Today we’d like to introduce you to Erica Schermerhorn.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I grew up in a very small town in Upstate New York where I was not exposed to many cultures and hardly traveled outside of the immediate area. In 2014, my friend Brittney and I decided to book a vacation to the Dominican Republic, and that was the trip that changed my life. Once I traveled outside of the country and realized that there was a whole world to explore, I knew that there was no going back to the small town lifestyle I had always known.
I started out at a community college and then transferred to SUNY Plattsburgh where I received my Bachelor’s Degree in International Business with a Marketing minor. As I was walking along the campus one of the first weeks of school, I noticed a table set up for a studying abroad program which immediately sparked my interest. After a couple of applications and much deliberation on where to travel to, I eventually ended up studying at Griffith College of Dublin in Ireland. This study abroad program was the best thing I could have ever done for myself. While studying abroad, I learned how to feel comfortable and confident in myself and my decisions, which in turn helped me learn so much more through traveling. I traveled to four other countries alone while I was in Ireland and I strongly believe that this has helped shape me into the person that I am today. Through all of this solo travel, I have learned to always trust your gut, do what makes you happy, and that life is not all about how much money you can make, but how many lives you can touch along the way.
I am now moving across the country to Scottsdale, Arizona where I have accepted a job as an Account Management Representative for EVC Scottsdale. I will be taking a road trip to get there and have decided to set up another travel goal for myself once realizing that I have been to quite a few states. I have been to 22 states so far and have the goal of hitting all 50 by the time I’m 25, which I know sounds excessive but I plan on taking full advantage of having weekends to myself.
Traveling to 9 countries and 22 states at 23 years old has shown me that if I want to explore and learn more about the world then I am more than capable of doing so if I just work hard enough and have the confidence in myself. I had the fear of leaving the small town I grew up in for so long because I didn’t realize the drive that I had within myself. All it takes is a little bit of courage, some money, and a free spirit to be willing to go with the flow and the world really is your oyster. It’s incredible how many people you can meet and how many stories you will hear if you just open your eyes and ears while venturing around.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Getting to where I am today has not always been easy. I did not grow up in a family that travels often, and I still am the only person in my immediate family with a passport. I remember telling my family about the first trip I booked outside of the country and how many times they told me that it was not safe and that I should not go. Listening to everyone live in fear of the outside world only made me more curious. Every time my family tried to scare me away from traveling abroad because of what was going on in the world, it lit some kind of fire in me to go over and show them that there is nothing to be afraid of.
My advice for women of any age is to get out there and see the world for yourself! We live in an age where we are safer than ever before when it comes to traveling and we need to take full advantage of it. With the amount of globalization and trading that we live in, it is crazy not to want to learn about the different cultures we are doing business with. If it is your first time traveling alone I recommend using Google and Instagram and finding blogs/posts from other people that have gone to the places you are interested in seeing. I also use Air BnB to find hostels or rooms to rent out from people local to the area which has always been so much fun! Air BnB also offers experiences in certain areas now and I highly recommend checking it out! I have made pizza with an Italian chef in Italy and took a bartending class in Barcelona, Spain, both memories I will cherish forever! I always use the website https://travel.state.gov before heading out to see what it is I should be aware of and never bring anything flashy with me. The best way to avoid being a target of petty crimes is to blend in and try to be one with the country or area you are visiting. I know it is easy to be afraid of the unknown, but it truly is worth getting over that fear because the possibilities of learning are endless.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about your business – what should we know?
I have been serving in restaurants for the last eight years and started bartending three years ago. I believe that working in restaurants has helped my communication skills tremendously and has given me so many opportunities to meet many different people. Restaurant work is not easy and having to deal with people every day can be tiring, but the customers, co-workers, and bosses that become your second family are all worth it. I believe that after years of knowing people through the restaurant that I can consider many customers friends that I can lean on if ever needed, and that is something really special to me.
My next adventure has allowed me to try a new line of work where I will be an Account Management Representative and working in the sales field. I am very excited to start this journey and confident that the skills I have acquired from the last eight years in the restaurant industry will be beneficial to my success.
What’s the most important piece of advice you could give to a young woman just starting her career?
Go for it. Do not let anything or anyone hold you back. You owe it to yourself to do what makes you happy, even if that means moving 3000 miles away. If you fail, at least you can say you tried rather than always wondering what could have been!
Contact Info:
- Email: esche006@gmail.com
- Instagram: travelamericawitherica
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