Introduction
Thank you for downloading my Digital Nomad Master Guide.
If you don’t know me yet, it’s a pleasure to connect with you. My name is Olumide Gbenro. I’m the founder of Digital Nomad Summit & Digital Nomad Week.
A Little about Me
In 2017 when I first started traveling the world, I left my first company in luxury event marketing to live a life on the road traveling to startups across the world as a strategist to help them launch successfully but I was unfortunately not earning a lot of money along the way. While traveling however, I started to see the trend in people now referred to as Digital Nomads so I began to consume mass amounts of information on how I could do the same. It took a while to learn the right formula but I am proud to have a sustainable Remote Digital Marketing Agency and I am now based on the beautiful island of Bali, Indonesia.
What is a Digital Nomad?
Wikipedia defines this as “people who use telecommunications technologies to earn a living and, more generally, conduct their life in a nomadic manner. Such workers often work remotely from foreign countries, coffee shops, public libraries, co-working spaces, or recreational vehicles”
Basically these are people who have figured out a way to make money in a location independent way. They are people who do not need to stay in one place to make a living and create an income thus many can be found in various cities around the world either for a brief stint or some for long periods of time.
How is this Possible?
The internet. It changed everything right?
Having a laptop and cell phone that is connected to the internet is literally all most Digital Nomads need. A famous book released by author Tim Ferriss named “The 4 Hour Work Week” was one of the first things to share with the world how gaining real freedom in life and income was possible.
Since then, technology has continued to improve at an accelerated pace and even people who work regular “9-5 jobs” are realizing that they are not safe. Machine learning and Artificial Intelligence is eliminating jobs left and right so many are realizing that online skills and abilities are the way to go. In the Digital Nomad world there are however different options to becoming Location Independent. They include but aren’t limited to:
- Digital & Social Media Marketing
- Web Design
- Blogging
- Being A Remote Employee
- Graphic Design
- Affiliate Marketing
- Dropshipping
How I Became A Digital Nomad
As you can see there are so many options but I can share what allowed me to gain this freedom that so many seek. I chose to create a Remote Social Media Marketing because I enjoyed using social media and helping others use it to reach their customers and clients.
Before starting my travels I had finished my Masters degree at San Diego State University but I knew for sure I did not want to go into a typical job. You know the one where you get a car, eventually buy a house on a mortgage, get married, have kids then die. I didn’t want that lifestyle. I wanted to break out of the matrix which is why I first started traveling in the first place.
I wanted to see the world, visit friends I had met in college in their countries and find a way to become sustainable at the same time.
It took a lot of experimenting, thousands of hours on Youtube and Google but eventually I settled on creating a Remote Social Media Marketing Agency. I knew if I learned this new skill I would be able to communicate with clients and provide them value in exchange for an income anywhere in the world!
So that’s what I did. I learned the foundations and got my first 3 clients on a monthly recurring retainer and here I am today in present day. I want to share 4 steps I used to get here.
4 Steps to Location Independence
In order to make this guide easy to follow, I have broken down my suggested process for becoming location independent into 4 simple steps, which are:
- Learn A Location Independent Skill
- Find business owners around the world who need your help
- Remove Your Limiting Beliefs About This Lifestyle
- Choosing your Dream destination
Step 1: Learn A Location Independent Skill?
As I shared earlier there as so many ways people are becoming Digital Nomads. You definitely don’t HAVE to be a Marketer but it’s what works for me and thus what I can shed a lot of light on. Here’s why a Remote Digital Marketing Agency works so well:
- There are millions of small business owners around the world who struggle to market their products & services
- You can find clients online through resources like Linkedin, Social Media & Cold Calling. ● It doesn’t take a TON of time to learn how to run Facebook & Instagram ads. ● There are many resources online where you can learn much of the skills it takes Free Of Charge (Youtube & Google.com)
These are just some of the reasons I chose to create my very own Remote Marketing Agency but as I mentioned, find what you really enjoy from the options available and mentioned earlier.
Your happiness should be number one and if you aren’t enjoying you nomadic choice of work then what’s the point right?
The nice thing about being a Digital Nomad is that you can also explore other areas of interest after you establish your first solid business. I’ve just started my first ECommerce business and it’s quite exciting (but I’ll leave that for a future guide��)..
[PAYWALL]
Step 2: Find Business Owners Around The World Who Need Your Help
Easier said than done right? And to be totally transparent it’s not easy if you don’t dial down your niche of business owners you want to help.
If you are not already networking with business owners at events or reaching out actively then you may take a tad bit longer to lift off. The good news is that I will show you how to get the best results right now and it comes down to again your Niche.
Let me explain…
Since there are millions of business owners in the world you certainly won’t run out of opportunity but going after all of them in a broad manner would be a huge mistake.
You must choose a specific type of business owner or Genre to specialize in and become an expert in, in order to be successful.
It took me about 9 months to learn this because I kept trying to go after any business owner until I settled on my niche now: Gym Owners
But there’s one more thing you have to do, you have to address the problem of this niche business owner by either doing research online on what their most pertinent needs are or asking them directly.
Once you figure out what their biggest pain point is, specialize in solving it!
For me, when I spoke to Gym Owners the biggest problem I identified was finding qualified people to sign up for trials at their gym. Once I found this out my only proposal was getting them Leads (emails, phone numbers) with Facebook Ads of people who were interested in fitness.
Getting leads for gym owners or business owners is far too much to cover here but feel free to contact me if you need any advice on this on my website or via social media. I’ll always respond.
So what comes next after you get these business owners around the world to start paying you? It’s time to go location independent!
