Leaving her family\u2019s real estate business to pursue a career in cruising was a daunting decision for Maddison Mandile, marketing specialist at Holland America Line and Seabourn. <\/strong><\/p>\n But with the support of her biggest cheerleader, her mum, she learnt that following your own ambitions doesn\u2019t mean leaving people behind.<\/p>\n As part of Travel Weekly<\/em>\u2018s Women in Travel series, Mandile shares why she\u2019d rather fail than live with regret, the importance of taking up space and the one item this notorious over-packer can\u2019t travel without.<\/p>\n To me \u201cNever too much\u201d means not being afraid to take up space and showing up unapologetically yourself. It\u2019s about backing yourself and not dimming your ambition to make others comfortable.<\/p>\n It can\u2019t be anyone else but the dazzling woman who is my mum! From singing in the grocery store to always being the first one on the dance floor, my mum has always encouraged me to be bold, back myself, and step outside my comfort zone.<\/p>\n Growing up, she showed me that taking up space is about being unapologetically yourself and having the confidence to go after what you want regardless of what others may think. She is always my biggest cheerleader!<\/p>\n The moment that felt almost too big to reach for was leaving my family\u2019s real estate business to pursue a career in the cruise industry.<\/p>\n While I was excited by the opportunities travel could offer, I struggled with the feeling that I was abandoning my parents and the business they had worked so hard to build. It wasn\u2019t just a career decision; it felt deeply personal.<\/p>\n Choosing a different path meant trusting that I could honour everything they had taught me while pursuing my own ambitions. Looking back, their support gave me the confidence to take that leap, and it taught me that following your own path doesn\u2019t mean leaving people behind.<\/p>\n Fail trying or regret never trying. The regret of not giving something a go has always motivated me more than the possibility of failure.<\/p>\n Even if things don\u2019t work out as planned, there\u2019s always a lesson, growth, and the satisfaction of knowing I took the chance.<\/p>\n This is a particularly hard question for a notorious over-packer! Outside of the essentials, I\u2019d have to say my AirPods.<\/p>\n I don\u2019t travel anywhere without music. A long flight or drive without them would be borderline unbearable and, if you ask my travel companions, probably unbearable for them too.<\/p>\n The 2026 finalists have been revealed! See the full list here.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nWhat does \u2018Never Too Much\u2019 mean to you personally?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Who was the woman who showed you it was okay to take up space?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
What\u2019s the trip, role or moment that felt almost too big to reach for?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
What do you tell yourself in the moment before you step up?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
What\u2019s the one travel item you can\u2019t live without?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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