Soraya Koivisto is a PR strategist and blogger empowering Spanish speaking women to become digital nomads. She is originally from Guatemala, currently lives in Finland and works for a company in the US.
Are you curious to learn more about how working remotely really feels?
This is a series of interviews with people who work from home and share their great (and not so great) experiences. If you would like to get featured, please fill out the short questionnaire here.
What is it you do?
I help brands show their magic with different Public Relationship Strategies. After working in marketing for many years, I’ve learned many tactics and honed an effective skill set that now I put into practice with my own clients.
The beauty of being a digital nomad is that you can work from anywhere in the world with clients from any place. Most of my clients are from California. Right now I live in Finland, but it isn’t a problem! It is fulfilling to schedule my own working hours and live independently.
How long have you been working remotely?
I started working remotely in 2017. The last company I worked for was remote, and I immediately fell in love with the idea of working with people from all over the world. After that, there was no turning back! The nomadic life is part of my essence.
Are you employed or a freelancer? If employed, what is your arrangement and how did you convince your boss?
I am a freelancer.
It can be hard to get your own clients at first, and I felt pretty lost. The good news is that it is very possible if you have enough motivation. You need 100% focus to make it work. Honestly, I have been surprised by the large number of companies that are open to remote employees.
I have a part-time job, which is “the official” one. My boss knew about my travel lifestyle before he hired me, so there was no problem with the concept, luckily.
Any project you want to share?
Since I started this lifestyle on my own, I had an internal call to share it with others. I know there are countless other women like me traveling and living as digital nomads, so I founded my community.
They are women whose first language is Spanish, but they also know a second, third or more languages and manage different job experiences. They are also willing to start a nomadic lifestyle, so we share travel experiences and different tips focused on remote life. This community is so important to me because it gives a place for connection.
This year, I decided to create an oasis for Spanish speaking travelers who are looking to immerse themselves in the digital nomad world.
I personally understand what it means to leave your comfort zone for work. It’s hard when you realize that most of the job offers are not necessarily from your mother tongue. Although you might have a good command of the new language, you still deal with your own insecurities at the same time.
You can’t hide an accent and, honestly, most of the barriers are in our minds. I love helping those searching for new opportunities outside of the 9 to 5 world. My purpose is to inspire other bilingual women to undertake their own projects remotely and independently.
project: @viajerasnomadasdigitales
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/viajerasnomadasdigitales/
If there is such a thing, how does a normal workday look for you?
No day is the same! However, since I work from home I’ve also acquired certain habits. While I try to exercise more, I have become more addicted to coffee haha. Professionally, I have more reminders, and I use more resources to keep track of my tasks. I start working at 9 p.m., and I finish between 12 and 1 a.m. due to my clients being in different time zones.
Can you think of a time you were really happy to be working remotely?
Yes! I have many actually!
From a terrace in Santorini, after a day of touring St. Petersburg. I also love working alongside my husband without feeling like I’m breaking office rules.
What’s your biggest achievement/ milestone regarding remote work?
Breaking the language barrier is definitely my biggest milestone. In the beginning, my hands would sweat and I was very shy during calls.
What is your biggest struggle with working remotely?
Getting organized, especially when I’m traveling, is tough. I’ve learned to have a balance between schedule changes. Feeling lonely because you are starting a new lifestyle is also a struggle.
What do you do to deal with it?
I work hard to find ways to not feel fatigued and overwhelmed. Finding a balance is really difficult; your digital nomad life is now very different from what your friends are used too. It can be very difficult to explain what you do to others, so you start feeling like it is hard to fit in sometimes.
How does working remotely affect your stress levels?
You hate it or you love it. You need to have a lot of autonomy and also deal with your own emotions. If you do not find your own circle, you can feel very isolated.
Was there a specific reason why you wanted to work remotely?
I love the idea and, honestly, I didn’t have many options. Working remotely was the perfect answer. In my “real daily life” I am dealing learning with a new language – Finnish – so working remotely was a solution in my life and I love it.
What’s the most important skill that helped you make it?
Creativity is my best tool; I can offer very unique solutions to my clients and they are happy with the results. Creativity fuels big ideas.
Are there any essential apps or tools you use daily?
Apart from your computer, what’s the most important item in your office?
My phone – but I need to be very careful because can distract me in a second!
What’s your favorite 90s jam?
I guess the entire musical score of the ’90s is my “jam” haha! I have so many good memories listening to Nirvana, No Doubt, Backstreet Boys, and the Foo Fighters.
More:
Check out Soraya’s social media channels:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bysoraya/
Website: www.sorayakoivisto.com
