Meet Jamie Sterling, Executive Director of Southern Gulf Islands’ Tourism.
Growing up in rural Ontario, Jamie longed to see the world. “The stories of castles and all the things I grew up reading about in books made travel seem so magical,” she says. While studying literature at Carleton University, she realized her passion for travel might lead to a career.
“I spent most of my twenties working odd jobs and saving for my next big backpacking trip. It became obvious that travel was about more than just seeing and doing, it was about connecting with people and experiencing other ways of life and learning.”
A born storyteller, Jamie’s journey into marketing began after two years teaching English in South Korea. Back in Canada, she led communications and marketing for various travel and hostelling initiatives before joining the 1.5-person team at Southern Gulf Islands Tourism as Community Manager in 2021, just as the brand was preparing to launch. Her ability to learn quickly, communicate authentically, and build trust within the local community earned her a promotion to Executive Director.
Getting Around the Islands with UGC
Photos and videos are essential to telling the region’s story, especially on social media. With a small team covering a large area of separated islands, Jamie relies heavily on user-generated content (UGC) and CrowdRiff Creators to maintain a high volume of posts. “It would be impossible for us to generate that content on our own.”
CrowdRiff Creators gives Jamie’s team eyes on the ground, helping them uncover new stories across the islands and build relationships with more remote stakeholders. “Working with local photographers helps us see what those experiences actually look like,” she explains.
The Art of Nothing
One of Jamie’s most impactful projects was the acclaimed Art of Nothing, also known as Nothing is the New Something. The campaign encouraged travelers to use their vacation time to unplug and regenerate, supported by a playful “mental white space” toolkit.
The toolkit included templates, social media status updates, and a message encouraging visitors to let others know they were away in the Southern Gulf Islands and would be “too preoccupied with revitalizing their soul” to respond. It also featured cheeky, creative tips on how to relax.
“Initially, it was a subversion of grind culture,” says Jamie. “Who wants to go on a vacation just to come back more tired than you were when you left?”
The campaign resonated with both locals and visitors, sparking buzz and media coverage for its unexpected approach. It also earned a nomination for the British Columbia Tourism Industry Innovation Award.
“It struck a nerve,” Jamie says. “The creative assets we were using online connected with people.” As a small DMO, that recognition was especially meaningful. “The nomination showed we were doing high-caliber work that was as good as anyone’s.”
Marketing with Residents in Mind
At Southern Gulf Islands Tourism, Jamie focuses on promoting off-season travel. “We don’t do any marketing in the summer,” she says. “We’re mandated to make the travel economy here a regenerative one.”
Every campaign centers on enhancing residents’ quality of life by encouraging support for local businesses and advocating for stewardship that protects the land. For Jamie, building a tourism economy that gives back to the community isn’t just a goal, it’s a top priority—and one of her biggest challenges as a travel marketer.
Beyond its playful tone, Nothing Is the New Something helped promote the Gulf Islands’ local culture while inviting visitors to unplug. The campaign spotlighted local cafes as places to slow down and featured a free, whitespace-filled Art of Nothing gallery designed to nurture creativity.
Looking at the bigger picture, Jamie says the campaign ties directly to Southern Gulf Islands Tourism’s core mission and vision: “To create a regenerative tourism economy that gives back to the residents in the community and supports the quality of life here.”
Growing into Leadership with Guidance
Since developing The Art of Nothing, Jamie has stepped into a leadership role as Executive Director. Her day-to-day includes everything from marketing plans and reporting to the board and Province of BC, to writing social media captions, managing digital ads, and jumping in on design work (she’s “pretty good” with Canva).
“I guess that’s the nature of a small team,” she says, “just doing a little bit of everything.” To stay organized, she relies on in-app social tools and lots of spreadsheets.
Jamie approaches her career as a constant opportunity for learning. She finds inspiration in the career paths of others, values mentorship, and continues to grow with the support of those around her.
“If I learn about someone with a cool or interesting job, I’ll look at their career progression and think: ‘How did they get there?’ ‘Where did they start?’ ‘What steps did they take?’ Then I think about how that might apply to my own path.”
That curiosity has helped her think strategically about where she is, where she’s going, and how her values guide her choices.
“I always followed my interests and my values. I was just hoping that it would work out—and it did. Having my values aligned with my job is what keeps me motivated to keep doing it, and to keep doing a good job.”
Jamie says the biggest takeaway from her career journey is “to develop leadership skills at any point in your career. Don’t wait for someone to hand you a title, take the initiative to be a leader.”
Tips for Success: Networking and Relationship Building
Jamie emphasizes the value of building and maintaining relationships with a supportive community who are open to sharing and helping.
Her key tips for success:
- Lean on mentors for growth: To navigate the learning curve of becoming Executive Director, Jamie turned to a trusted network of mentors. Many of those connections were built through the Worth Association, a leadership academy in BC that supports women working in tourism, recreation, and hospitality.
- Champion others and accept support: Jamie’s former boss, Jacqueline East, played a key role in building her confidence early on. “She championed my work and was always singing my praises when I wasn’t in the room. She gave me such confidence that my work was impactful. That made the biggest difference.”
- Nurture your network: Jamie emphasizes the value of building and maintaining relationships with people who are open to sharing, helping, and learning together. “Networking is really great,” she says. “Having people you can turn to makes a big difference.”
Thank you, Jamie, for sharing your journey with us!
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