Compass

Phon Baillie, Proofreader

April 21, 2020 23:41 - 13 minutes - 18.6 MB

Phon Baillie enjoyed proofreading before she knew it was a job. After graduating university and later publishing school, Phon then went out on her own to become a freelance proofreader. You can find Phon on her site artofproofreading.com, where you can sign up for a free five day course or join her free masterclass. Building your network builds your business. While it may not come easy for all of us, having a wide and solid network gives us a better footing for finding clients. Think about...

Chrystabelle, Messenger Bot Marketer

March 03, 2020 12:00 - 34 minutes - 46.7 MB

We talk about university on the show for a couple of reasons. I think we need the reminder that for those of us who attended university, most don't end up working in the field we studied, but we can bring things we learned into what we do now. Also, we don't need to have gone to university to do well in life and in entrepreneurship. Instead of heading to study, Chrystabelle took a year off and then set herself up in an internship and worked her way up. A note here: in some countries, like th...

Arpine Ayvazyan, Product Designer

February 19, 2020 01:53 - 32 minutes - 44.4 MB

This was a new one for me and it's great. Arpine became location independent so that she could earn a European income but spend as much time as she wants in Armenia, with her friends and family. This is the reverse of what we tend to think of with countries with a lower average wage, which is to hire for cheap. Just because you come from a lower average wage country, doesn't mean you're limited to those expectations. You can use the internet to level the playing field, just like Arpine did. ...

Arpine Ayvazyan | Product Designer

February 19, 2020 01:53 - 32 minutes - 44.4 MB

This was a new one for me and it's great. Arpine became location independent so that she could earn a European income but spend as much time as she wants in Armenia, with her friends and family. This is the reverse of what we tend to think of with countries with a lower average wage, which is to hire for cheap. Just because you come from a lower average wage country, doesn't mean you're limited to those expectations. You can use the internet to level the playing field, just like Arpine did. ...

Lili Tanis, On-camera Coach

February 04, 2020 14:24 - 15 minutes - 20.8 MB

This is one that many of us go through, especially if we're extraverts. You go from having an office full of colleagues to bounce ideas around with and share downtime chatting to being all on your own. Pretty quickly it becomes obvious that something is missing. There are meetups and coworking, and some days when it's less the need for interaction and more about just having the bustle of people around there are coffee shops. Finding the right mix is very personal and it will probably take ti...

Tamar Levi, Children's Book Illustrator

January 22, 2020 03:16 - 35 minutes - 48.2 MB

Starting early, Tamar started investing any money that wasn't put towards immediate needs. Over time this built up as a way of supporting her art through residual income, giving her a freedom to focus her art when it wasn't yet paying bills. Is this something you can start? Putting away a little extra a month and letting it grow over time? You know what you want to do and with that in mind, you can create your own personal 'curriculum' for learning about business. Do you need to study mark...

Kate Birtch, Rental Property Insurance

January 08, 2020 01:48 - 18 minutes - 26 MB

We are part of a global economy, and one that is shifting. Does your schedule mean working with someone in another timezone makes more sense? Are you okay working with someone whose native language isn't the same as yours if it means a better quality product or a better time frame? Will you choose a provider with a lower asking price if it means a time zone lag? We have a lot of questions to answer if we're going to make our best choices in the world of international hires. As digital noma...

Zsófia Bányai, Operations Manager

January 01, 2020 02:00 - 25 minutes - 35 MB

Because of her background in history, Zsófia looks at problems differently than other finance students did, and now differently than other operations managers. This means seeing solutions the others wouldn't necessarily see either and that's a win for everybody. It's time to learn to view our different perspectives and ideas as the strengths they are. The job Zsófia applied for wasn't listed as remote, but she took the risk and asked. Instead of saying yes or no, they decided to have a tri...

