I’m a first-generation African American, and the first in my family to live a nomadic, entrepreneurial lifestyle. My mother is from Mombasa, Kenya; she came to the United States to create a better life for herself and her family. I’m not sure my mom could have foreseen how much her children would end up leveraging technology to enrich their lives and build wealth.
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My online business, which sells consulting and on-demand workshops, cost me less than $100 to start. I launched my first digital product using a Google Doc as my sales page and promoted it on my personal social media pages for marketing. I was able to make my first $300 in sales within a few days, which is $300 more than if I hadn’t ever tried at all. “Entrepreneurship” is a broad term these days, but if you want a more flexible career, learning about different ways to make extra money is time well spent.
Cultivating a location-independent life for myself and my family is what drives me to try new things and talk about my experiences along the way. For you, the motivation could simply be wanting more income, time-freedom, location-independence or creative autonomy in your life.
Here are four ways online entrepreneurship helps me achieve my mom’s wildest dreams.
I can make money from anywhere in the world
Being a digital nomad doesn’t mean money falls out of the sky; I still have to work no matter what countries I travel to. Since I’m self-employed, I do a lot of video conference calls and online presentations, which means I rely heavily on technology. Some online creators build fancy video studios, but since I travel a lot, I keep it light with an M3 Macbook Pro, an Audio-Technica ATR2100x-USB microphone, an EMEET webcam and a RoamWifi hotspot to ensure I always have a good internet connection.
As I travel the world, I can continue to work on and grow my business. Thanks to technology, I’m able to keep up the momentum while seeing new countries, something that was uncommon a generation ago.
Remote work and a little hardware help me create an income that’s not dependent on being in a specific place. I can make money and build wealth from anywhere at any time; I’m creating financial freedom in a way that actually feels free.
I can be entrepreneurial on a lean budget
What I love about online businesses is that anyone can start one. There are even job platforms like Fiverr or Upwork that can help you develop your business or online side hustle. These platforms allow people to make more money and be entrepreneurial simply by having an internet connection.
It’s easier to offer services on job platforms because potential clients are already there, hiring people just like you and me.
I can use apps to help control my calendar
Working used to mean that I would do business tasks for eight to 10 hours a day to earn an income. Today, technology can automate my repetitive business tasks and help me work more efficiently. Now that I spend less time and energy working, I’m able to use that space to explore the countries I travel to. My goal is to create freedom in every area of my life, including finances, relationships, location and especially time.
I use Calendly to have the ability to control my calendar and always have accurate time zones. Other apps include budgeting apps that help me manage my money; marketing software that preschedules marketing messages so that I can get sales 24/7; and payment software that processes those sales smoothly.
All of this helps me enjoy more time-freedom in my life and not just tie my identity to work.
I can build generational wealth and create a legacy
Many people of color, myself included, turn to strategies like digital nomadism and entrepreneurship to make and save more money. Though we’ve made progress on the racial wealth gap in the United States, there’s still work to do; the median wealth of Black households in the US was $24,100, compared with $189,100 for white households, a Center for American Progress study from 2021 found.
Being able to work from anywhere, save money and automate parts of my life has been a great way to break generational wealth norms. My digital nomad life and opportunities help me create a financial legacy and cultivate peace of mind. I plan to leave my business, investments, savings and everything else I’ve built to my children and grandchildren. I want to give them a better starting position so that they can live a life that’s not all-work-and-no-fun.
This option is incredible, especially for me as a person of color, and it gives me fulfillment and peace of mind. I’m the first person in my family to live this life and build wealth in this way — financial literacy was not something I was taught growing up.
Whether you have a job, business or something in between, remote work and a little software savvy can help you build wealth in a way that also lets you savor the present moment. Get clarity on your life and business goals, then take the time to learn the skills and technology that can help you bring them to life.
