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Gen Z's Digital Nomad Work Lifestyle
704 Plays1 year ago
Globetrotting while still getting the job done? Yes, it's possible and it's something Gen Z professionals have their eyes on when considering their working environment. Episode 47 features a conversation with tech start-up founder and digital nomad, Harrison Lee, who shares how he travels the world while leading two companies.
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Transcript
Introduction to Gen Z and Podcast Goals
00:00:06
Speaker
Welcome. This is hashtag Gen Z, a podcast that explores Generation Z, who they are, how they're different from other generations, while also being an incredible blend of those who came before them. We explore what they think is cool, what moves them, and why they do what they do.
Host Introduction and Book Writing
00:00:21
Speaker
I'm your host, Megan Grace. It's so nice to have you here. Before we get into the fun, I want to thank you for your patience between episodes.
00:00:29
Speaker
If I haven't shared yet, I'm writing a book, actually two books, with Corey. And we're in the process of really knocking that out with a lot of publisher deadlines. Those are no joke. We love our publishers, but they are certainly keeping us busy right now. So I appreciate your flexibility in getting new episodes out. And don't worry, there's more on the horizon. There's more great content coming, new episodes, new interviews.
Gen Z in the Workforce
00:00:55
Speaker
So far this season, we've looked at some high-level insights that are shaping Gen Z as they're entering and engaging in the workforce. Corey and I shared more about the insights we've garnered from our studies on what Gen Z is looking for in work, and my friend Sophie Wade, a workforce innovation specialist, shared about how Gen Z is at the forefront of evolving workplace settings and how work is being done. But now we're going to connect with some Gen Z professionals to share about their career journey and perspectives.
Digital Nomad Lifestyle
00:01:20
Speaker
We'll first start with how Gen Z is structuring their work.
00:01:24
Speaker
So imagine this, you log on for work on your laptop and you go about your usual business. Except for that day, you happen to be working from Lisbon. And maybe next week, you might be working from a lovely town in South of France. In a month, you're going to move over and head into Southeast Asia. No, you aren't a travel agent exploring your new options for clients. Well, that would be pretty cool. This is the digital nomad lifestyle, working remotely, choosing to live and work wherever in the world you would like. And that place might change.
00:01:53
Speaker
The digital nomad lifestyle is not just working remotely from your home, which many of us do, but your home changes from city, state, country, and continent as you travel and still get work done. Not surprising, the number of professionals who are structuring their work in this fashion has been amplified by the pandemic, when many realize they can tune in from work from just about anywhere.
00:02:14
Speaker
This isn't just for the self-employed or the independent employee either. A study from MBO Partners found that from 2019 to 2021, the number of traditional employees in the United States who are digital nomads grew from 3.2 million to 10.2 million. MBO Partners found that the digital nomad professional population Gen Z makes up about 21% of those who are working remotely while exploring the globe.
00:02:41
Speaker
And there's some benefits to the digital nomad lifestyle that clearly align with Gen Z's work preferences, such as high levels of work satisfaction, income satisfaction, and obviously flexibility.
Interview with Harrison Lee
00:02:52
Speaker
In this episode, I'm joined by Harrison Lee, a startup founder who serves as the CEO of RIF, a virtual business partner for creators, as well as a co-CEO for Free Artist, a peer-to-peer financing platform for creatives. I was connected with Harrison through our good friend and past episode guest,
00:03:11
Speaker
Andrew Roth, while they were both working remotely from Lisbon, Portugal. Those two I tell ya. Harrison has been working and exploring the world for a few years now, so I'm excited to share more about his story. Before we get into the conversation, I have to share about something that is a mainstay when I travel. Being busy and on the go means it's hard to stay hydrated.
00:03:35
Speaker
which is why I never leave for a trip without Liquid IV. Liquid IV is a category-winning hydration multiplier that fuels your wellbeing, and it's packed with electrolytes and essential vitamins like B3, B5, B6, B12, and vitamin C. However, Liquid IV is not just for when you're on the road. For me, it's a work essential. Whether I'm working from home, working on the house, spending time outdoors, or recovering from a workout, it's always in our house.
