Ep. 301: How This Russian YouTube Content Creator Became A Digital Nomad with Lana Glushkova
In this episode, I speak with Lana who is a digital nomad, YouTuber, and video content creator from Russia. She started her Youtube career in 2019 and has since lived in China, Bali, Turkey and other different cities in Russia.
Listen on to find out how Lana has created a sustainable lifestyle as a video content creator and freelancer.
Listen Below:
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Transcription:
Debbie:
Hey everyone! Thank you so much for being here.
I am really excited to speak with my guest today, I’m here with Lana.
Hello, Lana, how are you?
Lana:
Hi, Debbie, I’m fine. How are you?
Debbie:
I am wonderful. Thank you so much for being here with us.
Can you tell us about you and why you live an offbeat life?
Lana:
I’m Lana and I live an offbeat life cause I’ve always wanted to travel, to see the world and not just travel but also live abroad and experience different countries – experience life in different countries.
So, my first experience living abroad was in China. I was in an exchange program and I studied Chinese for 4 months.
So, and it was one of the best experiences in my life. I decided I wanted to travel more and also share this experience with other people because not everyone, you know, is fascinated about going abroad or, you know, traveling.
So, I was also traveling in Asia and places like Hong Kong South Korea, Singapore and Bali and I really loved Bali and I stayed there for a few months and I think that’s the place where I discovered this digital nomad thing and I fell in love with this concept of, you know, being a remote worker and being able to travel to different countries and stay there and also connect with this amazing community of entrepreneurs and creative people and especially in Bali, like I’ve met a lot of people who are content creators, bloggers, entrepreneurs and it was so much fun, like we could collaborate with other creatives.
And I think that’s pretty much it.
Debbie:
Your story is really interesting because you come from Russia and you came from Siberia. Is that correct?
Lana:
Yes, that’s correct.
Debbie:
And we don’t meet a lot of people from Siberia, usually, right? And how did you get to the point where you come from, you know, this place that’s, it’s really cold, at least, that’s what we all see, right? And then now you’re traveling, all over the world. Now, you go to tropical places, how did you get from being in this cold area and like now, living a digital nomad lifestyle? How did you get from there? Because that’s, obviously, Russia is a huge, huge place and then now, you’re like traveling all over the world.
How did you get that idea to-? I mean, I could kind of understand, especially, you know, if you come from a really cold country, I’m like, I would love to be in a lot of warm places too.
Lana:
Well, that’s actually a good question because I’ve been asked this like many times, especially when I say I’m from Siberia, people assume it’s super cold there, which is true, but it’s not the coldest place on Earth, I mean, where I’m from exactly.
So I think I was just fascinated to see other cultures, you know, other, your other languages and to learn other languages, of course, the cold climate is also a big reason for that, like, I think Russians in general love, you know, traveling to warmer climates.
So, I think those are the reasons why I chose traveling.
Debbie:
Mmm-hmm and now you’re able to do this more of a lifestyle and not just something that you can do as a vacation.
How did you end up making this more sustainable for yourself? Because that’s one of the things that people always want to do, right? You don’t want to just take off, you know a week or two during the year, but you made this into your life.
Lana:
Well, I’ll say that I’m still trying to make it. Everything started from photography and videography. When I first discovered photography to myself, and then later on, I tried making videos and I loved it so much.
So I learned everything on YouTube and the idea of YouTube inspired as well, so I was thinking that is such an opportunity to, you know, grow and make your business and do creative things there and also, you know, make a living out of YouTube.
So, I don’t know. I was just so determined to do that, and I’ve put so much effort into this, so, and I started my YouTube, I think after years, since I started, like filming things.
So yeah, now it’s been like three years since I started YouTube and I can say that, I’m still growing the channel. Now, I have about a 80,000 subscribers.
So I’m still in the process.
Debbie:
I mean, even at three years, 80,000 is a huge number because I’ve seen people do this for like a decade and, you know, and they don’t get to that point and you were able to do it in such a short amount of time.
