Digital Nomad Nation - Inspiring Stories From the Location Independent Lifestyle

Ryan Mellon | Serial Entrepreneur/ Personal Coach
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Welcome to Digital Nomad Nation, the podcast that brings you extraordinary stories of those who dared to redefine work and life.Host Ryan Mellon, a seasoned Digital Nomad and serial entrepreneur, takes you on a thrilling journey through the lives of Location-Independent pioneers. From the software engineer coding from a villa in Canggu to the freelancer building marketing funnels in a coworking space in Lisbon, each episode uncovers the captivating stories behind the digital nomad lifestyle.Whether you're a curious professional considering your first workcation, or looking to level up your global lifestyle, Digital Nomad Nation is your passport to a world of inspiration and practical insights.Subscribe now and join your tribe!

  1. JAN 13

    Going Deeper, Not Wider: 5 Weeks in Mérida, Mexico and My Next Digital Nomad Chapter - Nomad Notes | EP 64

    What if real freedom isn't about adding more to your life but about what you're brave enough to subtract? Host Ryan is making a bold move, sharing why he's hitting pause to go deeper instead of wider with his work. You'll hear about his time learning Spanish, connecting with the expat community in Mérida, and why this ancient city keeps pulling him back.  Ryan reveals where he's headed next, a Southeast Asian country he's somehow missed for years despite spending months in the region. Listen and discover the mindset shift that separates people who dream about becoming digital nomads from those who actually build sustainable freedom. Huge shoutout to the podcast's #1 Fan- Kerri Vailati. Thank you for all your support. Grab Your FREE Guide - 7 Steps To Launch Your Digital Nomad Journey - https://www.thedigitalnomadcoach.com/ MORE FROM RYAN MELLON : Join the Digital Nomad Masterclass: https://www.digitalnomadnation.com/masterclass Connect with Ryan: https://allmylinks.com/thedigitalnomadcoach Share this episode with a friend or family member Give a Review on Spotify Give a Review on Apple DISCLAIMER: Listening to stories of beachside zoom calls, mountainside work views, and island-hopping entrepreneurs may cause severe wanderlust and an irresistible urge to turn your laptop into a passport to freedom. Side effects include daydreaming about tropical co-working spaces, working with Ryan to learn how you can start working and traveling and buying a one-way ticket to Bali. Get ready to start living your dream life today!

    5 min

  2. JAN 6

    From Wasted Years in London to Founding Africa's Newest Digital Nomad Hub with Duncan Malcolm | EP 63

    The limiting beliefs about becoming a digital nomad you're carrying right now?  Host Ryan Mellon sits down with Duncan Malcolm, a product manager turned sailor, co-living founder in Kenya, and motorcycle adventurer, whose path was sparked by seeing remote work in 2007, long before “digital nomad” was mainstream. Duncan shares how watching an eccentric coder work from a bike trailer planted a seed that grew into five years living and working full-time on a sailboat, traveling the Mediterranean, and building a co-living base in Kenya.  The big takeaway: a lot of the fear that keeps people stuck isn’t logistics, it’s the story we tell ourselves. Chapters: 00:03:12 - The Hidden Problem With Perfect Bays 00:07:15 - Rock Bottom Reset 00:08:41 - Spain Agency Disaster 00:11:17 - Ghosted to Fully Booked 00:18:52 - The Accidental Boat Buy 00:28:09 - Kenya Surprise 00:39:39 - The Big Regret You’ll hear the raw truth about Duncan and his wife Camilla’s journey. From nearly breaking under pressure in London, to realizing they could’ve left years earlier. Duncan breaks down the CV rewrite that flipped his results from constant silence to consistent interviews and contracts, and he gets real about the painful hiring lessons of building a co-living business in Africa. He also explains why stepping away for weeks at a time helped the business grow stronger without him. Whether you're stuck in analysis paralysis or worried about income, this conversation will shift your perspective.  Listen and learn to stop building pressure around some perfect exit plan and just start. Connect with the Coliving in Kenya: https://www.teamskippers.com/ Grab Your FREE Guide - 7 Steps To Launch Your Digital Nomad Journey - https://www.thedigitalnomadcoach.com/ MORE FROM RYAN MELLON : Join the Digital Nomad Masterclass: https://www.digitalnomadnation.com/masterclass Connect with Ryan: https://allmylinks.com/thedigitalnomadcoach Share this episode with a friend or family member Give a Review on Spotify Give a Review on Apple DISCLAIMER: Listening to stories of beachside zoom calls, mountainside work views, and island-hopping entrepreneurs may cause severe wanderlust and an irresistible urge to turn your laptop into a passport to freedom. Side effects include daydreaming about tropical co-working spaces, working with Ryan to learn how you can start working and traveling and buying a one-way ticket to Bali. Get ready to start living your dream life today!

