CONFESSION: I am not a digital nomad, I am a LIE!

Not everybody will like what I have to say in this blog. I am going to be very honest. Magazines call me the first and/or most famous ‘digital nomad’ of The Netherlands. But I have doubts about whether that is a compliment. The term ‘digital nomad’ has become very popular in recent years. It indicates a social movement where freedom has become more of a status symbol than money. Many (young!) people want to travel the world and sip cocktails while posing for Instagram pictures on an exotic beach. But that is not what it is all about. There are two completely different groups of people who get identified as Digital Nomads: 1. ‘Backpackers with a laptop’ who basically want to travel and party as long as they can stretch their budget and then return to ‘sedentary life’. 2. Location independent entrepreneurs who combine entrepreneurship and travel with the intention to maintain this lifestyle long term. This group can also be divided in two sub groups: those just starting out and the successful / experienced ones. Using the term Digital Nomad is easy and popular. Many travelers and backpackers love to be called Digital Nomads. However, most successful location independent entrepreneurs don’t want to be associated with the ‘backpackers with a laptop’ lounging on a beach. More experienced entrepreneurs also want to make an impact and give back to society, while the ‘backpackers with a laptop’ type digital nomads are mostly focused on themselves. So we need a different word to distinguish ourselves from the young ones proudly calling themselves ‘digital nomads’. Unfortunately ‘Location Independent Entrepreneur’ doesn’t sound so ‘sexy’ and it is much too long. So why not abbreviate it? L.I.E.? I am a LIE and I am proud of it!