What do you need to become a Digital Nomad?

Sintra, looking over Cascais - Portugal 2021 - A break during a Jeep Safari.

A digital Nomad is someone who can work from anywhere. It is a lifestyle that allows you to experience new cultures, meet new people, earn a living and learn a LOT about yourself.

It is something I have fully embraced. 2019 for me was an experiment in how it could work for me, I managed 146 days away.
In 2022 I have taken it to a new level. The world opened back up for me on August 31st, 2021. I flew to Budapest, I spent the rest of the year in Southern Europe. On August 31st this year I celebrated 210 days away and my best year in business.

When I started this article, I was a couple of weeks into my most ambitious run on the road, taking in 11 Countries across three continents, in just under two months. (16th August 2022 - 5th October 2022.)

Where did it start?
It is November 2015, I am in Bali and we are driving out of Ubud to head to a Villa for an overnight.
It is just pure luck how I have ended up here, as I was on holiday at the time, a friend was doing a thing called ‘Coworkation’ and they needed a couple of extras for a film and photo shoot. I said yes.

In front of the car sat an American who was tethering his phone onto his Macbook. He spoke about how much he loved that and how it made life easy - he owned four companies.

I was hooked, tell me more.
Over the next couple of days, I met lots of people and asked a lot of questions.
I run events, surely I cannot be completely free to be a Digital Nomad? I decided I wanted a challenge and decided it was the life for me.

Cycling around Barcelona - December 2021.

So how did I turn an Events Company into one that is fully remote?
I had to change my mindset.

I had commitments - a new business, with no fixed staff, though plenty of suppliers. I was still DJing at least twice a week. I had a mortgage.

I HAD EXCUSES!!

I toyed with the idea for a while and decided to make some serious changes. The first was actually to remove clients I didn’t want to work with, in order to realign the business to the direction I wanted to go. This was at the start of 2016.
I joined a Coworking place in Glasgow to learn. I thoroughly advise you to join up with other people with a similar mindset. You have coaches, accountability partners, and other new business owners to talk about life with. Turns out the start-up community is not as lonely as you thought it might be.
You need to want the change, to make it.

I kept thinking back to that trip to Indonesia, and how good that would be. So I made a plan.
This plan took a lot of finding out about myself, asking questions, and gathering knowledge from so many sources. Suddenly my business vision and goals grew, and so did I.

Cape Town - March 2022, on top of Table Mountain.

Sounds great, how do I work from anywhere?
Well, You need a business idea! One that can be made remote, or certainly on the road for a bit. The best part is, that most types of businesses are able to allow this opportunity. I am working on AND in a fully remote events business.

First off I learned what Coworking was and how to do that, I may as well get used to chatting strangers with a similar mindset.

Then I worked out the sort of business I wanted and started to attend trade shows to meet people and ask questions.
At these shows, I found out what terms in my industry meant. I believe no question is stupid if it opens up the conversation.
I realised what we as a business were doing was influenced by these acronyms, even though we called them differently.

You NEED discipline! It is a great feeling to get some work done in the morning at a lovely coffee shop near the Diocletians Palace in Split then head off to KRKA National Park by boat to see the Waterfalls. Remember though to make sure you schedule some time to do the work you need to do. Then it is time to sightsee.

Travel is indeed great. You meet new people and you really must try that restaurant you saw on TikTok. However, I also recommend fitness and diet. Balance is key. This is what gives you that energy to go from place to place, and also to stay focused on your own outcomes. It is easy to fall into a trap of being out every night and seeing the pounds going on you, and also out of the wallet…
Discipline forces good habits, and these small habits lead to growth overall. It is very enjoyable to cycle round new places for you and see more of it.
Make time for exercise, and good food on the road.

I let go - the transition from Event Manager to business owner / CEO meant I was no longer the hands-on person I used to be. My business coach said to me before, “If you are looking for the answer, you will find it in four books.” So get reading, you are about to start learning from the best about how to grow. Work out how to get rid of things holding you back in the same area.

Systems really help. Especially ones that allow for automation, or something that can be repeated easily.
I travel across business networking events, I worked out a follow-up process we can run using Hubspot and our website. Our system allows us to talk about destinations quickly, and reach out to suppliers, stakeholders, and potential new clients almost immediately after events.
Our events are essentially run off of Trello and Google - So optimise what is best for your business.