I know that, obviously, as a content creator, it takes a lot of work and dedication to do this, but how do you juggle all of this stuff? Because being on YouTube is no joke, especially when you’re growing it and in that fast amount of time.
Lana:
You’re right in that, it’s not that easy, but I think I was lucky as well. I’ve gotten like first 30,000 subscribers in about a month or a week.
So, it was more like I was posting those series, I made some series about personal development and morning routines and minimalism and apparently this topic was super popular. So, my channel blew up and yeah, I got about like, after my third video, I’ve got 30,000 subscribers in a week, yeah in a week. So it was crazy, like, you know, when you refresh the page and you see numbers are just growing and yeah, it was weird.
But, you know, everyone wants to get subscribers super fast, right? Like, just go there and be lucky, but the thing is that, as a professional, you might be not ready because when subscribers are there, you need to be able to make content and if you’re not so good at this yet, you will fail.
And for me, it was also a bit hard sometimes and I took so many breaks and I was pursuing more of like a filmmaking career, I mean more like a videography career and I think like for these three years doing YouTube, you know, sometimes sort of I got a lot of experience and this time I’m trying to start again with all the knowledge that I’ve got and all these ideas, so I’ve got it figured out, what I want to talk about, found my voice, my niche, so I’m looking forward to, you know, do more things on YouTube.
Debbie:
Yeah and it takes a lot of time and obviously a lot of experimentation when you are really trying to figure out where you land in that market, and you were able to tap into something that, it was obvious that a lot of people wanted it, cause you grew so much in such a short period of time, you know, that’s that’s kind of the ‘unicorn’, right? Unless you went viral somewhere or you got mentioned in – by somebody big or a huge network, but that is really incredible.
And now do you do YouTube full-time or are you doing other things while you’re traveling as a digital nomad?
Lana:
I did YouTube part-time at the moment. Also, I am doing some freelance projects as a videographer but it’s not always as easy because when you’re traveling, you can’t freely like work in other countries.
So you can just take some projects online or like editing jobs or when you film something and your client is not in the country where you live, so for example, I was living in Turkey for the last year and of course, I’m – I can’t work as a videographer there, so the only option was to, like to take some online projects, or work with brands that are not like actually located in Turkey, otherwise it’s not legal, so being a filmmaker and being a digital nomad, it’s not a really good idea, I’d say, but being a YouTuber is a better fit for this digital nomad lifestyle.
Debbie:
Yeah, absolutely and that’s another thing that we have to think about when you’re traveling in other countries, you have to see whether it’s legal or not, because you can’t really work there. So, that’s always good to have clients that you can do from anywhere and you’re able to make this sustainable for yourself.
Do you often find new clients for yourself or do you have people that you’re always or companies that you’re constantly working with that allow you to keep going with this?
Lana:
Yeah, like for the last year, I’ve been working mostly with one company that I had like lots of orders from them, which was really convenient, but at the same time, it’s sort of, you know, not sustainable because if this client disappears, you end up not having the next project, so being a YouTuber is in this sense, is more, I’d say interesting, because you are a producer, you don’t need to wait for another client. You can make your own projects. You can produce them, you can film them, you can edit them, but at the same time it takes a lot more skills, so you’re not just an editor, or not just the video operator, you are a host of your show, you are a model and you are an entrepreneur and doing all this business stuff and everything, so being a YouTuber is an option for many filmmakers and a lot of filmmakers are trying to do more on YouTube because it’s more sustainable.
Debbie:
Yeah and it’s also something that allows you to become more creative and there’s a lot of content that you can do when you are traveling around, so, I’m pretty sure you get a lot of really gorgeous footages and it’s fun for you, you know, when you’re doing it, there are obviously, there’s going to be times where you’re just like, “No, I can’t do this.”, but that is incredible.
How do you find the right places for you to go to next, Lana? Because there’s so many different countries to go to. How do you choose?
