Swiss Family Fun

When Tanya Deans and her husband moved to Switzerland for work, there was initial excitement. After all, they were in a new country, full of natural beauty and new experiences awaiting them. What could go wrong?

“I quickly realized it wasn’t easy,” says Tanya. “I didn’t speak the language. I didn’t have many friends. I didn’t have my job anymore. I didn’t really know what to do with myself.”

Faced with a new life in a new country, Tanya decided to turn these initial difficulties into an opportunity. As she started to meet other expats, she realized she wasn’t the only one trying to build a new life for her family in Switzerland. All of them had a deep desire to experience this new country — but the amount of information out there in English was minimal.

“The internet was so young in those days that people were actually passing around booklets full of handwritten information about things to do in Switzerland,” says Tanya.

Drawing on her background in tech, Tanya decided to take matters into her own hands. She had already started documenting her experiences in Switzerland on her personal blog — but what if she also included all these tips she was learning from other families on the blog? After all, she wasn’t alone in feeling a bit of culture shock, so other expats could certainly benefit from this information.

“Swiss Family Fun soon became this beautiful creative project for me. It gave me an excuse to get out of the house and explore, and to connect with people along the way,” says Tanya. “The goal initially was simply to share information about fun things to do in Switzerland — but after years of publishing, I inevitably wondered if there was a way to earn a living from this site that I was putting so much time into.”

A friend with a large YouTube following suggested Tanya try ads, but she was initially resistant. Wouldn’t that annoy her users and detract from the experience? But her friend assured her that ads were just a given on the modern internet — and could be a powerful way for her to take advantage of her site’s growing traffic.

After over a decade in a brand new country, Tanya had gotten used to taking chances — so she decided to go for it, and support her site with ads.

Today, Swiss Family Fun is a one-woman operation. Tanya appreciates how this allows the blog to be the product of her singular vision, without having to compromise.

“It's really satisfying to build the site out and build it exactly the way I want it,” says Tanya. “I'm not getting a budget from a committee that decides whether the site is worth funding or not. If I create great content that people respond to, it's immediately apparent to me because the traffic grows — and that means that the site is useful and people want to use it.”

Still, Tanya likes the idea of using her ad revenue to add a few new team members and take a bit of work off her plate. “Bringing in maybe two or three other people with different skill sets or with children at different ages from mine would just round out the kind of content we can offer.”

Tanya also hopes to add a more comprehensive range of content, including ebooks, itineraries, interactive maps — a full package of services that can help any family plan every detail of their next trip to Switzerland.

“I love this country so much,” says Tanya. “I want everyone to enjoy it. I know how special it can be to come here and see all these new things — different culture, gorgeous natural beauty. Switzerland really gives you the space and the setting to connect with your family through gorgeous outdoor experiences — and I’m so grateful my blog is helping families make those lasting memories.”

“At the end of the day, I feel like I’m adding something really good in the world. I'm creating a real positive community and the money that I earn enables me to continue to do that work without having to get another job. I feel so fortunate.”