Kari DePhillips, Agency Owner

December 17, 2019 16:52 - 31 minutes - 43.4 MB

You have two options when you have more work coming in than you can reasonably handle. You can raise your prices to keep your project flow at a speed that works for you, or you can find others to outsource the work to and take on a management role. This comes down to personality. Would you rather work on your own working directly in your field? Or would you prefer to manage others? If you're not sure, then go slowly. Send any overflow to one freelancer and get your communication with them do...

Jordan Jeppe, Social Media Marketer

December 10, 2019 12:00 - 29 minutes - 40 MB

When Jordan was in school in LA she waitressed, and her customers would ask what she was studying. Having these conversations led to her first client, which led to more clients. And the thing is, most of us don't do this enough. Talk about what you do! I'm guilty too. So, let's make a pact, when someone asks us what we do, when they ask what we're up to, We Tell Them! When Jordan was working in LA, whichever client had a current project got the most attention, but that meant lots of time i...

Cepee Tabibian, Community Founder

December 03, 2019 14:16 - 22 minutes - 31.4 MB

When your life is location independent, finding your community is difficult. We have online groups, and many of them are supportive, but the connections can seem fleeting. One thing Cepee does is foster meaningful connections within her groups. We hear that online relationships aren't real and that's just not true. It's a question of how strong those connections are. You have to decide how much effort you're going to put in, but building a network of other digital nomads is one of the best t...

Alison Gold, Social Problem Solving Consultant

November 26, 2019 12:00 - 39 minutes - 53.7 MB

Have you ever heard the same thing from several people and just not listened until it came from someone else? We can all be a little hard-headed at times, especially me. Alison's friends and family had been telling her she should consider consulting. She didn't listen until meeting a couple while on a cooking tour through southern India. Maybe it was the person, maybe it was the phrasing, but Alison took heed and set up her practice when she returned to DC. You know that anxiety when you'v...

Chelsea Glass, Travel Consultant

November 19, 2019 12:00 - 41 minutes - 57.5 MB

The earlier you start going off on your own the easier it is later on, like literally everything else in life. Chelsea started going off to film school in LA when she was 14 years old. The first steps of independence can be freeing and unnerving at the same time. I didn't take off on my own until I was 33. You're going to do this in your own time, but don't put it off just because you don't feel ready. You're never going to feel ready, so start scared. If you're here, you're probably not t...

Elise Rorick, Book Designer

November 12, 2019 12:00 - 30 minutes - 41.7 MB

Not all types of work exist as typical jobs. And it sounds really obvious, but it can be hard to internalize: Just because you can't find a job listing for something doesn't mean it's not valid and valuable work. Creating your own job description lets you take even greater control in building the life you want. Write it out, see what it looks like and go from there. If nothing else, you can visualize where you want to go. All of Elise's projects in university were inspired by books. Taking...

Amanda Foltz, Cybersecurity

November 05, 2019 12:00 - 22 minutes - 31.2 MB

Getting certifications and formal training is always helpful, but often the information you need is online. Amanda says she will, "for three days put my head into my computer and learn what I need to know". And I think it's important to remember that learning this way can help you to just start and get going. We tend to use a need to learn as a way to procrastinate and if you have an inclination towards that, then maybe it's time to jump in. One thing that digital nomads sometimes forget t...

Britt Sheflin, Hypnotherapist

October 29, 2019 11:00 - 22 minutes - 31.4 MB

What are the takeaways your clients have where you can see how they've benefitted? One of Britt's first clients went from having fears that prevented her from enjoying her day to day life to being able to fly to her honeymoon, go to a rooftop bar with friends, and take the elevator in her building. These all can seem like small things, unless you just can't do them. What is something that seems small that helps your clients change their lives? They say, if you really want to learn somethin...

Bonnie Christine, Surface Pattern Designer

October 22, 2019 10:00 - 32 minutes - 45 MB

Five huge leaps, or a hundred tiny steps, it doesn’t matter how you get to your big dream. It just matters that you get there. If you make a commitment to taking one action every day, no matter how small, Bonnie says you’ll be amazed at how much progress you make over time. While it can take a while to get your first licensing contract, your wait isn’t over just yet. First, you create the design, then it gets approved and the items are made. Next, the items get shipped and hopefully sold. ...