Lana:
Well, I think after covid, there was not that many options and I actually went to Turkey because it was one of the countries that was open and it was really easy to go there and live there because Turkey offers one year of residency.
So, if you rent an apartment there, they allow you to stay there for a year, legally and it’s amazing because not many countries do that.
For example, I am in Bali now and here it’s like more complicated, you have to pay for these visas and you know, it’s not that easy.
So, Turkey was a cool option and I’ve never been in Turkey before and when I came there, it was really amazing. I think Turkey is underestimated, like living there as a digital nomad is great because it’s really affordable. It’s so much fun, like, there’s so many things you can see and also there are many places you can go to, like coffee shops and bars and restaurants and everything and it’s so much cheaper than, you know, States or Europe and I noticed lots of people go there just to be able to live this lifestyle because if they go back to the UK or something like that, they can’t do the same thing.
So, yeah, my choice was Turkey and now I am, as I said, in Bali, which is also one of my favorite destinations because here is a community of creators and entrepreneurs.
Debbie:
Yeah and that’s also another thing, right? And I’m not sure, are you traveling solo, Lana? Or do you have companions with you when you travel around?
Lana:
Yeah, I am traveling solo.
Debbie:
Yeah, so how do you make sure that, you know, obviously, you want to go to a place that is affordable but also that has a community, I mean, unless like you’re like a super introvert and you don’t want to be around people, how do you find a place that kind of balances all of that stuff out? Because you want to make sure that you’re also enjoying the place and I know you were in Turkey for a little while and now you’re in Bali. How do you find that community of people who kind of share the same things as you or maybe a community of locals that will embrace you?
Lana:
That’s a good question because in Turkey it was really hard to find this community, like I’ve met some foreigners, but it was so much harder to find, you know, people who do the same things, just like me and it’s so much easier in Bali, so that’s just my personal experience.
So, being a solo traveler can be a bit hard sometimes because you’ll find yourself lonely a lot of times..
Debbie:
Yeah, and that’s one of the things that we often kind of just glaze over because we get so excited about looking at a new place, finding new spots and then you go there and one of the things that I find for myself when I go to a different country, a different culture is like, seeing beautiful things is great, but having people to talk to, having a community around you makes all the difference and that’s one of the best things about travel is all the people that you meet, right? So, it’s definitely something to look forward to or even wanting to revisit a place is the people that you meet there.
Lana:
Exactly, I think that’s the toughest part, cause you can freely, you know, have all your friends online, I mean, you can, but you always need to hang out with someone and then those people are digital nomads as well and then they leave the country and you stay alone.
And this has happened to me so many times, it’s like the good part, you get those people, you can meet them anywhere in the world, but when you are at this place and they leave, you have to find new friends again, which is, you know, hard, sometimes.
Debbie:
Yeah, it’s like a cycle, it’s over and over again and you’re kind of like a masochist because you keep doing it to yourself.
Lana:
Exactly, and you know sometimes like you start being a bit more of an introvert, maybe, like you kind of get used to being alone all the time because, you know, you don’t have this like family or friends that are always with you, you know?
Debbie:
Yeah, absolutely. And that’s one of the things too, when you’re traveling solo, you have to be really comfortable with yourself, otherwise it’s going to be really uncomfortable for you all the time to just be on your own.
Lana:
Exactly, I agree with that.
Debbie:
So I talk to a lot of different digital nomads and they have different sorts of passports, right? Either from Asia and Europe, obviously, here in the United States, but what is it like for you, Lana, with you holding a Russian passport? How easy or hard is it to go from one country to the next?
Cause I know one of my friends, she’s Filipino and, you know, she’s trying to travel like all the countries in the world and then there’s some areas where it’s just really hard for you and even as a US citizen like there’s just certain countries where like it’s really difficult for us to go to or it’s not even welcome.
How is it like for you as a Russian passport holder, to travel the world and all of these different places?
Lana:
Well, I can say that a lot of countries are welcoming Russians and countries like Turkey, of course, they have – we have like 60 days without visa, like South Korea also, Hong Kong used to be open for us for 30 days.
