RWL224 How to Transition from Corporate Life to Location-Independent Entrepreneurship w/ Niluka Kavanagh Founder, ImagineThat

Alex:
0:00

Are you at an inflection point in your life and struggling for ideas on what to do to start or grow your location-independent career? This series is all about uncovering opportunities that await in the world of remote work and location-independent businesses. I'll be sharing case studies of location-independent freelancers, solopreneurs, founders and leaders to give you ideas on what they do and how they're growing. Founders and leaders to give you ideas on what they do and how they're growing. Imagine waking up in a new city, a new country or even just a new coffee shop every week, with the freedom to work from anywhere in the world. This isn't just a dream. It's a reality that so many have achieved, and it's a reality you can achieve too. My name's Alex Wilson-Campbell, founder of the Remote Work Life podcast, and this series is dedicated to those at an inflection point in their lives. Maybe you're feeling stuck in a traditional job, yearning for more flexibility and autonomy. Perhaps you're looking for a way to balance your career with your personal life, or maybe you're driven by a desire to explore the world without sacrificing your professional ambitions. Whatever your motivation, you're not alone. Throughout this series, I'll share case studies of location-independent freelancers, solopreneurs, founders and leaders who've successfully navigated the transition to location independence, from digital nomads to entrepreneurs, we'll explore a wide array of businesses that can be pursued from anywhere. Join me as we dive into the nuts and bolts of building a remote work life, tackling topics like finding your niche, leveraging your skills, creating a sustainable income and overcoming the inevitable challenges along the way. We'll also share the tools and strategies that can help you thrive in this exciting new landscape. So if you're ready to break free from the confines of a traditional office to embark on something that matches your goals, you're in the right place.

Alex:
1:54

Today's guest is Niluka Kavanagh, founder of Imagine that. After graduating from Oxford University, niluka had a successful career in consulting at KPMG, where she worked with a number of global clients. She then decided to take a leap of faith, going into entrepreneurship and having two businesses of her own one, a tech startup, which she took to market, and the other a successful public speaking business where she helped over 500 people improve their presenting skills. Both these businesses were done fully remote, while living in seven places around the world, from Valencia and Lisbon to Chiang Mai and Da Nang. After seeing it was possible to work for herself and work from anywhere, she decided to create Imagine that, dedicated to helping other corporate professionals achieve the same. Niluka has previously lectured for Edinburgh Business School, trinity Business School, lis, and has had articles featured by Cambridge University and the World Financial Review. She is also the host of the YouTube channel Breaking Boundaries with Naluka. Thanks for joining us on the show today, naluka, can you just begin by telling us a bit about yourself?

Niluka :
3:03

I grew up in Buckinghamshire in the UK. I studied at Oxford University amazing experience. I then, in my early career, was a consultant at KPMG in London, worked with some big global clients like Mastercard, tesco, london Stock Exchange, and worked in a range of teams which taught me so much, worked in strategy, customer commercial management, learned a lot. After that, I decided I wanted more from my career, more for my life, and I took a bit of a leap of faith. I asked myself is it possible to work for myself and is it possible to work from anywhere? So I decided to go into entrepreneurship and during this time I worked on two businesses of my own One, a tech tech startup, which I took to market. The other, an online public speaking business where I helped about 500 plus people globally. And I did all of that while nomading in seven places around the world. And that led me on to create. Imagine that, which I'm sure we'll talk more about today, which is the business school for digital nomads and solopreneurs who want to Work from Anywhere.

Niluka :
4:07

You asked me what led me to become a founder. I think it's maybe a bit cliche, but I've always loved to build and create. So even when I was at KPMG. Even in my consulting days I guess you could call it I was an intrapreneur, an intrapreneur. So when I was at KPMG, I built KPMG Future Thinkers, which was a tech initiative that brought in speakers from the BBC, nutmeg, hsbc, etc. And also was one of the founding members of KPMG BSU, which was the behavioral science unit.

Niluka :
4:40

So I've always, even when I was in corporate, loved to create and build. And then I have my own personal website. I have my YouTube channel, breaking Boundaries with Naluka. Then, as I said, I had my public speaking business, help me present, which I actually started that while I was working at KPMG, which was very interesting. During the pandemic and even when I was like 15, I was coming up with this idea to create like a clothing line and all of this. So I think I've always been someone who liked to build and create. So it wasn't necessarily one thing that led me to become a founder. I think that's just who I am and I'd like to see the direct impact of what I am doing. I think maybe also I'm not afraid to go against the grain and maybe be a bit different, and I think that is also common of founders too.

