Stop Dreaming. Here’s How You Can Quit Your 9–5 Job and Become A Digital Nomad in 2023
A permissionless guide to help you access a new level of freedom, autonomy and control over your life.
Photo by Vlad Hilitanu on Unsplash
What if I said you could work from where ever in the world, on projects you care about with people you vibe with?
Sounds like an absurd pipe dream doesn’t it?
I thought so too until I quit my job in 2022, started my own consulting business, and have been working as a digital nomad for the past 3 months in Southeast Asia.
I’ll be returning home before going to Europe later in the year, and my plan is to travel as a digital nomad indefinitely throughout 2024.
While challenging, it’s never been easier at any other point in history to become a digital nomad.
This isn’t some get-rich-quick scheme. I ain’t trying to sell you my course (I don’t have one). Admittedly, I don’t really have anything to sell you.
But I will bully you (soz) into understanding the opportunity available to you.
If you read this article and decide not to do anything about it, fair enough. I wish you well. I’ll be here when you’re ready.
But if you feel like your soul is being crushed by your current work and life and you want a change, here’s what you need to understand.
Understand this first.
A poor attitude will kill more dreams than a lack of talent ever will.
(it’s true).
Here’s my less-than-stellar resume:
I don’t have a business degree.
I don’t have qualifications in marketing or branding.
I am not a naturally gifted writer (I suck actually).
Yet:
I own a six-figure procurement and supply chain consultancy.
I’m currently building a LinkedIn branding agency for business owners and high-net-worth individuals.
I make thousands of dollars per month from my writing.
I could have said “I’m not qualified enough” and pre-rejected myself from these incredible opportunities.
Instead, I said,
“I’ll probably fail. Look like a fool a little bit, but f*ck it. I’ll learn a lot.”
Your attitude determines your altitude.
Replace your negative mindset with:
Resourcefulness.
Iterations, not hours.
Growth mindset.
Does talent matter? Of course.
But most people give up before talent ever becomes a limiting factor.
Don’t be one of them.
You can make a lot more money.
“Job = Just Over Broke”
— Robert Kiyosaki.
Here’s why most 9–5s won’t make you wealthy:
Employers pay you the least amount possible.
But they charge customers the most amount possible.
They pocket the difference. Rinse and repeat.
I ain’t mad. That’s capitalism for ya. It’s a game we have all chosen to play.
But when you decide to build for yourself, your income is uncapped.
Since working for myself, I raise my rates every quarter without hesitation. I let clients know this is how I work. I rarely hear complaints.
If they don’t like it, see ya later. There is plenty of fish in the sea.
Your mindset (read #1) and skillset (more on this later) are the only limiting factors.
Not easy to start, but 100% possible. Why not decide you’ll do it?
The world of work is changing.
Before 2020, the ability to work remotely seemed like a pipedream.
“Get lost ya hippie” employers would say to any requests for remote work.
Now in 2023, remote work is the norm.
“Work anywhere you want, fam.” (most) employers now say. Okay, maybe not the fam part. But you get my point.
The world of work has fundamentally changed. Are you changing with it?
It’s never been easier.
Here’s a hard truth: You have no excuses.
None. Zip. Nada.
The internet has made it easy. Like really easy to become a digital nomad in 2023. You can literally access billions of people with a click of a button.
Accessing an audience is one thing, but monetization has been democratized too.
You can create a highly profitable one-person business online.
I could babble on about audience building and making money online.
But here’s one thing I’ve learned:
The means of creating an online business are abundant, it is the desire to do so that is scarce.
There will never be the perfect time to start creating online.
You’ll never feel fully ready. You won’t ever have complete support from people around you.
Get used to it. Start today. Even if it is only a 1% action.
Building digital leverage is permissionless
Building leverage in my parents’ era? Extremely difficult.
The only leverage available to them was labor (people) and capital (money). You either needed a lot of money or have many people work for you.
Tough to start, and even harder to manage.
You needed to inherit money and find people who would willingly work for you. Not to mention paying them and managing them. Nightmare.
That’s old school. And you needed people’s permission for their labor or money.
Building leverage in my era? Easy as.
I have access to labor and capital leverage too. And with new digital platforms (like UpWork or Fiverr), this is even easier to access and manage.
But I’ve also got access to new leverage:
Code.
Community.
Media.
The best part? These are all permissionless. I don’t need to ask mummy and daddy. I can access them anytime 24/7 a day whenever I want.
But wait. It gets better.
We are seeing the 2nd coming of digital leverage. Artificial intelligence. Now even labor might be permissionless. Just look at Chat GPT.
Stack your skills, uniquely.
Once you’ve got leverage, you need the skills to back it up.
Skills pay the bills. And then some.
And the more diverse your skills, the better.
These are the fundamental skills you need as a digital nomad:
Copywriting.
Social media.
Personal branding.
Sales.
Ability to use drag-and-drop software (Squarespace, Canva, Zapier, etc).
Basic videography, audio engineering, and design.
If you can learn these skills, you are a walking six-figure business.
Add on any other technical skills and you’re set.
Take online courses. Read lots of books. Devour YouTube videos.
Never stop your self-education journey.
Minimize your regret.
Jeff Bezos convinced me to start my business and become a digital nomad.
Wait. Don’t cancel me yet. Let me explain.
Prior to starting Amazon, Mr. B was being persuaded by mentors and family to stick to his high-status, high-paying investment banking job.
“Why risk the biscuit?” they told him repeatedly (not really, I am paraphrasing).
But upon reflection, Jeff asked himself,
“when I get to 80 what will I regret more?”
Answer: Not having tried to start Amazon.
It’s through this regret minimization framework that I now make most of my major life decisions:
When I get to 80 years old, what would I regret more?
Playing it safe or trying to become a digital nomad?
I know my answer.
Do you know what’s your answer?
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