My name is Marla Jensen, and for most of my adult life, I worked as a medical secretary in a mid-sized hospital in Oslo. It wasn’t a glamorous job, but it paid the bills and gave me some stability after my divorce. I had no experience with programming, no dreams of launching a business, and certainly no knowledge of Website Development. But everything changed in 2020, when the pandemic hit and my department was restructured. I was laid off with nothing but a modest severance package and a growing sense of fear. With my savings dwindling and no job prospects, I decided to turn my long-time passion for sustainable travel into something more serious.

I’d been writing travel journals and sharing them on forums for years—small pieces about eco-lodges in Costa Rica, hiking routes in Iceland, or zero-waste travel tips. One day, a friend said, “Why don’t you just start your own website?” At first, I laughed. I had no technical background. But when I started researching how people create travel blogs, I stumbled across JoomlaHBS.com. At first, I wasn’t sure—most people around me were using WordPress. But Joomla’s flexibility caught my attention, especially when I saw the Hospitality Booking System (HBS) components. They weren’t just for hotels—they could be used to build curated trip booking sites, complete with calendars, payment processing, and room details. I had a lightbulb moment. Maybe I could combine storytelling with functionality. Maybe I could design travel experiences for others.

Learning Joomla wasn’t instant magic. I spent countless late nights watching tutorials, reading forums, and testing templates. The beauty of Joomla HBS was that it let me experiment without destroying the entire structure. I started by building a simple site that listed eco-friendly guesthouses I had personally visited. I wrote in-depth reviews and added images, then realized I could actually connect with those places to offer direct booking options through the HBS system. Within months, I wasn’t just telling stories—I was facilitating real experiences. The dynamic pricing options allowed my partners to adjust rates depending on season, and I handled all of that on their behalf. Slowly, I was building a business.

I became obsessed with learning more. I didn’t stop at basic modules. I learned how to embed custom fields, create menu hierarchies, and install SEO plugins to help my site appear on Google searches. I tracked traffic, studied bounce rates, and tweaked page loading speeds. This was no longer a blog. It was a living, breathing project, and I had full control of it. Joomla HBS taught me the core logic of how digital tools work together, and without even noticing, I dove headfirst into the world of Website Development. I started to feel proud not just of my content, but of the digital infrastructure I had built from scratch.

A breakthrough came when I launched a specialized “Green Retreats” section, featuring handpicked locations in Scandinavia. I used the Extras Component to allow users to book yoga classes, vegan meals, or guided meditation sessions alongside their accommodation. I used the Guest Comments module to feature verified reviews. And best of all, the Booking List Component gave me full visibility into who was booking what, and when. I didn’t just host content—I managed bookings for five different retreats, all through my website. The income I generated from commissions not only covered my expenses—it finally made me independent.

Eventually, word got out. Small eco-tourism brands started contacting me to help them set up similar booking platforms. Some had never had an online presence; others had outdated, clunky systems. I began offering consulting and basic Website Development services using Joomla HBS. My clients loved that they didn’t need to code or hire an expensive developer. I showed them how to manage their own availability, add seasonal promotions, and collect deposits. Every project deepened my understanding of how to build better, faster, and more scalable websites. I was no longer just a travel writer—I was a tech-savvy strategist helping niche businesses grow.

Today, my platform supports over a dozen eco-destinations, from Norway to Portugal. My own story is featured in travel magazines and sustainability blogs. I’ve spoken at local entrepreneurship events, helping others—especially women over 40—realize that it’s never too late to pivot careers. What I’ve built wouldn’t have been possible without the architecture and flexibility of Joomla HBS. It was my gateway into a new life, a second career, and a personal reinvention I never thought possible. It wasn’t just about having a website—it was about mastering the principles of Website Development, and using them to craft something meaningful.

I look back at who I was in 2020—confused, jobless, unsure of the future—and I hardly recognize her. Today, I wake up every morning energized, with new ideas and client messages waiting in my inbox. The digital world once seemed intimidating, but now it’s my arena. JoomlaHBS.com gave me the tools, but more importantly, it gave me the confidence to build—and keep building. And that, to me, is the real power of Website Development.