Guest: Kayleigh Franks — Head of Digital Marketing

Based: Nomadic

Kayleigh Franks didn't stumble into digital nomadism. She hunted it down. In 2016, she flew to Chiang Mai and spent three months interviewing 24 digital nomads for 90 minutes each, studying them for her bachelor's thesis. Then she made it her life's mission to become one. She took the long route. Got an office job in Sydney. Showed up every day. Built her skills in digital marketing. Established a foundation. COVID hit and restricted her further. When it lifted, she quit her job, went freelance, and finally started traveling. But it wasn't what she expected. Airbnbs isolated her. The magic she'd observed in Chiang Mai was missing. Then she discovered co-living. After eight years of planning and building toward this life, she finally found what she'd been chasing. In this conversation, we explore what happens when you spend a decade preparing for something and reality still surprises you. We discuss the time prison of office work, why one month is both too long and not long enough, and the trade-offs between freedom and connection that every nomad eventually faces.

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction

00:35 Guest introduction

01:33 Writing a thesis about digital nomads

02:08 Chiang Mai 2016, 24 interviews

02:43 Integrating with the community

03:34 Observing nomads in their natural habitat

04:23 What she does now: digital marketing

05:00 Life's mission to become a nomad

05:33 Building career deliberately in Sydney

06:25 COVID restrictions

07:02 Deliberately calculated approach

08:12 First attempts: Airbnbs and isolation

09:09 Connection and belonging, the cafe lady

10:44 Month-long stays and hubs

11:03 Ten-day connection threshold

12:23 Discovering co-living in 2025

12:52 The magic and aliveness

13:24 Sustainability of co-living lifestyle

14:19 One month co-livings back-to-back intensity

15:34 Maintaining productivity while traveling

16:25 Five hours a day, four days a week

17:17 Time prison of office work

18:08 Digital nomadism as solution

18:56 How does it feel to have made it?

20:12 Gratitude and creating your own luck

20:59 Challenges and difficulties

21:50 Slow travel vs fast travel preferences

23:15 Community building in co-livings

24:29 Deep connections vs surface connections

25:44 Relationships and nomadism trade-offs

27:48 Freedom vs connection, making decisions

29:45 Worth being nomadic, liberation from structure

30:06 Closing

Full write-up and transcript: https://www.ibimalik.com/podcast/kayleigh-franks

Watch: https://youtu.be/yev3GdVSrhk

Guest: Dave Neale — Game Designer and Writer

Based: Home in Cambridge but also Nomadic

Dave Neale did the sensible thing. He studied English literature at university, got a PhD in psychology from Cambridge, became a Cambridge professor, and built a proper academic career. Then one evening, he rewrote the rules for an old Sherlock Holmes board game, not for money or career advancement, but just because he wanted to see people play it. He sent it to a publisher on a whim. That casual email changed everything. Today, Dave designs narrative games whilst living nomadically across Europe. His work ranges from text-heavy narrative games as long as novels to jigsaw puzzle mechanics where you build maps piece by piece. I experienced one of his creations firsthand: a 36-hour murder mystery in a French castle that left me and the other guests absolutely stunned. In this conversation, Dave shares his philosophy of play: making things because the process itself is worthwhile, not because you're demanding specific outcomes. We explore how childhood dreams of writing and travel got buried under "real life" practicality, how making a game just for fun accidentally became a career, and why following what's interesting leads somewhere interesting. This is a masterclass in trusting that doing what you love will lead somewhere worthwhile.

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction

00:27 Guest introduction

01:28 Are you a nomad?

02:06 Writer and game designer

03:18 Story or game mechanics first?

04:55 Childhood dreams and routes

06:31 Travel fascination as kid

07:11 Discovering nomadism in 2016

08:08 2016 era vs post-pandemic nomadism

11:22 Power of play and nomad life

12:50 Play, bonding, and community

15:19 Psychology of play in groups

17:54 Play mindset: process over outcome

20:20 Game designer nomads

21:37 Location independence in game design

24:32 Cambridge researcher and professor

26:33 Sherlock Holmes game and first contract

28:57 Win-win philosophy and non-neediness

30:28 Second career path and future

33:22 Closing

Full write-up and transcript: https://www.ibimalik.com/podcast/dave-neale

Guest website: http://www.dneale.com

Watch: https://youtu.be/nJvCTvB9g8U

Guest: Sarah Cols — Experience Designer & Dream Catalyst | La Casita de la Magia Creator

Based: Nomadic (Co-living spaces across Europe)

Sarah Cols spent six years as a career counselor in Brussels asking unemployed people about their dreams—questions most had never been asked. She was brilliant at helping others chase their dreams whilst feeling increasingly trapped in her own role. Then the perfect job offer landed: everything she wanted on paper. Her body said no.

