Sydney Matone on 'Small Talk With Syd' and Starting Her Own Business
Sydney Matone says she was a natural leader while growing up. She was the president of multiple clubs in high school and college, as well as the caption of her varsity gymnastics team. “I have always had a passion for inspiring people & leading conversation. While I have experienced working in the corporate world, I knew I would always end up running my own business. I come from a family of entrepreneurs so it's kind of in my blood.” Her grandmother owned her own hair salon, her grandfather owned his own jewelry store, and her father owns his own project development company. “I didn’t always know exactly what I wanted to do but I knew I wanted to have something to call mine. I believe that following my passion in combination with my drive has led me to where I am today.”
Growing up, Sydney was the go-to friend/family member who always had the inside scoop on hidden fashion boutiques, exciting new restaurants, fun places to explore on the weekend, etc. “I would constantly get texts from friends like "What restaurants should I go to for my 21st birthday in the city" or "Do you know any great places to celebrate my bachelorette party?". In 2015, her senior year of high school, she created a blog called "Small Talk With Syd" which she designed to be the go-to blog when people wanted to get the best information quickly.” She has always thought of blogging as having a small conversation with your readers, so that’s how the name came to be. “However, since then, my brand has become so much more than a blog. I tell people that I think the name chose me more than I chose it. In college, I was a fearless networker. I was never afraid to shake someone's hand and introduce myself. I quickly realized that "small talk" is just another phrase for networking - its knowing how to engage is small, short conversations that make lasting impressions. It's not only the name of my brand but it's the secret to how I am building it.”
Some of her accomplishments since then have been launching a podcast, creating an IGTV video series and hosting events. “My largest event to date was a collaboration I did with Bandier where I hosted a live panel with influencers like Cassandra DiMicco (Fashion Blogger & Founder of Auerum Collective), Paige DeSorbo (Cast Member of Bravo's Summer House), Sarah Larson Levey (Founder of Y7 Studio), and Remy Park (Vegan Recipe Developer & Holistic Nutritionist) where we talked about all things Health & Wellness.”
So with all of that said, "Small Talk With Syd - The Brand" will be launching a new site and Instagram page where people will get the inside scoop into the latest without having to scroll through tons of articles to find what they want. It will also be a place to find your favorite influencers favorite things. In other words, it will be the Go-To Destination for the Small Stuff.
Sydney knew that she had a love for creating content and engaging with people. “I remember asking myself "What can I do to network & connect with others?" because blogging alone wasn't cutting it. That truly is how the podcast, STWS, was born. I knew that it wouldn't be perfect & that I had a lot to figure out (everything I learned from editing to launch was by watching YouTube videos). Even till this day I will go back and listen to some of my older episodes cringing a bit but at the same time it shows me how much I have improved & how I want to keep improving. It's a marathon not a sprint. So for anyone that is scared of going for something in life my advice is to just do it & do not expect perfection. You'll figure it out as you go.”
“So right now STWS Media is mainly a podcast & news outlet (we are truly in the infancy stage of growing it).” However, they have plans to host really exciting events with some big names in (hopefully) the near future. “We also will be creating a YouTube series where people will get to learn something from their favorite entrepreneurs, businesses owners, influencers, game changers, etc. It's basically going to be an expansion of the IGTV Series I do now.”
The advice Sydney would give to someone looking to begin their own business would be to dream big. “One of my favorite quotes of all time is "If your dreams don't scare you they aren't big enough." Your ideas should scare you a little - that's a GOOD thing. Also, do not expect perfection or results right away. I am still in the process of figuring it all out! One thing you should do though is treat your dream like it's already a reality. Don't let time be an excuse. Carve a few hours out of each week to put towards your goals - literally mark it on your calendar.”
When it comes to finances, she says that keep working hard at your main hustle and save money where you can. “Sacrifice big spending now & watch how your savings will grow. Then use that money to invest into your dreams. I know that many entrepreneurs hate their 9-5 job but trust me when I say that knowing how to save money & have an organized schedule will prepare you for the future. Nothing is a waste of time & it's actually helping you develop really important life skills. Plus, if you are going to be someone's boss one day you should know what it's like to work for someone. We all start somewhere.”