Taking Your Professional Career on the Road

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.

Pics: Ableman, Iirnaa