The nomadic lifestyle is becoming increasingly common for young, energetic, entrepreneurial millennials, but it is a way of life as old as humanity itself. It may not be for everyone, but location independence would be a natural and exciting way of living for many people if only there was a way of making it work. Fortunately, Tribe Theory is helping to make this dream into a reality with their business-friendly hostels spread around the world.
The company is something more than that, though. It is a vision built on hospitality; a commitment to human connection inspired business travel, and global citizenship, and comprehensive business service that attracts the best digital nomad talent. It is an ecosystem.
Few people embody this philosophy more closely than Tribe Theory’s Head of Content, Sanne Breimer. A location independent entrepreneur, Sanna has used her education in journalism to build a successful career in media and content creation. With an eye for a well-written article, she is responsible for the rich wealth of information that can be found on the Tribe Theory media page.
Although a recent startup itself, Tribe Theory is rapidly growing and has big plans for the future, with the epic goal of having 50 locations around the world by 2028. For one-bag traveling entrepreneurs, a Tribe Theory hostel could be an important living and workspace in the near future. With that in mind, I wanted to get Sanne’s thoughts on what lies behind Tribe Theory, what it’s mission and vision are, and what advice she can give to ambitious digital nomads.
A chain of business-friendly hostels, a community of entrepreneurs, a global ecosystem, a philosophy of work: Which one of these best describes Tribe Theory?
Actually, they are all very on point with regards to Tribe Theory. If we had to rank them, the community would come first because we notice how important it is to surround yourself with real people, to connect with each other and to help one another with their businesses. That is why Tribe Theory is first and foremost a physical place you can visit. We believe that is very valuable in the digital world that we are living in.
You have opened hostels in Bali, Yangon, Singapore, Bangalore, and Tallinn. What is it about these locations that make them a perfect place to base yourself as a digital nomad?
For all of those locations, there are different reasons.
Bali is one of the best digital nomad spots in the world, so obviously we wanted to be there as well. The island has the perfect mix of professional coworking opportunities, a big network of like-minded business travelers, good weather, beautiful nature, and it offers multiple healthy lifestyle options.
Singapore, Bangalore, and Tallinn are important business and startup hubs for anyone who wants to expand their business to SEA/Asia or the Indian and European markets.
Yangon is the upcoming startup hub in an exciting emerging economy with lots of talented young startup founders. The latter also counts for Manila, where we will open our new location in October.
You seem to be promoting a new type of work, which is location independent and focused on being ethically conscious. Do you think this will become the new norm in the future?
I think this is already the new norm for a new generation of millennial business travelers. Established businesses realize that they need to catch up with this idea of location independence, so there are interesting initiatives developing on that side as well, like the opportunity to go on a sabbatical instead of sabbatical.
What makes for the perfect coworking space?
I would say a good coffee machine and a vibrant community. Coworking spaces should offer all the practical things you get in a professional office space, like private rooms for meetings or conference calls and silent workplaces, but the community factor is important here as well, allowing people to network and enjoy events together.
Which three top tips can you offer to entrepreneurs who wish to stay productive while on the road?
From my own personal experience, since I go from place to place all the time, I would say:
- Don't overthink things. Keep your focus on your business and on doing instead of thinking. This is something I learned from my business coach, so an extra tip is to get yourself a coach.
- Do nothing at least 30 minutes a day, so your parasympathetic nervous system gets activated, enabling your body to recover from stress.
- Enjoy what you're doing. Although I understand that it is work and of course not everything is fun, the larger goal of what you are working on should be something you like from the bottom of your heart.
Do you believe that travel is beneficial or harmful to an entrepreneur’s chances of success?
I don't think it is that black and white. It really depends on how you cope with loneliness and continuous change of environment. If traveling is beneficial for you, it automatically enhances your career. However, traveling can make you feel lonely as well or less productive because of the continuous changes in the environment. So in that case, it won't help your career either.
What’s next for Tribe Theory? Are there any other cities you’ve got your eye on?
Manila will open in October. That will be the next city and we're very excited about that. It is going to be an awesome place in an exciting business landscape. We're also looking at places like Lisbon in Portugal and Hong Kong, but we're a startup ourselves, so things can change very rapidly.
Tribe Theory is an exciting and organic ecosystem that is helping to make the location independent lifestyle a dream for hardworking and passionate entrepreneurs. By offering a welcoming community, there are support systems in place to help digital nomads to grow their business and make a success of the freelance life. The creation of workspaces designed for productivity and wellness also helps nomadic entrepreneurs to stay happy so that they can get maximum enjoyment from their work.
Check out some of the locations across the globe if you are interested in giving your business a boost. As Tribe Theory grows as a company, expect upgraded coworking spaces in upcoming startup cities around the world. This means more choice and more freedom for digital nomad entrepreneurs.