Alex:
5:27

I'm intrigued to know more about the business. So tell me more about that and tell me about the origins of the business.

Niluka :
5:34

Absolutely so. The first thing to say is that I wasn't unhappy while I was at KPMG. This is really important. This wasn't a story of burnout or toxic culture or like I just had to quit because I was so unhappy and down. I actually was doing pretty well, I had been promoted quickly, I liked my team, et cetera, et cetera. But I think I just wanted more, and I say that imagine that is for ambitious but bored professionals, because that is me.

Niluka :
6:02

That was me a few years ago. I felt very ambitious with my career, but I felt so bored, and I think the pandemic really shifted my mindset. It made me think look, if I can do my work in London, why can't I take my laptop and do it somewhere else in the world, somewhere beautiful? That really shifted my mindset and I thought to myself if I stay in London, earn more money, go up the corporate ladder, so to speak, is that going to be it? Is that all I am ever going to do in my career? Not take any risks, not do something else? And so I would say it was more of a pull move than a push move. What I mean by that is I was pulled towards doing this rather than pushed away from something that I hated, right. So I had this hypothesis while I was at KPMG Is it possible to work for myself and to work from anywhere?

Niluka :
6:57

As mentioned, I've always been quite entrepreneurial, plus, I've always liked to see the world, but I didn't just want to travel and stop my career. I didn't just want to take a sabbatical and travel. I had never taken a gap year because I wanted to move forward with my career. So I had this quite ambitious goal to see can I progress on both? Can I start building things and go into entrepreneurship while also sometimes working from anywhere? So, as mentioned, I worked on two businesses fully remote. One was a tech startup and the other was my online public speaking business and I nomaded in seven places across the world, in Europe and Asia and I realized, okay, this is really interesting because during that time, I also met a lot of other people like me, whether they were founders or whether they were people working remotely and nomading and I thought, okay, this is true, you can make money online, work for yourself and have location freedom.

Niluka :
7:52

Why do more people not know about this? And I know that there are people out there like me a few years ago. They have an area of expertise they want to do online. Maybe they're a lawyer, financial advisor, tech consultant but they need help getting there. They need help knowing how do I actually start an online services business, how do I stand out, how do I differentiate myself to win clients. And then, of course, you have the practical side of working from anywhere, and that is why I work with providers in the digital nomad space, whether it is digital nomad, tax, accommodation, etc. So I suppose I wanted to be that voice, that voice that could help people achieve those two dreams at once to work for themselves, to work from anywhere, and to take their area of expertise and start offering that online and, in turn, gain location freedom.

Alex:
8:41

What inspired you to be location independent with your work?

Niluka :
8:46

it's a good question. I think three reasons first, personal reason. Second, a wider societal reason in terms of the shift in how we're working and the future of work. And a third, a commercial reason. So the first personal reason is I simply wanted to see the world. I mentioned that I didn't just want to take a gap year or take time off to travel. I felt like why do we have to choose between our career and travel? Why should we have to settle and why do we have to wait until we retire? We didn't take a gap year. Why do we have to wait until we retire to go to these cool places or wait for three, four weeks of annual leave to maybe go abroad? So I think the first reason was a personal reason. I knew myself right I'm at the stage in my life where I want to be able to work from anywhere. I want to be able to sometimes take my laptop and work in another city or another place and see the world, while also progressing in my career. Right, I'm getting my weekends, so in my weekends I can go and explore cool places. So that was the first reason. Second reason wider societal reason, which is to do with the world of work and how I can see it changing. So as many as one in three professionals are predicted to be digital nomads or have some degree of location freedom by 2035. That's according to the International Accounting Bulletin. The creator economy is set to double in size to 480 billion over the next five years. That's according to Goldman Sachs and we're seeing more and more countries starting to attract global talent. Only I think it was a couple of months ago Thailand introduced the DTV visa, the Destination Thailand visa, which allows nomads to live and work in Thailand for six months for a very modest fee. So I think the second reason is I can see the world of work changing. I can see that we no longer have to be fixed to one location.

Niluka :
10:42

And then the third reason I wanted to create Imagine that and a location independent business is because of commercial reasons. Right, huge potential in this space. So online coaching and consulting set to reach 350 billion a year by 2035, according to Forbes. So huge market potential. Secondly, by having a location independent business, you have lower costs up front. You're not paying for an office and all of that. That can obviously really drain your finances.

