Ibi's Digital Nomad Stories

Ibi's Digital Nomad Stories

by Ibi Malik

Entrepreneurship Places & Travel

Jocelyn Macurdy Keatts: The Activist

Guest: Jocelyn Macurdy Keatts — Political Communications Specialist Based: Nomadic Jocelyn Macurdy Keatts spent ten years trying to save the world from inside Washington, DC. She worked as a political consultant, produced events for politicians, reported on protests, and built a career in progressive activism. But the system swallowed her whole. Networking became performance. Activism became about who you know, not what problems you're solving. The power center's ambient narcissism and daily energy tax drained her creativity. So she left. She told herself she just wanted to travel, write media advisories from Greek islands, take a break. But what she discovered was something deeper: distance gave her clarity that insiders never have. Being outside the US made her more effective at US politics, not less. She could think long-term instead of chasing viral moments. She could focus on problems over profit. She could build stability instead of reacting to whatever Twitter was talking about that week. Now she runs political campaigns from co-livings across Europe, more effective than she ever was in DC. She produces Resistance Labs with Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, teaching nonviolent resistance tactics. She's discovered anti-fragility, collective nobility, and that curiosity compounds exponentially when you're surrounded by courageous people. This conversation explores how leaving a power center can make you better at changing it, why comfort is the enemy in the modern economy, and what happens when you stop assuming everyone else is right and just try things. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction 00:33 Guest introduction 01:37 Political consultant for ten years 02:08 Burnt out on Washington DC power center 02:52 Activism distorted by power networks 03:48 Left to travel, discovering deeper reasons 05:08 Daily energy tax of maintaining normie existence 06:24 Creative liberation from leaving 07:36 Berlin and different assumptions 09:51 Anti-fragility concept and building resilience 11:28 Comfort is the enemy, disruption is the law 13:32 Nomadic mindset and capitalizing on opportunities 14:52 American left's problem, replicating failed strategies 17:18 Problem over profit mindset shift 18:42 Solving problems vs making money 20:42 Objectivity from distance 23:56 Resistance Labs with Congresswoman Jayapal 26:26 Building stability vs chasing viral moments 28:38 Surrounded by people you respect 30:18 Courage and collective nobility 32:31 Curiosity compounds exponentially 34:47 Closing Full write-up and transcript: https://www.ibimalik.com/podcast/jocelyn-macurdy-keatts Watch: https://youtu.be/tuJIZKaTcOU

Kayleigh Franks: The Seeker

Guest: Kayleigh Franks — Head of Digital Marketing Based: Nomadic Kayleigh Franks didn't stumble into digital nomadism. She hunted it down. In 2016, she flew to Chiang Mai and spent three months interviewing 24 digital nomads for 90 minutes each, studying them for her bachelor's thesis. Then she made it her life's mission to become one. She took the long route. Got an office job in Sydney. Showed up every day. Built her skills in digital marketing. Established a foundation. COVID hit and restricted her further. When it lifted, she quit her job, went freelance, and finally started traveling. But it wasn't what she expected. Airbnbs isolated her. The magic she'd observed in Chiang Mai was missing. Then she discovered co-living. After eight years of planning and building toward this life, she finally found what she'd been chasing. In this conversation, we explore what happens when you spend a decade preparing for something and reality still surprises you. We discuss the time prison of office work, why one month is both too long and not long enough, and the trade-offs between freedom and connection that every nomad eventually faces. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction 00:35 Guest introduction 01:33 Writing a thesis about digital nomads 02:08 Chiang Mai 2016, 24 interviews 02:43 Integrating with the community 03:34 Observing nomads in their natural habitat 04:23 What she does now: digital marketing 05:00 Life's mission to become a nomad 05:33 Building career deliberately in Sydney 06:25 COVID restrictions 07:02 Deliberately calculated approach 08:12 First attempts: Airbnbs and isolation 09:09 Connection and belonging, the cafe lady 10:44 Month-long stays and hubs 11:03 Ten-day connection threshold 12:23 Discovering co-living in 2025 12:52 The magic and aliveness 13:24 Sustainability of co-living lifestyle 14:19 One month co-livings back-to-back intensity 15:34 Maintaining productivity while traveling 16:25 Five hours a day, four days a week 17:17 Time prison of office work 18:08 Digital nomadism as solution 18:56 How does it feel to have made it? 20:12 Gratitude and creating your own luck 20:59 Challenges and difficulties 21:50 Slow travel vs fast travel preferences 23:15 Community building in co-livings 24:29 Deep connections vs surface connections 25:44 Relationships and nomadism trade-offs 27:48 Freedom vs connection, making decisions 29:45 Worth being nomadic, liberation from structure 30:06 Closing Full write-up and transcript: https://www.ibimalik.com/podcast/kayleigh-franks Watch: https://youtu.be/yev3GdVSrhk

