Redefining Travel and Community In the Modern World, the NOMAD Travel Groups - Marie DeCosse : 141

Join us as we delve into the personal journey of Marie DeCosse, a young entrepreneur who founded NOMAD Travel Groups, a home exchange platform designed for everyone. Half Senegalese and half American, Marie shares her experiences of embracing diversity through her travel adventures. She talks about how her multicultural background has shattered stereotypes and fostered a more profound sense of global community.

Marie takes us through her childhood in Madagascar and Bangladesh, her unfulfilling job in international tax, and the pivotal moment during the global pandemic that led her to create NOMAD Travel Groups. She discusses the challenges and triumphs of developing the innovative platform, which aims to make travel more accessible through flexible home exchanges, lower costs, and foster genuine community connections for young professionals.

We also discuss the changing work culture, the rise of non-traditional career paths, and how NOMAD Travel Groups facilitates safe and affordable travel through home swaps. Marie wraps up with heartwarming personal stories highlighting the real-life benefits and connections formed through NOMAD Travel Groups. This episode is for anyone looking to redefine travel experiences and community-building efforts.
Let's enjoy her story!

Chapters

• 12:14 Revolutionizing Home Exchange for Travelers
• 17:58 Embracing Diverse Cultural Influences
• 30:32 New Model for Home Exchange
• 39:49 Sharing Stories Beyond Borders

Transcript

Daniela SM: 0:01

Hi, I'm Daniela. Welcome to my podcast. Because Everyone has a Story, the place to give ordinary people's stories the chance to be shared and preserved. Our stories become the language of connections. Let's enjoy it, connect and relate, because everyone has a story. Because everyone has a story, welcome. My guest is Marie DeCoste, ceo and founder of Nomad Travel Groups. She's a beautiful person inside out, being part of Gen Z. Her intelligence and open-mindedness are really admirable. It is awesome how she doesn't conform to societal norms and chose to become an entrepreneur at such a young age. I had so much fun talking to her. In this episode, you will hear from Marie, the inspiring entrepreneur behind the Nomad Travel Group. Marie shares her experiences with embracing diversity through travel and discusses her initiative to create a home exchange platform, making travel more accessible and fostering genuine community connections for young professionals. This episode is for anyone redefining their travel experiences and community building efforts, so let's enjoy her story. Welcome, marie, to the show.

Marie DeCosse: 1:25

Thank you so much for having me. I'm excited to be here.

Daniela SM: 1:28

Thank you. Please tell me why do you want to share your story?

Marie DeCosse: 1:32

I want to share my story because really, at the root of travel is community. It's passion, it's love, it's connection. It all lies within community and expanding your mind, expanding your reach. I really want to inspire people to travel as much as they can so that they can broaden their mind, they can have new experiences, they can get to know others, maybe others that think differently from them or who are completely different, people who grew up in a completely different way. I really feel that by traveling, you're able to establish connections with people that you may never have met, and it shapes your life and shapes your mind into something it would never have been had you not stepped out of your comfort zone.

Daniela SM: 2:16

Yes, and then you're so right about that. Talking to my colleagues the other day and I was saying we tend to say things that are inappropriate and offensive or you know a stereotype because of ignorance. So we were talking about our cultures. You know they are Asian culture and Latin culture and people assume you don't assume once you already have learned different things and you only learn when traveling really, because I mean otherwise, you can watch a lot of Netflix or a lot of different programs on YouTube to learn, but you need to learn about different cultures and that way you can open your mind.

Marie DeCosse: 2:50

Where people don't even have a passport. All they're seeing is stereotypes on the news or stereotypes in TV shows, and then they carry forth that rhetoric with ignorance. And it's disappointing that we have people in this world who still choose to not understand others, who still choose to not really figure out who other people are, what other cultures mean, choose to not really figure out who other people are, what other cultures mean, and feel that in some way that maybe they're a threat to themselves or they're a threat to their community. And that's just because they don't take the time to understand how other people think, how other people live. By traveling you get to meet people, you realize the kindness of people, you see the beauty in different cultures and it really just shapes who you are. And start small, go big end with international travel. You'll really see how it's going to make you a better person.

