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One of the main goals of the Positivity Pledge blog is to share ideas related to bucket list activities, easy adventures, and healthy habits.

As part of our Bucket List & Inspiration Interview Series, we interviewed inspirational figures who revealed their all-time favorite meaningful activities. These life-changing moments of awe can help you refresh your own life as early as tomorrow. This month’s edition features eight inspirational role models from the greater Phoenix, Arizona area!

In this article, you’ll learn how entrepreneurial go-getters bring meaning and joy into their everyday lives. Each of the individuals revealed:

1. Their mission in life.
2. How they change the world via their blog, business, or brand.
3. Their favorite meaningful activity located in the Southwest.

As you’ll come to find out, the list of individuals below have a true passion for lifting others up. While they come from different backgrounds, industries, and life choices, all of them have been chosen for a very important reason: they learned how to build the life of their dreams.

If you’re looking for activities that provide meaning in your life, or are curious about the greater Phoenix area in general, read on to learn from some of the most popular entrepreneurs, bloggers, coaches, and influencers located in the Southwest.

Ready to launch a worthwhile weekend?

Go light a candle, make a pot of tea, and watch your dreams soar as you add new fulfilling experiences to next weekend’s itinerary.

1. Meet Andrea Blake (Blogger)

Andrea Blake is the founder and creator of Southwest Sampler based in Phoenix, Arizona. The goal of Southwest Sampler is to allow audience members to experience the best in the southwest: from adventurous road trips, relaxing resort and budget friendly hotel stays, hiking trails, restaurant favorites and more. 

Southwest Sampler was started as a blog in 2016 under the name of andreablake.online and soon after adopted the new name, Southwest Sampler. This name was created to help increase the understanding of what the business is all about – sampling everything in the southwest so that people like you can experience it for yourself.  

As the business grew a social presence, Andrea came to understand that she enjoyed presenting the “why”. Why would you want to visit this hiking trail? Why does this hotel stand out above the rest in the area? Among presenting the “why;” Andrea also loved giving helpful information to utilize during your experience for a smooth adventure ahead. Over the span of six years, Southwest Sampler has grown to become a space where audience members can go to plan their next outing of any kind knowing that the information given is true to Andrea’s personal experience.

Thank you for being here today! What is one meaningful adventure, bucket list experience, or activity you’d recommend to others that can be completed in the Greater Phoenix Area? This is a great question! With so many activities to choose from and an array of individuals who prefer an experience catered to them, I would highly recommend taking a look at my social channels as the @southwestsampler Instagram “Highlights” and / or TikTok “Playlists” are there to help create an experience that best fits everything they are looking for. Through these I have created numerous experiences for them to look through and therefore create an adventure of their own. You can follow Andrea on TikTok, Insta, or Youtube. Follow along to indulge, experience and explore all of what the southwest has to offer!

2. Aiesha Beasley (Content Creator/Social Media Influencer)

Aiesha is a prominent social media influencer and is proud to highlight the best places in Arizona, not only to support local businesses, but to also inspire the masses to explore and see the beauty of Arizona!   

Thank you for being here today! What is one meaningful adventure, bucket list experience, or activity you’d recommend to others that can be completed in the Greater Phoenix Area? One place I absolutely love is hiking Superstition Mountain! I went with my roommate and it’s one of the most beautiful hikes I’ve ever been on! I would say it’s one of the best hikes in the greater Phoenix area. It’s not too challenging and you will get gorgeous views! You can follow Aiesha on Insta or TikTok.

3. Meet Nadine Bubeck (Blogger)

Nadine is a TV News anchor turned all things mama (boy mom X3!). Nadine is a parenting, lifestyle and travel contributor on TV and for a handful of publications and websites. Nadine’s insight and expertise has been featured on numerous national and regional broadcast, print and online outlets. Nadine’s goal, as a travel go-to and guru, is to inspire, educate and empower families to take the trip.

Thank you for being here today! What is one meaningful adventure, bucket list experience, or activity you’d recommend to others that can be completed in the Greater Phoenix Area? There are many answers to this question as the Valley has so much to offer; it’s a fantastic place to raise a family and get outside. The cliche answers- and all bucket-list-worthy- are attending Spring Training, hiking Camelback, experiencing a swoon-worthy staycation, or bringing your kids to the McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park. However, to think outside the box and get a feel for the wild west, my family loves going to MacDonald’s Ranch in Scottsdale. Sure, it’s known for the fall season of hayrides, pumpkin patches and pony rides, but it’s actually a great place to visit all year round (excluding the dead of summer). The property offers pony/horse rides, a petting zoo, and an adorable western village for plenty of photo opps. (It’s the perfect place to sport your cowboy boots!) My boys love horses– I even think my middle is a horse whisperer- so it’s definitely become a meaningful place for us. In addition, we’ve had the kids’ birthday parties on property… so plenty of memories! In fact, just a few weeks ago we visited the property and got to get up-close and personal with baby horses- adorable!

You can follow Nadine on Insta, her lifestyle blog, or her travel blog.

4. Meet Sam (Blogger)

Sam is the founder of My Flying Leap, which is a passion project integrating Sam’s experience with writing, social media management, SEO, and project management. 

Thank you for being here today! What is one meaningful adventure, bucket list experience, or activity you’d recommend to others that can be completed in the Greater Phoenix Area? One of the most incredible things I’ve done in the Phoenix area is going on a hot air balloon ride. I wanted to do one for years, however, I’m very afraid of heights. Honestly, because of my fear, I thought I’d never go.

A friend invited me to do it a few years ago as he was offered a ride by a business he was working with. Well, I thought, here goes nothing!

