What Life is Like as a Digital Nomad with Associate Professor Kancharla Reddy?
My neighbor in my home town V Reddy Kancharla was the first person who I ever met who was making a living online, something which completely blew my mind at the time. Reddy wasn’t just making money online, he was about t embark upon a journey across Europe and he knew that he would be able to work as he went. At the time I was busy looking ahead to see what kind of career I was going to study for but having seen someone who was actively making money online and using that opportunity to go traveling and see the world, I knew that this would be the best career choice for me.
I studied hard still as I knew that I would need a fallback, but as soon as I could I set up my own drop shipping company and now I am able to work from all four corners of the globe. One of the most common questions that I get asked is what is life like as a digital nomad, something which I want to delve a little deeper into today.
The Negatives
This is a lifestyle which I absolutely adore and it is one which I have worked hard to maintain, with this being said however it is important to remember that there are drawbacks to even the greatest things, so I, first of all, want to clear up some of the negatives or challenges about this lifestyle.
The first thing that I miss compared to someone who works in a more traditional job is the gossip, it may sound insignificant but there is something that I do genuinely miss about walking into the office each morning and having a laugh with the team or discussing things that have been going on. I have made sure that I made as many friends as I could so that I am still able to have the social aspect of work, but there is a tinge of jealousy when I see people having a laugh with teammates or going to a Christmas party.
The second negative aspect of this lifestyle which I want to touch on which certainly affected me, in the beginning, is that if you don’t work, you don’t get paid. This means that there are no paid sick days, no holidays, it is either work and earn or don’t work and receive nothing.
The Good
Now for me whilst I acknowledge that there are drawbacks to this lifestyle, the good far outweighs the bad and that is something which I take great happiness in. The biggest benefit of this lifestyle is that I am able to travel anywhere in the world and as long as I have an internet connection and my laptop, I can easily stay in touch with my business and continue to make money.
Another great positive of this lifestyle is that I have no commute, I don’t have to ask for time off when I need to get something done and I don’t have to answer to anyone except myself. I will of course work with my clients and make sure that I am doing all that I can to keep them happy, but the lack of a boss is always something which I have been happy about.
What I also love about making money online is that there is no ceiling to how much you can make. Unlike a traditional job which is salaried and the only way you can make extra is with overtime or through promotion, working online means that the world is very much your oyster and you can make as much money as you decide to try and make.
Finally, I want to talk about turning one of those aforementioned negatives into a positive and talk about the amazing people I have met whilst I have been a digital nomad. Becasue of the fact that I don’t have that social side to my job, I actively go out and work in cafes or co-working suites which allow me to meet others who work in a similar style to myself. This has helped me to meet a huge array of very good friends and acquaintances.
Ultimately this is a wonderful lifestyle and for me, it has always been about taking life back and living it on my own terms, rather than someone telling me when and where to go. This lifestyle has allowed me to see the world and to make some very good money whilst I did it. Thankfully my business has gone well which means that this looks set to be my life for a very long time to come. Is this something that you could see yourself doing in the future?
