17: The life of a Digital Nomad Copywriter with Jamie
Tune in and learn how digital nomad and copywriter Jaimie created a successful digital nomad lifestyle for herself. She has been nomadding for 4+ years and started her journey in Bali. In this episode, Jamie answers practical questions and lessons learned from working as a remote copywriter over the last three years. We dive into how she finds clients, the skills needed to become a thriving freelancer, and how she manages her day-to-day life. Like many freelancers, her journey started with low-paying projects to build a portfolio. Today she is working with clients she loves and projects she truly enjoys. Thinking about traveling the world as a freelancer? This episode is definitely for you!
“If you like what you are doing, you can deliver your best work.”
Becoming a digital nomad & freelance copywriter
Jamie was born in Canada and raised in the Netherlands. With a Canadian father and a Dutch mother, she grew up bilingual and this enables her to work with Dutch and English-speaking clients as both languages are her mother tongue.
Like many nomads, Jamie went to Bali for the holidays and this is where she started her digital nomad journey. Before that, she worked in a language school in Vietnam to teach English. She learned about freelance writing and decided to become a copywriter and translator. A friend showed her the robes and she took a course from Donald Miller to start her freelance career.
During her travels, Jamie became an enthusiastic surfer. After living in Asia for 4,5 years, she decided to chase the waves a bit closer to her home and landed in Ericeira, Portugal. It’s a small village an hour away from Lisbon and attracts a lot of digital nomads during the summer who are into surfing.
Pat started his digital nomad journey as part of his work agreement. Something very unique at the time and with 90% travel capacity, he traveled the world expanding WeWork. Pat switched companies and worked for Selina as head of global partnerships. He only found out in the digital nomad hub in Chiang Mai, Thailand, that he was a digital nomad and started building a community with fellow nomads. In this episode, we talk about the lessons honed from his journey. Pat and Nienke Nina dive deeper into the future of digital nomads and how both governments and companies can attract and retain digital nomads.
“Companies and governments need to adapt to attract, retain and benefit from digital nomads.”
The start of the digital nomad lifestyle at WeWork & Selina
Pat loved working online and traveling the world lifestyle. After his work experience with Selina and WeWork, he built a consulting company and continued traveling. One of the challenges was leaving the country every 2 or 3 months. When you’re staying with a tourist visa, you usually can only stay for a short time without extending.
A flexible home base is the future of digital nomads
After traveling for so many years, Pat desired to have a base and found his new home in Barbados. The country offers a digital nomad visa which allows him to stay and travel in and out of the country hassle-free. He believes that digital nomad visas are an excellent opportunity for governments and businesses as it’s a target for a new kind of tourism. Many governments have to realize that visas aren’t always attractive for digital nomads. For example, requirements like high incomes, paperwork, and no tax benefits, and currency are missing in the ‘‘new digital nomad visas’’.
Aside from governments, companies also still have a big job ahead of them to attract digital nomads. Large companies like Airbnb implement working remote company policies and this is a great start. This is the future of the workforce where attracting digital nomads is crucial. Allowing people to work remotely requires a new way of thinking. This is still challenging for companies as they often lack insider information about what digital nomads and remote workers need. As nomads often will be hired as contractors, general company benefits aren’t applicable. However, this isn’t the right way of going about it, according to Pat and Nienke Nina. Benefits such as having a seat in a coworking space, a gym pass or a budget for physical and mental health are benefits easily to implement. Working with companies that serve the digital nomad space, like health insurance with SafelyWing, are crucial benefits digital nomads need.
Governments and companies still have a long way to go. Hiring digital nomads is the future of work. We are excited to see how companies will involve.
How company can adapt and be part of the future of digital nomads
Aside from governments, companies also still have a big job ahead of them to attract digital nomads. Large companies like Airbnb implement working remote company policies and this is a great start. This is the future of the workforce where attracting digital nomads is crucial. Allowing people to work remotely requires a new way of thinking. This is still challenging for companies as they often lack insider information about what digital nomads and remote workers need. As nomads often will be hired as contractors, general company benefits aren’t applicable. However, this isn’t the right way of going about it, according to Pat and Nienke Nina. Benefits such as having a seat in a coworking space, a gym pass or a budget for physical and mental health are benefits easily to implement. Working with companies that serve the digital nomad space, like health insurance with SafelyWing, are crucial benefits digital nomads need.
Governments and companies still have a long way to go. Hiring digital nomads is the future of work. We are excited to see how companies will involve.