    56 min

  3. 12/31/2025

    How Co404 Co-Living in Mexico Helps Nomads Actually Focus on Work and Make Real Friends w/ Co- Founder Laurens Borrey | Ep 62

    What if the secret to staying abroad longer isn't about finding cheaper flights or stretching your budget but about finding the right people to live with? Host Ryan Mellon talks with Laurens Borrey about what happens when you prioritize community over profit in the hospitality business. You'll hear how Laurens and his co-founders met while volunteering at a hostel and accidentally discovered a gap in the market that traditional hostels and Airbnbs weren't filling. Laurens started CO404 after spending three years backpacking on almost nothing and realizing he never wanted to go back home. Today his co-living network across Mexico and Colombia has cracked the code on something most nomads struggle with: building deep connections while actually getting work done. Chapters: 00:05:00 - The 11 PM Rule That Protects Everyone 00:07:15 - How Many Rooms and Why It Matters 00:10:29 - Volunteers as the Secret Sauce 00:14:17 - The Activity Mistake That Forced a Better System 00:19:31 - From Backpacker Drift to Building Co404 00:26:52 - The Bad Apple Problem and the Hard Call Laurens shares why his spaces attract an older crowd of experienced nomads and how keeping the party outside his walls has become his biggest competitive advantage. They tackle the hidden challenges of long-term travel that nobody warns you about. Laurens breaks down the patterns he's observed in nomads who've been traveling successfully for five years versus those who flame out fast. You'll discover why returning to the same places might be smarter than constantly chasing new countries and how simple routines like finding a sport you can play anywhere can completely change your experience on the road. Listen and Learn how to create a sustainable nomad lifestyle built on real community instead of just Instagram moments. Stay at Co404: https://co404.com/ Grab Your FREE Guide - 7 Steps To Launch Your Digital Nomad Journey - https://www.thedigitalnomadcoach.com/ MORE FROM RYAN MELLON : Join the Digital Nomad Masterclass: https://www.digitalnomadnation.com/masterclass Connect with Ryan: https://allmylinks.com/thedigitalnomadcoach Share this episode with a friend or family member Give a Review on Spotify Give a Review on Apple DISCLAIMER: Listening to stories of beachside zoom calls, mountainside work views, and island-hopping entrepreneurs may cause severe wanderlust and an irresistible urge to turn your laptop into a passport to freedom. Side effects include daydreaming about tropical co-working spaces, working with Ryan to learn how you can start working and traveling and buying a one-way ticket to Bali. Get ready to start living your dream life today!

    39 min

  4. 12/23/2025

    From 10 Years Climping the Corporate Ladder to Working Remotely From Buenos Aires: Her Nomad Wake-Up Call with Ann-Marie (ARE U OKAY ANNIE) | EP 61

