Have you ever thought about what your ideal life looks like?

Many people often complain about the monotony and lack of freedom in their 9-to-5 lives, but they rarely think about what kind of life they truly desire. They may know that they aspire to a certain lifestyle but seldom take steps to change it. After all, the concept of an "ideal" life sometimes remains a mere thought, as we find it difficult to achieve or believe that change is possible.

In the episode 425 of "JB' Small Talk," we are excited to have Zoey, the host of the podcast 「佐編茶水間」, as our featured guest. Through bold trial and error, Zoey has managed to bring her ideal life to fruition.

Even before graduating from college, Zoey had set "remote work" as her career goal. She started from hybrid work to remote work, working for companies in Taiwan and South Korea, and finally moved to the United States to establish her personal brand.

Currently residing in the U.S., Zoey is a self-made entrepreneur, sharing content related to "personal brand management," "remote work," and "design thinking" through her brand 「理想生活設計」、Podcast 「佐編茶水間」. She has authored two books, 《啟動遠距工作，設計你的理想生活》、《工作必須有錢有愛有意義！》, sharing her experiences in remote work and digital nomadism, with monthly income over $3000.

Reflecting on her journey, Zoey acknowledges that the path to digital nomadism and remote work was challenging, marked by trial and error. However, she adhered to Elon Musk's words: "If you don't try, the probability of success is absolute zero." Zoey relied on taking action to explore more possibilities in her career.

You Don't See The Opportunity Doesn't Mean It Doesn't Exist

While studying fashion design in college, Zoey, attending night classes, experienced the 9-to-5 work life during the day. It became clear to her that she didn't enjoy the restricted office life. Even then, she contemplated the possibility of remote work in her future.

In her senior year, Zoey started taking freelance projects, using her design skills to create logos and websites. This experience confirmed her love for the flexible work model. However, freelancing posed the challenge of unstable project sources. Upon entering the workforce, Zoey explored whether Taiwanese companies offered remote work opportunities.

Remote work wasn't a popular concept in Taiwan at the time, especially eight years ago when it was not as prevalent as it is now. Zoey, who had interned in New York and witnessed the remote work culture in the U.S., knew that such opportunities were often found in foreign and startup companies. In Taiwan, she began her search in these two directions.

During this period, Zoey worked part-time, took on freelance projects, and searched for a job. However, things did not go as smoothly as she had hoped. She faced the practical challenge of finding remote work in her field of "design," which wasn't as straightforward as she anticipated.

Undeterred by the challenges and unwilling to compromise due to practical constraints, Zoey didn't give up. Instead, she explored different possibilities. She smiled, saying, "Just change your approach if the road is not turning where you want it to." Zoey took inventory of her other skills. Throughout, she enjoyed writing articles, observing new knowledge, and had operated a blog for some time. Content marketing became another viable option.

Ultimately, Zoey found a job at a Taiwanese startup in the tourism industry, where she could work remotely for a few days each week. Later, she was fortunate to discover a part-time position as a remote visual designer for a Korean company through PTT.

Though it wasn't a full-time remote job, Zoey proved that finding remote work in Taiwan was not entirely impossible.

If You Don't Take Action, The Success Rate Is Absolute Zero

In 2017, circumstances led Zoey to move to the United States with her significant other. She negotiated with her Korean employer to transition from part-time to full-time remote work, finally realizing her long-desired fully remote job.

However, the story didn't end there. Zoey embarked on another endeavor — entrepreneurship.

After work, she started brainstorming her personal brand and recorded her podcast, 「佐編茶水間」 exploring various monetization possibilities as a side gig. Unfamiliar with advertorial at the time, Zoey began by affiliate marketing，recommending products to her audience. If someone made a purchase based on her recommendation, she earned a commission. Zoey also turned her expertise in design thinking into online courses.

Surprisingly, her first online course received positive feedback, earning her $4,000. Rather than immediately quitting her full-time job based on this one-time success, Zoey invested the earnings in upgrading her equipment. It was only after the success of her second online course that she decided to leave her job and fully commit to her personal brand.

A successful person cannot be too reckless, placing all bets on one throw, nor can they be too timid, too rational, because being overly rational means not daring to do anything.

Throughout her journey, Zoey continuously validated the possibilities of each path. She said, "While you spend time worrying about whether what you're doing is right, is a waste of time, you should also know that if you don't take action, it(the success rate) is absolute zero."

Many people fear failure, but Zoey believes that although making a wrong decision may consume time, energy, and money, these concerns are not unfounded. However, making a mistake in one decision doesn't determine your entire life. Bold trial and error can open up more possibilities.

Today, Zoey has realized her vision of an ideal life. If you want to learn more about Zoey's journey in practicing full remote work and digital nomadism, along with detailed examples, just check the episode 425 of "JB' Small Talk" .

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