Welcome to Built Different: Exploring a new way to live and work
Hey, I’m Jess! 👋
Earlier this year, my partner Phil and I made a big move—we both quit our full-time jobs (me in tech and venture capital and Phil as a Doctor), packed up our lives, and booked one-way tickets from Sydney to the rest of the world. Why? We decided that we were way too comfortable in our lovely bubble and wanted to see what else was out there. To explore how others lived, thought, worked and experienced life.
For the next 18 months, we’re on a mission to figure out what life looks like when you’re not tied to one place or one job. Spoiler alert: I don’t have it all figured out yet, but isn’t that the fun part?
Why Built Different?
I’ve never been one to follow the traditional career path. You know the one—graduate, climb the ladder, wait until you’ve “made it” to do the things you actually want to do. I wasn’t content with just one path.
After founding my first company (miraculously exiting), spending years investing in startups, building tech communities, dabbling in side hustles and working with the best Venture Capital firm in Australia, I wanted to try something new.
I want to build not just a portfolio career but to build a different way of life —one that would allow me to dip my toes into multiple things at once while seeing what the world has to offer. Not because I like shiny things (okay, maybe a little), but because I believe we’re all a lot more multi-dimensional than our LinkedIn profiles suggest. Built Different is my way of sharing what happens when you decide to zigzag instead of going straight—and also what happens when you think working from a beach in Vietnam is a good idea, only to realise there’s sand everywhere. Literally everywhere.
About Jess
What to Expect
In Built Different, I’ll share my learnings from the road, as I try to balance a career and travel, while getting lost in the process. From co-working in Vietnam (where my caffeine intake tripled thanks to Vietnamese coffee) to navigating the tech scene in Taiwan, you’ll get a real look at what this nomadic life is all about—unfiltered.
Here’s what’s on the menu:
Living Beyond Borders: Real talk about what it’s like to live outside the 9-5 grind, including the not-so-glamorous parts—4am workshop calls from a tiny bathroom, with a fake background, trying to energise 50 clients without waking Phil, two metres away.
Portfolio career insights: How I’m juggling contract work, angel investing, and side projects, keeping all the plates spinning and trying not to let my family forget what I look like.
Founder Deep Dives: Profiling founders and investors who’ve built some of the largest companies in the world, discovering how they were built different.
Travel diaries: The highs, the lows, and a few embarrassing moments as we adventure through countries like Vietnam, Taiwan, Japan, and beyond.
Startup Ecosystems: A look behind the curtain of startup scenes in various countries.
Coworking reviews: A no-BS guide to co-working spaces that range from “when will the power come back on?” to “I’m never leaving.”
Why I’m Sharing This
If you’ve ever thought, “There’s got to be more to life than this,” you’re not alone. Built Different is for those of us who want to break out of the bubble, question the traditional, and maybe (just maybe) live a little differently. Whether you’re thinking about remote work, starting your own thing, or just need a little inspiration to take a leap, I hope this blog gives you the nudge you need.
Am I still figuring it all out? Absolutely. So, join me as I explore the ups, downs, and sideways turns of building a career and life that doesn’t quite fit into the typical mold. I promise to keep it real, sometimes funny, and always a little bit different.
Stay tuned for my next adventure—Coworking in Siargao—where I’ll be sharing the highs (beautiful views) and the lows (questionable Wi-Fi and Typhoons) of working remotely from paradise.
Let’s build something different—together. ✨
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Happy to be here and can't wait to read more!!