Niluka :
11:14

I think the third reason is you also have access to a wider client base, so you're not limited. Although a lot of my clients and a lot of the people in the Imagine that community are from London and maybe Amsterdam, I do have also people from the US, from Canada, so that global access to clients is really interesting. And I think also there is a little bit of a hack here that no one really speaks about, which is if you are working online and you have a location, independent business, and you are maybe charging out rates that are common in the US or the UK, but then sometimes you are working in Thailand or Bali, your finances and your business finances are going to go further. So I think those are the three reasons personal reasons, societal reasons in terms of the shift in how we are working today, and then, thirdly, that commercial aspect.

Alex:
12:09

Did you face any challenges in the startup phase and, if so, how did you overcome them?

Niluka :
12:15

I think originally I didn't get my offer quite right. I had too many options this one-off session, this smaller program, this ignition course, etc. And I realized it's a little bit like that jam analogy or that study, if you've ever heard about it where they gave shoppers a couple of jam options and they were more likely to buy than if they had like 20 plus jam options. So I realized, okay, I need to streamline my offering a bit more, and so I went back to the drawing board and I spoke to customers.

Niluka :
12:43

I took my own advice that I tell people who come through the academy, which is go and speak to your ideal customer, and I identify two key stages in the customer journey.

Niluka :
12:54

One is people who are wanting to transition out of corporate and wanting to work from anywhere and start their own business, but they don't necessarily have an online business idea or they're not sure what area of expertise they should offer online, and maybe they aren't sure how to even transition from the corporate space to being a location independent solopreneur.

Niluka :
13:16

So that was a really interesting discovery for me, and so that is why I have the career transition program, which is for people who may feel lost, confused, unsure how to pivot, unsure what their business idea should be in, etc. And then there's another group of people, which are people who are your financial advisors, your tech consultants, your lawyers, who have an area of expertise. They know that they can start offering it independently, but they don't really know how to start. They don't really know how to differentiate themselves and stand out, and so my mission with everyone who comes through the Imagine that Academy is that by the end of the program, they are ready to start their online services, business work from anywhere and win their first client in six months or less. So that was definitely a big learning for me. Initially, I had too many offerings, and then I went back to speaking to customers and really identifying where are they in the customer journey, what are their pain points and what can I do to help them.

Alex:
14:17

How did you identify the niche for your products or services?

Niluka :
14:21

I think it was a little bit of that classic thing which was I wish this had existed when I needed it. So when I was in London and I was thinking about working for myself and working from anywhere, I couldn't really find a credible voice or service that would help me. Instead, there is a lot of smoke and mirrors out there, seen on Instagram, especially LinkedIn a bit less. I mean the number of online business coaches who are telling you how to start a business, and then you look at their background and they don't really have much that is credible behind them or it maybe feels a bit disingenuous people selling courses saying make 10k a month. With my course on how to make 10k a month, that ultimately makes them 10k a month right, and then they sell themselves off that claim so really has to be taken with a bit of a pinch of salt. Then Then you also have these digital nomad coaches, which are useful, but, to be honest, I figured out a lot myself when I went nomading. And then, of course, you have dropshipping, affiliate marketing, these types of so-and-so experts telling you how to make money online. So, in short, I saw that it was like the Wild West out there, to be honest, and so I saw that it was like the wild west out there, to be honest. And so I saw two gaps. One gap was hang on where is the credible voice here, with a professional background, who maybe has come from corporate, who is realistic on the topic? And so I just didn't see that. I didn't see that existed when I wanted to take the leap of faith. I haven't really seen it since.

Niluka :
15:47

So I wanted to take my consulting experience, my two businesses and my nomad experience to actually bring some credibility into this space and actually help people, using all the experience I have had in my professional life working with different clients and then working on my own businesses. And what was interesting is that at one of my masterclasses, someone gave the feedback and he said it's great to see someone realistic, speaking sensibly, with a reasonably priced offer that is practical and useful. My compliments. And I read that and I was like, yes, okay, I've done something. I think also another aspect in terms of how did I identify the niche was I saw a gap. So there were a lot of online business coaches out there. There are a lot of digital nomad coaches, but if you can imagine a Venn diagram, imagine that sits in the middle, so I help a lot with the business side and run the academy, but then I also work with partners to help with the more practical aspects of being digital nomad tax, accommodation and that type of thing. So yeah, that's really how I identified the niche.

