Rob Nyquist is a British founder, designer and full-time digital nomad originally from Torquay in Devon. After five years travelling with the Royal Navy, he built a career in commercial design before leaving his 9-to-5 at 34 to create businesses that could give him more freedom over where he lived and worked. He is the founder of Pingd, a UK design agency, and co-founder of Wootly, a freelance marketplace connecting verified freelancers with clients.
Starting with a ticket to see the world
To start, could you introduce yourself and tell us a little about who you are?
I'm Rob, a founder, entrepreneur and full-time digital nomad. I spent five years travelling the world with the Royal Navy before moving into commercial design, where I eventually became a Design Manager leading a team working on interior environments and exhibition spaces for global brands. At 34, I decided to leave my 9-to-5 and take a different path. I wanted to build something of my own and create a lifestyle where I could work remotely and have more freedom over where I lived. I'm now building a few businesses, travelling around Southeast Asia and sharing the reality of remote work, entrepreneurship and life as a digital nomad online.
Where are you originally from, and where are you based now?
I'm originally from Torquay, a small seaside town in the south of England. I later moved to Bristol, but I don't really have a permanent base anymore. I split my time between Bali and the UK and spend a lot of time travelling around Southeast Asia. I've realised that I don't necessarily need one fixed place to call home. I like having the freedom to decide where I want to be.
Building a remote business
What do you do for work, and what does a typical week look like for you?
I'm a founder and entrepreneur. I run Pingd, a UK design agency specialising in high-quality brands, products, websites and immersive 3D design experiences that help businesses grow. I'm also co-founder of Wootly, a UK freelance marketplace that connects verified freelancers with clients. A typical week is a mixture of client work, business development, meetings, building new ideas and working on the businesses themselves. I try to keep a fairly normal working routine even when I'm travelling, because otherwise it would be very easy for every day to turn into a holiday.
How would you describe your current lifestyle?
I'd say I'm a full-time digital nomad, although I don't really like this phrase. Maybe I'm a Modern Expat. I've spent the past year working remotely from places like Thailand, Vietnam, Bali and Poland, but I also love spending time back home in Devon with family. For me, the appeal is having the freedom to choose where I live and work rather than constantly being on the move. I might spend a few months somewhere, get to know the place properly and then decide where I want to go next.
What first led you to move abroad or begin travelling?
I didn't go to university. Even at 18, I was ready to start travelling but didn't have the money to do it. So I walked into a Royal Navy recruitment office and basically said, ‘Sign me up, I want to see the world.’ I spent five years in the Royal Navy and was lucky enough to travel to places including America, Canada and the UAE, as well as doing two trips around the Mediterranean. Once I left, I really missed the travelling lifestyle, so I packed a bag and travelled around Australia and Southeast Asia for most of my twenties. Travel has always been a big part of my life.
Was there a particular turning point?
After travelling for a while, I eventually went back to a traditional 9-to-5. I realised I hated it. I had a well-paid job as a Design Manager and a lot of flexibility, but I was still tied to a desk and limited to 21 days of holiday a year. For someone who has always loved travelling, that started to feel like a limitation. At 34, I decided to quit and packed my life into a bag once again. This time, though, I wasn't just travelling. I wanted to build something of my own - a remote business that would allow me to work from wherever I wanted in the world.
Why Bali works as a base
Why did you choose your current country or city?
I split my time between Bali and Bristol, although I'm not really tied to either place permanently. Bali is a great base for me because there is a huge community of people building businesses and working remotely. It's also incredibly easy to meet people and network. The locals are friendly, the island is beautiful and there is a really good balance between being able to focus on work and having things to do outside of work.
What do you enjoy most about living there?
The freedom is probably the biggest thing for me. I can wake up in Bali, go for a coffee, get some work done and then go for a swim or explore somewhere new. I love the fact that my work doesn't dictate where I have to be. I also really enjoy the people. There are so many ambitious, like-minded people living and working remotely here, so it's easy to meet people who are building businesses, travelling and trying to create a life outside of the traditional 9-to-5. And then there is the obvious stuff: the food, the weather, the beaches and the fact that you can jump on a scooter and be somewhere completely different in 20 minutes.
What has surprised you most about life abroad or life on the road?
Probably how quickly you adapt. When I first started travelling, everything felt like an adventure and sometimes quite overwhelming. Now I can arrive in a new country, find somewhere to stay, get a SIM card, find a coffee shop with good Wi-Fi and get back to work within a day or two. I've also realised that travelling doesn't necessarily mean constantly moving. I used to think the ideal lifestyle was travelling somewhere new every few weeks, but now I prefer having a base for a while and really getting to know a place. The other thing that surprised me is how little you actually need. My life is basically in a backpack and my laptop. Everything else is nice to have.
The unglamorous side of remote work
What have been the biggest challenges, and how have you handled them?
Working remotely while travelling isn't always as glamorous as it looks on Instagram. One of the biggest challenges is that things can happen that are completely outside your control. I learnt this in Sri Lanka when severe storms caused widespread power cuts and internet problems for several days. I ended up missing three important client meetings and came very close to losing a client. It was stressful at the time, but it taught me a lot. I now have backup SIM cards, portable Wi-Fi, power banks and I always know where I can work if something goes wrong. More importantly, I've learnt to be adaptable. You can't control everything, but you can control how you respond to it.
How has living abroad changed the way you think about success?
It has completely changed how I define success. Before, I probably associated success with having a good job, earning a good salary and having a nice home. Now I think more about freedom and having control over my time. I still have big ambitions and I want to build successful businesses. I haven't suddenly stopped caring about work or money. If anything, I'm probably more ambitious than I was before. But I want that success to give me more freedom rather than less. Living abroad has also made me realise that home doesn't necessarily have to be one place.
