Marian Sugow
Social Media Manager and Day Trader
May 04, 2020

Interview with Marian, a nomadic social media manager and day trader

Day trading & virtual assisting has allowed Marian to see the world—in this interview, she lays out her routine and priorities for those thinking of traveling while working.

How did you get started with remote work?

I started my remote lifestyle four and a half years ago, and it was by chance. I was looking for a job opportunity, and I found out about stock trading.

I invested $50 on stock trading, and I had a mentor that worked with me every time I traded.

I enjoyed, and loved the idea of working and making money at home.

I was a day-trader for over five years. I still sometimes trade, but nowadays, I am focusing on building my own digital marketing skills.

On June 2019, I discovered the idea of the digital nomad, and I joined a Facebook group for entrepreneurs. Within the group, they focus on hiring each other to help further their businesses.

I discovered that I can help other business owners manage their time, as well as schedule and manage their social media business accounts as a virtual assistant.

My first client was an American entrepreneur, and I learned a lot through the experience, like working with Google Sheets and Docs.

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What are you working on?

Right now, I am building my marketing skills, and I work for a few clients. I also work as a Day trader on binary, which allows me to work from anywhere.

Marian's Day Trading Program

Marian's Day Trading Program

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What tools do you use to stay productive?

I don’t use any paid tools; I use popular ones, like Google Calendar, and Google Drive, which includes the sheet and document features. They are very useful, and I recommend it for new digital nomads/remote workers.

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How do you use these tools?

I have two remote jobs, and I use these tools in different ways for each job. Like my trading job, I use my Google Calendar to remind me of the market hours that I like to trade, and I use Google Sheets for my weekly money management. I also use this tool for my daily to-do-list.

And for my social media management job, I use other tools. I use Google Docs to make weekly plans for the clients and to make sure I know what I am going to do.

Google Calendar also reminds me of when I have to schedule social media postings, make phone calls, and send emails.

I really don’t know what my life would be without the right tools.

I advise new nomads to search out the best free tools.

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Where are your favorite countries to work remotely?

So far, I am enjoying my time in Addis Ababa, but I love the vibes in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

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Why did you decide to become a digital nomad?

It felt good to know that I could make money without going to the office every day.

I am my own boss, especially when I work as a trader. Working from anywhere is a great thing.

I am answering these questions while I am trading and staying at a beautiful hotel in Addis Ababa.

That’s why I decided to be a digital nomad, I can work from any place with good Wi-Fi.

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Where do you conduct your work?

Currently, I am in Addis Ababa, and I am willing to stay for a long time, maybe until the end of this summer.

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What about your space helps you to be productive?

It helps when a space has the right vibes and gives off good energy. This reason is why I always look for a solid workspace when I arrive in a new city/county. But to be honest, I am not always in a productive mood every day.

Some days, I just want to finish the work and close some deals and go back to bed.

Marian's On-The-Go Workspace

Marian's On-The-Go Workspace

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What does your workday routine look like?

I love it to share my routine, I normally wake up very early, between 5:00 am, and 5:45 am.

Before I get out of my bed, I like to meditate and visualize for ten minutes. I then do my morning stretch and cardio workout at home.

After these activities, I head to the bathroom, drink coffee, have breakfast, and then I start to schedule my time. I write my to-do list, look at the news for trading information, read, analyze the market, and look for my daily opportunity.

At 8:30 am to 9:00 am, I start my work outside or head to my indoor workspace. From there, I start my social media work and keep at it until lunchtime.

Once I finish my work after lunch, I like to go out and discover the city I am in, or head to the gym.

In the evening, I start trading until 1:00 am.

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How do you decide priorities?

My trading job comes second, as I like to work with my VA clients first.

Once I finish my social media management tasks, I start my trading job.

But before all that, my number one priority is my health, especially my mental health.

If I don’t feel good some days, I don’t like to push myself to work, because the work will not be perfect.

So my health is top of everything.

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How do you avoid burnout?

I try to eat healthily, drink more water, and balance my sleep.

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What is the best advice you have ever received?

One day, when I was having a tough time, my twin sister told me:

"Believing in yourself is the key to get what you want."

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What advice would you give to a new remote worker?

Be positive, and apply for every job you feel that you can do. Tell yourself that you can be a remote worker even if you haven't done it yet. Be friendly, know your skills, and be proud of what you can do.

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What are you looking to achieve in the next five years?

I want to go to places like Cuba to learn about their culture and learn how to salsa. Then, I want to create a travel blog that explores and discusses cultural things like this.

I also want to go to every country in Africa and talk about their hundreds of types of dances, and share my experience with the world on the blog.

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What have been the challenges of traveling while working?

I can get tired while I travel, and this can keep me working late. So, I need to take days to feel well enough to start working.

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What have been the benefits of traveling while working?

I get to decide when and where I want to travel while also deciding how long I will stay. It's the best.

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Biography

Marian Sugow

Marian Abdulkadir is a virtual assistant and social media manager. She is a self-starter and has learned most of her skills online. She believes that each day is a day to learn something new.

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