How We Roam Was Born
Having lived in San Francisco for just over three years, I was surrounded by the startup and entrepreneurial crowd. Ideas for new companies and ventures were frequently tossed around, some of which I think would have been successful. The missing ingredient that always prevented me from taking the plunge was finding a good idea that I was passionate about. I had hit a point in my career where I knew that I was ready for something new and challenging, but wasn’t sure which direction to look. I always had a huge desire to live in New York City and found myself working there anytime I got the chance, before finally deciding to make the cross-country move.
Ahh, NYC. The most inspiring city in the world. A new way of life, new people, new co-workers, new challenges and a new hustle mentality. For those that have lived or even visited New York, you already know what I’m talking about. I remember being circled around the table at Cooper’s Craft Kitchen one night with some friends, one of which had been traveling around the world for the past three months or so, and assumed he had quit his job to see the world, as many of my friends had done. This is when I first heard the word “digital nomad.” This conversation ultimately led to the discovery of the new world of “remote working” and “location independence.” I was fascinated. Who wouldn’t be? Our millennial generation places much less value on physical things, and more importance on experiences, such as travel.
I was an avid traveler myself and had lived abroad for three+ years in Spain, which inspired me to always squeeze every last vacation day to explore new parts of the world. I became obsessed with this idea of working-while-traveling and finally had an idea I was passionate about. After weeks of research, I came to the conclusion that (1) this is an extremely young and rapidly growing industry (2) there were a few companies providing this type of work-while-travel service (3) none of these companies were providing a professional service of higher caliber.
The spark became a flame. It was the first thing I thought about every morning. How can I make this idea actually happen? I remember walking to work one morning, crossing 24th & Park Avenue on a chilly fall day, and stopping on the corner to write down my ideas in the Notes app of my iPhone. While I was very excited about this potential new opportunity, I clearly had a long way to go to to make this idea a reality.
Nathan was one of the first people I met when moving to NYC and I knew he was continually looking for new business opportunities in hopes of removing himself from the world of corporate law. I struck up a conversation one night about my idea involving a work-while-traveling company and wanted his opinion. We met several times over the next couple of weeks to continue a conversation. I remember at one point, maybe our fourth time meeting after having the initial conversation, I felt pretty surprised by how involved he had become. I finally asked if this was just something he was interested in discussing, or if he wanted to jump in with me and get this thing going. Of course the answer is obvious, and We Roam was born. Side note! Aziz Ansari was sitting in a booth behind us having a beer at a low-key dive bar in the Lower East Side. Aziz, you witnessed the birth of We Roam!
We continue to carve our niche in this industry as being the professional work-while-traveling program with a heavy emphasis on quality. We continually focus on quality for all perspectives, always striving for the best of the best. To this day, this is the basis for each decision that is made within the company. From who we hire onto our team, to the destinations around the world we choose, to the different events we plan. While there are countless number of industries and professions that make up our group of Roamers, they all have a common bond that work needs to get done, regardless of where in the world we are or what events are happening that night. Ideas are born on our trips, life-long personal and professional relationships are established, and we have an absolutely amazing time (check our Instagram stories for proof!).
Hasta La Próxima!
-Sean