So, in Indonesia, we can stay there for 30 days and 60 days, just like everybody. So, I think that the countries that we ave that it’s really difficult for us to come – to go, is the States, obviously, Australia and Europe.
I mean, you can get a visa but I think it’s really hard to get a visa to the States and it’ll take a lot of time to get it.
Debbie:
Yeah and that is really unfortunate, you know, cause you want to go to these different places, you want to go visit them but it becomes really hard, but that’s also good to know, especially if you are holding a specific type of passport, what you can and can’t do because you also don’t want to get in trouble because I know like you had mentioned, Lana, there are certain places you can only stay there for a certain amount of time, if it’s 30 days or 60 days, some even 90 days and then you have to leave, right? Or else you get in trouble.
So, how do you keep up with all of that? Obviously, you have to educate yourself otherwise, there’s some legalities that could be trouble for you.
Lana:
I mean, it’s just like, you check the info, you make the visa, if it’s required or otherwise, you know, just don’t stay longer than you can. So, I think there are lots of places we can go to, it’s not really a big issue, so, lots of countries that I want to visit, they’re open for us.
So, I think there are a lot of places that I can explore with my passport. I think, you know, it’s not a problem.
Debbie:
Yeah and there’s always a new country that you want to visit too, I’m sure, especially as a digital nomad that you haven’t gone to.
Lana:
Yeah.
Debbie:
So, for you, is this something that you see yourself doing for a long period of time? Because there’s a lot of digital nomads that get burned out from all the traveling around and they want like a base for themselves, or do you see yourself maybe settling, in like, somewhere and then traveling from there, what does, you know, your next few years look like for you as a digital nomad?
Lana:
Actually, that’s a good question, because I’ve been thinking a lot about it cause I wanted to stay in Istanbul in Turkey, more long-term, and then I had this dream to come back to Bali because I left just before covid it and it was so sad to leave.
So, now I’m finally back and before that I was really thinking that I could stay in one place and then you know, travel to other places but not like a digital nomad, have this, I need to have this apartment where – which is my home but then I was thinking like, “Maybe I could do, I could do this a bit more,”, you know?
So, I don’t know how much longer I will do this, but I still have this, like excitement to see, not just to see places, you know, not just like see beautiful destinations, beautiful landscapes and all things like that, I want to see how it is to live in the country, in this country and experience the life there, so what people are doing, what they are eating, how expensive it is, what about apartments, the culture, like all these aspects and I want to share this, you know, with other people, because I know lots of my friends and my family, for example, they don’t know about it and just like many other people, they don’t know what it’s like to live in Turkey or Indonesia or any other place.
And I think this is what I want to share on YouTube and I don’t know how much longer I will be traveling, but I think there will be always something I can share.
Debbie:
That’s really one of the most beautiful things about going into a culture, right? You’re not just being a tourist, you really start to live there and learn the culture and you get to meet the people and how different they are from you and you had mentioned, you know, your family and a lot of friends, don’t know any of these things.
How did they feel about you, Lana, leaving Siberia, and doing all of these things? Was it common? Is this uncommon within your community or within your family, for somebody to do this?
Lana:
I would say it’s uncommon and lots of people they just wonder why do I do this, why don’t I just stay, you know, in one place and I always meet this, even not from, you know, my family just like from many other people like in Russia or somewhere else like all these questions like, “Don’t you want to have a home? Do you think you will, you know, ever stop doing this?”.
So, I don’t have an answer for this, I think it’s more like an exploration phase. I mean, no one has answers for what’s going to be in the future but for many people it’s unusual and I get lots of questions about it.
Debbie:
They’re like, “What are you doing with your life?”, like.
Lana:
Yeah, like I don’t know.
Debbie:
You’re like, “I’m trying to figure it out, that’s why I’m doing this.”.
Lana:
Exactly, yeah.
