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11 Tips for New Digital Nomads

One thing I love about being a professional writer is that I get to do my job from anywhere. I don’t need a massive desk or a richly appointed office. (Although I do surround myself with books in my home office.) I’m a digital nomad.

My mobile office is a Filson briefcase I won about nine years ago where I carry all my essentials. As long as I have wifi and maybe access to an electrical outlet, I can work. As long as I have that, I can work anytime, anywhere.

I’ve been working as a digital nomad for 16 years, even when I had my an office. First in Indianapolis, Indiana and now in Orlando, Florida. I’ve visited hundreds of coffee shops, both corporate and independent, and I’ve made some of them my regular stops. Some of them I couldn’t leave quickly enough.

And while I haven’t achieved a #vanlife level of nomadicity (nomadic-ness?), I still consider myself a digital nomad who can do my job with a 13″ MacBook Pro and a Moleskine notebook.

Here is a list of things I have learned about being a digital nomad and making your city your office.

1. Keep your gear powered up

You would think I wouldn’t have to say this, but I went to a coffee shop with someone who shall remain nameless (but it was my son), and his laptop battery was at 6%. Luckily, we found a plug, and he was able to charge up. When you get home each night, plug everything in for the next day. Monitor your computer’s battery health. I use Coconut Battery to check every month.

Take advantage of free power whenever you can. If you find a coffee shop or restaurant that has plugs near your seat, use the power. Your next stop may see you running on battery for a few hours. Otherwise, plug in as soon as you get home and run any backups on your day’s work.

It also doesn’t hurt to carry an extra power bank. I like the Anker 20,000mAh chargers (affiliate link), but whatever you get, make sure it’s fast-charging. I also like the cordless banks. (There are some with built-in charging cords, but I worry what will happen if the cord breaks.)

2. Have a roster of regular stops

I have several favorite coffee shops, fast food restaurants, and even a pizza place (shout out to Lazy Moon UCF!) where I do my work. I know which tables have plugs nearby, and I plan my work sessions on their traffic patterns and busy-ness. (For example, weekends at Lazy Moon between lunch and dinner are ideal because the place is nearly empty, especially when the University of Central Florida is on break.)

Become a regular if you can, and get to know the staff. Be friendly and chat whenever you buy something. This way, you’ll stand out, and they’ll look out for you as they get to know you better. (Be sure to buy something every 90 minutes to two hours. Don’t just buy a small coffee and camp for eight hours.)

And don’t forget to tip!

3. Participate in the loyalty programs

If you go to the same places over and over, download their loyalty app. You may only get a small discount, like $5 off after 10 purchases, but a little something is better than a big nothing.

Supporting the loyalty program puts money back in your pocket through bonuses and special offers. It may not seem like much, but those freebies are a nice little treat when you’re trying to stretch your dollars. If you don’t like the freebies, then give them to someone else.

4. Shop local as much as possible

You’re a local entrepreneur, so support local businesses whenever you can. If you can go to an indie coffee shop or restaurant whenever you’re out, that’s great. The more you support local businesses, the more they’re going to be around.

5. Meet at indie coffee shops

Once you have your regular shops that you like to visit and you’re getting to know the staff, make sure you have your meetings at those places. Invite as many people as you can to those shops so they see you bringing in new people.

That not only shows your loyalty to the shop, you’re promoting them on your behalf. You’re helping their customer base grow so they can continue to grow and thrive themselves. I have one favorite coffee and donut place in Orlando that sponsors my local 1 Million Cups chapter. As I’ve gotten to know them, and they continue to provide their fresh-made donuts to us every week, I hold most of my networking meetings there. It’s a nice way to say thank you for their generosity.

6. But you can’t beat cheap

Still, if you’re watching your money, you can’t beat a $2 Coke at McDonald’s. You can sit for a couple of hours and work on just a single drink. I don’t recommend doing this every day since it’s not that good for you.

But if you only need a temporary office for a couple of hours, the Golden Arches has you covered, and they’re all over the place. It’s a great place to stop if you need to send a quick email while you’re on a road trip. Just be aware that many McDonalds don’t have electrical outlets, which is why you need to keep your equipment charged.

7. So join Panera’s Sip Club

First, I hate the word “sip” almost as much as I hate “moist.”

BUT I like saving money. And with the Panera Sip Club, I can go to a different Panera every two hours and get coffee, tea, or soft drinks. Or I can sit in one location and get free refills while I’m there.

I sometimes stop in, grab a table, and drink some coffee while I enjoy the free wifi. In fact, I know a guy whose neighborhood Panera is his office, and he’s literally there six or seven hours per day. (I’m not kidding.)

