Paula Novacki: PN Media Founder

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Paula Novacki is the owner and founder of PN Media, a performance-based media agency specializing in paid search, paid social and digital campaign analytics. She (and her team) works with enterprise-level brands, start-ups, non-profits and marketing agencies to create goals-oriented digital advertising campaigns.

What was your last regular job?

Most recently I worked at a global Ad Agency in Washington DC. I left that job to travel in December of 2018.

What made you want to pursue a nomadic lifestyle?

I wanted a break from my job. I was in a position where I needed to do something a bit different to accelerate in my career and I evaluated a couple different options. Simultaneously, I was mentally burnt out as I was in a pretty stressful position. I took a big backpacking trip through South America last year and I realized that I just wanted to travel. I started picking up some freelance clients with the intent that I would freelance for a bit to earn some money and then move back up to NY and get a job again. However, the freelancing went really well and I started my own company, which is what I’m pursuing now. 

How do you currently support yourself?

I support myself by owning a digital advertising company, called PN Media.

Do  you have any online training courses that you recommend?

I think first you should understand what you want to do before you set off to travel. Think: what is my passion and how can I monetize that? I would find the answer to this before turning to any online modules. 

What do you know now that you wish you knew when you started?

Traveling and working is completely different from just traveling. A lot of my time traveling is spent looking for cafes with reliable wifi and not spent posting instagram photos of myself (which is what my friends and family think my lifestyle is like).

What are the hardest things you find about working remotely?

Having space with reliable wifi to take calls. I’ve had so many mishaps over the years. Also, what I do is very platform based. When I’m on the phone trying to trouble shoot a problem, it would be so much easier if the client was sitting next to me, rather then trying to do a screen-share.

How do you envision your life in 5 years?

I thought my life would be a lot different than it is now. I’ve had so many changes in the last year of my life, so I’ve given up trying to make plans. My goals are to grow my company and to either buy a house or rent an apartment in the US. I do miss the feeling of having an established space.

What are your estimated monthly expenses?

I haven’t been in Bali for a full month, but I estimate my total expenses to be around $1200 USD. This includes housing, my co-working membership, food (I’m vegetarian and I like to eat healthy), transportation (GoJek), and other random expenses (such as my visa).

How do you stay healthy while you travel?

I’ve had a lot of reflections over the years on how to stay healthy while I travel around. I like to eat really healthy and workout. I used to go to Pure Barre when I was back in the US. You have to learn to be very disciplined if you want to workout while you travel. When you’re living out of a backpack, you may not even carry a pair of running shoes. I use a program called Pure Barre On Demand. They have live streamed classes that incorporate a lot of body weight and toning. I do a class every morning. It’s definitely something I have to condition myself to do.

How do you fit working out into your daily routine?

I block my schedule at 7am everyday and I do a 45 minute workout video to start my day. Im a morning person – if I don’t work out in the morning then it’s not happening for me. I start my calls at 8am, so this gives me 15 minutes to make coffee and then start my morning calls. I then get to my co-working space between 11am and 12pm.

You can reach out to Paula via her website, LinkedIn, & Twitter.