That Remote Life | Interviews with Digital Nomads and Location Independent Entrepreneurs

Today on the podcast, Mitko (@mitkoka) is joined by Ken Weary (@kenweary), the COO of HotJar. Since joining HotJar in 2016, he has scaled the remote first culture of the company from a team of 14 to over 350 people distributed across more than 50 countries (and growing). In his role, he oversees the company’s Finance, People, Compliance, and Business Operations divisions.

Ken is also a digital nomad and has been traveling with his family across Central America, Europe, and Africa for nearly eight years. During this episode, Ken shared why he was so bullish about remote work even way back in 2014, his top tips for ambitious remote workers who don’t want to choose between the freedom to travel and building a successful career, and how the digital nomad lifestyle has affected his kids.

💬  Topics Discussed:

• How has the influx of remote workers changed Lisbon, Portugal?
• Being a digital nomad/remote worker with kids and pets
• Searching for the perfect home base
• Why did Ken decide to become nomadic together with his family back in 2013?
• Why did Mexico leave the greatest impression on Ken?
• Managing career growth and working remotely
• How to find the right life-work balance?
• What are the limitations of the hybrid work model?
• Differences and similarities between building your career in an onsite and a remote company
• Are careers more entrepreneurial nowadays?
• What changed in Hotjar as Ken oversaw the growth of the company from a few dozen to a few hundred people?
• Learning from other professionals and companies
• Adapting what you have learned to your community and culture
• The biggest current opportunities in remote work
• The biggest problems people face in remote work
• Figuring out the most efficient and effective ways of communicating within a company
• Ways of efficiently structuring your day as a remote worker
• Knowing to set priorities and manage your time
• Defining the role and responsibilities of the Head of Remote
• Ken’s predictions on the future of work
• How infrastructure and real estate will change due to remote work
• How did being nomadic impact Ken’s family?
• Growing and learning through real-life experiences
• Alternatives to traditional schooling

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🎒 Resources:

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenweary/
• https://www.hotjar.com/
• https://www.hotjar.com/careers/
• https://www.sunglassesrequired.com/
• https://contentsquare.com/
• https://about.gitlab.com/
• https://doist.com/
• https://www.timedoctor.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenmurph/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/chase-warrington/?originalSubdomain=es
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/liammcivormartin/?originalSubdomain=ca
• https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/
• https://experience.dropbox.com/remote-work-success-guide
• https://ma.tt/2020/04/five-levels-of-autonomy/
• https://slack.com/
• https://twist.com/
• https://www.viber.com/
• https://automattic.com/
• https://nextlevelhomeschool.com/
• https://nextlevelhomeschool.com/course/harry-potter-genetics/
• https://www.sunglassesrequired.com/blog/2016/5/30/life-in-the-big-city-exploring-merida-mexico?rq=costco

Today on the podcast Mitko (@mitkoka) is joined by a favorite guest here on TRL, Goncalo Hall (@Gonzohall). Goncalo has just returned from Pipa, Brazil where he is in the process of launching the first Digital Nomad Village in Brazil. During this episode, they discuss what makes Brazil such an attractive destination for digital nomads, what most people get wrong about traveling in Brazil, and Goncalo goes behind the scenes at the business of launching nomad villages and what he’s doing to make each village self-sustainable.

💬  Topics Discussed:

• Why did Goncalo choose Brazil and the town of Pipa as the new destination for his digital nomad village?
• Brazil’s potential as a tourist and a digital nomad spot
• Discovering new spots for digital nomads
• Why is Brazil a special destination in Latin America?
• Safety concerns in certain parts of Brazil
• Building an infrastructure in order to secure all amenities in a small town
• Experiencing the local culture and cuisine as a digital nomad
• Businesses and infrastructure that appear in a small community thanks to digital nomads
• Organizing and setting up digital nomad events and activities
• How does Goncalo make sure his nomad communities are self-sufficient?
• Cooperating and partnering with local governments
• Different approaches for Nomadx’s business model
• Being passionate about your work and knowing what your companies mission is
• The profitability of Nomadx’s business model
• The future of small cities and communities
• Being a leader in your community
• Educating and empowering local community leaders
• The development of Nomadx courses planned in the near future
• Keeping track of projects and innovations in the digital nomad lifestyle
• Connecting and collaborating with other remote workers and digital nomads
• The advantages of running your own podcast
• Are there enough leaders in the digital nomad space?
• The stigmas of digital nomadism
• Growing the digital nomad movement and making a real impact

