Leaving life as you know it to travel the world and become a digital nomad can be a pretty scary thought.
What about doing the same, with your entire family?
Some might think he’s crazy, but that’s exactly what Ken Weary does. Working as VP of Operations for Hotjar, Ken’s been traveling the world with his wife and children for the past 4 years.
In today’s episode of More Beach Meetings podcast, Ken shares his experience on remote work, digital nomadism, traveling with his family and much more.
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Remote Work as a Sign of Progression
Working at Hotjar, a team of 70+ remote employees, Ken believes that remote work is a sign of progression and a way of the future. Besides being better for the environment and saving overhead costs, it allows Hotjar to hire the best talent from around the world. To make sure they’re the right fit for the company (and the remote work environment), each new hire goes through a test week first.
In general, remote companies are leading the way because they ask some crucial questions, such as:
- What’s the best way to get talent?
- What’s the best way to save on overhead?
- What’s the best way to use time and increase efficiency?
The Five Core Values of Work
To ensure everyone is on the same page and work can continue even when someone from management is not around, everyone at Hotjar works according to five core values:
- Do whatever is possible to deliver for the customer
- Be bold and move fast
- Work with respect
- Build trust for transparency
- Learn by doing
Starting the Nomad Life
Ken started working remotely before the opportunity with Hotjar came about. Inspired by a trip to Guatemala, Ken and his wife decided to take their children (then aged 5 and 8) on a trip throughout Central America. Later on, Ken applied to Hotjar and has been working with the company for the past five years.
Schooling Children While Living as Digital Nomads
Initially, Ken’s children went to a school in Guatemala since they were stationed there for some time. However, as they started moving about, they realized that they can homeschool them.
Despite common prejudices about homeschooling, their children are well above the standard knowledge for their age. Using a mix of traditional schooling and letting their children pursue their own interests, the Wearys provide a unique educational system for their young ones. While they make sure they're taking the tests they need to, they're also encouraging them to have fun with their learning by doing things like watching a kid learning channel on YouTube and looking to the real world to learn.
The Challenges of Nomadism for Children
By far, the biggest downside of the nomadic lifestyle for Ken’s children is not being able to form relationships because of the constant movement. However, this also lets them instantly pick up on the right company to spend time with. Ken stresses that he appreciates his children’s lack of judgement and openness to new life experiences.
To find out more about nomadic life with a family, what Ken is reading at the moment, the biggest challenges Hotjar has with hiring and much more, make sure to listen to the full episode.
We hope you enjoy and see you next time on More Beach Meetings podcast! Make sure to subscribe on iTunes, Spotify or Soundcloud and never miss another episode!