    What if the biggest risk isn't quitting your job to travel but staying in a life that doesn't fulfill you? Today Ryan sits down with Anne-Marie, a 30-something who did the unthinkable. One week after a major life event, she walked into her boss's office and quit her job of nearly 10 years. No backup plan. No guarantees. Just a burning need to finally live. Jump ahead two years and she's celebrating Day of the Dead in Oaxaca with strangers who became family, celebrating her birthday in Buenos Aires with friends she met days earlier, and finding out if Rio De Janeiro is truly too dangerous for a solo woman.  FREE Guide - 7 Steps To Launch Your Digital Nomad Journey - https://www.thedigitalnomadcoach.com/ Chapters 03:00 - Dropping Into Buenos Aires and How to Build Community Fast 06:30 - Safety Myths vs Reality: Rio, Buenos Aires, and Smart Awareness 09:20 - Her Origin Story: Ten Years Corporate and the Feeling She Couldn't Let Go 12:10 - The Aftershock: Panic, Liberation, and Trusting the Decision 15:40 - Solo Travel Reality 18:30 - Relationships and Dating 24:00 - What Freedom Really Feels Like After the 9–5 27:00 - Co-Living Explained 32:30 - Oaxaca and Day of the Dead She's working remotely, bouncing between cities and beach towns and mountains and can't imagine ever going back. Ann-Marie talks about the moment her dad questioned her choices, why she stopped trying to date for two whole years, and how losing her mom made her realize time is the one thing you can't get back.  She reveals the exact apps and strategies she uses to never feel alone in a new city, why co-living changed her life as a solo female traveler, and what it really means to live in the present when you've spent decades planning for a future that never feels right. Listen and Learn why four days is all it takes to pack up your entire life, how to make real friends in 72 hours using apps most people ignore. Connect with guest: https://www.instagram.com/areuokay_annie/ Grab Your FREE Guide - 7 Steps To Launch Your Digital Nomad Journey - https://www.thedigitalnomadcoach.com/ MORE FROM RYAN MELLON : Join the Digital Nomad Masterclass: https://www.digitalnomadnation.com/masterclass Connect with Ryan: https://allmylinks.com/thedigitalnomadcoach Share this episode with a friend or family member Give a Review on Spotify Give a Review on Apple DISCLAIMER: Listening to stories of beachside zoom calls, mountainside work views, and island-hopping entrepreneurs may cause severe wanderlust and an irresistible urge to turn your laptop into a passport to freedom. Side effects include daydreaming about tropical co-working spaces, working with Ryan to learn how you can start working and traveling and buying a one-way ticket to Bali. Get ready to start living your dream life today!

    42 min

  5. 12/16/2025

    Skip Playa del Carmen: This Hidden Safe City in Mexico Is Better for Remote Workers - Nomad Notes | EP 60

    How do you actually connect with a place instead of just passing through it? Host Ryan Mellon just landed in a Mexican city most Americans have never heard of, and he's about to show you why sometimes the best places to live and work remotely are hiding in plain sight.  Ryan shares what happened the moment he stepped off that plane and why this under-the-radar destination might be exactly what you're looking for if you're tired of the typical tourist traps. As someone who's spent eight years chasing endless summer, Ryan knows what makes a city work for remote workers. He breaks down why this place checks all the boxes. It's also been named one of the safest cities in all of North America. If you're worried about safety while working abroad (especially as a first-timer), this one's for you. He's starting a Spanish immersion course and explains why learning the local language changes everything about the digital nomad experience.  Stick around until the end where Ryan reveals his game plan for the next six months and shares why this hidden gem might be the testing ground for your own digital nomad journey. Listen and learn how to find secret cities that give you the lifestyle you want without the crowds you don't. Grab Your FREE Guide - 7 Steps To Launch Your Digital Nomad Journey - https://www.thedigitalnomadcoach.com/ MORE FROM RYAN MELLON : Join the Digital Nomad Masterclass: https://www.digitalnomadnation.com/masterclass Connect with Ryan: https://allmylinks.com/thedigitalnomadcoach Share this episode with a friend or family member Give a Review on Spotify Give a Review on Apple DISCLAIMER: Listening to stories of beachside zoom calls, mountainside work views, and island-hopping entrepreneurs may cause severe wanderlust and an irresistible urge to turn your laptop into a passport to freedom. Side effects include daydreaming about tropical co-working spaces, working with Ryan to learn how you can start working and traveling and buying a one-way ticket to Bali. Get ready to start living your dream life today!

