Dreams don’t come true—if you don’t work on them. Things don’t just miraculously fall into place. You have to wake up, take risks, embrace challenges, and persevere through obstacles. Only then can you transform those aspirations into reality.
It takes a leap of faith to change the entire course of your life. But leaving the comforts of the familiar can be scary. Come to think of it, exploring new places and trying out new things has always been the path for the bold.
But when you dare to venture beyond your comfort zone, life opens a whole world of unlimited opportunities, just like what happened to the man behind @ourlonelyplanet. Bravely chasing one opportunity after another, Antoine Gijbels’ journey has led him to travel all around the world, collaborate with big companies, and live a life beyond the 9-5 grind.
Not Everything Stems from Childhood Passion
Dreams are often seen as something for children—a way to keep them hopeful and motivated. But Antoine Gijbels’ life behind the camera is not something he imagined as a child—it’s the result of the many circumstances that happened in his life.
After a memorable trip to Thailand, where he made his first video edits, people began to notice Antoine’s talent. As someone studying to become a physiotherapist and working on the sidelines as M&M’s mascot, McDonald’s crew, and parking attendant, being reached out to make travel videos—and even asked to present at the Belgian convention—is something that surprised him. It was then he saw an opportunity to pursue a career that fascinated both him and many others.
“I think it’s a great thing that not everything is from childhood passion like you need to have a talent or something. You can learn everything in your life at any age. I started to learn these things when I was around my twenties—and I developed that passion because I worked hard to get that life.”
The Internet is a World of Opportunities
The internet has undeniably changed lives. One random video can unlock doors you never knew existed. Antoine began earning from creating content for small restaurants in Belgium after his Thailand trip. Then, a friend sent him a YouTube video about a guy looking for someone to document his journey around the world from Mauritius. Despite his skepticism about scams, Antoine filled out the form, and soon after, he was hired. “Two weeks later, I stopped completely my studies and I took my flight to Mauritius. I got my visa there and lived there for three years, traveling around the world but being based in Mauritius.”
Mauritius not only provided Antoine with incredible travel opportunities but also fueled his creativity. “Mauritius is like a hidden gem. It’s an island well known in Europe but in the US, no one knows about Mauritius. Everyone knows about Seychelles and Maldives, but no one knows about Mauritius. And the place is so beautiful—the price is cheap, you can go swimming with dolphins, go on a helicopter tour to see the turtles in the lagoon, do scuba diving, hike in the mountains, and see waterfalls. Pretty much everything for a cool price. Honestly, it’s the best place in the world.’
In such a paradise, Antoine honed his skills, creating content for hotels and government agencies. His Instagram account for Mauritius tourism grew to over 200,000 followers, boosting the country’s tourism. After that, he started to travel to nearby islands and before he knew it, three years later, he began his own company and pursued his interest in making more videos in the travel industry.
Bring Value to People
From creating travel content, Antoine has furthered his videography and storytelling skills and has now started dipping his toes in the music industry, making collaborations with music stars and influencers. With so many people wanting to carve their name in the industry, Antoine, from his vast experience, has implemented a simple technique to earn the trust of his prospective clients: bring value to people.
Instead of asking for free collaborations, he finds creative ways to offer value first. For instance, to work with an actor, he began by creating content for the actor’s brand. Once they saw his capabilities, he moved on to working directly with the actor. “For example, I want to work with this actor. And I saw that they had a brand, a drinking brand. Everyone would want to work with them, not with their brand. So, what do I do? I start working with the brand. I’m giving the most value by making free shots and sending them photos even if they don’t ask me for anything. And when they start to see what I’m capable of doing, then I might get to start working with the artist.”
Antoine emphasized how important it is to think outside the box. Do not just make free content for the sake of it. Learn to provide value with the things that you do.
Show Them What You Got
With many capable of making beautiful edits today, Antoine’s strength lies in storytelling. He creates compelling stories that serve as personal branding for his clients. “And what I want for the company is to continue growing. It’s growing well in Europe now; that’s why I’m going to the US in the next year to start developing there.”
