Asking Digital Nomads How They Make Money Online (Part 2)

Sneak Peek: 

Kristin:    00:00:00    If you have been thinking of moving abroad or thinking of becoming a digital nomad, but you're afraid that you'll miss your friends and family, of course you will sometimes. But it also gives you an opportunity to create new experiences together that you wouldn't have at home. 

Introduction: Welcome to Badass Digital Nomads, where we're pushing the boundaries of remote work and travel, all while staying grounded with a little bit of old school philosophy, self-development, and business advice from our guests.

Kristin Wilson, Host:    00:00:42    Hey there, Kristin Wilson from Traveling with Kristin here and welcome to episode 218 of Badass Digital Nomads. Well, I'm back for my little break and getaway with my mom. We had so much fun exploring around Manchester and also going to Liverpool and York. So in case you missed my live from Liverpool livestream, Liverpool is a maritime city in northwest England and it's on the river mercy and also the Irish Sea. This was a very important trade port in the 18th to 20th centuries, and you may have heard of it because it is the home of the Beatles. So if you've ever done a cruise from England, you may have left from Liverpool. There's also a ferry to get over to Aisle of man. There's this iconic waterfront there that's really nice to walk along. There's lots of shops and restaurants and also a Ferris wheel there that we did.  

Kristin:    00:01:48    I think it was only 11 or 13 pounds. And you also get the audio tour with some facts about the city and just a really nice view of the city as well, which was nice even in the rain, but I think it would also be really pretty lit up at night. And we stayed really central in the Hotel Indigo there, which was just across the street from the waterfront and the ferry port. It was only a 10 or 15 minute walk from the train station, so that was really nice. Good breakfast as well. I always find that the breakfasts in Europe are so much better than the breakfasts that are included at hotels in the US unless you're staying at a five star hotel. But we had a great stay there. Of course, the highlight was going to the Beatles Story Museum and we spent a few hours there.

Kristin:    00:02:43    It was raining outside, so we did spend more time inside. The Beatles story is actually the world's largest museum that tells the story of the lives and times of the Beatles. So there are some really cool anecdotes there, lots of photos, lots of equipment and paraphernalia from the band. And they even have replicas of Abbey Road Studios and The Cavern, which is the bar where the Beatles played. I think it was 260 times I, I don't remember the exact number, but I learned so much that I did not know about the Beatles. And you can get your tickets online if you want to go there. We just got ours when we got there, but we just happened to get there at 12:55 PM and the line opened at 1:00 PM to get your tickets. So we were at the front of the line and then there was a huge line behind us.  

Kristin:    00:03:45    So either book them online or get there early to buy them in person. They open at 9:00 AM and they close at 6:30 PM but the last admission is at 5:00 PM. After that we took the train to York, which is east of Manchester and also east of Leeds. And it is a beautiful city that has been on my list for some time. But also during my livestream, some of my subscribers mentioned that they were going there or they recommended for me to go there. So it's this really beautiful walled city that dates back to Roman times. And it has a beautiful church, a gothic cathedral, and it also has city walls that surround the old town and I believe it encloses about 260 acres and it's about two miles around. So you can walk around there and it's free. It just closes around sunset ish, around dusk.  

Kristin:    00:04:50    And they also have lots of really cool old bars and pubs and it was just so picturesque but also quite touristy <laugh>. There were a lot of tourists there, but it wasn't too crowded. Some of the, the most popular streets, especially the shambles street, which is a very narrow street and it's also full of Harry Potter stores and memorabilia that was kind of crowded, but we're still able to get some nice photos there. And the Shambles Street, which actually has a little bit of a dark past, the word actually was an old word, meaning meat market or open air slaughterhouse. And the the shops there used to hang meat out on hooks. So it's not so pretty. It's a little bit of a spooky street, but it is said to have been the inspiration for Diagon Alley in Harry Potter, although J. K. Rowling has not confirmed that there's also an outdoor market just to the side of the street.  

Kristin:    00:05:55    So that was nice to walk around as well. But it seems around every corner there's just a really cute buildings, tea shops, great places to eat, pubs. And I saw some signs outside of pubs that said they dated back to the 13th century. We also went to the top of Clifford's Tower, which has pretty nice panoramic views of the city. And this tower was built by Henry III back in 1245, although it doesn't sound like uh, it was a very welcome by the locals when it was built. It's kind of the royal version of eminent domain where he just kind of came in and appropriated some land from the locals decided to build this tower there. And then it was used by a lot of different people throughout history. It was even used as a prison at one point, but definitely some interesting history there.  

