Taking Your Professional Career on the Road
07. Apr, 2010 
19 Comments
Today’s guest post is from Graham of Travels of an Earth Pilgrim. I’m very excited about this topic, because it’s a frequent question that can’t never be covered enough. The very cool part of Graham’s post? His career isn’t one typically associated with location-flexibility (in fact it’s very location-specific) but he shares how he makes it work.
I was lying on the beach in Bali taking in the sun and settling in to the fun of being there. My mobile phone rang.
“Hi, Graham, I just want to check some details with a number of light fittings on the Aylesbury Theatre project.”
OK, I thought, just shift into gear and get on with it!
This was a designer from a lighting manufacturer I’d known for years, wanting to solve some issues brought up by the contractor on a major new-build theatre project. The thing is, he thought I was sitting at a desk in my office in London. “So let him”, I thought, “I can deal with this”. I shifted into my masculine ability to focus and opened up the database in my brain and went to work. Without flinching I called up the drawing in my mind and remembered the details he was referring to. I gave him answers and dealt easily with the problem.
We chatted at the end of the call and he asked me if I was going to the Lighting Show in London at the end of the week.
“No”, I said, “I can’t because I’m in Bali at the moment enjoying the sunshine”. “You b*****d”, he said, thinking of the cold, wet January day he was having in London.
He was so jealous, as is everyone when I tell them about my life. They want to join me, carry my bags, but don’t know how to do it.
I have a lifestyle as a location independent, digital nomad. I walk my walk and I do it on money I earn, I do it using the profession I already have. Yes, I am working on changing that. I am developing three blogs, on men, travel and life/blogging, I am becoming a professional writer. I am thinking of the future and seeking to expand and future-proof what I do.
But now I am a professional lighting designer. I have been in lighting for most of my working life (around 40 years now) and I am good at it. I used to run a couple of large design practices but a couple of years ago I went on my own, as a freelance. I had built up a reputation in my field, an important factor in changing to working how you want to.
At first I worked in an office and then at my cottage in the hills of Derbyshire in England. The reaction of my clients was fabulous, they were glad to see me designing again not managing. It is important to be honest with clients when you make a major shift.
A little over a year later I joined Cheta Urmila, my partner, on the road and gave up my cottage. I put my stuff into storage and started travelling. 18 months later we are still on the road, I am writing this in Singapore. So how have I managed it without my working draining away?
1. I have always been honest with my clients. I tell them that I am away, but make sure they know when I am back in Europe and able to go to meetings.
2. I tell them what is possible and what it will cost. I recently flew back to London from Australia for a week of meetings at the client’s expense. I told him what I could do and what it would cost and he agreed. It is important to know your own worth.
3. I have organised everything I need for a life on the road. This means digitalising all my information and data. I use a number of pieces of software to do this and the result is that I can always access what I need.
4. I keep in touch with people digitally and frequently. It helps if their queries are answered. Being in Australia often means that things are dealt with quicker, because while London sleeps, I work.
5. I have a virtual office based in London that deals with all my phone calls and physical mail. This means people can contact me and get fast responses.
6. I make sure I keep up with the work. I am in a service industry and that’s what people need, service.
7. Finally the most important factor is that I am working as I travel. That means that I am not constantly moving around when I stay somewhere. I am not a tourist who is hopping from monument to historical site. I set up in a place and sit down to work. When I do this I often work an 8 hour day, depending on what is required. I am careful about the trips I take and schedule them in with the work I do.
8. This does not mean I have a boring life. I usually finish work at 4:00pm, on working days, and relax and enjoy myself after that. I go swimming, eating, walking and all the other things you do when ‘abroad’. I also take days out, not always at the weekend, but a similar idea. So far this year, 6 weeks old, I have been to Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney in Australia; London in the UK and Singapore, and that is typical for me. It is amazing, however, how much time it still leaves me for work.
So believe in yourself, you can do it and you don’t have to develop a blog to do it; although it does help! See you around the world, living and working on the road.
