Sherry Martin Peters

I attribute my success first to God, whose guidance shapes every step I take. Nothing in my life or work has unfolded by accident. Every opportunity, every pivot, and every new chapter has been a quiet conversation with Him. When I lean into His direction, the path becomes clear. My career, from aviation to photography to authorship and entrepreneurship, has always been rooted in His timing rather than my own. The doors that opened, the ideas that arrived in still moments, and the courage to take leaps before I could see the outcome were all shaped by His hand.

I also attribute my success to a deep passion for connecting with people in ways that feel genuine and meaningful. Whether I am on a long-haul flight, standing in a remote village, photographing a couple in a wild landscape, or building relationships with hosts around the world, I have always believed that people remember how you make them feel. That belief guides every interaction. Relationships are the heartbeat of my work. They are what allow ideas to grow, communities to form, and stories to be shared with honesty and heart.

Travel ties everything together. I have loved the world for as long as I can remember. Not only the landscapes, but the humanity within them. Sharing that passion allows me to inspire others to explore with intention and to move beyond the surface. When people feel seen, encouraged, and invited to experience life with curiosity, something transformative happens.

My success is the result of these foundations. God’s guidance, a calling to build and sustain meaningful relationships, and a lifelong passion for helping people discover the beauty waiting for them in the world. Everything I do flows from that place.

The best career advice I ever received was to follow the pull rather than the plan.

A mentor once told me that the most meaningful paths reveal themselves through gut feelings, curiosity and courage, not rigid timelines or perfect strategies. At the time, it felt simple. Over the years, it became the truth that shaped my entire life.

That advice taught me to pay attention to the quiet nudges. The moments when something sparks your interest. The places where your heart feels alive. The ideas that arrive when you are not forcing anything. Those are often the beginnings of the next chapter, long before you realize it.

It also taught me that careers are not ladders.

They are journeys. Mine unfolded through seasons: aviation, travel, photography, writing, entrepreneurship. Each chapter prepared me for the next, even when I did not understand the connection yet. When you give yourself permission to grow in new directions, your life begins to expand in ways you never planned but always needed.

The advice was simple. Trust what is calling you. Take the next step. Do it with integrity. And allow your life to become bigger than the plans you once made.

That guidance has stayed with me, and it continues to shape every decision I make.

I would tell young women entering this industry not to expect everything at once. The career you are building will shape you as much as you shape it, and that takes time.

In aviation, travel, photography, or entrepreneurship, the most meaningful growth happens gradually, through real experiences, real people, and real moments that teach you who you are and what you are capable of.

Give yourself permission to start where you are. Learn the craft in front of you. Show up with humility and curiosity. The doors you are meant to walk through will open when you are ready for them, not when you decide they should appear. That is where God’s timing becomes so important. His timeline is often different from ours, yet it is always wiser, always richer, and always aligned with the person you are becoming.

This industry can be fast-paced and competitive, and it is easy to feel pressure to rush or keep up. Do not. Focus instead on who you are becoming in the process. Build meaningful relationships. Treat people with respect. Protect your integrity. Stay rooted in what you value. When you honor those things, the right opportunities will find you, often in ways you could never have orchestrated yourself.

Your career will not arrive all at once. It will unfold in seasons. Some will stretch you, some will steady you, some will surprise you. Trust each one. And trust that God is guiding your steps, even when the path feels unclear. When you build your life with intention and faith, the journey becomes far more beautiful than anything you could have rushed toward.

One of the biggest challenges in my field right now is time. As an international flight attendant, my life is shaped by movement. Long-haul flying, jet lag, fatigue, and the rhythm of living in multiple time zones mean that half of my month is devoted to aviation. The other half becomes a very precious window for everything else I am building. Writing. Photography. Entrepreneurship. Relationship-building. Traveling for myself rather than for work. All of it demands energy and focus, and balancing those worlds can feel like a constant negotiation with time.

Yet this challenge is also my greatest opportunity. The nature of flying internationally gives me access to perspectives most people never experience. I see how travel is changing in real time. I witness cultural shifts, generational trends, and the emotional side of movement that cannot be learned behind a desk. My layovers become creative studios. My flights become classrooms. My downtime becomes fuel for ideas that eventually shape Atlas + Wild, my writing, and the way I connect with couples and travelers around the world.

The opportunity lies in learning how to be fully present in each role. When I am flying, I absorb the world. When I am home, I spend time with my husband. When he is working or golfing, I build. When I travel for myself, I create. It requires discipline, intention, and a deep trust that each season of the month carries its own purpose.

The truth is that my career is not divided. It is layered. The challenge is managing the rhythm. The opportunity is allowing each part to inform and strengthen the others, creating a life and a body of work that could only have come from someone who lives between continents, between careers, and between worlds.

The values that matter most to me are faith, integrity, connection, and intention. These are the threads that hold my work and my personal life together, no matter what season I am in.

Faith is my foundation. It guides my decisions, shapes my perspective, and reminds me that I am never building anything alone. Trusting God’s timing gives me peace when life moves quickly and clarity when life feels uncertain. It keeps me grounded no matter where I am in the world, whether I am thirty-five thousand feet in the air or standing in a quiet moment behind my camera.

Integrity is the standard I try to bring into every interaction. It means showing up fully, speaking honestly, and doing what I say I will do, even when no one is watching. In aviation, in photography, and in entrepreneurship, integrity builds trust. Trust builds relationships. And relationships are at the heart of everything I do.

Connection is another core value. I care deeply about people and the stories they carry. From passengers on long-haul flights to couples saying their vows in wild landscapes to hosts around the world who open their doors to travelers, I try to meet everyone with warmth and genuine curiosity. When people feel seen, they open up. When they open up, meaningful work can happen.

Intention shapes the way I create. Whether I am writing, photographing, traveling, or building Atlas + Wild, I want everything to have purpose behind it. I am drawn to experiences that feel soulful rather than superficial and I try to pass that spirit on to others. I believe the work we do should leave people better, not just impressed.

Together, these values guide how I live, how I work, and how I move through the world. They help me stay aligned with who I am, no matter how busy life becomes or how many roles I juggle. They remind me that meaningful lives are built one thoughtful choice at a time.