Daniela SM: 3:52

And hopefully you carry forth that rhetoric, yes, and so let's start with your culture, because you're very mixed well, similar to me.

Marie DeCosse: 3:57

Sure, so I am half Senegalese, half American, so my mom is from Senegal. I'm technically, I guess, first generation. My mom came over to the States with my sister in her stomach. I may be misremembering the story because my mom did school me when I tried to remember her story, so at some point I'll let her tell exactly how it was. But I do remember that my mother struggled. She didn't speak English, she was getting to know a new culture, she had a new husband, she had a new baby on the way and there was a lot for her to figure out. I'm just, I really admire and respect her and what she's gone through and especially the life that she's helped create for my sister and I in the States. My dad is American but his background is Swedish and French Canadian, so we're kind of all over the place. I'm a little bit of a mutt. I love it because I have these two beautiful cultures that have made me who I am.

Daniela SM: 4:52

Yes, that is always helpful and wonderful. Yes, when does your story start?

Marie DeCosse: 4:57

My story starts with my pretty unconventional childhood. I grew up overseas in Madagascar, in Bangladesh. We spent about seven years of my life there. When I moved back to the States, I knew that I wanted to pursue a career that involved anything related to travel. I just wanted to get out and so I studied accounting, I earned my CPA and I went into international tax for a public accounting firm. What I didn't know at the time is that an international tax despite the name, you basically never travel, maybe when you get to the director level or the partner level, but that takes about 20 to 25 years.

Marie DeCosse: 5:39

I realized I was stuck and then COVID hit. I was introduced to remote work, like many professionals, and realized that I loved it. This was a lifestyle that really fit for me. I could continue to serve my clients, but I could do so flexibly at a location of my choosing. But you were not traveling. So during the height of COVID, I was stuck in one spot when remote work hit. But then, as travel started to loosen a little bit more and my company didn't require people to go back into the office right away, that took about a two and a half year, maybe two year timeframe. That's when I was able to travel more frequently. So initially we were all on lockdown and then we were able to travel a little bit more, and that's when I realized that the remote work and traveling lifestyle really, really fit with me. Yeah, that's what started the journey, and when my company actually told everyone that we had to go back to the office on a hybrid schedule, I quit my job. I didn't want to go back.

Marie DeCosse: 6:41

And how many people did that in your office, you know it's interesting because the public accounting world has experienced difficulty with hiring talented professionals, especially right out of school. It used to be the fast track you go work for public accounting, you spend two and a half years and then you go into finance or work for an in-house position at a company. But a lot of young professionals don't want to do that anymore because they're required to go back into the office. So I don't really know the actual statistics, but I know that the industry itself is having a really, really hard time recruiting people because of this requirement to be in office.

Daniela SM: 7:19

Okay. So you quit your job and were you scared Like, oh my God, I don't have a job now, what am I going to do? Or you already had an idea.

Marie DeCosse: 7:26

I had another job lined up. I went for another public accounting firm that was operated on a fully remote basis so I could be wherever I wanted and I could continue to work remotely in international tax. I reached a point, though, working for this firm, where I was pulling 70 to 80 hours a week. People were not as nice as I wanted. Who I wanted to work with, they were a little bit difficult lawyers, cpas, like very tough personality. I just realized that this wasn't something that I wanted to do with my life. I wasn't traveling. Yes, I had remote work and I could do something, but it wasn't. It didn't speak to the core of who I was. I knew at some point I wanted to create something that impacted people, that inspired people to get to know others, to travel more, and so I did what I always do when I'm reaching a crossroads in my life.

