REMOTE: Office Not Required. Gone for Treasure By The Beach.

In this accelerated time of work from home and remote working, we’ve been hearing the phrases-digital nomad, remote worker, and location-independent professional more than usual. The fact is, this digitally enhanced culture of working from anywhere has been a growing trend for at least a decade. So what’s the difference between those terms and the people who live and work this way? Not much, save for choice of location and the kind of jobs they have, but let’s look at the definitions I found and what it means for Caribbean Business and Tourism. The Definitions Digital nomads are a type of people who use telecommunications technologies ( phones, internet) to earn a living and, more generally, conduct their life in a nomadic manner. Such workers, creatives, entrepreneurs often work remotely from foreign countries, coffee shops, public libraries, and co-working spaces. Remote workers are those who live the working style that allows them to work outside of a traditional office environment. It is based on the concept that work does not need to be done in a specific place to be executed successfully. People have the flexibility to design their days so that their professional and personal lives can be experienced to their fullest potential and coexist peacefully. Location Independent simply refers to a career, job, and business that is independent of any requirement to be in a specific physical location. Location Independent is a lifestyle, it’s all about having the ability to live and work on your own conditions, wherever you want. For both Digital Nomad and Location independents, the main thing is not being tied to a specific, geographic location. So it really comes down to what you want to label yourself and whether you work for a company or have your own. Whether it is a more nomadic lifestyle choice or a location-independent feature of your career. The Choices For me, I’ve used digital nomad and location-independent interchangeably, as some years I have been more nomadic than others. Having done this for 13 years, I realize I love having a home base with my vibe, my bed, my books, my art, and space to just be and have others be there with me. Which gives me something to look forward after days, weeks, or months traveling and working on the go. Yet, even with a home base, I love and must work out of cafes, restaurants, hotel lobbies, beachside villas, airport lounges, and long train rides. My soul, my creative spirit needs movement and variety. I constantly need new conversations, books, magazines, things, and experiences of a certain kind, to keep me inspired, growing, and thinking differently. And there is nothing like knowing who you are and how you want to live and have your career, your business wrap itself around that.

You see I believe that your business must serve your first, before it can be of value to others.

Being a slave to your job, your business is pointless- well if you seek to live a full-bodied and multi-dimensional life. This is why I’m a fan of entrepreneurs such as Jason Fried, founder of Basecamp, a company that’s had a remote work culture for over a decade and who along with David Heinemeier Hansson wrote the book on Remote: Office Not Required.  I’ve been a fan of theirs since 2006. So it was a no-brainer for me when Justine Henzell called me to come to Jakes when it reopened and just do me. Not only have I been going there already for over a decade as a devout attendee of the Calabash Literary Festival, so I’m already in love with the place. But this was the first time I’m going there sans the Festival, for a workation and so in doing me, I’m going to talk and write about it and share it with you. The Trend This has also given me the opportunity to spotlight again, the trend that is now fast becoming mainstream culture, thanks to Covid19, and how the Caribbean can leverage it as a long term decision for businesses serious about BEING digital, versus DOING digital. You see to be digital is an inside out, cultural, and systematic approach to doing business with customers who are requiring very different things and employees who have been rethinking work-life balance. The buzzword these days, is digital transformation, a thing people in tech and digital industries have been living since the early 2000s. I also want to share again, the remote work culture that cuts across all industries can easily see the Caribbean carving its own delicious slice of that global pie for a more evolved tourism product.

The thing is, the digital nomad and location-independent culture started to really take root in the Region over 5 years ago. The glaring evidence of this has been seen in the blossoming cafe culture which has 98% laptop jockeys as customers, doing their work, and running their business there. It has also manifested in the blossoming of the hostel niche, especially in Jamaica. The signs have been there for a while, but it has taken this pandemic to push Caribbean digital business, Caribbean tourism brands, and the laggards Caribbean governments tend to be, to take action. Barbados is leading the way with fresh laws, special visas targeting International nomads and remote professionals, driven by a Digital PR and influencer campaign. Let’s see if Jamaica and other Caribbean countries will follow suit quickly. In the meantime, individual tourism brands can focus on targeting the many local location-independent professionals, creatives, and entrepreneurs as the pandemic passes.

So shortly, my Current Situation will be at JakesHotel with fellow entrepreneurs and creatives. I am really looking forward to:

• Seeing, hearing, smelling, and feeling the sea.
• Riding a bicycle in the Treasure Beach community.
• Hanging out with some friends and colleagues who are also booked
• The fresh seafood
• Ice cold beers
• East Indian Mangoes and Melon
• Meditation and yoga in the mornings by the sea
• The quiet
• Working by the seawater pool
• Working at a table, looking out at the sea
• Loooooong evening walks
• Long and Great conversations
• An abundance of laughs
• And Ohh yeah, getting work done. Rebel Grrl Media business has to keep growing.

But before all of that, I made sure to check their health protocols.

They have an extensive list here. That said, these below, are the ones that mean the most to me. Checking In – Only guests traveling together will be in the lobby at the same time. – Your room keys will be sanitised in front of you by the Front desk team who will be wearing a face shield and/or mask. – Your temperature will be taken by a touch-less thermometer and logged. Rooms

• You will note a paper seal on the door which designates that the room has been sanitised and no one has entered it since.
• All unnecessary soft furnishings such as throw pillows and floor rugs have been removed from the guest rooms.
• Your room will be thoroughly sanitised each day by housekeeping wearing appropriate PPE however you can elect no service except for fresh sheets and towels if you prefer.

Bar & Restaurant – Dining is outside under the sky and stars and there are no enclosed air-conditioned areas. – All Jakes team members will be wearing face shields and/or masks and have been trained for your safety and theirs on how to adhere to best practices around COVID-19. -The dining tables & chairs are placed with adequate spacing between each and are thoroughly cleaned after each seating. -Table and glassware will be brought to the table only once you are seated. Property – There are also touch-less hand sanitizer dispensers located strategically for easy access. Jakes Personnel – All Jakes team members: — have their temperature taken daily when they report to work and are instructed not to come to work if they feel ill. Activities – The seawater pool is open and of course, the beach is steps away. – There is an open-air yoga deck and our spa has modified how we offer treatments to ensure you are safe while being pampered. – Boat trips and bicycle tours are open As I get ready…here is what I’m listening to right now.

My #RebelGrrlRemote Summer Soundtrack has Sevana Koffee Lila Ike Old school Thunderpuss Remixes RocknRolla Soundsystem Edit Beyonce of course. I also promised myself that I would finally watch When They See Us by my Woman crush, Ava Duvernay. Super grateful there will rum closeby, as beer will not be enough to wash down what I know I’m going to digest. Join Me Anyway, off I go, do join me on Instagram and Twitter and my hashtag #RebelGrrlRemote to see how all of this deliciously unfolds. If you want to know more about what’s unfolding as the Caribbean embraces people like us and you want to know The Best Places in the Caribbean to Live and Work Remotely. Sign up to my mailing list and you will be the first to know. Blog Post #1: #RebelGrrlRemote Workation to Rediscover Jamaica & Answer a Personal question.