What is A Professional Digital Nomad

Professional Digital Nomad is a term we came up with to describe a digital nomad who travels effortlessly while continuing to grow professionally. Take us for example – by our late twenties, we had built successful careers, but we were struggling to meet our job demands AND achieve our personal goals. Continuing to grow professionally was important to us, but we didn’t want to waste our best years stuck at work. We wanted a better QUALITY of life, but how could we achieve that without sacrificing the careers and savings that we had worked so hard for?

We are here to tell you that this is possible and that you are not alone. We’ve spent the last six years becoming professional digital nomads – traveling the world while engaging in work that we are passionate about. Here are some of the key attributes of a professional digital nomad:

Every great achievement begins with an idea. For professional digital nomads, it usually begins with the desire to live in a more meaningful way. Maybe you didn’t achieve all the things you wanted to when you were younger and feel time slipping away. Or perhaps you did only to realize that there is more to life than professional success. Either way, now you desire to have more control over your time and a higher quality of life.

This is where things get tricky because you probably worked very hard to get to where you are but your priorities have changed and now you want something different. We liked our jobs, but it didn’t leave room for anything else. Additionally, the thought of having a family that depended on us financially one day made the decision to leave our jobs even more difficult. That left us feeling like we had no option but to stay in a situation that was limiting our personal growth.

You shouldn’t have to sacrifice career growth and your hard-earned savings for a digital nomad lifestyle – you should be able to have both.

Without a deep desire for something better, then you are unlikely to risk what is comfortable, yet unsatisfying, to pursue your dreams. The digital nomad path is by no means easy. It comes with a totally different set of challenges than working a location-based job. If you are willing to put in the effort, however, it can be the most gratifying decision you have ever made. 

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The traditional job market tends to be one size fits all. Dreams and desires are not, however. Ask yourself – have you lost sight of the life you truly want, held back by the notion that you have no other option than what you are currently doing, or that it is too late to begin? We felt the same way. But the reality is that the world has changed. It has never been easier to live a digital nomad lifestyle and create the mix of life, work, and travel that best suits you.

Professional digital nomads take the time to define what their best life looks like. You are crazy enough to think you can actually manifest the life you want through hard work and discipline. Once you start actively building that life, you will likely need to face and overcome the following challenges:

• Realigning your priorities and how you spend time and money with your own values
• Setting your own routine and discipline rather than relying on those imposed by social norms and corporate culture
• Evolving your idea of relationships to include people who share the desire to live more intentionally, outside of the traditional structures
• Learning how to make travel as effortless and enjoyable as possible

Finally, professional digital nomads work toward their goals DAILY. This requires dedication and hard work but it’s amazing how actively pursuing your dreams immediately increases your sense of purpose. If you ever feel overwhelmed, remember – each day is just about seeing your path and taking one step forward, it is not about going all the way.

The nature of work has changed. Many jobs today require only a laptop and an internet connection. The post-pandemic age of remote work has been a major game changer. We are more empowered than ever before to work on terms that best suit our preferred lifestyle. A recent Buffer Remote Work survey found:

• 50% of the US and Europe workforce will be freelancers in some capacity by 2028
• 72% of companies stated they plan on permanently allowing some amount of remote work
• 91% of remote workers said that working remotely was a good fit for them

You no longer have to incur the high cost of living or busy city life in order to qualify for well-paying jobs. You can work from a cafe in Melbourne or a beach in Dubai if you prefer. Currently, our digital nomad family splits time between Miami, FL, and Sofia, Bulgaria, taking short regional trips every few weeks. There have also been times when we traveled every week, living out of a suitcase for months at a time.

It is all about the flexibility of living where you like and interacting with people from all over the world. You can feed your inner digital nomad while continuing to grow professionally. You shouldn’t have to choose one or the other.

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Travel can be expensive, so a common misperception is that living as a professional digital nomad requires lots of money. Because of the rigid schedule of traditional jobs, most people travel during high-peak periods (e.g. weekends and holidays) when prices are at their highest. Flights and lodging are by far the largest expense categories but there are a few simple steps to dramatically reduce these costs:

• Travel at off-peak times (e.g. weekdays, non-holidays)
• Stick to lower-cost locations (e.g. Barcelona instead of London or Bali instead of Singapore)
• Avoid short-term stays (weekly or monthly rentals can shave up to 50% off lodging costs)
• Use travel rewards and points to earn free flights and hotel stays

By incorporating the four steps above, we traveled comfortably on a budget of $2,000 per month during our first round-the-world trip, often flying business class and staying in five-star hotels. You can do this too!

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Just like diversifying an investment portfolio, multiple income streams help reduce risk. It seems logical, right? Yet, most people spend their entire working career completely reliant on a single source of non-passive income. We were definitely guilty of this too. We knew that the moment we quit our jobs, 100% of our income would be gone. This was a scary reality that kept us in jobs that we should have moved on from sooner.

The most common ways to diversify and create passive income sources are the following:

• Offering your expertise as a contractor through platforms like Fiver or Upwork
• Participating in the sharing economy by listing your home on Airbnb, your car on Turo or Getaround, or providing ride-sharing services
• Investing in high-yield products, such as high-yield savings accounts, digital asset staking, or fixed-income investments
• Monetizing your own brand through affiliate marketing or social media influencing
• Teaching English online

There are many variations to the paths above as well as others not listed. Most importantly, it is time to start thinking of yourself as the CEO of YOU enterprises. Focus on the overlap of 1) areas that interest you and 2) areas where you may have existing skills or knowledge. Remember that it’s ok to start small. You don’t need to replace your entire income overnight. Generating $500/mo can go a long way when you are traveling in lower-cost-of-living locations.

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A traditional nomad by definition is someone who travels from place to place. Globalization has created an entire generation of new-age digital nomads, however. Many modern digital nomads come from mixed heritages, hold multiple passports, or are just more interested in moving around than staying in one place. As a nomad, you do not so much identify with the country you were born in as you do with fellow humans who desire to experience the world’s cultures and beauty firsthand. You are driven by curiosity and enjoy visiting places with different views, perspectives, and ideals.

Bottom Line

In 2016 we left our office jobs to travel the world and have been living as professional digital nomads ever since. That doesn’t necessarily mean that we are constantly moving. It simply means that we have learned how to move around the planet comfortably while we continue to grow professionally and build the life that we desire. It is the best decision we have made personally, as a couple, and now as a family. We encourage you to do the same.