Starting with zero skills and networks, Antoine emphasizes the importance of showcasing your work. “Show what you can do. I started putting on social media what I’m doing. That’s why some people started to see what I did, and that’s how I got involved with Mauritius. After that, I started meeting people, and then these people started to recommend me to someone. It’s more like I’m working mainly on recommendations now.”
Despite the tantamount amount of marketing done in the digital age right now, word of mouth still holds a powerful stance. Because when you do a good job, people will naturally recommend you to other people.
On top of these, the young entrepreneur has also used his platforms to reach out to more people to support his causes and advocacies. Antoine has not only used his talent to make impactful stories for the companies he worked with but also to help the foundation he has been devotedly working with in Nepal. He has been going to the country to document the children in the orphanage, raise awareness about the struggles of these kinds to raise funds, and hopefully provide these children with better opportunities in the future.
“Randomly giving them money will not help. We work with locals to manage funds and provide education, creating more opportunities for these kids.”
Antoine acknowledges how fortunate he was to have come from countries like Belgium, which has provided him with so many opportunities. That’s why he aims to create more opportunities for children so that they can get to do the things they want to do in life as well as do big things. “I want to be more involved in that in the next few years. I want to work more with the education systems and everything.”
Things Will Figure Themselves Out
Like how random and seemingly risky it was to fly to Mauritius, Antoine has proven that going out of his comfort zone has led to numerous opportunities, like when his friend canceled last minute for their Los Angeles trip. But instead of canceling his flight, he took a leap of faith, messaged some of his American friends, connected with other influencers, and started making content there—which basically became the reason he got to meet a lot of people in the US. “While things did not go as planned, I think it was the best thing ever. Because if I was with my friend, maybe I wouldn’t have discovered these people.”
“I know that things will come. Things will figure it out. I know things will work out. Life is constantly moving, and I’ll find a way when it’s time to move on.”
There will Always be Stressful Moments
While many struggle to separate their professional and personal lives, Antoine takes pride in how seamless such can be. “People cannot understand because they don’t really like their job. And when you have a job that you don’t like, I understand that you want to separate private and professional.” As someone who does not have children or a wife, he thinks that these are the best moments of his life to focus on and build his career.
However, despite living what many would consider a dream life, Antoine admits that his erratic schedule also means working every day. “The downside is that you literally work every day. You are always moving, always working as an entrepreneur. There is not a moment where people are sleeping, so you can get messages at night.”
Running a company comes with the responsibility of delivering high-quality content and satisfying clients. Antoine acknowledges the inevitable stress but handles it by hiring the right people, focusing on client needs, and delivering top-notch work. “I prefer focusing on delivering the best quality possible to clients and not making thousands of clients and delivering random, quick things that are not the best quality.”
It’s Sad Not to Try
Antoine is an example of how to grow as a person—both personally and professionally—you have to take risks and be brave to make big, and sometimes random, decisions. While living in Mauritius and being paid to travel was a dream, he wanted to keep his creative juices flowing. “That’s why I quit my job and started my company.”
Now, Antoine works with a diverse range of clients, from real estate to artists, which keeps him inspired. “I think creativity comes from doing a lot of different things, seeing different people, and being inspired by what other creative people are doing.”
His next big project involves filming a big event to support a foundation and fund education for children. “I’m making a bridge to some of my clients so that we can work together to make more good things for the kids.”
Apart from his humanitarian activities, with his company thriving in Europe, Antoine hopes to venture to the US, live in Los Angeles full-time, and work with music artists. “What I really like now is to work more in the music industry. That’s why I’m trying.” He has started working with some artists in Belgium and hopes to do more in the next few years.
Needless to say, Antoine is literally living the dream. He works on the things that he is curious about, takes action, and fearlessly tries things out. “People are always dreamers. Everyone has dreams. But the thing with people is that they don’t try, or they think their dreams are too big or impossible. The biggest thing that helped me grow in my career is understanding that anything is possible.”
“Do whatever you want. Nowadays, with the internet, there are so many opportunities, and people don’t even realize the things that you can do with the internet. I think it’s sad not to try.”
Photos credit: Antoine Gijbels