I just joined the Sip Club last week — it costs $15/month or $99/year if you pay annually — and I often go to the Panera near my house. I’ve already spotted several regulars who park at their same tables all day, every day, so it’s a viable remote location.

I know it’s not a local shop, but honestly, the redacted Club pays for itself in five visits. (And if you sign up via the app, you can get the first two months free.)

8. Get a VPN

Public wifi is wildly unsecure. You need to protect yourself, and a VPN is the best way to do it. Several years ago, I bought a lifetime subscription to VPN Unlimited for $69.99. It’s normally $199, but you can get it for $69.99 right now (non-affiliate link).

Note: One thing I have noticed about McDonald’s wifi is that whenever I visit a web page, the page refuses to load the first time, so I have to reload it a couple times. This has happened at several McDonald’s, so I think it’s a McDonald’s thing, not my computer. (Especially since a Speedtest.net test shows that their wifi is plenty fast.)

One day, I saw that when my VPN was on, the pages loaded normally. This makes me think McDonald’s is monitoring everyone’s web traffic to make sure we’re not up to anything sinister or bad, but it causes issues on our web browsers. I can use my VPN to not only protect my personal data but to improve their wifi performance.

9. Work on your local machine, store it in the cloud

The problem with being a digital nomad is that we’re dependent on wifi. When I first joined the Sip Club, I couldn’t get online in any of the stores. I was able to fix it eventually, but it was enough to almost make me quit the club.

Luckily, I was still able to work because I can access all my articles on my laptop before I upload them to clients. Even this article is being written in Apple Pages before I upload it to my blog.

While a lot of people like working on Google Docs or Microsoft 365, that’s difficult if you don’t have wifi. Yes, you can connect to your phone as a wifi hotspot, but it’s slower than dial-up.

On the other hand, by storing everything in the cloud, you can access it if you ever need to use a different computer. On my laptop, I back up all my in-progress documents on iCloud and back everything up to an external hard drive.

Then, I can access files using my iPhone’s Files app and work on them with a Bluetooth keyboard. Or if I know I won’t have my computer, I’ll save a version to Google Docs and use my iPad and Bluetooth keyboard on the road.

10. Learn how to use Google Drive offline

If you prefer Google Drive, there is a way to use it offline. I can’t tell you how because it’s been years since I tried it. (Find out how to do it here.) When you get back online, everything syncs up between your local files and your Google Drive.

It’s a convenient system if you’re focused on keeping costs down, but I’ve been using Apple’s word processor since it was called MacWrite in the 1980s, and I’ve used every version in between. I have no plans on switching now.

But if you’re an offline Google Drive user, let me hear from you in the comments below. What do you like about it? What makes you stick with it?

11. Set up “office hours” with fellow nomads

The one thing I don’t like about being a digital nomad is the loneliness. Sometimes, I miss working in an office because I miss being around people. (Not enough to go back, of course. A bad day working for myself is better than a great day working for someone else.)

Set up a working meeting with other nomads and work together at the same table for a few hours. You won’t get a lot of work done, but you’ll be able to socialize, get to know a few other people, trade ideas and resources, and it can help you find future collaborators to work with.

Take turns visiting each other’s favorite places and sample new restaurants and coffee shops. You never know when you might find a new regular spot for your journeys.

Being a digital nomad is actually a fun way to work. I get to visit different parts of the city and meet new people. I even created a map of all the indie coffee shops around Central Florida so I can decide where I’m going to spend a good part of my day.

Not to mention, if I ever go on a business trip or vacation, I can pack my briefcase and work from any hotel, restaurant, or coffee shop, no matter where I am. And if I ever just wanted to do a quick bit of work, as long as I have a Bluetooth keyboard and my phone, I’m all set.

Do you have any digital nomad tricks of the trade? Share them in the comments.

Photo credit: Erik Deckers

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Writers Don’t Get to Collaborate Like Musicians

I envy musicians. Not just because they play music and entertain millions of people. Not just because they can spend hours and hours doing something they love, breaking silence with something that’s beautiful or joyful. Not because they can create magic with their instruments. (OK, yes, that. I learned bass guitar for a year during the pandemic, but haven’t touched it for several months.)

I envy them for their collaboration and support. I am jealous of the way that just a few talented musicians can get together, play for a couple hours, and make something that no one has ever heard. I’m jealous of the way they can swap out people and make something even differenter than the thing they did before. (Yes, I know that’s not a word. That’s something I can do that musicians can’t.)

This week, I listened to Justin Richmond interview Johnny Mathis on the Broken Record podcast. My mom loved Johnny Mathis, and we listened to his Christmas albums every year when I was a kid, so I didn’t want to miss this one.

