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You want to work remotely and travel; or maybe stay at home with the kids but still earn a real income. Welcome to Compass, where we talk with location independent womxn about finding work and getting paid. Each episode focuses on one woman, their story, and what you can take away to create your own location independent life. Subscribe to receive new episodes every Tuesday, and get one step closer to finding your direction.
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Phon Baillie enjoyed proofreading before she knew it was a job. After graduating university and later publishing school, Phon then went out on her own to become a freelance proofreader. You can find Phon on her site artofproofreading.com, where you can sign up for a free five day course or join her free masterclass. Building your network builds you…
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We talk about university on the show for a couple of reasons. I think we need the reminder that for those of us who attended university, most don't end up working in the field we studied, but we can bring things we learned into what we do now. Also, we don't need to have gone to university to do well in life and in entrepreneurship. Instead of head…
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This was a new one for me and it's great. Arpine became location independent so that she could earn a European income but spend as much time as she wants in Armenia, with her friends and family. This is the reverse of what we tend to think of with countries with a lower average wage, which is to hire for cheap. Just because you come from a lower av…
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This is one that many of us go through, especially if we're extraverts. You go from having an office full of colleagues to bounce ideas around with and share downtime chatting to being all on your own. Pretty quickly it becomes obvious that something is missing. There are meetups and coworking, and some days when it's less the need for interaction …
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Starting early, Tamar started investing any money that wasn't put towards immediate needs. Over time this built up as a way of supporting her art through residual income, giving her a freedom to focus her art when it wasn't yet paying bills. Is this something you can start? Putting away a little extra a month and letting it grow over time? You know…
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We are part of a global economy, and one that is shifting. Does your schedule mean working with someone in another timezone makes more sense? Are you okay working with someone whose native language isn't the same as yours if it means a better quality product or a better time frame? Will you choose a provider with a lower asking price if it means a …
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Because of her background in history, Zsófia looks at problems differently than other finance students did, and now differently than other operations managers. This means seeing solutions the others wouldn't necessarily see either and that's a win for everybody. It's time to learn to view our different perspectives and ideas as the strengths they a…
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You have two options when you have more work coming in than you can reasonably handle. You can raise your prices to keep your project flow at a speed that works for you, or you can find others to outsource the work to and take on a management role. This comes down to personality. Would you rather work on your own working directly in your field? Or …
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When Jordan was in school in LA she waitressed, and her customers would ask what she was studying. Having these conversations led to her first client, which led to more clients. And the thing is, most of us don't do this enough. Talk about what you do! I'm guilty too. So, let's make a pact, when someone asks us what we do, when they ask what we're …
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When your life is location independent, finding your community is difficult. We have online groups, and many of them are supportive, but the connections can seem fleeting. One thing Cepee does is foster meaningful connections within her groups. We hear that online relationships aren't real and that's just not true. It's a question of how strong tho…
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Alison Gold, Social Problem Solving Consultant
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Have you ever heard the same thing from several people and just not listened until it came from someone else? We can all be a little hard-headed at times, especially me. Alison's friends and family had been telling her she should consider consulting. She didn't listen until meeting a couple while on a cooking tour through southern India. Maybe it w…
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The earlier you start going off on your own the easier it is later on, like literally everything else in life. Chelsea started going off to film school in LA when she was 14 years old. The first steps of independence can be freeing and unnerving at the same time. I didn't take off on my own until I was 33. You're going to do this in your own time, …
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Not all types of work exist as typical jobs. And it sounds really obvious, but it can be hard to internalize: Just because you can't find a job listing for something doesn't mean it's not valid and valuable work. Creating your own job description lets you take even greater control in building the life you want. Write it out, see what it looks like …
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Getting certifications and formal training is always helpful, but often the information you need is online. Amanda says she will, "for three days put my head into my computer and learn what I need to know". And I think it's important to remember that learning this way can help you to just start and get going. We tend to use a need to learn as a way…
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What are the takeaways your clients have where you can see how they've benefitted? One of Britt's first clients went from having fears that prevented her from enjoying her day to day life to being able to fly to her honeymoon, go to a rooftop bar with friends, and take the elevator in her building. These all can seem like small things, unless you j…
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Bonnie Christine, Surface Pattern Designer
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Five huge leaps, or a hundred tiny steps, it doesn’t matter how you get to your big dream. It just matters that you get there. If you make a commitment to taking one action every day, no matter how small, Bonnie says you’ll be amazed at how much progress you make over time. While it can take a while to get your first licensing contract, your wait i…
