Jeanne Fontaniere: The Slow-mad

Guest: Jeanne Fontaniere Digital Nomad | Co-Living Host | Former Events Manager
Based: Normandy, France (3 months on) | Worldwide (3 months off)
Role: Community Leader at co-living château
Instagram: @colivingforaliving
LinkedIn: Jeanne-Elise-Fontaniere

Episode Description
Jeanne Fontaniere didn't plan to become a digital nomad. She was just bored during Paris's second Covid lockdown. So she convinced her events agency boss to let her work from Madrid for two months whilst learning Spanish—despite working in an industry that required being on-site.

Four years later, she's built a career that didn't exist before: hosting a co-living château in Normandy three months at a time, then travelling the world the other three months. In this conversation, Jeanne shares how she negotiated remote work in a non-remote industry, transitioned from stable employment to freelancing, and why she believes you need to live the nomadic lifestyle yourself to authentically host it for others.

This is a story about communication, calculated risks, and designing work around the life you want rather than the other way around.

Key Topics
The Accidental Beginning (01:25 - 06:45) Working as events manager in Paris during Covid Second lockdown boredom: confined to work and home only Decision to learn Spanish as something different to do Convincing boss to let her work from Madrid for two months An industry that requires being on-site: production and client-facing How Covid forced development of online events "Maybe I can do this from Spain and clients don't have to know"

First Taste of Freedom (06:45 - 11:40) Landing in Madrid with no knowledge of digital nomad culture Hoping for Spanish flatmates but getting all French instead The first week: "This is the life I want" Feeling like the only person doing this No awareness that co-living or digital nomad communities existed The realisation: "I can travel and work" But not yet understanding it could be a lifestyle

Discovering the Community (11:40 - 16:55) Moving to Lisbon after Madrid Finding Wi-Fi Tribe co-living community First exposure to intentional nomadic living Meeting people who'd been doing this for years "Oh, there's a whole world of this" The shift from solo experiment to community member Understanding this wasn't just her doing something weird

The Unbearable Return (16:55 - 22:10) Coming back to Paris office after tasting freedom "It was just not sustainable for me to go to the office every day anymore" Once you've tasted the lifestyle, going back feels impossible The decision to quit stable employment Becoming a freelance events manager Trading security for location independence Keeping first employer as a client

From Guest to Host (22:10 - 29:10) Seeing a co-living hosting opportunity in Normandy Spontaneous application: "Maybe that's a sign" Negotiating with her boss again: three months in Normandy The dual role: events freelancer during week, host on weekends Flying Paris to Normandy every week 80-hour work weeks: too much, too intense The slow realisation she needed to choose

The Château Chapter (29:10 - 33:25) Deciding to leave the events agency entirely Keeping them as a freelance client initially Too much variation in project intensity Burning out from juggling both roles Conversation with château owner: wanting this to be full-time job Starting to handle marketing and communications Creating year-round income not dependent on being on-site

The 3-On, 3-Off Model (33:25 - 36:46) Negotiating the current structure: three months on-site, three months away During off months: still working remotely for the château Marketing, communications, operations from anywhere The philosophy: you need to live the nomadic lifestyle to host it authentically "I need to understand the nomads that come here" Can't be a good community leader without staying connected to the life Balance between hosting and personal nomadic experience

Communication as Strategy (36:46 - End) Every transition required clear negotiation with employers "You can always ask for something. It doesn't mean you can have it, but you can always ask" No one will penalise you for communicating too much Issues come from lack of communication, not too much Building trust with people you work with Getting along with coworkers when you spend more time with them than family Passion and investment leading to blurred boundaries Arriving at the beginning of projects and growing with them Avoiding big corporations with vertical communication structures