In the interview, Johnny — Mr. Mathis — talked about how when he first went to New York, he visited jazz clubs to watch musician friends perform and that they would often ask him to go up on stage and sing with them. Or how he worked with other musician friends on different projects, singing on their records, or inviting them to sing on his.

Mathis was able to perform with whomever and wherever he had the opportunity. And he was able to choose who he wanted to work with, and the result was something unique and beautiful and was enjoyed by people all around the world, like my mom. It was this collaboration and cooperation that made him one of the most popular singers and artists of the 20th century.

Raspberry Pie (That’s my son on the right).
A little closer to home, I watch my son play bass guitar in a few different bands around Central Florida. He gets asked to play fairly frequently because there’s a shortage of good bass players, and because they know he’ll do a good job for them.

At some of his performances, the band leader will sometimes ask a musician friend to join them on stage for a song or two. Or he’ll participate in an improv jazz session with some friends, and the performance will be so seamless, it’s as if they had practiced together for hours and hours.

I envy musicians for their collaboration and ability to just slip into someone else’s ensemble. As long as they know what they’re doing, it’s seamless, and you wouldn’t know they hadn’t always been there.

Music is all about relationships. Not just the notes between rhythm and melody, but in finding people you can mesh with and trust. As long as they’ve got the skills and you can depend on them, you can make some excellent music together. You can even record that and share it with the entire world, or play it in front of a live audience of one person or 50,000 people all at once.

Writers don’t get to collaborate

Writers don’t get to collaborate, not in that way. Writing is a solitary event. You do it alone, and no one is there to help. It’s hours and hours of writing and editing, but no one is looking over your shoulder to give advice. No one is typing on one half of the keyboard while you type on the other. No one is laying down a funky verb line while you dance around a noun melody with a staccato punctuation drum beat keeping the rhythm.

Right now, I’m sitting in a local coffee shop writing this, and no one is helping me. They’re off in their own little solo performances, tapping away at a laptop, looking at their phone, or reading a book. One guy next to me is writing in a small notebook. (God bless the pen-and-notebook people.)

Oh, sure, you can have editors or fellow writers pore over your work and make it better. But they pore over it alone, give it back to you, and then you go off by yourself and fix it. Then you can share it with the world, where it’s read by one person or 50,000 people all at once.

But you don’t receive real-time feedback as people read your book. You’ll never experience a room full of people all reading your book at the same time, cheering at the good parts or applauding at the end of each chapter.

Working together isn’t really collaboration. Not like musicians do.

There are three ways writers can work together on a project, but I wouldn’t call it true collaboration.

  • Split the project in half and work on it. Like, dividing up chapters of a book and writing them individually — like Kyle Lacy and I or Jason Falls and I did on our books. You may be working together, but it’s not an ensemble, it’s a group of individuals all working at different times.
  • Share a Google Doc and write in the same document at the same time. Jason and I did that in the first chapter of No Bullshit Social Media. We decided we hated it and never did it again. I would hate to try to do this with several writers at once.
  • Sit in a room full of other writers and shout out ideas while one person writes them all down. This is how writers rooms work, especially for comedies, and I would dearly love to be in one of those for a day. This is the closest to real collaboration, but even then, each line comes from a single person and is improved on by other individuals. Sure, they piggyback off each other, but they’re not making music.

But those opportunities are rare. Or, in the case of the Google Docs thing, terrible.

So writers are left to their own devices and can’t collaborate to make beautiful work in the same way musicians do. And for that, I envy them.

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Pick ONLY One: Creative, Analytics, or Strategy

A friend recently posted a survey on LinkedIn that asked which of these three factors were most important to succeed in modern marketing: Data Analysis, Creative, or Strategy.

Or as I framed it for someone, take your marketing budget and divide it into four equal parts. Each of the first three areas gets 25% of the budget, but only one of them gets the remaining 25%. Which one do you pick?

Being a creative professional, I said the Creative was the most important. The analysts said Data Analysis, and the strategists said that was dumb and that I was correct.

Just kidding, the strategists said Strategy was the most important.

And of course, there were those predictable few who thought all worked hand-in-hand and they were equally important, and no parent should ever have a favorite child and blah blah blah.

A quick aside

Some people are bad at thought exercises. When you’re presented with one, the goal is to make you weigh the options, consider each one, and then pick the answer you believe is correct. You’re not committed to anything, and no one is going to judge you for your choice.

