Daily Inspiration: Meet Lisa Niver

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa Niver.

Hi Lisa, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My path has never been linear — it’s been full of pivots, reinventions, and unexpected opportunities. I often describe it as chutes and ladders rather than a straight climb, but every step has shaped the work I do today.

I began my career teaching science, then followed my love of travel and scuba diving to work on cruise ships and at Club Med. Those experiences taught me that the world itself could be a classroom. I started writing about what I was learning on the road, which eventually led me to launch We Said Go Travel, a platform dedicated to storytelling, culture, and courageous exploration.

In September 2023, I published my memoir, Brave-ish: One Breakup, Six Continents, and Feeling Fearless After Fifty. Since then, I’ve spent the past two years on book tour — speaking at scuba diving conferences, women’s events, bookstores, libraries, and travel shows around the world. The book has now received 12 awards and recognitions, and my YouTube channel has grown to nearly 2.6 million views.

Alongside the book, my storytelling has expanded across TV, digital, and audio. My 24-minute Ireland travel television special aired on The Jet Set TV, reaching 554 million viewers and earning a Telly Award, a Platinum DotCOMM Award, and First Place at the Southern California Journalism Awards. Overall, my work has been recognized with 13 wins and 42 finalist nominations across journalism, television, podcasting, and publishing.

Looking back, the common thread through every chapter has been resilience and curiosity — a willingness to say yes, start again, and keep moving forward even when the map wasn’t clear. What began as a love of travel has become a multi-platform career rooted in storytelling, connection, and helping others see what’s possible at every stage of life.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Not at all — it’s been more like a bumpy road with breathtaking views.

When I dropped out of medical school, many people thought I was making a huge mistake. Later, the cruise line I was working for went bankrupt just seven days after 9/11, and suddenly the travel career I loved disappeared overnight. I wasn’t sure if I’d ever work in travel again.

Years later, after building a life abroad, my marriage ended and I came home to start over. At first, I felt like I had failed. But over time, I realized that choosing yourself — and choosing change — can actually be a form of success.

Rebuilding wasn’t easy, but it became the foundation for everything that followed: my book, my videos, my journalism, and a life that feels deeply aligned. That experience is at the heart of Brave-ish — the “ish.” You don’t have to be fearless to begin again. You just have to take the next step.

It hasn’t been a straight path, but the twists, falls, climbs, and restarts have shaped both my courage and my storytelling. And I’ve learned that sometimes the ladder back up begins exactly where you thought the game was over.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
At the core of my work is storytelling that connects adventure with meaning. I’m a journalist, author, television host, and creator who specializes in experiential travel, reinvention, and the moments that change how we see ourselves and the world.

Scuba diving changed my life. The first time I looked up from underwater and saw sunlight shimmering above a coral reef, I understood that exploration isn’t just about movement — it’s about perspective. That sense of wonder has guided everything I’ve done since. From diving in the Caribbean to expedition travel in Antarctica, walking with polar bears on safari with Churchill Wild, and sailing through Tahiti with Windstar, I seek out experiences that invite curiosity, courage, and connection.

What I’m known for is translating those experiences into stories that feel accessible and human. I don’t just report where I go — I focus on how travel transforms us. My work spans print, digital, television, and audio, including my memoir Brave-ish, my Make Your Own Map podcast, my We Said Go Travel platform, and award-winning television segments like my Ireland special on The Jet Set TV.

I’m especially proud of the scale and impact of this work. My storytelling has reached millions of readers and viewers, earned twelve book awards, a Telly Award, and multiple journalism honors, and helped open doors for other writers and creators through mentorship and collaboration. But what matters most to me are the messages from women who say, “I thought my moment had passed — and then I tried.”

What sets me apart is that I lead with curiosity instead of fearlessness. I don’t present myself as an expert who has it all figured out; I show what it looks like to begin anyway. Whether I’m diving beneath the surface, stepping onto a glacier, or telling stories on stage or on screen, my goal is always the same: to remind people that adventure, creativity, and reinvention are available at any age — and that the magic of discovery often starts with saying yes.

Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
Community and gratitude anchor everything I do.

I serve on the board of Stephen Wise Temple, my spiritual home for most of my life. It’s where I became a Bat Mitzvah, where I was married, and where I later returned to discuss my book. Shabbat services ground me — they slow me down, create space for reflection, and remind me what truly matters.

My memoir Brave-ish was published on September 19, 2023. Just days later, October 7 changed the world. As a Jewish author, writer, and traveler, it was profoundly disorienting — to release a story about courage, curiosity, and reinvention at a moment when safety itself felt uncertain. I found myself asking hard questions: how to show up, how to speak, who to trust, and how to continue moving through the world with openness when fear and grief were suddenly so close.

In the months that followed, my synagogue community became a place of strength and solace. Through prayer, presence, and collective care, we held space for grief, hope, and the long wait for hostages to come home. I am deeply grateful for those who have returned, and for the reminder that resilience is not abstract — it is lived, together, in community.

At the heart of my travels, my writing, my teaching, and my storytelling is gratitude: for the chance to create, to connect across cultures, and to keep learning from this extraordinary classroom we all share — the world. Even in moments of uncertainty, I believe in the power of stories to build empathy and help us find our footing again.

I’m thankful to be part of a community that lifts one another up, especially when the ground feels unsteady. And I hope everyone reading this finds — or creates — a space where they feel seen, supported, and brave enough to keep growing.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.wesaidgotravel.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisaniver/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisa.niver/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisaellenniver/
• Twitter: https://x.com/lisaniver
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LisaNiver
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lisaniver
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/wesaidgotravel/
• Other: https://lisaniver.com/braveish/