00:04:04
Speaker
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Harrison's Nomadic Journey
00:04:36
Speaker
Well, I'm so excited for this episode. I mean, I'm excited about every guest, but it's always fun when a past guest connects me with a future guest. And that's exactly what happened if you remember our friend Andrew Roth from last season and season two. He's connecting me with a friend that he's met on the road. And so Harrison, it's so wonderful to have you here. Welcome, and where are you calling in from today?
00:04:59
Speaker
Great. Thanks for having me. I'm calling from Toronto. I just got back from Lisbon. So yeah, I guess this is perfect for me because digital nomad. I just got back. Yeah, bouncing around. Is Toronto home or just a stop right now?
00:05:17
Speaker
Toronto's home. Toronto's home. So it's so good. I think one thing you appreciate as a nomad is like free food and also like the making of food. You got to go home and like it's all prepared for you and you get to be a child again. And it's probably one of the best things. Yeah. You definitely need like a home respite every so often, I think. Oh yeah. I mean, I, I live 25 minutes from my parents' house, but I still love just, there's nothing that beats going to somebody else's house where they make you food, right?
00:05:46
Speaker
But we're not talking about parents cooking for us in this episode. We're diving kind of into this digital nomad life, and that's where you are in this phase of work, career, living, which we're going to get into. But tell us a little bit about your story. Who are you? What are you kind of doing for work? What's your role? And a bit about the journey of how you got to what you're doing today, which in some ways gives me a lot of jealousy. But who are you? Tell us about you.
00:06:13
Speaker
Yeah, sure. So I went to business school, and I actually started out in kinesiology, then I went to business school in Canada, like a nice preppy fancy business school, decided to sell my soul for corporate life, because that was kind of the mentality of a lot of people that I was surrounded with, like being consultant, investment banker,
00:06:37
Speaker
leadership program and like these different places. And that kind of seemed what the best fit was for me. And soon thereafter, when I started going into this corporate job, I kept on getting in trouble a lot, trying to do things without approval, trying to just do things that, you know, I didn't want to take a ton of time. So I just kind of did them. And then I think that was sort of when I realized that maybe I need to be more of like an entrepreneur.
00:07:06
Speaker
because I like to do things and just make stuff happen in a less structural way. And so, yeah, so then I moved to a kind of a smaller company, a startup within the bigger company. And then from there, I had a business idea and I started pursuing it, helping creatives grow their audience and their revenue growth using data and using machine learning and all that good stuff.
00:07:37
Speaker
and then got some started that and and and then we were off I guess I didn't become a digital nomad though until like a couple years ago so took me a couple years to like start until I really actually left my corporate gig that's kind of when I was like I can go anywhere
00:07:56
Speaker
And then COVID happened. And then, but then, yeah. And then after COVID, trying to figure out what was the right mentality with traveling was kind of weird because of all the restrictions and you didn't want to make other people sick and all of that stuff. So yeah, now I'm in like a full kind of nomad mentality. I love that you were able to kind of get a little bit of flavor and doing some corporate stuff, realizing it wasn't for you.
00:08:24
Speaker
And so many people are like, but I got it. I got to stay because this is what I've been told I need to do. Right. Like I'm so glad that you were able to find, especially early enough in your career, something that felt right for you. Cause so many people spend so much time.
00:08:37
Speaker
trying to make it or buying their time until they go do the thing they actually want to do. And I really love that you were able to have that reflection. I hope other people that are listening are able to say, hmm, that sounds a little bit like me. I can take all those wonderful skills I learned in business school, but I can go do something else. So I love a good entrepreneurship story. We could probably do a whole chat just about that. But do we're talking about how you structure your work and your lifestyle because
00:09:06
Speaker
those tuning in kind of the digital nomad lifestyle is someone that can work pretty much anywhere from around the world and connects remotely, not just like I have a home office, but that your home office changes and changes probably frequently. And really, can you, I know that you started to talk about what was pulling you into that after exploring like maybe corporate life wasn't for you or
00:09:32
Speaker
Let's just say going to one single office wasn't for you. What initially drew you to a digital nomad lifestyle and were you thinking that's what you were going to get into or what was the steps towards that?
Financial Concerns of Digital Nomads
00:09:44
Speaker
Yeah.
