Traveling The World For 25 Years With 3 Kids And A Dog With Andrew
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Listen to our interview with digital nomad Andrew:
🔥 How Andrew has been traveling with his family these last 25 years
🔥 Tips for digital nomad families with kids & pets
🔥 Why you need a global insurance
🔥🔥🔥 And so much more must-know digital nomad lifestyle tips for (aspiring) digital nomads!
“I urge everyone to continue to be as much of a minimalist as possible and with the kids as well. Even though you continue in as much of a minimalist lifestyle, keep things from different places that will remind them of the different seasons of life.”
Ever considered living the digital nomad lifestyle with your family? Traveling the world while working remotely can be challenging, especially when adding kids or pets to the mix. It requires more planning, a higher budget, and reaches a whole new level of responsibilities. This sounds overwhelming, and it probably is from time to time, but luckily there are experienced digital nomads who have walked this path.
Andrew Jardigen is the CEO of Insured Nomads and shares on the podcast a glance at his life as a traveling family man. Together with his wife, three kids, and his dog, they have lived on various continents. He shares helpful tips for (aspiring) nomad families, like:
🌟 Try different types of education and keep an open mind for your kids’ needs. 🌟 Have a financial buffer large enough to sustain everyone in your family. 🌟 Be part of communities and make this a priority for everyone in the family. 🌟 Consider traveling with a pet so there is some consistency for them. 🌟 Continue to be a minimalist but also keep some things as memories from the places they lived. 🌟 Think about therapy for yourself and your kids as they also need it to have an outside voice, to process experiences, especially the more traumatic things.
The second part of this conversation is about a topic that may not be so sexy but is extremely important for every single digital nomad – insurance. Nienke Nina and Andrew have an insightful conversation about the different types of insurance and what they typically cover. Insurance, in general, is an overlooked topic, and many digital nomads travel without proper insurance. Huge risks come with that and can put you in danger. Often we only think about travel insurance for health coverage but Andrew explains the importance of global insurance that also covers your important belongings. For example, when your laptop is damaged or, even worse, stolen, having insurance that covers that is extremely helpful.
33 icebreaker questions to start a conversation with a digital nomad
The digital nomad community is thriving and more people are joining the movement of working remotely from home or at a tropical destination. A part of travel, the community is a big reason for people to become a digital nomad.
All over the world, incredible humans are gathering to reinvent their own lives. They meet up to get inspired, share ideas, network and build businesses from the ground up. But where can you actually meet digital nomads? And how do you start a conversation with a digital nomad? On our podcast Magali said it beautifully on the podcast and shared that in her experience the community is very warm and people are super kind.
Photo by Noma Collective
Where can you meet digital nomads?
Places where digital nomads meet are for example at (online) events, co-working spaces, hostels, or community meetups. Connecting with people in Facebook groups or joining a curated trip for working professionals are also great ways to meet digital nomads.
Once you have found your tribe you also want to hit it off right. The best way to start a connection is to genuinely show interest in someone else’s life. We collected 33 questions to help you start a conversation with digital nomads during any type of event.
33 questions to start a conversation with digital nomads:
😎 How did you find out about the event?
😎 Have you been on any interesting trips lately?
😎 What is the most rewarding part of your career?
😎 How many countries have you been to?
😎 What’s your favorite city you’ve visited?
😎 Why did you come tonight?
😎 I love that shirt/jacket/dress/shoes. Where did you get it?
😎 What are you reading right now?
😎 What’s your favorite restaurant around here?
😎 What’s the next exciting event you have coming up?
😎 Doing anything fun this weekend?
😎 What do you do for a living?
😎 What do you normally do for fun?
😎 The food looks great. What’s the best thing you’ve had so far?
😎 Have you ever been here before?
😎 How long have you been living here?
😎 Where did you grow up?
😎 What made you choose this as your career?
😎 What’s the most interesting thing you’ve worked on lately?
😎 I’m new to this area, what’s your favorite place to hang out around here?
😎 Working on anything exciting lately?
😎 What personal passion project are you working on right now?
😎 How do you know the host?
😎 Have you been to an event like this before?
😎 How long have you been in ___?
😎 Are there any upcoming events you’re planning on going to?
😎 Why did you move to [city]?
😎 I’m trying to plan my next trip, have you traveled anywhere interesting lately?
😎 Who in life has inspired you the most?
😎 If you won a million dollars, what’s the first thing you’d do?
😎 What’s on your bucket list?
😎 What’s your favorite type of ice cream?
😎 If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
Finding your tribe and meeting up with new connections is one of the many challenges digital nomads face. The good news is that everyone is in the same boat but at the same time this can be very overwhelming. These questions are great conversation starters to take of the pressure. Choose 3-5 questions you would like to ask a stranger at an event and who knows what your new connections will bring into your life.
