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In this episode, I speak with Justyn Jen (pronounced JUSTIN) who is a full-time traveler, online educator, and Pinterest Marketer. 

She runs a full-scale Pinterest Marketing and SEO agency, sipping coffee and pinning around the world.

Listen on to find out how Justyn successfully lives life on the road as a Pinterest Marketer.

Listen Below:

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Ep. 233: How this digital nomad quit the cubicle and hit the road with Mitko Karshovski
Ep. 232: How to go from Broke Backpacker to successful serial entrepreneur with Will Hatton
Ep. 231: How this digital nomad thrives by traveling the world with Jackie Omotalade

Transcription:

Debbie:

Hey everyone. Thank you so much for being here. I am super excited to speak with my guest today. I’m here with Justyn. 

Hey, Justyn. How are you?

Justyn:

Hey, Deb. How are you? 

Debbie:

I am wonderful. Can you tell us about you and why you live an offbeat life? 

Justyn:

Yeah. So, I first left home to sort of travel and take a year off of University, six years ago now, actually. And I had big dreams and big goals of starting this epic travel blog that everyone in the whole world was going to follow and love. And I would just be able to travel and the money was going to roll in – I had all these big dreams. 

So I left home and I started traveling and I made no money. Like, my blog was just “crickets”, nobody was reading it except, I know, my mom who was probably the only one checking my weekly update. 

And it wasn’t until I completely ran out of money that I realized people actually work online and there were so many different ways that I could continue traveling and do it at my own pace and, like, making an income while I did it. So it took me about two years to figure that out into my travels. 

But yeah, now I’m able to continue traveling the world. I work for myself. I’m, like, fall into the digital nomad life. It’s been amazing. 

Debbie:

It’s so funny that you say that because most of us are completely clueless when we start going into this type of lifestyle.

Justyn:

Yeah. Exactly.

Debbie

You think, automatically, your blog, like, any platform that you have is going to make you instant money because we see a lot of successful people online all the time and they tell us how much they make like, “Yeah, I make, like, six figures a year,” or more.

And then you start getting into it and then you realize that it’s not as easy as it seems and there’s actually so many moving parts that go along with it that we don’t automatically see.

So, for you, Justyn, when you figured out that it was actually not as easy as you thought, what were some of the steps that you took in order to get you to the next level so that you can actually get paid to blog or even just stay afloat while you traveled?

Justyn:

Yeah, that’s a great question. So, like you said perfectly, I was like, “Oh, I’ll just put Google ads on my blog, and then I’ll make money because that’s what people do,” or like, “What this random blog post should do?” 

So I kept scrambling and doing all these things, like, words are actually helping so I had traffic to my blog.

So it wasn’t until I was in Bali and I completely ran out of money and I was at kind of a pool party and I was kind of feeling it out because I didn’t have anywhere to stay and I didn’t have any money but here I was at this fun party.

And I was talking to these girls who actually had successful blogs and I was like, “Oh, yeah, that’s really cool. I’m a blogger as well.” Like, “I’m in here with you, I get it.” And a couple of them started talking about, like, where they didn’t have enough time to get the blog post written, they didn’t have enough time to get all the things done, what they wanted from their blog.

And my friend who knew that I actually don’t have any money was like, “Oh, why don’t you have Justyn help you? She could fill in for you. She can write some of your blog posts for you and then you can post them on your blog.” And I was like, “What are you doing? I want to blog for myself, I don’t want to blog for the people.”

But it was actually, like, the exact stepping stone I didn’t even realize I needed to actually be able to, like, have the money to stay where I was. So I started out very slowly sort of doing blogs for other bloggers. Like,  ghostwriting content for them. And that’s what I got my first real client. Working on Pinterest which is, like, my whole business runs around now.

It was in this random place all the way across the world where this first person was like, “I could use help with them. Like, Pinterest and blog writing.” And I was like, “Okay. Yeah, that’s fine. I can help you with that.” And they ended up bringing me on their team and having me help them with that. 

