Tommy Joiner: English Teacher to Nomad Entrepreneur
March 16, 2016 | Podcast
Tommy started his adventure abroad teaching English in South Korea. Eventually he landed in Medellin, Colombia, which is now his home base for further travels while he runs a content marketing agency and helps freelancers transition from side income to a full-time living.
Note: Some of the language in this episode may not be suitable for work or children!
Most Memorable Location-Independent Experiences
I started my business using Elance (now Upwork). I kind of fell into marketing by working on a side project in a cafe in Colombia. I never would have thought that a few years later, that moment would have changed my life as much as it has.
Biggest Surprise along the Way
Team building, managing people, dealing with bad clients, making lots of money, making little money… haha. It’s been quite a rollercoaster.
In this episode
- Why he chose to teach English abroad in South Korea
- How he ended up in Colombia
- Getting into marketing
- Optimizing your Upwork profile to get high-paying clients
- What Medellin is like as a home base
- Dealing with visas in different countries (especially Colombia & Mexico)
- Creating and following routines while traveling
- And much more
Resources we talked about
Note: Links with an asterisk are affiliate links, which means you may receive free credit or another bonus and I may earn a small commission or other benefits if you sign up/purchase using that link. There’s no additional cost to you, of course!
Connect with Tommy
Connect with Nomadtopia
Hi, I’m Amy!
I’ve been location-independent since 2004, and after bouncing all over the world I’m currently based in central Mexico with my husband and our twin preschoolers. I founded Nomadtopia to help you create—and thrive in—the location-independent lifestyle that’s right for you.
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