Meet the Aussie digital nomad who earns more than $100K from her laptop

When Sophia Llewellyn left Australia three years ago she had a few grand and a one-way ticket. Now she is earning six figures a year.

If lockdown taught us anything it’s that the majority of white-collar jobs can be done anytime, anywhere with little more than access to a laptop.

Labelled ‘generation flex’, a growing number of people are chucking in the monotony of their 9-to-5 jobs to work wherever — and whenever — they like.

Sophia Llewellyn is one Aussie who’s making a living by working remotely, having swapped the daily grind in Sydney to travel and work, before riding out lockdown in Stockholm, then settling in Barcelona.

The 25-year-old copywriter funds her lifestyle by working as a freelancer for clients based all over the world, after leaving Australia in 2018 with just a few thousand dollars.

“I had $3,500 and a one-way ticket. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to support myself financially as my self-employed status was quite new at that point. However, I took the risk and it definitely paid off!”

“I’ve worked with over 345 clients from 34 countries,” says Sophia.

Describing her work/life balance as “fabulous” Sophia says she has more time to “take care of myself and put time into my passions” as a digital nomad, but still earns more than $100,000 and is never short of work.

“I’ve worked with over 345 clients from 34 countries,” she says. “Thanks to the online world, I’m able to connect with clients from around the globe and all I need is my computer. I’m completely mobile.”

Being a digital nomad has allowed Sophia to travel extensively and explore most of Europe including Sweden, Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Germany, UK, Greece, Croatia and the Netherlands.

And even during the height of the pandemic, when she was in lockdown in Stockholm, Sophia says she didn’t have second thoughts about choosing to be a digital nomad and being so far away from Australia.

“If anything, it made me extra grateful to be working online with my current career,” she says.

However, Sophia points out, living her dream life of adventure and freedom does require discipline.

“You do have to be strict on yourself when you work for yourself. You need to create a routine and stick to it,” she says.

“When you wake up on a Monday morning, there’s no one telling you what to do so a healthy dose of perseverance and self-discipline are invaluable traits for any digital nomad to have.”

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Sophia Llewellyn is one Aussie who’s making a living as a digital nomad, having swapped the daily grind in Sydney to travel and work.

When it comes to finding work, the copywriter picks up jobs via freelance marketplace Fiverr and also has her own business, Purespot Media.

“My company specialises in helping businesses with marketing and communications and focuses on ocean-related sustainability, which is my area of expertise,” she explains. “With Fiverr, I have one profile and five gigs. My most popular gigs include SEO copy and blog articles. As of this month, I’ve had over 11,000 views on my gigs.”

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In fact, by the time she arrived in Barcelona, her Fiverr account had taken off and she was receiving enough orders to financially support herself. Having spent a year studying in the Spanish city, Sophia says that settling there, even if just for a while, felt inevitable.

“I adore Barcelona,” she says. “The people here have come from all over the world. At a party I hosted recently, we had people from over 15 countries. I only know one Australian here which forces me to adapt, learn about other people’s perspectives and develop my understanding of the world around me.

“Barcelona has mastered the 10 minute city, which means that within a 10 minute walk, I have everything I need – supermarket, post office, cinema, restaurants, shopping and more. I also love the laissez faire attitude here. There’s a freedom due to the variety of cultures and I find that invigorating.”

Sophia says she doesn’t think she could ever go back to a typical job and would recommend the digital nomad lifestyle to anyone.

“I love my life and couldn’t ask for a better set up. I love it for a multitude of reasons including the freedom it allows, the creativity it asks of me, the people I meet and the places I’ve travelled to,” she explains.

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