Have you always wondered what it would be like to travel the world and work remotely? Are you curious about how to be a digital nomad?
This blog post will show you the ins and outs of being a digital nomad.
You will learn what it takes to work remotely, how to plan for your finances, and where the best places in the world are for digital nomads.
Plus, there is an interview with a very successful digital nomad at the end to give you some inspiration.
This post contains affiliate links. Please read my Disclosure for more information.
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How To Be A Digital Nomad
What Is A Digital Nomad?
Digital nomads are also called remote workers or location-independent entrepreneurs.
In their most simplest form, they are people who use technology to work remotely.
In the era after 2020, most of us could probably be called digital nomads by that definition.
Therefore, it makes more sense for people who want to learn how to be a digital nomad to look at the two different parts that make up the term.
Digital – “involving or relating to the use of computer technology.”
Nomad – “a person who does not stay long in the same place; a wanderer.”
There are many people who want to travel the world and make money.
These digital nomads have figured out how to find remote work, so they can live anywhere in the world and still get paid for their skills.
Are you ready to join them?
Pros and Cons of becoming a digital nomad
Although living life on the road sounds amazing, like any job, there are ups and downs.
Here are a few things to consider on your path to becoming a digital nomad.
Pros:
-Ability to work from anywhere in the world.
-Flexibility of scheduling hours and days off.
-Potential for higher salaries due to differences in living costs.
-Enhanced sense of freedom and adventure by exploring the world.
Cons:
-Potential for lower salaries due to differences in living costs.
-Lack of access to amenities.
-Loss of stability and safety in one’s profession or industry.
-Potential for separation from family and friends.
How To Become A Digital Nomad – 4 Steps To Take
There isn’t one specific path for becoming a digital nomad, but there are many potential routes. Here are 4 steps that will help you get started quickly.
Get A Job That Allows You To Work Remotely
To start, you can explore work-from-home jobs. Some possible career paths include teaching English online and web design.
If your current job allows you to work remotely, make sure to check your contract that there are no timezone stipulations or anything else.
Some companies have residency rules for tax purposes.
Here are 3 job paths that lend themselves to being a digital nomad:
Blogger
Freelance writers and journalists who can work from anywhere in the world.
Become a digital nomad blogger by starting your own blog or freelance writing business to make passive income from advertising.
Teacher
Teacher can teach online through Skype or distance education to students across the world with a one-way video call and interactive whiteboard software, eliminating geographical boundaries for teaching opportunities.
Tech expert
You can work remotely as a freelance app programmer, web developer or software engineer.
The best part is that you don’t have to be in the same location as your clients!
Pick A Location
Next, plan a location independent trip to determine what type of life they would like to lead.
3 Tips For Picking A Great Remote Working Location
1. Consider the timezone
This is most important if you are in a customer facing role. The bigger the timezne difference between you and your clients, the more difficult it will be to maintain a great remote working situation.
If you’re based in North America and who regularly work with clients located in the U.S., consider working from locations that do not have a significant time difference.
Europe is manageable if your clients are based on the East coast, Asia might be tough.
2. Check out the local digital nomad community
A community of like-minded individuals can make all the difference when deciding where to go.
Having a community of other digital nomads to connect with will help you get settled quickly and comfortably.
Check out a few destinations and make sure to do some research online before you make your decision.
Facebook and Reddit all have lots of groups for all kinds of people who want to learn how to be a digital nomad in specific cities.
Some popular destinations for remote workers include:
- Playa del Carmen, Mexico
- Whistler, BC, Canada
- Thailand
- Barcelona
Look into technology and broadband
When doing your research, make sure to look into the types of cellphone and banking that you will need.
Remember, not everywhere takes the same bankcards Worldwide (lots of small places do not accept American Express, for example).
You also want to make sure that coworking spots and good internet are available where you decide to go.
Get Ready For Life As A Digital Nomad
Finally, make the necessary changes in order to become location independent.
- Give notice at your apartment or arrange for a sublet
- Get rid of all your gear
- Stock up on chargers and anything you need
- Make sure you have enough money saved up so that you can take your trip and not be burdened by debt or other financial constraints.
- Get ready for the adventure of a lifetime!
How To Be A Digital Nomad – What it Takes
Digital nomads are on the rise, and for good reason.
Many people want to travel the world while still being able to make money online.
This means that they have found a way of living anywhere in the world and working remotely.
What does it take?
It is not easy or quick to become a remote worker who can live anywhere in the world and work from home (or wherever).
It takes time, dedication, and determination!
You must be willing to dedicate yourself entirely if you want your dream life as a digital nomad to come true!
How do I know if I’m ready?
The best way is through trial and error. Start with a short trip to see if you can handle it.
If you go somewhere for a month, and don’t miss home too much, then maybe digital nomadism is the lifestyle for you!
You must be able to handle being away from your friends and family while still managing to keep up your work ethic.