Rucheli Berry, Support Engineer

October 15, 2019 10:00 - 22 minutes - 31.3 MB

Looking at Rucheli’s path you can see how she has moved from one use of her skills to another, picking up new skills to help with the transitions. This is one reason I always advise a skills assessment. You know more than you think you do and you probably don’t value what comes easily. Getting a broad overview can give you a way to choose what comes next. Rucheli started out her remote job search blasting the same resume to every open position. And it got her nowhere. Once she started targ...

Bari Tessler, Financial Therapist

October 08, 2019 22:38 - 37 minutes - 51.5 MB

Bari started with small group courses of ten people, moving up over time. Then she added her telecourse which turned into 50 person classes, twice a year. Eventually, that became her Art of Money course, now with 500 people. Bari also has a book, The Art of Money and is in talks to become a spokesperson for financial therapy in Singapore. Your business will grow and change over the years as well. Keep your eyes open to opportunities along the way. A few years into her journey Bari received...

Hannah Dixon, VA Trainer

October 01, 2019 11:00 - 26 minutes - 36.8 MB

Talking with Hannah, I quickly learned how passionate she feels about niching down, because it's simpler to become an authority on one area than all of them. By focusing on one of your interests as a virtual assistant specialty not only do you get to dig in on what you enjoy, you add value to what you offer clients. It's basically getting paid more (specialists often earn higher rates) to learn about something you're already interested in. This is a tip I'm taking to heart and I wanted to ...

Hope Allison, Fitness Coach

September 24, 2019 11:00 - 25 minutes - 34.9 MB

Keep your eyes and your options open. Hope decided to take on meal planning for personal trainers and in preparing, became a trainer herself. Seeing how much she enjoyed fitness and training she decided to add it to her main body of work. Sometimes the best ideas present themselves rather than you sitting down and coming up with them. When you’re transitioning from a specific location to remote, you may be able to transition your clients as well. This isn’t the first time we’ve heard of c...

Nicole Berry, Study Abroad Organizer

September 17, 2019 11:00 - 23 minutes - 32.2 MB

It can be scary putting money into something that you don't know if it will pan out. Especially in the beginning, you're risking money that could go towards fancier food or a night out with friends. Ultimately, risk is what we as entrepreneurs, do. We look at what we can lose and decide if it's worth seeing what we can gain. This is what Nicole did with advertising. It was scary, but when she made the leap, the money came back with great returns in the form of new enrollees. We generally t...

Sarah Cordiner, Course Creation Expert

September 10, 2019 11:00 - 38 minutes - 53.4 MB

While on her around the world trip after high school, Sarah repeatedly found herself volunteering in schools and orphanages. While she wasn't sure exactly she was after, she wanted to share education with others and signed up for a teachers course when she returned to the UK. Each choice brought her closer to finding her way as an educator. Not every path comes easily. Keeping your eyes open to opportunities can make all the difference. When first starting her company, Sarah took out the p...

Amy Simpkins, Renewable Energy Consultant

September 03, 2019 11:00 - 43 minutes - 59.4 MB

The US Department of Energy had a program called the Solar in Your Community Challenge, which allowed Amy and her husband to make contacts and gain contracts all while helping lower income communities. Occasionally, we hear from Compass guests that they found a government program that in one way or another helped them get their feet under them. I think we don't hear it more often because these programs aren't well advertised and we don't think to look. Taking time to run a couple of searches...

Julie Waterkotte, Stationer

August 27, 2019 11:00 - 25 minutes - 34.5 MB

Julie has been an artist her entire life, first going to art college and later working in advertising, then video games. Only after becoming a bit frustrated with the inevitable changes in her designs, from decision by committee, did Julie start designing in her spare time, slowly building up income from Print on Demand sites. We hear it time and again and it’s so true. Having multiple income streams protects you from income volatility. In Julie’s case, the bridal industry has shifted fro...

