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!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Daniela SM (00:01):
Hi, I'm Daniela.
Welcome to my podcast.
Because Everyone has a Story,the place to give ordinary
people's stories the chance tobe shared and preserved.
Our stories become the languageof connections.
Let's enjoy it, connect andrelate, because everyone has a
(00:22):
story.
Because everyone has a story,welcome.
My guest is Marie DeCoste, ceoand founder of Nomad Travel
Groups.
She's a beautiful person insideout, being part of Gen Z.
Her intelligence andopen-mindedness are really
admirable.
It is awesome how she doesn'tconform to societal norms and
(00:45):
chose to become an entrepreneurat such a young age.
I had so much fun talking toher.
In this episode, you will hearfrom Marie, the inspiring
entrepreneur behind the NomadTravel Group.
Marie shares her experienceswith embracing diversity through
travel and discusses herinitiative to create a home
(01:06):
exchange platform, making travelmore accessible and fostering
genuine community connectionsfor young professionals.
This episode is for anyoneredefining their travel
experiences and communitybuilding efforts, so let's enjoy
her story.
Welcome, marie, to the show.
Marie DeCosse (01:25):
Thank you so much for having me.
I'm excited to be here.
Daniela SM (01:28):
Thank you.
Please tell me why do you wantto share your story?
Marie DeCosse (01:32):
I want to share my story because really, at the
root of travel is community.
It's passion, it's love, it'sconnection.
It all lies within communityand expanding your mind,
expanding your reach.
I really want to inspire peopleto travel as much as they can
so that they can broaden theirmind, they can have new
(01:54):
experiences, they can get toknow others, maybe others that
think differently from them orwho are completely different,
people who grew up in acompletely different way.
I really feel that by traveling, you're able to establish
connections with people that youmay never have met, and it
shapes your life and shapes yourmind into something it would
never have been had you notstepped out of your comfort zone
(02:16):
.
Daniela SM (02:16):
Yes, and then you're so right about that.
Talking to my colleagues theother day and I was saying we
tend to say things that areinappropriate and offensive or
you know a stereotype because ofignorance.
So we were talking about ourcultures.
You know they are Asian cultureand Latin culture and people
assume you don't assume once youalready have learned different
(02:37):
things and you only learn whentraveling really, because I mean
otherwise, you can watch a lotof Netflix or a lot of different
programs on YouTube to learn,but you need to learn about
different cultures and that wayyou can open your mind.
Marie DeCosse (02:50):
Where people don't even have a passport.
All they're seeing isstereotypes on the news or
stereotypes in TV shows, andthen they carry forth that
rhetoric with ignorance.
(03:11):
And it's disappointing that wehave people in this world who
still choose to not understandothers, who still choose to not
really figure out who otherpeople are, what other cultures
mean, choose to not reallyfigure out who other people are,
what other cultures mean, andfeel that in some way that maybe
they're a threat to themselvesor they're a threat to their
community.
And that's just because theydon't take the time to
(03:32):
understand how other peoplethink, how other people live.
By traveling you get to meetpeople, you realize the kindness
of people, you see the beautyin different cultures and it
really just shapes who you are.
And start small, go big endwith international travel.
You'll really see how it'sgoing to make you a better
person.
Daniela SM (03:52):
And hopefully you carry forth that rhetoric, yes,
and so let's start with yourculture, because you're very
mixed well, similar to me.
Marie DeCosse (03:57):
Sure, so I am half Senegalese, half American,
so my mom is from Senegal.
I'm technically, I guess, firstgeneration.
My mom came over to the Stateswith my sister in her stomach.
I may be misremembering thestory because my mom did school
me when I tried to remember herstory, so at some point I'll let
(04:18):
her tell exactly how it was.
But I do remember that mymother struggled.
She didn't speak English, shewas 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 tofigure out.
I'm just, I really admire andrespect her and what she's gone
through and especially the lifethat she's helped create for my
(04:38):
sister and I in the States.
My dad is American but hisbackground is Swedish and French
Canadian, so we're kind of allover the place.
I'm a little bit of a mutt.
I love it because I have thesetwo beautiful cultures that have
made me who I am.
Daniela SM (04:52):
Yes, that is always helpful and wonderful.
Yes, when does your story start?
Marie DeCosse (04:57):
My story starts with my pretty unconventional
childhood.
I grew up overseas inMadagascar, in Bangladesh.
We spent about seven years ofmy life there.
When I moved back to the States, I knew that I wanted to pursue
a career that involved anythingrelated to travel.
I just wanted to get out and soI studied accounting, I earned
(05:19):
my CPA and I went intointernational tax for a public
accounting firm.
What I didn't know at the timeis that an international tax
despite the name, you basicallynever travel, maybe when you get
to the director level or thepartner level, but that takes
about 20 to 25 years.
(05:39):
I realized I was stuck and thenCOVID hit.
I was introduced to remote work, like many professionals, and
realized that I loved it.
This was a lifestyle thatreally fit for me.
I could continue to serve myclients, but I could do so
flexibly at a location of mychoosing.
But you were not traveling.
So during the height of COVID,I was stuck in one spot when
(06:01):
remote work hit.
But then, as travel started toloosen a little bit more and my
company didn't require people togo back into the office right
away, that took about a two anda half year, maybe two year
timeframe.
That's when I was able totravel more frequently.
So initially we were all onlockdown and then we were able
to travel a little bit more, andthat's when I realized that the
(06:23):
remote work and travelinglifestyle really, really fit
with me.