It’s crazy. how much it’s, like, spiraling grown since then whereas back then I thought everyone was doing it on their own. Like, everybody was a one-woman show. I didn’t realize that, like, bloggers might need help with a lot of the things that they’re doing. 

Yes, it was kind of, like, in a very funny way, just sort of, like, fell into my lap of this like, “Well, people actually do get paid to help people with these things.” I got my first opportunity that way.

Debbie:

I love that. It was at a random party that you ended up getting your first clients and you are pretty much at the end of your rope. And sometimes it’s so amazing how the universe gives you exactly what you need at the right time. And sometimes you’re ready to give up and then it just shows up. And I think that’s so interesting. It’s so amazing. 

And at first, I think there’s this thing with us too where we’re not open to it but then we are given the opportunity. And if you just open yourself up to it, you never know what’s going to come out of it. And now you have a whole business around it, you helped so many other people. 

You also learn from that too. You learn how to become a better blogger, you become a better writer, marketer – all of those things that led you to where you are now. So, that is such an interesting way of doing it.

And for you, how did it grow from that first client to actually making this into a business for yourself?

Justyn:

So, I got really lucky with my first client ‘cause I did meet her in, like, a very intimate situation where it was like, she was with her friends, I was with my friends. So it was kind of, like, in-person referral pretty much.

But from that, I was able to get more referrals from her. So she was able to, like, send my information to other bloggers that she knew. And I kind of got in their blogging community that way. 

So, my first clients were all basically friends of hers and then, like, friends of theirs. And then, like, I kind of passed around in the community as someone that they can get a couple of blog posts written by or they can get help to get their Pinterest done or any of those things.

So I kind of just got passed around and I got really lucky because, for the first year of working online, it was a lot of just networking. There were a lot of people saying things like, “Oh, cool. You could help…,” so and so. And then I just sort of saying, “I can help you too. Here’s how

I’m sort of, like, getting past that fear of saying, “Let me help you. I can do more things.” And I kind of bring myself out there in that way. Before, I had to go and actually pitch myself to anyone. Kind of an introduction, so and so. Just passed my name on it so that I can kind of just say, “Hey, these are all the things that I can help you with.”

And then people always want a referral, I think, when it comes to, like, hiring someone to do work for them. So it’s really good if you can do a good job for someone and then they’re willing to pass you on and you even tell them. 

Like, I tell people all the time like, “Tell your friends. Tell anyone else that you know. Like, if you run into anyone who needs help with these things, go ahead and pass them their information on.” Because it’s so important that you almost have way more of a guarantee to land a client if you can have that first name basis referral or someone who’s like, “I worked with them.”

Once I took on that first client, I was so scared and did not want to do it. And then I took on that first client and then I was like, “Give me all the clients. I can do this.” And I sort of just started asking people to refer along and tell people that I can help them.

Debbie:

It’s building your confidence or so much, that happens once you land that first client. And I think for most of us, that’s the real hard part is the first client to get, because there’s a lot of insecurities that you go through, you don’t have that confidence yet. 

And then once you get it, it’s, like, there’s a huge boost in your mental toughness, your energy as well, which is pretty incredible when you think about it. 

I know you talked about networking. When you say networking, what exactly did you do to network, to get clients, or even just to gain trust from people in your industry?

Justyn:

It was a lot beyond just replying in Facebook groups ‘cause Facebook groups can be a great way to, like, find clients. They can also be really oversaturated. So instead of necessarily looking for jobs in Facebook groups, I made it a really important part of, like, my strategy to just, like, offer a lot of free information and be really helpful to people.

So my name started to become a bit more known and I was constantly popping up on people’s posts because then if someone loves the free information you’re giving them and then you come back and say like, “I know it’s a big workload. Why don’t you help me take this mess off your plate.” 

I find that there are a lot more willing to go for it because you’ve already given them so much value. So I think the really important part of it is, like, yes, applying for jobs and putting yourself out there but also just, like, bringing your expertise to the table. Maybe even for free.