Kristin:    00:06:52    But there are so many cool things to do in York besides eating and drinking, although you can get lots of sweet treats, lots of ice cream, fudge. They have a chocolate factory there. So you've got lots of food options. There's also a lot of ghost tours. Apparently, York is one of the most haunted cities in all of England. You can take a river cruise there. They have a lot of cool museums. They have a Castle Museum, they have a Viking Experience Museum. They have York Minister the beautiful church, and they also have the largest railway museum in the world, the National Railway Museum. So if you are a train fanatic and like things like that, then definitely check that out. And actually, my dad had me watching these train videos when I was visiting my parents this spring in Florida, and I can't remember the channel's name.  

Kristin:    00:07:51    I'm gonna have to ask him and put it in the show notes. I think the guy has a YouTube channel, but we were watching it on maybe the Discovery Channel or a history channel where he goes around and takes really amazing train rides and then documents the whole thing. So watching those shows was giving me a lot of ideas of places to travel around the world. So if you need any ideas, check that out. There were some beautiful train rides in Switzerland. I think I saw one where he went to Thailand, although some of these trains look a little bit sketchy, but uh, anyway, check that out. I'll link to it in the show notes and yeah, we had a great trip. It's, it's always nice to have family come and visit you when you're a digital nomad. And having my mom here has had me reflecting on all of the great times I've had when my cousin came to visit me in Costa Rica or when my other cousin and her husband came to stay with me when I was living in Malta.  

Kristin:    00:08:51    And so if you have been thinking of moving abroad or thinking of becoming a digital nomad, but you're afraid that you'll miss your friends and family, of course you will sometimes. But it also gives you an opportunity to create new experiences together that you wouldn't have at home. I can remember all of the trips that I've been on with my family and friends, whether it was meeting a friend in the Philippines or Thailand or Bali or going on so many trips to Europe with my mom. And when you travel with friends and family, it can be easier to remember these specific memories compared to if you're just having your normal day-to-day life at home or meeting people for the holidays because sometimes those memories can blur together. So I do encourage you to give it a try. And when you do go abroad, invite people to come and visit.  

International Living's Ultimate Go Overseas Bootcamp

Kristin:    00:09:50    And in case you missed the announcement last week, I've confirmed that I will be speaking at International Living's Ultimate Go Overseas Bootcamp this September 2nd through the fourth in downtown Denver, Colorado. And some of the things that I'll be talking about are the three mistakes to avoid when moving overseas. Plus smart things to know when you go abroad. I'll also be giving a couple of fireside chats and also a workshop on part-time travel and Roving Retirement. So if you would like to join me and 200 other speakers and hundreds of like-minded guests and attendees, then you can get $200 off of the early bird rate by using my link in the show notes. And that is the Traveling with Kristin Badass Digital Nomads Friends and Family Discount. So I'll link that up for you in the show notes and you can get $200 off your early bird ticket, plus a one year subscription to International Living Magazine and also some other bonuses.  

Kristin:    00:11:01    So check that out, you can get all the details in the show notes. And I look forward to meeting you in person this September in Denver, Colorado. So let's go ahead and jump into today's episode. This is part two of asking digital nomads how they make money online. And these are people who I don't know who I was just walking up to in the street in the Digital Nomad Village in Ponta do Sol in Madeira Island. And today you're going to hear from 10 digital nomads from nine different countries about how they make money online. And some of them are brand new digital nomads or just learning, and then others are more experienced and have more of their expertise to share with you. But it just goes to show that you can start anywhere. And the reason that I found so many digital nomads in one place is because I was in the Digital Nomad Village, but it was also part of the Nomad Fest event that happens in December in Madeira. So if you're interested in getting tickets for that this year, I'll also link to that in the show notes. I'm not sure if I'll be able to attend this year, but I had a blast last year. But before December, we have the International Living Bootcamp coming up in September, so I'll definitely be there and hope to see you there. So let's hop into the interviews for today and I'll see you on the flip side.

Interview Start:

Kristin: When you work for yourself, you can just be who you are.

Mark:    00:12:39    Have an idea, find your passion.  

Luka:   00:12:40    I used to be a journalist.  I built up a company.