Marie DeCosse: 8:20

I booked a trip with some friends. We went to Saboga, panama, which is a little island off the coast of Panama. As we were sitting there, we were thinking about life and freedom and community and travel and love, and we realized that the impediment to frequent travel for young professionals is the cost, particularly the cost of accommodation. After that discussion, I came back home. I started researching the home exchange market. I found that there was a loophole, or really an opening in the market, particularly in the US, to introduce a service like this, and that's how Nomad Travel Groups was born. Nomad Travel Groups is a home exchange service that is designed for everyone. We don't have selective membership approval processes, we don't charge annual fees, it's a safe and secure platform and it's rooted in creating a community oriented mechanism to home swaps.

Daniela SM: 9:16

Yeah, sounds amazing. The idea came out like that share the process because it seems too fast.

Marie DeCosse: 9:22

It took some time, from the time that I was sitting and chatting with my friends on the beach to when Nomad actually came to fruition, meaning the legal entity was organized and I started getting people on board and building the team, etc. That time period was about a year. So the conversation in Savoga that sparked this sort of interest in doing a deep dive into the home exchange industry what was home exchange? How does it differ from short-term rentals? Who are the competitors out there? What are the barriers to entry?

Marie DeCosse: 9:55

You have to do a lot of research to really get comfortable with this idea that you want to bring forward. And so I spent at least two weeks really just researching, figuring out as much as I can about my competitors, et cetera. And so I spent at least two weeks really just researching, figuring out as much as I can about my competitors, et cetera. And then I started building out a plan what was going to be Nomad's differentiator and how do we build our team. And that process of team building took maybe in total about six months. And then we started investing in the infrastructure, the website and getting the right people in the infrastructure, the website and getting the right people in the right place to run marketing. I got a pitch coach, I went to conferences, so it was a slow sort of build. Just to make sure that you know, we were creating a service that was concrete, that didn't have any holes, because, at the end of the day, we want to make sure that our customers feel safe and secure utilizing our platform.

Daniela SM: 10:46

So, marie, when you went to Panama, you already quit the other job.

Marie DeCosse: 10:50

So I had quit the second job and I was in this period of flux. I had an opportunity to move into another position in-house. It was something that would require me to work less I could still work in international tax, so it was a safe move but I felt this feeling in my gut that I was sort of lost. I didn't know what I was doing. It was another international tax gig, which is great and the job security was wonderful and I could continue working remotely, but I still didn't really feel like I was serving my purpose and there was something else that I should be doing with my life, Something that really highlighted, I think, not just travel, but my creativity.

Marie DeCosse: 11:32

I'm a creative person and tax doesn't fit the bill when it comes to that. So I had that feeling and, being spiritual, particularly because I'm half Senegalese, I couldn't ignore it Every day. I woke up with this sinking feeling in my gut when I started having those conversations with my friends. That was started to feel that heaviness sort of alleviate a little bit more, a little bit more. When I did my research it alleviated a little bit more, a little bit more and I knew that I was starting to get on the right track to what I was supposed to do.

Daniela SM: 12:04

You did all this research and stuff all on your own I did. And then when did you present this idea to someone to say, okay, this is really solid.

Marie DeCosse: 12:14

I think the first conversation that I had about this idea was probably with my father. He's a businessman, he's worked in economic development for a really long time. I just wanted to chat through what I was researching. If he thought it was a good idea should I keep looking into this more? And he gave me the motivation I needed to feel like I was on the right track. He was like you're really, this is very interesting and I think it fits a market need. You should continue to pursue this.

Marie DeCosse: 12:46

So presented the research to him, and then I actually reached out to old contacts from the public accounting firms that I had come from who are working in international tax, because when you work in international tax, you deal with cross-border transactions and sometimes home swaps can fit into that category. So I wanted to hear whether or not they had heard of home exchange. What were their opinions on it? When it comes to taxation, there's some loopholes there for the home exchange market and competitors in the space. They thought it was a great idea. They said run with it. So after getting that validation, that's when I started realizing I need to invest my capital in this, my time, and start building a team of the right individuals to get this ball rolling.

