OCEAN Nomads Tribe interviews with digital nomads and digital nomad surfers delve into the inspiring nomad journeys of people following a passion for travel and surf, extracting insights on how they achieve a remote work lifestyle.
In this interview we speak to Daniel Signorile, a full time employee who has spent the last year with no home base, travelling to and living in several countries including the Philippines, Vietnam, Australia, Costa Rica, Panama, Peru, Canada, the US, Colombia, Japan, and Indonesia (Bali).
Daniel shares how he is building a career as a nomad and gives practical tips on how to focus your job search when looking for a remote role. He discusses the importance of connections, and how to leverage cold outreach to stand out in the application process for highly sought out remote jobs.
Follow Daniel’s journey further @danielversustheworld on Instagram.
Prefer to read? Here’s the transcript:
Kaela Earl:
Hey everyone, and welcome to the first-ever Ocean Nomads Tribe Interview! In this series, I’ll be sitting down with inspiring digital nomads who have embraced a life of adventure and freedom. We’ll dive into their journeys—how they got started, what they do for work, and the lessons they’ve learned along the way. My goal is to bring you practical insights and real-life inspiration to help you build your own nomadic surf lifestyle. Let’s get into it!
Now I’m really excited to welcome our first guest Daniel. Daniel is a full time employee in a job that allows him to work remotely from all around the world. Recently Daniel has spent his time in Colombia, North America, Australia, just to name a few… Daniel, thanks so much for joining us today.
I’m really looking forward to getting into your story. You and I have been hanging out since this morning, and we’ve been purposely trying not to catch up on everything so that you can tell your story in full for the first time here. For the listeners background, Daniel and I met in 2017 when we were both living in Calgary, Canada. Since we have both relocated since then, It’s been about 4 or 5 years since we’ve seen each other.
Daniel, thank you so much for joining us today.
Daniel Signorile:
My pleasure! I could do this every day—I love the sound of my own voice. Just kidding! Thanks for having me on. This is such a great concept, and I think there’s not much long-form content like this in the digital nomad space.
Let’s start with where you’re at today. How would you describe your lifestyle? What’s important to you, and where do you base yourself?
Daniel Signorile:
I’m not really based in one country at the moment. Since 2023, I’ve been traveling regularly. For the next six months, I’ll be in Canada and the U.S. for both work and personal reasons (I’m Aussie but I used to live in Canada). Before that, I was living the remote lifestyle in Southeast Asia, spending time in places like Bali, the Philippines, and Vietnam.
Tell us about your job.
Daniel Signorile:
I work full-time as a business development manager for a drone services and manufacturing company based in Tasmania. My role is to drive new business and revenue through conferences, online outreach, and marketing campaigns. The goal is to grow the company into a global powerhouse in the drone industry.
When did you first realize you wanted to work remotely?
Daniel Signorile:
After a trip to Europe in 2016. I went to a private school and was on the typical ‘go to university, get a degree’ path, but I dropped out after half a degree because I didn’t enjoy it. I got into sales, which equipped me with great life skills, but I wanted to travel. When I was in hostels in Europe, I met people working online, and I realized that was the lifestyle I wanted.
You often see this image of someone sitting on a beach, opening their laptop, connecting to Wi-Fi, and making money. That idea was always in the back of my mind. Ironically, I’ve never actually worked from a beach myself because, in reality, it’s not practical. But that image drew me to remote work.
How did you transition from regular employment to remote work?
Daniel Signorile:
I’d worked in hospitality both in Canada and in London, where I spent time living between 2016 and 2022, before setting on the digital nomad path. While in London I decided I wanted to leave the hospitality industry and travel.
I started looking for jobs around the world and I found a job in the Philippines. It sounded sketchy, but I took the chance and went to Manila. It turned out to be a 100% commission-based sales job with no salary, trying to get expats to come to the Philippines and invest. I quit after three days, realizing I had to find real remote work.
When I was looking for remote work, I didn’t care what the salary was, and I wasn’t picky about the type of work, I just wanted to get started making an online income. I jumped on LinkedIn, started cold messaging companies, and eventually landed my first remote job, even though it paid only $300 AUD a week.
How did you successfully find and secured remote work?
Daniel Signorile:
One of the biggest mistakes people make is blindly applying to job listings and sending out generic résumés. Remote jobs are highly competitive, so you need a direct, tailored approach.
I used LinkedIn and Seek (an Australian job search website) to find companies hiring remote positions, then went to LinkedIn’s ‘People’ tab to find decision-makers in those companies. Instead of applying through job portals, I sent direct messages or emails to hiring managers, CEOs, or department heads. Most companies follow predictable email formats (e.g., firstname.lastname@company.com), so if I wasn’t able to connect with them on LinkedIn, I would guess their work emails and send cold outreach messages.
The key is to personalize the message and make it clear how you can add value. Everyone has unique experiences and skills to offer, and it helps to focus on jobs where these experiences and skills could be used.