Luca:   00:12:41     Yeah, disclaimer, don't do it if you can.  

Rizwan:     00:12:45    I'm originally from Pakistan, but I live in Estonia,  

Verdarluz:   00:12:47    So I help people find their power places around the world.  

Kristin:    00:12:50    I am here in the Digital Nomad Village in Madeira Island, Portugal at the headquarters of the Nomad Island Fest. And there are 85 digital nomads here from around the world. So let's ask some of them what they do to make money online that allows them to work remotely and travel.

Kristin: Hi, sorry to interrupt you guys, but are you digital nomads ?

Rizwan:   00:13:14    On the path of becoming one  

Kristin:    00:13:15    What's your name?  

Rizwan:   00:13:16    Uh, Rizwan.  

Kristin:    00:13:17    And where are you from?  

Rizwan:   00:13:18    Uh, I'm originally from Pakistan, but I live in a very cold country, uh, in, uh, the northern Europe. It's called Estonia. It's a beautiful town until I've moved here almost a year back.  

Kristin:    00:13:28    And are you able to work remotely from anywhere or are you looking to change jobs?  

Rizwan:   00:13:34    No, I'm not looking to change job. My job actually allows me to work remotely time to time, but I do need to be on field and in office from time to time as well. So I just really need to coordinate when exactly can I be on the roads and traveling and when exactly do I need to be present in the office.  

Kristin:    00:13:48    Awesome Rizwan And what's your name?  

Verdarluz:   00:13:50    I'm Verdarluz.  

Kristin:    00:13:51    And what do you do for work that lets you be a digital nomad?  

Verdarluz:    00:13:54    Uh, I've been an astrologer and a human design coach, lifestyle design and business design coach for about 16 years. So I've been working on mine for that long. And um, my niche is actually locational astrology, so I help people find their power, places around the world for love, for career, for, you know, financial growth, success with um, their spirituality, everything like, so it's kind of my, this is my community.  

Kristin:    00:14:16    So how many revenue streams would you say that you have being a consultant astrologer?  

Verdarluz:   00:14:22    Oh, that's interesting. Uh, a a few different, uh, um, the astrology, um, more of my ongoing like one-on-one coaching and then group coaching. So there, there's the coaching aspect, there's the readings, and then also I'm a musician dj, like, like you and, and also, um, guitarist. So I do some sound healing work and breath work. So, and also shamanic therapy, we were just talking about that. So I have a lot of revenue streams, but yeah.  

Kristin:    00:14:46    What are the main tools that you use to be able to run your business online?  

Verdarluz:   00:14:50    You know, I'm on Zoom all the time. <laugh>, like, I think all of us are. Yeah. And I'm trying to start more of the YouTube channel and get that going and like, use that as a, as a funnel for me. It's mostly just, uh, zoom calls and trainings and,  

Kristin:    00:15:03    And what brought you to the Nomad Island Fest this week?  

Verdarluz:  00:15:06    Well, I was able to offer some teachings and then this is actually a very strong location astrologically for me, especially around career. So I've been very curious about it for a long time and now I'm experiencing it. So yeah.  

Kristin:    00:15:17    If people wanna get a astrological reading and find out what would be a good place for them to travel or live, where can they find you?  

Verdarluz:   00:15:25    Uh, they can, they can find me at Instagram @Verdarluz_divinetmingcoaching, um, divinetimingcoaching.com.  

Kristin:    00:15:34    Very cool. Thanks for sharing your digital nomad story with us. What, what's your name?  

Mark:    00:15:39    I'm Mark.  

Kristin:    00:15:39    Where are you from? 

Mark:    00:15:40   I'm from Glasgow and Scotland. Oh, and  

Kristin:    00:15:42    What do you do to make money online? 

Mark:    00:15:43  Well,  I, I developed an app in fitness. I'm basically trying to just monetize it and help other people connect with each other and improve their overall health lifestyle.  

Kristin:    00:15:51    Did you teach yourself how to do that?  

Mark:    00:15:53    You know, I've been a software engineer for many years, but I struggle with my own sort of health issues and finding routines. So decided to help other people like structure and organize themselves and just, yeah, feel better.  

Kristin:    00:16:03    How long have you been a digital nomad for? 

Mark:    00:16:06    So I started out by moving to Spain in 2019, then obviously dealing with Covid Pandemic, so moved around a little bit. So yeah, about three years now.  

