: a four-week roadmap to get from where you are to your first month abroad, plus everything I wish someone had handed me before I booked that one-way ticket.
Not follower counts. Not vanity metrics. Actual replies from actual hotels — sent by people who had never pitched one before.
At the start of 2024, I sold everything I owned, packed a carry-on, and booked a one-way ticket to Nicaragua with one goal: combine work with my dream of seeing the world.
I started pitching hotels, Airbnbs, and travel brands — what began as a way to save on travel costs quickly became a full career. Ten months in, I'd collaborated with 50+ hospitality brands around the world. I had 450 followers when I started. No professional background. They never even asked to see my Instagram.
My portfolio did the talking.
Since then I've worked with 60+ hospitality and travel brands — free luxury stays, paid brand trips, safaris, manta ray dives, kite-surfing from yachts. Everything I know about how to do that is in this masterclass.
I'm very much a work in progress too. There are way more experienced people out there to learn from — and I mean that. But what I'm sharing here is my experience: what has actually helped me land hotel, resort, Airbnb and travel collabs all over the world, before I ever started showing up on social media. This isn't theory. It's what worked for me — and I'm sharing it in case it works for you too.
A single hotel collaboration saves you $300–$1,200+ in travel costs. The masterclass pays for itself several times over after your very first one.
One landed stay and it's already paid for itself
Working one-to-one with someone who has collaborated with 50+ hospitality brands runs $150–$300 an hour. Piecing this together yourself costs months of unanswered pitches. Here's what's actually in front of you:
You're not paying $909
One payment · Or two payments of $167 · This price only until August 31
Join the Masterclass — $297 →$412 worth of templates, systems and workshops — the shortcuts that took me two years and a lot of bad pitches to figure out. All of it lands in your account the minute you join.
My exact portfolio template — plug in your work, publish, pitch. Built alongside module two so you leave with something real.
Copy, personalise, send. Written to get replies from hotel PR teams and brand managers.
The four-week roadmap plus the admin nobody explains — documents, insurance, banking, miles, eSIMs and the packing list.
Stay organised across every pitch, follow-up and active collab — all in one place.
Know what to charge, how to present it, and how to invoice professionally from day one.
Write pitches, research brands, draft contracts and follow up faster — so you spend your time on the creative work instead.
$297 until August 31 · Instant access
After August 31 enrollment at $297 closes. I don't have a date for when I'll open the doors again, and I can't promise the price will be the same when I do — as the material grows, it's more likely to go up than down. If the timing is right for you, it's right now.
Pay in full or split it into two payments. Secure checkout, takes about two minutes.
Your access details land in your inbox straight away — with every module, template and bonus already unlocked.
No waiting for a start date. Work through it at your pace and have your portfolio live within days.
Work through the modules and send your pitches. If you don't land at least one free or barter hotel collaboration within 30 days, email me with your pitch documentation and I'll refund your $297 in full. Full terms are at the bottom of this page.
$297 until August 31 · Backed by the 30-day Landed-Collab Guarantee · Lifetime access
Backed by the 30-day Landed-Collab Guarantee · Instant access · Yours to keep forever
The Landed-Collab Guarantee is valid for 30 days from your date of purchase. To be eligible for a refund, you must: (1) complete all four course modules, (2) submit documented proof of having pitched to a minimum of 200 hotels, lodges, resorts, or hospitality brands, and (3) not have landed a collaboration during that period. Refund requests without proof of 200 pitches will not be processed. Send your refund request with documentation to contact@katjaloustudio.com.
Enrollment at the current price of $297 (or 2 × $167) closes August 31, 2026 at 23:59 CET. Katja Lou Studio makes no commitment as to when, or at what price, enrollment will reopen; the price may increase. The split payment option (2 × $167) will be charged automatically 30 days apart. All prices are in USD. By enrolling, you confirm you are 18 years or older.
Upon enrollment you receive immediate access to all course materials on Skool, plus all templates, resources, and bonuses — yours to keep permanently, including future updates. Content is for personal use only and may not be shared, resold, or redistributed. Katja Lou Studio reserves the right to update course materials at any time.
Results shared in testimonials represent individual experiences and are not guaranteed. Success depends on your effort, consistency, pitching volume, niche, and market factors outside our control. This is not a get-rich-quick program. This is not a UGC course. Katja Lou Studio is not responsible for agreements, negotiations, or outcomes between you and third-party hotels or brands.
By purchasing, you agree to these terms. For questions: contact@katjaloustudio.com