Home » Money » Location Independent Family, Solopreneur, Digital Nomads, Freedom!
This post may contain affiliate links.
Things gradually changed here at World Travel Family, our blogs started to follow a new course and we’re starting to truly be that thing, a location independent family. I thought I’d share with you what happened, how we made them earn for us and support our lifestyle.
Maybe you’ll take inspiration from our experiences, maybe you can pick up a few tips, maybe you can help us plot our future course, who knows?
We are now fully-fledged digital nomads, we are a digital nomad family, we are location independent travellers earning online with kids. I never thought, 20 years ago when I worked in hospitals, that this could ever be my life.
It’s cool, it’s fun and we’ve come a long way, but we’re not perfect.
Ours isn’t the best way or the only way, it’s just the way we figured out over the last, almost, 5 years of nomadic travel.
I wrote this post just over three years ago, I told the world that I was going to fully fund a family of 4 on the road. I meant what I said and now I do.
This is what I wrote back then with a few current updates on how we made a digital nomad lifestyle possible for our family.
Apologies, I’m currently re-wording this post to bring it up to date and explain how we achieved our goals.
How We Became a Location Independent Family, Diginomads, or a Digital Nomad Family
The Problem With Sponsored Posts.
We were making decent money from the sponsored post industry in our early days of blogging. That stopped for us a few years ago. The industry has changed, the offers stopped coming and my site is just too big to risk.
The problem with sponsored posts is, they do take a fair amount of time. The time that I now know would have been better spent on growing a sustainable income through having a quality website.
You, the blogger, have no control over what you earn from this source.
You’re always waiting on the next email coming in and you can waste hours sending out unanswered emails to “contact lists” of known advertisers. Out of 100, you may get 1 reply. ( If anyone wants my contact list they’re welcome to it, free, good luck!)
I gave up on that a long time ago and resigned myself to just making a small income through the blogs, justifying the time I put into blogging in terms of the people we help and all the free perks we get.
I’ve now realised that I don’t enjoy those sponsored travel jobs, we very rarely do them and in all honesty, I’d rather pay.
We still do publish the odd, legitimate sponsored post or review, picked up through agencies like Cooperatize but few and far between.
I learned to focus my efforts on blogging tasks that would actually make us a sustainable, effort-free, location-independent family income. After months of work, it paid off.
Developing New Blog- Related Income Streams
I added stream after stream and worked hard on getting them up and running.
We have at least 50, probably more ways in which our websites make money while we sleep. Sponsored posts are not the answer for us.
The way to make money blogging is through hard work and knowing how it’s done. A blog that provides an income is not a series of nice little travel stories, not for us anyway. Our site is a collection of information, fact-packed, useful travel resources, the sort of posts and pages that people search the internet for. It’s a bit of a mess, I started knowing nothing, but every day I fix it a little more.
And that’s the secret, giving the people the information they need.
Most of this comes about through Key Word Research, SEO and making your site as strong, fast and authoritative as possible.
I don’t want a full-time job. I have kids and they need me. They are totally my 100% priority. When we’re not travelling, I do have some time on my hands to work and work hard.
I’m Learning To Work Smart
Procrastination, playing around with social media, fruitless fiddling with websites and hoping that earnings will improve is pointless. I learned to work smart and value my time.
Why? Because I had a virtual kick up the backside. This one.
Outsourcing and Automation and Better Tools Were Key
My time is better spent producing quality content, improving content, marketing or taking steps that help us grow our income.
I can pay somebody else to worry about my Twitter following, hosting or ad placement. I focus on the jobs I enjoy and the ones that bring in cash. I had to spend a little to make a little.
Most of my social media is now automated through premium tools. That gives me time and buys me more freedom. When we’re on the road I don’t need to worry so much about checking in to Pinterest or Twitter every day. I have premium managed hosting, endless cool tools to make my life easier and somebody else organises my advertising placements.
I’m not going to put affiliate links here for all these things, that’s a cheap trick. If you’re a blogger you’ll need our blogging section. I’m also never going to sell you a rip-off course.
What I Wrote Back Then
“The Plan For Next Year. TOTAL FREEDOM”
The Romania house project will start this year and continue into next. It’s all well and good being free to travel the world, but we need a little more for the kids. It’s not fair on them to spend their whole childhood living out of backpacks without bikes, toys and “stuff”. We’ve done it for 2 years, now we need a base that is as affordable as nomadic travel.
I’m going to get serious about making money online. Once Chef is free of the London kitchens and can do more with the kids, I can really get stuck in.
I’m going to do more VA work, set up websites, manage social media and be an all round helpful, experienced, team member. I’ve had a lot of interest already.
The websites will bring in cash without me having to spend much time on them.