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🎒 Resources:

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/goncalohall/
• https://www.nomadx.com/
• https://www.nomadx.com/community/madeira
• https://share.transistor.fm/s/d6c4fed5
• https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591842336/ref=x_gr_w_bb_glide_sout?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb_glide_sout-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1591842336&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2
• https://www.kinoitaly.com/projects/tursi%2C-basilicata
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/serena-chironna-52233b117/
• https://twitter.com/dcwarrington
• https://remoteworkmovement.com/category/episodes/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenmurph/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/liammcivormartin/?originalSubdomain=ca
• https://doist.com/

Today on the podcast, Mitko (@mitkoka) is joined by Taylor Jacobson (@TaylorJacobson), the founder, and CEO of FocusMate - a virtual coworking community with a mission to help everyone do their best work. FocusMate connects thousands of people across 193 countries worldwide to sit side-by-side, via video, to keep each other company, cheer each other on, and hold one another accountable while working remotely.

During this episode, Taylor shared his remote work journey before starting FocusMate, why so many people struggle with focus and procrastination, and some easy ways to start improving our productivity.

💬  Topics Discussed:

• What is Focusmate and how does it work?
• The Focusmate community
• Being part of a supportive and understating community
• How did Taylor come up with the idea for Focusmate?
• Failing to succeed
• The accelerated popularity of remote work
• Is procrastination one of the biggest issues in remote work?
• Minimizing and getting procrastination under control
• Improving your focus and concentration
• The impact of hyper-connectivity on concertation
• Is procrastination an evolutionary trait?
• Can stress increase your focus?
• The impact of a social group on productivity and focus
• Effective planning and time-management tips
• Being specific about your intentions and goals
• Defining realistic goals for yourself
• What causes burnout and how can you avoid it?
• Simplifying your surroundings to increase your focus
• What’s Taylor’s advice on increasing your focus and concentration?
• How does a good, productive work day look like for Taylor?
• Finding ways to increase your energy
• What is the future and vision of Focusmate?

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🎒 Resources:

• https://www.focusmate.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylorjacobson/
• https://twitter.com/taylorjacobson

Today on the podcast, Mitko (@mitkoka) is joined by Vance (@MyLatinLife) from My Latin Life, a site dedicated to helping you travel and live in Latin America since 2014.

Vance and Mitko took a deep dive into why you should consider visiting or setting up a home base in Latin America. They covered safety, top tips for traveling in the region, and some of the most interesting LatAm countries to visit.

💬  Topics Discussed:

• What is MyLatinLife.com about and how did it get started?
• Safety concerns while traveling through Latin America
• Are there parts of Latin America that aren’t safe to visit?
• How do you research and determine which parts of Latin America are safe to visit?
• Hidden digital nomad gems in Latin America
• Cities in Mexico that are growing and developing
• Countries and cities in Latin America that have great potential as digital nomad hotspots
• How does economic instability in some parts of Latin America affect the lives of digital nomads staying there?
• Vance’s top 3 places to visit in Latin America
• Easiest ways of getting residency in Latin America
• What countries in Latin America offer the easiest way to residency?
• The bureaucracy of getting residency in different Latin American states
• What would be an ideal home base in Latin America according to Vance?
• Locations with great infrastructure and amenities in Mexico
• The earthquake belt in Mexico
• Great digital nomad destinations and regions in Mexico

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🎒 Resources:

• https://twitter.com/MyLatinLife
• https://mylatinlife.com/
• https://mylatinlife.com/city-guides/
• https://mylatinlife.com/category/my-latin-life-podcast/
• https://mylatinlife.com/2022/08/25/mitko-karshovski-on-the-future-of-remote-work-my-latin-life-podcast-25/
• https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13567344/
• https://www.traveloffpath.com/kashlee-kucheran/

Today on the podcast, Mitko (@mitkoka) is joined by Raimee Iacofano (@Raimee I.), or as you may know on social media Raimee Travels. Raimee has been working remotely for the past 6 years in roles related to the content, social media marketing, writing, and video production. She has worked for the hugely popular blog NomadicMatt, helped create the My Travel Journal with Matt Kepnes himself, and currently works as the Head of Content for Onomy where she helps empower young adults with the important information they need to navigate adulthood through creator-led, educational content.