I also avoided sending cover letters and using the ‘Easy Apply’ feature on LinkedIn. These days cover letters are all generic and AI-generated, which doesn’t help you stand out. Taking the time to send direct messages helped me get responses and, ultimately, job offers.
What advice do you have for someone who wants to land a remote job, but doesn’t know where to start?
Daniel Signorile:
First, identify your skills and what you have to offer. Even if you don’t have direct experience, you might have transferable skills like communication, problem-solving, or content creation. Find roles that align with those skills.
Second, choose a location where you want to live, as that will determine how much income you need. For example, you can live comfortably in Southeast Asia for $1,500 a month, but in North America, you might need $5,000 or more.
Once you know what type of job you want and how much you need to earn, use direct outreach to target companies and decision-makers.
How did you go from making $300 a week job to affording an easier lifestyle?
Daniel Signorile:
While I was living in Bali and working that first remote job, I reconnected with an old friend I had met in a hostel during my Europe travels. He had since started a drone company, which had grown significantly. I asked him whether he might have anything in the business that I could help with. He told me they were expanding and offered me a small role—just 10 hours a week at $20 AUD an hour—doing research on potential business targets.
With that job, my weekly income increased to $500 AUD, which allowed me to sustain myself in Bali while keeping my expenses low. Even though it was only a few hours a week, I found the work fulfilling, and after proving myself, I asked if I could take on more hours. He agreed, increasing my role to 20 hours a week, so I quit my other job, which I didn’t like anyway. For the next four months, I worked part-time while continuing to live in Bali, managing to save money despite not making a huge income.
Eventually, after proving myself, I had a performance review and I was offered a full-time position. My hours increased to 40 per week, giving me financial stability and the freedom to keep living the remote lifestyle. By that point, I was making enough to be self-sufficient in Southeast Asia, and I finally felt like I had made it in the remote work world.
Do you have travel insurance, and what do you recommend for long-term travelers?
Daniel Signorile:
Yes, I have travel insurance. I use Travel Insurance Direct, which covers me worldwide for about $400 AUD per year. It’s a must-have. Many people take the risk of traveling without it, but if you get injured in a place like Southeast Asia, hospitals may refuse to treat you until you pay upfront.
A friend of mine had a severe accident in Indonesia and needed his family to wire $100,000 before doctors would operate. It’s not worth the risk—always have insurance.
How do you balance work and travel, when you’re surrounded by distractions?
Daniel Signorile:
It’s tough! My biggest tip is to avoid hostels if you want to be productive. Stay in an Airbnb near a hostel so you can be social when you want but still get work done. Join community groups and social leagues to meet people outside of the party scene. You can always go to the hostels in the evenings to join the party after you’ve finished your workday. Also, planning ahead for good Wi-Fi is essential.
What are the biggest challenges of being a digital nomad?
Daniel Signorile:
First, staying productive. The environment you choose makes all the difference.
Second, feeling disconnected from your team. Working remotely means missing office interactions, but conferences and meetups help.
Third, loneliness. It’s glamorized, but a lot of the time, you’re eating meals alone. Making an effort to connect with people is crucial.
Can you build deep connections with people you meet, and maintain friendships with people back home?
Daniel Signorile:
It’s not easy. The whole idea of moving to a new city every week seems exciting, but I don’t think it’s as great as people imagine. It’s hard to build strong friendships because you meet amazing people, and just as you feel like you could be great friends, they leave the next day.
As for staying connected with friends back home, I really believe in quality over quantity. I have two or three really close mates in Australia who I can call anytime, and we’ll chat for hours. But you do fall out of touch with people—it’s just part of this lifestyle.
What strategies help you stay in touch with key friendships?
Daniel Signorile:
I use FaceTime a lot. I’m a big fan of FaceTime and voice notes because they feel more personal and relatable, like you’re almost there with the person. I stay in touch with my family mostly through social media—we send each other stuff on Instagram or DM on Facebook—but I know I should probably call them more often.
One thing that helps is keeping people updated on what I’m doing. I post a lot on social media, and that’s kind of my way of letting people know where I am. If I go a few weeks without posting, my mom might even check in to make sure I’m okay. It’s really easy to get caught up in traveling and forget to check in, but just giving people an update every now and then goes a long way.
What’s something you didn’t expect about the digital nomad lifestyle?
Daniel Signorile:
How unreliable Wi-Fi and electricity can be in some places. I’ve had meetings disrupted by blackouts. Always have a backup plan and embrace that things won’t always go smoothly.
What’s your biggest tip for someone wanting to become a digital nomad?
Daniel Signorile:
Start by identifying what skills you have and what remote jobs align with them, so that you can target your search. Then, decide where you want to live because that determines how much money you need. Finally, go all in—be proactive with outreach, take any opportunity to get started, and build up from there.
Kaela Earl:
Daniel, thank you so much for sharing your journey! Where can people follow you?
Daniel Signorile:
You can find me on Instagram at @danielversustheworld. Thanks for having me—I’ve really enjoyed this!
Dreaming of pursuing your own nomadic adventure? We have tons of practical guides on where to go and things you need to know before setting off.