E-books, advertising, affiliate sales, I’ll be working on them all.
I’m going to bring in enough money for us to live and travel with.
I’m not asking the universe, I’m telling it! Thanks in advance.
You know, if you ask for things and set an intention for them to happen, they usually do.
It’s not mystical woo-woo nonsense, it’s within YOU. And me.
I’ve made my mind up. I’m doing this thing. Everything is possible.
When we first started this journey we stated that we would be leaving home to travel indefinitely with the kids. People thought we were crazy but WE DID IT. We can do this too. “
And you know what? So can you.
How it All Worked Out
It worked and all the pieces came together to make us a location independent family income. I’m blogging on the fly today and this post is under construction, but there is much, much more to add.
Alyson Long is a British medical scientist who jumped ship to chase dreams. A former Chief Biomedical Scientist at London's West Middlesex Hospital she started in website creation and travel writing in 2011.
Alyson is a full-time blogger and travel writer, a published author, and owns several websites. World Travel Family is the biggest.
A lifetime of wanderlust and over 6 years of full-time travel, plus a separate 12 month gap year, has given Alyson and the family some travel expert smarts to share with you on this world travel site.
Today Alyson still travels extensively to update this site and continue her mission to visit every country, but she's often at home on her farm in Australia.
16 thoughts on “Location Independent Family, Solopreneur, Digital Nomads, Freedom!”
Hi Alyson. I think you’re on the right track. I considered the blogging option in my bid to deshackle myself from the 9 to 5 grind. But after a lot of research I decided that except for a few exceptions, blogging looked like darn hard work for a relatively small return. Plus the key to successful blogging relies to a large degree in posting interesting, informative blogs regularly. That’s a lot of pressure.
After a lot of soul searching I decided the key to success was to leverage off my strengths diing something I enjoy. So I turned to my writing hobby and in the past year have e-published 4 novels with a 5th due out in the next month. I’m already enjoying some success and plan to pay for my family holiday in 2016. I think if your new strategy is along the same lines and I’m sure you’ll enjoy success also. Best of luck. Mel
Sounds like a great plan – exciting things ahead! The VA work sounds great, you have loads of experience and plenty of expertise to offer. I’m particularly excited about following your house renovation and hearing about life in Romania 🙂
Good on yer Alyson. You’ve always been a strong independent woman who loves her children and family, and has been looking for a way to live a sustainable life. And you’ve done it and are still doing it.
I don’t have many children or even very young children. I have a 13 year old only-child-boy but I still enjoy reading your blog. I like your voice and I like reading about Brits abroad, although I tend reading about Americans and Canadian in Asia these days…! I think being a VA would suit you to a tee and there are quite a few “top” bloggers who are outsourcing after all, the whole point of the travel life was to live an independent life doing the things you love and discarding the things you don’t.
Well done! 🙂
Well there you go! That sounds like a happy and determined Alyson and I am going to be right there on that same journey too. I made my mind up a couple of weeks ago and little bits are starting to trickle in.
I decided to also change my vocabulary from “I am trying to make an online income” to “I AM making an online income”. I don’t want to be forever trying..
We are making an income, it is just not enough and not steady, so the shift began and it is the path I want to take. One of positive intention and knowing it will become enough. I am working on 2 ebooks right now and also going to start writing posts on how to build a blog and help others. We are often contacted with these questions and I kept them off of our blog as it was travel.
You know what? Learning to document your travels and write is travel related too. If people are asking us, they want to know. Let’s give it to them!
So many good things coming our way, I can taste it. I am thrilled with your shift and you rock the house when it comes to Pinterest. 🙂 This is so exciting. Well done my friend.
We will triumph Heidi! You’re right, we’re both making a decent income, it’s just that we have these other 3 enormous people that we need to fund, easy for these youngsters!
It’s interesting to see the journey and the changes and adaptations along the way. Nothing is ever static, is it? It sounds like you’ve shed some things that weren’t adding to your overall well being and are trying some new avenues. The VA thing sounds intriguing; I’d love to hear how it works out and if it’s flexible enough to work well for you. Just don’t ever stop blogging!
Totally Deanne. Stop blogging? Impossible, I’m a hopeless addict, but now, more than ever, I really want to turn it around, not just tell our story, really inspire and help people to live their dreams. I’m working on how best to do that.
I never leave comments on websites but I loved this post and it was helpful as I’m in the beginning stages of starting a blog and doing long term travel with my family (including our 6 and 9 year old). I also have to say that reading your blog has shown me that it’s possible and to ignore the MANY people who think I’m crazy.