Raimee is also a popular travel and remote work content creator with over 20,000 followers on Instagram and over 130,000 followers on TikTok. During this episode, she shared the story of how she landed her job working for Nomadic Matt, how to build a remote career and stand out from the competition, and how to balance work while also traveling around the world.

💬  Topics Discussed:

• What made Raimee confident to invest her time in remote work before COVID?
• Making the jump from a corporate job to a digital nomad
• Discovering the digital nomad lifestyle
• Should remote workers be paid less because of the way they work?
• Companies that pay people differently based on their location
• Defining your worth within a company
• How did Raimee start working for Nomadic Matt?
• How to be persistent with your career goals?
• The challenges of competing with a global talent pool
• The importance of personal brands as a freelancer
• Building and growing your personal brand
• Ways to build up your project portfolio
• Creative ways to stand out from other job applicants
• Balancing a full-time job and traveling
• Building and belonging to a community as a digital nomad
• Proper self-management and time management
• Figuring out how to plan your weekly schedule
• How does Raimee’s daily/weekly schedule look like?
• What is Onomy and who is it for?
• Networking in a remote-first environment
• Is the travel industry a good way to get started as a remote worker?
• The grind of growing your personal brand and business
• Raimee’s travel tips for digital nomads
• Experiencing the true culture of a place when traveling

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🎒 Resources:

• https://www.instagram.com/raimeetravel/?hl=en
• https://www.tiktok.com/@raimeetravels?lang=ms-MY
• https://www.doitallabroad.com/about-raimee-iacofano/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/raimeeiacofano/
• https://onomy.co/
• https://www.tropicalmba.com/about/
• https://www.timedoctor.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/liammcivormartin/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenweary/
• https://www.hotjar.com/
• https://buffer.com/
• https://www.nomadicmatt.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-virvo-hackman/
• https://www.squarespace.com/
• https://www.amazon.com/100M-Offers-People-Stupid-Saying-ebook/dp/B099QVG1H8
• https://appsumo.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/noahkagan/
• https://mint.intuit.com/
• https://thatremotelife.com/episode78/
• https://nomadcapitalist.com/
• https://toggl.com/
• https://jayclouse.com/
• https://share.transistor.fm/s/10137520
• https://www.skyscanner.net/
• https://www.google.com/travel/flights

Today on the podcast, Mitko (@mitkoka) is joined by return guest Dan Andrews (@TropicalMBA), the co-host of the Tropical MBA Podcast and the co-founder of Dynamite Circle and Dynamite Jobs.

Dan stopped by to talk about their remote job board Dynamite Jobs and how their offering has changed since COVID, why jobs are evolving and becoming more fractional, and why becoming an entrepreneur within a company could be the best decision you’ve ever made.

💬  Topics Discussed:

• Why did Dan refocus on Dynamite Jobs?
• What changed for Dynamite Jobs after the COVID pandemic?
• The difference between operating a job board versus a recruitment company
• The challenge of executing business ideas
• Are future companies going to be smaller and more flexible due to an influx of freelance workers?
• The fractionalization of professional services
• How can you navigate the future work environment focused more on entrepreneurship?
• How can you build your career as a remote worker?
• Being able to identify new ideas and concepts as an entrepreneur
• Can lifestyle businesses help big companies navigate the new remote work landscape?
• What is Software as a Service (SaaS)?

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🎒 Resources:

• https://www.tropicalmba.com/podcasts/
• https://www.remotefirstrecruiting.com/
• https://dynamitejobs.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-andrews-8735b266
• https://twitter.com/tropicalmba
• https://thatremotelife.com/episode32/
• https://www.theringer.com/the-bill-simmons-podcast
• https://dynamitejobs.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregdj/
• https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1468-0335.1937.tb00002.x
• https://gimletmedia.com/
• https://www.fiverr.com/
• https://www.amazon.com/Linchpin-Are-Indispensable-Seth-Godin/dp/1591844096
• https://www.workthesystem.com/
• https://knapsackcreative.com/
• https://www.squarespace.com/
• https://www.salesforce.com/eu/

Today on the podcast Mitko (@mitkoka) is joined by Iwo Szapar (@IwoSzapar), the founder and CEO of Remote-How the world's leading marketplace for remote & hybrid work experts, and Co-founder of the Remote-First Institute.