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Looking at Rucheli’s path you can see how she has moved from one use of her skills to another, picking up new skills to help with the transitions. This is one reason I always advise a skills assessment. You know more than you think you do and you probably don’t value what comes easily. Getting a broad overview can give you a way to choose what come…
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Bari started with small group courses of ten people, moving up over time. Then she added her telecourse which turned into 50 person classes, twice a year. Eventually, that became her Art of Money course, now with 500 people. Bari also has a book, The Art of Money and is in talks to become a spokesperson for financial therapy in Singapore. Your busi…
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Talking with Hannah, I quickly learned how passionate she feels about niching down, because it's simpler to become an authority on one area than all of them. By focusing on one of your interests as a virtual assistant specialty not only do you get to dig in on what you enjoy, you add value to what you offer clients. It's basically getting paid more…
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Keep your eyes and your options open. Hope decided to take on meal planning for personal trainers and in preparing, became a trainer herself. Seeing how much she enjoyed fitness and training she decided to add it to her main body of work. Sometimes the best ideas present themselves rather than you sitting down and coming up with them. When you’re t…
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It can be scary putting money into something that you don't know if it will pan out. Especially in the beginning, you're risking money that could go towards fancier food or a night out with friends. Ultimately, risk is what we as entrepreneurs, do. We look at what we can lose and decide if it's worth seeing what we can gain. This is what Nicole did…
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While on her around the world trip after high school, Sarah repeatedly found herself volunteering in schools and orphanages. While she wasn't sure exactly she was after, she wanted to share education with others and signed up for a teachers course when she returned to the UK. Each choice brought her closer to finding her way as an educator. Not eve…
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Amy Simpkins, Renewable Energy Consultant
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The US Department of Energy had a program called the Solar in Your Community Challenge, which allowed Amy and her husband to make contacts and gain contracts all while helping lower income communities. Occasionally, we hear from Compass guests that they found a government program that in one way or another helped them get their feet under them. I t…
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Julie has been an artist her entire life, first going to art college and later working in advertising, then video games. Only after becoming a bit frustrated with the inevitable changes in her designs, from decision by committee, did Julie start designing in her spare time, slowly building up income from Print on Demand sites. We hear it time and a…
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When Kayla started her business, she did SEO, a mailing list, and all the social media. Her marketing efforts were scattered across several platforms. Looking back, she says she would really focus on SEO and her mailing list, if she could start again. Getting your footing in one area can help you boost your efforts in others later on. As someone wi…
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Getting started with your location independent life can feel overwhelming. What can I do as a career? What should I charge? will my prices scare off clients? Can I do this? In order: Any number of things, more than you think, if you're doing it right, and yes - yes you can! Oh, darling, that is such a con job. You don't have any skills that you cur…
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After finishing her gap year, Casey didn't want to come home and after she did, she immediately set off to figure out how to leave again. Then, she extended. Again and again. In following her need to travel, she discovered her path through journalism and into digital marketing and SEO. Knowing one thing she wanted led to creating a life she didn't …
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If you want to write for print and online publications, you're going to have to pitch. A lot. The good news is, it will get easier, and you will build up a contact list. This is definitely a case where starting is the hardest part. What tone should you use? How long should the pitch be? When should you send it? There is no one right answer, and you…
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Many of us start out thinking of our businesses as our babies. We have an idea and it grows and we love it, as Elena says, "it may not be perfect but it's mine." Only, that mindset can hold us back. Thinking of your business as what you do, means you can make changes, cut services, pivot, and rebuild as needed. It takes the emotion out of what can …
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At first, Linnea took what she was learning in her coaching program to improve her own dating life. Then, when she started talking about her experiences she learned it wasn't just her. So many people related to what she was experiencing. By tackling her own questions she learned how to help others. Linnea knew exactly how to speak to potential clie…
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When you start out, you often encounter potential clients who don't value your work because you're new. And if you want to get a few clients at a lower rate under your belt to start, that's your call. It can be a great way to get a few reviews and testimonials and just test the water. That said, it needs to be your decision. Clients who come in and…
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If you take on too much, raise your hand. I'm thinking we all have both our arms and legs raised high. Taking on too much and then refusing to let go of some of the control is rampant among entrepreneurial women. We do thing s ourselves because we want them done right. While the idea is laudable, it's usually too much. Being a one-woman show is exh…
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We've all got specific tools and tech that we use, then it's a matter of getting it to work just the way we need. After getting her audio equipment for voiceovers set up, Christina needed to find a way to reduce the room's natural echo. Turns out the best place in most homes is the bedroom closet because of all the sound softening fabrics in there.…
