Pros & Cons of Full-Time Travel as an Online Entrepreneur

Audio Transcript

Hi, everyone! happy Monday. And welcome back to Another episode of The Wanderlover Podcast. Can you believe we are on episode 11?

(45s):
This is so crazy because I remember even like, just at the beginning of the year, starting a podcast seemed like a foreign platform. To me, it was just an idea I had, I saw other people doing it. It was like, how do they do it? How are they consistent? How do you even start one? And it was just such a different world. Now I am in it. I am releasing episodes every week. And it’s just so crazy how far you can go in a few months. That being said, if you have been enjoying this podcast, it would help me so much if you could rate and review and subscribe on Apple podcasts.

(1m 27s):
It really helps me understand what you enjoy about it. And also maybe things that I can improve on. So I really look forward to hearing from you and just to reminder, today’s the last day of the Wanderlover black Friday sales, a bunch of you have already pre-ordered Instagram for business. So that is my new ebook coming out on December 14th. There’s still time to pre-order it for $27 and also its the last day to be able to work with me privately for over half off. So if you haven’t checked out our offers yet, just go to a wanderlover.com/black-friday.

(2m 7s):
And another reminder, if you haven’t checked out my adventure dress that I co-designed with the adventure dress, it’s called Wanderlover red hibiscus and it’s a beautiful flowy perfect for the tropics. Every purchase supports local bolonaise artisans and it’s so comfortable. Like you can wear it 24 hours on long flights. It doesn’t wrinkle. It takes up almost no space in your suitcase. And it’s just so perfect for traveling. You can also by that and use code Wanderlover for 20% off until tomorrow. So if you haven’t seen it yet, just go on to my Instagram page, check out the dress, highlights and swipe up to purchase.

(2m 53s):
And this week just a little update on Puerto Escondido. Ragz and I moved into our place. It’s actually a room in a hotel, but we have our own like balcony, a kitchen and it’s decorated so nicely. If you guys haven’t seen it in my stories, they’re up on my story, highlights from Mexico and the details. I swear, they are just so intricate and every like everywhere I look in this room, it’s a masterpiece like a work of art and you know, I would just really hope you guys can see it because it’s truly beautiful and will be saying here for another few weeks.

(3m 34s):
And then we go back to New York for the holidays. So really excited to explore a new area of Porto Escondido. We are really close to a new beach called the patella and by the beach, there’s a bunch of little like bars and restaurants. And it’s a weird feeling sometimes because I feel like, you know, without coronavirus everywhere would be packed. And for sunsets like sunset bars, I would just imagine everything to be really lively because they are big open spaces with like beach chairs in the lounges. But now it’s still pretty empty. The vibe is like every restaurant has its own unique vibe, but of course, like there’s just not as many people, which is sad, but also of course safe who it is ready for this pandemic to be over because I know I am and in other lighter, more positive news, my mom is on the research team for the new coronavirus vaccine and it’s going really well.

(4m 39s):
They made headline news. And so the step in the right direction and I’m just really excited for it to be tested more yeah. And released soon. So that being said, let’s dive in to this week’s episode pros and cons of full time travel as an online entrepreneur. And we’re actually going to start with the Cons first because I just like leaving everything on a positive note and I don’t want the Cons to like outweigh and leave like a negative vibe on your day. And so we’re going to start with the negative first. It’s like delivering the bad news first and then to the good news and with each of these, I guess pro or con you know, it really relates to business.

(5m 26s):
And I’ve just my intention for this episode is for you to take my experiences and be like, Hey, I can do that. Or, Hey, I want to incorporate that into my lifestyle and just show you what is possible if you want it for yourself. So the first one, and this has been an issue that has been the very front and center they’re in my life. And, and like rags is life in our lives. The past few months is wifi and wifi. Not only in certain cities, but if you’re moving frequently, you know, checking in to Airbnbs and to the hotels, the wifi, isn’t always going to be reliable and you have to find ways around it.

