We recently connected with Janice Lim and have shared our conversation below.

Janice, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

My brand, Where’s Janice, aims to inspire people to step out of their comfort zone to try something new and ambitious.

So, how did this mission come about? I believe that travel has played a big role in shaping my dreams as I transitioned from college life into the working world. Growing up in a sheltered environment in Singapore made me curious about the world – different cultures, dramatic landscapes, and all its chaos.

One of the most impactful trips I’ve taken was my semester abroad in Los Angeles back in 2018, where I got my first taste of hiking and camping in California. It was the perfect introduction to the great outdoors, and I’ve never looked back. In fact, I was eagerly awaiting the opportunity to move here. Spoiler alert – I left my job in Singapore to start afresh here in the San Francisco Bay Area.

So many amazing things have happened for me when I stepped out of my comfort zone, daring to dream of conquering greater heights. I believe that people can get a taste of this empowering feeling when they experience adventure travel, and Where’s Janice is here to help them make the trip happen.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights, and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that, can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

Where’s Janice includes a travel blog, Youtube channel, and Instagram platform. Through sharing travel itineraries, outdoor tips (hiking and camping), and off the beaten path destination ideas, I encourage my audience to explore and connect with nature when they travel, and find personal growth in the process. For example, you could be snowshoeing to a backcountry hut in California, staying in a nomadic yurt in Mongolia, or cafe-hopping on a volcanic island in South Korea.

My blog first came about when I was trying to write a road trip packing list for my family, and I had lots of fun teaching and sharing my passion through my website. Then, I realized that writing about my trips in the form of itineraries was perfect for showing photos and detailed instructions to my friends and acquaintances. Eventually, I continued writing as I found it rewarding  to have strangers benefiting from my guides too.

Wherever I go in the world, I always bring my adventurous spirit, my trusty camera, and an open mind. Brands and tourism boards look to me for high quality content (photos/videos/articles) and an engaged audience that is eager to discover new hidden gems.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

When the opportunity came for my husband and I to move to California, I found myself staring down two different paths. Should I take a career break to pursue my dream of creating content for the Where’s Janice brand, or should I just continue working to climb the corporate ladder?

It was an incredibly rare opportunity that would significantly change the trajectory of my life, and I was only 27 years old at the time. This was one of the most difficult decisions I’ve had to make, because that meant giving up a high-paying salary and the prestige it brings. Culturally, that’s a big no-no.

With some savings, I took a giant leap of faith to double down on my business. Pivoting into a new career and life stage is always going to be messy, and I am grateful for it no matter how things play out.

My biggest takeaway so far is that in whatever you do, you have to choose to be happy. If not, happiness will always elude you no matter which path you take.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

Before starting this business, I would consider myself a non-creative, and have always been on the science and math side in school and at work. At the time, doing something analytical and technical felt like the respectable thing because it felt like “real work”. I’m not sure I speak for all the non-creatives, but one thing they might struggle to understand is the value that creatives bring in their work.

To me, moving from a non-creative to a creative has caused me to be more attentive to the problems and questions in my sphere of influence that are waiting to be resolved. In some ways, it also taught me to look away from serving myself to finding ways to serve other people. Being a creative is an incredible way to create value and solve problems for other people. The bigger the impact you have, the bigger the reward – which results in a virtuous cycle.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://wheresjanice.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/wheresjanice
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/wheresjanice
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@wheresjanice

Image Credits
Janice Lim