Timestamps
00:00-00:29 Generic podcast introduction
00:30-01:24 Guest introduction
01:25-01:55 Introduction to Jeanne
01:55-05:15 Background: events manager in Paris during Covid lockdowns
05:15-06:45 Decision to learn Spanish and work from Madrid
06:45-09:05 Landing in Madrid, discovering freedom
09:05-11:40 First week realisation: "This is the life I want"
11:40-13:55 Moving to Lisbon, discovering Wi-Fi Tribe
13:55-16:55 Meeting the digital nomad community
16:55-19:15 Returning to Paris office, feeling trapped
19:15-22:10 Quitting to become freelance events manager
22:10-24:35 Seeing château hosting opportunity
24:35-27:05 Juggling both roles: freelance + hosting
27:05-29:10 80-hour weeks flying between Paris and Normandy
29:10-30:45 Decision to leave events agency
30:45-33:25 Full-time château work with marketing/comms
33:25-35:05 Negotiating 3-on, 3-off structure
35:05-36:46 Why hosts need to stay nomadic themselves
36:46-End Communication, negotiation, and building trust

About This Podcast
Real conversations with successful digital nomads who've built sustainable location-independent income. Strategic insights on how they transitioned, what income streams they built, and what they wish they'd known earlier. No travel tips or lifestyle fluff.

Host
Ibi Malik helps ambitious professionals transition to nomadic careers without income sacrifice.

Subscribe Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | RSS

Follow for weekly episodes featuring professionals who've successfully built nomadic income streams.

Episode length: ~37 minutes
Published: 23rd January 2026
Episode #003

Tracy Bellevue: The Hustler

Guest
Tracy Bellevue

Digital Nomad | Marketing Consultant | Writer

Based: Worldwide (Travelling through Europe)
Instagram: @bellevueabroad
Substack: substack.com/@bellevueabroad

Episode Description
Tracy Bellevue quit both jobs, broke her lease, sold her car for cash, and left America with nothing but savings and a book she needed to write. No clients. No remote work experience. Just a determination to escape 75-hour work weeks and an empty nest.

In this conversation, Tracy shares how she transitioned from burnt-out single mum to digital nomad, building multiple income streams from marketing to tutoring to Substack. We explore the raw reality of her first 30 days abroad, the mental health memoir she's writing, the healing that only distance could provide, and why co-living spaces became essential to her journey.

This is a story about radical reinvention, confronting your past, and building a life where you ground yourself in yourself.

Key Topics

The Breaking Point (00:00 - 07:21)

Working two jobs, 75 hours a week as a full-time mum

The moment she realised: "I'm going to die if I keep doing it this way"

Two teenage sons moving in with their dad

Empty nest crisis: entire identity wrapped in caregiving

Cousin's invitation to Europe for six months

The decision to "just go"

Making the Leap (07:21 - 11:12)

Quitting both jobs, breaking lease, selling car for cash

No plan, no income, just savings

Coming from Haitian immigrant family: "There's a thousand ways to make money"

The one thing driving her: writing a book she couldn't write in America

Booking co-living in Swiss Alps with cousin

Leaving August 2024

The Hustler's Income Streams (11:12 - 17:00)

Marketing as primary income: Google ads, campaigns, brand building

Taking a candle-making idea into an entire campaign

Tutoring for additional income

Substack blog: reviewing co-living spaces with paid subscriptions

The make-as-you-go philosophy

Hard months vs. abundant months: learning to budget

First 30 Days Reality (17:00 - 21:04)

Leading up: working double shifts, wrapping up entire life, constant movement

Arriving in Switzerland: "I kind of crashed"

Walking into a postcard but going from movement to complete stillness

The adjustment to co-living lifestyle

What they didn't know they were getting into

The Book No One Expected (21:04 - 28:42)

Writing a memoir about undiagnosed borderline personality disorder (ages 16-24)

"I was just a monster, to put it lightly"

The only relationship she protected: motherhood

Feeling she owed vindication to people she harmed

"Very candid. It's really ugly."

Why she needed Europe to write it: distance from the memories

Meeting people as "just Tracy Bellevue" - not connected to her past

Knowing she has to go home to finish it properly

Letting the people in those chapters read their stories

Finding Community After Isolation (28:42 - 34:50)

Leaving America with no close friends

Years of keeping people at arm's length

"Afraid of what I was capable of"

Coming to Europe to pursue friendship and relationships

Co-living as the answer

Meeting people who only know present-day Tracy

Outside perception solidifying healing

The final piece: proving she could connect with others

Home Is What You Carry (34:50 - 40:24)

The tension between home and away

"We are the bridges between our homes, our past lives, and this life"

Going home means confronting change

"Everyone's lives have continued on without you"

