How Digital Nomads Can Become Successful Entrepreneurs With John

“You need to set out a good work ethic towards your goals and you also need to be adaptable to whatever unfolds in front of you.”

You need to set out a good work ethic towards your goals and you also need to be adaptable to whatever unfolds in front of you

Get ready for an episode with digital nomad entrepreneur John. He started his journey with a career in crypto trading but quickly realized that getting a sustainable income would be tough. So instead he focused on copywriting and his career kicked off by accepting low-paying projects. Today he runs a successful global content agency specializing in crypto and fintech. In this episode, he shares successful methods for building his business from scratch. We love John’s fresh perspective on how digital nomads can become successful entrepreneurs and if you’re a digital nomad entrepreneur, freelancer or have a side hustle – make sure to listen to this episode.

From digital nomad freelancer to running a content agency

John has lived the digital nomad lifestyle since 2018 and started his journey in the digital nomad hub in Lisbon, Portugal. At the time, the cost of living was decent, enabling him to have a comfortable lifestyle while building his career. At first, John was using his savings and was very excited about cryptocurrencies. His focus was to become a full-time crypto trader. It was easier said than done and he shifted to copywriting to make a living. The first gigs weren’t high paying at all but it was a great stepping stone to building up his writing skills as a freelance copywriter. His hard work paid off as he runs a content writing agency specializing in complex topics such as crypto and fintech. His agency’s specialty is writing content in an appealing and digestible way.

Key takeaways on how digital nomads can become successful entrepreneurs

Building a successful business takes a lot of time in the first years. So everyone who dreams about this must be ready to invest a lot of hours and expect very little social life. Prioritizing work over travel is also something we talked about in episode #04 – How to Combine Entrepreneurship and Travel With Entrepreneur Kristina.

Living in a more affordable place can reduce a lot of financial stress and this is one ingredient on how digital nomads can become successful entrepreneurs. John chose to live in Lisbon because he realized that because of the low cost of living, he could focus on building his business and still enjoy the city. He shares that if he were to live in London, building a business wouldn’t be possible.

Business owners, freelancers, and entrepreneurs have to wear many hats every day. We talked about this with digital nomad entrepreneurs Chelsea, Anne, and Micaela on the podcast, and John shared in our latest podcast episode the same opinion in this episode. So how digital nomads can become successful entrepreneurs by discovering the different success methods businesses could use helped him grow his agency. A couple of methods he used to grow his online business are:

#01 Avoid spreading yourself too thin

Find your niche and focus on only doing a couple of things. He learned that when you spread your focus too thin by offering various services, your value proposition becomes vague. This results in not finding the right clients or any clients.

#02 Share your best work with your network

Use digital content like a newsletter to showcase some of your best work. Share this with your network and clients so people learn about your expertise.

#03 Do an excellent job and get referrals

Always work to deliver excellent work so you can get referrals. Organizations and people who like you and your work are more likely to share it with their network. Chels shares in episode #20 – The Live Of A Traveling Website Designer how she created a referral system where her clients also benefit from referring her business. That’s a great idea and especially if you are just starting out.

#04 Make your business needs a priority

Be critical and focus on what your business needs to become more successful. This includes tracking where your returns (clients) are coming from and doing more of what works. This approach sounds easy but keep in mind that it takes time and patience as you’ll try different things.

‘‘At the end of the day, especially if you are doing it yourself and its the start, your time and energy is going to be limited so you can’t expect too much of yourself’’

The path of how digital nomads can become successful entrepreneurs isn’t always easy but definitely fulfilling if you love what you do. If you liked this episode and enjoyed The Digital Nomads Daily Podcast, make sure to rate it! Thanks for tuning in and don’t forget to follow John and us at Digital Nomads Daily online.