She walked 900 kilometres across Spain on the Camino de Santiago with no preparation and an injured knee that had already required three surgeries. She went expecting solitude and physical healing. Instead, she discovered that transformation happens in community, not isolation. Strangers walking together for hours without even exchanging names had deeper conversations than she'd ever had back home.

In this conversation, Sarah shares why she turned down her dream job by improvising on a phone call, how the Camino taught her to be grounded in the present instead of planning the future, and why collective experiences spark more growth than solo inner work. We explore the golden cage of job security, the magic of spontaneous decisions, and how she's now creating La Casita de la Magia—a travelling sanctuary helping nomads reconnect with forgotten dreams.

This is a story about listening to your body when your mind says yes, trusting intuition over rational answers, and becoming a catalyst for others whilst building your own dream.

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction

00:28 Guest Intro

01:32 Career counsellor in Brussels

05:29 The breaking point

09:37 Career breaks and discovering workaway

12:55 Second breaking point

15:23 The spontaneous phone call

20:02 The Camino decision

22:39 Walking the Camino

25:56 From career counsellor to dream catalyst

28:12 Community over solitude

31:32 Current work and lifestyle

34:37 The journey is the dream

38:46 Closing

Full write-up and transcript: https://www.ibimalik.com/podcast/sarah-cols

Watch: https://youtu.be/GOa2BPv7_VU

Guest: Katia Dimova

Based: Normandy, France (Chateau Co-living)

Katia Dimova pioneered remote work years before COVID made it mainstream, managing a distributed team across Greece, Turkey, and Bulgaria with nothing but Facebook Messenger. She never planned to coordinate refugee relief across three countries—she just went to drop off donations and stayed for a meeting. Today, she runs one of Europe's most sought-after co-living spaces in a literal castle in Normandy.

In this conversation, Katia shares how she accidentally built a location-independent business whilst avoiding telling clients she didn't have an office, why nomads made perfect volunteers during the refugee crisis, and how being comfortable with chaos became her greatest professional asset. We explore the schizophrenic feeling of living in two separate worlds, the dinner party question she dreads most, and why nomads benefit communities more than most people realize.

This is a story about not planning anything, showing up anyway, and becoming the centre of everything that matters.

Timestamps

00:00 Podcast introduction by Ibi

00:39 Guest introduction: Katia the Catalyst

01:33 Opening: together in the castle, rumours and stories

01:49 When did digital nomad journey start? Hard to put year on it

02:26 Corporate job with long business trips, company apartments

03:26 Gave flavor of not being in one place, then itchy feeling

04:35 Location independence before it was a thing, freedom claimed illegally

05:35 Quit corporate job, started own company based in Istanbul

06:51 Driving weekly to Istanbul, not planning to be location independent

07:21 Scarcity mindset: travel while we still can before office

08:21 Senior team, absolute separation of tasks, people knew each other

09:14 Working for big corporate clients, not serious without office

10:13 Managing remote team: small, senior, trusted people

11:12 No tools for remote work: Facebook Messenger, no Zoom

12:51 Lebanon electricity cut, no backup, super unprofessional execution

14:36 Not letting client see what's behind the scenes

15:28 Came from big design agency, people assumed comparable

17:49 Small senior team advantage: fast, agile, no approval layers

19:17 Pre co-living: corporate work and nonprofit work

21:07 Syrian refugee crisis, small human effort, got consumed

22:45 Went to drop off donations, joined meeting, met best friends

24:18 Facebook group exploded to thousands, no official entity

25:10 Remote skills helped coordinate logistics across countries

26:27 Nomad volunteers: flexible, saw need, stayed to help

27:11 Bridging two worlds: corporate and nomad finally connected

27:59 Nomad mindset shift: flexible, agile, challenges normalized

29:54 Wild stories seem normal until you see reactions

31:31 Connection between corporate world and social work

32:39 Carbon footprint can be mindful, different ways to care

34:15 How nomads benefit places: longer stays, support local, inspire

Remaining timestamps are in the full write-up linked below.