Alex:
16:50

How did you assess the demand for your products or services in the market?

Niluka :
16:56

Well, a couple of ways, I think already I could see firsthand when I was nomading around the world that there are so many people who are now location independent and so my own lived and breathed experience being around the world, seeing other people not just myself opting for this different approach Okay, this is interesting. This was not the case five, 10 years ago. I think another way I assess the demand for a business school like Imagine that is I set up a waitlist on my Instagram account, just a simple type form, and I thought, okay, let me do a couple of posts, let me have this type form, this waitlist, in my bio. Does anyone sign up? And I was having people sign up with no marketing spend. That was interesting.

Niluka :
17:42

I also, obviously, did some market research.

Niluka :
17:44

I saw the trends in the future of workspace those statistics I mentioned before, the changing customer sentiment, future of workspace, those statistics I mentioned before the changing customer sentiment.

Niluka :
17:57

And, of course, I also know that business consulting and coaching is quite an evergreen area. It's not an area that an AI bot can just do for you. Yes, ai can help with tasks and automation and a lot more than that, right, but the actual discussion with someone about their strategy, how they find their niche, how they find their niche, how they identify their ideal customer, how they stand out and brand themselves all this type of things that I cover in the Imagine that Academy. That is something that I think is going to be relevant for a very long time and, as mentioned before, online coaching and consulting sector set to reach 350 billion a year by 2035. Obviously, that is great for me and with Imagine that, but it's also great for my clients who are coming to me wanting to start coaching independently online or consulting independently online. So, yeah, a couple of different reasons as to how I saw and how I assessed the demand for something like Imagine that.

Alex:
18:47

How did you attract your first clients or customers?

Niluka :
18:53

well, I have pretty standard way maybe, or something that maybe isn't that unusual, and then I have a much more unusual way that I will share with you. So the more standard quote-unquote ways was through linkedin and instagram. I tend not to do much cold outreach and I think, to be honest, if you really have something where there is demand, you won't need to do much of that. People will come to you. Obviously, though, you have to be active and out there. So I do use LinkedIn a lot. I do a lot of storytelling on there.

Niluka :
19:26

I talk about the experience I've had at. Imagine that I talk about my own journey to building. Imagine that I talk about the experience I've had at. Imagine that I talk about my own journey to building. Imagine that I talk about some of the experiences I have had through nomading, et cetera, and that attracts my ICA, my ideal customer avatar. That attracts the type of people who are like me a few years ago when I was in corporate bored but ambitious, wanting to work for myself and wanting to work from anywhere.

Niluka :
19:49

I do similar on my Instagram as well. Instagram, as you may know, is more for video content, so I create reels et cetera on Instagram, but the more unusual way that I have attracted those in the Imagine that Academy and those in the community is through Meetup. So I created a group. This really surprised me. I created a group on Meetup called the Business School for Digital Nomads and I sent it to London and people just joined that group, which was amazing because then I ran my masterclasses there, et cetera, and people were reaching out to me through the Meetup app or finding me through the Meetup app, and so that was very unusual for me because it's not really a very well-known way to market yourself, but I think, for what Imagine that is trying to do and what I'm trying to build here, it really works. So, yeah, that's how I would say I've attracted my first clients in the academy and those in the community is through LinkedIn, instagram, but also this group that I created on Meetup.

Alex:
20:52

What steps did you take to launch the business?

Niluka :
20:56

So I did what I like to call the three C's research.

Niluka :
21:00

And we're getting a little bit meta here, because not meta the company, but meta in terms of the fact that what I'm speaking about and what I did with myself is also some of this is also what I teach my clients to do, right, so I try to walk the talk. So I did what I like to call the three Cs current trends, competitors, customer. So what are the current trends? And I covered some of that already. But I could see that the future of work is changing rapidly. I can see that for Gen Z, they no longer just want to go to an office and do the nine to five. They no longer even just want to work from home. They want more. They want some location, freedom. But also the older generation, those who are perhaps a little bit bored later on in their career and they just want a change. They are the type of people who are now thinking well, you know what, I've got a good amount of expertise under my belt. Why can't I start consulting or offering my service independently online and go work a couple of months a year in South and France? So trends definitely in terms of our mindset to how we work and the ways we should work. Then, obviously, competitors. So I mentioned previously that gap right. I didn't really see anyone very credible offering a service like this. I saw that there were a lot of online business coaches and digital nomad coaches, but I wanted to be someone in between and to help people not just with the business side, but also with the practical side of nomading if they want that location freedom. So that was really interesting, doing my research in terms of competitors and also seeing that there wasn't that sensible, realistic, credible voice who had done it themselves, who could then offer that support. And then the third C my customer. So I went and spoke out to my ideal customer avatar, my ICA, and I mean my background at KPMG. I really specialized in customer, so that really is my area of expertise in terms of understanding the pain points, the challenges, the needs, the desires of people who are in a situation where they do want to start working for themselves and working from anywhere.

