I had no idea when I set out into entrepreneurship that I would end up traveling the world working from my laptop as a digital nomad. In all honesty, when I started my first business, I imagined having a brick-and-mortar office somewhere. But after my husband and I realized we were spending most of our days in coffee shops or coworking spaces anyway, we thought, “Why not do the same thing from other countries?”

And our lives forever changed. We sold our belongings, ended our lease, and spent the next few years living off and on out of Airbnbs around the world. We worked during the day from coworking offices and coffee shops around Barcelona, Amsterdam, Belgium, Cannes, Buenos Aires, and so many other cities. We had the time of our lives and our businesses grew rapidly from the endless inspiration. 

However, ahem, living out of a carry-on suitcase and the same five shirts isn’t ALL glitz and glam. Below are a few lessons I learned as a digital nomad and entrepreneur for anyone craving a similar adventure!

3 Lessons for Anyone Wanting to Become a Digital Nomad or Business Owner

1. Don’t Make the Nerves Wrong

Anytime you do something new, it’s NORMAL to feel the flutters. I remember when I first moved into my Airbnb in Barcelona, having sold all my belongings to work from the road. At first, I looked around and thought, “What have I done?!” 

But if you sit with the feeling, if you welcome it, if you don’t make it wrong, then you give yourself time to acclimate to your new normal and to feel at home in your new adventure. Kind of like a child who, at first, is nervous to play with the kids on the playground but in an hour’s time is having the time of their life, too busy to look back at their parents. 

Trust your instincts, follow the direction of your dreams — they might give you detours, but they won’t steer you wrong.

2. How We Spend Our Days Is How We Spend Our Lives

How often have you thought about traveling or starting a business, and before you know it, another 6 months has passed and you’ve spent the majority of it living the same day on repeat from your desk?! One of the things 2020 showed us is you never know when that opportunity will be limited, so grabbing it while you can is huge. 

To break the cycle, take a step TODAY that will move you in the direction of a new future, experience, or lifestyle that you DO want as your norm. For me, when I really realized this is when I finally left corporate and took the path to building my own multiple 6-figure copywriting agency so that I COULD live how I wanted to.

3. The Braver We Are, the Luckier We Can Be

I owe Glennon Doyle for that one, but it’s true. Leaving my corporate career, investing thousands of dollars in coaching and courses, selling my belongings to travel the world didn’t come without fear. But it was the trade-off to become my own boss, to replace my corporate income, to find success FASTER, to see the world, and live the life of my dreams. 

Creating life by design takes risk. Life asks how invested you are BEFORE it returns the reward. Every time an investment or a decision feels like a leap… just know it’s a leap toward your dreams and away from your fears, because it is. For me, none of what I have now — the years of travel, successful business, etc. — would have been possible without this!

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If you have a dream on your heart to travel, to start a business, to publish the book… DO IT! Life is meant to be a journey full of lessons, inspiration, risks, and adventure.

You may have to do it with your fear raging… but remember, the braver you are, the luckier you can be.

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