Connect with our Nienke Nina and our guests

Your host Nienke Nina

More digital nomad tips and life advice via instagram @digitalnomadsdaily

Connect with Nienke Nina on LinkedIn @Nienke Nina Keizer

Find Nienke Nina on Instagram @nienkeninatravels

Meet digital nomad John

Find him on LinkedIn: John Lee Quigley 

Check out his Twitter @bitcoinnomadic

Have a look at his website: adaptiveanalisys.io

Other episodes you might like:

🎧  Episode #22: Facing The Realities Of Online Entrepreneurship with Anne 

🎧  Episode #30: Distraction-Free Productivity For Digital Nomads With Taylor

🎧  Episode #42: The Entrepreneur Story Of The Nomad Soulmates Community With Aline

How To Improve Your Relationship With Money And Create An Online Business You Love With Laura

“When my relationship with money improved, everything else improved.”

Connect with our Nienke Nina and our guests

Your host Nienke Nina

More digital nomad tips and life advice via instagram @digitalnomadsdaily

Connect with Nienke Nina on LinkedIn @Nienke Nina Keizer

Find Nienke Nina on Instagram @nienkeninatravels

Meet digital nomad Laura

Find her on Instagram @itslaurahhenings

Check out her TikTok @ownyourwild.co

Other episodes you might like:

🎧  Episode #28: How Digital Nomads Can Become Successful Entrepreneurs With John

🎧  Episode #49: 8 Freelancer Mindset Challenges to Overcome For Success With Steve

🎧  Episode #50: Creating Your Career Around The Lifestyle You Want To Live With Natasha

Digital Nomad Introverts Never Need To Be Lonely With Marcel

“If you’re an introvert, don’t try to become an extrovert.”

Shifting careers – from IT company to keynote speaker

Marcel is the founder of Trendingjobs.com, which is a job search website in the United States. Even though remote work is a hot topic right now, his website isn’t focused on remote jobs. After running his business for a while Marcel didn’t feel fulfilled anymore. He wasn’t sure about his next steps and he was actively trying to figure out what sparks him joy.

This was a new array for Marcel and he tried different things to see what made him tick and what things weren’t his gem. His approach worked really well and he learned that hosting a talk was one of the things that made him spark. This wasn’t an overnight process though, and he shares that giving himself the time to discover different things was essential.

One of the experiences he loved doing was hosting a talk. So he brainstormed how to turn this into a new career path and decided to become a keynote speaker. While his first talk was about bootstrapping a business, this isn’t the topic Marcel is interested in sharing as a keynote speaker.

Community building is an important element of the digital nomad lifestyle and we often talk about this on The Digital Nomads Daily Podcast. But how do digital nomad introverts network and make meaningful connections? This question is close to Marcel’s heart as he identifies himself as an introvert. To him, this basically means he needs more alone time and if he spends too much time hanging out with others he gets drained. So his way of recharging is simple being on his own, probably more often than extroverts.

Today marcel has friends all over the world but creating his community wasn’t always easy. With trial and error, he found his way of community building without crossing her personal boundaries. Here are 5 things that helped Marcel feel more confident networking as an introvert

👉🏽 Focus on building a network of like-minded people that can become your long-term friends.
👉🏽 Use social media to share your location and ask for recommendations.
👉🏽 Visit Facebook Groups and explore Meetups to find events.
👉🏽 Book experiences like [tourguide] for example, a food tour or a free walking tour.
👉🏽 Check out hostels in the evenings.
👉🏽 Ask around if there is a WhatsApp group to stay tuned for new gatherings.
👉🏽 Make interactions fun so it’s more likely others will invite you for more experiences like road trips, hiking or diving etc.
👉🏽 Organize activities yourself and invite others via Facebook Groups.

The difference between being introverted and shy.