Yeah, that's what started thejourney, and when my company
actually told everyone that wehad to go back to the office on
a hybrid schedule, I quit my job.
I didn't want to go back.
And how many people did that inyour office, you know it's
(06:44):
interesting because the publicaccounting world has experienced
difficulty with hiring talentedprofessionals, especially right
out of school.
It used to be the fast trackyou go work for public
accounting, you spend two and ahalf years and then you go into
finance or work for an in-houseposition at a company.
But a lot of youngprofessionals don't want to do
(07:05):
that anymore because they'rerequired to go back into the
office.
So I don't really know theactual statistics, but I know
that the industry itself ishaving a really, really hard
time recruiting people becauseof this requirement to be in
office.
Daniela SM (07:19):
Okay.
So you quit your job and wereyou scared Like, oh my God, I
don't have a job now, what am Igoing to do?
Or you already had an idea.
Marie DeCosse (07:26):
I had another job lined up.
I went for another publicaccounting firm that was
operated on a fully remote basisso I could be wherever I wanted
and I could continue to workremotely in international tax.
I reached a point, though,working for this firm, where I
was pulling 70 to 80 hours aweek.
People were not as nice as Iwanted.
(07:48):
Who I wanted to work with, theywere a little bit difficult
lawyers, cpas, like very toughpersonality.
I just realized that thiswasn't something that I wanted
to do with my life.
I wasn't traveling.
Yes, I had remote work and Icould do something, but it
wasn't.
It didn't speak to the core ofwho I was.
I knew at some point I wantedto create something that
(08:10):
impacted people, that inspiredpeople to get to know others, to
travel more, and so I did whatI always do when I'm reaching a
crossroads in my life.
I booked a trip with somefriends.
We went to Saboga, panama,which is a little island off the
coast of Panama.
As we were sitting there, wewere thinking about life and
(08:30):
freedom and community and traveland love, and we realized that
the impediment to frequenttravel for young professionals
is the cost, particularly thecost of accommodation.
After that discussion, I cameback home.
I started researching the homeexchange market.
I found that there was aloophole, or really an opening
in the market, particularly inthe US, to introduce a service
(08:53):
like this, and that's how NomadTravel Groups was born.
Nomad Travel Groups is a homeexchange service that is
designed for everyone.
We don't have selectivemembership approval processes,
we don't charge annual fees,it's a safe and secure platform
and it's rooted in creating acommunity oriented mechanism to
(09:15):
home swaps.
Daniela SM (09:16):
Yeah, sounds amazing .
The idea came out like thatshare the process because it
seems too fast.
Marie DeCosse (09:22):
It took some time , from the time that I was
sitting and chatting with myfriends on the beach to when
Nomad actually came to fruition,meaning the legal entity was
organized and I started gettingpeople on board and building the
team, etc.
That time period was about ayear.
So the conversation in Savogathat sparked this sort of
(09:43):
interest in doing a deep diveinto the home exchange industry
what was home exchange?
How does it differ fromshort-term rentals?
Who are the competitors outthere?
What are the barriers to entry?
You have to do a lot of researchto really get comfortable with
this idea that you want to bringforward.
And so I spent at least twoweeks really just researching,
(10:04):
figuring out as much as I canabout my competitors, et cetera.
And so I spent at least twoweeks really just researching,
figuring out as much as I canabout my competitors, et cetera.
And then I started building outa plan what was going to be
Nomad's differentiator and howdo we build our team.
And that process of teambuilding took maybe in total
about six months.
And then we started investingin the infrastructure, the
website and getting the rightpeople in the infrastructure,
(10:24):
the website and getting theright people in the right place
to run marketing.
I got a pitch coach, I went toconferences, 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'thave any holes, because, at the
end of the day, we want to makesure that our customers feel
safe and secure utilizing ourplatform.
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 moveinto another position in-house.
It was something that wouldrequire 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 thatI was sort of lost.
I didn't know what I was doing.
(11:12):
It was another internationaltax gig, which is great and the
job security was wonderful and Icould continue working remotely
, but I still didn't really feellike I was serving my purpose
and there was something elsethat I should be doing with my
life, Something that reallyhighlighted, I think, not just
travel, but my creativity.
(11:32):
I'm a creative person and taxdoesn't fit the bill when it
comes to that.
So I had that feeling and,being spiritual, particularly
because I'm half Senegalese, Icouldn't ignore it Every day.
I woke up with this sinkingfeeling in my gut when I started
having those conversations withmy friends.
That was started to feel thatheaviness sort of alleviate a
(11:53):
little bit more, a little bitmore.
When I did my research italleviated a little bit more, a
little bit more and I knew thatI was starting to get on the
right track to what I wassupposed to do.
Daniela SM (12:04):
You did all this research and stuff all on your
own I did.
And then when did you presentthis 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 myfather.
He's a businessman, he's workedin economic development for a
really long time.
I just wanted to chat throughwhat I was researching.
If he thought it was a goodidea should I keep looking into
this more?
And he gave me the motivation Ineeded to feel like I was on
(12:36):
the right track.
He was like you're really, thisis very interesting and I think
it fits a market need.
You should continue to pursuethis.
So presented the research to him, and then I actually reached
out to old contacts from thepublic accounting firms that I
had come from who are working ininternational tax, because when
(12:57):
you work in international tax,you deal with cross-border
transactions and sometimes homeswaps can fit into that category
.