Kayla Kurin, Yoga Instructor

August 20, 2019 11:00 - 21 minutes - 30 MB

When Kayla started her business, she did SEO, a mailing list, and all the social media. Her marketing efforts were scattered across several platforms. Looking back, she says she would really focus on SEO and her mailing list, if she could start again. Getting your footing in one area can help you boost your efforts in others later on. As someone with a chronic illness, Kayla knows what it’s like. So, she wanted to set up her yoga instruction so that she could teach others what helped her. ...

Note from Kathryn

August 13, 2019 11:00 - 15 seconds - 103 KB

We had a major tech issue this week and will be back next week with Kayla Kurin, Yoga Instructor Click to view: show page on Awesound

Getting Started, What Do I Do?

August 06, 2019 11:00 - 12 minutes - 17.7 MB

Getting started with your location independent life can feel overwhelming. What can I do as a career? What should I charge? will my prices scare off clients? Can I do this? In order: Any number of things, more than you think, if you're doing it right, and yes - yes you can! Oh, darling, that is such a con job. You don't have any skills that you currently value, but you do have skills. Do you make amazing blackberry jam? Can you organize any closet, no matter the disaster state it starts ou...

Casey Marriott, Digital Marketer

July 30, 2019 11:00 - 38 minutes - 52.5 MB

After finishing her gap year, Casey didn't want to come home and after she did, she immediately set off to figure out how to leave again. Then, she extended. Again and again. In following her need to travel, she discovered her path through journalism and into digital marketing and SEO. Knowing one thing she wanted led to creating a life she didn't even know existed. It's not very often I get to talk with someone who is "traditionally" employed, we've had two others so far. There are certai...

Donna Long, Travel Writer

July 23, 2019 11:00 - 37 minutes - 51.2 MB

If you want to write for print and online publications, you're going to have to pitch. A lot. The good news is, it will get easier, and you will build up a contact list. This is definitely a case where starting is the hardest part. What tone should you use? How long should the pitch be? When should you send it? There is no one right answer, and you'll learn what works for you, as you go. Cover what needs to be covered to pique the editor's interest and go from there. Now that we no longer ...

Elena Manavis, Business Developer

July 16, 2019 11:00 - 22 minutes - 31.5 MB

Many of us start out thinking of our businesses as our babies. We have an idea and it grows and we love it, as Elena says, "it may not be perfect but it's mine." Only, that mindset can hold us back. Thinking of your business as what you do, means you can make changes, cut services, pivot, and rebuild as needed. It takes the emotion out of what can be tough decisions. If anything, it's more like a rose bush, strategic trimming and tending make your business stronger. It may be time to look...

Linnea Molander, Dating Coach

July 09, 2019 11:00 - 30 minutes - 41.8 MB

At first, Linnea took what she was learning in her coaching program to improve her own dating life. Then, when she started talking about her experiences she learned it wasn't just her. So many people related to what she was experiencing. By tackling her own questions she learned how to help others. Linnea knew exactly how to speak to potential clients because she'd been there and knew how they were feeling, what they were experiencing. Happiness doesn't come from getting what you want. It ...

Melody Spencer, Marketing Mentor

July 02, 2019 11:00 - 24 minutes - 33.5 MB

When you start out, you often encounter potential clients who don't value your work because you're new. And if you want to get a few clients at a lower rate under your belt to start, that's your call. It can be a great way to get a few reviews and testimonials and just test the water. That said, it needs to be your decision. Clients who come in and expect a discount are a whole different conversation. You've got to have faith in what you do and charge accordingly. We all go through it, learn...

Mary Tomasso, Content Creator

June 25, 2019 11:00 - 23 minutes - 32.6 MB

If you take on too much, raise your hand. I'm thinking we all have both our arms and legs raised high. Taking on too much and then refusing to let go of some of the control is rampant among entrepreneurial women. We do thing s ourselves because we want them done right. While the idea is laudable, it's usually too much. Being a one-woman show is exhausting. Mary says that if she could have, she would have started delegating and working with systems from the beginning. While that's probably to...

