I'm Mateo,

a digital nomad, designer, and marketer with a strong belief in the power of learning and experiencing new things through the cycle of life.

Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to work on a variety of challenging projects, each of which has taught me valuable lessons and helped me develop my skills. Through it all, I’ve learned that the key to success in marketing, as well as in design is a combination of creativity, strategy, hard work and living in the right city. 

Yes, you read that right, living in the right city could be your key. Why? Keep reading. 

But before we get to that, let me tell you a short story…

What Was it Like For me to Move to the Netherlands?

My life turned around when I moved from Slovenia to the Netherlands at the age of 20. My sole purpose for moving was to attend NHL Stenden, but that didn’t last long. After about four months of trying to make new like-minded friends, I realized that I didn’t fit in, so I decided to drop out. Without even knowing the consequences, I decided to pursue my life as an entrepreneur.

A few months passed, and I was sinking into a dark hole. I failed as an entrepreneur, and money quickly began to drain out of my bank accounts. What I always dreaded, a 9-5 job, became my reality.

Go Monk Mode

A 9-5 job is what you hear, but is it really from 9-5? It wasn’t in my experience. From the time I wake up and get home from work, about 11 hours go by. I was left with about six hours to prepare dinner, lunch for the next day, exercise, complete other tasks, and continue pursuing my dream of being an entrepreneur.

I didn’t quit; I learned how to manage my time by hours and make progress throughout the day and the weekend.

Two things I learned:

  1. Manage time and tasks.
  2. Explore your capabilities in a meaningful way.

What I realized is that pointless work will be forgotten, and you won’t learn much from it. Moving to the Netherlands allowed me to explore my capabilities, learn hard skills and manage my time and tasks. I even remember when I started, by watching this YouTube video. Which inspired me to make my own system.

Here are a few techniques from my own system:

  • Google Tasks, I incorporate it in the Calendar to manage my time as well.

Let's Get to the Point: Why move to the North?

Why not the South or across the sea? I will give you my theory. Moving to the North is not as challenging as it seems. You can settle very quickly, the hardest part is staying here. Getting a job is easier and more rewarding in terms of salary. The most important aspect is independence. The first months will be difficult, but living here will quickly become your routine.

For me, the North is the Netherlands, but for you, it can be another country. The key to understanding is by moving, you will get to know yourself and the reality of your own life. What once seemed so challenging, suddenly feels bland. But you will get the hang of it, and most importantly, you will start to grow.

My List of North Cities to Move to:

Germany: Berlin, Hamburg

  • Good economy to start off.
  • Learning German

Netherlands: Groningen, Amsterdam, Rotterdam

  • You get get around just with the English language.
  • Short drives to a lot of airports (2-3h)

Belgium: Brussels, Antwerpen

  • Lower living costs in comparison to other

Denmark: København

U.K.: London

These cities have a lot in common. But probably the most important aspects are the weather and the economy. The bad weather allows you to stay indoors and to work on yourself. The economy gives you a better start and more opportunities for success.

You will also likely meet like-minded people as well, take a look how I created my network of successful people… in the next one.

P.S. If you would love to learn how to live outside your comfort zone then follow me on LinkedIn.❤️

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Mateo Jakelic