So I wanted to hear whether ornot 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 andcompetitors in the space.
They thought it was a greatidea.
(13:17):
They said run with it.
So after getting thatvalidation, that's when I
started realizing I need toinvest my capital in this, my
time, and start building a teamof 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, becauseit's always amazing that you get
support from people that areclose to you and they have the
knowledge and they validate youand encourage you to continue.
The idea that you had the firstone did it modify as you were
researching?
Maybe you had something youknow.
(13:52):
You thought, okay, this way,and then it was like, oh, maybe
it should this way, like it wasa 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 themarket, you mentioned that,
because when we initially wantedto hit the market, we weren't
going to introduce the travelgroup mechanism that we have now
created, so we wanted to sortof replicate what other home
exchange services have beendoing, which is a direct swap or
(14:21):
a one-way swap after havingbuilt credits.
The only differentiator for uswas going to be we don't charge
annual membership fees.
Everyone's invited as long asyou pass a background check.
In the process of flushing outour website design, we did some
prototype testing with a selectgroup of individuals to give us
(14:41):
feedback on the idea, and a lotof them mentioned that existing
home exchange platforms thisdirect swap and one-way swap,
blah, blah, blah it'scomplicated and it takes time
and it doesn't allow people toshare their travel plans or
build relationships with oneanother.
And so we realized okay, howabout if we approach it where we
(15:03):
curate the groups for people?
So instead of you listing yoursite and then having to find
somebody who has a travel planthat's going to coordinate with
yours, which is a needle in thehaystack for some of these home
exchange platforms we do thelegwork for you.
You tell us the listings thatyou prefer and then we put you
into a curated travel group withpeople who match your location
(15:27):
and property interests.
We give you a shared calendar.
We give you group messagingfeatures so you can build
relationships, coordinate travelplans, and it's all built on a
foundation of trust because werun full background checks and
we offer insurance coveragethrough our partnerships
background checks and we offerinsurance coverage through our
(15:47):
partnerships.
So that was sort of how thisdeveloped from a sort of basic
home exchange service offeringto more of a curated home
exchange service offering thatreally 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 wellas a per-day service fee.
On active stays, we collect acleaning fee from the staying
party, but that cleaning fee isdistributed to the host.
We don't collect any portion ofthat.
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 placingpeople in travel groups and
getting amazing feedback.
If you'd like to sign up, go towetravelnomadcom.
We'd be so happy to have you.
Daniela SM (16:38):
Great.
And so, marie, now this is thebusiness.
Now tell me how are you feelingthat you quit the job after
studying and of course, it hasbeen useful for this idea but
what is the sense that you'rehaving now?
Do you feel like, okay, I amaccomplishing 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 appreciativeof the people that are in my
life who have helped me get towhere I am, the people that
believe in this idea, who havebelieved in it since day one,
some of them even investingtheir hard earned capital.
(17:20):
I don't overlook that thattakes a lot of faith in someone
to do, and I'm hopeful that thisservice will really shape this
new generation of workers andtravelers, people who have
already said you know what we'redone with the old.
We want to change the way thatwe approach life and we want to
put freedom and travel andconnection first.
(17:42):
This service is for them, andI'm really excited already to
see the feedback that we'vegotten from our active customers
, and I hope that we play somesmall part in making the world
more of an interconnected, moreunderstanding place.
Daniela SM (17:58):
Excellent.
You create this business andthen, of course, you have to
maintain it, but then now thereis a routine going on.
So is this Marie coming up withnew 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 partof our three-stage growth plan.
This is just part one.
We have a plan to shape andgrow and reach more customers in
different niches, all withinthe sort of remote work and
travel space.
So I'm really excited for thoseother rollouts to hit the
(18:34):
market.
At the end of the day, I'mreally doing all this one to
connect people and reallyinspire them to travel, but two,
just to make sure that myfamily feels safe and secure.
If I can grow this businessinto something that is
multi-generational or generatesenough capital so that all the
(18:54):
key members of my family whohave supported me feel
comfortable, feel secure, don'thave to worry about money, I
will be a happy woman.
And so, yes, constantlythinking of new ideas, both to
shape Nomad, but also to makesure 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 anaccounting career, which you
know obviously everybody knowsthat has no creativity.
So how did that happen?
Why did you change when youwere younger, knowing, because
I'm sure you knew you werecreative and then you, you took
that career.
Marie DeCosse (19:35):
So what I actually really find interesting
about international tax is thatit's sort of it's law and it's
math, and where I come in istrying to figure out ways for my
client to lower their taxexposure.
So it's almost like a game,it's a puzzle.
How do I get around thislegally by doing X?
(19:57):
What if we move their assetsfrom here to here?
How will we decrease theirexposure?
So I think in that way,international tax, out of the
other sort of fields that youcan go into within the tax
umbrella, is the most creative,it's the most interesting, it's
the most strategic and that'swhy it really appealed to me.
But I also sort of naively sawinternational in the name and
(20:23):
was like, oh, I can travel, andjumped into it headfirst after
college.
Yes, I am a creative person.
When I was little actually it'sfunny I was obsessed with
Barbies and I would play with myBarbies for like eight to 10
hours.
I would create these storylines.
Some of them would fly, some ofthem were princesses, some of
(20:45):
them had these huge families.
And when I got older Igraduated from Barbies to Sims.
So I've always been fascinatedin sort of crafting this life,
crafting something fun how do Icreate a family, or how do I
create a business, or how do Ido this and that.