(6m 9s):
And of course there are other alternatives such as going to a co-working space or using like a personal hotspot. But if you are on a remote Island and you have to work online, or if you are in port, the Wesco Neato where the wifi is not reliable at all, you can spend upwards of like hours in total trying to find reliable wifi. And that being said, you know, like slow wifi. It also slows down the speed at which you can work and get things done. And so not having consistent wifi, not having reliable wifi, it can be a big issue while I found also here in Porto, the wifi, is it stable?

(6m 55s):
So we can find cafes and coworking spaces with fast and fast. I mean like 20 to 30 megabits per second, download speeds. However, it’s not consistent. So when I have zoom calls, every 20 minutes, it’s going to cut in and out. I won’t be able to fully go through an hour call without at least one or two little interruptions. And for me, because I hold my client calls and my coaching calls as such a high standard for me, it drives me insane and I’m always complaining about it. I’m like, I just want things to be perfect. And yeah, so that is something that you should keep in mind, especially if you’re looking into a new location, a new city and you want to maybe settle down there or whether it’s like a week, you know, or a month or a year, definitely take into consideration the wifi speeds.

(7m 55s):
Because I think we came from Brazil and there was fast wifi in Florianopolis and we didn’t really look into it in the Pacific coast of Mexico. And honestly, I just assumed that I could find a co-working space. I knew coworking spaces existed and that would mean that I could get work done. However, I have learned the hard way that is not always the case. And even in like other Mexican cities by the coast with co-working spaces after really researching and looking into reviews, people actually say, Online like how unreliable it is. So it depends, you know, like if your work just, if you want to go on Instagram, if you want to post on Instagram, that is fine.

(8m 37s):
But if you do want to have more wifi, heavy, like upload speeds. If you’re a blogger, if you’re a YouTuber, you know, that’s going to need stronger internet. So make sure you figure that out before choosing your destination. Okay. The next Cons of Full Time Travel as an online entrepreneur and this kind of ties into what I was saying before. If it was uprooting every week or month or every few months, it’s a harder to have a routine and you really, we need to be on your A-game for time management and focusing when you need to focus.

(9m 20s):
Because more often than night, you have deadlines to meet, you have calls to make. And when you’re in a new place, you probably have a bunch of places that you want to also see and new things to experience. And when you first get to a new location, it’s so easy to be distracted. It’s so easy to kind of skip your morning routine for a week or two or just not a lot. I have a routine at all. And so work distractions in a new location, or it, in the essence of full time travel is a con, because I personally, if you have the same morning routine, if you start your day prepared for success and you really know how to do it.

(10m 6s):
Yeah. And in a home, in one place, you will have to do the momentum to be productive almost every single day that you choose to be. However, you know, like now in Mexico or any tropical place, or it’s bright and sunny every single day for the entire year. Sometimes you don’t want to work when there is a really good waves or when your friends who are backpacking or not working, they wanna hit you up and get beers afternoon. And so really knowing what your goals are and what you want to focus on and having the willpower to really work on those goals while at the same time, knowing how to balance, making new friends, exploring new places, that is always, it takes time.

(10m 58s):
So I won’t say it’s a complete con, but it is more difficult. The third con and this kind of depends on where in the world do you choose to be based or travel through. But what I’ve found is that the convenience will never be the same as compared to your home country. And in my case, that is America, you know, with like Amazon prime one day shipping. And if I ever wanted or needed something to be repaired, I would be able to in an instant. And so for example, like last year when I was living in Bali, my phone got stolen and there are no Apple stores in all of Indonesia.

(11m 41s):
So I would of had to flow by to Singapore to replace my iPhone. And what I ended up doing was visiting rags in England. And that was like the closest thing I could find to going into an Apple store in person, because I had like purchased a phone from New York and I had to get as a trip to Bali and it didn’t work. And so all of you, the equipment that you use for work and everything that is liable to break or to get stolen, you know, for that to get fix, it takes a lot longer. And so for the few weeks that I did it have my iPhone, it was hard for me to reply to DMS or go on Instagram or reply to emails.

