Episode 64: Alarm-Clock-Free Living with Nikol Toteva Hosted by Katelyn Calhoun Some of the best conversations happen when you're not fully prepared for them. I'll be honest — Nikol was the guest I knew the least going into this episode. We met through Content Club, had crossed paths online, but hadn't really talked. I wasn't on my A-game. We both had too much coffee. And somewhere in the middle of all of that, something just… opened up. That's the episode. Not polished. Not perfectly structured. Just two people who didn't know each other very well, finding out pretty quickly that they had a lot in common — and letting the conversation go wherever it needed to go. Nikol is a fractional chief of staff and virtual assistant who works with international entrepreneurs, managing the complexity behind their businesses and lives. She's lived in Bulgaria, Germany, France, Norway, and Malta. She works without an alarm clock. She once got audited by a government that had no idea what a virtual assistant even was. And she has a phrase — "take a coffee by the sea" — that I am now adopting as a personal life philosophy. This one was so much fun for me. I think it'll be fun for you too. In this episode, we talk about: The alarm-clock-free life — what it actually looks like, why solopreneurs carry the hustle guilt anyway, and what it means to finally give yourself permission to work on your own termsLeaving corporate not because it was bad, but because it just wasn't youWhat a fractional chief of staff actually does — and why the people who need one most often don't know the role exists yetLiving and working across countries: Bulgaria, Germany, France, Norway, Malta — and what each place taught her about herselfThe real behind-the-scenes of a location-independent business: taxes, registrations, and getting audited by a government that can't figure out what you do for a livingWhy impact feels so different when you're working directly with a person, not inside a machineThe moment she and her partner decided to stop moving — and why building a home base finally felt like freedom instead of settlingA few moments that stood out: Early on, Nikol names the fear that most online creators carry quietly: what if I say what I really think and people decide I'm not worth listening to? She didn't just name it — she sat with it. That honesty set the tone for everything that followed.The tax audit story. A Bulgarian government official, deeply confused by the concept of a virtual assistant, ends the call completely fascinated — wanting to know how she does it, how her clients are in Paris and San Francisco, how it all works from a laptop. It's funny. It's also kind of a love letter to the work she's built."Take a coffee by the sea." I can't explain why this hit the way it did. But the simplicity of it — the idea that sometimes the most productive thing you can do is just go be near water with something warm in your hands fills me with all the joy.The conversation about nomadic life eventually becoming its own kind of exhausting. The moment when constant movement stops feeling like freedom and starts feeling like a second job. And how choosing to stay somewhere can be the most expansive decision you make.If this one resonated especially the parts about building a life that fits you even when it doesn't look like the plan, send it to someone who's in that in-between season right now. They'll feel less alone for it. And if you're a solopreneur carrying too much on your own, connect with Nikol on LinkedIn. She occasionally opens spots, and having someone genuinely in your corner changes things. Community Co-Working Monthly Kick-Off Start the month with me! Once a month, on the first business day, we get together on Zoom to close out what just happened, set intentions for what's next, and actually work on something that matters. Quiet focus, real community, and an accountability WhatsApp group to keep the momentum going all month long. It's free. It's monthly. 👉 Sign Up! Need Help Clarifying Your Story? Story Strategy Sessions are designed to help you uncover your narrative, refine your messaging, and build a visibility strategy that actually feels like you. 🎥 Book your session and use code PODCAST for 25% off: https://katelyncalhoun.as.me/story-strategy-session Join the Conversation 📲 Instagram: @CraftedConnectionsPod 📬 DM me and tell me—what format makes you come alive when you communicate? Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm helping people and brands tell stories that resonate. 🌟 Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Keep creating. Keep connecting.