Full write-up and transcript: https://www.ibimalik.com/podcast/katia-dimova

Guest website: https://chateaucoliving.com/

Watch: https://youtu.be/2E04dNlMu2o

Guest: Yello Balolia

Based: Cornwall, UK

Yello Balolia started a publishing company 15 years ago with zero business experience, zero publishing knowledge, and zero qualifications. His strategy? "How hard could it be?" Today, he's published 12-13 books on diabetes and weight loss, lived on a boat for years whilst working remotely, and is opening an 80-acre co-living farm in Cornwall.

In this conversation, Yello shares the power of unrealistic optimism, the dinner party moment that made him realise he sees possibilities where others see hurdles, and why boarding school prepared him for community living. We explore his unconventional journey from London to boat life, his obsession with vibe coding that turned a £799/month app into a £50,000 custom build, and why being unrealistic isn't a flaw—it's an entrepreneurial necessity.

This is a story about giving things a go without regard for complexity, making ideas physical before they're finished, and building a life where obstacles simply don't exist in your imagination.

Timestamps

00:00 Generic introduction

00:26 Yello's introduction

01:40 Are you a nomad?

01:43 Living on a boat for 3-4 years

02:42 Escaping UK winters to co-livings

03:19 Boat journey: London to Oxford

03:47 Location independent definition

03:57 How he makes money: publishing company director

04:31 15 years, 12-13 books, diabetes and weight loss

04:57 Role: business side, project management, making it happen

05:32 Zero MBA, business, or publishing qualifications

06:43 \"How hard could it be?\" philosophy

07:12 First edition was awful, six editions later it's great

08:13 Unrealistic optimism as necessary entrepreneur quality

09:28 Blessing and curse of being unrealistic

09:50 Dinner party revelation: seeing opportunities vs. hurdles

11:06 Eye-opening moment about different thinking styles

11:42 Making ideas physical: Canva book cover technique

13:15 What motivated starting the business: love of creativity

13:58 Passion: making something from nothing

15:07 COVID: leaving London two days before lockdown

16:26 Working hard during lockdown: website, YouTube channel

17:25 Boat life: nothing plumbed in, working hard to survive

19:09 Slower pace, not conducive to high productivity

20:37 Missing ease of living in a house after couple years

20:50 What is Froomies: 80-acre farm in Cornwall

21:24 Journey to co-living: living it, then wanting to create one

23:18 How co-living operators define co-living

25:11 Boarding school ages 10-18: co-living for kids

26:13 Thriving in boarding school environment

27:34 Struggle maintaining friendships when living alone

27:57 Why open Froomies: means, will, drive to add co-living

28:44 Future plans: flexibility, creative projects, festivals

30:16 Always having business ideas

30:24 Vibe coding: building Froomies guidebook app

32:09 Waking up at 5am excited to vibe code

33:17 Built £50,000 app with ChatGPT for $20/month

34:27 Future of vibe coding: profession appears then disappears

35:55 Closing thoughts

Full write-up and transcript: https://www.ibimalik.com/podcast/yello-balolia

Guest website: https://froomies.org

Watch: https://youtu.be/xeT0LDCW2Sc

Guest: Mathilde Andersen

Mathilde Andersen left Switzerland with no clients, no business plan, and zero freelancing experience. Today, she runs a thriving virtual HR consultancy serving Swiss companies from anywhere in the world.

In this conversation, Mathilde shares how she transitioned from three years of backpacking to building a location-independent HR business without any remote work experience. We explore the practical realities of making HR work remotely, the financial requirements of nomadic life, the emotional challenges of constant travel, why she chose Paraguay for residency, and the importance of connecting with local communities wherever she goes.

This is a story about taking the leap before you're ready, figuring it out as you go, and building exactly the freedom you envisioned.

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction

00:27 Guest Introduction

01:39 Background: travelling family, three years backpacking

01:59 Zero remote work experience before starting

02:40 \"Opening a Pandora's box\": all the questions

03:34 Left Switzerland before getting clients

04:14 Where nomads actually are: the hubs

05:53 Spain then Brazil

06:44 Language barriers and connecting with locals

07:49 First invoice moment: \"This is actually working\

08:15 How she found her first client on LinkedIn

09:11 Making HR work remotely and what virtual HR means

10:17 Financial requirements: €2,000/month minimum

12:01 The emotional side: loneliness vs. alone

14:01 What freedom looks like

15:12 Spontaneous meetups and flexibility

15:34 Meeting people on Instagram: \"Let's just go\

16:27 Co-living culture and community

19:20 Deep conversations and common struggles

20:01 Too many options: getting lost

21:23 Dating as a nomad and managing emotions

22:30 Evolution and cousin's romantic success story

24:35 The nomad community mindset

26:49 Paraguay residency: process, costs, and connecting with locals

30:16 Closing

Full write-up and transcript: https://www.ibimalik.com/podcast/mathilde-andersen

Guest website: http://www.mathildeandersen.com

Watch: https://youtu.be/zaSpZYyFTCM

Guest: Jeanne Fontaniere

Based: Normandy, France (3 months on) | Worldwide (3 months off)

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.

