What if you could retire early without winning the lottery or building a million-dollar business?

Host Ryan Mellon is joined by Evan from the Cost of Living Abroad podcast. While his friends back in Toronto are still grinding away at their desk jobs, Evan is raising his two young kids in tropical Vietnam, running his business from beachside cafes, and watching his savings account grow all without the stress of corporate life or massive startup costs.

You'll learn why Evan believes the traditional retirement path is completely backwards, and how he turned an average teaching salary into a wealth-building machine.

Chapters:
06:54 – Landing in Mexico for the First Time
15:45 – How Teaching and YouTube Became a Business
22:14 – Why Retire in Vietnam
27:03 – What Life Actually Costs in Southeast Asia
32:00 – #1 Tip Before You Move Abroad

He reveals the staggering difference between what life costs in North America versus Southeast Asia and explains why this approach isn’t about being cheap, but being intentional with your money.

Evan breaks down how to start building location-independent income before you ever leave home, so you’re not just burning through savings while you travel. He walks through the exact steps he took to transition from classroom teacher to online entrepreneur and why starting small might be the key to lasting freedom.

If you’ve ever looked at your monthly expenses and wondered how you’ll ever get ahead or if you’re tired of putting your dreams off until “someday” this episode will give you a new lens. Evan’s story shows that with the right plan, you don’t have to wait until 65 to live the life you want.

Listen now and take the first step toward your own location-independent life

Follow Evan's Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@evan_eh/featured

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https://www.thedigitalnomadcoach.com/

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Follow Ryan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedigitalnomadcoach/

Learn how to be a Digital Nomad: https://www.thedigitalnomadcoach.com/

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DISCLAIMER:
Listening to stories of beachside zoom calls, mountainside work views, and island-hopping entrepreneurs may cause severe wanderlust and an irresistible urge to turn your laptop into a passport to freedom. Side effects include daydreaming about tropical coworking spaces, working with Ryan to learn how you can start working and traveling and buying a one-way ticket to Bali. Get ready to start living your dream life today!

Get Your Free Guide: 7 Ways to Become a Digital Nomad
https://www.thedigitalnomadcoach.com/

Could one simple mistake ruin your dream trip abroad?

Ryan shares a gripping travel tale that every digital nomad needs to hear. If you’ve ever planned a trip overseas, you might think you’ve dotted all your i’s and crossed all your t’s. But what if something small, like a late-night arrival or an overlooked passport detail, could throw your entire adventure off track?

From visa misunderstandings to being denied boarding at the airport, Ryan reveals how easy it is to get caught in immigration red tape and how to avoid it without stress or panic.

You’ll walk away with simple, practical tips that could save you hundreds (even thousands) of dollars and a lot of frustration. Plus, you’ll learn about one cheap trick that can keep you flying without buying expensive fake itineraries or guessing your next destination.

Listen now to find out the three most common mistakes nomads make and how you can stay ahead of them without ever breaking a sweat.

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Follow Ryan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedigitalnomadcoach/

Learn how to be a Digital Nomad: https://www.thedigitalnomadcoach.com/

Please Support the Show

• Share this episode with a friend or family member
• Give a Review on Spotify
• Give a Review on Apple

DISCLAIMER:
Listening to stories of beachside zoom calls, mountainside work views, and island-hopping entrepreneurs may cause severe wanderlust and an irresistible urge to turn your laptop into a passport to freedom. Side effects include daydreaming about tropical coworking spaces, working with Ryan to learn how you can start working and traveling and buying a one-way ticket to Bali. Get ready to start living your dream life today!

What if the scariest moments of your journey actually become the stories that define your entire life?

Join Ryan Mellon as he sits down with Dalia Kemble, a digital nomad and coach who turns fear into fuel for authentic living. Her stories prove that the moments when everything seems to go wrong often reveal who we really are.

From surviving a pitch-black motorcycle ride through India’s infamous “Tiger Zone” to being stranded in a tent on a Himalayan mountain top during a thunderstorm, Dalia shares how embracing uncertainty became her greatest superpower and how it can become yours, too.

Chapters:
00:15:04 – No Plan B Mindset
00:22:53 – Slow Travel Realization
00:28:00 – Dating Challenges as a Nomad
00:32:34 – Non-Negotiable Routines
00:35:00 – Coaching and Alignment

Dalia isn't just someone who escaped the corporate grind, she holds a Master’s in Organizational Psychology and now helps others break free from societal “shoulds.” After years caught in the loop of traveling, going broke, and starting over, she made a bold decision that changed her life.

Her approach to slow nomadism, building intentional community, and maintaining emotional alignment offers a refreshing alternative to burnout-inducing travel.
She also tackles one of the biggest fears aspiring nomads face and reveals how to build meaningful connections and sustainable routines when your location keeps changing.