Kristin:    00:16:14    Do you have any tips for people starting out in the lifestyle?  

Mark:    00:16:16    Have an idea, find your passion and then just go for it.   

Kristin:    00:16:19   Go for it. You heard the man <laugh>. What's your name?  

Luka:    00:16:22    Luka

Kristin:    00:16:22    Where are you from?  

Luka:    00:16:24    I'm originally from Germany, but I live in Ukraine most of the time.  

Kristin:    00:16:26    And what do you do for work to work online?  

Luka:    00:16:29    So I have a content creation company. We also do SEO o so basically everything around, uh, texting in the internet.  

Kristin:    00:16:34    How did you get started doing that? Did you have any experience or how did you have the idea to start that?  

Luka:   00:16:40    Ah it was actually quite random, so, uh, I used to be a journalist and I wanted to get back to writing from other jobs, so I was doing that at first on the site, uh, just making some money online after my full-time job. And, uh, my first client became the biggest client for three years. Well, they basically became an ongoing client already and then, uh, there was some money there to create a job, go freelance, and then I built up a company.  

Kristin:    00:17:01    How much can people, like, let's say just starting out with just one or two clients, how much money were you making at the beginning per month or what can people expect if they get into that field?  

Luka:   00:17:11    Well, when I quit my job, I was making around a thousand or so euros per month, so it was basically enough to live. And then, but I knew already if I could spend the time, uh, that I used to spend full time on getting new clients and on actually doing more work, then I would also, uh, earn more. So it was just a calculation, like the rent settled, basically the food has settled, that's enough to just do it.  

Kristin:    00:17:33    And one or 2000 euro a month was enough for you to start out living as a digital nomad?  

Luka:   00:17:38    Uh, yeah, I lived to, uh, I moved to a cheaper country in that case, Ukraine, and then I just had a nice life.  

Kristin:    00:17:43    Any uh, tips for people that are just trying to get their first client as a freelancer or professional services provider?  

Luka:   00:17:50    I would say, um, don't necessarily overthink it. So a website is enough, emails, outreach emails for example. Um, and that can already work. Like, uh, what, well, what I had to learn is um, I needed to put a lot of proof into why me and why not someone else. Oh yeah. So why can I keep up on the promise? But once I figured it out, I figured out how to put this into the right words. Uh, it's worked.  

Kristin:    00:18:14    Yeah, I would say cold outreach is really good. Or not just cold, but like to your network and just letting people know what you're doing. Yeah. I see one of the organizers of Nomad Island Fest. So let's talk to him about what this event is all about. Hey, I'm here with the Nomad Island Fest event manager, Luca. Luca. Where are you from?  

Luca:   00:18:33    I'm from, uh, Italy, actually a very, very small village in the north of Italy. It's almost Switzerland and it's called Monvalle. And it's uh, a place very close to Logo Maggiore It is uh, kind of the, the cousin less famous cousin of Lake Como that everyone knows.  

Kristin:    00:18:47    I have heard of that other lake, the other sister. So how long have you been a digital nomad for? Are you fully nomadic?  

Luca:   00:18:54    Yes, I'm fully nomadic and I think I'm living now out of a backpack for more than two years, something like that. And  

Kristin:    00:19:00    What were you doing before you became a digital nomad?  

Luca:   00:19:04    I was, uh, working as a data scientist and consultant for one of the big four consulting companies in Amsterdam. I discovered that it was not really for me. I took a leap of faith and decided to leave my house and uh, just uh, try this new lifestyle and I ended up in Madeira and uh, that's where I started my journey.  

Kristin:    00:19:22    Yes, I can imagine that is a very traditional nine to five corporate world that you were in before. And what did you do to transition out of that? How did you start making money online so that you could travel?  

Luca:   00:19:34    I will say that this is not the path I will suggest to everyone.

Kristin: Disclaimer

Luca:   Yeah, disclaimer. Don't do it if you can. Honestly, I didn't have any clue, any big idea, any big project. I was in touch with the Nomad Escape, honestly through Instagram and I really liked their job. I came to a Nomad Escape. Uh, I participated into one and I really wanted to collaborate with them. And in the end, uh, I just decided to quit my job. I knew I had the little pot of money as savings that could let me leave for at least four or five months. And then I was, I dunno if lucky enough to be the right person in the right place. And I started to collaborate as a sort of a, let's say web developer and a virtual assistant with the No Escape. And I was co-hosting our own retreats. And then from there I took up a bigger role and uh, became event and community manager. And I also do some many other things in behind the scenes. Yes, life just happened and uh, it sorted out itself. Yes.  