Not doing free work. I never tell people to do free work. It’s more just, like, if someone asks a question in a Facebook group, make sure you’re checking regularly and offering people answers where you know your expertise lies. 

So if you’re a copy expert then you’re always giving people tips on how to improve something they were in or someone’s like, “I just don’t know how to get started on SEO.” You can give them a few tips. You don’t give them everything, Share what you’ve done to become an expert in that. 

I also think finding someone in person is very important as well. It’s hard nowadays but it’s quite normal for people to want to meet up from Facebook groups. 

So it’s like a bunch of women are meeting up in London and they’re going to have, like, coffee or wine. I’ll be terrified, just a bunch of strangers. But I’ll still, like, force myself to go and be in that situation. 

And then when I’m there, I can talk in person about what my skills are and say things like, “The first blogger I worked with, she didn’t even know she needed to hire someone.” Kind of, like, a lot of other bloggers knows like, “Hey, you might need help with that. So maybe hire me because I’m here and I’m available and I’m friendly.” 

So I think, like, taking advantage of those in-person situations when you’re, like, in a city that’s doing, like, a digital nomad meetup – just go no matter how nervous you are. It’s super scary but you get there and people are really nice.

So I think it’s just important to, like, show your face and show off constantly in, like, Facebook groups. 

Debbie:

Those are such great tips and it’s so interesting too when you talked about giving free content out and there’s a lot of people that are afraid to do that, right? Because you mentioned this, they think that they’re giving away all of this information for free but if you do that the right way, you just built out this content once and you can share it over and over again. 

And that actually builds trust with the people who are maybe on the fence. They don’t know you yet and maybe they don’t know people in your circle but want to get this service done, right? 

And maybe that’s just a tipping point for them to actually hire you or at least start building that little information in their head saying, “This is the right person for me.” 

Because maybe, like you mentioned, Facebook, if somebody puts out that they need someone, there’s, like, hundreds and hundreds of people out there who are vying for that same job. And most likely if you do the same thing that everyone else is doing, you’re not going to stand out. 

But if you have free information that you’re giving out, then that makes you stand out and you’re also not begging, right? You’re not like, “Hey, I want to work for you,” it’s, like, “Hey, this is information. And if you like the information that I give you, you may also love working for me.” 

So I really love that tip just because a lot of people may be shying away from that and this is just a really great way to show them that it actually works and it has worked for you and you’ve done so much with your business doing this strategy. 

And I love your networking too. And yeah, it’s kind of hard to do that in person right now but there’s a lot of, like, webinars. They still do, like, meetups but now it’s virtual. So there are a lot of things happening out there. 

Justyn:

Yeah. I was going to say there’s a lot of Zoom gatherings. And I think in-person meetups are coming back a lot. Like, I’m going to go to, like, a picnic in the park in London soon. And that’s kind of with a bunch of different bloggers. Just people working online – digital nomads. We want to start reconnecting with people in person. 

So it’s definitely keeping an eye out for those in-person opportunities to network and, like, connect with other digital nomads. ‘Cause, it’ll also make you feel a lot less lonely. And it will remind you that there are a lot of skills you can offer that you might not have even thought about. 

You might need someone at a networking event who loves, like, writing course copy and helping people design their online courses. And you might not even know that that’s the thing but it could be something you really fall in love with and you only learned about it ‘cause you joined a networking event.

So, I think it’s great too, like, pursue learning new skills but also to, like, find those clients and kind of, like, become a name that people will go to for whatever your skills are.

Debbie:

Speaking of skills, like, remote skills, business skills, how did you find or how can somebody find the right skills that they need to learn in order to make money from it? Like, how did you do that for yourself? And I guess how can other people do the same as well? 

Justyn:

So I took a lot of online courses and I still take a lot of online courses ‘cause there’s always something that I’d like to learn.

I am the kind of person, like, I’m just going to find somebody else that already has taught it to teach me because there’s definitely, like, loads of YouTube. You can learn anything on YouTube these days.  But obviously, you’re gonna need to know what to search for and who to search for and who to follow. 

