What if you could travel the world and explore amazing countries all while earning a steady income? For couple and business partners Shannon Fairweather and Daniel Linger, that dream is a reality. Through their online marketing agency and lifestyle brand Doing The Most, the pair are able to work online and travel the world, and hope to show others that there’s more to life than a nine-to-five.
Doing The Most was born out of the couple’s disillusionment with the mainstream nine-to-five work balance. “I knew that once I graduated I wanted to travel to Australia and New Zealand, and I just knew that no matter what, I was going to make that happen,” says Fairweather. “For so long I didn’t know what I was doing. I didn’t know where I was headed. But I had a very brief idea: I knew I didn’t want a nine-to-five, and I knew that I wanted to do something really cool.”
The couple is not alone. The freelance and self-employment industry is on the rise, as an increasing number of people, especially among the Millennial generation, are recognizing the freedom and quality of life offered by self-employment. According to statistics, nearly 34% of the US workforce today is made up of freelancers, up 19% in 7 years, with that number expected to reach 43% by 2024. “I think the overall mindset towards working from your computer and working remotely has changed. There’s becoming more of an acceptance for that, which is great for us because we want to help and inspire the 18-year-olds or even the moms who feel tied down to a certain job,” says Fairweather.
Doing The Most is comprised of two branches. The first is an online marketing agency. The pair works with small businesses and industry giants alike to help them grow their reach and increase their revenue. Their services include online advertising, lead generation, graphic design, social media management, influencer marketing, and high-ticket sales management.
The second is a lifestyle brand. Linger and Fairweather promote their work-travel lifestyle on Instagram to inspire others to do that same. They also sell Doing The Most merch, including colorful hoodies sporting their quirky logo. “Essentially we wanted to create this incredible brand that inspires people to travel or to start their own business, but also have a really fulfilled life,” says Fairweather. “We want to show that you can work from wherever you want and still do other things that you truly want to do.” Since launching their business this year, the couple has traveled to Ireland, Madrid, Australia, New Zealand, Aruba, and all across the United States. “We really love to move around and see the world,” she says.
According to Linger, the underlying mission of Doing The Most is to encourage people to follow their passions. Typical office jobs steal your time and stifle your passions, which leads many people to live unfulfilling lives. “It’s really hard to pursue any kind of creative passion if you’re waking up at 7 am and home by 6 pm. You have a couple of free hours but you’re so drained by that time anyway, so it’s’ very, very difficult to build anything like that,” he says.
For others looking to follow the same path, Linger offers this advice: “Pick a skill. Find a connection. Get to work,” he says. For Linger and Fairweather it was online marketing and social media. For you, it could be writing, photography, graphic design, or whatever you are passionate about. “We want to help people find their life’s mission and let them know that their crazy dreams are absolutely possible,” says Fairweather.
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