In a thought exercise, you don’t have the option of whining, “Oh, but they’re all equally important!” And you don’t get to come up with some other option. That’s weasel thinking by someone who couldn’t make a firm commitment if their life depended on it. If it were a real-life decision, I could see the importance of trying to find an equitable solution. But this isn’t that.

The point of a thought exercise is to think and make a choice, and then defend your choice. Ruminate on the results. Consider what would happen because of the choice you made. Try to predict the future based on what you chose.

Don’t be so wishy-washy about your decision. It won’t kill you to commit to an idea for two minutes.

Back to the article

My logic was this:

The Creative element is the most important in the marketing department because if you create mediocre content, a great strategy will only ensure that more people see your polished turd. And data analysis will tell you how many people actually saw it.

Bad or mediocre content won’t convert, it won’t create fans, it won’t move people down the sales funnel. They won’t sign up for your newsletter, they won’t follow you on Twitter and Instagram, and they won’t remember you when it comes time to make a purchase.

So do you really want to improve the number of people who see your content by putting all your money into the strategy element? And do you really want to know, down to the last decimal place, how many people thought your content was awful? Because data analysis has never sold anything, it only tells you what worked and what didn’t. It never tells you what will work, it only tells you what already worked, and then you can infer from the data that you should do it again.

I’ve told the story elsewhere of the data analyst who once got annoyed with me because I wrote about putting vehicle wraps on tournament fishing boats for a client. The client was known for doing vehicle wraps, as well as other commercial signage, and the boat wraps were something one of their franchisees was doing.

The analyst said, “No one has ever come to the website looking for boat wraps! Why would you waste the energy to make that?”

I said, “How much content do we have on boat wraps now?”

“Well, none.”

“That’s why no one has ever come looking for it.”

The following month, our boat wrap article was the second-most visited article on the entire blog, only behind the front page.

During our next meeting, I said, “Did you see this month’s numbers?”

The analyst said, “Yes, I did.”

“Did you see where the boat wraps article ranked?”

*angry silence*

I wrote another boat wrap article the following month and it stayed in the top 10 for a few months. I know, because I asked the analyst about it at each monthly meeting.

The big lesson I learned was that analytics should never, ever drive content, it should only measure what was done. Being a data-driven marketer means you’re a reactive marketer, not proactive. You’ll never try something new because the data hasn’t told you to try it.

For that reason alone, analytics has to be dropped from consideration for the extra 25% of our budget.

Choosing between creative and strategic elements of marketing

This is a tougher choice, and if I made a wishy-washy weasel choice, I would split the remaining 25% of my budget between these two areas. But that’s not possible, so I have to make a choice.

And yes, I will admit that I’m biased as a creative professional myself.

But I also believe that well-done content leads to more engagement than mediocre content. So if I have to choose between getting my work in front of 10,000 people with a 20% engagement or 50,000 people with a 2% engagement, I’ll take the smaller audience with the bigger engagement every time.

I see this a lot with self-published book authors on Twitter. These are the Twitter cheaters who grow their follower count to low six-figures, and then blast out message after message about “Buy my books! Buy my books!”

They don’t engage, they don’t have conversations, they don’t ask or answer questions. They just follow a bunch of people, get them to follow back, and then bombard them with nothing but advertisements.

They do all this work in gaining an audience, and then put out nothing of value or interest. If they at least put in some time and energy and created some interactive content, they’d probably have a lot more customers.

Instead, they focused completely on strategy and didn’t do anything at all for the Creative. Are their books any good? Who knows? Their ads were so bad, I didn’t want to find out. If anything, their content and strategy turned me off of their books.

They got a low six-figure audience, which is a great strategy, but couldn’t do anything with it. It’s like getting a high-powered car and then letting it sit in your driveway because you didn’t put any fuel into it.

So Strategy doesn’t get the remaining 25% either.

Which means Creative is the most important part of your marketing, and it gets the remainder of the budget. Which is what happens when Creative people are in charge of writing their own stories.

Bottom line

Two lessons: First, don’t be afraid of a thought exercise. It’s a survey that no one (except me) is going to remember in 24 hours, and no one will lambast you because of your choice. (Unless you gave a Kumbaya, “Why Can’t We All Get Along” answer, in which case you should be roundly mocked.)

Second, good creative work will do more for your successful marketing than the strategy or analytics ever could.

Put more of your marketing budget into getting good creative work. Come up with the best strategy you can for the money you have. And then look at your analytics and see what’s performing the best. If you’re a small business or have a limited product line, it’s not like you need a Ph.D. data scientist anyway, so don’t spend more than you have to.

What do you think? Where would you put the remaining 25% of your marketing budget? Make a choice, defend your answer, and don’t give me any of this “they’re all equally important” nonsense. Commit and defend!