Dave Neale: The Storyteller

Guest: Dave Neale — Game Designer and Writer Based: Home in Cambridge but also Nomadic Dave Neale did the sensible thing. He studied English literature at university, got a PhD in psychology from Cambridge, became a Cambridge professor, and built a proper academic career. Then one evening, he rewrote the rules for an old Sherlock Holmes board game, not for money or career advancement, but just because he wanted to see people play it. He sent it to a publisher on a whim. That casual email changed everything. Today, Dave designs narrative games whilst living nomadically across Europe. His work ranges from text-heavy narrative games as long as novels to jigsaw puzzle mechanics where you build maps piece by piece. I experienced one of his creations firsthand: a 36-hour murder mystery in a French castle that left me and the other guests absolutely stunned. In this conversation, Dave shares his philosophy of play: making things because the process itself is worthwhile, not because you're demanding specific outcomes. We explore how childhood dreams of writing and travel got buried under "real life" practicality, how making a game just for fun accidentally became a career, and why following what's interesting leads somewhere interesting. This is a masterclass in trusting that doing what you love will lead somewhere worthwhile. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction 00:27 Guest introduction 01:28 Are you a nomad? 02:06 Writer and game designer 03:18 Story or game mechanics first? 04:55 Childhood dreams and routes 06:31 Travel fascination as kid 07:11 Discovering nomadism in 2016 08:08 2016 era vs post-pandemic nomadism 11:22 Power of play and nomad life 12:50 Play, bonding, and community 15:19 Psychology of play in groups 17:54 Play mindset: process over outcome 20:20 Game designer nomads 21:37 Location independence in game design 24:32 Cambridge researcher and professor 26:33 Sherlock Holmes game and first contract 28:57 Win-win philosophy and non-neediness 30:28 Second career path and future 33:22 Closing Full write-up and transcript: https://www.ibimalik.com/podcast/dave-neale Guest website: http://www.dneale.com Watch: https://youtu.be/nJvCTvB9g8U

Sarah Cols: The Dream Catalyst

Guest: Sarah Cols — Experience Designer & Dream Catalyst | La Casita de la Magia Creator Based: Nomadic (Co-living spaces across Europe) Sarah Cols spent six years as a career counselor in Brussels asking unemployed people about their dreams—questions most had never been asked. She was brilliant at helping others chase their dreams whilst feeling increasingly trapped in her own role. Then the perfect job offer landed: everything she wanted on paper. Her body said no. She walked 900 kilometres across Spain on the Camino de Santiago with no preparation and an injured knee that had already required three surgeries. She went expecting solitude and physical healing. Instead, she discovered that transformation happens in community, not isolation. Strangers walking together for hours without even exchanging names had deeper conversations than she'd ever had back home. In this conversation, Sarah shares why she turned down her dream job by improvising on a phone call, how the Camino taught her to be grounded in the present instead of planning the future, and why collective experiences spark more growth than solo inner work. We explore the golden cage of job security, the magic of spontaneous decisions, and how she's now creating La Casita de la Magia—a travelling sanctuary helping nomads reconnect with forgotten dreams. This is a story about listening to your body when your mind says yes, trusting intuition over rational answers, and becoming a catalyst for others whilst building your own dream. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction 00:28 Guest Intro 01:32 Career counsellor in Brussels 05:29 The breaking point 09:37 Career breaks and discovering workaway 12:55 Second breaking point 15:23 The spontaneous phone call 20:02 The Camino decision 22:39 Walking the Camino 25:56 From career counsellor to dream catalyst 28:12 Community over solitude 31:32 Current work and lifestyle 34:37 The journey is the dream 38:46 Closing Full write-up and transcript: https://www.ibimalik.com/podcast/sarah-cols Watch: https://youtu.be/GOa2BPv7_VU

