From 9-5 to Nomad: The Story Behind Ally Archer’s Work-from-Anywhere Business

We recently connected with Ally Archer and have shared our conversation below.

Ally, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
When we look back on our lives, I believe we will find “threads” or “breadcrumbs” of things that have interested us, made us feel excited or lit up, or just felt totally natural. These “threads” can trace back to childhood, or be a newfound spark or realization that suddenly came through. I believe these “threads” are like themes in our lives that we must follow.

For me, I’ve always been interested in reading, writing, creating, music, travel, and visual arts. I was practically obsessed with magazines as a child and teenager, and strongly felt I’d work in the magazine industry one day – I loved dissecting the content styles, brand voice, the beautiful layout and colorful design. I would make my own “magazines” with Microsoft Publisher and print them out or email them to friends. I started a blog with my friend on Xanga where I’d edit together our home movies and publish blog posts and use custom HTML coding to design my MySpace (with a moody song, of course!).

This thread of written and visual creativity came through when I felt entirely pulled to start my travel blog, GoSeekExplore.com. Content had shifted to have the internet take the stage, and while I did not pursue working in the magazine industry myself, I’ve been able to grow my personal brand with the “new wave” of digital publishing, using my natural talents and passions in the process.

This is something that feels so natural to me, and while I’ve been able to stem income streams from my blog (my marketing agency, my book “Infinite Entrepreneur,” online courses, brand collaborations, and more), I would do it regardless because I love it.

There was no “ego” stemming from starting a blog and what it could potentially “mean” for me – no fancy title, no guaranteed C-suite-level paycheck, no guarantee of a following. It was pure passion and purpose that led me and is what still drives me today, and I believe *that* is what has brought success.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
Right now, I am excited to have recently launched my book (available on Amazon, BarnesandNoble.com, and Books-a-Million)! It is called “Infinite Entrepreneur: How to Break Free From Monotony and Launch a Digital, Limitless, Work-from-Anywhere Business.” This book blends travel narrative with business how-to to guide readers in starting and growing an online service-based business from anywhere in the world (even if they have never been in business).

This book helps the reader determine the transferable skills they already have (or can learn) to build a freelance or service-based business they are passionate about, completely online using their laptop and WiFi, how to find and land long-term clients, how to transition into full-time entrepreneurship, and travel planning tips for digital nomads.

This book is based on my experience running a service-based online business (social media freelance work) for 6.5+ years while living in San Diego and traveling as often as I want to, without it affecting my business in any way. I am passionate about the message and guidance in this book, and have felt so blessed to have gotten such positive and glowing reviews from the early readers so far.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Mindset, strategy, and intuition! Mindset for shifting beliefs and subconscious behaviors, since entrepreneurship is an entirely different ball game compared to the 9-5 world (where I came from). Strategy because it is important to have the right foundation and strategy in place for the lifestyle and business you want (I share my exact strategy in my book and it is what I recommend for anyone starting a freelance business who wants consistent income with only a handful of clients and without trading time for money). Intuition because it is so important to follow your internal guiding force – which I call your “Inner Compass” – as it truly knows best.

Tell us what your ideal client would be like?
In terms of client, I’d like to say reader since we’ve talked about my book quite often in this discussion! The ideal reader for Infinite Entrepreneur is someone who is driven and self-motivated to create an alternative lifestyle for themselves, regardless of the status quo.

They crave a life of passion, adventure, and excitement related to what lights them up. They want to travel the world and have full freedom of location, time, and money. They want to do work they enjoy without being tied to a desk or without having to report to a manager. They are willing to do the work up front to design the life they want, on their terms.

They know that a digital nomad lifestyle and business is meant for them, and will get resourceful to make it happen.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Colombia Photo: Max Gonzales All other photos: Ally Archer

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