Your network is very important.
Over the last year and a bit, I have had over 2000 face-to-face meetings as I wanted to learn about the current state of the events industry and experience the destinations. It is here where I formed relationships. Key for me was staying and meeting people.

I find setting up an office in a hotel or apartment is a good way to work. I love taking the MacBook out in amazing locations for inspiration. I have enjoyed taking on an apartment in various cities to get a feel for how to live there, shop, and eat like a local.

Equipment & Software

My setup for travel:
IPhone - everything I need to run my business can be accessed by my phone. Whether that is on iCloud or Google (More about software below)
Important because to be a full digital nomad, you need to be able to access from one device.
MacBook Pro - AIR! I love my office setup at home which is a PRO with a connection to an LG Screen. I also use a stand with a wireless keyboard. This is a great setup at home, though to travel I need things that are light and won’t break my back, let alone baggage weight on planes!! So for me the AIR is the one to travel with.

I am collecting video content everywhere I go. I used to use a GoPro with an iPad. Though I find a phone allows me to create content very easily without extra weight. I can then upload it immediately onto Google Drive.

I use Rode Wireless Go II Mics for interviewing people for my podcasts and videos. Check out the Event Makers on Spotify and Youtube.
Further to this, the Rode Vlogger Kit has allowed for a steady and reliable stand.

Other kit required:
Battery pack - Power Bank - I like Anker, very durable and can offer 4 charges. Meaning you can travel all day and know you will never be out of charge.

Wireless Headphones - Lets face it, I love music. It is always good to have good headphones for the journey. Here is a playlist of some songs from around the world I made recently.
Wireless speaker - As above!!! home comforts in a hotel room or apartment, get that music on.

Travel adaptors - easy to pick up on the go for very cheap from local stores. If you ask in some hotels they might have spares you can have.

Backup cables!!!!

Sounds like a lot - though it is all really lightweight and does not take up much room in your backpack.

Retiro Park Madrid - September 2022 - A city I can call home.

Next up you will need good and relevant Software.

I use the following:
iCloud - All phone and photos backup.
Google Drive - To run events - info for suppliers.
IMAP emails - Saves you doubling up emails across devices.
Trello - For accountability for my team, and to build events by storing all information per event there.
Microsoft Teams - A place for the team to chat during the day, as there are out a lot.
Hubspot - To track sales and leads, plus to use for marketing emails

What to pack?
Where are you going? Definitely check the weather.
As a rule of thumb, I always carry fitness gear with me. I love a swim and a cycle. Lightweight clothes to keep fit are a must.
You do not want to overpack, so trousers (If you need to be formal), jeans and shorts (IF warm)
Other than that, a mix of shirts and T-Shirts and comfy shoes. A good pair of trainers is great and a smart pair of shoes for going out.

How to pack!
ROLL!!!!!!!! A game changer for me! Suddenly so much space!

Books
I read lots. I usually travel with three or four books. It is a good feeling giving a book to a new friend. It also sheds weight on your allowance.
The 4 Hour Work Week is the first one I need to recommend to you. Even if you are thinking of only transitioning to a 4-day week, or fancy a change from the rigid hours.
There are many more I can send your way to look at!

Know what you want in life and work for it.

RESULTS OF OVER A YEAR OF TRAVEL:

- Business growth
- Network Growth
- Skills Acquired
- Learning new languages
- New friends from all over the world
- Experiences I would never have had
- Learning from so many cultures
- Being able to talk to people randomly and find out their story
- Stories that can be told forever…
- To be continued!

Croatia - 2021 - KRKA Watefall, a bucket list for me.

I started writing this blog on the terrace restaurant in Bratislava Castle. I did the edit in the W Hotel overlooking the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur. I finished it in Dubai Airport via Bangkok.
The concept had come to me after I had been thinking of some comments made over the last few months about the constant travelling. There has been a lot of support, so I decided to help others with thier own ideas.

I haven’t stopped laughing or smiling since I started this journey. I have made friends across the world of many nationalities and cultures. The best part is I get to learn from these amazing people.
There have been experiences I will never forget and I am grateful for all my friends now being from all over the world.

What I need to stress is these tips are things that work for me. They might work for you, however, there are plenty of tools out there to help you make your own journey. I am of course always happy to chat to like-minded people who wish to start their own journey.

Enjoy it and write your own story!

All the best!

Craig!

Ljubljana Castle - September 2022.

#Nota9to5kindoflifestyle

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The Roman Gallery - Rome 2021 - A sight that made me speechless!

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