Kristin:    00:20:30    I think maybe that's how it's meant to work. We make it too complicated sometimes.  

Luca:    00:20:34    Yes. Like the disclaimer was more like, don't just take the leap of faith if you have, if you have no saving and no clear idea because you could find yourself very broken in a very bad position just two minutes after you made the decision. Think twice, at least before doing it. If it's inside, it's gonna happen. Just make it a bit more prepared than just jump.  

Kristin:    00:20:53    And why did you choose here in Ponta do Sol in Madeira for this event? Uh,  

Luca:   00:20:59    Ponta do Sol is actually the first Nomad village, at least it was in Europe and uh, it's a sunny place. It might not be in this very moment, but is uh, a place where we have 300 days of, uh, sunshine every year. We really wanted to kind of give back to the community that, uh, was creating and building and and growing here. And uh, also as, um, let's say, um, homage to the Nomad Village itself. Uh, we also collab with Estalagem, the hotel where we are hosting the event. And uh, they are do they do a lot for digital nomads as well. So it was kind of taking our community to another bigger family and uh, merging everything in once.  

Kristin:    00:21:36    Hey guys, are you digital nomads? Not yet. Not yet. 

Mutlu:    00:21:40    Not yet but going to be one.  

Kristin:    00:21:41    Awesome. And that's why you're here?  

Mutlu:    00:21:43    Yes. I hope I'm going to be very soon at Digital Nomad. I'm here for inspiring for Motivation and see what I can do online.  

Kristin:    00:21:51    What is your current job?  

Mutlu:    00:21:53    I'm a hair and makeup artist.  

Kristin:    00:21:54    Oh, and you wanna transfer that to being a remote hair and makeup artist? 

Mutlu:    00:21:58    I want to  combine it actually.  

Kristin:    00:21:59    Which country do you live in now  

Mutlu:   00:22:01    At the moment in the Netherlands.  

Kristin:    00:22:03    And where do you wanna go first if you become nomadic?  

Mutlu:   00:22:06    I don't know because the world is big and uh, there are lots of nice places, so it's going to be an adventure. I don't know yet. 

Kristin:    00:22:14  And  are you getting a lot of inspiration here at the Nomad Island Fest? Yes,  

Mutlu:   00:22:17    For sure. Yes.  

Kristin:    00:22:18    Only day two people. And what's your name? Howard. Howard. Where are you from?  

Howard:   00:22:23    England.  London.  

Kristin:    00:22:24    And how long have you been a digital nomad?  

Howard:  00:22:26    Um, well I actually started working online like eight years ago. So a while. Like before everyone was doing it? Yeah, but only a full-time like in the last two years.  

Kristin:    00:22:35    And what do you do for work to make money online?  

Howard:   00:22:38    Um, I do affiliate marketing, network marketing. Uh, I was a teacher so I still teach. Also sometimes I like to show also other people how to make money online or on their phones. So I always have a travel company. That's why I really like Madeira, so I'm always busy. Yeah.  

Kristin:    00:22:52    How did you get started with affiliate marketing?

Howard:   00:22:55    I just got into it by accident. I think I was just looking online at like things, YouTube videos and things to do online.  

Kristin:    00:23:03    How to make money online.  

Howard:  00:23:04    Yeah, yeah. Right, right. Um, and I already had experience like in marketing. My degree was business so I was like always looking for ways to monetize my followers on social media, so.  

Kristin:    00:23:16    Were there any kind of courses or things that you found helpful with affiliate marketing or do you think it was a combination of your research that helped you get started?  

Howard:   00:23:24    Um, I think it was just a combination of research, YouTube videos mostly. so,  

Kristin:    00:23:28    And uh, how eight years ago, how did you get the idea and the, the confidence to start traveling the world by yourself?  

Howard:   00:23:36    Um, well I wasn't always traveling eight years ago, but I've always been quite um, a traveler because I had family in Australia, so when I was a child we always went there or I went there to see them. So I think that's probably what started it. I'm not really sure. And my travel company is Travel with Howard also that if you're interested in traveling, uh, tours, different things to do and see abroad,  

Kristin:    00:24:00    Traveling with Kristin and Travel with Howard. Cool Howard, thank you. We're gonna find more people to interrupt. Oh, I see someone over here. Olga. Hi Olga. Are you a digital nomad?