11: Overcoming the first obstacles in the digital nomad lifestyle with MS with Lina
Balancing work, life, and relationships can already be tough. But for Lina Miclea, she is a digital nomad who has to worry about the health practicalities of her multiple sclerosis. Even though she started her planning her nomad lifestyle in 2020, Lina only began nomadding in January 2022. In this episode, Lina discusses her journey, how she manages her life, the unanticipated struggles she faces, and advice she has for new digital nomads like herself.
Meet Digital Nomad Lina and learn how her remote lifestyle journey started
Lina’s nomadding journey began because of COVID-19 pandemic. As she mentioned, if you stay in one place constantly, it can drive you crazy. Hence, she took the time to explore the world and take her work elsewhere. Unfortunately, during her planning process, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). She thought it wasn’t fate to travel and work remotely anymore. Lina had to stay put in Toronto to maintain her infusions, MRIs, doctor appointments, and health insurance. One day, the opposite happened – Lina figured out a way to embark on her digital nomad adventures. In this article we cover:
How does Lina sustain herself?
Balancing work, life, relationships, and health practicalities.
Unexpected struggles of the digital nomad lifestyle
Tips for digital nomads
Combing passive income with following your passion
We all have one common question: how does she financially support herself? Lina shares that a chunk of her money comes from the investment property she purchased 7 years ago. She committed to paying the mortgage completely and having tenants move in and her husband is also actively working in the tech space of marketing. This gives her financial freedom and she is now following her passion for creating content and building an online community. Essentially, she relies on something concrete like her property to sustain herself, while doing something that she enjoys as an additional hustle.
Balancing work, life, relationships, and health practicalities
A typical day in Lina’s week consists of a combination of things. She can either work the entire day on building content and writing posts, managing her investment property, or both. But one thing is for sure – she loves to plan her schedule weeks in advance.
She’s been married to her husband for 2 years. Since her husband is pretty busy himself she has lots of free time. Lina heavily prioritizes and values their time together but she loves her me-time as well. By going to the beach and workout daily she ensures to set aside a few hours a day for work and brainstorming content.
Her investment property is one way of achieving passive income and Lina shares to always come up with inventive ideas for investing to have her passive income excel. She and her husband strive for a life where they can be freer and do the things they wish for like many other digital nomads. Learn more about achieving passive income with digital nomad Dean on our podcast.
In order to keep her health insurance, she has to be a part of the social system in her home country. Becoming a digital nomad full-time though is not an option but she is always researching dig into the types of local and global assistance programs that exist.
Unexpected struggles of the digital nomad lifestyle
Lina likes to always plan, but she realizes that the digital nomad lifestyle can be very spontaneous; a plan is not always possible. One time, her husband and she planned to go on a shuttle through town in San Jose. However, they were late and missed it completely. When they went themselves and arrived in town, the circumstances became worse. It was pouring rain, and it was very dark as there were no street lights. They also did not stay in the most ideal accommodation as the area was rough and the internet was poor. As first-time nomadders, they were lost and did not know what to do.
Lina talks these struggles as the hiccups of her digital nomad lifestyle and reflected how more research is essential. Nevertheless, they stuck through it all and did not move out until recently. She described the experience as character building as it taught her a lot about the nomad. More tips on how to plan your digital nomad lifestyle are shared in Anastasia and Tomer’s episode. They also planned their nomad life in advance and enjoy passive income while building their online business.
Initially, they jumped right away into staying at a new place for a month because they wanted to feel at home – not like they were traveling somewhere. Going forward, Lina is eager to test the waters first by staying at a place for just a few days.
Lina’s tips for new digital nomads
Pack light: When you’re always on the move, overpacking will drag you down. You can also get rid of things on the way.
If you’re going to a city, you can get your essentials there (toothbrush, toothpaste, etc).
Research your nomad destination well: Take the time to read other bloggers’ experiences and reviews. Some accounts are not always credible. They are your trusted sources.
Sell worn-out and unnecessary stuff: This is a good strategy to make extra pocket changes for your trips.
Look into coworking spaces: If you are not confident about the Internet at your new home, search for backups. The Internet is very important, especially for digital nomads – it will be your new best friend!
What is the Best Online Female Digital Nomad Community?
Digital Nomads usually love to meet people and having both male and female friends is pretty common. Some female digital nomads prefer to connect with other nomad girls only for various reasons. The Digital Nomad community includes groups that are location specific and groups that are female-only.
The benefits of joining a female digital nomad community
Women have different needs than men, which is why a female-only group is so great. It’s an online space where you can share and ask questions about your feminine needs. Think about travel tips, relationship advice, dating tips, and helpful tips about entrepreneurship. You can also build a network and find new gigs among these groups. The female digital nomad community is a safe space as they can share the same interests and goals. Learn more about the digital nomad lifestyle on our podcast where we interview nomads and talk about daily nomadic challenges.
