Welcome to the 12th edition of “How to Make Money While Travelling” which features successful nomadic teams and interviews with location independent entrepreneurs.
This week I interviewed Charlie Galaviz, the Community Specialist at VirtualPBX, a VoIP provider for entrepreneurs and small businesses.
So, how do you make money while travelling?
The economics major in me is compelled to answer this question in terms of value that exceeds currency. I earn a living as a social media marketer and community growth hacker. I am not your average nomad. I still work a 9 to 5. I have a full-time job which allows me to have stable income, health benefits, and a 401K. Holding a full-time gig with benefits holds a strong monetary and non-monetary value to fund my travels and plan for the future.
What were you doing before VirtualPBX?
I was a typical college student who had no idea of where I was headed after graduation. I got really lucky because my first job out of college was a Community Operations contractor on the Google+ team. This was my first taste of being free to work anywhere. I pretty much spoiled the experience by choosing to work at my parents house and at local coffee shops.
What are your reasons for becoming location independent?
Ever since I can remember I have been a fearless adventurer. I caught the travel bug back in 2013 and have not looked back. The more I travel the more I crave experiencing new cultures and adventuring into the unknown. I knew I could not live this type of lifestyle if I was chained to the same desk Monday through Friday. Being Location independent is like having your cake, and being able to eat it too.
Do you face any challenges while both working and travelling?
Global communications have always been my achilles heel. In the past I ran influencer campaigns across Europe.. It was a nightmare communicating over various social media and messaging apps because of the lag time. The same issues persisted to video chat and scheduling was always a mess.
Not until I landed my gig at VirtualPBX did I discover the Softphone App. Which essentially allows me to call any number in the world just as I would call a local number. There is a really cool feature that allows me to receive calls while I am on the road too. If I don’t pick up the telephone at my desk it will redirect the call to my cellphone or laptop. It is safe to say I will have to find a new challenge.
How do you find work while travelling?
I believe it is much easier to line up work before I travel. It is a major challenge to find work while traveling. The full-time option was the best option for me because I want to enjoy traveling without the stressor of looking for new gigs.
Why do you think businesses should offer more remote working opportunities?
Economically it just makes sense. Companies spend ridiculous amounts of money recruiting and relocating talent from all over the world. Facebook even pays their employees $10,000 to move closer to their Menlo Park Campus. When a skilled populace becomes saturated into a city, it drives up the prices. These expenses will fall on the employees short term, and eventually the employees will demand higher salaries to make up for the higher cost of living. It is a strategic business move to allow employees to work remotely. Business increase their chances of attracting talent and studies show that remote employees are happier and more productive. Everyone wins.
If you were to give advice to someone who wants to quit their desk job to become location independent, what would it be?
There are 2 ways I would suggest:
- Find a new full-time or contract role that allows you to be location independent.
- Start a side gig and test the waters. If people are willing to pay you for your service then that is a good start. Don’t quit your job until you have steady and sustainable income.
What is your favourite travel quote?
“If you do what you’ve always done you will get what you have always gotten”
It is not particularly a travel quote, but I believe you get what you seek. If you seek adventure, it will find you.