Since 2017, Iwo has advised over 600 companies (including Walmart, ING Bank, and Microsoft) to help them optimize their distributed workforce. He is also the author of “Remote Work is The Way: A Guide to Making the Most of Our Office-Optional Future” and has been featured in publications like Forbes, BBC, and Business Insider.

💬  Topics Discussed:

• Do you still need to live in big cities in order to get big work opportunities as a remote worker?
• The “Village as a Service” concept
• The problems with nomad hotspots and nomad accommodation sites
• How to find the right community for you?
• Are nomad families going to become a significant factor in the digital nomad lifestyle?
• Purchasing and owning properties as part of a community
• How did Iwo get his start in remote work?
• Attracting and retaining your remote workforce
• The early 2010’s landscape of remote work
• Helping companies adjust to a remote-first environment
• The pushback of companies and certain government agencies against remote work
• How to adapt to the largest change in the way people work in the last century?
• The growing number of people that expect work flexibility
• Focusing on outcomes instead of procedures as a company
• Moving from a synchronous to an asynchronous work environment
• The efficiency of a well-thought-out async work system
• The driving forces for the promotion of remote work
• What are some current opportunities in remote work?
• Building and growing your personal brand and network
• Outcome-based work
• Productizing services

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🎒 Resources:

• https://www.iwoszapar.com/
• https://remote-how.com/
• https://remote-first.institute/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/goncalohall?originalSubdomain=pt
• https://colive.selina.com/
• https://www.outsite.co/
• https://www.tropicalmba.com/podcasts/
• https://thatremotelife.com/trl-108-tynan-the-most-interesting-man-in-the-world-on-creating-a-limitless-financial-runway-buying-an-island-and-living-an-extraordinary-life/
• https://twitter.com/tynan?lang=en
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/chase-warrington/?originalSubdomain=es
• https://doist.com/
• https://about.gitlab.com/
• https://buffer.com/
• https://www.makemymove.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/evan-hock-505a9218/
• https://share.transistor.fm/s/6503a058
• https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1468-0335.1937.tb00002.x
• https://www.codi.com/

Today on the podcast Mitko (@mitkoka) is joined by Kaleem Clarkson (@kaleemclarkson), the COO of BlendMe Inc, a remote people operations consultancy that helps startups and small businesses transform into high-functioning remote or hybrid workplaces.

He has been featured in Harvard Business Review, named to LinkedIn’s Top 10 Voices in Remote Work, and listed as one of the top 15 Remote Work Advocates by the All-American Speakers Bureau. Kaleem is also a successful speaker who has been presented alongside leaders from companies such as Google, United Airlines, Visa, Facebook, Netflix, Airbnb, and many others.

💬  Topics Discussed:

• How Kaleem started getting paid to speak about remote work?
• Coming up with an interesting and engaging speech
• The significance and usefulness of great storytelling
• How can you make money from speaking?
• How to define your value for the market?
• Sharing information with others who do similar work
• Getting noticed in your niche in the online space
• The current state of personal brands
• How speaking has grown in value thanks to the Internet
• Keeping your company growing while staying flexible
• How to land huge contracts as a freelancer
• Competing in a global talent pool
• What effect would free health insurance have on freelancing?
• Knowing your worth when pitching to companies
• Using the knowledge and skills of people you work with to maximize returns
• What are the benefits of working for yourself?
• Motivations for coming up with innovations
• Web3 and the Blockchain of Business
• The concept of a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO)
• Potential use of DAOs
• Current opportunities in the remote workspace
• Helping companies find their footing in remote work

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🎒 Resources:

• https://www.kaleemclarkson.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaleemclarkson/
• https://www.remotelyone.com/podcast
• https://www.blendmeinc.com/
• https://www.remotelyone.com/
• https://speakerhub.com/
• https://buildingastorybrand.com/
• https://lunchclub.com/
• https://www.drupal.org/
• https://www.workplaceless.com/
• https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1468-0335.1937.tb00002.x
• https://www.a.team/
• https://www.timedoctor.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/liammcivormartin/?originalSubdomain=ca
• https://www.investopedia.com/tech/what-dao/
• https://www.upwork.com/
• https://asana.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/linkedin-top-voices-remote-work-10-creators-follow-linkedin-news-1c/
• https://www.cnbc.com/video/2020/11/13/embracing-remote-work-meet-the-oracles.html

Today on the podcast Mitko (@mitkoka) is joined by Sarah Hawley (@sarahriegelhuth), the founder, and CEO of Growmotely which connects culture-first companies and professionals from all over the world to do great things. Sarah is also the author of Conscious Leadership.
 
