Why do you need a fixed job when you have Internet access everywhere? In times where digital networking is at peak, colleagues, customers and business partners are only a mouse click away. Work independently from time and space – all autonomous on oneself: The essentials of the life of a digital nomad.
Marcus Meurer, founder of DNX - the Digital Nomad Conference, is digital nomad and entrepreneur himself. He told us what it’s like when the world is your office and how location based services are an instrument to enable business on the road.
Your extra hours of work were worth the effort. You live your dream, a dream that is certainly shared by many people. Do you wake up every morning and tell yourself that you did everything right?
Hey, thx for the interview and “Hi” from Phuket, Thailand.
Everyday I am grateful for my life. Thankfulness, meditation and awareness are fixed parts of my daily morning routine, which helps me to start my day positively and productively.
Since I am working location-independently all over the world I feel myself fulfilled with 100% satisfaction and the step into digital nomadism has proofed to be the most important move in my life so far.
On the other hand I of course had to put a lot of effort and extra miles into my work until I was where I am now.
I was always very enthusiastic about things where I am 100% into. When I started working from anywhere with my MacBook a fire sparked immediately inside me which still burns today.
A DNX CAMP is a meeting of digital nomads, who build up their personal networks in mastermind-sessions and workshops at different places on the earth and thus get support to work and live autonomously and free. How exactly does such a DNX CAMP look like? Healthy food, sports, workshops at the beach and on the “Coboat” – That sounds a lot like vacation, or are we wrong?
If lots of sports, healthy food and workshops sound like vacation to you, than you are more ahead than most other people. The trick is when you do the things you love and burn for, it doesn’t feel like work anymore. I don’t need a “work-life-balance” anymore because everything I do doesn’t have clear borders or restrictions. When I listen to motivating business podcasts to relax than that automatically counts into all parts of my life.
Together with my girlfriend and DNX co-founder Felicia we so far did DNX Coliving and Coworking Camps in Tarifa (South Spain), Lisbon (Portugal) and Jericoacoara (Brazil). The next DNX CAMP takes place on the tropical island Koh Lanta in Thailand directly after the DNX GLOBAL.
When we match 15 like-minded digital nomads at one place for 10 days, than that’s a moment where magic happens. All burn for the same aim and have a similar mindset. During these 10 days the participants are more successful than ever before and the workshops, masterminds and talks help them to boost their businesses. Things from all business areas, even those you usually never get in touch with, are shared in these sessions.
Next to the online business we have lots of fun doing sports or going out to party. In Lisbon we went surfing, in Brazil we kited and for the next camp we plan to do Muay Thai or CrossFit with the participants and those who want to can also explore one of the most impressive diving areas on earth with us.
You describe the cooperation in a DNX CAMP as inspiring, refreshing and invigorating. A hotspot for like-minded, who give drive and encouragement to each other. Mutual acknowledgement of their work and way to work evokes passion. Is that basically the principle of a DNX CAMP?
Yes, that’s actually a pretty good summary. Next to the mutual acknowledgement the support we give each other is very important. During the 10 days the group from around the world becomes a close team where friendships and business partnerships develop.
That sounds quite peaceful and perfect. Still, experience says that there is mostly always a hitch. Different countries of origin, cultures and work methods meet in a DNX CAMP. Different challenges around the world, all met with different approaches to tackle them: Does that imply a constant learn process from each other or have there been any problems so far?
By now we have gathered years of experience in organizing international digital nomad events. There have never been any problems – I am sure this is due to the similar mindset of the participants. A common goal brings people together und when you do things which fulfill you, there is no reason to be unhappy.
All the different backgrounds and cultures make our events and conferences so exciting because everyone will learn something from someone. Every day I learn something new – that keeps me active and my mind fit!
The digital nomad movement began in Berlin in May 2014, next came Europe, now the world. That is a pretty fast development! The trend is moving towards location independent work. You are always looking for new investment opportunities and startups which you can help with your specified knowledge. Do you see further trends in the fields of online and marketing for the next years?
The launch of the sale for the first DNX Conference started at the 1st of January 2014 and what happened next was totally unexpected. We launched the DNX website of Belize and only 2 hours later all the tickets were gone. That indeed depraved all our early bird/usual price calculations but it was nevertheless a beginning of a completely new movement.
The trend will develop further into the direction of location-independent work. There are more and more companies in the States, especially in the area of Silicon Valley, which work completely location-independent. Such companies don’t have real offices anymore and put up their teams according to different time zones.
Our team also operates completely location-independent. We are spread all over the world: Right now 2 of our VAs are in Thailand, the third one is in Madrid, our translator lives in the States, as does our content creator. Our video editor tours South America with a Jeep right now and our DNX CAMP event manager visits her family in Europe. Still, she will come to our international DNX Global Conference in Bangkok next week.
We organize our team with the help of the free project management tool Trello and mostly use Skype, Google Drive and Gmail.
There are more and more very good tools for free which enable location independent work. The point where we are now is just the beginning, the lifestyle will explode and in about 10 years it will be completely normal to see freelancers and entrepreneurs all over the world at their computers.
When people start to work from anywhere and link up with other people and cultures the world becomes a better place.
To come back to you, Marcus: Even you started with a classic career path. You once worked at StepStone’s international online marketing. How can you explain your transformation to a digital nomad?
In my employee-career I always worked at cool and unconventional startups, where I learned a lot. Anything else wouldn’t have been an option for me. Over time I was entrusted with bigger projects, my wage increased, my responsibilities grew and my job title became more impressive. Still, deep inside me I realized that the classic career wouldn’t be able to fulfill and satisfy me. I felt constrained and captured in a system which is directed to other people’s dreams and desires.
Have you seen yourself as a digital nomad at that point already or when did that term come up to you?
Before we consciously put the term “digital nomad” into our DNX branding, that term was nearly unknown. And those location-independent workers who existed at that time didn’t want to call themselves like that.
The book “The 4-hour work week” by Tim Ferriss caused many dubious online courses to come up which all sold one dream: Online business where you never have to work anymore and all you do is to lie on the beach all day long drinking cocktails.
DNX clearly distances itself from that vision. We are always very authentic and honest at our events and in interviews. Yes, it is clearly hard work and not easy, but it is absolutely possible.
Every winter more and more postings of digital nomads pop up at my Facebook timeline, telling stories about their work abroad and we always get very positive feedback from our participants. DNX has already changed the lives of many people.
In Germany, the term “nomad” tends to have a negative connotation but I’ve noticed that more and more people understand what it means to earn money from anywhere.
Even those who initially didn’t want to name themselves digital nomads and advised us against using it, call themselves digital nomads now.
To be continued...