Today we’d like to introduce you to Jill Paris.
Hi Jill, I’m so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
I moved to Charleston from California in 2017 to start a walking tour business. The following year, after becoming a licensed registered tour guide, Eclectic Tours of Charleston was born! As any new business owner knows, you immediately go into debt while waiting for your business to pick up. I began doing background acting on TV and in movies to earn additional income here in Charleston, Savannah, and Charlotte. That’s how I ended up in 2019 on a little unknown Netflix series called “Outer Banks.” By the time the show aired in April 2020, like many people confined to lockdown, I watched the show (mainly to see if I could see myself in the background) but also out of curiosity. The tour guide in me knew instantly that the film locations would make a spectacular driving tour because of all the beauty it incorporates in and around Charleston. I purchased a larger vehicle, obtained the appropriate liability insurance required to conduct private driving tours in the city, created my Outer Banks Film Locations Tour, and was off and running by May 2020. Due to the show’s incredible popularity and the alluring historical aspects in Charleston, Mount Pleasant, Shem Creek, and the Old Village, it has been the absolute joy of my life to give this tour to fans from not only just about every state here in the U.S. but many distant countries as well.
Please talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned. Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I overspent on advertising and website costs for the first few years. A rookie mistake! After signing a one-year contract, the most significant and heartbreaking error was advertising on Charleston.com, which produced very few results. But, had I not gone into such a large debt, I probably never would have started doing background acting and never discovered “Outer Banks,” so it was a case of making expensive lemons into lucrative lemonade! I just never gave up!
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might need to become more familiar with what you do, what can you tell them about what you do?
As Owner of a Tour Company, I pride myself on providing the best customer service to my guests. I had years of hospitality experience with The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, so providing memorable, quality experiences to others was deeply instilled in me. I connect with my guests on every tour. I make it all about them and tailor each tour to their likes. I also provide cold beverages and snacks and offer pick-up and drop-off service if they are staying within a 5-mile radius of where the tour begins. Also, I love to pose my guests for fun photos and videos! On my Instagram page @jillparisofficial, I thank every guest by name. I’m honored to give these kids/parents/couples/friends a dream experience they will never forget. I call myself “A Joy Provider.” 😉
What are your plans for the future?
I have an idea brewing at the moment! I may create a combination tour of film locations from “The Notebook” and other movies filmed there. Stay tuned!
Pricing:
- $175.00 per person
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.eclectictoursofcharleston.com/
- Instagram: instagram.com/jillparisofficial/
Image Credits
Jill Paris