About the Author
Graham Phoenix is a professional lighting designer and writer who has no physical base. He travels with his partner and they travel trying to remain where it’s warm and where they can work. He began his adventures at the age of 60 and has no plans to change it anytime soon. He writes three blogs, ‘Travels of an Earth Pilgrim’ on the travelling lifestyle he leads, ‘Male eXperience’ on helping men to re-awaken their masculine core, and ‘Rising from the Ashes’ on his own life and blogging experiences.
Excellent Post. As a freelance magazine journalist, I can completely relate to the challenges of “being my own boss.” You make several excellent points, the most important of which is that in order to work from anywhere, you have to actually *work.* It’s usually not enough to simply plan an elaborate vacation and cram in a few hours behind your laptop each week. The second is that you’re making an effort to ensure that your work isn’t suffering while you’re away- you’ve got a virtual office, a willingness to travel back to Europe if necessary and the discipline to pick up the phone when most would’ve sent it straight to voicemail. Well done, and good luck!
It sounds from your post like you still head back to the UK every once and a while to take care of physical face to face meetings? Do you do this exclusively when clients pay for you to fly back home, or on some regular basis so you can keep up to date with clients. Congrats on your long term travel. We are just about to being our own long term travel in May and this was a great and inspiring article to wake up to!
Amazing post! I absolutely love it when I find out all the different ways people are making a great living and are able to becom location independent. I would have never thought that a lighting designer would be able to pull this off. Just goes to show you that if you are passionate about what you do and have the determination to do it, then anything is possible. It is also nice to know that he has most likely been living this type of lifestyle before location independence became a popular phrase. It’s all to easy to mistakenly think that this type of lifestyle has only been around for a couple of years.
Richard Riley´s last blog ..Interview with Regan from The Nu Nu Project
This is inspirational, to say the least. The possibility of work and play in one. I just started a company with my husband, actually, and we’re hoping after this first hurdle of, you know, getting clients and actually having a steady income, that we’ll be able to be similarly flexible in terms of our location. Since we’re web and graphic designers, we don’t need to be fixed anywhere, so it’s nice to know that it does work for some.
Looking forward to keeping up with your journeys! If you’re interested, check out our blog as well http://www.travelfoodetc.com. Take care!
Thanks so much for your comments and kind words. Interestingly I have just arrived back in Europe and, today, made my first visit to site for 6 months, as I prepare to work through to the completion of the project. During this time I will be visiting Holland, France, Germany, Spain and Greece, some of it for work and some of it for…. well just for the heck of it…
So @Scott, I do plan my travels to be back in Europe when things are ‘cooking’. I knew I would be needed over the next few months so I am making sure I am close enough to go to site at my cost. As it happened I was able to visit a project in Ireland on the way back, helping to offset the cost.
@Josh, thank you, you have pointed out what is absolutely crucial, it is necessary to ‘work’. Location Independence is not about an extended ‘trip’ that is a long vacation. It is about finding a way to continue to give value to people beyond those in your immediate vicinity. This allows them to pay you and keep you on the road.
@Richard, yes I have been living elements of this for years. I had a house up until recently, but even then I was travelling all over the world for projects and for the work I did with our Professional Association.
@Shannon, design is ideal work for travel, particularly web-based design. get the technology right and you can do it anywhere. It is an amazing experience sitting on a deck over-looking the ocean in Fiji and putting in a full day’s work. It just doesn’t seem like work. Work and Play tend to merge.
Graham Phoenix´s last blog ..Seasoned Traveller or Not?
Graham – I really enjoyed reading your post. It is actually quite timely because I’m thinking of putting all my stuff in storage and living the life as an employed nomad for a while. Just one question, what’s the best way to go to keep your mobile phone bills low and have internet access everywhere you go? Have you setup a satellite based internet feed? I’m just thinking about some of the places I plan to travel to that won’t have easy access to an internet cafe or any internet services in the hotel. My work is entirely dependent upon being online and having access to a phone!
Wow, great post! I’m not experienced in any career or have really yet to start one but I hope to one day be able to work through a location independent career. Who knows I could become a successful blogger, my design skills are lacking and programming is laughable so unless a ukulele playing monkey can rake in the profits I’ll day dream and blog. Thanks for the inspiration
Cornelius Aesop´s last blog ..New Brew Tuesday: O.K. Beer Okocim
Love the story here – what great inspiration for those that don’t have a typical location-independent type of job! What about web chats instead of face-to-face meetings… is that an option for you?
