For years, Stephanie Conway labored in advertising for groups representing manufacturers like Samsung, Audi and T-Mobile. On the surface, this #girlboss had all of it: economic balance, an enviable Instagram feed, glamorous birthday celebration invitations. But finally, the sleepless nights caught up with her and he or she became burned out. So at the age of 28, she quit her strong profession and determined to change her table for a seashore and her tea-ingesting coworkers for barefoot cohorts.
Now, this digital nomad is using Bali as a home base and travelling around Southeast Asia, with an Instagram feed that shouts #travelgoals. She has created a digital assistant studio known as Symphony VA, helping businesses and marketers advantage lower back valuable time by outsourcing marketing and management obligations. The aim? “So they could get lower back to doing what they do satisfactory,” says Conway, who is doing the same together with her very own existence.
Here, Conway tells how she end the nine to 5 and reinvented now not simplest her profession, however her lifestyles.
Criss-Crossing the Pond: I grew up inside the U.K., then at 18 were given regularly occurring into a college in Los Angeles. After commencement, I cherished the weather and way of life a lot that I solid a profession in brand advertising and marketing and events. I spent several years operating in L.A. And living my best lifestyles. But a dying within the family introduced me again to the U.K. I managed to relaxed a advertising process in the first week of coming home, but after residing in steady sunshine, the British winter weather slowed me down. I wakened in darkness to go to work, then got here home as the solar changed into putting. I felt like a vampire.
Why Not Me? Through my task, I labored on campaigns with top influencers, securing brand partnership offers, helping them make a ton of money to tour and be suitable. I was continuously looking social feeds full of beautiful digital nomads dwelling their high-quality lives on beaches while I changed into stuck in an office with unflattering fluorescent lighting, losing away. I constantly idea to myself: “Why can’t I be where they’re?”
Daydreams: Whenever I’d have a bad day at paintings, I’d fantasize about commencing to Bali. Eventually, residing in constant darkness driven me over the threshold. So I started out to learn how to translate my advertising and marketing ability set to operating freelance for small agencies and marketers. This would allow me to live a laptop lifestyle and travel everywhere I desired.
Taking the Plunge: I knew that human beings could strive to talk me out of it, so I didn’t tell all of us I’d stop until I booked my one-manner price tag to Bali. From the outside looking in, I concerned that what I become doing may appear crazy and irrational. I changed into the maximum frightened to inform my mum, however she’d witnessed the burnout occurring and knew I wasn’t happy.
My Motivation: I moved to Asia because I wanted to be free. I desired to wake up every day within the sunshine. I wanted to stay lifestyles on my own terms in a network of supportive buddies from all around the international. I desired to swim in the ocean, try to surf and dive deeper with all components of my existence. When you allow cross of societal limitations, there’s extra room so as to be who you are intended to be.
My Travels: Since putting in place my agency, I even have made my manner round one-of-a-kind international locations within Southeast Asia. My non-public preferred is the Indonesian archipelago for the pristine beaches and simplicity of get admission to to fresh coconuts. Plus there’s this type of low value of residing, which has allowed me the time and area to develop my organization authentically and organically.
Finding Community: Traveling around Southeast Asia has taught me a lot about different cultures, and I’m continuously crushed by way of the hospitality and kindness of the area people that I meet here. There’s one of these stunning experience of community that I’ve in no way skilled earlier than. I’ve began weekly #girlboss meet-u.S.To assist fellow virtual nomads set goals, maintain one another accountable and make new pals.
Risk Taking: When you depart some thing it really is as stable as a normal paycheck, you are taking a risk. It’s horrifying, however you need to have faith in yourself and your potential to construct your brand. I’ve also discovered to be affected person, as I’ve realized that it takes hard work to create a emblem even as seeking to stay off my passions of travelling and marketing.
The Appeal of Travel: Travel looks like magic. You by no means know in which it will take you. This magic has despatched me to awesome places round the world, and it is addictive. But every body who is addicted to the identical magic will tell you: When your frame can’t tour, your mind wanders. You can’t belong in a single region all the time — your heart sincerely gained’t assist you to.
Diving In: One of my favourite things inside the international is to head diving. But similar to entrepreneurship, within the beginning, I didn’t realize what I became doing. I had a panic attack the primary time I went down. I become terrified on the concept of trusting the device on my back to maintain me alive, just like I became terrified to consider myself and consider that I should begin my very own business. But Chris, my scuba dad, pressured me to live underwater till I felt a sense of calmness and serenity like not anything I had ever felt earlier than. I was then capable of see the tropical fish swim by using, get side-eyed by way of some large turtles and even spot a few black tip sharks. Through diving, I discovered that you’ve got to push through and persevere to get some thing it is well worth having in existence.
On Failure and Success: Most importantly, I’ve discovered that I don’t have to follow in anybody else’s footsteps to bear in mind myself a success. It’s better to try to fail than to spend your life thinking “what if?” Our successes and disasters are all a part of the wealthy tapestry of life.