Daniela SM: 13:31

I think it's important that you put your father in this story, because it's always amazing that you get support from people that are close to you and they have the knowledge and they validate you and encourage you to continue. The idea that you had the first one did it modify as you were researching? Maybe you had something you know. You thought, okay, this way, and then it was like, oh, maybe it should this way, like it was a lot of variation. Did you change a lot?

Marie DeCosse: 13:59

I'm glad that you mentioned that, because when we initially wanted to hit the market, you mentioned that, because when we initially wanted to hit the market, we weren't going to introduce the travel group mechanism that we have now created, so we wanted to sort of replicate what other home exchange services have been doing, which is a direct swap or a one-way swap after having built credits. The only differentiator for us was going to be we don't charge annual membership fees. Everyone's invited as long as you pass a background check. In the process of flushing out our website design, we did some prototype testing with a select group of individuals to give us feedback on the idea, and a lot of them mentioned that existing home exchange platforms this direct swap and one-way swap, blah, blah, blah it's complicated and it takes time and it doesn't allow people to share their travel plans or build relationships with one another. And so we realized okay, how about if we approach it where we curate the groups for people?

Marie DeCosse: 15:06

So instead of you listing your site and then having to find somebody who has a travel plan that's going to coordinate with yours, which is a needle in the haystack for some of these home exchange platforms we do the legwork for you. You tell us the listings that you prefer and then we put you into a curated travel group with people who match your location and property interests. We give you a shared calendar. We give you group messaging features so you can build relationships, coordinate travel plans, and it's all built on a foundation of trust because we run full background checks and we offer insurance coverage through our partnerships background checks and we offer insurance coverage through our partnerships. So that was sort of how this developed from a sort of basic home exchange service offering to more of a curated home exchange service offering that really puts the best interests of our customers first.

Daniela SM: 15:57

Yes, that sounds amazing. There's no membership. How do you make money?

Marie DeCosse: 16:01

So we charge a one-time transaction fee per travel group assignment, as well as a per-day service fee. On active stays, we collect a cleaning fee from the staying party, but that cleaning fee is distributed to the host. We don't collect any portion of that.

Daniela SM: 16:20

Okay, is it already live or is it going to start soon?

Marie DeCosse: 16:24

No, the full site is live. We're really excited. We have already started placing people in travel groups and getting amazing feedback. If you'd like to sign up, go to wetravelnomadcom. We'd be so happy to have you.

Daniela SM: 16:38

Great. And so, marie, now this is the business. Now tell me how are you feeling that you quit the job after studying and of course, it has been useful for this idea but what is the sense that you're having now? Do you feel like, okay, I am accomplishing something? How is that feeling now?

Marie DeCosse: 16:58

I do. I wake up every day excited, feeling like I'm on the right path. Honestly, I think appreciative of the people that are in my life who have helped me get to where I am, the people that believe in this idea, who have believed in it since day one, some of them even investing their hard earned capital. I don't overlook that that takes a lot of faith in someone to do, and I'm hopeful that this service will really shape this new generation of workers and travelers, people who have already said you know what we're done with the old. We want to change the way that we approach life and we want to put freedom and travel and connection first. This service is for them, and I'm really excited already to see the feedback that we've gotten from our active customers, and I hope that we play some small part in making the world more of an interconnected, more understanding place.

Daniela SM: 17:58

Excellent. You create this business and then, of course, you have to maintain it, but then now there is a routine going on. So is this Marie coming up with new ideas all the time, or are you content?

Marie DeCosse: 18:11

I'm constantly thinking about new ideas to improve this service. So this first rollout is part of our three-stage growth plan. This is just part one. We have a plan to shape and grow and reach more customers in different niches, all within the sort of remote work and travel space. So I'm really excited for those other rollouts to hit the market. At the end of the day, I'm really doing all this one to connect people and really inspire them to travel, but two, just to make sure that my family feels safe and secure. If I can grow this business into something that is multi-generational or generates enough capital so that all the key members of my family who have supported me feel comfortable, feel secure, don't have to worry about money, I will be a happy woman. And so, yes, constantly thinking of new ideas, both to shape Nomad, but also to make sure that my family is taken care of in whatever way I can.