00:09:48
Speaker
I mean, I always love exploring a new culture and I think deep down though, I want to find a place where I belonged with other people and I just didn't find that with the people surrounding myself in Toronto. So I think that's kind of where I push myself to go explore and find new people.
00:10:06
Speaker
or different types of people. I do think, though, that I've seen friends, like, that they quit without financial safety, and that gets very stressful. And so a lot of the mentality is like, oh, if I become a nomad, then, like, you know, I'm going to find this, I'm going to eat, pray, love, you know, I'm going to find this wonderful, I hope people know what eat, pray, love is.
00:10:27
Speaker
I'm going to find this wonderful spiritual awakening, and I think it's tough to find spiritual awakening when you don't have financial safety. When you're low stretching as much as you can, it's not cheap to be a nomad.
00:10:46
Speaker
I think you can find ways to make it less cost-effective, but you're moving around so much that, for me, especially with flights, you end up paying so much for flights because you're booking it two weeks in advance. You're trying to be as flexible as you can to accommodate for these different visas. It's not the cheapest thing in the world. Lucky enough for us, I'd saved up money.
00:11:12
Speaker
You know use that to kind of drive drive that part of my life and Making the bed on myself instead of putting it towards a home. So it's a specific intentional like thing that you need to do Especially if you don't come from like a well income background Yeah, I think that's a great point of you know in general
00:11:36
Speaker
we can't find higher level meeting and like you said, that spiritual awakening and this is just basic like Maslow's, right? Like our hierarchy of awakening and enlightenment is only a possible if we have like that foundational basic stuff met and like having money to eat and have a roof over your head is basic foundational stability. And so I think that that is just really interesting because you know what we're learning in our study of Gen Z is yes, there is this idea of like making a lot of money would be nice.
00:12:07
Speaker
But why we're making a lot of money is not because we want a bunch of lavish stuff. We want stability. We want that foundation to be met to take it to the next level of meaning. And so I
Gen Z's Tech Comfort and Remote Work
00:12:18
Speaker
really love that that's kind of how you framed it. It's not just this like, loosey-goosey willy-nilly, I'm out here like, yeah, you're exploring the world and you're moving on from next place to next place. But there has to be some intentionality and planning
00:12:30
Speaker
to some degree because you still have to finance wherever you're living, which is a real thing. We can't just apparently live for free. Let's think about Gen Z and I don't mean to put you on the spot and be like, you got to talk for everybody. But when we've been starting to study Gen Z in the career and the workplace, one of the things that continually comes up is this idea of flexibility. Let's talk a little bit about how the digital nomad lifestyle and structure of work aligns with
00:12:58
Speaker
Gen Z's desires for how they want to structure their work in their life.
00:13:03
Speaker
Yeah, I do think post COVID, there's a lot of realization from the general population that going into work isn't as productive as people think it is. There is a lot of research out there that shows that short-term productivity increases when you're at home, but long-term productivity actually might be worse because you don't have the same water cooler chats that drive different ideas. So I digress. So basically, with the Nomad lifestyle,
00:13:33
Speaker
Sorry, my point with COVID was that because of it, a lot of companies are now driving much more flexibility. So there's companies like Get Croissant that gives you free access to co-working for $100 a month across a ton of different places around the world, much more affordable than WeWork. So there's a lot more alternatives that are coming out to help support this flexible lifestyle. So it's a lot more feasible now for people to do it. And a lot more companies are
00:14:02
Speaker
Shopify is getting rid of space in Toronto now. There are a lot of people getting rid of their office space to bring in the talent and bring in generation Z and other really strong talent that wants to be flexible. It's definitely businesses and tech tools are much more conducive to this lifestyle now, for sure. Well, and I think the point where Gen Z is probably the most apt for flexibility, hybrid work, remote work,
00:14:30
Speaker
uh, because y'all have been connecting through technology and being productive through technology your entire lives. So the idea like that you have a best friend that lives in, let's say Lisbon and you have a best friend that lives in Paris and you have a best friend that lives in Toronto, but y'all still connect on a regular basis. It's not this strange concept to Gen Z. You're like, no, that's just how we've been doing it. And so you bridge that into work as well in your generation. I'm a little, I would say a little Gen Z and the fact that I like to be able to, if I need to, I could work from the moon.