Some people get energy from being surrounded by people and others recharge from a lot of alone time. The folks who love doing activities alone can be identified as introverts, like Marcel.
One of Marcel’s realizations this year was that being introverted or extroverted is genetic and that shyness is something you can overcome. He experienced this firsthand as he used to be very shy. By working on his social skills, he learned to overcome shyness, and this has been important for his personal growth.
An example is that he discovered he wasn’t great at making new connections by moving away from his home and going abroad. It’s very likely that he wouldn’t learn this about himself if he would just stay in his home country and continue to live his life. It is a great example of how the digital nomad lifestyle is so much more than sipping coconuts and tropical adventures.
So living the digital nomad lifestyle gave him many new insights. This, of course, only happened because Marcel opened up to new experiences. He also shares that slowing down your travels and staying a couple of months in one place can really help create deeper connections.

Digital nomad introverts should prioritize working on their social skills

Going deeper into the challenges introverts face in the digital nomad lifestyle, Marcel explains that many introverted people most likely don’t have the practice and exploration extroverts have. Introverts are naturally inclined to be alone they just haven’t been out there to try new experiences. Putting this in perspective – Athletes spend a significant amount of time doing the groundwork and the same goes for someone’s social skills. If it doesn’t come naturally, all it takes is practice and getting ready for a challenge. Everyone can learn how to become good at starting a conversation with people you don’t know yet. This doesn’t apply to meetups but also impacts how confident you show up at work and pitch your business to potential clients.
A final piece of advice Marcel gives to all digital nomad introverts is that whatever you’re doing right now, do not try to be an extrovert. Shyness is definitely something you can overcome, but it will take time and self-reflection. And never be afraid to miss out or keep pushing yourself into crowds because others are doing that.
There is no reason to become a FOMO-victim and while others are getting energy from meetups, you can do what works for you! Marcel shares that he loves going out for dinner on his own and reading a book and prioritizes me-time moments over hanging out with others. In fact, if he goes to all those activities, his energy is drained and he is less fun to hang out with, and that does not go for him and his environment.

Connect with our Nienke Nina and our guests

Your host Nienke Nina

More digital nomad tips and life advice via instagram @digitalnomadsdaily

Connect with Nienke Nina on LinkedIn @Nienke Nina Keizer

Find Nienke Nina on Instagram @nienkeninatravels

Meet digital nomad Marcel

Follow his journey on Instagram @1marcelwijermars

Follow his keynote speaker journey on Instagram @neverlonelynomad

Other episodes you might like:

🎧  Episode #07: Overcoming Fears and Building Community with Digital Nomad Magali

🎧 Episode #46: The 5 Best Ways To Find Friends For Digital Nomads With Marina 

🎧 Episode #52: Connections Stronger than Wifi With The Bucket List Queen Nini 

Traveling The World For 25 Years With 3 Kids And A Dog With Andrew

“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.

Connect with our Nienke Nina and our guests

Your host Nienke Nina

More digital nomad tips and life advice via instagram @digitalnomadsdaily

Connect with Nienke Nina on LinkedIn @Nienke Nina Keizer

Find Nienke Nina on Instagram @nienkeninatravels

Meet digital nomad Andrew

Find him on LinkedIn: Andrew Jernigan

Find the company on Instagram @insurednomads

Other episodes you might like:

🎧  Episode #29: A Digital Nomad Family Enjoying It Part-Time with Rowena

🎧  Episode #33: How Digital Nomad Families Can Live A Boundless Life With Marcos

🎧  Episode #55 The Digital Nomad Family Life As A Gay Couple

The Power Of Open-Mindedness In The Digital Nomad Lifestyle With Elle

“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.

Connect with our Nienke Nina and our guests

Your host Nienke Nina

More digital nomad tips and life advice via instagram @digitalnomadsdaily

Connect with Nienke Nina on LinkedIn @Nienke Nina Keizer

Find Nienke Nina on Instagram @nienkeninatravels

Meet digital nomad Elle

Find her on Instagram @beyondtheitinerary

Check out her website www.beyondtheitinerary.com

Other episodes you might like:

🎧  Episode #19: 5 Benefits Of Joining A Digital Nomad Travel Group With Craig 

🎧  Episode #39: The 5 misconceptions of the digital nomad lifestyle with Charlie 

🎧  Episode #51: How To Live A Balanced And Joyful Remote Life With Ali