Beware of the DN lifestyle sellout

Life as a digital nomad looks great in social media, but we have to be careful on how are we showing to the world.

If you come from a 9-5, most surely you are all excited about your new opportunities thanks to your online business.

So I completely understand the first posts about your new travel adventures. Or the time you brought a laptop to a coffee shop. I'm so happy that you made it!

Nonetheless, there's a limit when these images just come through as presumption.

If you don't believe me, just google "digital nomad" and you'll lots of pic like these:

I don't know what you think, or if you have already tried this, but man, it's horrible; you do not see the screen properly because of the sunlight. Nor enjoy taking care your laptop from the sand.

You see, most digital nomads are selling that the green is always greener in the other side. And that's not even true. That's why people are starting to hate us!

I know some don't do this on purpose, but from miles aways, I can totally recognize whose trying just to sell the "lifestyle" rather than actually giving something back to the community.

I'm talking about the typical dude that opened a blog, and as he finally made ten bucks with an online product, now thinks he can tell you what to do.

Next up you see sharing all this posts in Instagram, looking like he's having a better life than you. And now he's telling he has secret for an amazing life... inside his 5000 dollars course!

We have to be careful with these people. It's just the same scheme as the people from network marketing.

In these schemes they talk a lot about being your own boss, about freedom and the changes they are having.

But you can totally see they are lying, even to their own selves, just to sell you a product.

They sell you a lot of inspiration crap, but you will rarely see them talk about the product or service they are selling (which really, was the reason they have their freedom).

As long as the pyramid keep steading on top of any network marketing enterprise is alive, they will just keep selling you a lifestyle.

So next time you got asked: "hey... join me in this amazing business?" Just, run. As far as you can.

Surfing the web carefully

Internet lets anyone have a name.

It is actually good news, as decades ago it was hard, but this also means danger as it's so easy to be fake.

I can tell you a real life example, that I experienced, in Chiang Mai, Thailand —a place full of "lifestyle gurus".

A couple of years ago, out of nothing, the Atlas Brothers kickstarted some weekly talks, inviting "experts" of online businesses, in a coffee place.

Later they published some motivational videos —which are now removed, but they were awful— in YouTube. Suddenly they were selling a retreat with name "Digital Nomad Campus" where they promised to make you rich with a business and change your life forever.

Only two conditions tho: pay 1200 USD for their retreat and moved to Thailand.

Holy cow, Batman.

The DN community realized everything was awfully fake. The problem was that, at least 5 people got in, scammed and ended up in Asia finding what to do.

There's a little bit more of story, that you can read completely here, but lastly these brothers removed all their social media and ran away from the country (and even from the police).

So, after all, you've been wondering: how do you know who's doing the right thing?

There is no right answer, but let tell me you, you have to follow people you actually trust.

Trust, my friend, is the most important asset in the online world-

If you want to be trusted, it takes years through your constant publications, with the quality of your products, with your online personality or just on your actions for others.

Authenticity will always shine above all.

Through the years, you'll start to identify the real influencers from the fake news.

If you are thinking about starting a online business, remember that there's so much more that just selling a lifestyle.

Like many digital nomads, you can actually travel and work offering your own services or products to get the life you want.

Without having to show off your travels nor publishing everyday the typical picture in front of the beach.

The other day I saw someone posting a picture sitting down with a laptop in front of Machu Picchu. I mean, c'mon, really: who the hell actually work from there?