00:14:58
Speaker
Um, I could work from Paris. I could work from my home in Nashville. Uh, but I'm still getting my work done. Right. Um, no doubt in that. So you've brought up some interesting points around things that have made it a little bit easier to be a digital nomad. Let's talk about, you know, what are some of the most rewarding aspects of being a digital nomad?
Challenges of Remote Team Management
00:15:17
Speaker
And then what are some of the more challenging aspects and you've been doing it probably a little longer than, um, other people in your generation, but walk me through kind of like.
00:15:24
Speaker
This is an awesome experience for people like me happen. And then these are some of the harder things and you've kind of, you've touched on it, but let's go into that. So I'll start with the challenging one. Cause I also like, um, I've hired before, right? I've hired like Gen Z's and I've lived remote style. So obviously like the people that work with me like also live remote style. And so maybe that's a different perspective from, from some of the other people that you've had. And I do think that for me, my biggest like concern with like that kind of stuff is that,
00:15:52
Speaker
I need to be so much more aware of people's energy on Zoom calls. If somebody is low energy and they're not feeling it, asking them for updates and pushing them isn't going to push the needle forward. It's not going to help. You have to go and hold space for them one-on-one outside, which is something that was kind of
00:16:14
Speaker
I never thought I'd be saying like I need to hold space for the people that I hire but it's not something you just do with your friends now, it's something you actually have to do with the people that are around you and the people that are building with you because that's the only way that you can drive motivation because I find that people like the company, people like the vision, people like that kind of stuff for only for so long.
00:16:34
Speaker
even pay pay the incentives for pay only last so long it's really like the the loyalties of the people around you and like the willing to the the excitement to see everyone succeed that's what makes it sustain kind of engagement and so that definitely was a challenge that you know i kind of had to learn the hardware and like and how to manage like people's energy levels when even my own like when i'm you know moving around so much so i know you you're operating a team
00:17:01
Speaker
Without giving away the identities of your team members, where are they all based? Because I'm always interested about how remote teams are dispersed. So it's their majority, depending on how many people you're working with. Because I would love to know, what are the time zones that you all have to cross to get together?
00:17:20
Speaker
I'm lucky in the sense that a lot of them are from Toronto. So a lot of them haven't really started. They're kind of nomad. Maybe like one's not really into nomad lifestyle and then a couple other ones are like kind of coming out of school. So, you know, it wasn't really, I didn't really have to work with it within like an international team.
00:17:38
Speaker
I do write like research papers for a company called Water and Music. It's like a music tech company. And so those ones are wild because like it's all like, it's a DAO, it's a decentralized organization. So there are people in SF, in New York, and then I was in Portugal. So even that, it's like so hard to try to navigate like time. But I'm also of the mentality now where
00:18:02
Speaker
meetings are to assess people's energy levels and to get them excited, not to provide updates. I definitely was in the corporate office where we would have a whiteboard and somebody would want to whiteboard something, and it would be an absolute waste of time. For me, I could send a voice note instead of doing a 30-minute meeting.
00:18:21
Speaker
I end up getting a lot better at like, you know, sharing updates. Obviously I have flexibility because I run my own company. So if somebody doesn't want to talk to me, I'm happy to hop on the phone. But for the most part, I can just be like, Hey, this is kind of where we're at. You know, what about you? And, and move on. And then if there is a need for a bigger discussion with lots of people that needs context, then like, Hey, like let's hop on the biweekly sync ads at that time. So you don't really need to set too much time. Uh, so the international time difference doesn't really matter.
00:18:49
Speaker
So there's so many, I think things that people, like there's so many, again, large companies, small companies, everything in the middle that are still like, how do we do this remote work and make sure everyone's productive? And maybe they need to just take a lesson from you in how to use your time and your team's time wisely. I think that's like so relevant to so many people. I was just very curious about where everybody's hanging out on your teams and how y'all are bridging that gap. And it sounds like you're doing a great job in making sure that people are fulfilled in their work, but that you're using
00:19:16
Speaker
your meetings for the thing that it actually matters. Okay, let's jump in. What are some of the more rewarding aspects, I mean, besides seeing the world and doing cool stuff about this digital nomad lifestyle?
