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.

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

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