I’m Quitting My Procurement Consulting Business To Become A Digital Nomad (Again), Here’s Why…
Don’t quit your job, but build towards a life you want.
I was so excited when I sold my business last year and joined a new consulting business with a salary and equity deal.
But after 10(ish) months, things have changed.
I’m exiting the business to become a digital nomad again. I’m giving up a multiple six-figure salary, equity, and dividends to gamble on myself a second time.
Here’s why.
#1: My one-person business is taking off.
While working, I was growing a one-person business on the side.
The growth and interest I’ve had in the one-person business were unexpected. I didn’t think I’d grow so fast. But since my business was acquired in September 2023,
I’ve 5x my Medium followers.
My email list grows 100+ subscribers per week.
I get 5–6 new leads every week for my coaching services.
I’m making $8–9k per month.
I can’t keep up with the growth at this point in time.
The opportunity presented itself to go back out on my own. To take the risk of growing a one-person business full-time again. It’s an opportunity I couldn’t give up.
I’m not walking away with no idea what I’ll do next.
I’ve got a profitable business that’s been for the last eight months. Demand for my services is high, and I’ve found a diversified and well-paying customer segment.
My advice to anyone wanting to do the same:
Don’t quit your job.
Build something on the side.
Give it 3–4 years.
Quit when the business is profitable.
This has taken me years of planning.
#2: My desire to travel and live overseas hasn’t gone away.
I’ve caught the travel bug.
It’s more infectious than a bat virus and can be deadly for the host. Ever since I traveled for over 16 weeks in 2023, I can’t help but want to travel more.
I honestly thought I’d gotten over my travels post-Europe.
But I was wrong—so very wrong. My desire to travel and live overseas has only grown stronger. I tried to deny it for most of this year, but I only felt a growing sense of emptiness.
Rather than deny, I’m embracing where I’m at.
Not everyone has to travel, but everyone needs to be authentic to themselves. I can’t deny what I want. I’ll only live to regret it.
So my plan is to:
Finish my 9–5 job by the end of July.
Travel to Southeast Asia, where I was born, and I’ve got family.
Build my one-person business while I live there.
I’m also planning to teach myself coding, starting with Python, and possibly start a YouTube channel to document this entire process.
#3: I spent time with my elderly grandparents.
One thing struck me: Life is f*cking short.
My grandmothers are 86 and 90 years old. They are still relatively healthy, but they do have some mobility and chronic health issues.
I recently went back to visit them in Singapore.
They kept telling me to do what I love and to travel as much as possible. This isn’t anything new. They’ve told me this since I was a small child.
But this time, something clicked.
After a few days, I knew what I had to do. Within 48 hours of returning to Melbourne, I told friends and family I would leave my job, travel, and build my own business.
Surprisingly, everyone expected this.
I seemed to be the only person that didn’t think I’d quit so soon. I couldn’t stop thinking about what my grandmothers both told me. By Monday, I told my CEO I wanted to leave.
She was upset and disappointed.
I won’t lie, the conversation sucked. But everything you want from life is on the other side of a difficult conversation.
Stuck on a big decision? Speak to someone older than 80.
#4: I’m in a unique position in my life.
I have no:
Kids.
Partner.
Pets.
Or any real obligations (besides a mortgage).
This provides me with a unique period of my life during which I can focus all my time on travel and building my business.
I’ve also got a very low cost of living.
I barely buy clothes or shoes. I’ve driven the same $4,000 Toyota Yaris since 2018. Being Asian, my mum lives with me. I’ve also worked high-paying ($100k+) jobs for over five years.
Privileged? You betcha.
But everyone’s got privileges. I’ve just aligned mine with the lifestyle I want to have. I’ve got an unfair advantage I want to exploit.
Use your unfair advantages.
I want to be clear about this…
I’m not running away from anything.
My 9–5 job at my procurement consulting business was awesome. I worked with good people, got paid well, and learned much about government procurement.
But I couldn’t say no to the option of traveling full-time and building my own business again.
I’m excited about the next phase of my life.
This is just a heads-up that most of my future articles will be about living overseas, building a business, and documenting my entire journey.
I’ll see you there!
👉 Grab your copy of my NEW one-person workbook (and mini-course) — How To Start Your Next Six-Figure One-Person Business In Six Easy Questions