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We've all seen the movies with the sloppy mid-twenties guy coding in his mother's basement and living off of Cheetos and Mountain Dew. With initiatives to bring coding into schools and womxn like Julia teaching other womxn how to code, that stereotype is shifting. Womxn of all ages are learning to code and they're slowly changing the environment wi…
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Martina started her location independent life without much of a plan and it was as difficult as you might expect. She figured it out, setting up her website, contacting translation agencies, and building up her business one client at a time. Over time she converted from agencies to direct client work, sometimes offering to do a limited amount of wo…
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When Cori figured out that she'd get spending money in high school for taking college classes, she jumped right in. She eventually earned four associates degrees, before later earning a bachelors and a masters. And that learning has served her well. Working in a small nonprofit often means being a one-woman show. Having those skills to draw on mean…
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After a year at university, Amanda needed a change. It just wasn’t working for her, so she took off on an adventure. Eventually, the time was right and Amanda went back for her degree. She studied PR and Communications, which had a strong visual component. That visual focus lead her back to the arts and finally branding. And now she uses the commun…
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For those who consider themselves lifelong learners, keeping informed goes beyond continuing education. It’s a hobby on its own. Thankfully, there’s so much information available, we don’t need to go and pursue degrees in order to get the skills we need to take that next step. Anna goes to events, talks to people, reads, listens to podcasts, and bu…
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Britany started her career while working a full-time job, renovating her house, and planning to go location Independent. All of this meant minimal sleep for several months. While Britany says owning a business is still hard, it’s a very different kind of hard. The determination that got her through those first few months taught her to push through …
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When she started her path as a remote psychotherapist, Sonia gave herself six months to see where it took her, how it would go. And when it went well, she gave herself another six months to see about building up her clientele. Each success lead to seeing what steps she could take next, to build a sustainable practice while traveling. Over two years…
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Living in Anchorage, a high cost of living city, working a job with a 40 hour per week minimum, and wanting to spend time with her family just didn't mesh for Monica. When her husband's family had an opening on the ranch for summer work, they leapt. But her career had to change with the move. It took a while to get her productivity and scheduling h…
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Victoria's first business was a film company. And like many first ventures, it didn't go quite as planned. She had a slate of films, a production partner, a distribution partner, and a finance partner. Only the finance partner wasn't who he said he was. When the film company folded, it was a hard lesson, but it allowed Victoria to go into building …
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When Margaret first set up her music blog, she began reaching out to editors she found when reading music publications. Later, she built up a reputation sending music that met the editors' needs. Also, go to events and meet people in the industry. Musicians and promoters need to know who you are. Let people know what you're doing, and this goes for…
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As Mari says, "when you're in the deep work state, you can frequently work many more hours than you intend to, not eat, not take a break, not do the things you need to do, not manage the things you need personally." So, she uses timers, specifically the Pomodoro Method. And I have to say that I love this, I love the practice of keeping on track and…
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When Michelle decided to stop performing, she the first thing she did was get a bridge job. She took a job that while allowing her to pay her bills (important, right?), didn't take much out of her so she had energy to build her business. I think it's important to stress that a bridge job doesn't need to fuel your creativity, in fact, a job like tha…
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Laura started MeetEdgar as fully remote, from the beginning. The team works across the US time zones, to keep everyone somewhat on the same schedule. Working across a wide spread of time zones can get tricky, since any time one of you has a question you may have to wait a day for an answer. Also, keeping everyone in the US means that the benefits d…
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Ikiah McGowan, Community Fundraising Manager
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Giving back can start with a check or it can be more creative and that's where Ikiah comes in. We're not always in a position to give money but we can support organizations we feel strongly about. Ikiah helps people brainstorm ways to raise money for and educate each other about her nonprofit. It's sometimes like having a party for good, like hosti…
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Amy started out as a child wanting to be a poet, then swung to journalism, looping back for a major in literature which led to becoming an editor, each focus adjacent to the next. What kind of work is closely related to your interests? Do your hobbies have a way to bring you work? What about adding a couple of skills that along the same lines? We'v…
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Elizabeth Potts Weinstein, Small Business Attorney
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Coming from a science background, Elizabeth views what some would call failures as experiments that just need a little tweaking. Just because you don't get the results from your marketing campaign on the first try doesn't mean it failed. It means you have more information to work with next time. Odds are you're not going to be perfect, but you can …
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Starting out having graduated with a degree in dance left Kate with a need for side income almost immediately. Her first side hustle, managing website and newsletters for Mary Kay reps, not only taught Kate the importance of having multiple streams of income, but gave her her first steps in online work. If one stream dries up, then you’re still ok,…
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