Brooke vs. the World´s last blog ..100 Strong: FTU Discusses Squat Toilets
@Russ, the internet is so universal these days that a satellite phone is an expensive luxury. So far I have never been stuck, although it is frequently slow. Interestingly in some of the ‘developing’ countries they rely far more on the internet to do business. I use my quad band GSM phone for filling the gaps and generally can keep the cost low. The phone is essential for the office ringing me.
@Cornelius, believe me there are plenty monkeys out there turning a profit. Ukulele playing is a bit difficult for them as, usually, is anything interesting. My advice is to get out there and do it. Find a niche that you are passionate about and start communicating. Design and programming skills are not crucial but fun, passion and contribution are.
@Brooke, thanks for that. I use web chsta for my personal contacts but have yet to develop them for work. It’s a great idea.
Graham Phoenix´s last blog ..A Day Out In Kerry
Enjoyed the post. The idea of continuing to work while traveling is certainly much more palatable to most than dropping everything and moving to an exotic new land. Thanks for showing us that a happy medium is within reach!
Le Stuff´s last blog ..To Catch A Thief: Take 6
@Graham – As you mention, you have to make an effort to plan your travels such that you are in one place for a decent period of time. The last 2 RTW trips I took I was on the go way too much to be productive with work. My next trip is a bit of the same because I’m doing a couple Gap adventures trips and Top Deck trips strung together to form a 3 month adventure through South America, Spain, Portugal and Turkey.
With that said, are you aware of any low cost broadband modems that work over the cell phone networks that won’t charge ridiculously high roaming rates?
Russ
Bali you say? We just booked a trip to go there and the thought of snakes is freaking me out but I am bracing it
!
Excellent ideas with your on-the-road approach to life and work. Being accountable and responsible alone goes such a long way that I think the initial trust with clients is immediately formed just based on that wonderful trait which you clearly exhibit here!
Graham, fantastic post I’m a mid-lifer about to embark on a RTW trip and hopefully a location independent life, your example is pertinent, because it’s obvious you created a base prior to traveling. I, on the other hand, am not adept at much except writing.
Lord knows where that will take me. Hopefully slightly happier, less crusty.
Nomadic Chick´s last blog ..
@Le Stuff, it’s the happy medium that I am committed to. An RTW trip then back to the daily grind is not what I am after.
@Russ, if you want to work the time is critical. I have heard of the Verizon Mifi but I don’t know it or it’s costs. Mostly I steer clear of mobile phone networks because of the cost and use whatever wifi networks I can get on. It has always worked pretty well.
@Farnoosh, I have never seen a snake, not even in Bali! Relationship with clients is everything.
@Nomadic Chick, Writing is a great key to a Location Independent life, so just forget the ‘hopefully’ and chuck the ‘crusty’ bit…. But, yer, I did have a base, that helped a lot.
Graham Phoenix´s last blog ..Ten Rules for Being Human
What would I give to go travelling and earning enough money in the meanwhile to keep on. Obviously considering point 6. and 7. Thanks Great article. Maybe one day…
Thank you for this post, I find it very inspiring and am now a subscriber of Earth Pilgrim
I wish I had a business to sell or a skill to work with, but Ive been a stripper/barmaid for the past 6yrs.
Im about to sell my car and all my belongings, shld get around AU$4000 for the lot and then Im off to see what I can experience and share with the world.
Im a firm believer in educating people for the greater good. Im interested in opening peoples eyes to their impact on the environment, living consciously and also helping women discover their innate power and what they can do with it.
Hopefully on my travels I can find a way to share this and afford to keep travelling.
Thanks for the inspiration Graham!
The Dame´s last blog .."Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that…"
I think one of the easiest ways to take your career on the road is to work seasonal jobs at resorts, tour companies, etc. I have worked in Alaska for 6 summers with winters off to do as I choose, sometimes working sometimes traveling. They hire accountants, HR managers, IT, etc, in addition to the basic resort jobs.