The digital nomad movement appears to have hit a tipping point, with professionals ditching the commute for the continent-hop. No longer just a trend for freelance backpackers, experienced professionals are prioritising experience and work-life balance over equity. Debbie Jollie, a Marketing Consultant and Business Coach originally from Trinidad and Tobago, who is also known as the Stammering Communicator, has been based in Viet Nam since the latter half of 2025. In this podcast episode, she joins us to discuss, among other things: Why she chose Viet Nam as opposed to more popular locations or one closer to home? How has the cost of living to quality of output affected the rates for her services? Does she see opportunities for South-South collaboration between Southeast Asia and the Caribbean? And what advice would she give to someone considering becoming a digital nomad?

 

This episode is also available on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music.

The concept of “work” has undergone a seismic shift. In 2026, the traditional office is no longer a physical requirement but a digital choice. Digital nomadism—the lifestyle of working remotely from various global locations—has moved from a niche trend to a structural feature of the global economy.  Fuelled by high-speed satellite internet, the expansion of remote-work infrastructure, and a new generation of free agents, the nomad population is more diverse and economically influential than ever before. Recent data highlights the sheer scale of this movement:

  • In 2026, over 40 million people globally identify as digital nomads, with the United States of America (US) alone contributing nearly 18 million to this total.
  • Nearly half of digital nomads, around 46%, have a household income exceeding USD 75,000, making them a high-spending demographic for host countries.
  • Although Millennials (those between the ages of 30 and 45 years) remain the largest group, at around 38%, Gen Z (the cohort aged 14 to 29 years) has surged to 26%, indicating that the lifestyle is becoming a primary career choice for new graduates. (Source: PhotoAiD).

To some degree, the Caribbean region has moved beyond being just a vacation destination. Some countries, more notably Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, the Cayman Islands, and Dominica, have successfully branded themselves as premier remote-work hubs by leveraging their proximity to North American time zones, the robust internet service availability, and the lifestyle appeal.

On the podcast, we have interviewed people primarily in the Gen Z demographic about their digital nomad experience. However, for those who are older, Millennials, for example, who are often more established both personally and professionally, but decide to become digital nomads, the preparation and considerations before embarking on, and also during that journey, tend to be quite different. Our guest today took the plunge and, at the time of recording, was based in Viet Nam.

 

Introducing our guest

Debbie Jollie

Debbie Jollie is a marketing consultant, personal branding coach, international lecturer, and business strategist who helps entrepreneurs and professionals build visible, opportunity-driven brands. With over 15 years of experience, she has worked with clients across the Caribbean, the US, the United Kingdom, Australia, and South America, delivering strategic marketing and growth-focused solutions.

She holds a master’s degree in Management Consultancy along with bachelor’s degrees in Marketing and Business Enterprise, enabling her to blend academic insight with practical execution. Now based in Viet Nam, Debbie serves clients globally while also lecturing internationally across the Caribbean and Asia, bringing a real-world, industry-driven perspective to both her teaching and consulting work.

 

 

Insights into our conversation

Being a digital nomad in your twenties, as a recent university graduate, or in the early days of your career, is a completely different construct when you have a solid footing on the career ladder, or have a mortgage, car payments, kids and pets. Having had earlier conversations with people who might have been more footloose and fancy-free, chatting with Debbie, a mother and business owner, who literally moved half around the world, from her homeland of Trinidad and Tobago to Da Nang, Viet Nam, would offer us a completely different perspective on the digital nomad experience.

Having said this, it is likely that at one time or another, many of us have fantasised about temporarily relocating to another country but never actually do so. Although there might be roles that are not suited to work remotely, for those of us for whom it is possible, we can often find countless reasons not to become a digital nomad and remain in our current space. However, if there is anything we can learn from Debbie is the need to be truly intentional and committed to embarking on that experience, as well as being prepared to be uncomfortable, yet open to grow whilst navigating this exciting chapter of your life.  

Below are key questions posed to Debbie that drove our conversation.

  1. As a digital nomad, you could be anywhere. What specifically made you select Viet Nam, which makes it a better home base than traditional nomad hubs like Bali or Lisbon?
  2. Coming from the Caribbean, what was the biggest culture shock you experienced entering the high-velocity tech and marketing scene in Viet Nam?
  3. How does the cost of living to quality of output ratio in Viet Nam influence how you price your services for global clients?
  4. How has working in such a mobile-first and social-commerce-heavy environment changed your approach to marketing?
  5. With AI powering nearly 40% of campaign production in the region now, how are you using these tools to stay competitive as a solo nomad or small agency owner?
  6. In what ways has your Caribbean heritage—perhaps your adaptability or out-of-the-box creativity—given you a unique advantage in a saturated Asian market?
  7. Do you see opportunities for South-South collaboration? How could Caribbean tech entrepreneurs learn from the digital transformation happening in Viet Nam right now?
  8. Does being a Caribbean expat in Viet Nam help or hinder your personal brand when pitching to international (or even Viet Namese) clients?
  9. How easy is it for someone from the CARICOM region to stay long-term in Viet Nam, or even SE Asia?
  10. If an individual is listening to our conversation and wants to follow your path, what are the one technical skill and one soft skill they need to master before buying a plane ticket?

 

We would love to hear your thoughts!

Do leave us a comment either here beneath this article, or on our Facebook or LinkedIn pages, or via Twitter, @ICTPulse.

Also, if you or a member of your network is interested in joining us for an episode, do get in touch.

Let’s make it happen!

 

Select links

Below are links to some of the organisations and resources that either were mentioned during the episode, or otherwise, might be useful:

 

 

Images credit:  D A Jollie;  andreas (Magnific);  Wikimedia Commons;  wavebreakmedia_micro (Magnific)

Music credit: The Last Word (Oui Ma Chérie), by Andy Narrell

Podcast editing support: Mayra Bonilla Lopez