From Virtual Assistant to Founding the Biggest Online Digital Nomad Community in the World
Johannes Voelkner, Founder of Nomad Cruise, started as a college student-turned Virtual Assistant working on minimum wage in South Africa before he figured out how to apply the 4-Hour Work Week to his life. After that, he established the biggest online digital nomad community in the world before going on to found the Nomad Cruise - the first floating conference for freelancers, remote workers, and online entrepreneurs.
Johannes Voelkner started as a college student-turned Virtual Assistant working on minimum wage in South Africa before he figured out how to apply the 4-Hour Work Week to his life. After that, he established the biggest online digital nomad community in the world before going on to found the Nomad Cruise - the first floating conference for freelancers, remote workers, and online entrepreneurs.
In this episode, we talk about how to study abroad or find a working holiday, how we were able to work abroad right out of college, how to make a livable wage as a self-employed expat or online business owner, all the different weird jobs you can have had in foreign countries, and how to build an online income for the first time. Also, how Johannes became location independent and achieved the four-hour work week (literally) by setting up an eCommerce business for his mom in 2010.
We also discuss:
- How to start a side hustle while you're working abroad in a location-dependent job.
- How to build a remote team from scratch.
- How to build your skillset when you're starting from zero.
- Why it's better to start your business first (while you aren't traveling) then travel later.
- Tips and advice for people who don't know where to start as a digital nomad.
- How Johannes overcomes fear and takes action, anyway.
- How to meet hundreds of like-minded people in one year.
- Examples of how people form tight-knit bonds in the Nomad Cruise community and why it creates relationships that last a lifetime.
- What to look for in a digital nomad destination or when you're setting up a home base somewhere.
Finally, we talk about what the Nomad Cruise is, who it's for, what you can learn in the talks, workshops, and masterminds on the ship, the upcoming itinerary, and the different reunions and co-living opportunities available before and after the cruise departs.
Then, in the lightning round we cover Johannes's favorite travel destinations, morning routine, remote work tools, productivity hacks, and how his remote team works across timezones.
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Show Resources - Remote Work Tools:
Show Resources - Books:
- Four-Hour Work Week
- Make a Name for Yourself (Personal Branding)
Show Resources -
Listen to more from Johannes:
- The Maverick Show: Kitesurfing & Building Nomadic Communities
- Nomad Summit Chiang Mai Talk on Building a Remote Business While Traveling
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Johannes Voelkner
Founder of Nomad Cruise/ Digital Nomad
In 2015, Johannes Voelkner turned a crazy flash of genius into a company, which today has created the legendary Nomad Cruise. After years of digital nomading, he sought to create a platform for individuals like him, who wanted to connect with like-minded people sharing the same lifestyle. He started the WebWorkTravel community, wrote a guidebook for digital nomads, founded Nomad Cruise and the rest is history.
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