Today we’d like to introduce you to Sydney Gill.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was born and raised in Lake Mary, FL and ended up going to college at Florida State University. Studied Marketing and Professional Selling and decided to pursue a career in Tech Sales. So I moved to Austin, TX immediately out of undergrad. I made my way from Business Development Representative to Account Executive to Commercial Account Executive. I fell in love with technology and decided to go back for a second degree. I currently work remote and recently started grad school at FSU getting my MBA in Management Information Systems. That is the technical path I took to get to where I am today. I like to say there is another reason I ended up where I am today. Back in college, I studied abroad in London. I had never really been outside of North America so heading to Europe on my own was huge. I fell in love with being outside of my comfort zone and traveled all around Europe that summer. It’s safe to say I literally haven’t stopped since. I’ve been to over 15 countries and counting and can’t wait to explore more. Since then, I’ve worked on the side helping teach people how to travel on a budget and plan vacations for some people.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Moving to a foreign country when I’ve never even moved houses as a kid was definitely a culture shock but I would consider it a good obstacle. Same as moving to Austin when I was 21 and fresh out of college. I didn’t know a single person but was eager for a fresh start. Putting myself outside of my comfort zone is one of my favorite things to do, it helps me grow. The challenge when you do that is never quite feeling at home. Since I work remote, I’ve been able to move around quite a bit and although I’m thankful for the flexibility and adventures, it’s sometimes hard to feel like I have roots planted anywhere.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I do work professionally for a tech company. I work as a Commercial Account Executive which is a fancy word for technology sales. I love what I do professionally but I’ve been working on some side projects as well. Since studying abroad back in 2017, I’ve been focusing a lot on traveling myself as well as helping other people be able to travel. I started traveling when I was working as a server to get myself through school. I learned how to budget and also tons of travel hacks in order to travel for cheap! I post a lot of travel content on my TikTok and Instagram that hopefully helps teach people how to travel on a budget and share my experiences. I also have been hired by a few people to all out plan vacations for them. They’re able to give me a budget and we chat about some things they’re wanting to do while on vacation and I’m able to come up with an itinerary that fits their interests and their budget! Sometimes people just don’t know where to start when it comes to planning a vacation and that’s where I come in!
What does success mean to you?
I feel like success is so hard to determine and it’s very circumstantial. I try to focus on the small day to day things. I feel successful when I feel like I’ve made a difference in the world. Whether that was teaching someone something new about travel, taking the stress off of them by planning their trip for them or just inspiring people to get out there and see the world!
Contact Info:
- Email: sydneygill14@gmail.com
- Instagram: @sydneygill__
- Other: tiktok: @sydgill_