We planned a sunrise flight and were up at 4 a.m. to go, only to get a call a short while later that it was canceled due to weather. Was it a sign? We planned for the following weekend and took off without a hitch.

Was I scared? You bet! But, it was the most incredible experience soaring above the desert mountains I’ve grown to love over the last decade of living in Phoenix. Watching the sun rise over the city took my breath away. I was so in awe that I quickly forgot about my fear and enjoyed the moment.

It was amazing to see an area I know so well from above like that, and once I got used to the rhythm of the ride, it was so relaxing. The ride was incredibly smooth, and it was interesting to watch the gal who flew it and how much control she had over the balloon.

Not only did I gain a new appreciation of the beauty of my hometown, but I made the choice to conquer a fear of mine to do something that was a bucket-list dream for me. I’m still afraid of heights, but I’d do it again in a second!

You can follow Sam on her blog or Insta or Facebook.

5. Meet Van Thu Nguyen (Life and Career Coaching)

Van Thu Nguyen is the Founder of Envisionary Studio, Personal Empowerment Coach at Revival You LLC, Event Producer of Soar High Marketing Seminar Series, Executive Contributor for Brainz Magazine, and brand ambassador for wellness and quality business brands. She was a trendsetter and model, walking the runways for fashion icons, and the face of beauty and fashion campaigns. Soon after she became an event assistant for a 360 entertainment firm handling red carpet events for Hollywood’s A-Listers. Then as a project manager helped close a $1+M contract. In 2016, she launched messageNOW which made the TOP 10 BEST PR list in LA. Her work and expertise have been featured in numerous press outlets. 

Currently, Van is using her collective experience to build brands in many industries, including biohacking, dentistry, motion pictures, and publishing. With 5+ years of experience in Public Relations, she developed a special knack for successfully promoting and selling out live events, coordinating high-value video and photography shoots, booking publicity tours, and managing red carpet events for the world’s most photographed clients including Kim Kardashian, Khloe Kardashian, Kourtney Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Forest Whitaker, and All-4-One.

What is one meaningful adventure, bucket list experience, or activity you’d recommend to others that can be completed in the Greater Phoenix Area? (Please highlight why it was meaningful and how it changed your life for the better).

The hikes in Arizona are a different experience altogether compared to other states I’ve hiked in. There are so many great trails, one that I remember doing when I first moved there was hole-in-the-rock trail at Papago Park. When I hike I feel at peace. My life can be extremely busy and I love that I can turn everything off and be present when I hike. It is a great reminder to enjoy the journey and soak things in. It’s also great for thinking up fresh ideas. I love that this hike has a great view and the red rocks  are beautiful to me. You can contact Van Thu on Insta.

6. Meet Telma Sanchez (Life Coach)

Telma is a bilingual life coach and is proud of helping busy working parents rediscover & unleash their potential to better show up in all areas of life! 

Thank you for being here today! What is one meaningful adventure, bucket list experience, or activity you’d recommend to others that can be completed in the Greater Phoenix Area? The activity that I am most proud of completing in the Phoenix Area is the Flat Iron Hike. I love being outdoors and hiking is my happy place. I often hike for fun and to be with myself. The Flat Iron hike is considered the most challenging hike in the Phoenix Area. It is long and it does come with some tricky spots, but it also provides amazing views, time to reflect, and a great challenge that gives you the opportunity to prove to yourself how much grit you have. If you can complete the hardest hike in Phoenix, what else could you do if you put your mind to it? This is exactly how this hike changed my life! You can follow Telma here.

7. Meet Jana Tingom (Blogger)

Jana Tingom, along with her family, publish Phoenix With Kids. Phoenix with Kids shares over 400+ things to do in the Phoenix Metro area, as well as dozens of posts highlighting Arizona based destinations. They have been blogging and sharing on social media since 2013, becoming one of the best resources for local and visiting families! 

Thank you for being here today! What is one meaningful adventure, bucket list experience, or activity you’d recommend to others that can be completed in the Greater Phoenix Area? Hiking is one of our favorite ways to truly enjoy Phoenix! There are so many amazing trails, from paved nature strolls to challenging paths, that give a closer look at plant and animal life. Phoenix may be in the desert, but the desert is alive! Hiking by tall saguaros, vibrant green Palo verde trees, or even admiring the contrast of brown earth against blue sky really changes our perspective on what survives and thrives in the Sonoran Desert. It’s truly a place like no other! You can follow Jana and her family on her blog or on social media (Insta or Facebook).

8. Meet Raquel Thoesen (Blogger)

Raquel owns a tea blog, Steeped Dreams, through which she shares reviews, tips, and interesting tidbits for casual tea drinkers. Since starting my tea blog in January 2021, Raquel has attended the World Tea Expo, shared insight on a leading tea industry online publication, and made countless connections with tea entrepreneurs and small businesses globally.

Thank you for being here today! What is one meaningful adventure, bucket list experience, or activity you’d recommend to others that can be completed in the Greater Phoenix Area? On the topic of tea, I’d recommend that people check out a local tea room for a taste of real tea and for a new experience. My personal favorite is called Drink Me! Tea Room in Tempe, which has a modern vibe, absolutely adorable Alice in Wonderland themed desserts, and a lovely staff. You can follow Raquel on her blog.

Key Takeaway

In the words of Mona Lisa Nyman, one thing they all of the figures above have in common is that they CHOOSE to live a positive life (and are on a personal mission to encourage others to do the same).

My hope for you is that you now have the confidence to start your own exciting adventure that inspires you, which in turn, inspires others.

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