Daniela SM: 19:14

You said that you like creativity. However, you chose an accounting career, which you know obviously everybody knows that has no creativity. So how did that happen? Why did you change when you were younger, knowing, because I'm sure you knew you were creative and then you, you took that career.

Marie DeCosse: 19:35

So what I actually really find interesting about international tax is that it's sort of it's law and it's math, and where I come in is trying to figure out ways for my client to lower their tax exposure. So it's almost like a game, it's a puzzle. How do I get around this legally by doing X? What if we move their assets from here to here? How will we decrease their exposure? So I think in that way, international tax, out of the other sort of fields that you can go into within the tax umbrella, is the most creative, it's the most interesting, it's the most strategic and that's why it really appealed to me. But I also sort of naively saw international in the name and was like, oh, I can travel, and jumped into it headfirst after college. Yes, I am a creative person.

Marie DeCosse: 20:30

When I was little actually it's funny I was obsessed with Barbies and I would play with my Barbies for like eight to 10 hours. I would create these storylines. Some of them would fly, some of them were princesses, some of them had these huge families. And when I got older I graduated from Barbies to Sims. So I've always been fascinated in sort of crafting this life, crafting something fun how do I create a family, or how do I create a business, or how do I do this and that. From a young age I was interested in the strategy behind it. So I think there's a similar vein between my creative interests when I was little and how I sort of transitioned into international tax. It's that strategic element to it, it's building something, and those skill sets gave me the foundation to create this company.

Daniela SM: 21:24

Yeah, that's true, right, otherwise you wouldn't have thought about it, or also you wouldn't have the support because you had to ask a lot of questions about international taxes. Right, yeah, wow, well, I'm impressed that you said Barbies. I haven't heard that and I used to love playing with Barbies.

Marie DeCosse: 21:41

I know it doesn't seem like kids play with Barbies that much and it's so unfortunate because now everything is online and you have games that you can play and stuff. But being able to sit down with your Barbies and, and you know, let your imagination run wild I think that's so important for kids.

Daniela SM: 21:59

Yes, and you know, after the movie which I didn't think I wanted to see it, but I was really happy to see it afterwards I liked the message. It was interesting to know that why I like to play with Barbies but with dolls. That is a difference, you know. It's obviously Barbies were women, were strong, you know you could do business things and make them on a plane and imagine well, if you have a doll, then it's just more like a baby and it's just that's not so much fun. So that was quite interesting for me to realize. Oh, that's why I like to play with Barbies and not with dolls.

Marie DeCosse: 22:31

No, that's so true. I think dolls sort of carry forth the traditional stereotype of a woman. Right, she's dainty, she needs to be taken care of, everybody should dote on her. But Barbies just sort of rocked the market and said you know what? No, you can be a princess if you want. But also you can be a pilot, you can be a cop, you can be whatever you want to be. And it was so important for women to realize that.

Daniela SM: 22:56

Yeah, that's cool. Yes, well, I actually have the first Barbie for my aunt.

Marie DeCosse: 23:01

Oh, you do, oh, no way.

Daniela SM: 23:02

I still have them and they're in such good conditions and I got two boys, so no.

Marie DeCosse: 23:11

I don't know who's going to get those Barbies, maybe one of their kids one day, I don't know.

Daniela SM: 23:14

So I've gone to the beach and I see girls playing with the Barbies in the sun.

Marie DeCosse: 23:18

Oh no, no, you don't deserve a Barbie. Don't ruin the Barbie. The hair right, it's like no, yeah. The second the hair gets salt water, any sort of dye on it. Oh my gosh. I remember one of my Barbies had this massive dreadlock and I couldn't get it out and I was just crying for days because it was my favorite one and I ended up cutting off all her hair. And I feel bad for my parents because I know I was just a wreck and so so rude and dramatic for days because of this Barbie.

Daniela SM: 23:54

That's funny, yeah, so who is? Who is Marie? Besides the business and the Barbies and curiosity, what else is about her?

