Talking Travel – The Digital Nomad

Hello and welcome to Talking Travel, your weekly show for travel tips, inspiration, fascinating guests and art to all your burning questions on Women's Radio Station with myself, Kay Holland. Now, in today's episode, we're looking at the rise and rise of the digital nomads. What is a digital nomad? That refers to those who've turned their back on the conventional 9 to 5. A bit like producer Natalie, I'm looking at you. This could be you. So you don't want to be stuck in an office cubicle. And basically, digital nomads leverage technology to perform their work duties wherever and whenever they like. Digital nomads, they can be writers, journalists, graphic designers, dance teachers, IT consultants, personal assistants, Amazon shop owners, online teachers, small business owners. You get the gist. Basically, anyone who, thanks to the rise of the digital office, can earn an income just as easily in Borneo, say, as in Britain. They're the tribe who want to work while still having the freedom to pack their bags and fly away, wherever, whenever. And if they can do it, why can't you? Dear listener, if you need inspiration, we're going to be talking to Brittany White, a bona fide digital nomad. But first let's hear a song, very appropriate one, Frank Sinatra. Come fly with me. Come fly with me. Let's fly, let's fly away. If you can use some exotic booze, there's a bar in far Bombay. Come fly with me, let's fly, let's fly away. Come fly with me, let's float. Go down to Peru in llama land there's a one man band and he'll toot his flute for you. Come fly with me, let's take off in the blue. Once I get you up there where the air is rafied we'll just ride starry but once I get you up there I'll be holding you so near you may hear angels cheer Cause we're together weather wise it's such a lovely day. Just say the words and we'll beat the birds down to Acapulco Bay. It's perfect for a fly flying honeymoon they say. Come fly with me, let's fly, let's fly away. Once I get you up there where the air is rarified, we just glide starry eyed. Once I get you up there, I'll be holding you so near you may hear angels cheer cause we're together weather wild guys. It's such a lovely day, you just say the words and we'll beat the birds down to Acapulco Bay. It's perfect for a flying Honeymoon they say Come fly with me let's fly, let's fly Pack up, let's fly away. That was Frank Sinatra there with Come fly With Me. Welcome back to Talking Travel with myself, Kay Holland on women's radio station, where today we're looking at the rise and the rise of the digital nomads. And we're very lucky today to be joined by a true digital nomad. Welcome, Brittany White. Welcome, Brittany. Hello. Thank you. Thanks for joining us today on Talking Travel on women's radio station. Now, listeners, before we get started, don't forget, if you have a question for Brittany and talking Travel, why not tweet us womensradiostn? So, Brittany, digital nomad life, you've lived it, you live it, you've done it. Where to start? How did you decide? I know we met actually as digital nomads back in 2015, I think in Argentina. Yeah. And Buenos Aires. Yeah, that's right. But perhaps you can share with us your story of how you came to be a digital nomad. I had been living in San Diego, California for about 14 years, and I am a small business owner. And I was just feeling I needed change, change in my personal life, I needed change in my work life. And so I took a vacation, as I often do when I need a recharge to another country and fell in love with Buenos Aires. And then I came home and really thought about it of like, how can I make that happen? I'm really missing the international lifestyle and traveling in my life being being in San Diego. And so I just said, I'm going to do it. I'm going to go for three months and I'm going to try it. And I put a lot of time into systems and getting a flow together for my work so that I could go and did it. And I just did it as a tester. And then after the three months, it kind of worked. And so I prolonged it and kind of kept doing that for three years. Three years. Wow. So you're kind of an Argentine as well. I try. You try. So for people that are listening to you and feeling a bit inspired, you know, maybe they're getting to the end of the year. It's winter here in the uk. There's that kind of wave of dread of starting another week, another month, you know, stuck in a sterile office, slaving away for someone else. So what for you are the pros? What were the pros of the digital nomad lifestyle? I guess obviously the traveling. Yeah, I mean, absolutely, the traveling which comes with cons. Of course, which we can get into, but it's the flexibility. I feel like I was living, living life to the fullest in terms of what my passions are. And those passions are different for everybody, but mine is definitely travel and culture. And so I was able to do that while still having my foot in the reality world and having a career. Having a career and an income. Exactly. I wasn't just off spending all of my savings and traveling around the world. So that's very true. The best of both. Because obviously other people take like a kind of a gap, don't they? Take a year. Yes, but then you have to go back to reality. Your career might take a little hit. So you, you kind of managed to keep all that going. Yes. And so I think, you know, I was definitely fortunate that I was the business owner and so I have the ability to make those decisions. But I also put in a lot of time into setting myself to have that flexibility. If you're a business owner or in many different roles, my goal was always to build my role so I could have flexibility either if that's in a personal life in the US or traveling abroad. So in any role, I think you can be continually working towards that. Fantastic. Wise words. And what about the cons then? I presume in these three years there must have been a few downs. It can't have all been ups. Or was it? No, no, absolutely. So obviously the time change, I was on a five to six hour time difference, depending on the