Niluka :
23:12

So I did the three C's the current trends, customers, competitor, research. I then went and created a wait list. So I started building a community. I created my website, I started to get a couple of the partners on board, so the partners who are offering that more practical side of being a digital nomad or having location freedom. And then when I saw I had that in place, when I saw, okay, I'm getting people coming to my waitlist, I'm getting people following my accounts, I'm getting people partners wanting to work with me or wanting to feature on the Imagine that website, I then knew, right, I really have demand for something here. I really knew that there was something.

Niluka :
23:56

And then I went and launched, launched it soft launched it on LinkedIn, my YouTube channel and shared my story and the reasons why I launched the business. So I think it's really important to say that when you launch a business, there is a lot that needs to go on before you do it. And really everything I mentioned there the three C's research, the creating the waitlist, the seeing if there would be partners who would want to you know, partner and collaborate with me that was all really about validation. It was about seeing is there demand for a business school for digital nomads and solopreneurs who want location freedom? Is there demand for it? And I saw, oh my gosh, yes, there is. And then that was when I started to go out more publicly and more formally.

Alex:
24:42

What marketing strategies have been most effective for you to grow your client base or grow your customers?

Niluka :
24:51

well, definitely organic. As I mentioned, linkedin has been really good for me because there are a lot of ambitious but bored professionals on LinkedIn wanting to perhaps change something in their career. I also have obviously run free masterclasses and other lead generation webinars, but overall I think the best marketing strategy I could advise is give value. Give value and make it about your audience, not about you. Speak to them in a way that resonates and gets to their point of challenge or their area that they really want to change in their life. And think about your why, not just your what? So every brand stands for something. If we think about Nike, it stands for action victory. Every brand stands for something. If we think about Nike, it stands for action victory. Think about Apple stands for innovation, chanel, sophistication, elegance, right. So there is a deeper why behind the products they are selling, and it's the same with me. We'd imagine that.

Niluka :
25:48

What is the why behind my service? Okay, yes, I offer business support and I help people start their online service and, you know, start consulting or coaching independently. But that's the what. What is my why? My why is about gaining freedom. By doing that, you can gain the freedom to work from anywhere. You can gain the freedom to work for yourself, set your own schedule, etc. So my aim with everything I do in my marketing or I try to do is to inspire people and to educate them and show them an alternative career path, one of freedom, one where you can work for yourself and work from anywhere.

Niluka :
26:25

So I think that's really important for anyone thinking about their marketing strategy. Don't just get fixed on the tactical and the specific actions you're going to do, like I'm going to post on Instagram three times a week and do this LinkedIn post five times a week and maybe do some digital marketing or even some I don't know outdoor advertising, whatever it might be right, that's all great, but before you get to that, you need to think about your why. What is the deeper purpose or the deeper aspect behind what you are doing? And again, that's something I help with in the Imagine that Academy with you know, even if you think about a financial advisor who comes and wants to start independently offering their service, that's great, we know what they're doing, but why are they doing it? And then that, of course, ties into your niche, etc. So that is the overall thing I would say think about the why, and that has been very helpful for me with growing imagine that what sets you apart from your competitors?

Niluka :
27:29

well, I think it goes back to those two gaps. I mentioned one gap in terms of, okay, there's a lot of online business coaches out there, there are some digital nomad coaches out there, but actually combining the business side with the more practical location independent side has not been done before. So that is what I'm aiming to do with. Imagine that, yes, there is the academy, which focuses on the business side of things, but if people do want location freedom, hey, here are some partners that can help with that.