From a young age I wasinterested in the strategy
(21:05):
behind it.
So I think there's a similarvein between my creative
interests when I was little andhow I sort of transitioned into
international tax.
It's that strategic element toit, it's building something, and
those skill sets gave me thefoundation to create this
company.
Daniela SM (21:24):
Yeah, that's true, right, otherwise you wouldn't
have thought about it, or alsoyou wouldn't have the support
because you had to ask a lot ofquestions about international
taxes.
Right, yeah, wow, well, I'mimpressed that you said Barbies.
I haven't heard that and I usedto love playing with Barbies.
Marie DeCosse (21:41):
I know it doesn't seem like kids play with
Barbies that much and it's sounfortunate because now
everything is online and youhave games that you can play and
stuff.
But being able to sit down withyour Barbies and, and you know,
let your imagination run wild Ithink 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 Iwas really happy to see it
afterwards I liked the message.
It was interesting to know thatwhy I like to play with Barbies
but with dolls.
That is a difference, you know.
It's obviously Barbies werewomen, were strong, you know you
could do business things andmake them on a plane and imagine
(22:19):
well, if you have a doll, thenit's just more like a baby and
it's just that's not so much fun.
So that was quite interestingfor me to realize.
Oh, that's why I like to playwith Barbies and not with dolls.
Marie DeCosse (22:31):
No, that's so true.
I think dolls sort of carryforth the traditional stereotype
of a woman.
Right, she's dainty, she needsto be taken care of, everybody
should dote on her.
But Barbies just sort of rockedthe market and said you know
what?
No, you can be a princess ifyou want.
But also you can be a pilot,you can be a cop, you can be
(22:52):
whatever you want to be.
And it was so important forwomen to realize that.
Daniela SM (22:56):
Yeah, that's cool.
Yes, well, I actually have thefirst 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 oneday, 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 saltwater, any sort of dye on it.
Oh my gosh.
I remember one of my Barbieshad this massive dreadlock and I
couldn't get it out and I wasjust crying for days because it
(23:40):
was my favorite one and I endedup cutting off all her hair.
And I feel bad for my parentsbecause I know I was just a
wreck and so so rude anddramatic for days because of
this Barbie.
Daniela SM (23:54):
That's funny, yeah, so who is?
Who is Marie?
Besides the business and theBarbies and curiosity, what else
is about her?
Marie DeCosse (24:02):
Besides the business, who I am is shaped by
two sort of competing idealsthat are rooted in where my
parents come from.
So Senegal is country in WestAfrica.
It's rooted in communalisticideals.
You put family first, you putcommunity first.
(24:23):
You take care of other people.
That's just the way of life.
That's what my mom grew upunderstanding and a lot of those
lessons she taught us.
And then my father, beingAmerican, he's from country
that's rooted in moreindividualistic ideals.
Doesn't mean that Americans areselfish not at all.
It just means that we're from acountry where you really break
(24:46):
your back to get ahead.
You're constantly fighting toprove yourself.
It's not as much focused oncommunity and more so focused on
your individual growth and yourindividual success.
I'm really grateful that I wasable to grow up with influences
from both sides of my family.
(25:06):
I was able to get thiscommunalistic side, this love
for family, this feeling that atsome point I need to give back
to the people who have laid thispath for me.
And then also having influencefrom my dad's side, of fight for
whatever you can get, use yourbrain, study hard, be
competitive but don't be mean.
(25:27):
Make sure that if you want toprove yourself, you can go out
there and get it.
The opportunity is there, youjust have to seize it.
Really thankful that I was ableto have both of these
influences in my life, who haveshaped me into who I am.
At the root of who I am, though,despite the business-y side and
the go-getter and all thatstuff, I'm really goofy.
(25:49):
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 onInstagram for like three hours,
four hours, especially if I'mfeeling down.
It's the only thing that'llmake me feel better.
(26:10):
Right now, at this point in mylife, I really feel this passion
to prove myself, and I knowit's the time to do it, which is
why Business Marie comesforward.
Funny, relaxed, silly Marietakes a backseat for a little
bit, just until we can get wherewe need to be.
So I'm secure, my family'ssecure, and we're doing
(26:33):
something that's really changingthe 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 Spainand I've been living in Canada
for 28 years, so I know theindividualistic part.
I feel like maybe us and mostpeople that have done this could
maybe come up with a new nameand something that takes the
(27:05):
good of both of them, becausethere 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 forme, it is quite important.
The characteristic of acommunal culture is not
(27:27):
necessarily all of them 100%perfect, because you don't get
to express yourself as much andyou have to do things for the
good of the community.
Sometimes they're not good foryou.
Maybe, since we are more mixedthese days, that we can come
with something new, a new style.
Marie DeCosse (27:44):
I agree.
I think it's important to namewhat the intersection of that is
, and not a lot of books,especially, I think, more books
relating to, like internationalbusiness or economics I don't
think I've ever heard a termthat highlights the blend of
both when we should.
I mean we live in a world nowthat has been influenced by our
(28:09):
colonization, that has beeninfluenced by the merging of
cultures, that has beeninfluenced by you know, so not
really who they are, becausewe're generalizing, when this
(28:32):
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 categorizewho 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 wouldbe amazing if we can come to a
new concept, a new movement.
But there is time for changesin so many aspects you know in
school and so many behaviorsthat I think are important, that
we change it and make it better.
Marie DeCosse (29:07):
I agree.
