My journey as a digital nomad started long before the term digital nomad began trending. You see back in 2008 I left the gym I had been working in and started working for myself.
How I Became A Digital Nomad ? That is something I sometimes think about. But at the time it wasn’t actually a goal…more of a side effect of some decisions I made. These days, a lot of people write to me and ask how to become a digital nomad. My journey as a digital nomad began long before the term “digital nomad” trended. My wish is to share my story because I believe it can inspire others to pursue this lifestyle. At the time there were no role models or mentors when I first started my journey as an inadvertent digital nomad. I had to figure things out on my own and make mistakes.
I should not that I adhere to a form of ethical digital nomadism, that is to say, I strive to keep my carbon footprint at a level that i am comfortable with. What does this mean? Basically it means I do not wish to jet around many times per year, but rather establish my self in a location and stay for an extended period of time. Not only is my behavior in line with my values from an environmental perspective, but as an individual I like to experience culture on an everyday level…not as a tourist. I like to go where the locals go, learn the language and shop at traditional markets etc.
I want to share my story so it can help others avoid the pitfalls I encountered and accelerate their own journey as a digital nomad. Sharing my story can demystify the digital nomad lifestyle and show others it’s achievable. By sharing my experiences and lessons learned, I hope to encourage others to pursue their dreams and make the most of their lives.
In 2008, I left the gym where I worked as a personal trainer and started working for myself. One of the first things I did was open a fitness boot-camp and get a website built, but it wasn’t on Google. I asked the person who built the site about it and he said SEO wasn’t included.
I didn’t realize the skills I was learning by building my website(s) and doing SEO were new skills compared to what I used to make a living in fitness and health. Soon, people were asking me to build and SEO their websites. Meanwhile, my fitness business took off because of the SEO work and I had too many clients, so I began training people in groups, like boot camps and moms’ groups. Eventually, I began outsourcing the classes to other trainers because I couldn’t be in more than one place at a time and the admin work was demanding.
Sometime around 2009-10, I wanted to go on vacation to Penang, Malaysia and took my laptop to manage the business from overseas. While I was in Malaysia in 2009, I realized I could travel and run a business remotely. Since then, I’ve lived in-between Australia and Southeast Asia.
In 2014, I sold my fitness business and focused on working online in the digital space. It was just a way to make money, not necessarily a way to travel, even though I traveled regularly as a side effect of working online. I was living in a beautiful part of Sydney, Australia with bridge views, outdoor parks, and waterways close to my house.
I upgraded my skills to include basic graphic design, animation, audio recording, and video editing. With these skills, I’ve been able to make a living entirely online. I’ve also continued to take on fitness clients remotely.