Depending on where you decide to live or travel, the amount of clients and amount you need to charge on your retainer will certainly change but I will cover this in Step 4.
Step 3: Removing Your Limiting Beliefs About This Lifestyle
This is another crucial part of making it to the Digital Nomad lifestyle. In the 4 Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss he mentions how this simple or difficult your life can be depending on this factor alone. So the best thing to do is to identify these limiting beliefs and address them head on.
Barriers to freedom include:
- Financial Commitments (such as a mortgage, rental lease or any other recurring bill) 2. Family, Friends or romantic relationship commitments
- Owning too many physical possessions
- Not willing to change your lifestyle
I’m going to go over each and every one in detail.
Barrier 1: Financial Commitments
This barrier is first because it’s simply what holds people back from making that life changing move. If you are currently in a mortgage or you aren’t in the position to sell your home, you may want to consider working online part time to build up enough income to make the move. On the other hand you can get creative and transform your home into an AirBnB so it actually generates an income while you are abroad!
If you are in a fixed lease you may want to consider a buyout or wait and plan for the month it ends and have everything ready for your transition then.
For other liabilities and responsibilities try to eliminate them as soon as possible. If it’s something like a subscription to a service you will no longer need, like makeup or shaving products or even phone bills (since you will likely switch carriers in your new country) it’s best to address them now before making the move so you aren’t wasting money you don’t need to spend.
Barrier 2: Family, Friends or Romantic Relationships
Most of the time we see people who are young and single traveling and it makes sense. When you don’t have an additional person such as a partner you have to leave behind, leaving may be a little easier. When I left on my travels I wasn’t in a relationship, I don’t have any children either so it was definitely easier to pack up a small suitcase and leave San Diego, California.
But if you are in a serious relationship and/or have a spouse and kids, don’t ignore the possibilities of an amazing lifestyle change. I have seen plenty of nomads and older couples that have made the move together.
I know it’s not such a simple decision and I certainly urge you to take care of family first under all circumstances but try to find a medium you are most comfortable with.
Barrier 3: Owning Too Many Physical Possessions
This one is particularly interesting because as a nomad you can guess this, you will not be carrying around a TON of physical items. You simple can’t afford the annoyance of taking all the items in your home and frankly you will be annoyed by it. If you have sentimental objects like an old car you got in college or something that was a gift, your attachment may be preventing you from amazing experiences (like the beautiful beaches of Bali). You have to really weigh your attachment to physical things and determine if there are better things out there that will make letting those things go worth it, like new experiences.
If the physical items don’t have sentimental value, I recommend selling them all. Put it on Ebay, Craigslist, post your online garage sale to your Facebook friends announcing your departure and you should be good to go.
Barrier 4: Not Willing To Change Of Lifestyle
If you are planning to travel to a new country and culture this is bound to be expected. You will not have the same comforts you are usually used to. The good news is that living in Bali will cost almost a quarter of what it costs in your home city (speaking by Californian standards here) but you may have to adjust to the pollution in some areas of the island.
Keep in mind…
Not every place you go will be luxury, matter of fact it’s not. But your quality of life in terms of lower costs to live, eat, and play will be clear.
This Digital Nomad lifestyle is simple that… a lifestyle and you have to be ready to learn fast, meet new and interesting people and keep an open mind throughout. If that’s you then you are in the right place.
Step 4: Choosing Your Dream Location
This is the best part right! Let’s find a fun place to live! P.s Bali is my favourite. According to NomadList the most desirable places are: Bali, Indonesia (no surprise there), Bangkok, Thailand, and Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Ofcourse, your cost of living will likely be a big factor in choosing where you want to go. For example, there is a HUGE difference in cost of living between certain cities in Living in Southeast Asia or Eastern Europe. These places will be MUCH cheaper than major European cities like Berlin, London, Amsterdam, and Denmark.
If you are coming from countries like USA, Australia, Canada, and UK, you will benefit more from the strength of those currencies (as long as your clients pay you in that currency of course) in most countries across South East Asia.
Now you can guess why there’s a TON of Digital Nomads in places like Bali, Indonesia and Chiang Mai, Thailand. It’s simply due to the fact that the cost of living is so low! You can literally live like a king or queen in these places at a fraction of what you would pay back home.
But it’s not perfect.
Sometimes you run into issues like slower internet speeds and safety in some remote areas. Again NomadList is a great place to take a look at the comparisons on these factors before taking the leap.
The best part you have ahead of you is taking the first step. Find a place that just speaks to you and jump in feet first. I truly love this lifestyle because you learn something new every day. Being location independent and a Digital Nomad truly changes people and I hope to see you on the beach someday in a South East Asian island.
No Better Time Than Today!
Thank you for grabbing my guide! You have no idea how happy and thankful I am for this. If you read all the way through I am sure you have a passion for this. My vision is to show the possibilities in life and business as a location independent business person and human being and help provide solutions for people just like you and me who have sought freedom their entire lives.
If you haven’t taken a look at my Youtube channel please do. I have many interviews with other Digital Nomads doing things in their own unique and interesting ways. Consider Clicking Here To Subscribe. Also I document my journey on a Daily basis on my Instagram. Consider giving me a follow here and sending me a message to update me on your progress?
If you have any questions or feedback on this guide please let me know! I really do want to be a powerful resource and will be creating a platform to share more and more!
So you’ve read my entire guide but you’re left with something missing. Do you want a 100% Free step by step video training on how to do it in 60 days? Look no further than below
Stay Global,
Olumide Gbenro
