It's been a little over a month since I've quit my 8-5 corporate job.

I'm now living in California (and I absolutely love it here).

I finally took that trip to see family in Chicago which I had to put off for years.

Fall in Chicago

Opportunities with friends and connections are showing promise with the work situation (ones that I can do at least semi-remotely and travel but still keep a home base in CA. Hayyy!)

Leaving my job and moving to a new city was another leap of faith - a pretty scary and expensive one...but so far? It feels like it's working out. Is it stressful? Yeah, I'm pretty freakin' busy right now with all these projects. But am I happy? I would say so...!

So when I removed something from my life (a job I was no longer thrilled about, and living in a city I liked but didn't love) I chose to pursue working for myself and moving to a city I had only dreamed of...

...The entire process took much longer than I anticipated and there was a LOT of uncertainty, but the moment I stepped out of my car into the California sun was the best feeling ever.

You know? One of those, "I did it" feelings. It was an effect that has contributed to my mood and productivity for the past few weeks. Even when I was working in the mornings during my Chicago trip!

Freedom feels good. Being excited in the mornings to get work done feels good. Having more flexibility to plan travel feels good.

La Jolla, California

I'm still working on creating the life I've imagined for the past couple of years (aren't we all?!) but being a few steps closer than I was several months ago feels ah-ma-zing.

Working toward this every day has paid off, and I'll keep working toward it every day.

Florence, Italy

It's easy to feel stuck, but you have to keep that end goal in mind.

Maybe you're itching to move somewhere new, take that dream trip, or you can just envision yourself traveling all the time...but aren't quite there yet.

I get a lot of emails from people saying they want to be location independent and work for themselves so they can travel whenever, but don't know how to exactly #GetStarted.

One of the best things to do is now that can help you out later is to brand yourself online. Especially if you want to be a digital nomad or start a business.

The Eiffel Tower

In today's age, a lot of networking happens digitally. This isn't to say meeting people in-person doesn't work, but you may be surprised about the amount of people you can reach and varying opportunities that can come your way through social media:

I put my travel blog URL on my resume two years ago, and after I got the job, the guy in HR said that was an extra thing that made me stand out from other candidates
One of my current digital freelance opportunities came from a post I was tagged in on Facebook
Most of you that joined my email list and found out about Go Seek Explore was because of a post on how to work + travel on Instagram :)

Why have I been talking about all of this?!

Using the power of social media to brand yourself and/or your business can lead to: more business, partnering with cool brands, making connections with people around the world, building an audience and platform, and even earning an income online so you can work while you travel.

Florence, Italy

If you're trying to figure out exactly what niche you want to connect with for your personal brand, try this:

If you were to start a blog about anything, what one topic would you focus on? What experiences have you had, what topics do you know a lot about, and what do people seem to come to you for advice on? How can this help you make connections for travel jobs, opportunities, or becoming a digital nomad?

Now if you have a business but are getting started with branding the business on social media, think:

Where do your ideal customers hang out online? Are you connecting with your audience, or only your peers/competitors? What free value and content can you add?

Beijing, China

You don't have to be branding yourself on every.single.platform when you #GetStarted. Pick one or two if you're getting started, or if you've already begun, try focusing on your favorite platform and really work to take it to the next level.

My favorite platforms for building an online brand, finding people to connect with, and providing value are: