Notas del episodio
Guest: Mathilde Andersen
Mathilde Andersen left Switzerland with no clients, no business plan, and zero freelancing experience. Today, she runs a thriving virtual HR consultancy serving Swiss companies from anywhere in the world.
In this conversation, Mathilde shares how she transitioned from three years of backpacking to building a location-independent HR business without any remote work experience. We explore the practical realities of making HR work remotely, the financial requirements of nomadic life, the emotional challenges of constant travel, why she chose Paraguay for residency, and the importance of connecting with local communities wherever she goes.
This is a story about taking the leap before you're ready, figuring it out as you go, and building exactly the freedom you envisioned.
Timestamps
00:00 Introduction
00:27 Guest Introduction
01:39 Background: travelling family, three years backpacking
01:59 Zero remote work experience before starting
02:40 \"Opening a Pandora's box\": all the questions
03:34 Left Switzerland before getting clients
04:14 Where nomads actually are: the hubs
05:53 Spain then Brazil
06:44 Language barriers and connecting with locals
07:49 First invoice moment: \"This is actually working\
08:15 How she found her first client on LinkedIn
09:11 Making HR work remotely and what virtual HR means
10:17 Financial requirements: €2,000/month minimum
12:01 The emotional side: loneliness vs. alone
14:01 What freedom looks like
15:12 Spontaneous meetups and flexibility
15:34 Meeting people on Instagram: \"Let's just go\
16:27 Co-living culture and community
19:20 Deep conversations and common struggles
20:01 Too many options: getting lost
21:23 Dating as a nomad and managing emotions
22:30 Evolution and cousin's romantic success story
24:35 The nomad community mindset
26:49 Paraguay residency: process, costs, and connecting with locals
30:16 Closing
Full write-up and transcript: https://www.ibimalik.com/podcast/mathilde-andersen
Guest website: http://www.mathildeandersen.com
Watch: https://youtu.be/zaSpZYyFTCM