“I’d rather have a passport full of stamps than a house full of stuff.”Unknown
Joel Nix – Founder and Chief Vagabond
Joel has spent over 20 years in IT and been to 20 countries in his personal and professional travels. 10 of them have been in South and Central America alone. His other interests include technology, scuba diving, and hiking. He started experimenting with remote work\travel a few years ago. In 2015 he spent 6 months travelling around South and Central America while still working his full time job. He realized this is something that anyone can do, but most people need some initial logistical help to make them feel comfortable with both their personal and professional reputation on the line. This is where he came up with the concept of Working Vagabonds.
Petra Damm – Top Marketing Guru
Petra grew up in Germany and currently calls Seattle, WA in the United States her home. Traveling has always been a focus in her life and she has explored 37 countries to date. In 2013-14, Petra quit her job to travel for one year through South and Central America. Returning from this amazing experience, she was able to find a new gig that allowed her to work remotely full-time. She has since worked from various places in North America and Europe. When Petra is not working or exploring the world, she enjoys Mountaineering, Skiing and Climbing in the Pacific Northwest.
Cheryl Gilbert – Purse Strings Holder
Cheryl has 14 years of experience working in the accounting field. She graduated from Central Washington University and is currently in the process of taking the CPA exams. Cheryl single-handedly shatters the myths about accountants being boring and unadventurous as her favorite hobbies include auto racing, sailing and scuba diving. Cheryl and Joel have been friends for almost 20 years and share a love for travel. She has been to Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Jamaica and plans to knock many more countries off the list.
Senior Azul – Chief Recreation Dude
Senior Azul is our resident travel expert. He has been to 12 countries and has been known to sample the Johnny Walker Blue anywhere he can. This is about the only time you might hear him brag about his adventures, as he’s usually pretty quite. He has his own travel blog Senior Azul’s Adventures.
Kelli Taylor – Community Cultivator
Kelli began co-piloting her father’s Cessna 140 at a very young age, giving her the perspective that while the world below isn’t so big, there are endless nooks and crannies of it to explore! Her travels include; no shortage of road tripping through the US, campervanning through New Zealand, train and hostel living throughout China and some light touristing of France, Italy, Mexico and Australia. Continuing to learn Spanish and Mandarin are dear to her heart. It is through an events, marketing and sales career for groups like Roadtrip Nation, Clif Bar and Adidas that she has combined her passions for outdoor adventure, travel and exploration, and connecting with people.