Develop a new passion abroad

Do the thing, create the business! The only time you have is now. If you have a dream, go for it now. Don’t wait for the perfect moment. Your passion can make you money and change the world. If you feel like something is missing, take a chance and pursue a new passion abroad. Remember, creating your niche takes time and effort, but there’s no better time to start than now. Believe in yourself and take the leap. I’m here to help you find your passion and start your business.

By Jennifer Dryer

@solymargoddess

Creating both of my international platforms—the Solymar Boutique and the Riviera Models—was the best decision I could’ve made, intermixing my talents, passions and business-savvy mindset all into these platforms. But most importantly, what makes what I am doing successful is that my passion for what I am creating radiates from me and that it’s noticeable. It spreads, and it helps the business grow at the same time.

But it didn’t just grow over time. It all started with getting to know myself, getting out of my comfort zone and connecting with newfound passion when living in a new city or country. Now, let me give you a little backstory about myself. I have my bachelor’s degree in clinical exercise science from Grand Valley State University, Michigan. After graduation, I became a physical therapy technician for five years. I also started freelance personal training during this time. In that fifth year, I decided I needed a change of scenery and went contingent at the therapy department. I then became an international flight attendant for a regional airline that worked with Delta. Amongst these professional endeavors of mine, I created my online platforms to start sharing my experiences, from my education in personal training and physical therapy to globe-trotting as a FA, and people started to catch on and enjoy my content. I first had my influencer platform as a side hustle, but after much grind, consistency and persistence, I grew it into what it is now. 

When my husband and I bought a house five years ago in Tulum, Mexico, I knew this would be another incredible opportunity to expand my network and passions. My deepest passion is ocean conservation. The real reason I became a flight attendant was so I could travel on my time off to scuba dive around the world, without knowing the intense daily unknown schedules that the company would give us. One minute I’m on reserve and not working, the next I have to pack up for a five-day trip. Being a flight attendant is no joke; it definitely built my character and appreciation for the flight crew. 

It’s so interesting to see how life guides us. As a little girl, my dad would use bait fish from when he went fishing, so I could go swimming with the fish in our above-ground pool in Detroit. My love and curiosity for marine life and our oceans sparked from there. 

I then became a scuba diver when I was 18, with a group of local divers from Michigan who were traveling to the Cayman Islands for a vacation. This is where my whole life really changed. I had never seen the ocean’s beauty scuba diving before. I remember just having to stop mid-dive, because I was in complete awe of the vibrant blue of the ocean water and active interconnected marine life all around me. It was like I was in a dream, a dream I never wanted to wake up from. 

Now, fast forward another few years. I am now a Master Scuba Diver, the level below a professional Diver, and have recently fallen in love with freediving and mermaiding with a monofin. 

I work hand in hand with different projects in the Riviera Maya that are all ocean conservation-based. I intermixed my passion with my business, and the real visibility and magic started to happen. Being in the Riviera transformed my mindset and held space for my continual personal and professional growth. As I’ve fallen more deeply in love with ocean conservation, I enjoy sharing this with others who are content creators, or companies who are in need of creators, models, photographers, etc. 

Opening up my boutique and modeling club in Tulum, Mexico, has been a beautiful experience. I could have done the same in Detroit or wherever else I may have ended up in the USA, but it probably wouldn’t have taken off the way it did, as Tulum, let alone the Riviera Maya, has a very high international tourist rate, with a lot of artists and creatives looking to be inspired and join like-minded communities. Tulum, especially, has many nomadic communities of travelers searching for just this. I find it is easier to share and talk openly with others about business and personal development in this type of welcoming environment. We get to connect with individuals from all walks of life, from Australia, Pakistan, Vietnam, Hawaii, Netherlands, Russia, and Ukraine, to name just a few! 

Connection and community are the differences I felt in Mexico versus the USA. It’s not about building a multimillion-dollar company, sitting in a penthouse, driving a Lamborghini. Even though those things are nice, it’s about how you work together as a community towards a cause bigger than yourself. 

There is no “I” in “team”, and by living and working in the Riviera Maya, I continually learn this concept. Growth is a collective process. Growth starts from mindset and personal development, both professional and personal. By stepping out of my comfort zone of Detroit, Michigan, and going somewhere with an international presence, it catapulted my creativity, personal development and professional community. So try something new; you never know if it will be the next move that will change your life! 

And, if you want my advice on how to find your passion and actually grow it, here are my most important 5 bits of advice.

5 Tips to Turn Your Passion into a Successful Business: 

1. Discover what brings you the most joy and enthusiasm in your life. For me, this is many things. A fusion of your passions is also unique and versatile. For example, The Riviera Models donates some of our proceeds to different ocean conservation funds around the Riviera Maya, like S.A.V.E. Mexico, Cozumel Coral Reef Restoration Program and more! I’ve interlaced my passion for ocean conservation with my passion for digital marketing and content creation. You can do the same with what you are trying to build. Always keep your “why” at the front line of what you want to create. 

2. Side hustle to begin your new venture! Keeping your day job while starting out can help protect you from any financial dip you would encounter with starting your own business. In the beginning, it takes time to build your reputation, clientele and business model. If your day job coincides with this new business venue and you can interlace, this would be the easiest option. But if not, side hustle is the next best option! I also would recommend spacing out during the day what your demanding business is needing from you. For example, do content creation in the morning before your 9-5 daytime job, work on the business model or website while you’re eating lunch, and in the evening focus on obtaining clientele. Work on different aspects of the projects at different times per day so you can keep good momentum and headspace!

3. Train your mindset! I know this might sound crazy, but bear with me. Get your mind in check with daily meditation practices, journaling and words of affirmation. Your mind creates your reality. Mindset training is the process where we shape values, perceptions, thoughts, and emotions in your mind, so your behaviors reflect what you want in life. This is a powerful tool. You have to envision your success. There are many online courses you can take to help sharpen this skill, and therefore sharpen your business! I partake in my morning routine of meditation, journaling and words of affirmation because it sets up my day for success. This is a moment of conscious connection to start my day, a way to show myself love, acceptance and power to jump-start my daily business endeavors!

4. Focus on what matters most, and delegate or automate the rest. In this day and age, almost everything can be automated: when you post, when you send a mass email, etc. Having interconnected social media pages is also beneficial; you post on one, and it automates on the other pages. You can also get a graphic designer, personal assistant or virtual assistant to help with emails, promotional brochures, etc. There is always a lot to delegate, but you need to choose what is most important that you do as the business owner! What do you enjoy creating the most? For me and my businesses, I enjoy event planning, content creation, modeling and personal socialization. Going back to your passions, what are you also best at doing? Always lead with what you love and are good at, because then it won’t seem like you are working at all!

5. Be precise with your demographic and business ventures. Make sure you have a target audience. This is business building 101, but really applies to launching a business remotely or internationally. What age bracket are you targeting? What kind of individual would use or buy your services? Figuring out these aspects before you launch will help you build and determine your business faster. Catering to your demographic and audience is also ideal. Pushing content they may want to see, and engaging and asking your online audience what they think about XYZ is also beneficial as it shows you are catering to them, not just what you have in mind. 

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