It's really about listening tothe young generation too.
This generation is interesting.
We have grown up with 9-11.
We've grown up with terrorismin other ways.
We've grown up with, in someaspects, genocide.
We've grown up with a number ofdifferent things COVID.
(29:27):
I mean we are desensitized tothe point where it's a little
bit scary From what we've seenin the news, this constant 24-7
media cycle depicting the worstof humanity.
This generation is tired.
We just want people tounderstand each other.
We really want to carry forthwith kindness, for the most part
(29:50):
and I'm generalizing, but Ithink I speak to a number of
members of the young generationwhen I say this figuring out a
way to live a little bit moreeasily, to live differently than
the older generation has, tonot have to go into the office
and be exhausted and miss out onthings at home.
(30:10):
I think this generation isreally going to do something
when it comes to reshaping howthis world operates, and it's
important for people in power toreally pay attention and
believe in what they're sayingand try to implement some of
their strategies for reshapinghow we operate, because it'll
only serve to better everybodyin 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 washaving a lot of hope, thinking
all Generation X are going to beso much better.
But most of the people that Inoticed they have been
influenced by the boomers.
I'm not sure that they aregoing to be getting out with the
old.
Marie DeCosse (30:56):
Yeah, I think the upper tier of millennials in
particular, who currently arebetween the ages of 36 and 42,
are still influenced by babyboomers Because think about it,
I mean, got out of school, theywent straight into a corporate
gig.
For the most part that was stillthe fast track.
Covid really shaped the waythat we approach work.
(31:19):
But then all the way in betweenwe've had these major events
that have occurred in all of ourlives where we're still young
to sort of really think throughwhether this is something that
should be happening, is there away to change this?
And now we have people in ourpolitical system that are sort
of leading our government tofailure.
(31:40):
So we're reaching this pointwhere we're seeing this brink of
doom.
Behind that there is a littleglimmer of hope that maybe if we
band together, maybe if we letyou know kindness, love,
compassion, when we can dosomething to shape this world.
So I agree, some millennialsprobably are already stuck in
(32:03):
their ways the lower part of themillennial generation, gen Z
and this newest generation,which is Alpha.
Yeah, we should listen to them.
I read, definitely thinking thatyou, 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 theinfluence of TikTok and content
creation it allows you to live amore flexible lifestyle.
When it comes to that group offriends, I'm really seeing how,
even right out of college, theywere playing around with social
media, they started monetizingtheir content.
(32:40):
Now they're traveling the world, they're living a flexible
lifestyle, they're getting to dowhat they want and they're
being creative while doing it.
So we're already seeing a hugeportion of like Gen Z and
millennials who are realizingthat there's other things out
there for them instead of thestandard corporate track.
But then you have some peoplewho are still listening to
(33:03):
what's taught in school.
This is the safe way to do itand just try it out.
Try it out.
But the reason that, especiallyin finance and accounting,
there's such a huge drop inrecruiting is because more and
more people are straying awayfrom this fast track and
realizing there's other thingsthat they can do that'll give
them money and let them havemore 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'renot going to have everybody
being creative.
Also, we have to keep that inmind, that it is okay that we're
all different, otherwiseeverybody's going to be doing
one thing.
Yes, you're going to havepeople that have changed, that
(33:46):
like to work from home, that arecreative, and some of the
people just like the safetything of going to the office,
and that's okay, because I keephearing things like you have to
do this way, and then you're atthe end, like always crazy,
trying to be different than whoyou are, and maybe you just have
to figure out you do your wayin the best way that works for
(34:06):
you.
Marie DeCosse (34:07):
Yeah, I think that's perfectly said.
Just figure out what you loveand 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 doI have to do?
I have to have a house or Ihave 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 yourhome, so all of our customers
must list a property.
We only take one property percustomer.
You can have a house, you canhave an apartment, you can have
an RV, if you like it.
We love it.
We do require all of ourcustomers to pass a background
(34:47):
check before their profile isapproved on our site, and this
is to make sure that ourcustomers 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 itwork?
Marie DeCosse (35:02):
Yes, so the house has to be a single dwelling
unit, which means you can't havea roommate or family members
staying there.
Everybody who is staying atyour property must be registered
on your profile.
So when you actually swap yourhome, the member of your travel
group is coming to an empty home.
We don't want them to feelunsafe, not knowing who else may
(35:25):
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 iton listing.
I want to go somewhere inGreece, so they have to be
somebody in Greece that has ahouse.
Marie DeCosse (35:37):
Complete your profile registration process.
Once your profile is completedand background check is approved
, you're able to select thelistings that you prefer that
are registered on our site.
So you see the supply that wehave.
You select as many listingsthat you prefer.
You submit that information toNomad.
We take that information andthen we match you into groups of
(36:01):
travelers who have selectedyour home or the location that
your property is in.
Once we've paired you into atravel group and these are
travel groups of three for ourfirst iteration, travel groups
of three for a six-month periodwe ask that you make your home
available to other members ofyour travel group for at least
42 non-consecutive days within asix-month span.
(36:25):
After that shared calendar hasbeen updated, we give you group
messaging features.
You can build relationships,you can coordinate your travel
plans, explore your memberprofiles.
At the end of the day, whatthis 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 oneweek on Nomad is $250.
(36:51):
So you compare that to theother accommodation platforms
currently listed on the market.
We blow them out of the water.
And let me explain the travelgroup mechanism a little bit
more, because it's a travelgroup 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 adirect swap.