Marie DeCosse: 24:02

Besides the business, who I am is shaped by two sort of competing ideals that are rooted in where my parents come from. So Senegal is country in West Africa. It's rooted in communalistic ideals. You put family first, you put community first. You take care of other people. That's just the way of life. That's what my mom grew up understanding and a lot of those lessons she taught us.

Marie DeCosse: 24:32

And then my father, being American, he's from country that's rooted in more individualistic ideals. Doesn't mean that Americans are selfish not at all. It just means that we're from a country where you really break your back to get ahead. You're constantly fighting to prove yourself. It's not as much focused on community and more so focused on your individual growth and your individual success. I'm really grateful that I was able to grow up with influences from both sides of my family. I was able to get this communalistic side, this love for family, this feeling that at some point I need to give back to the people who have laid this path for me. And then also having influence from my dad's side, of fight for whatever you can get, use your brain, study hard, be competitive but don't be mean. Make sure that if you want to prove yourself, you can go out there and get it. The opportunity is there, you just have to seize it. Really thankful that I was able to have both of these influences in my life, who have shaped me into who I am.

Marie DeCosse: 25:42

At the root of who I am, though, despite the business-y side and the go-getter and all that stuff, I'm really goofy. I'm silly. I love family. I love to be around my friends, I love to cook, play tennis. I'm obsessed with dogs, especially puppies. I can watch puppy videos on Instagram for like three hours, four hours, especially if I'm feeling down. It's the only thing that'll make me feel better. Right now, at this point in my life, I really feel this passion to prove myself, and I know it's the time to do it, which is why Business Marie comes forward. Funny, relaxed, silly Marie takes a backseat for a little bit, just until we can get where we need to be. So I'm secure, my family's secure, and we're doing something that's really changing the world.

Daniela SM: 26:36

Yeah, that's pretty good, as long as you never lose the funny goofy Marie.

Marie DeCosse: 26:41

Exactly exactly.

Daniela SM: 26:43

I also, like you, grew up with a collective culture South America and Spain and I've been living in Canada for 28 years, so I know the individualistic part. I feel like maybe us and most people that have done this could maybe come up with a new name and something that takes the good of both of them, because there is not one better than the other. It depends on your personality. I feel as well. Obviously, at the end. They say that the centenarians, one of their points is because they have community, and so for me, it is quite important. The characteristic of a communal culture is not necessarily all of them 100% perfect, because you don't get to express yourself as much and you have to do things for the good of the community. Sometimes they're not good for you. Maybe, since we are more mixed these days, that we can come with something new, a new style.

Marie DeCosse: 27:44

I agree. I think it's important to name what the intersection of that is, and not a lot of books, especially, I think, more books relating to, like international business or economics I don't think I've ever heard a term that highlights the blend of both when we should. I mean we live in a world now that has been influenced by our colonization, that has been influenced by the merging of cultures, that has been influenced by you know, so not really who they are, because we're generalizing, when this country, america particularly, is made up of people who come from all different walks of life, so many different countries. So how do we exactly categorize who makes up this country that we live in?

Daniela SM: 28:47

Yeah, there is another movement there for you to create, but I think it would be amazing if we can come to a new concept, a new movement. But there is time for changes in so many aspects you know in school and so many behaviors that I think are important, that we change it and make it better.

Marie DeCosse: 29:07

I agree. It's really about listening to the young generation too. This generation is interesting. We have grown up with 9-11. We've grown up with terrorism in other ways. We've grown up with, in some aspects, genocide. We've grown up with a number of different things COVID.

Marie DeCosse: 29:27

I mean we are desensitized to the point where it's a little bit scary From what we've seen in the news, this constant 24-7 media cycle depicting the worst of humanity. This generation is tired. We just want people to understand each other. We really want to carry forth with kindness, for the most part and I'm generalizing, but I think I speak to a number of members of the young generation when I say this figuring out a way to live a little bit more easily, to live differently than the older generation has, to not have to go into the office and be exhausted and miss out on things at home. I think this generation is really going to do something when it comes to reshaping how this world operates, and it's important for people in power to really pay attention and believe in what they're saying and try to implement some of their strategies for reshaping how we operate, because it'll only serve to better everybody in the future.