Finding the answers to all your daily digital nomad questions
You might have more questions about the digital nomad lifestyle, remote work and travel or seek some inspiration. We created a special book called Digital Nomads With Confidence. This book is inspired by the conversations shared on The Digital Nomads Daily Podcast and the purpose is to show different perspectives on how to deal with typical digital nomad everyday uncertainties. Consider it your companion to travel and work remotely from anywhere.
In this book, you will find answers, hacks, inspirational quotes and a ton of inspiration to live your digital nomad lifestyle with confidence. Download the free chapter about building a thriving community here if you want to enjoy your remote lifestyle every single day.
The Power Of Open-Mindedness In The Digital Nomad Lifestyle With Elle
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Listen to our interview with digital nomad Elle:
🔥 Setting expectations in the digital nomad lifestyle
🔥 The benefits of joining a travel group in the digital nomad lifestyle
🔥 The mindset that will set you up for success in this lifestyle
🔥🔥🔥 And so much more must-know digital nomad lifestyle tips for (aspiring) digital nomads!
“The digital nomad lifestyle doesn’t have to look like what you see on Instagram.”
What are your expectations of the digital nomad lifestyle
When you start the work and travel lifestyle, you can expect cool adventures while exploring the world. This lifestyle has so much more to offer though. Especially when it comes to discovering who you are and how you design a lifestyle that works for you. The episode with Elle shares many tips about mindset and the transformation from leaving your “normal” life behind to building a new way of living. One thing is for sure – it doesn’t have to look like what you see on Instagram.
Before Elle began her digital nomad journey, she went backpacking. She left her job as a director of finance operations for an international non-profit in Washington DC. During this trip, she wasn’t working online and mainly focusing on self-reflection and seeking clarity. Maintaining an income as a digital nomad is crucial and Elle did this as a consultant in finance. At the same time, she was connecting the idea of a new business with things closer to her heart. This helped her slowly transition and move away from her consulting career as she had financial stability while building her coaching business. In episode 21 with Anne, we also touched on this and more tips about entrepreneurship for digital nomads and online businesses.
In episode 19: 5 Benefits Of Joining A Digital Nomad Travel Group With Craig, we talk about the five benefits of joining a digital nomad travel group. He is not the only one who loved joining a travel group! Elle shares that her experience was not only amazing but also saved her a lot of hassle organizing her trip. The biggest benefit of joining a digital nomad travel community is that everything is arranged for you.
‘‘I literally showed up and there was a guy with a sign at the airport. I had an apartment, I had a roommate, I had a group of friends, I had a co-working space and I had a SIM card. They just made it so easy for that first month of being a nomad.’’
Saying goodbye to your old life and starting the digital nomad lifestyle can be super overwhelming. You need to take care of many things, and a travel group can ease a part of that process. Other benefits of joining a travel group are:<br> 🌟 You are surrounded by like-minded people and it’s easy to make friends<br> 🌟 There is a safety factor which is especially helpful if you don’t know the local language<br> 🌟 It’s perfect if you are new to this lifestyle or want to live it part-time
Expectations and mindset
One thing Elle is passionate about and she had experienced firsthand is the mental transformation the digital nomad lifestyle has to offer. Through her travels, she open-up and learned a lot about herself and her thoughts about who she wants to be in this life. This meant letting go of culture, traditions, and things her parents had taught her. This requires ongoing reflection with the self and discovering the consistently challenging stuff she carried around and what she didn’t need/want anymore.
She realized that no matter the reasons you are frustrated or not happy – the external factors that come with traveling will not solve it. These things you still carry with you and that’s why to be successful in this lifestyle, any lifestyle, self-awareness and personal development are key to growth.
Starting an online business as a digital nomad with Anne
Anne is a Dutch digital nomad who has lived the digital nomad lifestyle for over three years. She joined the Digital Nomads Daily Podcast to share her story about becoming a digital nomad and building her own business. She is the founder of her successful podcast management agency, The Podcast Babes.
Anne describes the digital nomad lifestyle as less glamorous than shown on social media. One of the things people often talk about is their successes but forget to talk about the small steps in between. This creates an unrealistic view of this lifestyle and building an online business as these smaller steps are part of the journey.
How to make money online
Knowing she wanted to work online and live this lifestyle was one of the first steps. To find out how to make money online, she took a course to learn how to become a Virtual Assistant (VA). The class about podcasting caught her attention and this is the start of her podcast agency. She learned all the skills needed to help others create a successful podcast, including writing show notes and editing.
Starting an online business as a digital nomad
Anne explains that she was doing all the work herself before building her agency. She totally underestimated the work part of the digital nomad lifestyle and frequently felt overwhelmed. Luckily, once she started outsourcing some of her tasks, her agency began to shape and she could focus on the things she loved doing.
“I think something that many people don’t talk about that much is that building a business takes time and patience. It’s very important to give yourself that time. I didn’t do that and it caused me so much stress”
What it takes to build an online business
Anne’s expectations of achieving success were high. She shares that one of these expectations was fully supporting her lifestyle with this business. Another expectation was that she would make a lot of money and make a lof of money. AAnne’simagination didn’t become a reality and this caused stress and many uncomfortable moments. She couldn’t relate to the digital nomads who show how great their entrepreneur travel life is because she found herself a lot of hours working staring at a screen.
