What if you could leave your home and go abroad for one month, work remotely, and volunteer to use your professional skills in a socially impactful way that truly makes a difference? Would you do it? Could you do it? For many people, this is a dream that isn’t attainable, mainly because of the structure of the company they work for, but for some, the possibility exists. My guest today has the answer for you if you are looking to push away the restraints and go on an adventure!
Ann Davis is a cancer survivor, lifelong travel luster, and founder and CEO of Venture with Impact. Having traveled the world while working full-time jobs, Ann understands firsthand the internal struggle of wanting to maintain a career while nurturing your adventurous and humanitarian identity. Ann founded Venture with Impact because she wanted to create an opportunity for adventure for people who were burnt out from the 9-5 grind and looking for inspiration in their career. Venture with Impact organizes skills based volunteers abroad for people wanting to work remotely for at least a month. They organize everything from accommodations, work space, and local partnerships. Based in Milwaukee, WI, Venture with Impact currently has programs in Medellin, Colombia; Chiang Mai, Thailand; Lisbon, Portugal; and San Miguel De Allende, Mexico. In this episode, Ann shares the surprising journey from cancer diagnosis to entrepreneurship, why digital nomadism is not just for the freelancer anymore, but also for the working professional, and her advice on how to set up your life so you can take a month off and return refreshed and not come back to a mess.
Re-evaluating life goals
Ann doesn’t come from an entrepreneurial background. She was a public school teacher with Teach for America in New Orleans and NYC. Her love for travel has been a lifelong passion, but it was a grand mal seizure in her first year of teaching that led to the discovery of a cancerous brain tumor. At 23 years old, she had to re-evaluate her life goals and consider where she had been and where she was going. She didn’t deal with the repercussions of her diagnosis until after her course of treatment was over, and it was then that she contemplated her work/life balance and her stress levels.
Learning more about cancer
One thing Ann learned quickly was the prevalence of cancer. It’s common for anyone over 15 to have cancer cells in their body. The question is whether or not they will grow. Cancer is the #1 cause of death, and we all know that it’s a scary diagnosis. Ann learned four things to do to prevent disease: deal with stress (that means yoga, meditation, time with friends, exercise, etc.), eat healthy, exercise, and avoid harmful chemicals.
The birth of the idea
As Ann continued teaching and traveling, she found many friends and family members who wanted to make more of a social impact and increase their travel time. Ann worked with non-profits that lacked sustainable resources. As she quit teaching and moved to Peru to work with a non-profit, the idea for Venture with Impact came to her. It was a plan that just made sense, so she started exploring the idea and recruiting professionals. The pilot program for Venture with Impact launched in Peru in 2017.
How Venture with Impact works
Venture with Impact takes professionals and sets them up in cities abroad to work remotely for one month. The organization provides accommodations, a co-working space, 24/7 support, and cultural events and activities. Also, the professionals are matched with a skills-based volunteer project for their free time, usually 3-15 hours per week. This volunteer opportunity utilizes the professional skills to benefit the organization in some consulting, training, or service role.
Benefits of a Venture experience
Do you know how travel fuels self-discovery? Through Venture with Impact, you can meet people you would have never met and do things you’d never have done. There are opportunities in every location to learn about cultural differences, politics, and discover new interests. Networking and community-building occurs naturally in the process, and it takes a self-driven and motivated person to be successful and take advantage of what the opportunity has to offer.
Why everyone can’t have a Venture with Impact experience
The absence or presence of certain skills or careers is not what holds people back from a Venture with Impact opportunity. It’s often the structure of the company they work for that simply won’t allow remote work for an extended time. A variety of professions participate in the programs and are eager to set their life up for a megadose of adventure. Venture with Impact can be like a vacation you take for a physical and mental break. An added benefit is the laid back lifestyle that you can experience in other cultures. Ann shares how personal relationships can survive this traveling life by sharing how she and her longtime boyfriend make it work.
A brand new endeavor
The latest branch of Venture with Impact is their corporate initiative, partnering with large and small companies and non-profit organizations. Venture with Impact encourages these companies to promote skills-based volunteering and corporate social responsibility. Employees have approached employers asking for the flexibility to participate in a program like this.
Highlights of the episode:
- 5:42 – The connection between a stressful lifestyle and cancer
- 7:42 – Venture with Impact: How it began
- 10:30 – What is skills-based volunteering?
- 13:31 – How professional skills are assessed in the application process
- 14:31 – The connection in travel and career
- 16:54 – Types of work that are compatible with a digital nomadic lifestyle
- 19:37 – Setting up your life for an adventure
- 22:12 – Longterm career planning for Ann
- 22:59 – Corporate initiatives at Venture with Impact
- 27:11 – How this concept disrupts our busy culture
- 29:15 – The impact of this lifestyle on personal relationships
Resources mentioned:
- www.venturewithimpact.org Check out the 15% discount for the New Year!
- Facebook: Ann Elizabeth Davis
- Email Ann: [email protected]
- Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg by Irin Carmon
The Fem Five:
1. Favorite book to recommend for women?
- Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg by Irin Carmon
2. Favorite self-care hack?
- “Weekly yoga practice”
3. Best piece of advice and who gave it to you?
- “My mom always reminded me to be persistent.”
4. Female CEO or thought leader you’re into right now?
- Jacqueline Novogratz, CEO of Acumen
5. One piece of advice you’d give your five years younger self?
- “Have more work/life balance. The day-to-day stress is not worth it.”
Last Time on The NextFem Podcast
Boost Your Confidence and Kick Imposter Syndrome to the Curb – with Dr. Valerie Young
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