Jocelyn Silva, Sexual Empowerment Coach - One Way Nomad of the Week
Jocelyn Silva, Sexual Empowerment Coach
Website: https://jocelynsilva.com/
IG: @iamjocelynsilva
TikTok:@iamjocelynsilva
City of Origin: Los Angeles, California
Current Digital City: Playa Del Carmen, Mexico
First Digital Nomad City: Playa Del Carmen, Mexico
Current Job as a Digital Nomad: Sexual Empowerment Coach and Sex Educator
Previous Non-Remote Job: Client Services Manager
How long have you been a Digital Nomad?
2 years
What made you decide to become a digital nomad?
I always dreamed of traveling the world, and fear always held me back. But I got a kick in the butt when I divorced my spouse and entered a horrible depression. And then, on top of that, my mother almost died. She was in a coma for ten days, and seeing my mom in that coma impacted me and made me realize,
Oh wow, I'm going to die one day.
It made me realize that we're all going to die one day. I faced the possibility of my mother dying, which was the wake-up call I needed.
I was looking at my life and realized that I hated my life and job. I was so upset about the divorce and just felt like absolute crap.
So I made a deal with God, saying, if you give me my mom back, I'll do whatever you want me to do. Happy to tell you my mom is still alive today.
So I went to an astrologist who said I should immediately do whatever I had in my heart. And I said, ‘well, I've always wanted to travel and be a sex coach.’ I wanted to help women with their sex lives, heal their traumas, and become empowered.
So I quit my job that same day and hired a life coach to help me figure out how to do it.
Did any one person inspire you?
My business coach. He lived in Playa Del Carmen, and I found him on LinkedIn. He's told me, yeah, I work and travel; I live in Mexico now, and you can do that. He told me:
‘it’s called a digital nomad. And I thought it was bullshit.’
I thought this was a scam. I don't believe you. He told me, ‘yes, it's a real thing. So I took a leap of faith. I hired him, and he helped me get my business off the ground.
What was your biggest fear of this transition?
It's so silly, but my biggest fear was not making friends.
My biggest fear was loneliness.
I was so scared of being lonely in a city, not making friends, being alone, and missing my family and support system.
How did you make friends?
I'm at a great advantage because I'm naturally very outgoing and extroverted. There's not a shy bone in my body so that works in my favor. I went to an authentic relations workshop and started talking to people there. They asked me, ‘do you want to come to dinner with us?’ And then I went out to dinner with them. And then they asked, ‘do you want to come dancing with us?’ And then when I went dancing. Then the other salsa dancers asked, ‘do you want to go to this meet-up group?’ And it just kind of snowballed.
Then I became involved in WhatsApp groups for yoga classes, polyamorous communities, and conscious communities. Finally, I could connect with new people and found my people there.
Also, I have to say Playa Del Carmen is a very easy place to make friends. It's a very tight-knit community; everyone is welcoming and open. So I was very fortunate that friends just fell on my lap.
What made you pick Playa Del Carmen as your first Digital Nomad City?
Well, it's funny. So my coach was living there, and he said that he liked it. I had never heard of Playa Del Carmen. I didn't know anything about it.
I asked the universe, ‘Should I move to Mexico?’
The next day, my friend showed me a song, and in the song, it said five times,
“Don't be afraid. Get your bags packed.”
And I was like, oh, my God. That's my plan. So the next day, I bought my plane ticket and decided to fly to Playa Del Carmen. It's so funny because that was during the Pandemic. And I didn't even realize that Playa Del Carmen was one of the only places in the world that wasn't shutting down. I had no clue. I went in completely blind. I went thinking that there was still a Pandemic there. And then I showed up, and there were no signs of a Pandemic.
What is the biggest struggle you currently have as a Digital Nomad?
It's different being a digital nomad AND an entrepreneur. The two things I struggle with the most right now are budgeting my money and knowing where my expenses are going because sometimes you don't know. For example, you think a flight is $90, but then you get there, and you realize your bag is too big, and you have to pay an extra $35. Or you get to a city, and you think, oh, I can find a place for like a thousand. And then you realize, oh, my God, the cheapest place to live is $1,500, right? So I'm still not great at budgeting my money while I'm traveling, which is something that so,
I've hired advisers to help me with that.
But it's still a struggle, and as an entrepreneur, it is keeping up with my business while I'm on the move and finding routines has also been a struggle. I've gotten better at it. But it can be challenging when you're an entrepreneur, and you must do a lot to keep your business moving.
What do you know now, that you wish you knew when you started nomading?
Being a digital nomad is actually very easy. A lot of people think it's complicated or expensive. The biggest pushback people say is,
how do you pay for all that?
And I tell them, bro, if you want to live cheaply, you can live so cheaply as a digital nomad, especially if you're an American, you know what I mean? You can get a job online, live in a Coliving space or a hostel, and eat food at home.
People overcomplicate this lifestyle.
It is challenging, but it's a lot easier than I thought it would be.
What characteristic is most important to managing work/life balance?
My friends like to party, as do I. The biggest thing I've learned is to organize your time, so you mentally understand work time and playtime.
This past weekend was my friend Rosemary's birthday, and I knew it would be a two-day bender. So I thought, okay, I'm going to drink this weekend. I know that it's going to be in full party mode. Therefore when Monday hits, I'm going to wake up. I'm going to make sure I get a good breakfast. I want to make sure I get a good sleep. I'm going to make sure that I get this, this, and this done for my work to feel good about myself.
Planning ahead is essential. Even though you are in different countries, you're not on vacation.
You still need to make time for work. But it's also important to make time for sightseeing and partying. But don't forget that you have a job because it's very easy to do, that's for damn sure.
Where is next for you?
I am heading back to Los Angelos to be with my family.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to become a Digital Nomad?
One thing that I wish I did. And I'm trying not to beat myself up because I can always go back and do it.
Make sure that if you are in debt, spend a good six months to a year focusing on your debt
before you leave home and pay off as much of it as possible.
And also, make sure you have at least $5,000 in your savings account because it's just a big load off your shoulders when you have some money and not a lot of debt. That's what I would advise.
Have some cushion.
Interested in working with Jocelyn? Check her out on IG or TikTok
IG: @iamjocelynsilva
TikTok:@iamjocelynsilva