Episode notes

Guest: Jeanne Fontaniere

Based: Normandy, France (3 months on) | Worldwide (3 months off)

Jeanne Fontaniere didn't plan to become a digital nomad. She was just bored during Paris's second Covid lockdown. So she convinced her events agency boss to let her work from Madrid for two months whilst learning Spanish—despite working in an industry that required being on-site.

Four years later, she's built a career that didn't exist before: hosting a co-living château in Normandy three months at a time, then travelling the world the other three months. In this conversation, Jeanne shares how she negotiated remote work in a non-remote industry, transitioned from stable employment to freelancing, and why she believes you need to live the nomadic lifestyle yourself to authentically host it for others.

This is a story about communication, calculated risks, and designing work around the life you want rather than the other way around.

Timestamps

00:00 Generic podcast introduction

00:30 Guest introduction

01:25 Introduction to Jeanne

01:55 Background: events manager in Paris during Covid lockdowns

05:15 Decision to learn Spanish and work from Madrid

06:45 Landing in Madrid, discovering freedom

09:05 First week realisation: \"This is the life I want\

11:40 Moving to Lisbon, discovering Wi-Fi Tribe

13:55 Meeting the digital nomad community

16:55 Returning to Paris office, feeling trapped

19:15 Quitting to become freelance events manager

22:10 Seeing château hosting opportunity

24:35 Juggling both roles: freelance + hosting

27:05 80-hour weeks flying between Paris and Normandy

29:10 Decision to leave events agency

30:45 Full-time château work with marketing/comms

33:25 Negotiating 3-on, 3-off structure

35:05 Why hosts need to stay nomadic themselves

36:46 End Communication, negotiation, and building trust

Full write-up and transcript: https://www.ibimalik.com/podcast/jeanne-fontaniere

Watch: https://youtu.be/hl8icJPZiIE