    5 min

  6. 12/09/2025

    From Toxic Newsroom to A Remote Career That Lets Her Travel the World with Rose Barroga from Project Nightfall | EP 59

    What if the life you're escaping from is actually teaching you who you really are? Host Ryan sits down with Rose Barroga, head of scriptwriters at Project Nightfall. A massive social media channel with millions of subscribers and a mission to "make videos that save lives."  Rose went from working 14-hour days in a toxic newsroom to eating fire from a stranger's hand at an Indian wedding in Delhi. Ryan and Rose explore what happens when you trade your cubicle for co-working spaces across Southeast Asia, and why the freedom to work from anywhere reveals more about yourself than you might be ready to face. Chapters: 04:23 - Navigating Delhi Safely As a Solo Woman 06:00 - Inside a Three Day Indian Wedding 09:24 - Burning Out In The Newsroom Grind 11:29 - COVID, Politics And a Forced Crossroad 15:24 - Rock Moment Realizing She’s A Nomad 20:16 - Why Da Nang, Vietnam Beat Bali For Community 22:30 - Steven Bartlett’s Life Changing Challenge 26:09 - What Talking To Strangers Really Unlocks 32:15 - Travel As A Mirror Not An Escape 45:32 - Raising Your Standards for Friends and Love But this conversation goes way beyond laptop-on-the-beach fantasies. Rose breaks down the real challenges of solo female travel, why dating as a digital nomad requires completely different rules, and how travel won't fix your problems - it'll just make you cry in prettier places.  She also reveals the wild challenge that podcast host Steven Bartlett gave her: talk to 365 strangers in 365 days and document every single one. Ryan digs into the topics most digital nomads think about but rarely discuss openly. What makes connections on the road 10 times deeper than relationships back home? And why does having a Visa suddenly make you more protective of your time and pickier about who you spend it with? If you've ever wondered whether the digital nomad life is really for you, or if you're already out here questioning your choices, you’ll walk away understanding what you're actually signing up for.  Rose doesn't sugarcoat it - she tells you exactly what works, what doesn't, and why saying yes to uncertain things might be the smartest move you'll ever make. Listen and learn how one spontaneous decision can lead to the most transformative experience of your life. Connect with Rose: https://www.instagram.com/humanityintravel/ Grab Your FREE Guide - 7 Steps To Launch Your Digital Nomad Journey - https://www.thedigitalnomadcoach.com/ MORE FROM RYAN MELLON : Join the Digital Nomad Masterclass: https://www.digitalnomadnation.com/masterclass Connect with Ryan: https://allmylinks.com/thedigitalnomadcoach Share this episode with a friend or family member Give a Review on Spotify Give a Review on Apple DISCLAIMER: Listening to stories of beachside zoom calls, mountainside work views, and island-hopping entrepreneurs may cause severe wanderlust and an irresistible urge to turn your laptop into a passport to freedom. Side effects include daydreaming about tropical co-working spaces, working with Ryan to learn how you can start working and traveling and buying a one-way ticket to Bali. Get ready to start living your dream life today!

    53 min

  7. 12/02/2025

    How to Thrive on 12+ Hour Long-Haul Flights: Insider Tricks Airlines Aren't Telling You - Nomad Notes | EP 58

    Grab Your FREE Guide - 7 Steps To Launch Your Digital Nomad Journey - https://www.thedigitalnomadcoach.com/ What if surviving a 12+ hour flight wasn't about suffering through it but actually enjoying it? While everyone else is cramped in middle seats, fighting for armrest space, and arriving exhausted, Ryan's consistently scoring entire rows to himself in economy and when he's not doing that, he's in business class.  His secret? It's knowing exactly when to change seats, which credit card gives you access to 1,400 airport lounges worldwide, and how to turn your points into business class tickets that would normally cost thousands. Learn the one US airport Ryan would avoid entirely, the international airport that'll give you a free shower and city tour during layovers, and Ryan's  controversial take on staying hydrated versus staying entertained with free drinks.  Plus, he's using a phone plan that lets him run his business from anywhere in the world. Whether you're booking your first international trip or you're just tired of arriving sleep deprived, Ryan's breaking down the exact system that transformed how he travels.  Listen now to discover how Ryan turns brutal long-haul flights into his favorite part of traveling. Grab Your FREE Guide - 7 Steps To Launch Your Digital Nomad Journey - https://www.thedigitalnomadcoach.com/ MORE FROM RYAN MELLON : Join the Digital Nomad Masterclass: https://www.digitalnomadnation.com/masterclass Connect with Ryan: https://allmylinks.com/thedigitalnomadcoach Share this episode with a friend or family member Give a Review on Spotify Give a Review on Apple DISCLAIMER: Listening to stories of beachside zoom calls, mountainside work views, and island-hopping entrepreneurs may cause severe wanderlust and an irresistible urge to turn your laptop into a passport to freedom. Side effects include daydreaming about tropical co-working spaces, working with Ryan to learn how you can start working and traveling and buying a one-way ticket to Bali. Get ready to start living your dream life today!