Cultural Experiences and Networking
00:19:26
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, I think for me, like, it's usually those little culture shocks, I like to usually go into places like less planning, more flexibility. So, you know, I've never been the type of traveler that's been like,
00:19:40
Speaker
planning, planning, planning oriented just enough to achieve like financial safety and then like I kind of let the rest go like I don't like I'll go to certain places that I think are cool but I won't go to the main like tourist attractions, I'll talk to a lot of locals before like actually going to places and it's usually through that like through like just unexpected things that end up being actually the most joyful. When I was in New York like I ended up going to like this Russian bar that like the KGB used to like work out of
00:20:06
Speaker
And so like that was like super neat. And like it was before like the war. So like it was, we're almost at the start of it. So it was like super interesting to like feel the dynamic. And I also went during the war, which is also super interesting. But just those things like that, they're kind of like culture shops. You're like, okay, this is super neat.
00:20:23
Speaker
It's interesting. For me, I've definitely been looking for a specific type of people that are building their own things, that are looking to improve the world through disrupting financial rails and not just talking about it, but actually applying specific tech or whatever it is to do so.
00:20:42
Speaker
You know, those exist everywhere, right? It's not that they just, you know, they don't exist in Toronto. They do. I just wasn't in those circles. And so like a lot of this just happens by, you know, you start building, you start talking to people, and you don't do it to try to get something to get out of something from people. Because I see that all the time. Is that like people come up to me and be like, Hey, like, you know, what do you do for work? Right? I asked like a terrible way to make a friend.
00:21:06
Speaker
And so when you start making friends in different places and they introduce you to different things and then you start finding your communities and like for me and like Lisbon and like in Brooklyn That's kind of when it starts to make a lot more sense Because you're building roots with people that also are very kind of you know travelers
00:21:26
Speaker
And that's the biggest thing I've realized is that a lot of people want to settle down. For example, in Toronto, because they want to build roots. So you hear that all the time. I want to build roots, so I'm going to stay one place, buy a house, and so on. But what I'm realizing is that there's a lot of people that are
00:21:45
Speaker
between 25 to like 35 or however long that are building roots with other people in different places. Um, because the, how, how, how, how you build your roots and how deep you get with someone is really based off the questions you ask, not the amount of time that you spend with someone. Well, and it's interesting because if you, well, you don't really have a house that you stay at for too long, so you might not have house plants. Um, but you can always repot a plant.
00:22:13
Speaker
Right? So is, is the idea of building your roots that you are only stuck in one pot or are you allowed to take that pot and get a new pot somewhere else? Um, I think is the, yeah, the argument that, you know, you're looking at roots as like you have communities of people. And I really love that. I feel like I didn't mean to, uh, structure my like twenties to the point where I was moving all the time, but I was, I lived in four States over 10 years. And when you do that, you.
00:22:43
Speaker
find that you have four communities of people, just like you've developed communities of people wherever you've lived. And it's about how you go about that, because you're so right. People just jump right into it. So what do you do for work? And I can tell you confidently, all of my closest friends, we very rarely talk about work. That's the whole point, right? And so you want to find people that you share those values with. And sometimes it's not the technical skills that you're able to provide that creates that shared value.
00:23:12
Speaker
I really love that concept and I think you're selling a lot of people on this idea that the digital nomad lifestyle is very fulfilling for those that want to aspire towards it or pursue it. What advice would you have for those that are interested in potentially pursuing a digital nomad lifestyle?
Finding International Opportunities
00:23:31
Speaker
Honestly, I find that especially with Gen Z, with Gen Zs like us, it just ends up being a lot of, you know, I'm not really passionate about it. And so I need to go find something that I'm more driven for. So my thing is always like, go to Crunchbase. Go to Crunchbase, look up the industry that you want to go in, see who's just raised.
00:23:50
Speaker
and see who has an international team, and then go and find LinkedIn, go find people that work there, talk to them, and then find jobs within those types of companies because people who've just raised, they're absolutely hiring because they need to apply, go get more marketing, they need to drive more growth, they need to do something. And so if you find your right fit and you get the right warm introduction,
00:24:14
Speaker
That's I think how you can, you know, get to the financial safety and then also like start, you know, going around the world and, um, you know, working in different places. Like I have a friend that works in Barcelona and like, um, yeah, so it just gives you a lot more freedom. I think, yeah. Yeah. That's great advice on how you can also take that stepping stone. Cause I think, um, people have a lot of identity in their work, right? Um, to say, you're just going to walk away from something and then start something new is.
