Meet Taylor Engbrocks

Today we’d like to introduce you to Taylor Engbrocks.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Taylor. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Well, I can’t tell my story of starting Hoppy Travels & Cider Sightings without getting into my background. Growing up I was moving all over the country and still am doing that. I was born in Tampa, Florida and spent my elementary school years there. My family and I then moved to Chapel Hill, North Carolina where I spent my middle school years. After that was when my family and I moved to Cave Creek where I lived full time only for my high school years. After high school, I moved to Laramie, Wyoming where I got my bachelor’s degree in Geography in May of 2017. After college I got a job as a GIS Technician for Apple so I then moved to Sunnyvale, California for that however that was short lived and a month after I moved back to Cave Creek and then in October of 2017 I got a position in Boise, Idaho which is where Hoppy Travels & Cider Sightings got started. Previously I had worked for White Dog Brewing in Boise and after that, I knew I still wanted to be involved in the craft beer industry while I was working a “real job” and so I started Hoppy Travels & Cider Sightings originally as a vlog.

My entire team at the “real job” ended up getting laid off the week before Christmas and I remember thinking, how could a company be so heartless and do that. I then decided that I didn’t want to go back to corporate America so I ended up investing a lot more time and money into Hoppy Travels & Cider Sightings. Quickly I became broke and I had to move back in with the parents and that is when I decided I was better at writing then vlogging so I ended up turning Hoppy Travels & Cider Sightings into the blog you see today.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
For most bloggers and business owners, the road to success is bumpy. I am no different, some of the biggest struggles are money and time. I work two restaurant jobs which take up a lot of my time but it is also difficult to save money for the beer adventures that I go on. However, probably the biggest struggle is showing people that I’m serious about what I do and that I will do anything to ensure this blog is a success, and it’s not just a hobby.

Please tell us about your work.
So Hoppy Travels & Cider Sightings is a craft beer and cider blog and I write pieces on different breweries and craft beers and ciders. What I am most proud of is how I continue to put myself out there especially as someone who is naturally shy. I feel like what sets me apart from others is not only do I cover craft beer but I also cover cider which for a lot of other bloggers they only cover one or the other. Another thing that I think makes me unique is the fact that I have a geography background and I bring that background into Hoppy Travels & Cider Sightings.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I define success as enjoying what you do and your not just doing something because society tells you to. My only criteria are your enjoying what you do and you show that your passionate about what you do.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.hoppytravelsbeer.com
• Email: hoppytravels.cidersightings@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hoppytravels.cidersightings/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hoppytravels/?modal=admin_todo_tour
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/hoppytravelscidersightings/

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