The Chris the Freelancer Podcast

My review of Jakarta, Indonesia after two weeks of living and working remotely in the city. Timecodes: 00:00 Introduction 02:53 Arrival in Jakarta 08:39 Where to stay 12:50 General impressions 15:40 Covid restrictions 18:00 Where to get a sim card 18:57 Coworking and Cafes 21:05 Gyms and Fitness 23:04 Food 25:43 Transportation 28:23 Cons of Jakarta 31:55 Friendly locals and safety 33:40 Summary 36:53 Conclusion Links mentioned Grab (Ride-sharing App) https://www.grab.com/ Gojek (Ride-sharing App) https://www.gojek.com/

My review of Manila, The Philippines after one month of living and working remotely in the city. Timecodes: 00:00 Introduction 01:09 How I ended up in Manila 02:37 Philippines entry requirements (covid and onward travel) 05:00 Arrival at the airport 06:15 Best areas to stay in Manila 10:31 First impressions of Manila 11:00 Masks 12:32 My impression of the people 13:34 Touristic attractions in Manila 16:10 Bumpy roads 16:40 Stupid levels of security 18:06 Language barrier 19:44 Covid situation in Manila (masks and vaccination) 21:42 Digital Nomad community in Manila 23:18 My overall thoughts on Manila 25:18 What’s coming up for me and the podcast Links mentioned ------------------ My previous review of Istanbul https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/y9tdAql1Etb Grab (Ride-sharing App) https://www.grab.com/ WeWork https://www.wework.com/

My review of Istanbul, Turkey after one month of living and working remotely in Europe’s biggest city. Timecodes: 00:00 Introduction 01:15 Why Istanbul? 03:25 Covid situation 06:04 Internet access 11:45 Gyms & Fitness 14:01 Transportation options 17:48 Accomodation 21:30 Where to stay 26:16 Being scammed 37:11 Weird things about Istanbul 44:13 Pros 45:55 Cons 48:50 Top tips 54:05 Audience questions 01:05:28 Conclusion Links mentioned Riley’s Video on Istanbul - https://youtu.be/uqDpSN5bMLA The gym in the Green Park Hotel that I used - https://g.page/FiClubTaksim?share NomadList - https://nomadlist.com/ Instanbul Digital Nomads (Facebook Group) - https://www.facebook.com/groups/1160472153963742

In this episode I sit down with fellow nomads Sergio Sala and Ivan Kreimer to discuss the hype around Lisbon. How is it for digital nomads? Timecodes 00:00 Introductions 00:49 How I ended up in Portugal 01:56 Chris and Sergio share their experience entering Portugal - Covid restrictions? 04:11 Face mask requirements in Portugal 09:05 Lisbon vs Gran Canaria (the top two destinations on NomadList currently) 15:18 Things that make Lisbon cool 18:07 The issue with Lisbon coffee shops 18:58 Our experience checking out Outsite coworking cafe and Selina coworking space 23:00 Ivan breaks down the coworking scene in Lisbon 24:17 Digital nomad community in Lisbon 30:16 My least favourite thing about Lisbon + Ivan’s recommended areas to stay 34:58 What sets Lisbon apart from other destinations 38:20 Cost of living in Lisbon 43:10 Good area to stay for a few days 46:10 Best coworking space with a view 48:00 Chiang Mai vs Lisbon 51:53 Addressing Max Rovensky’s twitter thread on Lisbon 58:29 Shoutout to Sergio’s Youtube channel 58:54 Lisbon 5 years ago compared to now 59:27 Best times of the year to visit Lisbon 01:01:17 Summary Links mentioned Heden Coworking Space https://heden.co/ Avila Spaces Saldaha https://www.getcroissant.com/discover/lisbon/saldanha/avila-spaces-1/ Max Rovensky’s Twitter thread about Lisbon https://twitter.com/MaxRovensky/status/1530481185285095429 Sergio’s Youtube Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/sergiosala

In this episode Chris and Riley discuss what it’s like in Thailand since covid hit from an expat/digital nomad perspective. Timecodes: [00:00] Introduction [01:12] Riley shares his experience living in Thailand over the last 8 months [02:11] Chris’s experience with masks in Koh Phangan [04:02] The bright side of COVID restrictions for Riley in Thailand [07:07] Current entry requirements for Thailand and Chris’s experience getting into Thailand in April 2022 [09:03] Riley’s experience getting into Thailand in September 2021 and what’s coming up from June 2022 [12:10] ‘Security Theatre’: Why Thais are required to wear masks [13:05] What has changed in Chiang Mai [15:46] Chris’s Bangkok experience with covid restrictions [17:40] Audience Q&A [50:20] Summary of Thailand in 2022 (post-covid) Links mentioned Riley’s video on Rawai, Phuket https://youtu.be/TD7T7pzEOQI The seat sleeper https://www.instagram.com/seatsleeper/ Follow Riley on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/rileygbennett/

In this episode, I share more about who I am and how I came to be location independent. In doing so, I hope to help you figure out your path to location independence and overall freedom. Timecodes: [00:00] Introduction [02:09] My story [07:30] Take takeaways from my story [11:45] More resources Links mentioned My Skillshare channel: https://www.skillshare.com/user/chrisdodd My Youtube channel (for learning web development): https://www.youtube.com/c/CodewithChristheFreelancer ‘The Shopify Theme Developer Mastermind’: http://shopifythemedeveloper.com/ The original Chris the Freelancer Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/christhefreelancer Additional articles on how to get started working remotely: https://christhefreelancer.com/blog/remote-work/