The first online course I took was about how to be a virtual assistant and that taught me a whole world of skills from email marketing, podcast management, to course management – all these skills. 

And then from there, I was able to sort of narrow down, like, what brings me joy, which I want to wake up every day and work on. Is it helping someone with their scheduling and that kind of thing or is it more, like, copywriting and being a little bit more behind the scenes?

So that course helped me loads in, like, finding out everything that was available. But since then I’ve taken courses on, like, YouTube, video, and ads. And realized that ads are not for me because it’s, like, really intense but I’ve taken all those courses to, like, try to narrow down like, “Would this be fun and interesting for me to work on? Or is it way over my head and the experts handle that?” Kind of thing. 

So I’ve always just been a big fan of supporting creators in that way and also taking online courses to, like, support myself and keep learning. 

I dropped out of school. So anytime I feel like going back to school is really fun for me like, “Back in the classroom,” and I’ve binged watched online courses. But obviously, if you don’t have the budget for that right now, you can find out so much information on YouTube. Just start googling, like, whatever you are passionate about.

There are going to be people online who are creating free content for you to consume. And it’s going to be, like, you can learn about all kinds of online skills. I find video learning to be, like, that’s why people can YouTube courses ‘cause I find video learning to be so beneficial for me. 

Just being able to, like, listen, and watch someone teach me something. So that would be YouTube and then when you’re ready, upgrade yourself into some online courses, to learn the real, like, nitty-gritty of how things work. 

Debbie:

I completely agree. YouTube is pretty incredible. Like, you can learn so many different things there and you can actually piece them together especially, like you mentioned, you don’t have a budget for it yet and you can learn the pretty basic parts of it and then keep growing from that.

And, yeah, I also love video learning too. 

It’s so interesting because when we’re at school, most of the time, we really have no say in what we’re learning, right? But then, when you start a business, you get to choose what you learn. And that’s why it’s a lot more fun when you do it that way. Because it’s not just about what you have to do, it’s what you want to do as well. 

So it makes it more fun. That’s why learning is a lot more fun and we have to constantly learn every single day. 

Justyn:

Yeah.

Debbie:

I feel like every day, we have to learn something new, right? 

Justyn:

Yeah.

And every day apart from changes. So as soon as you feel like you know something, there’s a pop of like, “Oh, we’re not doing it that way anymore.” And you’re like, “Oh. great. I get to learn something completely new.”

If you take a course, if you watch a video, you think you want to do something and you end up realizing you don’t like it. Like, how I was with ads, I took this whole, like, 6-month program on how to do ads. 

I was stuck with it and I thought, “I’m going to be able to do this.”. And then I got to the end of it and I was like, “I don’t even want to do this anymore.”

I think it’s important to, like, give yourself the grace to walk away from a skill and be like, “Alright. I just sent that money and that time but it’s not for me.” And just walk away ‘cause we do choose this life because we want to do something fun. And we want to live, like, outside the norm. And we want to create even the workday that we want.

So if it’s not matching the workday that you want, like, don’t be afraid to walk away from it and like to refer someone else to aads but you keep, like, plugging ahead and figuring out what that’s fun, passionate that you really want to do. 

Debbie:

Yeah. And that’s the beauty about this lifestyle is that freedom that you have to let go of things that don’t really serve you, or you don’t really want to do and do things that are really for you, right? 

Where your purpose is, where your love is and that really makes everything so much better and it makes it so much more fun when we do it that way. And it seems like you’re doing that for yourself. And sometimes we do spend money on things that are not really for us but we do that sometimes, almost, in the daily anyway. 

Justyn:

Oh, yeah. We do that all the time. 

We buy shoes all the time that we’re just like, we don’t want anymore after we wore them once. Like, we do it with everything. It’s okay to do it with your education as well and, like, your learning experience. 