Niluka :
28:00

I think also, what sets me apart is, as mentioned, my professional background and, hopefully, the fact that I am quite credible my academic background, my consulting experience, my entrepreneurship experience. I've also lectured at Trinity Business School, edinburgh Business School, the London Interdisciplinary School. I've had articles published by Cambridge University, the World Financial Review, etc. So really trying to be that credible voice in an area where there are a lot of get rich quick schemes.

Niluka :
28:25

There is a lot of smoke and mirrors, unfortunately, when it comes to how you can make money online and how you can travel, and I just want to be that voice that people can relate to and say, huh, okay, she was in corporate before. She has done it, she's made it work. She has a credible background in business. She also has done some of that practical nomad side of things herself. Okay, I want to work with her. That is what I think sets me and Imagine that apart. I really do want to be that brand and that company that does stand for freedom, but does it in a way that is practical and sensible and isn't making these grand claims that we see all the time on, particularly somewhere like Instagram, that are just nonsense.

Alex:
29:09

How do you stay productive while working remotely?

Niluka :
29:13

I love this question because I get asked it a lot. I get asked how do you get any work done when you're living in paradise? So I have four tips for staying productive when you are working remotely, particularly if you are working somewhere really beautiful, right? So firstly is do something you genuinely enjoy. Self-discipline is everything, and what helps with that Having a genuine passion for what you do. So if you are doing something that you really care about, that decision of, hmm, do I want to go to the beach this morning in Thailand, or do I actually want to make progress in X area, is easier, right, you know that you can go to the beach when you want, at the weekend or in the evenings or whatever, like. I have to have that discussion with myself. But because I love what I'm doing and because I feel I'm on such a mission with Imagine that it is much easier for me to actually choose, no, I really want to work on this task or this aspect of my business today.

Niluka :
30:07

I think the second tip for staying productive is to just have a solid work setup. So find a co-working space, find a cafe with good air con and Wi-Fi, don't just work from home all the time. I think that's a big danger if you are working online, right. So when you go to these places a co-work space or a cafe that's good to work in you can be in the zone when you are there and then when you step out you can enjoy your surroundings, etc. And for me personally, that helps a lot with separating work and play, or work and travel. Third tip I always give is to focus on output first. So this isn't new, but progress is measured on output and results, not a set number of hours, and I think that can really help when optimizing your schedule right and thinking about what truly matters for your business. Five hours of deep work with airplane mode on is worth so much more than eight, nine hours of flitting between tasks, being on your phone, feeling distracted, etc. So focus on deep work and focus on the output. And then the fourth thing I'd say that really helps with being productive is to find other like-minded individuals. So, for me, finding other people who are not traveling but they are working remotely right.

Niluka :
31:20

If you are someone who doesn't have the location freedom of working from anywhere but you are fully remote, I still suggest that you go and find people like you who are in a similar boat who are working remotely. When I was in Koh Samui in Thailand, there was a startup Samui group, which was great. I met so many interesting people working on their own projects, businesses, ventures. They're all doing it online. Lisbon, I had similar when I was in Da Nang. Almost every cafe I went to I found other digital nomads there and people with remote freedom. So being around those types of people really supercharges your own goals and what you want to achieve. So those are my four tips for being productive Do something you actually enjoy, at least you know.

Niluka :
32:00

I'm not saying you have to every day jump out of bed, right? I really disagree with that. I mean there's always going to be bad parts to anything you do, but I think if you enjoy what you do 70, 75% of the time, that's great. Second thing is have a solid work setup. Find a co-working space or a cafe or somewhere else to work than just home. Third thing is to always focus on output and that deep flow state of work so that you really achieve what you want, but it's not just about clocking in X number of hours. And then the fourth is around finding those like-minded individuals that I think that you can learn from and work with, and feel productive and motivated by too.

Alex:
32:41

Can you give me a high level view of the different revenue streams within the business and, if possible, what they generate?

Niluka :
32:50

So I have my B2C revenue stream. That is the Imagine that Academy. As I mentioned, that currently is a three-month program that is cohort-based At the moment it's live cohorts, but eventually that may become more of a membership or subscription model and the goal of the academy is that everyone who comes through it by the end of it are ready to launch their online business, work from anywhere and win their first client in six months or less. And I focus particularly on the why. So the why you, the who, who is your customer? And the what what are you selling? Another aspect of the B2C revenue stream is the career transition support. So I mentioned earlier, there are people who aren't yet ready to start an online services business, but they know that they want to transition out of corporate, they want to pivot, but they're not quite sure how to do it. So this is one to one, because it does require more tailoring and everyone's career is different. And that is, as I mentioned, career transition support. About four weeks currently sessions just with me to really think about that plan of action, to okay, how do you want to work for yourself and how do you work from anywhere, and what are the steps to actually reach that point.