(12m 26s):
And I have to spend so much time trying to figure out the situation and same thing in my life when I lost my debit card and I will, I wanted to get it replaced. So I bank with Charles Schwab and they usually just expedite ship a brand new debit card to wherever in the world. I am. So, excuse me, they, this happened also in Bali and I was able to just get my new debit card in a week, however, in Brazil, for some reason, there’s just extraordinarily high import fees and taxes. And even on a debit card, in an envelope, I had to pay hundreds of dollars to get it, to just get it in my possession.

(13m 11s):
And so obviously this would never happen if I was located in the States and small inconveniences like that, it builds. And, and then you really start realizing like, wow, Amazon one day shipping is amazing and all of these giant malls and Cons union stores like the convenience factor of just being a resident somewhere that you’re allowed to live, it adds up. And I get that as the second con, the next con is time zones. So this is the more specific if you have client calls, if you have coaching calls, or if you just have to work with certain people, such as a VA, you know, or someone you’re outsourcing to, if you have to coordinate time zones, it’s a harder if a, you are always moving across time zones and B if you’re not in the same part of the world as whoever it is that you’re working with.

(14m 7s):
And recently I experienced this because I had no idea that Mexico goes through daylight savings a week early and then America, and we’re right next to each other. I have no idea why, but in Mexico is daylight savings in November, happened a week earlier. And so I remember waking up on Monday, first of all of rags. And I was like, why is it still so early? It feels like we’ve slept for so long. And we did so much, and it’s still so early. And then I go onto my calendar and I see like, all my meetings have been, we’re like overlapping. I was like, how do I have this client call next to this coaching call?

(14m 48s):
And I could have sworn, like I never do. Right. And it took some research. And I slowly realized that, you know, we went through a daylight savings. We could, we gained an extra hour and there were other people in America and Australia. And just the time zone thing was a mess. This also goes back to when I was based in Asia and being in contact with my family and being in contact with my clients the 12, or was it 13 hour difference? That definitely impacted the time of day that I was able to work.

(15m 30s):
So with time differences, especially if you’re again, bouncing through countries, that’s something to know. And if you need to be in a certain area of the world to make it all work, that’s something to be considered as well. Okay. The last con, and to be honest, I hate like rambling on about Cons I’m really happy. This is the last one, because I don’t know talking about it. It just intensifies the feeling. And I know it helpful to some of you to really hear the truth for me. I just prefer not to amplify them. But anyway, the last con is sometimes there can be a lack of in-person networking and support groups.

(16m 17s):
And I guess with coronavirus, these don’t really exist. But I feel like when you are based in one place, it’s easier for you to meet people and stay friends with those people. Whether it’s, you know, people you go to the gym with, or people you go to coworking with and having group of events for an extended period of time, you really build meaningful relationships. And that’s not to say it’s not possible now because in this day and age, everyone is on the internet. There’s so many Facebook groups, there’s masterminds. You can be a part of. So you can constantly be surrounded with these type of people, but it’s always different when it’s in person, right?

(17m 2s):
And if you are uprooting your life every few weeks, or every few months, you might meet really cool people, but it’s going to be hard to make lasting relationships with entrepreneurs, unless you really make an effort to keep in contact with them. So, yes, the last con is lack of, or should I say it’s just more difficult to have in-person networking and to have an in person, The support groups, if you are in Entrepreneur or want to be an entrepreneur and want to be part of an all-inclusive high vibe, community of side, hustlers, digital nomads, and creatives, I just created a brand new free Facebook group called the Wanderlover community.

(17m 56s):
And everyone in it is here to support inspire row and take massive action together, learn about all things, social media, online business mindset, and Travel, and feel free to ask questions. I am in it every single day. Entrepreneurship is full of ups and downs, and we are here to help you through the lows and celebrate the highs. I’m really excited because I’m going to be doing live trainings Q and A’s wine nights. Please join us. And don’t miss out on the fun you can search on Facebook, the Wanderlover COMMUNITY or click on the link in the description. I’ll see you inside.