00:24:42
Speaker
hard. And I appreciate those really tangible things that people can be doing to even just start exploring this. But I also appreciate your financial responsibility message there. Because I certainly know that there are times when I'm like, that's it, we're going to sell everything, and we're going to hit the road. And we're just going to see what happens. We can't do that sometimes, especially when we are career people and have bills.
00:25:04
Speaker
Yeah, I'm lucky, right? I have a safety net at home. I just came home because I wanted to see my family, but if something went wrong, I could just come back home, hang out with my dad. So some people don't have that. Some people don't have that same type of luxury. So you just have to be very cognizant of your own financial safety. Yeah, absolutely. So before I ask you the last question, I've got one kind of quick one. Where are some of the places that you have lived your digital nomad lifestyle? Where are some of the places? I know we've talked about Portugal.
00:25:34
Speaker
in New York, but where are some other highlights for you in this, let's just say, roaming the globe and getting your work done at the same time? Yeah, it's interesting. I mean, I think I've definitely visited, you know,
00:25:50
Speaker
40 plus countries across Eastern Europe, Europe, Southeast Asia, and all that kind of stuff. But I've lived in Lisbon. I lived in Barcelona for a few weeks. I lived in Morocco for a few weeks, and then New York for a few months. For me, the easier of Sappingson was going to somewhere close. So I went to New York first, because I think I might want to live there.
00:26:19
Speaker
I ended up being a nomad because visas are a pain in the bum. They suck and they are so hard. Even as a Canadian to try to get an American, because I run my own company, I try to get an American visa. It's very expensive to even just apply. I love the people in Brooklyn. I love the people in New York. I was like, this isn't really make sense for me right now. So maybe let's go try somewhere else. And then I had a friend who invited me to Morocco with a bunch of their friends.
00:26:46
Speaker
And then I ended up going to Lisbon, to September, to Barcelona, and then I'm probably going to head back to Lisbon. But same thing, right? I finally can spend 90 days within 180-day period.
00:26:59
Speaker
That I think would be a big challenge for if you're a nomad is to figure out the visas and what works and what doesn't and all the specifications because I'm not a big fan of people that make people pay for information. So especially these types of immigration lawyers that charge you so much just for information.
00:27:18
Speaker
I'm not a fan. And that's where tools like chatgbt really help because you're like, oh, the way I look at chatgbt is very much like Wikipedia back in the day. And you can use it to try to source information, but do not reference it. Do not count on it as your primary source of truth.
00:27:35
Speaker
But a lot of the information, I picked up so much information about visas that I've vetted with immigration lawyers that it's so much easier now. So I don't have to wait for people, wait for a lawyer to get back to me. I can just make more conscious decisions based off of some of the information that I'm getting. Yeah. And that's so interesting. Yeah. I wasn't even factoring in visas of
00:28:02
Speaker
that only gives you a very distinct amount of time, but it changes in every country. And so that puts kind of a new pressure to figure out where's next. If you need to add anything to your list, I've heard that Thailand is actually very digital nomad friendly, but might not be the easiest for, again, your time zones because they're so far ahead. But I've heard it's a really lovely place to digitally live a nomadic life.
00:28:29
Speaker
Yeah, I actually have a friend who just texted me that he's joining a fight club for a month in Thailand. Oh, well. And living there. There you go. I mean, I went for vacation, so I didn't join a fight club, but we did kind of meet some people when we were around and they were like, yeah, I'm just like an expat living here and it's really traveler friendly. Obviously tourism is such a big part of their culture.
00:28:53
Speaker
in terms of people that like kind of put down, let's say temporary roots for a little bit, Thailand is supposed to be a really good place. So if you need a little humidity, some beach and jungle, I put it high on the list. You need a little humidity after being in Toronto. Okay. So my last question for you, and I ask everyone this because I think that's, you know, the whole point why we do all come together is what is your favorite thing about your Gen Z peers?
Community vs. Purpose: Gen Z vs. Millennials
00:29:17
Speaker
It's funny, until today, I'm definitely on the cusp of Gen Z and Millennial. I think with Gen Z is what I enjoy the most.