time of year. So when I was ready to put on my Buenos Aires tango shoes and go out dancing, it could be prime. Really, really live. Taking advantage of the local scenes. Yeah, absolutely. But it could be prime business hours in California. So how did you balance that then? I just knew that would be a con and I knew that was a sacrifice. So if I couldn't go out all the nights that I want to, or if I was working later, sometimes to 11 midnight, that's what it was. It wasn't every day, but I knew that's how I had to maintain balance. Because I couldn't let my job, my career, my company slide just because, because I was choosing a different lifestyle. So I made those sacrifices. And did they, I mean, were your company, were they all aware that the boss is based in Buenos Aires or. I mean, my direct employees did. We didn't exactly go and announce into all of our customers. Customers. You know, most of my relationships with them were via email or phone call, which I could easily do they want to know, not down the road. Yeah, right. Right. So. And I was going back every three months so that I could put a face to face contact with those customers. But yes, we didn't exactly flaunt it around just because I don't think that was applicable for my business. But you know, each to their own. And so you said you did this kind of digital nomad lifestyle for three years, which is an incredibly long time. What do you think is realistic? Do you think its digital nomad is something you can keep up forever? Do you think it does have just a short, maybe a year or three years, even a short span or what in your terms? I think it totally depends on the job and what your reality world is back at home, wherever home is. And I think the difference with mine is I was going for three months and then coming back for six or seven weeks and then going for three months and coming back for six or seven weeks. So when I was coming home, I was working non stop to make up for anything that I couldn't do while I was away. So that balance was very important for my role, my company. So I think everyone had to decide that for themselves. And doing a tester like I did for three months, you know, it's significant amount of time, but it's not going for a year would be a good plan for anyone to start off who's interested. I understand. Well, thank you so much for your tips. Brittany. Yes. Can we ask you for a song? Is there a song maybe that reminds you of Argentina or of your traveling life that you'd like to leave us on? Okay, now you're putting me under the microscope. I cannot give a specific song off the top of my head as much as I would like to. But you know, I love music and traveling and bringing that the core of Buenos Aires tango. I'm always having it play so it keeps me motivated and remembering what I love. Right. We'll choose a tango tune for you. Thank you. Thanks for joining us today. All right, thank you. Bye bye. Bye. We're going to take a short break now, but don't forget to listen again to Talking Travel. All you need to do is visit www.womensradiostation.com. WRS women's radio station Voice of Women Worldwide Sarah's universal Soul Show. What does your soul or spirituality mean to you? Welcome to future classical woman awards with me, Stefania Pasamonte on women's radio station. Welcome back. I'm Russ Cain. You're listening to in conversation with on women's radio station. I'm Angie. And I'm Patsy and we're open. To see what other programs we have on Women's radio station, head to our website, womensradiostation.com I'm Isabelle Manevy, an executive coach. Do you want to change a negative into a positive? We can do this by coaching you to rewire your brain using simple visualization techniques. In 20 years of practice, I've seen this transform lives. For more information, look on Women's Radio website. Call me on 079-844-22171. I'm listening. Mirae B Ltd. We are a virtual PA consultancy. We provide remote administrative services. Our offering is diverse. We manage your calendar, we update your client database, we take care of your property in France and in London. We also offer bookkeeping and translation services. Would you like to know more? Please call 077-8684-8998 for further information. Mirae B Limited making the life of the business owner successful. Let women's radio advertise your brand or business. It's so affordable and effective. Reaching out to all women. 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Welcome back to Talking Travel on Women's Radio Station with myself, Kay Holland. Now before the break, we were talking to Brittany White, who has made a very successful life as a digital nomad. And Brittany was sharing a few tips with us and the pros and cons on how to be able to work wherever and whenever you like. Are you feeling inspired, Natalie? Producer Natalie? She's nodding. I certainly am and I hope you are too. Now, Brittany has spent so much of her life and time in Argentina and she requested a A tango song. So we have come up with an absolute beauty. It's El Tango Roxanne from the one and only Mood on Rouge. Enjoy. We have a dance. In the brothels of Buenos Aires. Tells the story. A prostitute. And a man who falls in love. First there is desire, Then fashion, Then suspicion, Jealousy, anger, betrayal. Where love is for the highest bidder, there can be no trust. Without trust, there is no love. Jealousy, yes, jealousy will drive you mad, Rocks. And you don't have to put on that red light. Walk the streets for money. You don't care if it's wrong or if it is right. Roxanne, you don't have to wear that dress tonight. Rocks. And you don't have to sell your body to the night. His eyes upon your face, his hand upon your head. His lips caress your skin. It's more than I can stand. Deceive me and please believe me when I say I love you. Things I. Just don't. Deceive me and please believe me what I say I love you, Sam. Sav, You don't have to wear the dress tonight. Why does my heart cry? Feelings I can. That was El Tango Roxanne from Moulin Rouge for our digital nomad, Brittany. And when she said a tango song, I think producer