During this episode, Mitko and Sarah discuss how remote work is redefining the concept of work for humanity, how to stand when looking for a remote job, and what it means to be a conscious company. 

💬  Topics Discussed:

• How does Sarah look at and define failure?
• Learning from failure as an entrepreneur
• What is the difference between a regular job and being an entrepreneur?
• Is the 9 to 5 job becoming more flexible in today’s workforce?
• Challenges digital nomads and freelancers face in the job market
• Ways of standing out on a job or a project application
• What sets Growmotely apart from other online job boards?
• Does Growmotely take on an Employer of Record role?
• How did Sarah realize that remote work was the future of work?
• The global impact of remote work
• Having individual sovereignty as a remote worker
• What is the near future of remote work in the mainstream workforce?
• Using the global workforce to your advantage
• Redefying company roles thanks to remote work
• The problems with tracking and screenshotting remote worker activities
• What is “productivity theater”?
• Choosing remote work VS being forced to work remotely
• How do city and local government policies affect remote workers?
• The need of updating infrastructure and living arrangements for remote workers
• What does it mean to be a conscious company?
• How to build a workspace where people can grow and evolve?

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👾 Join the TRL Slack Channel

🎒 Resources:

• https://www.growmotely.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahriegelhuth/
• https://welovenumbersbookkeeping.com.au/
• https://markmanson.net/not-giving-a-fuck
• https://twitter.com/plibin
• https://evernote.com/
• https://share.transistor.fm/s/d51752f7
• https://www.amazon.com/VAYDEER-Simulator-Driver-Free-Simulation-Awakening/dp/B08DTXPS51/r
• https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/uploads/prod/2022/04/Microsoft-New-Future-of-Work-Report-2022.pdf
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassiemholmes/?trk=public_post_share-update_actor-text
• https://www.cassiemholmes.com/

Today on the podcast Mitko (@mitkoka) is joined by Cassie Holmes (@Cassie Holmes), a professor at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management where she focused her research on the most important topic of all - happiness.

Her new book “Happiest Hour" explores how to beat distraction, expand your time, and focus on what matters most. During this episode, Mitko and Cassie will also discuss the key elements of life that make us happy, and more specifically how digital nomads and remote workers can design their lifestyles to maximize happiness.

💬  Topics Discussed:

• How Cassiе conducted her research about happiness?
• The balance between leisure time and being productive
• Defying the term “free time”
• Techniques for finding activities that are worthwhile spending time on
• The Self Determination Theory
• Importance VS Urgency
• How perspective affects happiness?
• Making time for simple, non-urgent moments in life
• What is a truly meaningful relationship?
• Ways people build strong connections
• How to cultivate close relationships?
• Hedonic adaptation
• How do various people define life satisfaction?
• Cultivating relationships as a digital nomad
• Can you build meaningful relationships remotely?
• Finding and building a community you belong to
• How can remote companies help their employees build relationships at work?
• Engaging and enjoying everyday experiences

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👾 Join the TRL Slack Channel

🎒 Resources:

• https://www.cassiemholmes.com/
• https://www.cassiemholmes.com/happierhour
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassiemholmes/?trk=public_post_share-update_actor-text
• https://www.cnbc.com/2022/09/08/too-much-free-time-wont-make-you-happier-says-psychologist-how-many-hours-you-really-need-in-a-day.html
• https://fourhourworkweek.com/
• https://www.eisenhower.me/eisenhower-matrix/
• https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html
• https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2017/04/over-nearly-80-years-harvard-study-has-been-showing-how-to-live-a-healthy-and-happy-life/
• https://www.adultdevelopmentstudy.org/
• https://www.amazon.com/2-Hour-Cocktail-Party-Relationships-Gatherings-ebook/dp/B0B2KW6T7J
• https://waitbutwhy.com/