Olga: Not yet.

Kristin: Not yet. What do you do for work?

Olga:   00:24:17    I'm in advertising. I do paid social advertising. Yeah, I've been doing this for seven years and I'm location independent, so yeah, hopefully in the sometime I'm gonna be in a digital nomad as well. So  

Kristin:    00:24:30    What is holding you back from becoming a digital nomad? Is it your job won't let you or is it just the logistics of figuring it out?  

Olga:   00:24:38    Yeah, Before that I think it, it was like just my fear. Like now, right now it's like, uh, a bit personal thing because I'm from Ukraine so my family came to my place, I had to take care of them. So to help them to, you know, to get used to the country and the the other things. But now I think I'm ready to do that in a few months. So different things like what the first one, the most important was the, the fear. But I guess now I overcame that.  

Kristin:    00:25:04    And why did you come here to Nomad Island Fest?   

Olga:   00:25:08    Actually I didn't have any expectations, but I wanted to meet people, I wanted to get inspired, I wanted to see how people do that, how do they build their digital businesses? Because also the, my my my goal is to build my own marketing agency. So I just wanted to get expired and maybe to, you know, to be a bit like pushed to to do that. Right. Sometimes you need that.  

Kristin:    00:25:31    Yeah, that accountability, that inspiration, that energy from others that have already done it and having that example. Thanks, Olga for sharing your story with us. 

Olga:   00:25:41    Thank you. <laugh>.  

Kristin:    00:25:43    Federico? Are you a digital nomad?  

Federico:    00:25:46    Yes, I am. I've been for for three years. 

Kristin:    00:25:49    And what do you do for work?  

Federico:   00:25:50    I'm a software engineer managing a team of four.  

Kristin:    00:25:53    Do you own your own company or do you work for a remote company?  

Federico:   00:25:57    I work for a remote company, but I was employee number two of a startup and I'm still with them.  

Kristin:    00:26:01    And were they always remote or did you have to ask them to go remote?  

Federico:   00:26:04    They were remote from day one and that was a big surprise for me because I didn't know that was a thing 10 years ago, so.

Kristin:    00:26:10    Were you doing before you joined that company?

Federico: Studying.

Kristin: And how did you find this job?

Federico:   00:26:15    On Twitter, It was founded by a colleague from my university.  

Kristin:    00:26:19    I heard Twitter is a really good job board actually Twitter and Reddit that people wouldn't think. What are some of the favorite places that you've been as a digital nomad  

Federico:   00:26:27    For sure. Iceland, Dubai, Mexico, that they were great places.  

Kristin:    00:26:31    What would you say your average monthly cost of living is as a digital nomad?  

Federico:  00:26:36    More or less the same as if I would live back in a big city in Europe. So around 700, 900 for accommodation but with better accommodations usually.  

Kristin:    00:26:46    And where are you from again?  

Federico:   00:26:47    I'm from Italy, Rome.  

Kristin:    00:26:48    And why did you come to Nomad Island Fest?  

Federico:   00:26:51    I come to Nomad Island Fest because I love the people that usually come and I've been here many times. I love Madeira and the weather, it's December and it looks like spring. 

Kristin:    00:26:59  Amazing.  Well thank you so much for sharing your story with us. Thank you. Enjoy your day.  

Maria:    00:27:04    Congratulations.  

Kristin:    00:27:06    Thank you so much. Did you have fun last night? Oh  

Maria:   00:27:08    My god, I had so much fun. It was so good.  I just wanted to say that you're like such an inspiration. I'm also a musician and I, I studied finance and I've been like on that journey of like how to integrate myself and like seeing you 'cause I was with you in the morning, like you came to the stage with your black dress and you're like, business numbers this money. And then at night you're like, with glitter like having such a good time. I was like, oh my god, it is possible we can have it all. So like thank you for that.  

Kristin:    00:27:36    I actually posted an Instagram story that 11:00 AM giving a talk on stage 11:00 PM DJing. That's what I love about this lifestyle is that you can still be yourself and be professional and have fun at the same time. And for some reason when we grow up as kids, it's like you have your personal life at home and then you have your work life and those are separate and you be one person at work and one person at home. But as a digital nomad, you know, when you're, when you work for yourself or work remotely, you can just be who you are and be your authentic self. Are you a full-time digita nomad?

