JARRETT NIXON HELPS PROFESSIONALS WORK FROM ANYWHERE
Jarrett Nixon has had enough of excuses like, “I’ll have the time and money to travel and see the world when I retire.” That’s why he works for Remote Year, a company that helps people work remotely from anywhere in the world.
The company’s mission aligns with Nixon’s “carpe diem” philosophy: “We’re not guaranteed tomorrow,” he said. “You have to live life to the fullest and get out there and make some stories.”
Nixon’s own story began on Hilton Head Island, where he graduated from Hilton Head Preparatory School in 2010.
“On Hilton Head, everyone knows everyone and if you do meet a stranger, you’re not afraid to introduce yourself. It’s a Southern hospitality mentality,” Nixon said. “At Hilton Head Prep, students are active and not afraid to put themselves out there. My upbringing has led me to where I am now.”
He earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Clemson University in 2014 and immediately set out to see the world.
“I finished a semester early and got an internship that turned into a position with Bus2alps in Florence, Italy. Then, in 2016, I joined Remote Year,” he said. “I love my job. It’s high energy and my company fosters humans connecting in empathetic ways.”
So far, his career path has been a little nontraditional, but Nixon said he likes it like that.
“I talk to people every day that work nine-to-five jobs and they are burned out. (At Remote Year,) I ask them, ‘What sparked you to reach out today?’ They say they feel stagnated. I then ask them, ‘What do you specifically need to do to get your job done?’ I then strip down what they really do and what they really need,” he said. “I enjoy shifting the way people view their jobs and live life.”
Remote Year offers four-month and year-long programs in multiple countries in Southeast Asia, Europe, Africa, South America and North America. Participants spend up to a month living in different countries, traveling during the weekend so they can still work remotely during the week. The Remote Year staff is there if you need them to help with accommodations or other details, and they’ll also help make sure you don’t miss the best experiences in each destination.
“We will arrange activities for you — whether it’s cooking classes, walking tours or paintball in Pablo Escobar’s run-down mansion,” Nixon said. And it’s not all fun and games: “Once a month, we host a positive impact event where you network and check in about accomplishing your goals.”
One of Nixon’s goals? To share his love of travel, and the lessons he’s learned along the way. He’s visited more than 40 countries — Italy is his favorite, followed by Croatia, the Czech Republic, Portugal, Bulgaria, South Africa, Colombia, Indonesia and Iceland — and said he has learned much about the world from his experiences.
“The more we travel, the more we realize we are the same,” he said. “You don’t need to speak the same language to know what someone is about. Everyone wants to be loved, eat good food, and see the sun set. … It’s important to know there are other circles and walks of life out there. The world is not just where you live.”
Nixon said that there are other benefits to travel than just exploring new destinations. Travel, he said, can also put your life in perspective.
“It is human nature to explore and people express that interest in different ways,” he said. “Especially with social media we get this sense that the world is falling apart but when you get out there and see the world you realize there is more than just negative talk about Trump in the White House. Traveling takes the weight off of you.”
