Journey has at all times been a elementary a part of my life. A love for not solely locations, however for the journey to achieve them, is what led me to discovered my firm, SteamLine Baggage. So through the pandemic, being caught at house whereas nonetheless selling journey inspiration to my clients felt surreal.
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 operating our respective companies (he owns Good Masks Firm). Oh, and with our 4 younger children, 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. Actually, now that we’ve seen how effectively it’s understanding, we could even preserve at it longer.
If it’s doable for us, I feel 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 helpful 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 in addition:
The Bills: What it Price 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)
Complete: €8,000/month ($8,450)
When my husband and I had been mapping out the price range for this journey, we had a idea that we may journey the world for the very same price as residing in our house in Dublin for the 12 months. We figured that our €3,500/month ($3,700) in lease 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 elements of the world.
Generally, this turned out to be true, even contemplating how journey prices have elevated in latest months. Airbnbs within the international locations we’ve visited are fairly inexpensive, and we’ve been capable of 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 affordable (although we’re actively re-budgeting as flight costs skyrocket), and we’re capable of seek for tickets with versatile dates and (even versatile locations) to handle these prices. And every part else, from meals to actions for the youngsters to hiring the occasional caregiver to observe over them, has been less expensive than it was in Dublin.
Now we have made the intentional resolution to stretch our price range a bit to get absolutely the most out of this expertise. As an example, we discovered that spending an extra €500/month ($530) on Airbnbs would get us houses that had been far and away higher. Our present place in Bali, as an illustration, is an enormous property with house 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 individuals, however paying a bit of 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 every part doable.
Our home in Mauritius had two swimming pools and a seashore—not a nasty 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 around the globe, which is a tiny bit lower than our price 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 reside in and customarily planning to journey to lower-cost locations. Your mileage could fluctuate relying on the place you at the moment reside and the place you’re hoping to go.
The Logistics: How a Household of 6 Juggles Work, Life, and College
Touring whereas operating a enterprise is unquestionably a juggling act, particularly once you add kids to the combo. My husband and I aren’t simply enterprise homeowners; we’re digital nomads who must journey plan, mother and father who must homeschool and entertain our children, 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 consistently spend time and vitality reserving our subsequent factor, and we’re capable of settle right into a little bit of a routine, discover individuals we belief to assist us with the youngsters, and never really feel like now we have to hurry to do every part a spot has to supply suddenly.
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 youngsters underfoot (though we had a nanny at house), my group was already accustomed to working remotely.
However, nonetheless, succeeding at operating a enterprise whereas touring requires some scheduling flexibility. My days sometimes appear to be this:
- 7:30 am: The children swim or train earlier than college.
- 8am-12pm: The children homeschool. Relying on our workloads, both my husband or I’ll look over them whereas the opposite has just a few hours of targeted work.
- 12pm-2pm: Our youngest naps, the opposite children have quiet time for artwork initiatives or inventive play, and my husband and I get some work carried out.
- 2pm-6pm: The children could go off to a membership exercise or go to the seashore with a caregiver, giving us a bit of extra work time, or we could determine to do a household exercise and both my husband and I watch over them so the opposite can have just a few hours of targeted work.
- 6pm on: Proper now, all of our conferences and calls are carried out right now after which after the youngsters are asleep (which occur to be good instances to coordinate calls with individuals on the opposite aspect of the world). I don’t love taking calls after 9pm, however I make it work to foster this life-style.
- All through the day: I collaborate with my group of 10 workers and contractors through WhatsApp, and so they know they’ll attain out to me at any time—however additionally they know I belief them to make choices with out me.
I nonetheless get all of the work carried out I must to maintain my enterprise shifting ahead, however slightly than understanding I can sit down and get it carried out in a six-hour stint, it’s a bit extra advert hoc. Even in the event you don’t have children, it’s good to have this type of flexibility to have the ability to go on adventures through the day and to handle working throughout completely different time zones. And anytime I’m struggling by means of 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
Typically it’s onerous when individuals solely ask concerning the specifics of how we make this work, as a result of I as an alternative 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 children 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 drawback remedy and suppose creatively whereas I’m overseas, as a result of my perceptions and senses are heightened by new issues, individuals, and experiences on daily basis. I used to be capable of carry a few of my group to Mauritius for a weeklong retreat, and we noticed this expanded creativity throughout the corporate. Actually, we’re implementing a number of thrilling initiatives at the moment that began as concepts whereas all experiencing a brand new setting collectively.
I additionally suppose this journey has helped me step again and acquire a chicken’s-eye view of the enterprise. Being within the weeds will be harmful for an entrepreneur, and once I’m at house, it’s simple to obsess over the small stuff or get too hands-on with sure initiatives. Being so far-off has helped me step again and perceive what’s actually necessary and the place I’m actually wanted.
How My Enterprise Has Carried out Throughout a Yr of Journey
So, how has all of this translated to my enterprise’ backside line? To date, 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 purpose this 12 months was to share what we’re doing and why with others, and we’ve already carried out six press interviews throughout the first few months of journey, which have introduced elevated consciousness to SteamLine. I’ve additionally fostered some important gross sales leads in every place I’ve been.
Lastly, I’ve additionally met new potential inventive companions alongside the way in which—individuals I’d have by no means encountered in my day-to-day life in Dublin, however who’ve fostered concepts that I hope to carry to life in future collections.
In the end, my finest recommendation for any enterprise proprietor contemplating digital nomading is to simply 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.