Listen to learn how to take calculated risks, create internal stability, and trust yourself when the path isn’t clear.

Get Your Free Guide: 7 Ways to Become a Digital Nomad
https://www.thedigitalnomadcoach.com/

Connect with guest: https://citytohippie.kit.com/596406f9a2

Send us a text

MORE FROM RYAN MELLON

Follow Ryan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedigitalnomadcoach/

Learn how to be a Digital Nomad: https://www.thedigitalnomadcoach.com/

Please Support the Show

• Share this episode with a friend or family member
• Give a Review on Spotify
• Give a Review on Apple

DISCLAIMER:
Listening to stories of beachside zoom calls, mountainside work views, and island-hopping entrepreneurs may cause severe wanderlust and an irresistible urge to turn your laptop into a passport to freedom. Side effects include daydreaming about tropical coworking spaces, working with Ryan to learn how you can start working and traveling and buying a one-way ticket to Bali. Get ready to start living your dream life today!

How do you make your remote life more fulfilling?

Ryan breaks down the most important exercise he shares with every new client. Before booking flights or sending out job apps, he explains why clarity on your lifestyle, not just location, is key to long-term happiness.

It’s not about fantasy vacations, it’s about building a life that actually works for you.

Ryan draws from years of coaching and his own nomadic journey to walk you through the real questions most people skip. If you've ever felt overwhelmed by choices or ended up somewhere that didn’t feel right, this episode will help you course-correct before you even start.

Listen and discover how this simple mindset shift could save you months of trial and error.

Get Your Free Guide: 7 Ways to Become a Digital Nomad
https://www.thedigitalnomadcoach.com/

Send us a text

MORE FROM RYAN MELLON

Follow Ryan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedigitalnomadcoach/

Learn how to be a Digital Nomad: https://www.thedigitalnomadcoach.com/

Please Support the Show

• Share this episode with a friend or family member
• Give a Review on Spotify
• Give a Review on Apple

DISCLAIMER:
Listening to stories of beachside zoom calls, mountainside work views, and island-hopping entrepreneurs may cause severe wanderlust and an irresistible urge to turn your laptop into a passport to freedom. Side effects include daydreaming about tropical coworking spaces, working with Ryan to learn how you can start working and traveling and buying a one-way ticket to Bali. Get ready to start living your dream life today!

What if the worst living situation of your life could become the doorway to complete freedom and a thriving online business?

Ryan sits down with Stella Guan, founder of Path Unbound, an online UI/UX design school that helps people transition into high-paying remote careers. Three years ago, Stella was running a struggling furniture business in LA when a toxic living situation forced her to flee in the middle of the night with nothing but a suitcase.

That terrifying moment accidentally launched her into a nomadic lifestyle that completely transformed how she thinks about business, possessions, and freedom. Stella brings a unique perspective to the nomad community as someone who didn't plan this lifestyle but discovered it was exactly what she needed.

Chapters:
02:20 – Stranded in Morocco with No Way Back to Europe
07:14 – The Night She Left LA and Became a Nomad
10:32 – Launching a Remote Design School While Traveling
20:48 – Designing and Hosting a Retreat in Rural China
37:35 – Why Changed Her Perspective on "Dangerous" Places

As a successful entrepreneur who's built a profitable course business while traveling full-time, she understands both the creative and practical sides of running a location-independent company.

Stella breaks down how she turned her design expertise into a course business, why selling all her belongings felt liberating instead of scary, and the mindset changes that help her solve any travel challenge with confidence.

Listen and discover how one night of panic became the foundation for a business that funds permanent travel.

Get Your Free Guide: 7 Ways to Become a Digital Nomad
https://www.thedigitalnomadcoach.com/

Learn why the nomad community might be the support system you've been missing, and the simple strategies that can help you build location independence no matter what skills you currently have.

Connect with guest:https://chinadigitalnomads.com/

Send us a text

MORE FROM RYAN MELLON

Follow Ryan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedigitalnomadcoach/

Learn how to be a Digital Nomad: https://www.thedigitalnomadcoach.com/

Please Support the Show

• Share this episode with a friend or family member
• Give a Review on Spotify
• Give a Review on Apple

DISCLAIMER:
Listening to stories of beachside zoom calls, mountainside work views, and island-hopping entrepreneurs may cause severe wanderlust and an irresistible urge to turn your laptop into a passport to freedom. Side effects include daydreaming about tropical coworking spaces, working with Ryan to learn how you can start working and traveling and buying a one-way ticket to Bali. Get ready to start living your dream life today!

Ryan reflects on his fourth trip to Bali and why he had to leave...

What started as a plan to find one perfect villa and settle down turned into a journey through multiple locations across the island, each move teaching him something new about what he actually wanted from nomad life.