(18m 37s):
Okay. We are back. So to be honest, guys, this was the first podcast episode I am recording when rise is right next to me. And during the break, he mentioned that I sound really nervous, which I actually am, because I don’t enjoy when people are listening to me record. Maybe some of you guys can relate. So he told me to be less nervous. And so I’m trying to be less nervous. He’s still listening to, this is also kind of awkward, but if I did sound nervous during the first half, and you guys, you know, like realized or noticed that I was nervous, I just wanted to explain it’s because he’s listening to me record and it’s a slightly, it’s slightly uncomfortable.

(19m 26s):
And now that he pointed out that I sound nervous, I’m now self-conscious because I’m like, did I sound nervous? Anyway, just wanted to explain. We are going to focus now on the Pros my favorite part, the Pros of full-time Travel as an online entrepreneur, honestly, there are so many, which is why I picked this path and I encourage you guys to do the same, but we are going to talk through a five Pros right now, the first is the Wanderlover value, the Wanderlover mission. And it’s all about freedom, freedom to work, wherever, whenever have your own schedule, the ability to say in one place for as long as you want.

(20m 18s):
And also if you just like a place, you have the freedom to choose to go somewhere else. And I know I mentioned I’m working wherever and whenever as kind of a con, but I think ultimately having the freedom to choose is always such a pro whether that’s Freedom to choose what you have for dinner, right? Or Freedom to choose where you choose to work or who you choose to work with having this Freedom is always so liberating. And it’s something I really value. And I hope you guys can find the value in having Freedom in your life and business.

(21m 0s):
The second pro is the cost of living. When you do work online and you can choose anywhere in the world, you want to work from granted that they have wifi, right? But the cost of living compared to at least in my case, in New York city, it’s so much lower in other parts of the world. And when you are a flexible, when you’re just starting out as an entrepreneur, being able to go somewhere with a lower cost of living, such as Bali, it puts less pressure on you financially when you’re just starting out. And I feel like having financial pressure when you’re trying to build a business, it’s never a great thing because it’s not about building a business anymore, right?

(21m 46s):
Its trying to hold back on parts of life that you really want to enjoy for the sake of your business. And when you start attaching like negative, negative thoughts to your business, it’s not going to be fun. So if you go somewhere where you don’t have to pay thousands of dollars for rent every month and you have more time and you’re under the sun and you get to learn from other people who are doing the same thing as you, that is going to skyrocket your business and it’s going to add so much more value. So when you don’t have that financial pressure in the beginning, cost of living lower cost of living and the Freedom to go to those places is really a pro.

(22m 31s):
And that’s something that I can attest to. And I’m sure many entrepreneurs can agree as well. The next pro is a higher quality of life. And this reminds me of the quote that I forget where I read it. But it States when a flower doesn’t bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower. Right? And when you think about it, I feel like humans innately have different preferences. And for me, my preference wasn’t to be in a cubicle for 52 weeks of the year or 50 weeks minus my vacation.

(23m 15s):
And a lot of people, when you put yourself in really stressful environments in a really dark and not sunny environments, your physical and mental health starts to deteriorate. And in some cultures, it, the ore in New York city or in big cities, like that’s normal having a go like a really stressful environment is the norm. And if you have the choice to be based where you prefer in the world, that will only improve your quality of life. So for example, choosing to work at a coworking space, with a pool in the tropics or working from wherever there is surf, or if you are into any hobbies, you can go to a certain part of the world to improve on that hobby while at the same time, you know, running your online business.

(24m 12s):
And I think back to the flower boat, like when a flower doesn’t bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower. I felt like I experienced that when I was working in a New York city cubicle. And I remember seeing a video on USA today of these two girls working from a co-working space in Bali and it just looked magical and something inside me told my gut, like I need to be there. That is where I am along. Like, I’ve always loved the tropics. I love the warm and winter’s in New York city are not fun. So being able to choose your location, give you a higher quality of life and you’re essentially, you know, fixing the environment in which your growing in so that you can thrive in every aspect of life.

(25m 4s):
Okay. The next pro and one of my favorite reasons for traveling and working online full time is the ability to network with so many people like meet so many people from all different walks of life and not only travelers, you know, but people who you aspire to be in a few years. And honestly, I don’t think I would be on this path if I hadn’t traveled and just seeing what is possible because other people we’re doing it and I call this networking, but it’s essentially just making friends, like making friends and meeting people where you’re like, Hey, they’re just normal people.

