Unconventional Career Idea 💡Become a Local Relocation Consultant
Especially if you live in a small town! 👀 (I KNOW, CRAZY.)
In today’s world, you can work from anywhere.
(And thank god, or else I would have never experienced the joy that is the squat toilet in Italy.)
But, guess what that also means?
People are going to be *moving* everywhere. 🏡
Your small town in Kansas. That suburb in Omaha. That quiet neighborhood in Vancouver. That tiny town in the Cotswolds.
Nobody has to stay close to the office anymore, taking weird little lunch breaks at Panera, wishing their pantyhose weren’t ripped up the side, trying to eat a bowl of lukewarm broccoli soup in the car, then rushing back to the office before Ernie the dickhead parks in your spot.
I remember the banality of all of that, back when I did magazine advertising sales. The fluorescent lighting. The brown carpet. The beige filing cabinet. The cheap suit. I remember buying fake glasses at Forever 21 (or something?!) to TRY AND LOOK OLDER. Imagine if you tried to make yourself look older now? All that’s missing is a pair of orthopaedic walking shoes and a Jazzy.
Fortunately, now I can wear those things from my front porch! Right now I’m sitting here at the farmhouse with a brown knitted blanket on my knees and frankly I’m not sure how this happened. But, the point is, I am at a farmhouse in the middle of nowhere—and before that, I was in the jungles of Central America, and before that, I was drinking wine all over Chile, and in between all of that, I’ve been galloping all over Europe for a decade (yes, I am a galloper)—and I haven’t missed a beat in my career. I’ve been able to grow professionally wherever I want to be…while still growing personally.
Which is all to say:
Creeps like me need help.
Do you know what it’s like to show up in Barcelona without any idea where you are going? Or how to take the subway? Or how to eat the eyeballs of a teeny, tiny fish?
Do you know what it’s like to show up in a tiny little town in the midwest and not know a soul? Or how to meet people? Or what the local culture is around politics?
When I lived in Costa Rica, I used to beg C to start a relocation company, because *soooooo many peopleeeee* were moving to Costa Rica and wanted our advice on literally everything. It’s intimidating when you don’t have a grasp on basic things, like how to set up a bank account or where to find a decently-priced apartment to rent or how to go to the grocery store and actually…know what you are buying (???) and what things should cost (??????) and can you also come to the mechanic with me to make sure I don’t get taken for a ride?!?!?
And yet, it’s not just tourist-friendly places like Costa Rica that need this.
Now, all sorts of places are going to need this—especially the quiet little unexpected ones that haven’t been on anyone’s radar. (Until now.)
A few of the hotspots popping up right now just across the United States???
Boise, Idaho (rapidly growing tech scene!)
Tulsa, Oklahoma (surprisingly robust arts scene!)
Bentonville, Arkansas (bike trails, art museums, and great food!)
Chattanooga, Tennessee (one of the first U.S. cities to offer gigabit internet with a great start-up scene!)
Buffalo, New York (affordable real estate not far from Toronto!)
Greenville, South Carolina (co-working, coffee shops, craft breweries!)
Duluth, Minnesota (freakin’ gorgeous Lake Superior and major affordability!)
Lancaster, Pennsylvania (a surprisingly progressive vibe and the CUTEST colonial architecture!) (I spent a lot of time there during my ad sales days, ha)
And, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Maybe you’ll remember when I visited Galena, Illinois — in the middle of nowhere — and had a mini love affair?!
Anyway, if you are someone who happens to be from one of these places? (Which you are, because everyone is from somewhere???)
This spells big opportunity for a fun new career.
Relocation consultants are typically found in big cities, but now there’s going to be a place for small-town relocation consultants, too.
Imagine taking a new friend to show them your favorite coffee shops? And introduce them to the town locals? And show them how to get firewood, and where to go shopping, and who to call for their plumbing? (Newbies always have the hardest time finding contractors—it’s an epidemic.)
There are sooooooo many things a newbie to town needs to figure out that you definitely take for granted—especially when it comes to meeting people. How cute would it be to organize a weekend barbecue and introduce your client to the neighborhood? Like, isn’t that the most adorable job?! Or take them to a school event and introduce them to the other parents? Or show them the ropes when it comes to getting their trash takeaway set up, and their internet provider, and the best in the area for getting mulch or gravel or just finding the best steaks in town?
I LOVE this as a fresh, fun new career for anyone who’s looking for a change, and loves where they live.
Curious how to execute?!
Here’s how I’d get started doing this work & making a name for myself!
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