Daniela SM: 30:32

And when you're talking about generations, you mean the millenniums.

Marie DeCosse: 30:35

I'm speaking more so to Gen Z and millennials.

Daniela SM: 30:38

Oh, okay, those are my kids. I'm Generation X and I was having a lot of hope, thinking all Generation X are going to be so much better. But most of the people that I noticed they have been influenced by the boomers. I'm not sure that they are going to be getting out with the old.

Marie DeCosse: 30:56

Yeah, I think the upper tier of millennials in particular, who currently are between the ages of 36 and 42, are still influenced by baby boomers Because think about it, I mean, got out of school, they went straight into a corporate gig.

Marie DeCosse: 31:13

For the most part that was still the fast track. Covid really shaped the way that we approach work. But then all the way in between we've had these major events that have occurred in all of our lives where we're still young to sort of really think through whether this is something that should be happening, is there a way to change this? And now we have people in our political system that are sort of leading our government to failure. So we're reaching this point where we're seeing this brink of doom. Behind that there is a little glimmer of hope that maybe if we band together, maybe if we let you know kindness, love, compassion, when we can do something to shape this world. So I agree, some millennials probably are already stuck in their ways the lower part of the millennial generation, gen Z and this newest generation, which is Alpha. Yeah, we should listen to them.

Marie DeCosse: 32:12

I read, definitely thinking that you, because you know it's true, it's working smarter.

Daniela SM: 32:17

That's the right thing, yeah.

Marie DeCosse: 32:20

Well, I think there and I've met a ton of people, especially with the influence of TikTok and content creation it allows you to live a more flexible lifestyle. When it comes to that group of friends, I'm really seeing how, even right out of college, they were playing around with social media, they started monetizing their content. Now they're traveling the world, they're living a flexible lifestyle, they're getting to do what they want and they're being creative while doing it. So we're already seeing a huge portion of like Gen Z and millennials who are realizing that there's other things out there for them instead of the standard corporate track. But then you have some people who are still listening to what's taught in school. This is the safe way to do it and just try it out. Try it out. But the reason that, especially in finance and accounting, there's such a huge drop in recruiting is because more and more people are straying away from this fast track and realizing there's other things that they can do that'll give them money and let them have more of a free lifestyle.

Daniela SM: 33:25

Yes, and then also, maybe it's because people have different personalities, yeah, and you're not going to have everybody traveling and you're not going to have everybody being creative. Also, we have to keep that in mind, that it is okay that we're all different, otherwise everybody's going to be doing one thing. Yes, you're going to have people that have changed, that like to work from home, that are creative, and some of the people just like the safety thing of going to the office, and that's okay, because I keep hearing things like you have to do this way, and then you're at the end, like always crazy, trying to be different than who you are, and maybe you just have to figure out you do your way in the best way that works for you.

Marie DeCosse: 34:07

Yeah, I think that's perfectly said. Just figure out what you love and pursue it, and if you do that, you'll be a happy person.

Daniela SM: 34:15

Great, Tell me one more time. Going back to your business. So if I want to travel, what do I have to do? I have to have a house or I have to have an apartment. How does it work?

Marie DeCosse: 34:26

In order to really engage with Nomad travel groups, you have to list your home, so all of our customers must list a property. We only take one property per customer. You can have a house, you can have an apartment, you can have an RV, if you like it. We love it. We do require all of our customers to pass a background check before their profile is approved on our site, and this is to make sure that our customers feel safe and secure swapping into their homes.

Daniela SM: 34:57

And does the house have to be empty, or can you rent rooms too, or how does it work?

Marie DeCosse: 35:02

Yes, so the house has to be a single dwelling unit, which means you can't have a roommate or family members staying there. Everybody who is staying at your property must be registered on your profile. So when you actually swap your home, the member of your travel group is coming to an empty home. We don't want them to feel unsafe, not knowing who else may be living in the unit.