Katia Dimova: The Catalyst

Guest: Katia Dimova Based: Normandy, France (Chateau Co-living) Katia Dimova pioneered remote work years before COVID made it mainstream, managing a distributed team across Greece, Turkey, and Bulgaria with nothing but Facebook Messenger. She never planned to coordinate refugee relief across three countries—she just went to drop off donations and stayed for a meeting. Today, she runs one of Europe's most sought-after co-living spaces in a literal castle in Normandy. In this conversation, Katia shares how she accidentally built a location-independent business whilst avoiding telling clients she didn't have an office, why nomads made perfect volunteers during the refugee crisis, and how being comfortable with chaos became her greatest professional asset. We explore the schizophrenic feeling of living in two separate worlds, the dinner party question she dreads most, and why nomads benefit communities more than most people realize. This is a story about not planning anything, showing up anyway, and becoming the centre of everything that matters. Timestamps 00:00 Podcast introduction by Ibi 00:39 Guest introduction: Katia the Catalyst 01:33 Opening: together in the castle, rumours and stories 01:49 When did digital nomad journey start? Hard to put year on it 02:26 Corporate job with long business trips, company apartments 03:26 Gave flavor of not being in one place, then itchy feeling 04:35 Location independence before it was a thing, freedom claimed illegally 05:35 Quit corporate job, started own company based in Istanbul 06:51 Driving weekly to Istanbul, not planning to be location independent 07:21 Scarcity mindset: travel while we still can before office 08:21 Senior team, absolute separation of tasks, people knew each other 09:14 Working for big corporate clients, not serious without office 10:13 Managing remote team: small, senior, trusted people 11:12 No tools for remote work: Facebook Messenger, no Zoom 12:51 Lebanon electricity cut, no backup, super unprofessional execution 14:36 Not letting client see what's behind the scenes 15:28 Came from big design agency, people assumed comparable 17:49 Small senior team advantage: fast, agile, no approval layers 19:17 Pre co-living: corporate work and nonprofit work 21:07 Syrian refugee crisis, small human effort, got consumed 22:45 Went to drop off donations, joined meeting, met best friends 24:18 Facebook group exploded to thousands, no official entity 25:10 Remote skills helped coordinate logistics across countries 26:27 Nomad volunteers: flexible, saw need, stayed to help 27:11 Bridging two worlds: corporate and nomad finally connected 27:59 Nomad mindset shift: flexible, agile, challenges normalized 29:54 Wild stories seem normal until you see reactions 31:31 Connection between corporate world and social work 32:39 Carbon footprint can be mindful, different ways to care 34:15 How nomads benefit places: longer stays, support local, inspire Remaining timestamps are in the full write-up linked below. Full write-up and transcript: https://www.ibimalik.com/podcast/katia-dimova Guest website: https://chateaucoliving.com/ Watch: https://youtu.be/2E04dNlMu2o

Yello Balolia: The Optimist

Guest: Yello Balolia Based: Cornwall, UK Yello Balolia started a publishing company 15 years ago with zero business experience, zero publishing knowledge, and zero qualifications. His strategy? "How hard could it be?" Today, he's published 12-13 books on diabetes and weight loss, lived on a boat for years whilst working remotely, and is opening an 80-acre co-living farm in Cornwall. In this conversation, Yello shares the power of unrealistic optimism, the dinner party moment that made him realise he sees possibilities where others see hurdles, and why boarding school prepared him for community living. We explore his unconventional journey from London to boat life, his obsession with vibe coding that turned a £799/month app into a £50,000 custom build, and why being unrealistic isn't a flaw—it's an entrepreneurial necessity. This is a story about giving things a go without regard for complexity, making ideas physical before they're finished, and building a life where obstacles simply don't exist in your imagination. Timestamps 00:00 Generic introduction 00:26 Yello's introduction 01:40 Are you a nomad? 01:43 Living on a boat for 3-4 years 02:42 Escaping UK winters to co-livings 03:19 Boat journey: London to Oxford 03:47 Location independent definition 03:57 How he makes money: publishing company director 04:31 15 years, 12-13 books, diabetes and weight loss 04:57 Role: business side, project management, making it happen 05:32 Zero MBA, business, or publishing qualifications 06:43 \"How hard could it be?\" philosophy 07:12 First edition was awful, six editions later it's great 08:13 Unrealistic optimism as necessary entrepreneur quality 09:28 Blessing and curse of being unrealistic 09:50 Dinner party revelation: seeing opportunities vs. hurdles 11:06 Eye-opening moment about different thinking styles 11:42 Making ideas physical: Canva book cover technique 13:15 What motivated starting the business: love of creativity 13:58 Passion: making something from nothing 15:07 COVID: leaving London two days before lockdown 16:26 Working hard during lockdown: website, YouTube channel 17:25 Boat life: nothing plumbed in, working hard to survive 19:09 Slower pace, not conducive to high productivity 20:37 Missing ease of living in a house after couple years 20:50 What is Froomies: 80-acre farm in Cornwall 21:24 Journey to co-living: living it, then wanting to create one 23:18 How co-living operators define co-living 25:11 Boarding school ages 10-18: co-living for kids 26:13 Thriving in boarding school environment 27:34 Struggle maintaining friendships when living alone 27:57 Why open Froomies: means, will, drive to add co-living 28:44 Future plans: flexibility, creative projects, festivals 30:16 Always having business ideas 30:24 Vibe coding: building Froomies guidebook app 32:09 Waking up at 5am excited to vibe code 33:17 Built £50,000 app with ChatGPT for $20/month 34:27 Future of vibe coding: profession appears then disappears 35:55 Closing thoughts Full write-up and transcript: https://www.ibimalik.com/podcast/yello-balolia Guest website: https://froomies.org Watch: https://youtu.be/xeT0LDCW2Sc