Timestamps

00:00 Generic podcast introduction

00:30 Guest introduction

01:25 Introduction to Jeanne

01:55 Background: events manager in Paris during Covid lockdowns

05:15 Decision to learn Spanish and work from Madrid

06:45 Landing in Madrid, discovering freedom

09:05 First week realisation: \"This is the life I want\

11:40 Moving to Lisbon, discovering Wi-Fi Tribe

13:55 Meeting the digital nomad community

16:55 Returning to Paris office, feeling trapped

19:15 Quitting to become freelance events manager

22:10 Seeing château hosting opportunity

24:35 Juggling both roles: freelance + hosting

27:05 80-hour weeks flying between Paris and Normandy

29:10 Decision to leave events agency

30:45 Full-time château work with marketing/comms

33:25 Negotiating 3-on, 3-off structure

35:05 Why hosts need to stay nomadic themselves

36:46 End Communication, negotiation, and building trust

Full write-up and transcript: https://www.ibimalik.com/podcast/jeanne-fontaniere

Watch: https://youtu.be/hl8icJPZiIE

Guest: Tracy Bellevue

Based: Worldwide (Travelling through Europe)

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.

Brand: Bellevue Abroad Substack: Co-living reviews and travel insights Services: Marketing consulting for small brands

Timestamps

00:00 Generic podcast introduction

00:29 Guest introduction

01:30 Introduction to Tracy

01:53 Background: working 75 hours/week, two jobs, full-time mum

06:14 The moment: \"I'm going to die if I keep doing it this way\

06:41 Kids moving in with dad, empty house, identity crisis

07:54 Cousin's Europe trip invitation

08:51 Quitting both jobs, breaking lease, selling car

09:33 No plan, no income, just savings

10:15 Immigrant hustle mentality: \"Thousand ways to make money\

11:36 The book she needed to write, leaving August 2024

12:42 How she makes money: marketing as primary income

13:48 Multiple income streams: candle campaigns, tutoring, Substack

16:00 Income fluctuation: hard months vs. abundant months

18:30 First 30 days: crash landing in Switzerland

19:49 Going from constant movement to complete stillness

22:34 The book: memoir about borderline personality disorder

25:48 \"I was just a monster\" - except as a mother

28:12 Owing vindication to people she harmed

30:12 Leaving America with no close friends

31:38 Europe as space to write and heal

33:54 Meeting people as just Tracy, not connected to past

36:20 Why the book must be finished in America

38:40 The bridge between two lives

39:53 Going home: \"Nothing feels like home anymore\

41:31 \"I am my home as a traveller\

41:54 Closing thoughts

Full write-up and transcript: https://www.ibimalik.com/podcast/tracy-bellevue

Watch: https://youtu.be/52djR3kKEK8

Guest: Edouard Renard

Based: Nomadic (Currently planning co-living space)

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.

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction

00:23 Guest Introduction

01:28 Why did you want to become a Nomad?

02:07 Co-founding robotics startup, three years of building

03:16 Educational robotic arms: 10-20x cheaper than industrial

04:20 Why he left: not aligned with industrial market direction

05:43 Walking away before raising investment

07:21 First destination: Mexico, having a backup plan

08:14 Giving up Paris apartment, organizing nomadic life

09:22 The skill set combination: robotics + marketing + teaching

11:17 Starting with written tutorials and SEO

12:09 Trying own website vs. Udemy: platform won

14:06 India as second market, geo-targeted pricing

14:56 Success measured in testimonials and impact

17:00 When it felt like it was working: enabling the lifestyle

19:06 About a year to leave unemployment benefits

20:15 Five years in co-livings, solving workspace and community

23:13 Not passionate about robotics teaching anymore

26:56 Why open a co-living: looking for more purpose

29:16 Co-living values: homey, authentic, family feeling

30:54 Defining co-living: \"It's a feeling\

34:50 Track record of projects, where he'll be in 3-5 years

36:34 \"Passive income\" reality: maintenance and adaptation

39:48 Closing thoughts

Full write-up and transcript: https://www.ibimalik.com/podcast/edouard-renard

Guest website: https://www.auluscoliving.com

Watch: https://youtu.be/aK7KLCQ72fs