“Real experience provides authentic confidence,” says Sylvie Esmundo, Site Merchandising Lead at Facebook and Influencer & Blogger @life.by.sylvie. Sylvie kicks off season 2 of The co-lab Career Stories Podcast and is interviewed by Founder of LEAVE YOUR MARK LLC and PR & Branding Maven, Aliza Licht. Sylvie grew up in the Bay Area and attended both University of California Davis, majoring in Design and Communications, and Academy of Art University. Sylvie began her career in fashion as an editorial assistant at Lucky Magazine, eventually pivoting into Merchandising at the Gap, where she rose to be Director of Merchandising, among other roles, for 10+ years. Sylvie took on various roles thereafter to shift her career towards tech. Her editorial and creative interests led her to begin blogging in the early 2000s, launching her style and wellness blog, Sylvie in the Sky. Listen along as Sylvie discusses the importance of having mentors, how she began blogging, why one should have more than just one job, and the importance of taking the initiative to gain needed career experience to move yourself forward.