And yeah, especially ‘cause online courses cost pennies compared to what we pay for University. And most of us go to University being like, “We don’t want to do that anymore”. So it all comes together in the end.

Debbie:

Yeah. I feel, like all of this learning, it is so much cheaper than University. And you also can do so much more with it in the long term. And comparing it if you’re an entrepreneur, there’s really no cap on how much you can make. But if you’re at a job, there’s only a certain amount before it’s capped and you can’t grow anymore. 

So yeah, there’s definitely a huge difference with that. 

So for you, how have you been able to manage your time as a remote worker? Because you have all of these different things that you do but you also want to have somewhat of a life while you’re traveling because you want to enjoy the place that you’re in. How do you do that? How do you manage it well so that you can enjoy the best of both worlds? 

Justyn:

So, I used to be really bad at this. 

I used to work constantly, and then, I would want to see places. So, I basically sacrifice sleep and I’ll be like, “I’ll sleep when I’m not in somewhere really beautiful,” ‘cause I have to work and I also have to see it.

Now, I actually take Wednesdays off. So I know a lot of people who like to do, like, a three-day weekend. Take Fridays off, especially when they’re traveling or somewhere beautiful. I switch it around and I actually take Wednesdays off. “Cause I’ve found that if I work two days knowing I’m going to have a break, I’m way more productive and I get a lot more done during my day.

And then I’ve got this whole day to explore. It’s a weekday so normal people are at their jobs. You’ve got a lot fewer local people if you want to go to, like, museums, restaurants, or anything like that. It’s a lot easier to get somewhere you might not be able to go on a weekend. And then you come back and work two more days

So it breaks the week up, it helps my productivity load and then I always take weekends off and, like, make sure I’m giving myself that time to explore. But I think it’s just about being really strict with yourself and setting realistic goals. 

Like, how much can you realistically get done in a day? How much can you realistically get done in a week without sacrificing what you want to see when you’re in a place? What do you want to do while you’re visiting somewhere new? 

So, I think, like, being very honest with yourself. ‘Cause that’s where I struggled at the beginning, which was like, “I can do it all.” And not actually being honest with myself. All my clients didn’t know what my schedule looked like. Now, my clients all know what my schedule looks like. And I tell them that right up front because my schedule is very important to me. 

Having my freedom is very important to me. So I just let people know, “Sorry, I’m not in the office but I’ll get back to you when I am.” And making sure that there is, like, plenty of time for the fun and also for the work.

It helps when you do something that is enjoyable though ‘cause then you’re like, “Don’t stay and look outside. How beautiful the outside world is. Just wish you’re out there doing it.” You’re kind of thinking like, “Oh, I’m here. I’m lucky I got to be here because I love doing this job and I can do it from anywhere.” 

So that also helps, like, we’re making sure you’re working and things that make you happy and passionate about. But I think the biggest thing is just being honest with yourself and being strict with yourself. 

And if you find yourself, like, having too much fun, and letting your client work or whatever it is that you do drop, then you need to kind of be honest with yourself and say, “It’s not working. I either need to go somewhere where I’m not so distracted, “or “I need to stay here longer so I’d have more time to do both.” 

Or if you’re like, spending way, way, way too much time working and you’re not actually enjoying where you are, you also need to be honest with yourself and say, “Do I need to work this much? Is the amount of money I’m making worth missing out on what I’m here to do? Is the balance right? Is the workload too much?”  

And then if it is, you need to, like, be honest and let go of clients where you can or stay in a place longer so that you can work a bit more and then still have time to, like, go and see. 

So I think it’s all just about, like, getting to know your workflow but also just having those, like, tough conversations with yourself and being like, “You’re working too much,” or, “You’re not working enough.” ‘Cause I’ve been in both.

I didn’t work enough and I had clients chasing me and being like, “Excuse me but this is a mess,” and I’m like, “I know, sorry but Greece…” But you can’t really do that. You’ve got to build balance and be like, “Oh, yeah. I’m doing it from Greece. It’s great,” and they’ll be like, “Oh, shoot. I decided I wanted to have piña colada on the beach for lunch.” So the rest of my day was that kind of thing.