Thanks for commenting Jen. It’s so important to us to know that people are reading and getting something out of our sites. Very best of luck with your adventure. Yes, people will doubt your sanity, they won’t understand. But just totally live your life for you and your kids. I’ve shed friends along the way, and realised, that they were never really friends at all. They only wanted me around when I was like them, it reassured them that they’re doing OK to be around people treading the same path. You’ll find a whole new bunch of people who think like you, and will support you, I’m one, there are many more. Stay focused!
Alyson, I sense a real shift in you-a good one…..it all seems to be falling into place and you all deserve it. You pushed through the crap and I really believe you have come out the other side triumphant! Chuffed for you and your family.x
Hi Alyson. I think you’re on the right track. I considered the blogging option in my bid to deshackle myself from the 9 to 5 grind. But after a lot of research I decided that except for a few exceptions, blogging looked like darn hard work for a relatively small return. Plus the key to successful blogging relies to a large degree in posting interesting, informative blogs regularly. That’s a lot of pressure.
After a lot of soul searching I decided the key to success was to leverage off my strengths diing something I enjoy. So I turned to my writing hobby and in the past year have e-published 4 novels with a 5th due out in the next month. I’m already enjoying some success and plan to pay for my family holiday in 2016. I think if your new strategy is along the same lines and I’m sure you’ll enjoy success also. Best of luck. Mel
Sounds like a great plan – exciting things ahead! The VA work sounds great, you have loads of experience and plenty of expertise to offer. I’m particularly excited about following your house renovation and hearing about life in Romania 🙂
Hi Amy, well things will start happening in Romania next week, keep watching. The VA work is taking off nicely too. Enjoy your time in London!
Good on yer Alyson. You’ve always been a strong independent woman who loves her children and family, and has been looking for a way to live a sustainable life. And you’ve done it and are still doing it.
I don’t have many children or even very young children. I have a 13 year old only-child-boy but I still enjoy reading your blog. I like your voice and I like reading about Brits abroad, although I tend reading about Americans and Canadian in Asia these days…! I think being a VA would suit you to a tee and there are quite a few “top” bloggers who are outsourcing after all, the whole point of the travel life was to live an independent life doing the things you love and discarding the things you don’t.
Well done! 🙂
Thank you!
Well there you go! That sounds like a happy and determined Alyson and I am going to be right there on that same journey too. I made my mind up a couple of weeks ago and little bits are starting to trickle in.
I decided to also change my vocabulary from “I am trying to make an online income” to “I AM making an online income”. I don’t want to be forever trying..
We are making an income, it is just not enough and not steady, so the shift began and it is the path I want to take. One of positive intention and knowing it will become enough. I am working on 2 ebooks right now and also going to start writing posts on how to build a blog and help others. We are often contacted with these questions and I kept them off of our blog as it was travel.
You know what? Learning to document your travels and write is travel related too. If people are asking us, they want to know. Let’s give it to them!
So many good things coming our way, I can taste it. I am thrilled with your shift and you rock the house when it comes to Pinterest. 🙂 This is so exciting. Well done my friend.
We will triumph Heidi! You’re right, we’re both making a decent income, it’s just that we have these other 3 enormous people that we need to fund, easy for these youngsters!
Good luck to you, I am sure you can do it. Then write about it and tell us how, because we want to do it too 🙂
Do I ever keep anything secret Amber? Sharing is at least 50% of why we do everything.
Can’t wait to hear about the renovation / construction … I admire your courage!
It’s interesting to see the journey and the changes and adaptations along the way. Nothing is ever static, is it? It sounds like you’ve shed some things that weren’t adding to your overall well being and are trying some new avenues. The VA thing sounds intriguing; I’d love to hear how it works out and if it’s flexible enough to work well for you. Just don’t ever stop blogging!
Totally Deanne. Stop blogging? Impossible, I’m a hopeless addict, but now, more than ever, I really want to turn it around, not just tell our story, really inspire and help people to live their dreams. I’m working on how best to do that.
I never leave comments on websites but I loved this post and it was helpful as I’m in the beginning stages of starting a blog and doing long term travel with my family (including our 6 and 9 year old). I also have to say that reading your blog has shown me that it’s possible and to ignore the MANY people who think I’m crazy.
Thanks for commenting Jen. It’s so important to us to know that people are reading and getting something out of our sites. Very best of luck with your adventure. Yes, people will doubt your sanity, they won’t understand. But just totally live your life for you and your kids. I’ve shed friends along the way, and realised, that they were never really friends at all. They only wanted me around when I was like them, it reassured them that they’re doing OK to be around people treading the same path. You’ll find a whole new bunch of people who think like you, and will support you, I’m one, there are many more. Stay focused!
Alyson, I sense a real shift in you-a good one…..it all seems to be falling into place and you all deserve it. You pushed through the crap and I really believe you have come out the other side triumphant! Chuffed for you and your family.x
You’re a brick Melanie!