Niluka :
34:01

Then I have a B2B revenue stream and that is my Imagine that partners. So this is really important to me to have those practical providers who can provide the help and support when it comes to the more logistical aspect of having location freedom. So the way that this revenue stream works is partners pay to be listed on the website and that is an annual amount, and obviously on the Imagine that website they gain the brand exposure. So anyone who comes, even if they don't buy from them, are gaining brand awareness of what that company does. So that is a win for the partners. As well as that, I also have a commission and a referral scheme in place so that if anyone does go and get I don't know digital nomad tax advice through Imagine that or digital nomad accommodation help through Imagine that, then I gain a commission from that.

Niluka :
34:53

And I think also I'm going to start introducing newsletter features as well. So as I build up the community of people I have about 500 people in the community now as I build up, as my newsletter and my email list becomes bigger, then I definitely see partners wanting to pay to feature that. So I'm really enjoying having both those revenue streams, that B2C angle, which is the academy, which is the cohort based how do you actually start an online services business and launch it and then the career transition support, which is for people who not yet at that stage yet but they need a bit of help moving from corporate to solopreneurship, moving from corporate to location freedom. And then the B2B revenue stream as well, which is working with partners, and I really enjoy having both of those because, ultimately, what I'm doing is that business side, but also that practical location freedom side, and that was really important to me when I created Imagine that to be able to offer both.

Alex:
35:54

What are some of the biggest challenges that you currently face as a location, independent professional?

Niluka :
36:01

Well, no surprises here. I would say, loneliness. Sometimes it can be lonely working for yourself no big team around you can also be lonely working remotely and being a nomad, so it's like double double the loneliness. But luckily there are so many nomad groups, meetups, entrepreneurial groups, co-living spaces, co-working spaces that all help with this. You do have to be active, though, and make an effort to go out and seek those like minded people. It's not like you go to an office and you have to mingle and make connections, right, because you literally sat next to people in a meeting room or sat next to people on the desk next to you, right? You do have to be more proactive, I think, when you are working for yourself and doing so remotely. But that's also why I'm building the Imagine that community, because I want to foster and create those relationships between people who come into the academy.

Niluka :
36:56

What is really amazing is that, despite the loneliness, when you do go out and meet people, it's incredible the people you meet. I mean, honestly, I have met people from such interesting walks of life a former Australian politician. A relatively famous French influencer who's my friend, djs around the world. Someone who has sold his business in Silicon Valley and he's now pursuing music full time. Many, many, many business owners doing incredible things.

Niluka :
37:23

So the people you do meet is really really interesting, I think, because when you take yourself out of the corporate bubble, when you take yourself out of the status quo and you do start gaining location, freedom and maybe working from anywhere and nomading, you get to meet so many people who have very varied and creative careers and backgrounds and I think you will bond over the fact that you're going against the grain in some ways. So it can be very lonely definitely. The other side of that coin is that when you do go out and meet people, you are most likely going to create some incredible connections from the experience. I mean, honestly, I never thought I would meet the type of people I have met today. Honestly, I never thought that. But yes, I think that is the hardest part. It can be lonely when you're working for yourself and working from anywhere and nomading in a new place. Of course, there's going to be a little bit of that loneliness when you start out.

Alex:
38:23

What advice would you give to somebody looking to start their own location, independent business?

Niluka :
38:28

Just try, take the pressure off. Think of it as an experiment, an opportunity to succeed or to learn. There's no such thing as fading here. You know you're going to succeed or you're going to learn a lot. When it comes to having location freedom. There are various ways to do this.

Niluka :
38:43

What I do, and what Imaginecom helps with, is the online services business. So I would be asking what expertise, skill, service area of specialism do you have that you can deliver online that adds value to others? Now, if you can do it online, it means you don't have to be fixed to one location and it gives you access to a global marketplace of potential clients. So again, just try start out. Do some early customer validation right. Pick a destination, go for three months. If you want to nomad, go just for three months. See how you find it.

Niluka :
39:23

It doesn't have to be this dramatic career or life change and you shouldn't think of it as that. But make sure, if you are starting a location independent business, that you validate, a location independent business that you validate and you think about the why, the why you. Okay, what is it about you that is going to make you stand out and make people want to buy from you who is your customer, know that, know your niche, know exactly who you're targeting and what is your offer and what's your unique framework or your business model right? These are all things we cover in the academy, but overall, break it down doesn't have to be this massive thing.

