Success isn’t linear. (Nor is financial gain an absolute indicator of success — or happiness.) I won a National Emmy Award at age 20 and a Regional Emmy Award at age 21. (Best college newscast while I was news director, and best advanced media for content my team and I produced.) Then I was laid [...]
Category: Career
My career trajectory, layoffs, and pivots; remote work and digital nomadism; sabbaticals and early retirement.
The Three Mantras I Adopted That Inspired Me to Leave My Traditional Life Behind
Three-bedroom house and 2-car garage. Six-figure salary and company-sponsored health care. My family, friends, and country of origin. I had all the stability and security and comfort in the world, and I gave it all up. I wrestled with my decision for a really long time, and I ran through scenarios, numbers, and options. Sure, it didn't make logical sense. Who would throw away a money-making asset such as a house? Why leave a job that more than paid the bills, that allowed me to live nomadically and travel the U.S. while working remotely? Who would drive to Mexico and stay for 6 months, leaving her family, friends, language, and way of life behind? It didn't make sense, but I kept on dreaming. My longings for a life of adventure, of discovery, of escaping tradition and societal expectations — couldn't be silenced. And so I adopted these three mantras, which I hold dear to me and share with you now.
I Looked Before I Leapt: How I Spent The Last 4 1/2 Years Getting Ready to Quit My Job and Travel the World
Before you say, "I’m one of those people who will never get ahead, who will never be able to save, who will never be able to not work"... in 2017, I had no job, a car I owed on, a $1,350 house payment on a house full of stuff I never used, peanuts in my 401K, and only $1,500 in cash. That was my situation, and I made changes. You can too.
Why I Decided to Start My Sabbatical With 6 Months in Mexico
When I announced that I was quitting my job after 14 years in the workforce and “moving” to Mexico for 180 days on savings, “Why Mexico?” was one of my frequently asked questions. My answer is three-fold...
Upping the Ante: I’m 36 and I’m Retiring (Temporarily)
The average person works super hard for ~45 years and hopes all his efforts have paid off; that he will still have physical health and presence of mind (and financial security) to enjoy the time he has left. It doesn’t always work out that way. Case in point: my father. I’m young (36). I’m healthy. I’m single, un-obligated and uninhibited, with only a pup to care for. So to my employer: it's over. It’s not you, it’s me. Call it a sabbatical or a mini retirement or a temporary early retirement, I need to put my priorities, passions, and purpose first. I’m going where the creativity takes me, while I have the blessing of mental prowess, physical health, and minimal obligations.
I’m a Digital Nomad Traveling the U.S.: A Day in My Life
Hi, I'm Julie! I'm a female digital nomad and blogger, working remotely and traveling the U.S. by car. Here's what my average day looks like!
Ask Me Anything: Your Frequently Asked Questions About Nomad Life
I'm officially one year in to nomad life, and I figured it was high time to compile answers to some of my readers' most frequently asked questions... about what brought me to this decision, how I'm traveling, what my job is, how I afford this, and dating on the road, to name a few.
Month #11 of Nomad Life is a Wrap: What I’ve Learned So Far
Today, Aug. 4, 2021, marks 11 months since I left Phoenix — sold my house, 99% of my things, and embraced a nomadic lifestyle. I figured there was no better time to summarize some of the learnings and lessons from these past 11 months than today. Using the categories on my website (travel, finance, career, and love) as a guide, read on...
What Financial Freedom Means to Me
Take two people who make the same income: one of them saves 50% of their salary and lives simply. The other saves nothing; their salary funds their lifestyle of cars, renovations, luxury trips, expensive brunches and nights out. Who is wealthier?
How to Get a Kick-Ass Job in Social Media
I’ve made a long and lucrative career in social media. It’s taken an incredible amount of knowledge, experience, and dedication — trial and error, sweat, stress and some tears — to get to where I am today. And I’m STILL learning! You've reached out to me asking how to break into social media and/or health care marketing, and I so appreciate the opportunity to be a mentor to others! Here are my 4 must-dos:
The Love, Career and Finance Advice I’d Give to My Younger Self (From a Single Woman in Her 30s)
Dear impressionable 20-somethings: DON'T get married just because you’re “supposed to" or "it's time." Don’t choose your career on “suitability,” choose a CALLING. Forget the things that'll make you look rich, INVEST in what truly enriches your life. Let everything you do be best for you; for now or for later, and for the betterment of what really matters in this life.
Your Employment Status Does Not Define You
As I see many of my friends, acquaintances, and connections getting laid off, taking mandated furloughs, or receiving pay cuts, I just wanted to leave this here: Your employment status does not define you, and your salary does not equal your value. What does define you? A willingness to embrace change and adapt. Generosity of time, heart and spirit. Persistence and determination. A desire for personal growth and betterment. Humility. Appreciation for the gifts you do have in life. Because, this:
What I Know To Be True In Times of Struggle
Usually, when we're in the midst of a struggle, whatever it may be, we’re only able to see the overwhelming negative. Only when the struggle is won do we realize how it’s changed us.
Career Pivots: How I Broke Free of the Trappings of My Degree
I didn’t like how news de-sensitized me. I didn’t like the ol’ boys’ club and the sexism in the workplace. I also didn’t like how the newsroom was stuck in the old ways. But escape was difficult. Thanks to Hollywood’s bogus portrayals of the news industry, news biz skills were, at best, seriously misunderstood, or at worst, outrageously imagined, and hiring managers seemed unable to understand how my experience would translate.
From Unemployment to Saving More Than $40K in 2 Years
Two years ago I was filing for unemployment and down to my last $1,500. Well, I turned things around by re-shuffling where my money was going, making full use of my assets, and prioritizing experiences over possessions.
My Rebound Story: I Lost My Job, But Found Purpose and a New Outlook
Two, three years ago, you could find me in Manhattan, walking the red carpet at a movie premiere or at an exclusive launch party. I had a dream job. But that all changed when I was laid off by email. And I wouldn't change a thing.
How to Avoid Travel Burnout, From a Frequent Flier
The cities, the sights, the experiences. Frequent travel may look glamorous on Instagram, but in reality, it means time zone hopping, insufficient sleep, disrupted exercise and eating routines, and of course, airport annoyances. If you've ever felt like you needed a vacation from your vacation (I have), try my tips on beating travel fatigue.
Realizing the True Source of Your Stress
I came to a realization earlier this week. These expectations. Where did they come from? They were mine. I'm a perfectionist. And I put the unrealistic, backbreaking standards on myself. Is my boss telling me how long this document needs to be? No. Will she know if I forgot to make this point or that point? No. Will I be fired if I'm a few days late in delivering? No. TRULY, REALISTICALLY, what is the worst that would happen?
I Am Not a Travel Blogger
“Travel blogger,” that’s so cliché. I’m simply a girl, who loves to travel, who is exhilarated by new experiences and places and peoples and cultures. What I want is to describe through words and show through pictures how I feel about solo travel... and hopefully inspire someone, somewhere, to push just a little further out of their comfort zone and perpetually have the best experiences of their life.
juliedevivre.com by Julie B. Rose 