Maria:  Uh, right now, yes.  

Kristin:    00:28:09    What is your, uh, full-time job or do you have multiple jobs? 

Maria:    00:28:12    I work in multiple projects, so it depends. It goes with the project. So, and I also like that because sometimes I take on projects that you need to be in certain places. I also enjoy being on a place, getting to meet a team and then like, you know, going to the next one and the next one  

Kristin:    00:28:25    And the next one. What is your area of expertise?  

Maria:    00:28:28    Do uh, business consulting and mentoring to help entrepreneurs to launch their business and how to help women empower their own superpower, like a spiritual discovery as well. So it's a bit of business, even management and spirituality.  

Kristin:    00:28:40    I love that. And how did you get started in your own online business?  

Maria:    00:28:44    I did a bunch of research. I just made the decision, like I was really sad at my corporate job and I was like, okay, I need something else. So I started doing research. I downloaded this like hundred things that you can do online. So I started seeing that what will match my profile, my experience, and I found this like business coach. So I hired a coach to help me through that process. I took a couple of courses and also like I feel with the help of that mentor, like she really pushed me out of my comfort zone to like launch my business, launch my services, quit my job and like that was great help as well.  

Kristin:    00:29:14    I've always had a mentor as well, I think for over 10 years now. So that's super helpful. And how long have you been a digital nomad now?

Maria: Two years now.

Kristin: And where are you from originally?  

Maria:    00:29:24    Bogotá, Columbia.  

Kristin:    00:29:25    Where are you going next after Madeira?

Maria:  00:29:28    Malta. So is it family and then we'll see  

Kristin:    00:29:32    <laugh>. Well thank you Maria for sharing your story.  

Kristin:    00:29:38    I don't know about you, but I love hearing other people's stories about how they got where they are today. So if you enjoyed this video, make sure to subscribe for more content that helps you work remotely and travel the world.

I hope you enjoyed hearing from these new and aspiring as well as experienced digital nomads about how they earn an online income or their plans to do so. Uh, LMM Bernard on YouTube said, it's so interesting the different stories and paths that have brought digital nomads and future digital nomads to where they are now. It makes me feel better that a bunch of the people you interviewed are still aspiring to do it. I guess it just starts with a decision and he's so true. You know, I always say, and I said this in my book, Digital Nomads for Dummies, that there are infinite paths to becoming a digital nomad.  

Kristin:    00:30:33    You can take one of the most common paths or you can create your own. And that's certainly what I did because there was no job title out there for being an online poker player, relocation consultant, which is something that I did for 12 years. So you can create a job that fits your personality and your skills and your area of expertise. You can learn new skills and change into a different career or you can convert your current job into a remote job. So there's a lot of other ways that you can do that and you can get a step-by-step guide to doing that in my book, Digital Nomads for Dummies. But also I'll link to some other podcast episodes and videos about ideas for making money online in the show notes. Nicole says, I love this on many levels. I love how people are thinking outside of the box and living their own journeys.  

Kristin:    00:31:30    And I also would love to hear about what people are doing about saving for their retirement and securing their future. And also what about having a family and children? Will they continue? Do they see life with a family as digital nomads? And I wanted to share this comment with you because I do actually have a video about how becoming a digital nomad can help you save for retirement. And we also have quite a few podcast interviews on Badass Digital Nomads about going location independent as a family. And so I'll link to those other episodes for you in the show notes if that is something that you want to know about. And Nikki also says, love your comment that as a digital nomad, you can be your authentic self doing research to transition into the lifestyle as I approach my 50th birthday. Love that Nikki. And if you are in your fifties, and I'll also link to the interview I did with Palle Bo, who is a digital nomad from Denmark and he's also known as the Radio Vagabond.  

Kristin:    00:32:38    And we did an interview in Brazil a few years ago about how to become a digital nomad in your fifties. And so I'll link that up for you in the show notes as well. Thanks for hanging out with me today. I look forward to seeing you again next week. And we also have some new interviews in the pipeline, so really excited for that. And also I hope to see you in person this September at International Living's Ultimate Go Overseas Bootcamp. And remember, you can get $200 off of your ticket by using our Friends and Family Discount linked in the show notes and hope to see you there or here again next week.