00:29:32
Speaker
I've actually never thought about this. I think it's the push to find the people that they resonate with the most. Because I think with millennials, because I can talk about both of them, right? So with millennials, it was kind of like a push to find my dream, find my, I need purpose. I need to find something that makes a difference to the world.
00:29:55
Speaker
And that's a very overwhelming and anxious driven mentality, in my opinion, trying to find your purpose and trying to do that. So, you know, it's interesting to see like the difference with Gen Z's that's more like, I want to find a place where I am excited to go, where I like the people around me, I like the vibe, I like the energy, which is much different than like, I want to change the world. And yes, you have like, you know, some people that also like I want to change the world and stuff like that. But overall,
00:30:23
Speaker
That's the difference that I'm seeing between millennials and Gen Zs. And I think that approach is just so much healthier. There's just so much information and stuff out there. It's so easy to get overwhelmed with as a Gen Z. So being able to take a step back and be like, you know, I just want something that gives me good energy and good vibes. Yeah, that's awesome. I can kind of see both of those things, right? I don't think that Gen Z is not living a purpose-driven life, but I think the quest for a singular purpose
00:30:53
Speaker
is where millennials and Gen Z might just like we might take two different roads and not in a bad way. But I think Gen Z still has like a mindset of living a purposeful life, but they might have multiple purposes and that's okay. But I do absolutely agree with you. Like this idea of connection with other people on this values based like who are you innately as a person is I think a conversation that many
00:31:23
Speaker
Gen Z, whether they cognitively or just by practice and osmosis of others around them, have that conversation earlier in life that I think previous generations have. It's something that I think everyone eventually wakes up and says, this is what I value and this is what I want out of life, and I want to surround people that are like that around me. And I think that for maybe other generations, it wasn't as present at the age that Gen Z is doing that.
00:31:49
Speaker
I can agree. I do observe that among you and your Gen Z peers. But Harrison, thank you so much for spending some time sharing a little bit about your work structure. Some people would say it's unique, but I actually think it's actually a very good example and archetype of things that Gen Z is looking for in their future careers is this idea of flexibility and experience and depth of connection. So thank you for spending time with us.
00:32:16
Speaker
However, if people wanted to follow along with your work or stay up to date with your travels, what's the best way and your preferred way that people can connect with you? I don't normally have people following me. I definitely don't use LinkedIn. I actually don't know many people that use LinkedIn.
00:32:37
Speaker
And that's actually probably a good thing to know. But Twitter, I think might be the best. I think it's like at Harrison Lee 663 or something. Yeah, that's probably the best way to just say even like get me if you have questions. I'm open to like chatting. Wonderful. Yeah. Yeah. Well, Harrison, thank you so much for your time. I hope you enjoy your time back with your family for however long you're here.
00:33:04
Speaker
I'm excited to hear where next you go in the world and take your work, but thank you again.
00:33:14
Speaker
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00:33:44
Speaker
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00:33:59
Speaker
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00:34:26
Speaker
Another thank you to Harrison for joining me in this episode to share about his story and experiences as he navigated the digital nomad lifestyle. The world is a great big place and Gen Z is not waiting to see it. While the mindset of working to retire and then traveling might have appealed to older generations, Gen Z isn't banking on that. They're looking to integrate flexibility and balance into their life. Whether they are digital nomads or not,
00:34:51
Speaker
As we see remote work grow and evolve, we can anticipate more Gen Zers and workers in general taking to new lands to see the world and still knocking out the items on their to-do list. We'll continue to explore what Gen Z wants in their careers in the upcoming episodes with some fantastic guests, so definitely stay tuned. If you haven't yet, hit subscribe so you can get notified when new episodes become available. And while you're at it, share this episode with a friend or colleague. This is a more than a year kind of podcast.
00:35:20
Speaker
As always, you can reach out with suggestions for topics and guests that you want to learn more from and about. I can be reached on my website, meganmgrace.com. You can also find me on Instagram, threads, and LinkedIn at Megan M. Grace. This episode was produced by me, Megan Grace, and edited by Leah Kramer. Thank you again for stopping by for this episode. We'll continue this conversation. We'll chat soon.
00:35:52
Speaker
Bye!