It was 2009, and I was a high school language arts teacher living in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. I had moved there with my fiancé just after graduating university—a big adventure for this Idaho girl.

Living in the Dominican Republic was a mix of adjectives: exhilarating, challenging, exciting, scary, emboldening . . . basically, fill in any mix of feelings, and that’s what it felt like to move to a brand-new country at twenty-three years old.

Not long into my first teaching job, I realized it wasn’t for me. I adored the kids, but the job didn’t fit. I worked for a horrible boss who belittled me regularly and didn’t appreciate the seventy-plus hours I put in. The pay was uninspiring. And I quickly realized that I would never be compensated for my extra effort. I wanted my income to be commensurate with my effort. So, just a couple months into my new job in this new country, I started a side hustle, which I called Freelancexpat.

My idea was to do a mix of travel writing and editing for local tourist businesses. And I leaned in, working first for a Dominican Republic travel site while pitching travel publications. I landed a few for “exposure.” Not exactly the best way to make a living.

We eventually moved to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, where we taught at a language school. A number of experiences, including more horrible bosses, anchored me into my vision of running my own location independent business. I eventually got my first real gig ghostwriting part of a university textbook, edited my first book, and—bam!—after more than a year of effort, my business started taking off.

As my business grew, I kept location independence in view

Here’s what’s really important: even as the business evolved, I knew where I was going. While I had never heard the term “location independence” at this point in my life, and I didn’t resonate with the term “nomad,” I knew I wanted a business that could travel with me. I didn’t want to be tied anywhere; I wanted to be free to roam. I wanted the luxury of exploration for the rest of my life.

And while I wasn’t sure if kids were part of my life plan, I knew I didn’t want suburbia. It didn’t feel like me; it didn’t connect. I wanted a different life—one of my own desire and design. So as I grew my freelance business, I built intentionally made choices that didn’t anchor me in place.

Rather than focusing on work locally, I built my business online. I educated my clients around the value of my exploration-focused life—how I fostered my creativity through travel and new adventures. I didn’t realize at the time there was neuroscience to back this up. I just knew that when I explored new locales, I felt awakened. Alive. Creative.

The real game changer: My first book

At the risk of disservice to my life story, I’ll fast-forward a bit, all the way to graduate school. I’d built a solid book-editing business, was founding managing editor of a regional magazine, began ghostwriting for a Nobel Prize winner, and joined the editorial team for Sam’s Club’s Healthy Living magazine. You might be wondering how—but that’s a post for another day. The short of it is that I went all in, tracked down every opportunity, and said yes to most things until I got busy enough to not need to say yes anymore.

And I got noticed. One day, I got a note from a small press publisher asking if I’d be interested in writing a book. A book! Of course I wanted to write a book. I’d fallen in love with books and writing at age seven. Becoming an author would fulfill a lifelong dream.

When my first book, The Editor’s Eye, was published, it was like fuel had been poured on the already small fire of my business. Becoming an author positioned me as an expert, opening doors for speaking, press, and a steady stream of new clients. As my business grew, so did our family. As I finished my master’s in professional writing and editing, my husband and I regularly discussed moving back abroad. We had traveled to Thailand while living in Asia, and we envisioned spending a couple years there as a family.

As I continued to grow my location independent business and reputation in my industry, I focused on building my business in a way that would enable us to eventually move. I worked mostly online, choosing to invest in my local Boise, Idaho, community through volunteer work and relationship-building but rarely working with local clients.

The next business transformation: My second book

My second book, Growing Influence—coauthored with the wonderful Ron Price—came out five years after the first book was published. I was ghostwriting by now, so I had written around a dozen books, but this next book was another leap forward in building my location independent business.

Ron and I were fortunate to have our book in more than 150 Barnes and Nobles across the United States, as well as around 70 airports. We hit best-seller in major categories. We were interviewed on iHeartRadio and our local NPR station, and had other major media features. And this book, on the topic of influence, helped me transition from expert to thought leader.

Best of all, I received my first copy of the book in Thailand. What a moment! Two major life milestones within a couple months of each other. I remember sitting on my porch in Phuket, after moving there two months earlier, holding the copy of our book and thinking, Wow. I did it. I’m living the life of my desire and design.

And as my business and brand continued to grow and evolve, so did I. Today, I’m grateful to have a small team of adventurous world impactors who show up every day on fire to support our incredible authors. I transitioned from editing and writing to now coaching, teaching, and speaking—which, in a funny way, brings me full circle back to my little apartment in the Dominican Republic where this all began.

And while Thailand didn’t work out, Portugal did. We’ve been here for five and a half years, and we’re loving our location independent life.

The author effect and location independence

And it’s not just me. As a nonfiction book strategist and coach, I’ve seen the “author effect” on dozens of clients who have gone through my book-coaching program or worked with me one-to-one over the years. While not every client desires to move abroad, it’s exciting to see the impact of their book on their location independent dreams.

Just recently, a book coaching client of mind shared that she is now moving abroad—after publishing her book! Another client was able to transition from his consulting job in the United Arab Emirates to work for himself, leading Alaskan leadership adventures. And another client has expanded from leading events in the United States to now hosting multiple events across Europe. A dream!

And for the authors who want to stay put, their books have helped them scale their brands and businesses, often growing their revenue by two to three times, and step firmly into their purpose. It’s truly beautiful to witness!

To Portugal—and beyond

I’m not sure what’s next for my family. Will we stay in Portugal forever? Will we move to another locale eventually? Will we go back to the US (in, like, three and a half years)?

I don’t know. I do know I’m working on another book now on location independence. Let’s see where that takes me.

Do you want to live abroad? If so, what steps are you taking to make that dream a reality? Is a book in your plans? Share with me in the comments—I love hearing from you!