(37:13):
You could also have Becky, whomakes her home available to the
members of her travel group.
She's not staying at any otherhome, she's going home to her
family for a little bit, but herhome is available.
So you have one person swappinginto Becky's home but Becky's
not doing any sort of otherswaps for the time being.
So as part of that $250, wehave a portion that goes to
(37:33):
Nomad for facilitating thesehome swaps.
But then you have a cleaningfee that you pay to Nomad.
Nomad holds it.
Once that stay is concluded, wedistribute that to the host so
that they can use it to repreptheir 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 oranywhere else I want to.
Marie DeCosse (37:57):
You can choose any cities that you want.
We just submit that informationto Nomad for Nomad to then
curate your travel groupassignment.
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, butwe're doing it with a travel
group mechanism, and the reasonwe're doing this is because it
makes it a lot easier tocoordinate your travel plans.
If you look at other homeexchange platforms, you're
listing your home to I don'tknow 20,000 people.
(38:30):
However many people end uputilizing the site, you don't
know anything about them.
There isn't really a way tocommunicate regularly with them.
They may say their home isavailable in March, but actually
I really need to go there inApril.
How do I reach out to them tohave them change up the days?
It just gets too complicated.
And so the reason we're doingthis travel group mechanism is
(38:53):
because, for the flexibletraveler, it makes it a lot
easier to figure out when toswap, how to swap and then
really trust the people whosehomes you're swapping into.
Daniela SM (39:04):
All right, okay, well, lots of success with it.
I'm sure it's going to beamazing.
We're going to hear a lot aboutyou soon.
Thank you, yes, and it waslovely meeting you.
Thank you so much for sharingyour story, and especially the
story about the Barbies.
I'm so excited, thank you.
There are too many people thathave the same as me, so thank
(39:28):
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 andreally tell people a little bit
about Nomad and Danielle.
You're doing an amazing thingwith this podcast, really
allowing people to share theirstories from a genuine place.
So thank you for creating thisso that people can do that,
thank you.
Daniela SM (39:48):
Thank you, I appreciate it.
I hope you enjoyed today'sepisode.
I am Daniela and you arelistening to, because Everyone
has a Story.
Please take five seconds rightnow and think of somebody in
your life that may enjoy whatyou just heard, or someone that
has a story to be shared andpreserved.
When you think of that person,shoot them a text with the link
(40:09):
of this podcast.
This will allow the ordinarymagic to go further.
Join me next time for anotherstory conversation.
Thank you for listening.
Hasta pronto.
Thank you.
Hi, I'm Daniela.
Welcome to my podcast.
Because Everyone has a Story,the place to give ordinary
people's stories the chance tobe shared and preserved.
Our stories become the languageof connections.
Let's enjoy it, connect andrelate, because everyone has a
(00:22):
story.
Because everyone has a story,welcome.
My guest is Marie DeCoste, ceoand founder of Nomad Travel
Groups.
She's a beautiful person insideout, being part of Gen Z.
Her intelligence andopen-mindedness are really
admirable.
It is awesome how she doesn'tconform to societal norms and
(00:45):
chose to become an entrepreneurat such a young age.
I had so much fun talking toher.
In this episode, you will hearfrom Marie, the inspiring
entrepreneur behind the NomadTravel Group.
Marie shares her experienceswith embracing diversity through
travel and discusses herinitiative to create a home
(01:06):
exchange platform, making travelmore accessible and fostering
genuine community connectionsfor young professionals.
This episode is for anyoneredefining their travel
experiences and communitybuilding efforts, so let's enjoy
her story.
Welcome, marie, to the show.
Marie DeCosse (01:25):
Thank you so much for having me.
I'm excited to be here.
Daniela SM (01:28):
Thank you.
Please tell me why do you wantto share your story?
Marie DeCosse (01:32):
I want to share my story because really, at the
root of travel is community.
It's passion, it's love, it'sconnection.
It all lies within communityand expanding your mind,
expanding your reach.
I really want to inspire peopleto travel as much as they can
so that they can broaden theirmind, they can have new
(01:54):
experiences, they can get toknow others, maybe others that
think differently from them orwho are completely different,
people who grew up in acompletely different way.
I really feel that by traveling, you're able to establish
connections with people that youmay never have met, and it
shapes your life and shapes yourmind into something it would
never have been had you notstepped out of your comfort zone
(02:16):
.
Daniela SM (02:16):
Yes, and then you're so right about that.
Talking to my colleagues theother day and I was saying we
tend to say things that areinappropriate and offensive or
you know a stereotype because ofignorance.
So we were talking about ourcultures.
You know they are Asian cultureand Latin culture and people
assume you don't assume once youalready have learned different
(02:37):
things and you only learn whentraveling really, because I mean
otherwise, you can watch a lotof Netflix or a lot of different
programs on YouTube to learn,but you need to learn about
different cultures and that wayyou can open your mind.
Marie DeCosse (02:50):
Where people don't even have a passport.
All they're seeing isstereotypes on the news or
stereotypes in TV shows, andthen they carry forth that
rhetoric with ignorance.
(03:11):
And it's disappointing that wehave people in this world who
still choose to not understandothers, who still choose to not
really figure out who otherpeople are, what other cultures
mean, choose to not reallyfigure out who other people are,
what other cultures mean, andfeel that in some way that maybe
they're a threat to themselvesor they're a threat to their
community.
