We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post, and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please see my full disclosure for more information.
Back in 2016, I’d about reached the end of my tether.
I’d been working in my first real 9 – 5 job since graduating for the past two years and felt extremely unsatisfied.
I hated having to work 8 hours a day, 5 days a week when I was so fast and efficent at my job that I could have done the same job in half the time.
I hated having to squeeze the things I love – working out, being outdoors, cooking and spending time with the people I love – around a huge block of time dedicated to tasks I could do in half the time.
I was 24 and somehow felt like I was already trapped in that cycle of working in a job you’re miserable in to have enough money, but not enough time to spend on the things you really want to be doing.
There was this constant nagging voice inside of me saying this wasn’t how things are supposed to be.
That settlingwasn’t the only option.
That there is a lifestyle where you can balance the things you do for money, the things you do for fun, and everything else, in perfect harmony. That actually, you could love what you do and still get paid.
So I started hustling.
From late 2016 to early into the next year, I stuck it out in my 9-5 job while working hours in the evenings to build up a freelance business from scratch.
I landed my first paid job on Upwork for $12.
Eventually, I started landing better-paying jobs and built relationships with companies that wanted to work long-term with someone they could trust.
I realised that there areso many companies out there that don’t have the resources or space to hire a full-time employee (or they simply don’t want to), so hiring a freelancer to work from anywhere in the world and deliver amazing results was an ideal solution.
I delivered my best work ever for these clients because they gave me the freedom and trust I wanted in return.
By February 2017, I was in a stable enough position with my freelance copywriting business to quit my job.
My boyfriend and I booked a one-way ticket to Bangkok, Thailand, and embarked on what would be the biggest and best decision we’d ever made.
A year on, I now have a completed location independent business that I can run from anywhere in the world.
I spent the majority of 2017 finding a perfect balance between growing my businesses and making my income stable and sustainable and having as many adventures around Asia as possible.
I returned home just before Christmas with my goal achieved. I can make money from anywhere in the world.
At the time of writing, that happens to be my hometown, spending some quality time with my family after almost an entire year away from them.
Reaching the end of my tether was a miserable time, but it also triggered an amazing turning point for me.
Honestly, that trigger is the entire reason I started this blog at the beginning of that turning point.
I started this blog in Jan 2017 for two reasons:
- The first, less inspiring, reason was because I need to flesh out my online presence and portfolio when applying for freelance jobs. I started this blog to have a platform that I could send potential employers to and showcase my writing and personality.
- Secondly, I hated – hate – the thought of other people out there feeling trapped like I did, miserable in a lifestyle that isn’t for them but unable to get out of it. I knew that getting out of that situation wasn’t going to be so easy for everyone, so I started this website to provide people with the tools they need to change their lifestyle in whatever way is necessary.
This website and the message behind it has evolved more than I ever imagined. I spendhours pouring my soul into this website and for a long time, I’d see no real profit.
For me, to have a passion-project and the feedback from people I was meeting along the way was enough.
Now, however, this website has grown to a platform that receives over 100,000 monthly views, has given me opportunities I never even thought of and contributes towards a significant portion of my income.
Which leads me to what you’ve all been waiting for – the juicy details.
How I Make Enough Money to Travel the World
So, to answer the title of this post, I make money while travelling the world by:
- Copywriting
- Social Media Management
- Blogging
I have several long-term clients that I work for on a monthly basis, which is a nice stable income to have as a freelancer. I’ll also take on one-off projects or clients for a few months if I want to increase my income at certain times.
My two years of experience helped a lot when it came to landing my first few clients, but these days I actually have this blog to thank for new clients more than my portfolio.
I built up my business over the course of about a year, but this is because I was travelling in a continent with low living costs and I valued the experiences I could have more than generating a huge income.
I landed my first client on Upwork, and have been working to build up my portfolio ever since.
If you’ve been seriously thinking about starting your own writing business to become location independent, I highly recommend joining Thriving Freelance Writing.
My Resources
Want to run your own location independent business from anywhere in the world? Here are my must-have resources that you need…
1) A Website
I run The Wallet Moth as one of the ways to show potential clients my writing, as well as offering an insight into my personality (which isn’t always easy when you’re working remotely!). Check out my step-by-step tutorial or sign up for my free blogging course for help on setting yours up today.
2) A Good Laptop
I spent the majority of 2017 lugging a 4-year-old HP laptop around the world –huge mistake.It was so heavy! At the beginning of the year I invested in my gorgeous Microsoft Surface Laptop and you guys, I am never looking back.
3) Accommodation
Airbnb is my first stop for finding great value accommodation in any new destination. I’ve stayed in gorgeous studio apartments in the heart of a city for less than $20 a night thanks to people hosting me via Airbnb, so I’d really recommend checking it out. If you use my link to sign up, we’ll both receive some free credit from Airbnb – win!
If you are a digital nomad, remote worker, make money travelling the world or as an entrepreneur with an amazing story to tell, I would love to feature you in this series!
Please head on over to my contact page and drop me a message with some details on who you are and what story you’d like to share.