Mathilde Andersen: The Virtual HR Consultant

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

Jeanne Fontaniere: The Slow-mad

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

Tracy Bellevue: The Hustler

Guest: Tracy Bellevue Based: Worldwide (Travelling through Europe) Tracy Bellevue quit both jobs, broke her lease, sold her car for cash, and left America with nothing but savings and a book she needed to write. No clients. No remote work experience. Just a determination to escape 75-hour work weeks and an empty nest. In this conversation, Tracy shares how she transitioned from burnt-out single mum to digital nomad, building multiple income streams from marketing to tutoring to Substack. We explore the raw reality of her first 30 days abroad, the mental health memoir she's writing, the healing that only distance could provide, and why co-living spaces became essential to her journey. This is a story about radical reinvention, confronting your past, and building a life where you ground yourself in yourself. Brand: Bellevue Abroad Substack: Co-living reviews and travel insights Services: Marketing consulting for small brands Timestamps 00:00 Generic podcast introduction 00:29 Guest introduction 01:30 Introduction to Tracy 01:53 Background: working 75 hours/week, two jobs, full-time mum 06:14 The moment: \"I'm going to die if I keep doing it this way\ 06:41 Kids moving in with dad, empty house, identity crisis 07:54 Cousin's Europe trip invitation 08:51 Quitting both jobs, breaking lease, selling car 09:33 No plan, no income, just savings 10:15 Immigrant hustle mentality: \"Thousand ways to make money\ 11:36 The book she needed to write, leaving August 2024 12:42 How she makes money: marketing as primary income 13:48 Multiple income streams: candle campaigns, tutoring, Substack 16:00 Income fluctuation: hard months vs. abundant months 18:30 First 30 days: crash landing in Switzerland 19:49 Going from constant movement to complete stillness 22:34 The book: memoir about borderline personality disorder 25:48 \"I was just a monster\" - except as a mother 28:12 Owing vindication to people she harmed 30:12 Leaving America with no close friends 31:38 Europe as space to write and heal 33:54 Meeting people as just Tracy, not connected to past 36:20 Why the book must be finished in America 38:40 The bridge between two lives 39:53 Going home: \"Nothing feels like home anymore\ 41:31 \"I am my home as a traveller\ 41:54 Closing thoughts Full write-up and transcript: https://www.ibimalik.com/podcast/tracy-bellevue Watch: https://youtu.be/52djR3kKEK8

Edouard Renard: The Maverick

Guest: Edouard Renard Based: Nomadic (Currently planning co-living space) Edouard Renard walked away from a thriving robotics startup just before they were set to raise outside investment. Today, he teaches robotics online to students worldwide. Now he's opening a co-living space, proving that success isn't always measured in revenue. In this conversation, Edouard shares how he left his co-founded robotics startup to travel and teach, built an online course business that serves students globally, and why he's starting over again with a completely different project. We explore the reality of "passive income," the importance of making education accessible, and what it means to measure success in student testimonials rather than investment rounds. This is a story about walking away from the conventional definition of success to find what actually fulfils you. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction 00:23 Guest Introduction 01:28 Why did you want to become a Nomad? 02:07 Co-founding robotics startup, three years of building 03:16 Educational robotic arms: 10-20x cheaper than industrial 04:20 Why he left: not aligned with industrial market direction 05:43 Walking away before raising investment 07:21 First destination: Mexico, having a backup plan 08:14 Giving up Paris apartment, organizing nomadic life 09:22 The skill set combination: robotics + marketing + teaching 11:17 Starting with written tutorials and SEO 12:09 Trying own website vs. Udemy: platform won 14:06 India as second market, geo-targeted pricing 14:56 Success measured in testimonials and impact 17:00 When it felt like it was working: enabling the lifestyle 19:06 About a year to leave unemployment benefits 20:15 Five years in co-livings, solving workspace and community 23:13 Not passionate about robotics teaching anymore 26:56 Why open a co-living: looking for more purpose 29:16 Co-living values: homey, authentic, family feeling 30:54 Defining co-living: \"It's a feeling\ 34:50 Track record of projects, where he'll be in 3-5 years 36:34 \"Passive income\" reality: maintenance and adaptation 39:48 Closing thoughts Full write-up and transcript: https://www.ibimalik.com/podcast/edouard-renard Guest website: https://www.auluscoliving.com Watch: https://youtu.be/aK7KLCQ72fs

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