Welcome to the Get Gutsy interview series! Each month, I interview people who are getting gutsy– stepping outside their comfort zones to reach their goals and live a life that makes them truly happy.

Click here to read past Get Gutsy interviews.

Today, I’m so excited to introduce you to Kit Whelan, a digital nomad and social media consultant traveling the world.

Here’s a quick story about me and Kit:

Back in July I attended my first World Domination Summit. After an inspiring first half of the day of speakers, I was hanging out in a park in Portland and met Kit through my good friend Sara. I got to talking to Kit and learned that she identifies as a digital nomad- someone who travels the world while working for herself. How freaking cool + inspiring, right? I peppered Kit with questions about her life and work…and then quickly realized, I needed to share her insights and inspiration with YOU. When I got home, I quickly invited her to take part in the interview series. I’m so glad she agreed and can’t wait for you to meet her!

1. Hi Kit! Thanks for being on the blog today. Could you please give us your best Twitter-style introduction? (140 characters or less!)

I’m a digital nomad + social media consultant. I’m currently building Nomad + Spice, a community for location independent women everywhere!

2. Tell us about how you are getting gutsy.

I’ve been my own boss for over six years, traveling as I work, but a lot of the time it still feels like I’m making it up as I go along. I’ve heard this same sentiment from many of my female friends, so I’m breaking out of my comfort zone and building a new online community where location independent women can come together to help each other thrive. It’s scary to be out on a limb building something completely new, but I have a great team with me and it feels great to work on something I believe in!

We hosted our first meetups this summer in Portland and the response was amazing!

3. You became a digital nomad in 2009. What does being a digital nomad mean?

It means that I can work from anywhere. As long as I have fast wifi, I can work from Tribeca or Thailand, downtown Austin or downtown Auckland. I like to say if you can work from the coffee shop down the street, you can work from a beach in Bali.

As I’m sure many of your readers know, there’s nothing like the freedom of being your own boss. Being a digital nomad is taking that freedom to the next level: I not only choose what projects I work on, but also where, how and when I work.

There’s nothing like working from a cafe in Barcelona and deciding that next month you’d really like to work from a coworking space in Korea. It’s my way of scratching the travel bug while also building up my own business.

4. Location independence seems to be a trend as of late…but you were doing it six years ago before it became popular. How did people in your life react when you told them the news?

No one in my life was surprised when I took off for a round-the-world trip back in 2009, and they certainly thought it was cool that I could work while doing it, but they all expected me to return home and get a “real” job at some point. As months turned into years, it slowly dawned on friends and family that I wasn’t going to stop. And when they saw that I could make an even better living by being my own boss (working about half the time that I did when I worked for someone else!), and was much happier doing it, they were thrilled. I’m lucky to have so many supportive people in my life!

5. I know you probably HATE this question and get asked it a ton, but can you share your top three destinations that you’ve visited? How about the three you liked the least? And three on your “must-visit ASAP list” as well 🙂

Haha! This has to be the most common question I get asked 🙂

My top three destinations are Iceland, Morocco and New Zealand. They’re all completely unique and perfect for active travel junkies.

To be clear, these are places I love to go to have an adventure, not hang out and work for a few months. It’s a very different set of criteria. 🙂

There aren’t many places I don’t like. I try to get value out of every new destination, even if it’s not my particular cup of tea. The only time I left a place thinking “I don’t ever need to go back there” was Bali. But in recent years it’s become a hotspot for digital nomads, so maybe I need to give it another chance?

Coming up I really want to get to Korea, South Africa and explore Banff in Canada. The photos look gorgeous!

6. I’m sure there have been many challenges along the way in your journey. What’s your approach to tackling setbacks?

Take a deep breath.

Whether it’s arriving in an apartment with slow wifi or working with a particularly aggravating client, I get myself in a calm, clear headspace before engaging with a problem. Once I’ve done that, I can come at it logically and usually find a simple solution. It’s all about your mindset… and your ability to roll with the punches.

7. What one piece of advice would you give to someone who wants to follow your path?

The most important thing for anyone on any path: find your people! I don’t think anyone can survive without a community, and that goes double for those of us who are always on the move. Reach out to people whose Twitter, Instagram or blog you find interesting. Say yes to meetups. Go to conferences, cafes and coworking spaces. Be open to new friendships. The people I’ve met in the last few years have helped me grow in ways I could never have imagined.

8. What are you super excited about right now? Are you working on any projects you’d like to share?

I’m so, so, SO excited about Nomad + Spice. I’m building the site now, and we’re working on a podcast that will launch with the community in the coming months. The nomad space has been pretty dominated by dudes in the last few years, and I’m tired of it. There are so many location independent women jetsetting around the world while building up their own personal empires. We’re going to make space for women’s voices to be heard. This is a place for newbie nomads and experienced independent women to swap tips, organize meetups and help each other grow.

I’ve also got another project in the works that I’m enormously excited about, but it’s too early to spill the beans! Let’s just say that if you’re a digital nomad you might want to be in Southeast Asia in October 2016…

9. What does your life look like five years from now? More importantly, how do you hope to feel?

This has always been a hard question for me. I really don’t know! I prefer to live in the present as much as possible, and it’s difficult for me to think beyond the next 12 months.

I do love the second part of this question, though. I hope to feel like I accomplished what I’m setting out to do right now. And, like anyone, I hope to feel as confident and badass as Helen Mirren or Meryl Streep… but that may be asking for too much.

10. What does getting gutsy mean to you?

Not letting the tiny voices of doubt and insecurity decide anything about your life. Have the courage to ignore them and carry on being awesome. The worst thing that happens is you fail, and you try again.

Want to connect with Kit?

Twitter // Instagram // Blog // Nomad + Spice

Know someone you think I should chat with for the Get Gutsy interview series? I’d love to hear about them! Let me know in the comments below!

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