Welcome to season 3 of the podcast! In this first episode I give an update on the ‘Chris the Freelancer’ project since closing out season 2 of the podcast in late 2017 and explain why I’m restarting the podcast in 2022. Timecodes: [00:00] Introduction. I’m back! [00:50] What’s been going on since the last podcast [05:00] Why I’m restarting the podcast [13:10] My plan for season 3 [16:57] Closing remarks Links mentioned: Brisbane for Digital Nomads (video) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pgfSV0MZNg Digital Nomad Life vs “Normal” Life (video) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Kf29BjaINU My Instagram -  https://www.instagram.com/christhefreelancer/ Sydney for Digital Nomads (video) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_71wNCBy1g8 The 40 Hour Work Week in Bali (video) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_Nnjs32iHs

Nick Nerov is a pro Amazon seller who went from cleaning windows in Toronto to running his Amazon business from locations around the world like Thailand, Croatia and Colombia. In this interview, Nick and I discuss dating and culture differences across continents, living in Medellin and his own entrepreneurial journey up until this point. Check Nick out at his YouTube channel for more advice specially on Amazon. Talking Points [01:23] How Nick and his friends found their apartment in Medellin – a 5 bedroom penthouse in El Poblado [05:27] How to Negotiate the price of your AirBnB (or anything for that matter) [07:20] Nick runs through the list of where he’s been in the last year and how he chooses destinations [09:31] Nick reveals his dream destination and an interesting festival he plans to attend there [13:16] How Nick learned Spanish [15:35] The difference in culture and dating between Asia and South America [19:40] A brief history of the pickup industry in Toronto [23:31] What it’s like to come home after living abroad [25:00] Nick’s entrepreneurial journey from window cleaning to Amazon FBA [31:22] What happens when you start to make passive income and become a nomad? [35:05] Nick’s plan to expand his Amazon business and move directly to the source [39:19] Sourcing products directly in China vs sourcing online [44:47] Why most people fail to make money on Amazon and what made Nick successful [48:37] Nick’s final advice for succeeding with Amazon FBA Links Mentioned * AirBnB * Never Split the Difference (Book) * Kanamara Matsuri (Penis Festival) * Baselang Spanish Training * Pimsleur Spanish Training * David Bond * The Game (book) * Alibaba.com * Poorly Made in China (Book) * Nick Nerov’s YouTube Channel

Julian Goldie is a freelance copywriter and level 2 seller on Fiverr. He’s also the founder of King Passive, a website to help freelancers succeed on Fiverr and make passive income. After meeting in Chiang Mai, Chris and Julian re-unite in Medellin after almost a year of travelling the world. Talking Points [01:09] Coworking spaces in Medellin [03:13] Cost of living in Medellin [04:29] The Language barrier in Medellin [07:50] Medellin for digital nomads [11:15] Julian’s experiences in Playa del Carmen and Bali [15:30] Chiang Mai Withdrawals and cost of living in Medellin (cont’d) [20:35] Julian’s journey to making money online and what he does now [26:35] Making money with Fiverr [31:19] Getting started on UpWork and how it compares to providing services on Fiverr [35:40] Our corporate experiences before becoming digital nomads and what motivates to travel [38:55] Our conversation returns to Thailand and living in Chiang Mai [42:01] Hitting goals as a nomad and what’s next for both of us Links Mentioned * Tinkko Coworking Space * La Casa Redondo (Coworking Space) * CoworkingC and Coco Coworking Space in Las Palmas * Pimsleur Spanish Training Program * Duolingo and Rosetta Stone * Selina CoWork Medellin * Dojo Coworking Space in Bali * Nomad Cruise * Medellin Destination Report * Fiverr and UpWork * Julian’s Website – King Passive * Stephanie DanForth (Interview on Fiverr and UpWork) * Julian Goldie’s Fiverr Account

Johnny FD is a location independent entrepreneur who has lived in Thailand for over 5 years before deciding to give up his apartment and travel the world as a true ‘nomad’. Well-known in the drop-shipping community, Johnny started out building and selling Shopify stores and nowadays, shares his experiences with nomadic life and online business through his blog JohnnyFD.com and his podcast, the ’Travel Like a Boss Podcast’. Stay tuned as we discuss what it’s like to retire at 35 and what Johnny has planned post-retirement. Be sure to check out Johnny’s latest course on how to create online passive income from a blog, brand, or audience! Talking Points [01:46] A little word about how the new season of the CTF Podcast will play out and how Johnny runs his own podcast [04:55] How Johnny met Sam Marks, successful e-cig entrepreneur and now co-host of the ‘Invest Like a Boss’ podcast [07:50] Announcing retirement at age 35, achieving financial freedom and finding motivation post-retirement [10:39] How more money does not necessarily mean more happiness [13:08] Making the decision to retire from eCommerce and continuing with blogging and podcasting [17:43] An introduction to Johnny’s latest course, Income Boss and what motivated him to ‘come out of retirement’ [21:42] Leaving Chiang Mai to travel to places like Bali, Ukraine and Gran Canaria. [24:30] Feeling the need for a home base as you become more nomadic [26:04] Redefining the definition of word ‘retirement’ [28:50] Johnny’s plan to travel less and spend more time in the US, Gran Canaria and Chiang Mai [31:08] Why Johnny and I love Gran Canaria as a digital nomad destination [32:41] The negative side to living in Bali and why Chiang Mai is such a good alternative [38:46] Australia for digital nomads – two big problems which hold Australia back Links Mentioned * The Travel Like a Boss Podcast * The Invest Like a Boss Podcast * Sam Marks’ Speech at Nomad Summit * Johnny’s Latest Course – Income Boss * Nomad Summit * My review video for Las Palmas * Johnny’s Blog – Johnny FD.com