The road changes you faster than staying in one place

"Nothing feels like home anymore"

Resolution: "I am my home as a traveller. I ground myself in myself"

Timestamps

00:00-00:28 Generic podcast introduction
00:29-01:29 Guest introduction
01:30-01:53 Introduction to Tracy
01:53-06:14 Background: working 75 hours/week, two jobs, full-time mum
06:14-06:41 The moment: "I'm going to die if I keep doing it this way"
06:41-07:54 Kids moving in with dad, empty house, identity crisis
07:54-08:51 Cousin's Europe trip invitation
08:51-09:33 Quitting both jobs, breaking lease, selling car
09:33-10:15 No plan, no income, just savings
10:15-11:36 Immigrant hustle mentality: "Thousand ways to make money"
11:36-12:42 The book she needed to write, leaving August 2024
12:42-13:48 How she makes money: marketing as primary income
13:48-16:00 Multiple income streams: candle campaigns, tutoring, Substack
16:00-18:30 Income fluctuation: hard months vs. abundant months
18:30-19:49 First 30 days: crash landing in Switzerland
19:49-22:34 Going from constant movement to complete stillness
22:34-25:48 The book: memoir about borderline personality disorder
25:48-28:12 "I was just a monster" - except as a mother
28:12-30:12 Owing vindication to people she harmed
30:12-31:38 Leaving America with no close friends
31:38-33:54 Europe as space to write and heal
33:54-36:20 Meeting people as just Tracy, not connected to past
36:20-38:40 Why the book must be finished in America
38:40-39:53 The bridge between two lives
39:53-41:31 Going home: "Nothing feels like home anymore"
41:31-41:54 "I am my home as a traveller"
41:54-42:44 Closing thoughts

Connect with Tracy

Brand: Bellevue Abroad

Substack: Co-living reviews and travel insights

Services: Marketing consulting for small brands

About This Podcast
Real conversations with successful digital nomads who've built sustainable location-independent income. Strategic insights on how they transitioned, what income streams they built, and what they wish they'd known earlier. No travel tips or lifestyle fluff.

Host
Ibi Malik helps ambitious professionals transition to nomadic careers without income sacrifice.

Ready to Build Your Nomadic Career?

If you're earning €60,000+ annually and seriously considering the transition to location-independent work, book a discovery consultation to explore your strategic pathway.

Schedule a Consultation →

Subscribe

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | RSS

Follow for weekly episodes featuring professionals who've successfully built nomadic income streams.

Episode length: ~41 minutes

Published: 16th January 2026

Episode #002

Episode 4: Edouard Renard - The Maverick

Guest: Edouard Renard Online Robotics Educator | Former Robotics Startup Co-Founder
Based: Nomadic (Currently planning co-living space)
Teaching Platform: Udemy
Website: www.auluscoliving.com

Episode Description
Edouard Renard walked away from a thriving robotics startup just before they were set to raise outside investment. Today, he teaches robotics online to students worldwide. Now he's opening a co-living space, proving that success isn't always measured in revenue.

In this conversation, Edouard shares how he left his co-founded robotics startup to travel and teach, built an online course business that serves students globally, and why he's starting over again with a completely different project. We explore the reality of "passive income," the importance of making education accessible, and what it means to measure success in student testimonials rather than investment rounds.

This is a story about walking away from the conventional definition of success to find what actually fulfils you.

Key Topics
The Startup Exit (00:00 - 07:21) Co-founding an educational robotics startup selling robotic arms to universities Building robotic arms 10-20x cheaper than industrial versions at €2,000 each Three years of growth with no outside investment yet The moment he realized he wasn't aligned with the direction Moving from educational to industrial market: the right move for the company, not for him The Vietnam trip that made him realise he couldn't go back Walking away before raising investment: "If you go into that deal, you stay for seven, ten years" Transition period: two months of doing nothing, living on French unemployment benefits

Building the Teaching Business (07:21 - 17:00) The 2014 university trip: two months in US and Canada that planted the travel seed Having a backup plan before leaving: combining robotics expertise with marketing and teaching Not an expert in robotics, but an expert at teaching robotics online Starting with written tutorials and SEO-focused content Trying to sell courses on his own website first: premium pricing didn't work Moving to Udemy: doubled sales with no marketing effort Validating the concept early: making some money while still on unemployment Linear growth vs. big buzz: building slowly and steadily