    13 min
  8. Thailand's $300 5-Year Visa: Why This Email Newsletter Founder Traded London for Chiang Mai with Chris Cerra | EP 57

    11/25/2025

    Thailand's $300 5-Year Visa: Why This Email Newsletter Founder Traded London for Chiang Mai with Chris Cerra | EP 57

    Can you really afford not to try the Digital Nomad lifestyle? Ryan sits down with Chris Chera, founder of Digital Nomad Trip Reports and an email entrepreneur who's been living location independent since 2018.  Chris went from paying over $2,000 a month for a shared London flat to $600 for a luxury condo in Chiang Mai with three pools and mountain views.  He found a way to work for himself, travel with his girlfriend for nearly a decade, and build community in cities around the world. For Chris, the money savings are just a bonus compared to the richness of experiences and culture he gains. Chapters: 04:32 – Truck flips in Thailand story 07:04 – Why Chiang Mai feels like home 08:16 – The convenience advantage 10:22 – Bangkok or Chiang Mai? 11:18 – How the new 5-year Thailand visa works 18:52 – Discovering remote work by accident 24:52 – The Portugal moment that changed everything 29:46 – How couples travel without losing their minds 34:05 – Cutting living costs by more than half 43:59 – The one question to ask before going nomad Ryan and Chris tackle the real questions you might be struggling with: How do you know if this lifestyle is actually right for you? What's the smartest way to test it without blowing up your life? How do couples avoid driving each other crazy when working from the same space?  You'll get practical answers on Thailand's new 5-year visa, the routine-based system Chris uses to make friends anywhere, and how he tests locations to see if its worth staying longer.  At the end, Chris shares the one question you absolutely must answer before you leave. Get this wrong and you'll book a flight home within months. Get it right and you'll understand exactly why you're doing this and how to make it last. Listen and learn how to build a life where location is  a choice, not a prison. Connect with Chris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chriscerra/?originalSubdomain=uk Subscribe: https://www.digitalnomadtripreports.com/ Grab Your FREE Guide - 7 Steps To Launch Your Digital Nomad Journey - https://www.thedigitalnomadcoach.com/ MORE FROM RYAN MELLON : Join the Digital Nomad Masterclass: https://www.digitalnomadnation.com/masterclass Connect with Ryan: https://allmylinks.com/thedigitalnomadcoach Share this episode with a friend or family member Give a Review on Spotify Give a Review on Apple DISCLAIMER: Listening to stories of beachside zoom calls, mountainside work views, and island-hopping entrepreneurs may cause severe wanderlust and an irresistible urge to turn your laptop into a passport to freedom. Side effects include daydreaming about tropical co-working spaces, working with Ryan to learn how you can start working and traveling and buying a one-way ticket to Bali. Get ready to start living your dream life today!

    54 min
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About

Welcome to Digital Nomad Nation, the podcast that brings you extraordinary stories of those who dared to redefine work and life.Host Ryan Mellon, a seasoned Digital Nomad and serial entrepreneur, takes you on a thrilling journey through the lives of Location-Independent pioneers. From the software engineer coding from a villa in Canggu to the freelancer building marketing funnels in a coworking space in Lisbon, each episode uncovers the captivating stories behind the digital nomad lifestyle.Whether you're a curious professional considering your first workcation, or looking to level up your global lifestyle, Digital Nomad Nation is your passport to a world of inspiration and practical insights.Subscribe now and join your tribe!

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