Christina Gawlik, Math Writer

June 18, 2019 11:00 - 39 minutes - 54.7 MB

We've all got specific tools and tech that we use, then it's a matter of getting it to work just the way we need. After getting her audio equipment for voiceovers set up, Christina needed to find a way to reduce the room's natural echo. Turns out the best place in most homes is the bedroom closet because of all the sound softening fabrics in there. If there's not a cloth filled closet, like in an AirBnB, then she piles pillows on the bed and works from there. You don't always need a professi...

Julia Taylor, Web Developer

June 11, 2019 11:00 - 28 minutes - 38.9 MB

We've all seen the movies with the sloppy mid-twenties guy coding in his mother's basement and living off of Cheetos and Mountain Dew. With initiatives to bring coding into schools and womxn like Julia teaching other womxn how to code, that stereotype is shifting. Womxn of all ages are learning to code and they're slowly changing the environment with them. Julia often recommends taking on a nonprofit client as your first one. It's often donated or discounted work, which can make you a bit ...

Martina Russo, Translator

June 04, 2019 10:00 - 34 minutes - 47.8 MB

Martina started her location independent life without much of a plan and it was as difficult as you might expect. She figured it out, setting up her website, contacting translation agencies, and building up her business one client at a time. Over time she converted from agencies to direct client work, sometimes offering to do a limited amount of work for free and then taking them on as paying clients once they were hooked. By combining her love of action sports with her translation skills ...

Cori Carl, Managing Director

May 21, 2019 10:00 - 19 minutes - 26.7 MB

When Cori figured out that she'd get spending money in high school for taking college classes, she jumped right in. She eventually earned four associates degrees, before later earning a bachelors and a masters. And that learning has served her well. Working in a small nonprofit often means being a one-woman show. Having those skills to draw on means she's got it covered. Not many of us end up in the same field where we started our paths. We still can use our early experiences to problem solv...

Amanda Baye, Branding Strategist

May 14, 2019 10:00 - 20 minutes - 28.4 MB

After a year at university, Amanda needed a change. It just wasn’t working for her, so she took off on an adventure. Eventually, the time was right and Amanda went back for her degree. She studied PR and Communications, which had a strong visual component. That visual focus lead her back to the arts and finally branding. And now she uses the communications part to help her clients reach their audiences. Being self-employed, working on projects and contracts, there is a certain lack of stab...

Anna Lundberg, Business Coach

May 07, 2019 09:00 - 23 minutes - 31.8 MB

For those who consider themselves lifelong learners, keeping informed goes beyond continuing education. It’s a hobby on its own. Thankfully, there’s so much information available, we don’t need to go and pursue degrees in order to get the skills we need to take that next step. Anna goes to events, talks to people, reads, listens to podcasts, and builds her personal library of information all the time. Before getting into coaching, Anna recommends working with a coach yourself. Not only can...

Britany Felix, Podcast Consultant

April 30, 2019 08:00 - 27 minutes - 37.9 MB

Britany started her career while working a full-time job, renovating her house, and planning to go location Independent. All of this meant minimal sleep for several months. While Britany says owning a business is still hard, it’s a very different kind of hard. The determination that got her through those first few months taught her to push through and believe in her success. As entrepreneurs, we have to keep an eye out to make sure that we’re not working every waking hour. When you love wh...

Dr. Sonia Jaeger, Psychotherapist

April 23, 2019 10:00 - 22 minutes - 30.7 MB

When she started her path as a remote psychotherapist, Sonia gave herself six months to see where it took her, how it would go. And when it went well, she gave herself another six months to see about building up her clientele. Each success lead to seeing what steps she could take next, to build a sustainable practice while traveling. Over two years from idea to sustainability, Sonia learned what worked for her. While we want our businesses to take off immediately, building that foundation is...

