Working remotely with family: combining freedom and travel

I am Nienke Schuttelaar (40), strategic entrepreneur from Zandvoort. In my work I help organizations grow, while I myself work from different places around the world. From the beach in Zandvoort to destinations like Mexico, Bali and soon Japan. Together with my family I show that work does not always have to be tied to one office. My husband works as an electrical engineer and, like me, can do much of his work location-independent. This gives us the freedom to combine work and travel. For me, the best part is in the combination of freedom, inspiration and time with my family.

Remote working in Bacalar, Mexico

A quiet morning in Bacalar, Mexico. The sun is slowly rising over the clear blue lake. While my infant son is still sleeping, my husband and I sit at the table together with our laptops. We both work remotely, so we often start the day with a few hours of concentrated work before it actually begins. Not much later, we fold the laptops and board a sailboat to go out on the fantastic lake and enjoy the scenery.

For me, that is exactly what remote working stands for: freedom, inspiration and at the same time being able to balance work and family. I have found a way to combine my work as a strategic consultant with traveling around the world. Not by becoming completely detached from organizations, but rather by finding a balance between presence and flexibility.

From commercial career to entrepreneurship

Before becoming an entrepreneur, I built a career in commercial roles, management and business development within the IT and consulting sector. In various roles, I worked intensively on the growth and development of organizations. Today, I apply that experience as a strategic entrepreneur, growth accelerator and consultant. I help organizations and people with strategy, business development and execution and inspire people to actually turn ideas into action. What my work revolves around is that many people have great ideas but get stuck in doubt, a lack of a concrete plan but mostly action and positivity.

Remote working as a logical consequence

Remote working was not a pre-conceived plan for me. It actually came about naturally when I moved from permanent management roles to consulting, interim assignments and entrepreneurship. Because I could also support clients remotely, it naturally became more logical to work more flexibly. Still, I don’t work completely remote. In my role, I find it important to also be physically present on a regular basis. On average, I work 2 to 3 days a week on location with clients. That connection with people and teams remains incredibly important. You understand an organization better when you experience its culture and dynamics up close.

The other days I work remotely, from places where I can focus well and add even more value from there. Sometimes I just work from home, or at our place on the beach in Zandvoort. Even a different environment close to home can be surprisingly inspiring.

A work week with room for freedom

My work week when I am in the Netherlands usually consists of a combination of being present at clients and working remotely. This flexibility allows me to combine work and travel. Sometimes I consciously choose to be present with clients more intensively for a period of time. Then I take it up a notch. This allows me to switch off later and also ensures that I belong to a ‘club’ and am not alone. This approach makes it possible, for example, to go on longer trips. This summer we are going to Asia for two months: Japan, the Philippines and Indonesia. For me, that is the perfect combination of traveling, discovering new cultures and meanwhile continuing to do my job.

Remote working from different places in the world

Over the years I have worked from various places, including Bali, Malaga, Mexico, Thailand and Sri Lanka. Also closer to home I worked for example from Lisbon, Paris and the Black Forest in Germany. But the Netherlands remains my base, partly because my son has compulsory education. During school weeks I usually work from the Netherlands, but during vacations we combine traveling with working remotely. For example, just last week I worked from Lisbon in Portugal, 1 of my favo spots in Europe, where we can be found regularly. New places often bring new energy. Other cultures, environments and people provide inspiration that I take back into my work. A shorter trip to Munich is planned for this spring, followed by a longer trip to Asia later in the summer.

One of my most beautiful moments during remote work I experienced as described earlier in Bacalar, Mexico. In moments like that, I really realize how special it is that work and freedom can go hand in hand. For me, the magic of remote work is exactly in that combination: freedom, inspiration from new environments and the balance with my family.

The challenge of remote working

Yet this way of working also brings challenges. If I want to be away for a longer period of time, I have to organize my work in such a way that I can actually be away for a while. That requires planning and clear choices. Sometimes it means consciously taking on fewer assignments and going the extra mile in the period before that. There is also another challenge. Because you can work anywhere, the danger lurks that you are always ‘on’. That’s why I consciously try to create moments when work is not the focus for a while. Sometimes I really have to remind myself to take a break from work and really enjoy where I am, in the here and now.

What remote working brings me

This way of working has brought me a lot. I have learned that work is not necessarily tied to one place. Moreover, new places often generate new ideas. Experiencing other cultures and meeting people from different parts of the world gives me new perspectives. This in turn helps me in my work. But perhaps even more important is what it brings me personally. It gives me the chance to make beautiful memories with my family, while doing work that energizes me.

Tips for people who also want to work remotely

For people who dream of living a location-independent life, I have a few tips:

1. Make sure your work can be location-independent: Take an honest look at your work and design your processes so that you don’t always have to be physically present.

2. Stay connected to customers or colleagues: Remote working doesn’t mean everything has to be remote. Being physically present on a regular basis helps you stay better connected to organizations and teams, that ensures you’re not always alone, and that’s worth something, after all.

3. Plan ahead and make choices: If you want to travel for an extended period of time, it requires good planning. Sometimes it also means temporarily working a little harder. But if you want something you have to try hard for it.

4. Choose places that energize: An inspiring environment can do a lot for your creativity and productivity.

5. Don’t forget to enjoy yourself. Since you can work anywhere, it is important to consciously take moments to close your laptop and enjoy where you are. You only live once (YOLO) and you shouldn’t forget that.

You can follow me on Instagram: @bynienke.world and LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/nienkeschuttelaar