3 tips for moving from salaried to remote work

Hello, my name is Alex. By now I’ve been working remote from Portugal for about 5 months, but I’d like to take you through my journey from November 2021: living in a rented house in Sneek, Friesland, in paid employment as a counsellor for young people and on my way to a major burn-out. Until March 2026: living in an RV next to a remodeling project in Portugal and working remotely as an independent SEO specialist and copywriter.

From hard worker to home on the couch

My working life began as a diligent youth counselor. A wonderful profession, but ultimately proved to be my personal salvation and pitfall. Although I still enjoy helping people, perhaps 5 years ago it was more of a cop-out to avoid looking at my own problems. Result? A burn-out.

This was followed by a hefty journey that eventually gave me my first steps toward online marketing. I went to work at the restaurant of a good friend of mine. Mainly serving and behind the bar, but also training in online marketing and working for his restaurant. A fun and educational time, but after two years in the restaurant industry, irregularity and being stuck with working hours, location and people all day, that love was cooling down.

From the Dutch norm to more freedom abroad

In addition, other loves had blossomed: a girlfriend and an increasing passion for marketing. She could already often be found abroad with her camper, looking for a remodeling project. Occasionally she was in the Netherlands working as a freelance skin therapist. That while I was tied to a fixed location in Friesland and still thinking mainly within Dutch (work) norms. With this relationship came conversations that were new to me, but also offered me new insights and a different perspective on work.

Eventually it became clear to me that I was ready for something different both personally and professionally. And where the hospitality work was becoming a burden, my urge to focus more on marketing – specifically SEO and copywriting – was growing each time.

What I did to work remotely

So I started the conversation with my employer, with the idea: no more restaurant, more time to work on marketing and the freedom to work remotely as needed. The result was a 16-hour-a-week remote job from October 2025! At the same time, this gave me the space to make a personal plan to develop into an independent SEO specialist and copywriter.

As I write this I notice that it all sounds very simple, but this did require – and does require – sacrifice, commitment and help from others. Because such a big change doesn’t happen by itself. But fortunately, you don’t have to do it all by yourself either.

What all did I do to work remotely?

Starting the conversation with my employer(!), with a clear idea of what I wanted and willingness to compromise in other areas (in my case financially);
Created a personal plan: a kind of self-conceived traineeship with all-purpose AI, for specialization into independent SEO specialist and copywriter;
Enlisted my network: Emailed Alieke (whom I knew from a press trip in Friesland) from Working Remotely about my plans and asked for help with my personal plan;
Invested in my plan: in not 1, but 2 trainings. An online group coaching from Working Remotely for working remotely and a long-term 1-on-1 course from marketing expert Daniëlle Bom to specialize me as an independent SEO marketer and copywriter.
Income and rental property given up: my current salary is not much and I gave up my rental property.

Both the Working Remotely course to prepare me for remote work and the 1-on-1 training with Daniëlle have been essential for me to get where I am today. In addition, a dose of motivation and perseverance are highly recommended.

I’m leaving! To Portugal

Finally the time had come: my rental house had been cancelled, the camper filled to the brim and in early October 2025 my girlfriend and I drove to Chelo, Penacova. A typical small, Portuguese village where almost everyone still keeps their own chickens, grows vegetables or picks olives. Upon arrival, there was no time for relaxation: the actual condition of the house had to be made up, my 1-on-1 online marketing training began, and I was making my 16 hours of payroll each week. Fortunately, upon inspection of the home, everything turned out to be relatively fine, so we quickly converted a space into an office. Remote working began.

How I work remotely from Portugal

We are now 5 months on and my new life already feels more normal. Looking back, I wouldn’t do many things differently and am especially happy with the step I took. Both staying in Portugal, and the switch in my work to independent SEO specialist. The latter also brings with it more freedom.

My work weeks now feel more and more relaxed and structured. I kept my working days in paid employment tight from the beginning. This is how I managed to prevent any room for doubts about this way of (collaborating) working. Taking care of good internet and a “normal” workplace were also taken care of right away.

The days off proved more difficult for me to structure. Although I had an online meeting every 2 weeks for the 1-on-1 training, outside of that it was tempting to get distracted. The village cafe, working in the house, an afternoon at the beach, you name it. Very logical I guess, but after all the novelty of our new life in Portugal wore off a bit, I did rearrange this.

Now, I keep my three work days as a fixture for weekdays and have a standard alarm clock set an hour after my last work day. Then, based on our joint plans on the “days off,” I decide how to schedule my other, personal work. This ensures that I structurally devote enough hours to my own business and at the same time provides the freedom to do so at times that are convenient for me.

Three tips for someone who wants to work remotely:

Provide an incentive, example or environment that helps you think outside of your existing work image and provides some guidance. Your partner, a friend, writing out your dreams, a blog, Instagram, Working Remotely’s course. It doesn’t matter what;
Don’t let others decide for you what you should or shouldn’t do or what is “normal.” Not your employer, not your network, not “society” (tip #1 helps tremendously with this);
Take the bold step: make your desire known to your employer or HR. Perhaps the hardest step to take – often made more exciting by ourselves than it is – but chances are that much more is possible than you think. If not? Then that too is clarity and you can think further about what you want then.

You can follow me on my Instagram: alexjansen1991. Curious about what I do for work, and perhaps can do for you? Then check out my website: www.studio-seocrates.nl