Business & Pleasure Lydia Melvin

Happy belated New Year! 
After a bit of rest, relaxation and a minor freak out that is always brought on by a new year starting, The Business and Pleasure podcast is back! And, we're back with a bang.
In this episode, I had the pleasure of chatting with AJ, a digital nomad who runs a popular YouTube channel where he candidly discusses the highs and lows of remote work and documents his nomadic adventures. Not only that, AJ is also a talented copywriter.
I was really excited to chat with AJ as I’ve been following him for a while now. We both love travel and we both love a Greggs sausage roll, it was always going to be a match made in heaven. 
What was intended to be a brief 30-minute conversation turned into an 1.5-hour discussion. AJ and I delved into what sparked his interest in travel, the importance of stepping out of your comfort zone, and the value of finding comfort amidst uncertainty. So, grab yourself a coffee, put your feet up and enjoy! 
 
What we cover
• An introduction to AJ
• Why travel?
• Being a digital nomad is achievable 
• Everything fell into place 
• Learning the lessons 
• The highs and the lows of being a digital nomad
• You don't always have to be out of your comfort zone when travelling
• Why YouTube?• Why boundaries are key
• What's next for AJ

Follow AJ's journey
• AJ's Twitter - https://twitter.com/ajthenomad_
• AJ's YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@ajthenomad 

To hear more from me, follow the below
• Twitter - https://twitter.com/_indieva
• Indie va - https://indieva.xyz/
• Business & Pleasure - https://businessandpleasure.transistor.fm/
p.s - I hope everyone is having a great start to the New Year! x

We have a bit of a different episode. Normally, I talk to people who are already digital nomads. But in this episode, I speak to Connor. Connor is an aspiring digital nomad. He currently helps ecomm brands build their communities on the internet whilst adding a whole bunch of value. He's hoping to start his digital nomad journey next year and explore the world. We really get into it in this episode.
We talk all about the pressures of working for yourself, popping your bubble and telling the parents...  What we cover• An introduction to Connor• Why the digital nomad lifestyle has caught Connor's attention• Expectations for an aspiring digital nomad• Stepping out of your comfort zone• Approaching big changes in life • Telling the parents• Making friends as a digital nomad• Approaching work & travel• What's next for Connor
Follow Connor's journey• Connor's Twitter - https://twitter.com/TheConnorFlynn8• World Packers - https://www.worldpackers.com/
To hear more from me, follow the below• Twitter - https://twitter.com/_indieva• Indie va - https://indieva.xyz/• Business & Pleasure - https://businessandpleasure.transistor.fm/

For this episode, I sat down with my good friend Leon Cheung. I met Leon in Florianopolis, Brazil. We very quickly bonded over being digital nomads, our obsession for the sun and our love for good food, it was a match made in heaven. Leon is relatively new to the digital nomad life. After graduating from University in Scotland, he took a leap of faith and started travelling. He found a remote job whilst on the road and has never looked back. Leon is now a Corporate Operations Coordinator at Modulex Group.
Leon has a really interesting perspective to the digital nomad lifestyle and I really enjoyed getting deep with him. We chat why routine should be your ride or die, real thoughts on the Amazon and what's next for Leon. He's also got me to create my own vision board off the back of this conversation, so make sure you give it a listen.  What we cover• An introduction to Leon • Taking that leap of faith and why it worked • Was becoming a digital nomad always the aim? • ROUTINE IS KEY • Being remote and working for a company • Why you should visit Rio de Janeiro • Thoughts on the Amazon • Slow vs fast travel • Living your vision • What's next for Leon • Can you have a balance of Business & Pleasure?
Follow Leon’s journey• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/_leoncheung/
To hear more from me, follow the below• Twitter - https://twitter.com/_indieva• Indie va - https://indieva.xyz/• Business & Pleasure - https://businessandpleasure.transistor.fm/

For this episode, I sat down with Chris Whittaker. Chris is an outdoor industry expert and is the Founder of Global Shenanigans. Global Shenanigans helps you lead a more adventurous and fulfilling life, through experiential adventure travel. Chris is also a surf and kayak instructor, he's a real life explorer! He's got some insane stories that we get into. 
We talk all about best experiences, what's next for Global Shenanigans and why you should do exactly what you want.  What we cover• An introduction to Chris • It all started with a gap year • Why Chris loves his job • How Global Shenanigans got started • Doing exactly what you want  • What are the things that keep you going?  • Sharing experiences  • Picking the next location  • Problem solving  • What's next for Chris • Can you have a balance of Business & Pleasure?
Follow Chris’ journey • Global Shenanigans - https://global-shenanigans.com/• Global Shenanigans Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/global_shenanigans • Chris' Twitter - https://twitter.com/G_Shenanigans_ 
To hear more from me, follow the below• Twitter - https://twitter.com/_indieva• Indie va - https://indieva.xyz/• Business & Pleasure - https://businessandpleasure.transistor.fm/

For the tenth episode of Business & Pleasure, I sat down with Chris Cerra. Chris Cerra is the Founder of Remotebase, a monthly newsletter that shares brilliant accommodation deals with digital nomads and remote workers. In our conversation, Chris shares the highs and the lows from his digital nomad journey so far, how RemoteBase got started and why it’s important to choose yourself.  We also chat all about what it’s like to navigate working within a team when you’re a DN, slow and steady vs leap of faith travel and why you can’t be responsible for someone else’s level of communication. Chris has an incredibly realistic and positive outlook on the experience of being a digital nomad. Go give it a listen. 

What we cover
• An introduction to Chris 
• Testing the water 
• Knowing what’s right for you 
• Communicating with a team 
• Why RemoteBase was created 
• How the approach to travel has changed over time 
• The good & the bad
• The best part of being a digital nomad 
• Advice for a budding digital nomad 
• Can you have a balance of Business & Pleasure?• Next steps for Chris and RemoteBase 

Follow Chris’ journey
• Follow Chris on IG - https://instagram.com/nomadaccommodationguy
• Follow Chris on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chriscerra/
• Subscribe to RemoteBase - https://remotebase.co/subscribe?ref=lydia
• Get RemoteBase Premium Alerts - https://remotebase.co/upgrade?offer_id=db406239-855a-447b-95a8-ba8e07c12747
• Follow RemoteBase on IG - https://instagram.com/remotebase

To hear more from me, follow the below
• Twitter - https://twitter.com/_indieva
• Indie va - https://indieva.xyz/
• Business & Pleasure - https://businessandpleasure.transistor.fm/

Marc is a travel pro, so I had to get him on the podcast. He's an author and travel writer who is based in New Zealand. He's traveled the world and has learnt some really important things along the way. In today's episode we talk about why he decided to write a memoir documenting his travels, why he wants to inspire more people to get out and see the world and why you should be curious!
I really enjoyed my chat with Marc, we covered A LOT. If you love travel, this one's for you. 
What we cover• An introduction to Marc• Moving to the UK at 19• Where the love for travel began  • Why travel?• Discovering what's out there• Creating your own opinion and sharing experiences• Why no one cares about your travels• The good & the bad • What’s next?• Can you have it all?
Follow Marc's journey• Twitter• Life Went That Way • Marc's memoir - Twenty
To hear more from us, follow us below• Twitter• Website• Business & Pleasure