Many of the groups are on Facebook. Even though you are not a heavy Facebook user, it’s a great place to connect. Because of gender exclusivity these online communities are private groups. To join you have to send out a request and this may take a couple of hours or days before it gets approved.
How do I connect with other female travelers?
A great way to connect with other people in the female digital nomad community is to introduce yourself. Before you do this make sure you read the guidelines. Some groups allow this while others could mark it as self-promotion. The group guidelines are always available and we recommend quickly reading them, especially if you want to participate in these groups actively and avoid getting kicked out.
Another thing you have to keep in mind is that everyone in the female digital nomad community is in the same boat. When people ask for advice, you could leave a comment but bear in mind that you keep things kind. It doesn’t happen often but sometimes comments can easily backfire and lead to massive discussions. So always be open-minded and try to form opinions in a gentle matter.
Like in any other community, respecting your peers is crucial, and online communities are no different.
How can I find remote work or jobs in online nomad groups?
Online communities can boost your network and this is one of the reasons why we love these communities. If you are looking for a job or a new gig you might find your new one in the online nomad community. Don’t put all eggs in one basket though because you will see that some posts attract many people and it will be hard to stand out. What you could do is also view the poster on LinkedIn. They receive a notification that you viewed their profile and this means you showed interest in their professional life.
Groups also have a search feature that makes it easier to search for the latest job openings or other topics like tips about your next nomad location. Looking for more digital nomad communities? Explore our digital nomad community page to explore online groups across the globe.
As travelers, one of our best activities is reading. We can do it from anywhere at a given time, and it doesn’t require an internet connection. The only thing you really need is a great book. Most travelers prefer to travel light and carrying around books isn’t very practical. It’s almost impossible because of the weight. This is why every nomad should have a Kindle book.
Digital nomads love kindle books
We love paper books and holding a book, that familiar smell, and flipping the pages – it feels like no other. As you move around, you will realize the hassle of carrying books around. Perhaps you find free books in hostels to borrow but you will never have certainty of reading the books you love. Eventually, this will make you lose interest in reading and completely give up reading.
The Kindle books library enables digital nomads to read all kinds of books whenever they want without caring about the extra weight!
Easy to set up and buy, with an intuitive use
Setting the Kindle up is as simple as possible. Sign in with your Kindle Amazon account, and it’s ready to use. Connecting to any WI-FI network is effortless and fast, and in the Amazon library on your Kindle, you will find thousands of books. Select books from bestsellers to timeless books in any genre. The library also shows reviews, ratings, and suggestions of books written by the same author and the average time spent reading. You can get books directly on your device with only a couple of clicks, and the price of a kindle book is much lower than a paperback book.
Lightweight and storage
Digital Nomads usually have every gram and inch of their luggage planned out. The best advantage of a Kindle is that it’s lightweight and easy to carry around. It’s like traveling with a library the size and weight of a card deck.
The Kindle screen isn’t harmful to your eyes
Working crazy hours and being behind the screen all the time isn’t healthy for your eyes. The Kindle books don’t have an LCD screen and are less harmful to your eyes. Instead, they use a display that’s broadly described as e-paper and quite comfortable. It also allows you to read for a more extended period, not interfering with your sleeping patterns.
The screen’s brightness is adjustable to your needs and you can adapt it today and add a night light. Another benefit is the adjustable font size which is a great feature when your eyes are tired, and you still want to read for a little while.
Amazing battery life
Unlike other electronic devices, one thing that makes the Kindle so unique is its battery life. It lasts for an incredibly long time. Of course, this depends on your reading time. Generally, it goes for 1-3 months. According to Amazon, the battery can last for up to ten weeks with one charge based on the assumption that you read thirty minutes every day.
When the battery dies, even with a five-minute plug, it gives you an hour of reading. You can quickly charge it with any Micro USB cable, which is typical for digital nomads and remote workers to have.
An easy and comfortable reading experience everywhere
A Kindle is small and light, and holding it for long periods doesn’t become uncomfortable. Unfortunately, with a book, it could get less comfortable.
The newer models that have been released are waterproof and don’t overheat quickly in the sun. This makes the Kindle the ultimate companion for a sunny beach day or hangout session at the pool. Since the pages won’t go wild with the wind, it’s perfect for any weather conditions like windy, sunny, or cloudy.
Ready to buy Kindle books?
We love paperback books, but as you can read, there are some real benefits of using a Kindle rather than a book while traveling.
If you like to read and go from one place to another with limited space, you really need to get a Kindle book. Some people enjoy the read a book to relax but the Kindle is also great for study purposes. This small device makes your digital nomad life so much better!