Daniela SM: 35:26

Okay, you're creating the group, so how does that work? So I have my house and I put it on listing. I want to go somewhere in Greece, so they have to be somebody in Greece that has a house.

Marie DeCosse: 35:37

Complete your profile registration process. Once your profile is completed and background check is approved, you're able to select the listings that you prefer that are registered on our site. So you see the supply that we have. You select as many listings that you prefer. You submit that information to Nomad. We take that information and then we match you into groups of travelers who have selected your home or the location that your property is in. Once we've paired you into a travel group and these are travel groups of three for our first iteration, travel groups of three for a six-month period we ask that you make your home available to other members of your travel group for at least 42 non-consecutive days within a six-month span. After that shared calendar has been updated, we give you group messaging features. You can build relationships, you can coordinate your travel plans, explore your member profiles. At the end of the day, what this does is it creates a safe and secure way to swap homes, but also you're able to do so at an affordable cost. Our average stays within one week on Nomad is $250. So you compare that to the other accommodation platforms currently listed on the market. We blow them out of the water.

Marie DeCosse: 36:58

And let me explain the travel group mechanism a little bit more, because it's a travel group of three. You could stay at, let's say, becky's home. Becky can stay at John's home. We don't require that you do a direct swap. You could also have Becky, who makes her home available to the members of her travel group. She's not staying at any other home, she's going home to her family for a little bit, but her home is available. So you have one person swapping into Becky's home but Becky's not doing any sort of other swaps for the time being. So as part of that $250, we have a portion that goes to Nomad for facilitating these home swaps. But then you have a cleaning fee that you pay to Nomad. Nomad holds it. Once that stay is concluded, we distribute that to the host so that they can use it to reprep their home for when they get back.

Daniela SM: 37:50

Okay, so it's similar to Airbnb? Yes, but it's not limited. I can choose any cities or anywhere else I want to.

Marie DeCosse: 37:57

You can choose any cities that you want. We just submit that information to Nomad for Nomad to then curate your travel group assignment.

Daniela SM: 38:06

What's the difference between that and home swapping?

Marie DeCosse: 38:08

We are a home exchange service, so what we do is facilitate home swaps, but we're doing it with a travel group mechanism, and the reason we're doing this is because it makes it a lot easier to coordinate your travel plans. If you look at other home exchange platforms, you're listing your home to I don't know 20,000 people. However many people end up utilizing the site, you don't know anything about them. There isn't really a way to communicate regularly with them. They may say their home is available in March, but actually I really need to go there in April. How do I reach out to them to have them change up the days? It just gets too complicated. And so the reason we're doing this travel group mechanism is because, for the flexible traveler, it makes it a lot easier to figure out when to swap, how to swap and then really trust the people whose homes you're swapping into.

Daniela SM: 39:04

All right, okay, well, lots of success with it. I'm sure it's going to be amazing. We're going to hear a lot about you soon. Thank you, yes, and it was lovely meeting you. Thank you so much for sharing your story, and especially the story about the Barbies. I'm so excited, thank you. There are too many people that have the same as me, so thank you so much again, marie. I really appreciate it.

Marie DeCosse: 39:31

Thanks so much Thanks for allowing me a platform to speak my mind and really tell people a little bit about Nomad and Danielle. You're doing an amazing thing with this podcast, really allowing people to share their stories from a genuine place. So thank you for creating this so that people can do that, thank you.

Daniela SM: 39:48

Thank you, I appreciate it. I hope you enjoyed today's episode. I am Daniela and you are listening to, because Everyone has a Story. Please take five seconds right now and think of somebody in your life that may enjoy what you just heard, or someone that has a story to be shared and preserved. When you think of that person, shoot them a text with the link of this podcast. This will allow the ordinary magic to go further. Join me next time for another story conversation. Thank you for listening. Hasta pronto. Thank you.