Journey has all the time been a basic a part of my life. A love for not solely locations, however for the journey to succeed in them, is what led me to discovered my firm, SteamLine Baggage. So throughout the pandemic, being caught at house whereas nonetheless selling journey inspiration to my clients felt surreal. Â
In October of 2021, my husband Mark and I made a decision to pack up our luggage and embark on a year-long digital nomad journey whereas every working our respective companies (he owns Good Masks Firm). Oh, and with our 4 younger youngsters, all below the age of eight.
Me with my husband Mark and sons Milo (8), Reuben (6), Benji (5), and Felix (2) in Lefkáda, Greece.
We’ve gotten to spend the previous 9 months residing it up in Lefkada (an island in Greece), Corfu, Mauritius (an island in Africa), and now Bali. Our companies proceed to thrive, and we haven’t fully drained our financial institution accounts. In reality, now that we’ve seen how effectively it’s understanding, we could even hold at it longer.
If it’s doable for us, I believe it’s doable for everyone. Right here’s a rundown of how we make it work, and the methods I’ve discovered this expertise is even useful for my enterprise.
What It Takes to Make a Yr-Lengthy Journey Occur
Essentially the most frequent query I get requested is how we’re pulling this off. Right here’s a fast breakdown of the fee and logistical juggling it takes to be a digital nomad, enterprise proprietor, and father or mother besides:
The Bills: What it Value for My Household of 6 to Journey for a Yr
Lodging: €3,500/month ($3,700)
Childcare: €2,500/month ($2,650)
Different Residing Bills: €2,000/month ($2,100)
Whole: €8,000/month ($8,450)
When my husband and I had been mapping out the price range for this journey, we had a concept that we may journey the world for the very same value as residing in our house in Dublin for the 12 months. We figured that our €3,500/month ($3,700) in hire would go towards Airbnbs, our €2,500/month ($2,650) in childcare prices would go towards flights, and all different residing bills can be the identical, if not cheaper, in different components of the world.
On the whole, this turned out to be true, even contemplating how journey prices have elevated in current months. Airbnbs within the international locations we’ve visited are fairly reasonably priced, and we’ve been in a position to strike even higher offers by planning to remain for a month or longer and asking hosts for prolonged keep reductions. As a result of we aren’t jet setting to a brand new place each different week, flight prices have remained cheap (although we’re actively re-budgeting as flight costs skyrocket), and we’re in a position to seek for tickets with versatile dates and (even versatile locations) to handle these prices. And all the pieces else, from meals to actions for the children to hiring the occasional caregiver to observe over them, has been less expensive than it was in Dublin.
We’ve got made the intentional resolution to stretch our price range a bit to get absolutely the most out of this expertise. As an illustration, we discovered that spending a further €500/month ($530) on Airbnbs would get us houses that had been far and away higher. Our present place in Bali, for example, is an enormous property with area for us to unfold out, a lush backyard and swimming pool for the boys to play in, and a personal chef and housekeeper to assist us out. We’re not usually lavish folks, however paying a bit extra for these extras has made the expertise of touring with the household (and discovering peace and quiet to work) a lot simpler. We additionally attempt to not be too stingy with our price range for experiences, since we would like our household to absorb all the pieces doable.
Our home in Mauritius had two swimming pools and a seaside—not a foul workplace view.
In the end, we’re spending about €8,000 ($8,450) a month for our household of six to spend time in a number of the most stunning locations world wide, which is a tiny bit lower than our value of residing in Dublin. In fact, it helped from a price range perspective that we had been coming from one of the crucial costly cities on this planet to dwell in and usually planning to journey to lower-cost locations. Your mileage could differ relying on the place you presently dwell and the place you’re hoping to go.
The Logistics: How a Household of 6 Juggles Work, Life, and Faculty
Touring whereas working a enterprise is certainly a juggling act, particularly while you add kids to the combo. My husband and I aren’t simply enterprise homeowners; we’re digital nomads who have to journey plan, mother and father who have to homeschool and entertain our youngsters, and vacationers who wish to benefit from the locations we’re in.