The Geo-Targeting Reality (14:09 - 17:00) India as the second-largest market after Europe/US Why you can't charge Indian students $100 USD Udemy's geo-targeted pricing: ₹400 in India (~$3) Making education affordable for students worldwide Success measured in reviews and testimonials, not just revenue Students saying "thanks to you, I could get my career into this" The motivation of helping people understand and complete projects

"Passive Income" Reality Check (36:34 - 39:48) Why he doesn't like the term "passive income" Courses need re-recording every 3-4 years or they become obsolete Platforms change commission rates constantly Competition and AI changing the landscape Current maintenance: about 10 hours per week Can sustain lifestyle for a few years, but expects it to crash eventually Always adapting but not fully transforming

Five Years of Co-Living (20:15 - 26:56) Discovering co-living spaces during COVID lockdown The two problems nomads face: proper working setup and community Why co-livings solve both: ergonomic workspace plus instant connection Not being passionate about teaching robotics anymore Having the co-living idea since his first experience Seeing how different owners create different co-living cultures Wanting to create his own space with his own values

What Is a Co-Living? (30:54 - 34:50) The difficulty of defining co-living to a banker Settling on: "It's a feeling" The family feeling: feeling good with others for a few weeks or months Authenticity, sharing, spending time together A place that feels like home even temporarily Not just for full-time nomads but anyone wanting to spend time away The balance between facilities and community

The Next Chapter (26:56 - 40:29) Why he's opening a co-living despite having a working business Looking for a project with more purpose The co-living as an extension of helping people 1-2 years for setup and renovation, first year experimental Plans to be there as a host, still travel occasionally In five years: probably another project Keeping the robotics courses running in maintenance mode

Timestamps
00:00-00:23 Introduction
00:23-01:17 Growing up travelling, university trip to US/Canada awakening
01:17-02:07 The travel seed planted, then startup life
02:07-03:16 Co-founding robotics startup, three years of building
03:16-04:20 Educational robotic arms: 10-20x cheaper than industrial
04:20-05:43 Why he left: not aligned with industrial market direction
05:43-07:21 Walking away before raising investment
07:21-08:14 First destination: Mexico, having a backup plan
08:14-09:22 Giving up Paris apartment, organizing nomadic life
09:22-11:17 The skill set combination: robotics + marketing + teaching
11:17-12:09 Starting with written tutorials and SEO
12:09-14:06 Trying own website vs. Udemy: platform won
14:06-14:56 India as second market, geo-targeted pricing
14:56-17:00 Success measured in testimonials and impact
17:00-19:06 When it felt like it was working: enabling the lifestyle
19:06-20:15 About a year to leave unemployment benefits
20:15-23:13 Five years in co-livings, solving workspace and community
23:13-26:56 Not passionate about robotics teaching anymore
26:56-29:16 Why open a co-living: looking for more purpose
29:16-30:54 Co-living values: homey, authentic, family feeling
30:54-34:50 Defining co-living: "It's a feeling"
34:50-36:34 Track record of projects, where he'll be in 3-5 years
36:34-39:48 "Passive income" reality: maintenance and adaptation
39:48-40:29 Closing thoughts

Resources Mentioned
Udemy: Platform where Edouard teaches robotics courses
Skillshare: Another platform he's used (though less favourable now)
YouTube: Where he publishes video tutorials
SEO and content marketing: How he built initial audience
Facebook groups: Mentioned in context of co-living community
Educational robotics market: Universities buying affordable robotic arms
Geo-targeted pricing: Udemy's system for adjusting prices by country

About This Podcast
Real conversations with successful digital nomads who've built sustainable location-independent income. Strategic insights on how they transitioned, what income streams they built, and what they wish they'd known earlier. No travel tips or lifestyle fluff.

Host
Ibi Malik helps ambitious professionals transition to nomadic careers without income sacrifice.

Subscribe Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | RSS

To watch the video follow this link: https://youtu.be/hUK3TBvG7Sg 

Follow for weekly episodes featuring professionals who've successfully built nomadic income streams.

Episode length: ~42 minutes
Published: 09/01/2026
Episode #001