How I Became A Digital Nomad
Interview With Elize McDowell, Founder House Of Brazen
Hi Elise, thanks so much for agreeing to talk to me!
I’m so excited to learn more about House of Brazen. Let’s talk first about how you got started.
House of Brazen came about when I was hitting the peak of frustration in my work life. I was DONE pouring all of my blood, sweat, and tears into my work and watching all of that effort make someone else wealthier.
This way of life just didn’t make sense to me anymore and that’s when I realized that this is how it is and how it will always be if I wanted to stay in this crazy show of a thing called ’employment.’
And so that’s what I do here at House of Brazen, I teach other entrepreneurial women the skills they need to earn more and work less so they can have the freedom they desire.
How has HOB changed your life?
Words can’t even describe the ways in which my life has changed because of my business!
I honestly lived such a small life before I started House of Brazen.
It’s a little sad to think about it because at the time I was totally oblivious to the fact that I was.
I thought my petty work problems were life or death! So I guess you could say my business brought me back life!
And now? I don’t stress out over the smallest insignificant things anymore, I don’t wake up to an alarm, I don’t sit in rush hour traffic, I don’t have to do mind-numbing work, I don’t have anyone telling me what to do, the money I make goes into MY pocket and I work whenever and where ever I want.
The most important thing for me was achieving freedom and I can truly say I finally have it!
I know from your Facebook group, that the last few years have been a whirlwind for you. What does a typical day look like now?
In 2017, I left my homeland of New Zealand to travel the world and live the “digital nomad” life.
Currently, I’m in Bali and having the time of my life!
I’ve met so many AMAZING entrepreneurs who came here to do exactly the same thing as I did. I didn’t realize how deprived I was of other like-minded people who understood this way of life.
Being around that kind of energy has a real and profound effect on you and I would recommend any entrepreneur wanting to accelerate their growth to come out here.
What does a typical day in the life of a digital nomad look like?
No day is the same here in Bali!
I do try to keep somewhat of a routine when it comes to my work though.
Some days I’ll head out early to one of my favorite cafes for breakfast and depending on my mood, I’ll either stay and work at the cafe or I’ll head to Dojo (an awesome co-working space) and spend the day there.
Other days I’ll take off to the beach, zip to Ubud for a day trip or meet friends for sunset drinks!
Your course, Paid by Pinterest, is one of my favourite courses, as my readers know.
How did you come up with the idea?
I knew you could use affiliate links on Pinterest again so I thought I’d give it a shot to see if I’d get any results.
Within 24 hours, I’d made my first sale, and I continued to make more in the days after from implementing one single strategy. This just blew me away!
I tested the strategy for a while to see if it was viable or just a once off but the sales kept increasing and I knew this was something my audience needed to know!
So I created the course and now my customers get insane results, even better and quicker than I did!
Do you think there are some products that are easier to promote on Pinterest than others?
Yes and no. I think it completely depends on who you’re targeting on Pinterest, what the product is, the attractiveness of the pin and how good the sales copy is.
An ebook about Facebook Ads in a Social Media Marketing group board is more likely to sell than a bedside table lamp in a DIY Project Inspiration group board.
Relevancy is important.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to create passive income through affiliate marketing? (Besides getting your course!)
Well yes, I’d definitely recommend getting my course I would also recommend doing a lot of research on how others do it, investing in some programs and then taking a boat load of action by implementing ALL OF IT.
Not every strategy is going to work for you so it’s important to try a lot to figure out what does and then put more effort into those strategies.
I always like to follow the 80/20 rule where 20% of your effort creates 80% of your results.
So, for example, you might discover your audience LOVES your resources page and makes the most purchases from your recommendations on that page and not others.
I would then stop promoting on other pages that aren’t giving you results and focus on promoting that page more throughout my blog and on social media.
What is your favorite thing about being a digital nomad at House Of Brazen?
My favorite thing about blogging is interacting with my community after I publish a new post.
I always love hearing from my audience and seeing how they can relate to the information shared.
It helps me to form and maintain a bond with them as well as understand what they need from me to help them on their journeys.
8. Do you have anything exciting in the pipeline for HOB?
Yes, lots of new things are on the horizon! I’ve just recently hired a VA who is taking over all the day-to-day tasks in running the business so I can free up my time to focus on the bigger projects.
But to give you a sneak peek we’ve got new products and programs being launched as well as live workshops and meetups in the works!
9. And finally, what one tip would you give to someone who wants to monetize their blog and get into affiliate marketing so they can become a digital nomad?
I always advise my audience to start monetizing from Day One.
You can begin monetizing with affiliate products and create a simple sales funnel very early on and this will put you leagues ahead of other new bloggers because you’re already teaching yourself to think about your blog as a business.
Most people don’t start monetizing until months later.
About Elise 
A New Zealander turned digital nomad, Elise helps women turn their dreams into reality at her blog http://www.houseofbrazen.com.
She is the author of several successful and courses teaching bloggers how to make money and grow sales.
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