Debbie:
But now that you’ve been doing this for several years, have they kind of understood a little bit and kind of see where you’re going with this and maybe there’s curiosity, because you’ve traveled to so many different places and experienced a lot of different things?
Lana:
Yeah, they definitely, they got used to it because they always know that I will go somewhere else, you know, it’s just like, I have these periods when I feel so, like if I stay in one place for a long time and then I feel this urge to go somewhere else.
And this urge is like, I don’t know, I’m just getting like so obsessed with the idea to change the place, you know? And like my mom, she knows like, what’s happening like she’s like, “Okay, I know you will go somewhere else, like, I know you will travel soon.”, because if I got this idea to go some other place I can’t just stop thinking about it.
Debbie:
You have that very nomadic spirit in you and that’s why you constantly have to keep going and keep moving, it’s amazing when you have that, right? But it’s also like, “Okay, what am I searching for? Like, what am I looking for?”, and then it feels like everytime, like you’re there, it feels good and then you have that need to to move forward again.
Lana:
I think eventually, the goal is to find that place where I’d want to settle, but also it’s about feeling your life with this experience, you know somebody told me, like, I’m trying to live multiple lives and it’s kind of true because it each of my experiences living abroad, it was another universe, with different languages and cultural experience and people and food and everything.
It’s even hard to describe and I don’t know what my life could have been like, if I haven’t traveled, if I haven’t lived abroad. Now, when I have all these experiences, you know, I’m getting older and it’s so much fun to just remember all this time and you know, feel like you’ve seen so many things.
Debbie:
Yeah and it’s the time that you can’t really get back, you know, it’s the time that and I also feel like as you age like every decade, you’re a different person to the way you see the world and you see everything around you is so different than when you did like 10 years ago.
So, it’s definitely an exploration and being all sorts of different types of human and I definitely believe what you said, Lana, where it’s like you want to be different every time, you want to have different lives, and I think that’s one of the most beautiful things about being a human being, is that you can be like that, if you want to do it, cause there’s just so many things that you can do, you can explore and you can be.
So now that you’re a nomad and this has been a lifestyle for you and you feel like it’s something that you want to keep going to, let’s maybe look forward to maybe 40 years from now, right? And you’re looking back at everything that you’ve done with your life, what Legacy would you like to leave, Lana, and what do you want to be remembered for?
Lana:
I think, I’m not sure like about 40 years from now, but for the next few years, I think I would love to show people what it’s like to live in other countries, because we think that, you know, we have so many travel videos and everything and we think that we know what it’s like, but every time you show the person like about another country and you see this excitement in their eyes, like they’re like, “Oh, wow. This is what it’s like to live there, and maybe I’d want to go there.”, and maybe like inspire some people to go to another country and live there because for many people this thought of immigrating is like not something they would easily do.
So, I think for the next few years I would love to show more of the world to people but not from the point of view of like, not from the point of view of traveling and seeing, you know, just beautiful landscapes and stuff like that, like, actually being in this culture, live in this culture, so I think that’s what I want to leave, as a legacy.
Debbie:
Yeah and that’s a good one because then you’ll have a better understanding of different cultures of the people around you and I think that’s one of the best ways that we can really have, you know, a good understanding of humanity and people in general, I love that.
Well, thank you so much, Lana, for being here with us.
If our listeners want to learn more about you where can they find you?
Lana:
They can find me on Instagram, which is @lana.glushkova, which is my surname or on YouTube, my English channel would be the best fit, so it’s Lana Nomad, with a YouTube handle, so, I will be posting more videos there about traveling and living in Turkey and all this stuff.
Debbie:
Perfect! Thank you so much, we really appreciate you for sharing your journey with us!
Lana:
Thank you for having me here.
Listen to Lana’s extended interview where she talks about how to successfully grow a YouTube channel.
What you’ll find:
In this extended interview, Lana talks about how to successfully grow a YouTube channel, she currently has 79K, almost 80K, subscribers on her YouTube channel, so she knows her way around growing a channel. So, don’t miss out and listen now!
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