Debbie:

And I think a lot of newbies that want to start working remotely, or they just started jumping into it, there is some sort of misconception that now that you’re working for yourself, that you have all this freedom that you should just put away all the routine altogether, right? 

And that’s where most of our mistakes stem from in the beginning. And that definitely happened to me, where I’m just like, “I could just do whatever I want when I feel like it.” And then you realize, “Okay, when I don’t set a routine for myself, it’s actually detrimental to my work.” 

If you have clients, you need to make sure that you’re getting it done at a certain time. But the huge difference is and the reason why I think most of us are trying to shy away from that is because we got out of a 9 to 5. 

So we don’t have that routine and we want all this freedom and it seems like or it feels like when you keep a routine that you don’t have freedom, if anything, it actually gives you more freedom. Because now, you know exactly when to work, when not to work.

But the huge difference is you said it for yourself. And, like, you were talking about, Justyn, is that you decided that your routine was working two days and then taking off Wednesday and then working again the other days of the week and that works for you, right? 

So there’s, like, a no one-size-fits-all type of thing. It’s all about you and what fits you. And having that routine is so crucial to all of this. I think it’s like a thing that we want to shed but then we take back but then it’s in our own control. And then you actually realize how much more freedom you have with that, which is pretty incredible. 

Justyn:

Yeah. Exactly, you’ve nailed it with that. 

It’s not about completely getting rid of the routine, it’s all about finding the routine that makes your life perfect. ‘Cause, yeah, routine is important and without it, we all kind of, like, lose our focus, I think.

So I love that. Picking a routine is as much as why you fix this lifestyle. 

Debbie:

Love it.

Alright, Justyn, so fast forward to maybe, like, 40 to 50 years from now and you’re looking back at your life, what legacy would you like to leave and what do you want to be remembered for? 

Justyn:

So I want to be remembered for joy. Joy is my word, I always return back to. 

I want people above anything else to just remember me and be, like, filled with joy. They always had fun with me. I always brought joy into their lives, whether that was in my work or in my personal life. So I always come back to that. It’s like my big thing. 

I want everyone to remember me and joy.

Looking back on my life. Like, that’s what makes me smile. I mean, what makes me so happy ‘cause everything I choose always has that focus. Is this gonna bring me joy? Is this going to bring other people joy?

So as long as I stick with that I’m gonna look back at my life and I want it to be filled with laughter. I want to, like, remember the crazy adventures. I want to, like, share my business and my growth with people and bring them that same joy that I feel doing what I do. 

So, yeah, it all circles back around this feeling of, “Are we taking on this project? Will it bring us joy? Are we going to this destination ‘cause it’s bringing us joy?”

And then in, like, 40 or 50 years, which I never think about, that’s way too far down for me to be thinking about. But when I do think about what my life would be like 50 years from now, I don’t want this to be, like, the crazy twenties or something I grew out of.

I want to look back on my life and check every decision driven by this joy that I feel in my life right now that I’ve been able to create for myself. And yeah, so for me, it’s going to look like sharing that with other people. I want to have people that I’ve taught and I’ve learned how to work online and I’ve been able to walk away from the traditional lifestyle that they didn’t think they’d be able to walk away from. 

But at the end of the day, I just want them to be like, “Oh, yeah. That girl taught me how to work online. But more than that, we had so much fun together. We always did this and that.” I just want it to be laughter and joy.

Debbie:

I mean, that’s one of the best things, right?. It’s like your legacy, just to be remembered for somebody who just brings that happiness to everyone. So I love it. Love that you are doing that right now and you’re helping so many people achieve what they want using the knowledge that you have and also having fun while they do it as well. 

So, Justyn, you travel quite a lot. You’re in London right now and it’s so interesting how there are so many things in all of our lives that we do and one of them is travel but you’re able to do this and make money while you do it. And there are so many different locations that you can choose from.