And that's just because theydon't take the time to
(03:32):
understand how other peoplethink, how other people live.
By traveling you get to meetpeople, you realize the kindness
of people, you see the beautyin different cultures and it
really just shapes who you are.
And start small, go big endwith international travel.
You'll really see how it'sgoing to make you a better
person.
Daniela SM (03:52):
And hopefully you carry forth that rhetoric, yes,
and so let's start with yourculture, because you're very
mixed well, similar to me.
Marie DeCosse (03:57):
Sure, so I am half Senegalese, half American,
so my mom is from Senegal.
I'm technically, I guess, firstgeneration.
My mom came over to the Stateswith my sister in her stomach.
I may be misremembering thestory because my mom did school
me when I tried to remember herstory, so at some point I'll let
(04:18):
her tell exactly how it was.
But I do remember that mymother struggled.
She didn't speak English, shewas 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 tofigure out.
I'm just, I really admire andrespect her and what she's gone
through and especially the lifethat she's helped create for my
(04:38):
sister and I in the States.
My dad is American but hisbackground is Swedish and French
Canadian, so we're kind of allover the place.
I'm a little bit of a mutt.
I love it because I have thesetwo beautiful cultures that have
made me who I am.
Daniela SM (04:52):
Yes, that is always helpful and wonderful.
Yes, when does your story start?
Marie DeCosse (04:57):
My story starts with my pretty unconventional
childhood.
I grew up overseas inMadagascar, in Bangladesh.
We spent about seven years ofmy life there.
When I moved back to the States, I knew that I wanted to pursue
a career that involved anythingrelated to travel.
I just wanted to get out and soI studied accounting, I earned
(05:19):
my CPA and I went intointernational tax for a public
accounting firm.
What I didn't know at the timeis that an international tax
despite the name, you basicallynever travel, maybe when you get
to the director level or thepartner level, but that takes
about 20 to 25 years.
(05:39):
I realized I was stuck and thenCOVID hit.
I was introduced to remote work, like many professionals, and
realized that I loved it.
This was a lifestyle thatreally fit for me.
I could continue to serve myclients, but I could do so
flexibly at a location of mychoosing.
But you were not traveling.
So during the height of COVID,I was stuck in one spot when
(06:01):
remote work hit.
But then, as travel started toloosen a little bit more and my
company didn't require people togo back into the office right
away, that took about a two anda half year, maybe two year
timeframe.
That's when I was able totravel more frequently.
So initially we were all onlockdown and then we were able
to travel a little bit more, andthat's when I realized that the
(06:23):
remote work and travelinglifestyle really, really fit
with me.
Yeah, that's what started thejourney, and when my company
actually told everyone that wehad to go back to the office on
a hybrid schedule, I quit my job.
I didn't want to go back.
And how many people did that inyour office, you know it's
(06:44):
interesting because the publicaccounting world has experienced
difficulty with hiring talentedprofessionals, especially right
out of school.
It used to be the fast trackyou go work for public
accounting, you spend two and ahalf years and then you go into
finance or work for an in-houseposition at a company.
But a lot of youngprofessionals don't want to do
(07:05):
that anymore because they'rerequired to go back into the
office.
So I don't really know theactual statistics, but I know
that the industry itself ishaving a really, really hard
time recruiting people becauseof this requirement to be in
office.
Daniela SM (07:19):
Okay.
So you quit your job and wereyou scared Like, oh my God, I
don't have a job now, what am Igoing to do?
Or you already had an idea.
Marie DeCosse (07:26):
I had another job lined up.
I went for another publicaccounting firm that was
operated on a fully remote basisso I could be wherever I wanted
and I could continue to workremotely in international tax.
I reached a point, though,working for this firm, where I
was pulling 70 to 80 hours aweek.
People were not as nice as Iwanted.
(07:48):
Who I wanted to work with, theywere a little bit difficult
lawyers, cpas, like very toughpersonality.
I just realized that thiswasn't something that I wanted
to do with my life.
I wasn't traveling.
Yes, I had remote work and Icould do something, but it
wasn't.
It didn't speak to the core ofwho I was.
I knew at some point I wantedto create something that
(08:10):
impacted people, that inspiredpeople to get to know others, to
travel more, and so I did whatI always do when I'm reaching a
crossroads in my life.
I booked a trip with somefriends.
We went to Saboga, panama,which is a little island off the
coast of Panama.
As we were sitting there, wewere thinking about life and
(08:30):
freedom and community and traveland love, and we realized that
the impediment to frequenttravel for young professionals
is the cost, particularly thecost of accommodation.
After that discussion, I cameback home.
I started researching the homeexchange market.
I found that there was aloophole, or really an opening
in the market, particularly inthe US, to introduce a service
(08:53):
like this, and that's how NomadTravel Groups was born.
Nomad Travel Groups is a homeexchange service that is
designed for everyone.
We don't have selectivemembership approval processes,
we don't charge annual fees,it's a safe and secure platform
and it's rooted in creating acommunity oriented mechanism to
(09:15):
home swaps.
Daniela SM (09:16):
Yeah, sounds amazing .
The idea came out like thatshare the process because it
seems too fast.
Marie DeCosse (09:22):
It took some time , from the time that I was
sitting and chatting with myfriends on the beach to when
Nomad actually came to fruition,meaning the legal entity was
organized and I started gettingpeople on board and building the
team, etc.
That time period was about ayear.
So the conversation in Savogathat sparked this sort of
(09:43):
interest in doing a deep diveinto the home exchange industry
what was home exchange?