Niluka :
39:59

I think the problem is people get very overwhelmed by everything they have to do and I'm not saying it's easy, of course not. But honestly, if I thought about everything that could go wrong and every single aspect that I would have to do, I wouldn't have created. Imagine that I wouldn't have created my first public speaking business, et cetera. You just have to move the pebble every single day and try and don't think of it as this massive thing that either is going to work or won't work. Just say to yourself right, I'm going to give this a shot, let's see.

Alex:
40:29

Let's see how it goes and how do you maintain a balance between work and life to hopefully avoid burning out?

Niluka :
40:38

it's funny because, since having location independence, I felt like I need to holiday less. I feel like I crave it less. I suppose because I'm also someone who does travel or work from anywhere. Right, I'm not just working from home. Sometimes I will work, maybe in another country or another city. I feel like I'm no longer needing that or craving that holiday, and I'm no longer counting how many days of annual leave I have left. So that's really interesting. But, to answer your question, I think I have good boundaries. I know myself very well. I've had periods in the past where I've worked and worked, and worked and worked and my efficiency just goes down. It's like that efficiency curve. Right.

Niluka :
41:15

At some point the number of hours you do doesn't correlate to your productivity or moving forward, and I know what that threshold is for me. I think it can be hard, though, as a founder and a business owner, you're always on your phone, even when you're on social media. You're looking at your own business social media account, right, so you are always on. But I try to carve out when I feel like I'm getting to my limit, maybe an afternoon off, right, and that's the thing when you work for yourself. And I say this to my clients, those who want to coach or consult independently. When you work for yourself, you can set your own schedule, which is amazing, so that I think can really help with having a balance. But you have to be disciplined with yourself. You have to know yourself, I think, as a nomad too.

Niluka :
41:59

Right, there is the work you're doing, but also when you're traveling you, you know you're looking to explore the place. So I'm going to Chiang Mai next week, right, and I'm like, oh, that's going to be so cool. I'm going to be in Thailand, like. I'm going to beang Mai next week, right, and I'm like, oh, that's going to be so cool. I'm going to be in Thailand, like I'm going to be able to see different things there.

Niluka :
42:12

But I know that if I just work, work, work and explore, explore, explore, I'm going to burn out. So one thing that I have learned at the start of my journey is I have to factor in rest, right, literal rest, just relaxing, a short walk, watching a movie, whatever it might be, something that's going to recharge you. That is very important because I think if you are always doing work and play, right, you're always working, or you're always socializing or, in my case, maybe exploring new places, you will still burn out. You need that time to just rest, be away from everything, take a moment away from your laptop and just have some downtime and some time for your body and your mind to recharge. That really helps.

Alex:
42:58

And what are your goals and aspirations for yourself and the business for the future?

Niluka :
43:03

I would say two things. The first is to grow the Imagine that community, this community of people and this network of people who are like-minded, who want more from life and their career, who don't necessarily want to choose between career and travel. They want to work for themselves, they want to work from anywhere. When I started out, I didn't see this, which is why I created it. So I think that is a big goal for me to build this community, to show people that it is possible. Now there are a lot of nomad communities out there, but there isn't a community for people who are maybe currently in their corporate roles, thinking about making this change and they haven't quite got to the point where they're going to do it right. So that community of aspiring solopreneurs and aspiring nomads.

Niluka :
43:49

I think the second goal I have, honestly, it's to inspire people to change lives, to show people that it is possible to enhance their careers, to no longer have to choose between career and travel, to no longer have to deal with office politics, work a nine to five, hate Mondays, count their annual leave, etc. But instead create a career that is built around their lives rather than a life built around their career, and it's why I'm such a big believer in work life integration right, because why can't we create a career and a life that complement each other? So I would love to be a bigger voice in this future of workspace, a bigger voice in terms of helping channel this message and inspire people, like I did a few years ago, to bet on themselves, to take that leap, to start creating a career on their own terms.

Alex:
44:41

That, for me, would be a real win that's it for today's episode of the remote work life podcast, but if you're a location, independent freelancer, solopreneur, founder or leader and want to provide a case study for the Remote Work Life podcast, get in touch with me via LinkedIn using the link below in the show notes.