We loved Freedom X Fest – but what did YOU have to say about it?
Freedom X and the Location Independence Movement
Set in a beautiful collection of houses in the midst of the Pyrenees, with fresh air, breathtaking views, Freedom X Fest did more than just bring people together, it sparked debate and new ideas.
So what was Freedom X all about?
Freedom X Fest was the first event of its kind, aiming to bring attention to the Location Independence Movement (LIM) and celebrate its gathering momentum around the world.
400 attendees (from almost as many professions) got together over six days in August to explore the issues connected with this lifestyle and learn more about it.
It turns out that LIM is far more than digital nomadism: it encapsulates remote working, distributed teams, workations, co-living and co-working spaces, community development, professional development, and much more.
At its heart lies the notion of freedom – but one of the things that struck us most was the notion of responsibility that goes along with it. And questions came up in several panels and talks over the course of the week, which we would like to discuss further:
- Do digital nomads and location independent entrepreneurs have the duty to give back to the community? If so, how could this be done?
- How can LIM be more inclusive and diverse?
- What are the negative impacts of LIM and how can these be prevented?
We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
At the festival
Freedom Xers had a bit of everything to look forward to – from outdoor yoga, to salsa classes, and silent discos – all through to startup focused panel discussions, talks from startup leaders and experts, and practical workshops.
The Hubbub Labs Team took so much from this experience. And though none of us are any better at yoga or salsa than we were before the weekend, we made so many new friends and connections. More to the point, we learned a lot about LIM, entrepreneurship – and just how vibrant and free this group of people really is.
Here’s what the attendees had to say
Simon Lewis
Works in: Marketing Campaigns For Travel Brands & Destinations
Simon’s number one takeaway?
“My Number one takeaway is that the location independent professional movement is growing and that there are a lot of serious business people who work remotely – they are not just people looking for a way to keep travelling.”
You can find Simon at Travel Concept Solution
Grace Taylor
Works in US tax for expats & digital nomads
Grace, what was your biggest takeaway?
“The most impactful thing for me was the importance of community. This was such a powerful way to bring our community together and connect with our tribe. The beautiful setting was a nice bonus but it was the people that made it amazing.”
And your most memorable moment?
“My most memorable moment was hiking & having a great conversation with two new friends.”
Find Grace at Gracefully Expat
Viktorija
What was the best thing about FXF for you?
“Meeting like-minded people (that are also very different from me, age, background-wise etc), learning more about the nomadic community and observing it as insider (I don’t fully identify myself as belong to one group). My personal number one though that project I will be working on was supported by FXF members.”
What was your most memorable moment and why?
Blanca Gomez
Works in: Human Resources Management
Blanca’s number one takeaway?
“The LIM is unstoppable! There are tons of people already trying new alternatives and we can learn and get inspired from them.”
Her most memorable moment?
“During Tal Gur´s presentation when he was inviting the participants interested on writing a book to share the details of their projects to commit with the audience. It was VERY authentic and extraordinary!!”
You can find Blanca on Linkedin
Deborah Mendes
Works in the Freedom X Fest Visbility Hub
Deborah tells us:
“I need community to be around. My most memorable moment was seeing the magic I had envisaged unfold in front of my eyes at the Visibility Hub.”
You can find Deborah at Freedom X Fest
Serkan
Helps people to do their best work from anywhere, anytime
Your biggest takeaway from Freedom X?
What was your most memorable moment and why?
What was your most memorable moment and why?
The wine tables set-up by Cowork7/24. Done for 3 nights in a row. Spontaneous Guerilla Marketing at its best!
Find Serkan at Cowork7/24 and read his article on Freedom X fest: The New Way Of Working Is The Only Way Of Working
Guiselaine
Works as an entrepreneur
Your biggest learning?
“Freedom is inside you. You just have to wake it up”
And what was your most memorable moment?
Find Guiselaine at Eyelize.com
Janine Oliver
Works as a Holistic Nutrition Health Coach
Janine’s number one takeaway:
“Actionable Steps + Inspiration is the sweet spot of a good talk. There were many inspirational talks that all blended together with the message: Just Do It/Believe in Yourself. But the talks that had the biggest impact also gave actionable steps of HOW to get it done. (Like the How to Write Online Like a Pro workshop)”
Thanks Janine! And your most memorable moment?
“I came to network but left with friendships that I know are going to last. I could say it was that people almost starved the first night, or the couple laying on the ground making out on the dance floor, or falling down the stairs so hard I cried, or the power outages in the storms, or the sewage system overflowing, or the various mishaps of communication. But, the common thread is laughing about all of these things with the people I became close to due to these things!”
Find Janine on her website JanineOliver.com
Genia Trofimova
Founder at Sharedtrip
What was your number one takeaway from Freedom X Fest?
“Participants make big events great!”
And your most memorable moment?
“When there was a shortage of dinner on the first night and one hungry girl came to me, we shared the food from the same plate.”
Find Genia @ Shared Trip
Lara Perez-Porro
Works as Architect & designer the crazy people I met there
What was your most memorable moment Lara?
“That “pig” in a sandwich and the night times with the group of British-Aussie-Colombian guys I met there. They even were good salsa dancers!”
Dan is working on his Salsa right this moment. Bailamos!
Find the Lara on her website Lara Perez Porro
Sandra van der Lee
Works in SquareSpace web design, strategy & SEO
What did you learn at the Festival?
We owe it to ourselves to dream big and chase the lifestyle and work we want.
What was your most memorable moment?
Find Sandra on her website Sandravanderlee.com
Stella Airoldi
Works as a Social entrepreneur
What was your number one takeaway Stella?
“The energy you put in is what you receive. People were super happy and the vibe was amazing. Even when things didn’t go as supposed to everyone kept calm and relax. That’s the best way to deal with things. Always stay positive and look at the good sides.”
And your most memorable moment?
“Kayaking together with a group and then the rain came and hit us badly. But everyone stayed positive. Instead of an outside picnic we had a picnic in one of the hippy tents and it was awesome.”
Find Stella @ 22 Stars
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Finally, we’d like to say thank you to the amazing team organising the event . A special mention goes to Estela Kun, Stuart Jones and John Abbott for making us feel so welcome; to Orsolya Gyulai and Karoline Zizka for doing such a great job organising the speakers and helping us out with our workshop; and to Deborah Mendez for organising interviews at the festivals Visibility Hub and introducing us to lots of new people.
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