We speak to Angeli Gette from Sydney, Australia, a digital nomad who is traveling the world with her husband Guillermo. She is a Health and Wellness Coach who loves helping women struggling with weight loss to find confidence to lose weight without dieting, and creating a body and life that they love.

Tell us more about yourself.

Prior to becoming a Health Coach, I owned an online supplement business (which is now closed) and worked as an IT Project Manager. I love technology and working on different projects. Apart from setting up my own Health Coaching business, I also help my husband with his software business.

Traveling is my current hobby and I also like making travel videos. My husband and I started documenting our travels this year and it has been a great way to remember the amazing experiences we are having.

How long have you been a digital nomad?

I first moved from Sydney, Australia to California in 2010 which ignited my love for travel. I loved the thrill of moving to a new country. I then moved back to Sydney and in 2015, Guillermo and I got married.  In April 2016, Guillermo and I started traveling again, starting in South East Asia. Now we are both nomads and are currently location independent.

Best experience as a digital nomad?

Best experience is actually living in different countries like local people but being so close to the beautiful tourist attractions and sights. Although you do “touristic things” and see the sights, the majority of my time is spent working either at a coffee shop, co-working space or at our Airbnb. We live our “regular” life that we would live back home such as working (but now I work online instead for a company), cooking our meals and doing our laundry - but we do it in a different place with amazing attractions which makes the experience much more surreal!

We were able to land a free house and dog sitting job for one week in Paris which was 5 minutes walk to the Eiffel Tower. Being a digital nomad gave us the flexibility to take this job, and the location was amazing. I could not believe we were living so close to the Eiffel Tower and in Trocadero. This was definitely a highlight of being location independent.

Lastly, meeting amazing like-minded people is the best experience as a nomad. When you are in your home country and you talk to your friends or family about your life as a digital nomad, they may not understand you or get why you want to travel so much. But when you meet people whilst you travel, they have the same mentality as you. They instantly understand you, you are just like them and being a digital nomad is normal.

Worse thing about being a digital nomad?

I think the planning of our next destination is probably the worst thing as a digital nomad. It is stressful, and because we are on a budget, we try and find the cheapest possible way to get somewhere. This can result in days of research and changing your mind constantly.

It really isn’t that bad once you make a decision, but since I travel with my husband, we sometimes become indecisive on where to go to next. We also have a loose schedule in the sense that we are chasing summer so we leave Europe in October, then are going to Argentina for 2 months so we have to fit in the places we want to see in Europe in the timeframe.

Another downside of being a digital nomad is missing family and friends. My sister-in-law, cousins and friends have all recently had babies this year, and missing out on seeing the babies grow is really hard.

Did you encounter any safety issues while traveling?

There were a few times in Cambodia that I felt unsafe as I booked a hotel which was closer to residential areas and there were no tourists around. After a day out exploring, I often ended up in deserted dark streets with no one around, but nothing happened. I ended up moving hotels to a more central location which ended up being much better.

Local Tuk Tuk drivers in Phnom Penh also warned me to be careful of my small handbag, and to put it away in my larger backpack as there are a lot of instances where someone on a motorbike will come by when you are on a tuk tuk and either cut or rip your handbag off you.

Other than that, I haven’t encountered any safety issues but I always wear my handbag across my body and in front of me. I am aware of my belongings at all times and try to stay in well lit areas. I don’t wear a lot of jewellery either. If I ever feel unsafe walking on the street, I always catch an Uber or taxi so I am not stranded in the middle of a deserted neighborhood. It is always good to be alert and aware of your surroundings as a woman. Do your research too. Sometimes it is better to catch a taxi, rather than walk through a bad neighborhood.

How did you become a Health and Wellness coach?

I am certified by Cadence Health Australia and recently set up my business. I actually became a digital nomad before my business was set up.

Being a Health Coach has allowed me to work from anywhere in the world, as I deal with my clients through Skype. Anyone can become a Health Coach if you are passionate about helping people and there are numerous types of certifications to obtain worldwide. Another large coach school is Institute of Integrative Nutrition.

What tools did you use to set up your business?

I created my own website using WordPress and Visual Composer which was a major learning curve. There are also various templates or ready made websites that can be used if designing a website is not your forte. You can also use sites such as UpWork.com to help find someone to make you a website.

How can someone else follow your path and become a Health and Wellness coach?

My suggestion is to find your niche in Health Coaching to differentiate yourself from the competition. Use your past experiences to help you in your business.

I used to compete in bodybuilding competitions and have tried every diet under the sun which ruined my metabolism, self-esteem and body-image. Now, I deal with women who are sick of dieting and need help with self-confidence and body-image. I use non-diet approaches to weight loss and help women grow their confidence, self-esteem and love their body.

This is my focus because I have been there and done that. Leverage off your past experiences.

Any advice for aspiring digital nomads?

Just do it.

There is never going to be a perfect time to become a digital nomad. You don’t need to wait until you have an online job to become a nomad. You become a digital nomad, then you can figure out what you are going to do for money. You can work online or in the country you decide to live in. There is always a way to make money on the road. The best ideas come when you have no other choice but to make something happen.

I do suggest having some money saved up to get started and to start in a cheaper country to stretch your dollars!

Think about what you are good at and what you like to do. Do your research. Watch YouTube videos. Read the articles on this blog to get inspiration! There are numerous jobs online or you can teach English (or whatever language you know) in your chosen country. You can also work at hostels or farms.

My advice is to just pack your bags and go.

Don’t let fear hold you back. If all else fails, you can always come home!

Follow Angeli on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and her website.

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