What does ‘home’ mean to you now?
Home has become more about people than a particular place. Devon will always feel like home because my family are there and I grew up there. But I don't feel like I need to live in the same place permanently anymore. For me, home is somewhere I feel comfortable, have good people around me and can live the way I want to live. Sometimes that's Bali, sometimes it's back in Devon and sometimes it's somewhere I've never been before.
Finding people and staying grounded
How do you build community while living away from where you grew up?
You have to put yourself out there. Post on social media, message people you don't know but feel like you have something in common. When you travel, especially when you're travelling alone, you can't just sit in your apartment and expect people to appear. I've met people through coworking spaces, gyms, coffee shops, networking events and just generally being social. Bali is particularly good for this because there are so many people building businesses and working remotely. I've made some really good friendships with people I would probably never have met if I had stayed in the same place.
What practical lessons have you learned?
The biggest lesson is to do your research before you arrive rather than trying to figure everything out once you're there. Visas are probably the biggest one. Every country has different rules and they can change, so you need to understand how long you can stay and what you're actually allowed to do. For housing, I prefer booking somewhere for a few weeks initially rather than committing to somewhere for months. You don't really know what a place is like until you're actually there. From a work perspective, reliable internet is probably the most important thing. I always have a backup option now. I also keep my important documents digitally and make sure I have access to everything I need wherever I am.
What do you wish you had known before starting?
I wish I had done it sooner. I spent years thinking about travelling and building something of my own, but there is always a reason to wait. You tell yourself you'll do it when you have more money, more experience, more security or when the timing is right. The reality is there probably isn't ever a perfect time. At some point you just have to decide that you're going to give it a go. I also wish I'd understood earlier that you don't need to have everything figured out before you start. You can work things out as you go.
What advice would you give someone considering a similar lifestyle?
Start before you feel ready. You don't have to quit your job tomorrow and move to Bali. Start building the skills, income or business that will give you the freedom to do it. Test it first. Work remotely from somewhere for a few weeks. See if you actually enjoy it. Start building a side income. Speak to people who are already doing it. And don't compare your journey to what you see online. There is a lot of the perfect beach, laptop and coconut version of remote work, but there are also missed flights, bad Wi-Fi, lonely days and stressful moments. It's not about creating a perfect life. It's about creating a life that works better for you.
What advice would you give someone who feels nervous or overwhelmed?
Being nervous is completely normal. I was nervous too. The biggest mistake is looking at the whole thing as one massive decision. Break it down into smaller decisions. Where could you go? How long could you stay? How much money would you need? What would you do for work? You don't have to decide where you're going to live for the next ten years. You just need to decide where you're going next. Book the flight, give it a try and see what happens. You can always come home.
Are there routines or tools that make your lifestyle easier?
Having a routine is really important for me. When you're travelling, it is very easy for every day to become a holiday, especially when the weather is good and there is always somewhere new to explore. I try to start the day with coffee, exercise and then get into work. I use the same digital tools I would use anywhere else and try to keep my work environment consistent even when the location changes. A good laptop, reliable internet and cloud-based systems are essential.
Rob's Bali recommendations
What places, businesses or experiences would you recommend?
I'd definitely recommend spending some time working at BWORK in Bali - it's a great place to meet people working on cool projects and network. Open House Cafe Bali has fresh food, good vibes and a real focus on community and music. Get out of Canggu if you're visiting Bali and spend time in the north, visiting places like Kintamani and Sidemen. Speak to locals, try local food and understand the culture. One of my favourite things is simply getting on a scooter with no real plan and seeing where you end up. I'd also recommend finding a good local coffee shop and making it your regular spot.
What is one misconception people have about expat or nomadic life?
That it's a permanent holiday. People see the photos of beaches, sunsets and laptops and think you're just travelling around having fun. The reality is that I'm still running businesses, dealing with clients, answering emails, having meetings and working long days. There are definitely moments where I can finish work and go straight to the beach, which I'm incredibly grateful for, but there are also days where I'm sat inside working for eight hours while everyone else is out enjoying themselves. The difference is that I have more choice over where I do that work.
What comes next
What are you working toward next?
I'm focused on continuing to grow Pingd and building a strong client base while also developing Wootly, our freelance marketplace connecting verified freelancers with clients. We are launching Wootly to UK freelancers in September, and people can sign up here. Ultimately, I'm trying to build businesses that give people more freedom, not businesses that simply create another job for themselves.
If you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?
I'd probably tell myself to stop worrying so much about having everything figured out. At 18 I knew I wanted to travel, so I joined the Royal Navy because I couldn't afford to travel independently. That decision ended up taking me around the world and completely changing the direction of my life. Looking back, most of the biggest opportunities in my life came from taking a chance when I didn't know exactly what was going to happen. I still come back to one quote that has stuck with me: ‘You don't have to be great at the start, but you have to start to be great.’
Is there anything else you'd like readers to know?
Remote work doesn't have to mean becoming a digital nomad. That's what it means for me, but it could mean working from home so you can spend more time with your children, avoiding a two-hour commute, having the flexibility to work from home when you're not feeling well or simply having more control over your day. For me, remote work has given me the opportunity to build businesses while seeing parts of the world I always dreamed of visiting. One of my favourite memories happened while I was working from the balcony of an apartment in Sri Lanka. A family of toque macaques suddenly ran across the balcony about a metre in front of me. They all stopped one by one and stared at me before carrying on. I just laughed, took a sip of my coffee and carried on working. It was one of those small moments where I stopped and thought, ‘How lucky am I to be able to do this?’
Find Rob online
Follow Rob on Instagram @robgoesremote or connect with him on LinkedIn. Explore Pingd and join the Wootly freelance marketplace.
