Entrepreneurship Lessons Learned From Being A Digital Nomad

Written by: Catalina Riebe | catalinariebe.com

When I was 19, my whole family decided to immigrate from Colombia to Canada. At that point, my entire world completely changed. I had to learn a new language, a new culture, and new everything. I worked hard and got myself into one of the universities in Vancouver, Canada. I  was able to finish my degree in Economics.

After I graduated, I knew I wanted to work abroad.  I was finally able to get a job in Peru as a Business Analyst. Peru was a fantastic experience that helped me grow professionally and personally. When the contract finished, I wasn’t ready to go back to Canada.  I decided to look for another job somewhere else in the world. I found one as a Customer service representative in Malaysia. The potential ahead was to move into an online business manager.  I accepted the position. 

I took the job even though in the short term, it seemed like a backward move.  I knew it made sense for my final goal of growing my career while traveling the world. I moved to Kuala Lumpur for two years.  I started my career in online marketing and became a digital nomad. I visited most of Asia and Australia while building my career.

After two years, I felt this pull to come back to Canada for the corporate experience. It was what everyone was doing. But, I shouldn’t have listened to what others were doing and should have stayed on my path. That was a huge lesson that took me ten years to learn.

Finally, I decided to look into what moves my heart.  I looked to my mission in the world, and what gifts I had to give that I could monetize. After much soul searching, I decided that it was time to jump into entrepreneurship.  Owning my own business had always been my dream.

I believe that you built your own life, and that if something is not working, then we each have the power to change it. I finally start learning how to say ‘no’ to others, giving me time to say yes to me and my dreams.

I reviewed the skills I developed during my previous work experience, and compared them to what the market needed. I found that there was a gap in the market for digital advertising using video. The realization prompted me to open my video and online ad marketing agency.  I now help clients use video to market and sell their products and services online.

I am super passionate about working with fascinating people and their businesses. I love being able to make a difference in their work.  My unique mission is to make the world a better place by helping business owners and leaders, with important messages, spread their word even further.

There are so many amazing businesses out there that need to be found so that they can change more lives. I am doing it all for the compound effect that my work has on making the world a better place.

Entrepreneurship is not easy, but it is gratifying. We are now a team of four and expanding. We are a 100% remote company, so we have the flexibility to work and travel, which was my dream. The future is bright for us as we are now expanding our service so we can work with more awesome people. We are moving towards building the agency and team brand, which should be ready by the fall.

This journey has taught me an important lesson.  You need to have clarity on your goal, and trust in your gut, as everyone is living their own story.  Only you know the right direction for you. If you know what you want, you will find a way, and if you don’t, then you will find excuses. If you feel stuck with a loop of explanations, then look for clarity on what you want.  The next steps and opportunities will magically show up on their own.

For more insight about me and my work, please visit my YouTube channel. Agency news will be coming soon.

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