Monica Gokey, Radio Producer

April 16, 2019 11:00 - 30 minutes - 42.5 MB

Living in Anchorage, a high cost of living city, working a job with a 40 hour per week minimum, and wanting to spend time with her family just didn't mesh for Monica. When her husband's family had an opening on the ranch for summer work, they leapt. But her career had to change with the move. It took a while to get her productivity and scheduling humming, but now Monica keeps a daily schedule with seasonal variants. I can't stress enough how building a schedule that works for you is paramoun...

Victoria Yampolsky, Startup Advisor

April 09, 2019 11:00 - 21 minutes - 29.4 MB

Victoria's first business was a film company. And like many first ventures, it didn't go quite as planned. She had a slate of films, a production partner, a distribution partner, and a finance partner. Only the finance partner wasn't who he said he was. When the film company folded, it was a hard lesson, but it allowed Victoria to go into building Startup Station with a much stronger foundation. She learned how to put together business materials, how to make connections, how to think through...

Margaret Tra, Music Publicist

April 02, 2019 11:00 - 13 minutes - 18 MB

When Margaret first set up her music blog, she began reaching out to editors she found when reading music publications. Later, she built up a reputation sending music that met the editors' needs. Also, go to events and meet people in the industry. Musicians and promoters need to know who you are. Let people know what you're doing, and this goes for any industry. Figure out that ten second intro that you can use all the time, and then use it. "Hi, I'm Kathryn, I interview location independent...

Mari Johnson, Data Analyst

March 26, 2019 11:00 - 27 minutes - 37.2 MB

As Mari says, "when you're in the deep work state, you can frequently work many more hours than you intend to, not eat, not take a break, not do the things you need to do, not manage the things you need personally." So, she uses timers, specifically the Pomodoro Method. And I have to say that I love this, I love the practice of keeping on track and still taking care of yourself. Because, let's be honest, working a series of 16 hour days will end badly, it's just a question of how badly. Wh...

Michelle Ward, Career Coach

March 19, 2019 11:00 - 44 minutes - 61.6 MB

When Michelle decided to stop performing, she the first thing she did was get a bridge job. She took a job that while allowing her to pay her bills (important, right?), didn't take much out of her so she had energy to build her business. I think it's important to stress that a bridge job doesn't need to fuel your creativity, in fact, a job like that may drain your energy for building your business. For Michelle, her bridge job was as an executive assistant at a financial firm. That's quite a...

Laura Roeder, Startup Founder

March 12, 2019 11:00 - 22 minutes - 31.1 MB

Laura started MeetEdgar as fully remote, from the beginning. The team works across the US time zones, to keep everyone somewhat on the same schedule. Working across a wide spread of time zones can get tricky, since any time one of you has a question you may have to wait a day for an answer. Also, keeping everyone in the US means that the benefits distribution is the same too. Meet Edgar is self-funded, meaning Laura used income from her other work to get the company going. She loves the fr...

Ikiah McGowan, Community Fundraising Manager

March 05, 2019 12:00 - 23 minutes - 32.6 MB

Giving back can start with a check or it can be more creative and that's where Ikiah comes in. We're not always in a position to give money but we can support organizations we feel strongly about. Ikiah helps people brainstorm ways to raise money for and educate each other about her nonprofit. It's sometimes like having a party for good, like hosting a karaoke night to raise funds or a documentary screening to spread the word. Getting involved in philanthropy isn't just about black tie seate...

Alana Zivanovic, Events Director

February 26, 2019 11:00 - 26 minutes - 35.9 MB

Alana had spent a lot of time trying on different roles, mostly figuring out what didn't work for her. Social media management wasn't really right for her. Neither was making sandwiches or advertising... but, events direction felt like a career, the right career. Most of us can relate to having a list of jobs that weren't really us, weren't really right. So, finding the career that fits is the flip side to that coin. It's that feeling of being exactly where you need to be and doing work that...

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