Ryan opens up about the unexpected places that captured his heart, including a villa that offered stunning beauty but came with a crushing limitation that forced him to leave his dream setup behind.

He shares how Bali has changed since his last visit two years ago, the rising costs that are shifting the nomad landscape, and why one particular area keeps drawing him back despite all the other options available.

Listen and he reveals what 6 months of actual living in paradise really looks like, including the trade-offs between stunning locations and practical necessities that every nomad faces.

Get Your Free Guide: 7 Ways to Become a Digital Nomad
https://www.thedigitalnomadcoach.com/

Send us a text

MORE FROM RYAN MELLON

Follow Ryan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedigitalnomadcoach/

Learn how to be a Digital Nomad: https://www.thedigitalnomadcoach.com/

Please Support the Show

• Share this episode with a friend or family member
• Give a Review on Spotify
• Give a Review on Apple

DISCLAIMER:
Listening to stories of beachside zoom calls, mountainside work views, and island-hopping entrepreneurs may cause severe wanderlust and an irresistible urge to turn your laptop into a passport to freedom. Side effects include daydreaming about tropical coworking spaces, working with Ryan to learn how you can start working and traveling and buying a one-way ticket to Bali. Get ready to start living your dream life today!

Get Your Free Guide: 7 Ways to Become a Digital Nomad
https://www.thedigitalnomadcoach.com/

What if you didn’t need a big plan or a lot of money to start living your dream life on the water?

Ryan Mellon talks with Louise Lambert, a virtual assistant who lives full-time on a sailboat with her husband. After losing her job she didn’t panic…she pivoted.
Louise built a remote income stream that allows her to sail through Europe, work around 15 hours a week, and live simply but fully.

She shares what it’s really like to work from a sailboat, from grocery shopping by dinghy to hotspotting her way through client calls. She didn’t come from a tech background and never planned on becoming a digital nomad this way. But by staying open, asking for help, and taking one small risk at a time, she built a life many only dream of.

Chapters:
06:00 – Why They Chose Boat Life
08:00 – Losing Her Job and Buying a Boat
14:00 – How She Found Remote Work
20:00 – Planning Where to Sail Next
25:55 – How Much You Can Earn as a VA
31:49 – Her Most Memorable Moment at Sea

Learn helpful insight if you're feeling stuck, unsure where to start, or overwhelmed by the idea of going remote. Louise breaks down the true cost of her lifestyle, how she found work, and the mindset shifts that helped her keep going when plans fell apart.

Listen and learn how Louise made it work with no roadmap, no shortcuts, and no regrets.

Connect with guest: https://wannabedigitalnomad.com/

Send us a text

MORE FROM RYAN MELLON

Follow Ryan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedigitalnomadcoach/

Learn how to be a Digital Nomad: https://www.thedigitalnomadcoach.com/

Please Support the Show

• Share this episode with a friend or family member
• Give a Review on Spotify
• Give a Review on Apple

DISCLAIMER:
Listening to stories of beachside zoom calls, mountainside work views, and island-hopping entrepreneurs may cause severe wanderlust and an irresistible urge to turn your laptop into a passport to freedom. Side effects include daydreaming about tropical coworking spaces, working with Ryan to learn how you can start working and traveling and buying a one-way ticket to Bali. Get ready to start living your dream life today!

Get Your Free Guide: 7 Ways to Become a Digital Nomad
https://www.thedigitalnomadcoach.com/

Ryan shares an unforgettable travel experience that takes him from the beaches of Bali to the cobblestone streets and cozy canals of Amsterdam.

He explores what makes Amsterdam such a compelling opportunity for Americans who want to live in Europe and looking for a change of pace.

You’ll hear his honest first impressions, weird and wonderful fun facts, and what it was really like walking through the red-light district for the first time.

Whether you're craving a cultural reset or curious about remote work options in Europe, this is a fresh, entertaining, and eye-opening look into life in Amsterdam.

Listen and learn If you're craving fresh air, fresh starts, and maybe even fresh cheese... this one's for you.

Check out Episode 6 to learn how you can move to the Netherlands: https://lnns.co/NLG3akSv4g7

Send us a text

MORE FROM RYAN MELLON

Follow Ryan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedigitalnomadcoach/

Learn how to be a Digital Nomad: https://www.thedigitalnomadcoach.com/

Please Support the Show

• Share this episode with a friend or family member
• Give a Review on Spotify
• Give a Review on Apple

DISCLAIMER:
Listening to stories of beachside zoom calls, mountainside work views, and island-hopping entrepreneurs may cause severe wanderlust and an irresistible urge to turn your laptop into a passport to freedom. Side effects include daydreaming about tropical coworking spaces, working with Ryan to learn how you can start working and traveling and buying a one-way ticket to Bali. Get ready to start living your dream life today!