(25m 45s):
And they’re so successful. And I want to be like that. And you take inspiration from different individuals that you meet and you cross paths. And I swear like just magical things happen. I said this in a previous episode, where in this world, there are things, you know, things you don’t know and things you don’t know, you don’t know. So as you are traveling, as you are working and essentially traveling full time, like 365 days of the year, you are learning so much about things you didn’t know, you didn’t know. And every time you meet someone who teaches you, something like that, there’s always the chance that you kind of change your path a little or incorporate things that you admire about other people into your own life and business.

(26m 36s):
I also talked about this in my previous podcast episodes of things I learned while traveling through over 60 countries. And one of them was, you know, when I was studying abroad in college, I would meet people who had backpacks South America and we’re able to just Travel for a year. And to me at that point, it seemed impossible. I was like, what people do this in the world? Like how and other people in Europe who had more than 10 or 15 vacation days a year, because they’re a national minimum is 25, a five. And so all of these things that I’ve learned and kind of designed my life around, I hope we have been able to just incorporate everything that I admired about other cultures into my own lifestyle, because I realized what out there as possible for me and in having an online business.

(27m 31s):
So when you are working online from wherever there’s wifi and you are traveling full time, the learning never stops because every day is different. You’re constantly being In this week eight, where you have to move around, you have to go out of your comfort zone to find a new place to eat or meet new people, or learn a new language, to be able to communicate with the locals. And so, so being put in all of these situations, it basically forces you to level up every day and think outside the box. And you just build this momentum where you are constantly being exposed to new things.

(28m 12s):
So you’re never bored. And that is a huge pro of working online and traveling full time. Then, you know, and last pro I have down goes back to learning new things, things, but my absolute favorite part of all of this is learning new languages and learning new skills and about different cultures and basically things that I’ve never thought about before surfing is one of the biggest ones, because I remember growing up and even like after I graduated, I always thought surfing was for professionals in Hawaii and they, you know, get barreled all the time.

(28m 53s):
And it was just something that I could never do in my life. I probably would have never chosen to go into really cold water where I needed to wear a wetsuit. And that was, I guess, eliminate the belief, but had I not traveled and seen how easy in the beginning or fun surfing can be. I would of never adopted this, like my favorite hobby now. So being able to see a lot and activities from different places around the world, you know, you integrate that into your share into your own life and that makes it so much richer. And the other thing about full time travel is it allows you to spend more time in a place and really get to experience how the locals, how everything works.

(29m 43s):
And it’s different when you’re just passing through for a few days or for a week as in taking a vacation. And I feel like for a lot of my life, I’m taking vacations for a few days, two a week was all I knew, because again, I didn’t think that full time travel or taking like three months off and backpacking was even possible. And now that I’ve experienced vacations, I’ve experienced like short term kind of stays. And also long-term stays in new countries. There’s definitely pros and cons. And I can go into a whole new episode about that, but it’s so much more rewarding when you can truly and fully Ingle for yourself in one place for an extended period of time.

(30m 34s):
And the beauty of it all is that you still have the choice to take a vacation if you choose to. Right. And so wrapping this all up, it’s all about the freedom. So the time freedom, the location, freedom, the financial freedom and wrapping all of this together. You can choose to say in one place were a few days, or you could choose to say a place for a year. You can go somewhere where it’s more that you can go somewhere where it’s cold, like being able to run a business Online impact basically everyone around the world because it’s so connected. It’s so rewarding.

(31m 15s):
I honestly cannot stress it enough. I hope if you guys aren’t on this path yet, and you really desire to be just know that it is possible for you. And I cannot wait for you to experience all of these Pros. I know there are Cons too, but I swear the Pros obviously outweigh. So that is it for this week. I hope this episode leaves you inspired and ready to take on life and start like designing a life that you are obsessed with. Thank you so much for tuning in, and I will see you guys next week!

~~~

If you’ve enjoyed this episode, it would mean so much if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This helps us spread The Wanderlover mission to those who need a dose of inspiration today, thank you!