So where would you say has been the best place that you had traveled to as a remote worker or maybe just the best destination for people who want to do this long-term?

Justyn:

So, long term, I think it’s definitely important, especially when you’re starting out, to look at low-cost living places. So I got my first clients when I was in Bali. Obviously, Bali is an amazing place for digital nomads. It’s where so many people find their place in digital nomading. So, that’s always a really great option. 

But actually one of the best places I ever lived and worked remotely was in Costa Rica. I wasn’t expecting to meet so many amazing digital nomads out there. Everybody stayed in Mexico but I’ve met really amazing people and found a great community when I was in Costa Rica.

And then more recently in Madeira, which is a Portuguese Island. So it’s in Europe technically but it was much cheaper than the cost of living that you’d expect in a lot of Europe. So if you’re still kind of finding your feet, if you’re still looking for, like, an island and you want some more, like, where it’s slow island life lifestyle, Madeira is an amazing choice because once again, there are so many digital nomads in that island and there’s a huge community, and people are very welcoming of you to come into that community. 

So, I think there are a few options whether you want to go that Southeast Asian route and you want to start out in Bali or if you’re from America and you’re nervous and you want to stick close to home, Costa Rica’s a great choice ‘cause it’s just a short flight from America. Or if you’re in Europe or really want to come to Europe and looking for somewhere affordable that you can also, like, find your feet and get started, Madeira is a great option. 

So those would probably be my top three of all different phases of the Earth. 

Debbie:

I will definitely need to check out Madeira because I have been wanting to visit that island. I am an island girl whenever, especially when I do solo traveling, I always find islands to go to because it’s not overwhelming. Like you mentioned, it’s a much slower pace and I don’t feel like I have to do so many things. I can actually enjoy the place.

And there’s just a really different vibe when you visit an island. Like, the people are different, the surroundings are so different, it’s not overwhelming. I love that. So definitely check that out. 

And what about something that you wish you had done sooner? Is there something that you may have thought of that you are thinking that you should have done this a lot sooner than you have?

Justyn:

The big one for me is taxes. I did not figure out my taxes soon enough, which is, like, big and scary. And no one wants to talk about taxes. I get that. It’s so boring. But I definitely wish as a freelancer, as a digital nomad, I would have figured my taxes out faster ’cause catching up after having done it incorrectly was a big mistake. 

So I would say either talk to someone or that should be your first hire if you’re, like, growing a team. Definitely wish I would have paid attention to my taxes.

Debbie:

Yeah. And, like you’ve mentioned, not many people want to deal with that. But if you don’t want to have a headache and do so much more work and it’ll cost you more money, definitely start it right from the beginning. That’s so important. It’s not sexy but it’s something that we have to do. 

Justyn:

It’s definitely not sexy. People are like, “What do you wish you did?” I’m like, “I wish I would have figured out Healthcare and taxes.” I didn’t do either of those things. They’re so boring. 

Debbie:

I know. I’m, like, “Oh, that’s the last thing I want to think about. I want to do the fun stuff.” And then, it’s like, “You have no choice.” 

Justyn:

Exactly.

Debbie:

Thank you so much for being here with us. We really appreciate you and for sharing all of this journey that you had gone through. So it’s so inspiring for me to hear all of this and to see where you are now.

If our listeners want to know more about you, where can they find you?

Justyn:

They can find me on my website, it’s JustynJen.com. And then they can also find me on Instagram and Pinterest @justynjen as well. 

So everything is always under the same name for me just to keep it easy. But yeah, so that’s where you, guys, can find me.

Debbie:

Perfect. 

Thank you so much, Justyn, for being here with us. We really appreciate you and thanks again. 

Justyn:

Thank you so much.

Listen to Justyn’s extended interview where she shares how to grow your business and blog using Pinterest marketing.

What you’ll find:

In this episode, Justyn will show you the steps that you should take to grow your business by using Pinterest as a marketing strategy.

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Show Credits:

Audio Engineer: Ben Smith