The conversation with Anne is very insightful and you can learn from her personal experience as Anne shares many things she wishes she had known beforehand.
One of these learnings is having patience with yourself and with your business. She explains that businesses don’t take off out of the blue and that it requires a lot of work. Some of this work are small things you work on now but can have a huge impact after for example a year.
Anne also talks about a concept that is called “planting seeds.” This basically means that you lay the groundwork for something that can develop in the future. For example, you share your work on social media, although this probably won’t give you new clients immediately. However, by frequently sharing posts about your work “planting seeds” you build a network for yourself and credibility which could lead you to new clients.
Tips for creative freelancers and digital nomad entrepreneurs
Have a financial buffer to cover your expenses
Be patient and give yourself time to build a sustainable business
Think about what you can do in the short term and the long term
Plant seeds and let other people know what you are working on
Anne shares more tips for freelancers and entrepreneurs who want to live the digital nomad lifestyle. If this is something you would love to know more about just listen to this episode. Anne shares more helpful tips and a ton of motivation to start your own online business as a digital nomad.
Facing The Realities Of Online Entrepreneurship with Anne
👇 Or listen in your fav podcast apps👇
Listen to our interview with digital nomad Anne:
🔥 The digital nomad Lifestyle and online entrepreneurship aren’t that glamorous 🔥 Why dating as a digital nomad can be difficult 🔥 How to build an online business while traveling the world 🔥🔥🔥 And so much more must-know digital nomad lifestyle tips for (aspiring) digital nomads!
“As entrepreneurs we learn so many lessons. I think entrepreneurship is basically a self-development journey on steroids.”
The digital nomad Lifestyle and online entrepreneurship aren’t that glamorous
The digital nomad lifestyle is less glamorous than shown on social media, and in this episode, we talk about two of the challenges Anne experienced as a digital nomad. The first part of the interview covers her dating life as a digital nomad and why it’s so difficult for digital nomads to date. The second part of the interview is about how to build a successful online business as a digital nomad. She shares some of the common challenges she faced and how to overcome them.
Why dating is difficult for digital nomads
Loneliness is a common topic in the digital nomad community. Sharing this amazing lifestyle with someone else is a dream for many nomads. But why is dating so difficult for digital nomads?
‘‘It felt like the pool was so small because there are locals, travelers, and then there are the digital nomads…’’
Anne shares that in her experience, one of her challenges was that the pool of digital nomads is very small. Meeting people is pretty easy throughout the journey as you meet travelers, locals, or ex-pats. It gets harder when you finally make a special connection but one of you is leaving. So pretty early on, you have to decide to keep hanging out or walk away. This type of commitment is overwhelming and why dating can become very complicated. What helped her was to be open-minded and flexible. She advises that if you like the person to share how you feel and if it’s mutual to be flexible with your plans.
When she met her boyfriend in a hostel in Thailand, she wasn’t interested but could use some company during dinner. They got along and decided to go to an island. It wasn’t part of her plan but she liked the idea and was flexible and open-mind. It wasn’t really a date but there was definitely some romance! What’s funny is that Anne’s boyfriend wasn’t a digital nomad at the time! He learned about this lifestyle by seeing her working remotely and wanted to pursue the same lifestyle. Anne and Nienke Nina also talk about how to date safely and more tips for digital nomads dating.
Building an online business while traveling the world
Becoming an online entrepreneur and traveling the world gets extremely glamorized on social media. Anne shares that she totally underestimates the work part of this lifestyle. As a freelancer, she worked many hours and was basically sitting behind a screen all day long. Of course, she would go out and go on adventures but it was a lot of hard work in the beginning.
‘‘I was like, okey I’m going to do this business now, and I expect to be able to live off this immediately. My income will grow and grow and I will definitely will be very rich before the end of the year – that did not happen’’
Luckily she transformed from a virtual assistant to a successful freelance career and built a podcast management agency. The agency business model enables her to work with other talents and to do the work she loves. On top of that, she is working fewer hours and has more flexibility in her schedule. We collected some of her most valuable tips for freelancers and creative entrepreneurs in this article.
Key takeaways from this episode: 🌟 Be open-minded and flexible when you’re dating 🌟 Give yourself time to build a sustainable business and have patience 🌟 Create a financial buffer to cover your expenses so you have less stress 🌟 Set goals for the near future and for what you want to achieve in the long run 🌟 Start your online business as a side-hustle and go full in once it’s making money
This episode is fun, honest, and very insightful. If you dream of becoming a digital nomad or a creative freelance who wants to build a business, this is your episode!
Anne shares more tips for freelancers and entrepreneurs who want to live the digital nomad lifestyle. We recommend listening to this episode as they are many great tips and a ton of motivation to start your own digital nomad lifestyle.
