We recently connected with Erin Thomas and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Erin, thanks for joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

I have taken two major risks in my life, both of which proved to be two of the best decisions I’ve ever made and both laid the foundation for the incredible life I’m living- and multi-six figure international business I’m running- now. I’ll focus on the first one here.

The first risk…I was 24. I had just graduated from graduate school and landed my ‘dream job’ at an advertising agency, the youngest exec they’d ever hired. I had a corner office with not one, but two, windows. I wore cute suits and heels every day. I was ‘the’ person for a national account and I was paid really well for a new professional. I had everything I’d ever wanted in a job and then some, then envy of most of my friends. Living the dream.

I hated it. All of it. The long commute in God awful traffic. The being stuck inside all day, ever day, while the sun was shining- teasing me- on the other side of my floor to ceiling windows. The hard work I was doing only to make a large, national company even more ridiculously wealthy, but with no real impact or legacy to be proud of. It felt like dying a slow death. ‘There’s GOT to be more than this,’ I would often think to myself. One early summer midday, about three months in, I took my lunch to a nearby art festival. I sat on a bench in the warm sun, watching the people around me. The artists and vendors selling their wares…The sunburnt vacationers taking a day off from the beach…Other business folks opting to spend their lunch breaks in the fresh air.

An hour later, as I arrived back at my office complex and pulled into my parking spot- third from the curb, it had my name on it- I caught a glimpse of the big, brown dumpster at the far end of the lot. As I shifted into park, something inside me shifted, too. In that instant- truly, not a moment before then- I made a decision that would change the entire trajectory of my life. I hurriedly made my way to the dumpster, crawling up and over into it- still in my cute suit and heels that I’d recently spent nearly an entire paycheck buying- to fish out a perfect-sized cardboard box. It was so perfect it’s as if it had been placed there just for me to find. With my box under one arm and my briefcase in the other hand, I made my way to my office where I proceeded to load my three picture frames, two plants and a few personal office supplies from my middle desk drawer into my perfect box. I didn’t even look back at the office as I switched off the wretched florescent light and closed the door behind me. I stopped in my boss’s office on my way out the door. ‘I’m so sorry that I’m not going to give you any notice because I know that’s the professional thing to do, but I just can’t. I can’t stay here one single day longer. I wish you all the best.’ To this day, I can’t recall his reply- or if he even replied at all.

I called my then-new husband from my giant ‘Zack Morris-style’ cell phone when I got in the car. ‘I’ve done something, but don’t worry, I have a plan.’ That was 20 years ago.

And just to not leave you hanging, the second life-changing risk I thank my lucky stars that I took was moving overseas for the first time 12 years ago. As an only child with parents who definitely did not support the decision, this was huge. And it elevated everything- in my marriage, my parenting, my self-awareness, my confidence, my business. We’ve now traveled to 51 countries and are enjoying our third stint in Europe. I am passionate about helping folks with interests in expat living or travel achieve their dreams.

Erin, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

The biggest piece of advice I can give for attracting your target and growing your community/clientele is showing up in every facet of your life exactly as YOURSELF every single day from Day 1. Throw away the masks. Ignore the shoulds, the rules and the naysayers. The key to longterm business success and sustainability is making sure that you FEEL good in it- that your days feel how you want them to feel, that your years look how you want them to look, that your relationships fill you the way you want them to…I have found that when things start feeling ‘off kilter’ in my brand, it’s often as easy as doing a quick audit to determine where I’m not heeding my own advice and making the necessary shifts to get back to ME, trusting that the right people will always find me.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is the grey area. Here’s what I mean. Things like math and science- they have right and wrong answers, correct ways to do things and incorrect ways, black and white. Writing isn’t like that. There are so many beautiful, imperfect ways to create. No two projects are ever the same because there are so many variables that goes into quality messaging- to quality brands. Not only are there so many different types of writing and writing projects, but even within similar types, there’s still so much room for play. The client’s goals, brand strategy, tone, voice, target audience…These all factor in to create something truly unique, and ideally, lasting. There’s no black and white- only delicious shades of grey.

Contact Info:

• Website: erinthomascommunications.com, whittergroupllc.com
• Instagram: @IamErinThomas
• Facebook: @IamErinThomas
• Linkedin: @IamErinThomas