Today we’d like to introduce you to Camile Sardina
Hi Camile, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
After I graduated college in 2013, I moved to New York City with one suitcase and a one-way ticket. There, I accepted a public relations job that had one extremely unique perk at the time: 100% remote work. Back then, the “digital nomad” life was not nearly as big of a conversation as it is today. Now, and especially after Covid, it’s strongly desired by many. And I don’t blame them…I wouldn’t change it for the world…because with it, I see more of the wold.
After working with the public relations company for 5 years, I slowly started to build my own small PR firm, Evolist Media. By 2020, it became a self-sufficient company, and it continues to grow to this day. From then to today, I also maintained a writing side hustle, combining freelance article projects and my co-created book, Change Makers.
I never chose those forms of work because they were digitally-based and would allow for easy travel. In fact, I never dreamed of having a work/travel life. It just came to me, and in time, I realized just how special my situation was. With it, I fell in love with seeing the world – and it became a part of my DNA.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My digital nomad life has not always been smooth sailing, mainly because of the highs and lows of maintaining it. Whether a remote worker has a company or freelances for other companies, without client/project flow, there’s no way you can keep the life.
Like any business, I’ve stepped in quicksand. When Covid hit, all of my clients cut off public relations services, which meant no income for an unknown amount of time. Since travel was nearly nonexistent during that first year, I focused on rebuilding the clientele and saving as much money as possible in order to keep the business afloat until the pandemic effects subsided. It was a struggle, and emotional breakdowns were part of my nightly ritual, but after 5 months of intense damage control, Evolist Media healed.
Another struggle was applying for the Digital Nomad Visa for Spain. At times, the process felt viciously tedious, and it can surprisingly tear on the psyche over time. The Digital Nomad Visa is also very new and still has amendments being made to it from time to time. Because of that, lawyers and government officials were not always up-to-date, which caused unexpected changes to what was needed. To add, Spanish bureaucracy…and most bureaucracy for that matter…can be achingly slow and disorganized. For example, the correos (post office) lost my fingerprints in the mail, a vital part of the visa application. This set me back two months.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I like to call myself a career chameleon. I’m the founder/CEO of Evolist Media, the co-author of Change Makers, a freelance writer, and a new producer/host. Media relations and essay writing are my specialities. Across all of those universes, I’m most proud of the digital nomad life that has blossomed from it. I’m proud to be able to work hard and simultaneously see the world. It’s a dream that found me. And it’s the digital nomad life that sets me apart from others because it’s not an ordinary life, especially doing it all solo as a female. Before tackling my agenda for the day, I can paraglide over Albania, explore the wildlife of Thailand, or speedboat the Caribbean Sea…it is magical!
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
If you have a specific mentor in mind, write a handwritten letter to them if you can locate a business address. Maybe include a small, but thoughtful gift that they’d appreciate as well. Effort and creativity never go unseen.
With networking, I always try to learn about who each individual is beyond their work. Sure, exchange quick lines about what you do, but after that, just talk about life…ask them what they were up to before the networking event…connect emotionally! That will get you farther than dry, repetitive conversations about work. At least, that’s what has been successful for me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.evolistmedia.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/camilesardina/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/camile.sardina/
- Other: https://linktr.ee/camilesardina?utm_source=linktree_admin_share