Natalie. I'm looking at Natalie right now. We knew exactly what dramatic tango song we were going to pick. So, listeners, I hope you enjoyed that as much as we did. In the studio now, we spoke to Brittany about the digital nomad lifestyle. And it's something I can relate to as well, because I think it was back in January 2015, I decided to embrace the digital nomad lifestyle as well. Since then, I've lived and worked as a freelance writer in Argentina. That's where Brittany and I met. Uruguay, Chile, Colombia, America. Lisbon, London. And for the most part, I've also loved every minute because I've managed to escape the daily grind, keep my career, and crucially, for all you travel lovers out there, I've managed to satisfy my insatiable wanderlust. But the digital nomad lifestyle, it isn't for everyone. But if you don't give it a go, you'll never know. So I've got a quick few tips to help you get started. Are you ready, Natalie? Are you ready, listeners? Okay, tip number one, you've got to be disciplined a bit. Like Brittany explained, you have to create a schedule so as to ensure you hit deadlines and targets. It's all too easy to underestimate the skills, determination, and basically the motivation you need to Succeed as a digital nomad without a boss breathing down your neck, there's that constant temptation to become sidetracked by sunshine and social invitations. As Brittany spoke earlier, you know, she had to be prepared to turn down a few tango nights. My tip number two is to become part of a community. To join groups, I can really recommend Intonations. You can find them online@intonations.org and asmallworld. Again, they're on the Internet, asmallworld.com and they're great places to meet locals, to meet expats and to really help you get to know a new place and meet their new circle. My tip 3 is to go slow. Some digital nomads, they like to travel really fast. You know, try and tick off as many countries in, say, a year as possible. Personally, I'd advise against doing so. If you're always on the move, you never really get a true feel for a place. Plus, you're going to feel permanently exhausted and you won't be able to work to a professional standard. My next tip is not to rough it too much. You know, you're not a grubby backpacker, you are a working professional. So you're going to need some creature comforts. Check out organizations like Roam now. They're a company. They offer an international network of communal living spaces in locations ranging from Miami to Madrid, specifically for digital nomads. Next tip for you is to find a sedate workspace. It's nigh on impossible to work in a place that's loud and chaotic. I found this out when I was living on a commune in Hawaii. So you're going to need to source somewhere that you can work. You know, maybe it's a quiet coffee shop, but where you can be free from distraction. And my final keep in mind, the digital nomad lifestyle isn't for everyone. For some, it can last a few months at most. For others, a lifetime. But if travel and freedom are important to you, and they certainly are to me, then I definitely recommend giving the digital nomad lifestyle a try. I'm going to leave you with a quote. In the words of Mark Twain, 20 years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbour, Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore, dream, discover. You've been listening to Talking Travel on Women's Radio Station. If you wanted to listen again or catch up on our previous programs, you can head to the presenters page on womensradiostation.com thank you for listening and we'll see you next time when we're staying closer to home and we're off to Peckham. Yes, really. Bye. WRS Women's Radio Station Voice of Women Worldwide this is Amy Liu, Voice of China at Women's Radio Station. Welcome to future Classical Women Awards with me, Stefania Passamonte on Women's Radio Station. After a long day, I like to sit in my bath with a glass of wine and listen to Women's Radio. Kamross, Kate, you're listening to in conversation with on Women's Radio Station. To see what other programs we have on Women's Radio Station, head to our website womensradiostation.com are you looking to enhance your career? Are you looking to grow your business? Well then why not? Visit wearthecity.com wearethecity.com is a website for working women. It's full of inspirational stories of women that have been there, seen it and done it. We also feature events, women's networks and other articles that may help you to progress both in terms of your connections and business ideas. Visit wearethecity.com and take your business or career to the next level. Mirae B Ltd. We are a virtual PA consultancy. We provide remote administrative services. Our offering is diverse. We manage your calendar, we update your client database. We take care of your property in France and in London. We also offer bookkeeping and translation services. Would you like to know more? Please call 07-786-848998 for further information. Mirabe Limited making the life of the business owner successful. Would you like to host your own radio show? Would you love to be doing what I'm doing right now and be a radio presenter on Women's Radio Station? If you're passionate on your subject or topic, we'd like to hear from you, wherever you are in the world about what's happening in your country, town or city. It's your station, your voice to women of the world. So contact us. Send an email to involvedmensradiostation.com. I'm Isabelle Manevy, an executive coach. Do you want to change a negative into a positive? We can do this by coaching you to rewire your brain using simple visualization visualization techniques. In 20 years of practice, I've seen this transform lives. For more information, look on Women's Radio website. Call me on 07-98442-2171. I'm listening. Women's Radio Station is a not for profit, community interest company. Supporting women is our passion. We're currently welcoming donations to help towards our running costs to keep this important initiative alive. To donate, simply head to our website. Every little will help.