Staying in a single place longer has helped us handle the logistics of all of those duties. We’re not having to always spend time and power reserving our subsequent factor, and we’re in a position to settle right into a little bit of a routine, discover folks we belief to assist us with the children, and never really feel like now we have to hurry to do all the pieces a spot has to supply all of sudden.
The pandemic additionally gave us a crash course within the abilities that may assist us make doing all of this doable. Not solely are we extra used to having the children underfoot (though we had a nanny at house), my group was already accustomed to working remotely.
However, nonetheless, succeeding at working a enterprise whereas touring requires some scheduling flexibility. My days sometimes appear to be this:
- 7:30 am: The youngsters swim or train earlier than faculty.
- 8am-12pm: The youngsters homeschool. Relying on our workloads, both my husband or I’ll look over them whereas the opposite has a couple of hours of centered work.
- 12pm-2pm: Our youngest naps, the opposite youngsters have quiet time for artwork tasks or artistic play, and my husband and I get some work completed.
- 2pm-6pm: The youngsters could go off to a membership exercise or go to the seaside with a caregiver, giving us a bit extra work time, or we could resolve to do a household exercise and both my husband and I watch over them so the opposite can have a couple of hours of centered work.
- 6pm on: Proper now, all of our conferences and calls are carried out at the moment after which after the children are asleep (which occur to be good instances to coordinate calls with folks on the opposite facet of the world). I don’t love taking calls after 9pm, however I make it work to foster this way of life.
- All through the day: I collaborate with my group of 10 workers and contractors by way of WhatsApp, they usually know they will attain out to me at any time—however additionally they know I belief them to make selections with out me.
I nonetheless get all of the work completed I have to to maintain my enterprise shifting ahead, however moderately than figuring out I can sit down and get it completed in a six-hour stint, it’s a bit extra advert hoc. Even when you don’t have youngsters, it’s good to have this type of flexibility to have the ability to go on adventures throughout the day and to handle working throughout completely different time zones. And anytime I’m struggling by working at an odd hour, I remind myself that I am in [insert amazing country here].
What Lengthy-Time period Journey Has Given Me and My Enterprise
Generally it’s arduous when folks solely ask in regards to the specifics of how we make this work, as a result of I as a substitute wish to gush about all of the optimistic issues the expertise of touring has given me. There are the very apparent private advantages of attending to see the world, spend high quality time with my household, and provides my youngsters uniquely enriching experiences. However I’ve additionally gained a lot as an entrepreneur and chief.
What I’ve Discovered as an Entrepreneur From Journey
For one, I’ve discovered it a lot simpler to downside clear up and assume creatively whereas I’m overseas, as a result of my perceptions and senses are heightened by new issues, folks, and experiences  daily. I used to be in a position to deliver a few of my group to Mauritius for a weeklong retreat, and we noticed this expanded creativity throughout the corporate. In reality, we’re implementing a number of thrilling tasks right now that began as concepts whereas all experiencing a brand new atmosphere collectively.
I additionally assume this journey has helped me step again and acquire a chook’s-eye view of the enterprise. Being within the weeds might be harmful for an entrepreneur, and after I’m at house, it’s simple to obsess over the small stuff or get too hands-on with sure tasks. Being so distant has helped me step again and perceive what’s actually essential and the place I’m actually wanted.
How My Enterprise Has Executed Throughout a Yr of Journey
So, how has all of this translated to my enterprise’ backside line? Up to now, our gross sales are up 63 % over final 12 months. And whereas a few of this can be a pure spike after the pandemic, our journey has additionally helped. A part of our aim this 12 months was to share what we’re doing and why with others, and we’ve already completed six press interviews inside the first few months of journey, which have introduced elevated consciousness to SteamLine. I’ve additionally fostered some vital gross sales leads in every place I’ve been.
Lastly, I’ve additionally met new potential artistic companions alongside the best way—folks I might have by no means encountered in my day-to-day life in Dublin, however who’ve fostered concepts that I hope to deliver to life in future collections.
In the end, my greatest recommendation for any enterprise proprietor contemplating digital nomading is to only do it. The fears earlier than leaving are so nice, however the rewards of doing one thing like this are so excessive that any challenges you face actually begin to really feel small.