How does it differ fromshort-term rentals?
Who are the competitors outthere?
What are the barriers to entry?
You have to do a lot of researchto really get comfortable with
this idea that you want to bringforward.
And so I spent at least twoweeks really just researching,
(10:04):
figuring out as much as I canabout my competitors, et cetera.
And so I spent at least twoweeks really just researching,
figuring out as much as I canabout my competitors, et cetera.
And then I started building outa plan what was going to be
Nomad's differentiator and howdo we build our team.
And that process of teambuilding took maybe in total
about six months.
And then we started investingin the infrastructure, the
website and getting the rightpeople in the infrastructure,
(10:24):
the website and getting theright people in the right place
to run marketing.
I got a pitch coach, I went toconferences, 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'thave any holes, because, at the
end of the day, we want to makesure that our customers feel
safe and secure utilizing ourplatform.
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 moveinto another position in-house.
It was something that wouldrequire 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 thatI was sort of lost.
I didn't know what I was doing.
(11:12):
It was another internationaltax gig, which is great and the
job security was wonderful and Icould continue working remotely
, but I still didn't really feellike I was serving my purpose
and there was something elsethat I should be doing with my
life, Something that reallyhighlighted, I think, not just
travel, but my creativity.
(11:32):
I'm a creative person and taxdoesn't fit the bill when it
comes to that.
So I had that feeling and,being spiritual, particularly
because I'm half Senegalese, Icouldn't ignore it Every day.
I woke up with this sinkingfeeling in my gut when I started
having those conversations withmy friends.
That was started to feel thatheaviness sort of alleviate a
(11:53):
little bit more, a little bitmore.
When I did my research italleviated a little bit more, a
little bit more and I knew thatI was starting to get on the
right track to what I wassupposed to do.
Daniela SM (12:04):
You did all this research and stuff all on your
own I did.
And then when did you presentthis 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 myfather.
He's a businessman, he's workedin economic development for a
really long time.
I just wanted to chat throughwhat I was researching.
If he thought it was a goodidea should I keep looking into
this more?
And he gave me the motivation Ineeded to feel like I was on
(12:36):
the right track.
He was like you're really, thisis very interesting and I think
it fits a market need.
You should continue to pursuethis.
So presented the research to him, and then I actually reached
out to old contacts from thepublic accounting firms that I
had come from who are working ininternational tax, because when
(12:57):
you work in international tax,you deal with cross-border
transactions and sometimes homeswaps can fit into that category
.
So I wanted to hear whether ornot 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 andcompetitors in the space.
They thought it was a greatidea.
(13:17):
They said run with it.
So after getting thatvalidation, that's when I
started realizing I need toinvest my capital in this, my
time, and start building a teamof 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, becauseit's always amazing that you get
support from people that areclose to you and they have the
knowledge and they validate youand encourage you to continue.
The idea that you had the firstone did it modify as you were
researching?
Maybe you had something youknow.
(13:52):
You thought, okay, this way,and then it was like, oh, maybe
it should this way, like it wasa 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 themarket, you mentioned that,
because when we initially wantedto hit the market, we weren't
going to introduce the travelgroup mechanism that we have now
created, so we wanted to sortof replicate what other home
exchange services have beendoing, which is a direct swap or
(14:21):
a one-way swap after havingbuilt credits.
The only differentiator for uswas going to be we don't charge
annual membership fees.
Everyone's invited as long asyou pass a background check.
In the process of flushing outour website design, we did some
prototype testing with a selectgroup of individuals to give us
(14:41):
feedback on the idea, and a lotof them mentioned that existing
home exchange platforms thisdirect swap and one-way swap,
blah, blah, blah it'scomplicated and it takes time
and it doesn't allow people toshare their travel plans or
build relationships with oneanother.
And so we realized okay, howabout if we approach it where we
(15:03):
curate the groups for people?
So instead of you listing yoursite and then having to find
somebody who has a travel planthat's going to coordinate with
yours, which is a needle in thehaystack for some of these home
exchange platforms we do thelegwork for you.
You tell us the listings thatyou prefer and then we put you
into a curated travel group withpeople who match your location
(15:27):
and property interests.
We give you a shared calendar.
We give you group messagingfeatures so you can build
relationships, coordinate travelplans, and it's all built on a
foundation of trust because werun full background checks and
we offer insurance coveragethrough our partnerships
background checks and we offerinsurance coverage through our
(15:47):
partnerships.
So that was sort of how thisdeveloped from a sort of basic
home exchange service offeringto more of a curated home
exchange service offering thatreally 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 wellas a per-day service fee.
On active stays, we collect acleaning fee from the staying
party, but that cleaning fee isdistributed to the host.
We don't collect any portion ofthat.
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 placingpeople in travel groups and
getting amazing feedback.
If you'd like to sign up, go towetravelnomadcom.
We'd be so happy to have you.
Daniela SM (16:38):
Great.
And so, marie, now this is thebusiness.
Now tell me how are you feelingthat you quit the job after
studying and of course, it hasbeen useful for this idea but
what is the sense that you'rehaving now?
Do you feel like, okay, I amaccomplishing 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 appreciativeof the people that are in my
life who have helped me get towhere I am, the people that
believe in this idea, who havebelieved in it since day one,
some of them even investingtheir hard earned capital.
(17:20):
I don't overlook that thattakes a lot of faith in someone
to do, and I'm hopeful that thisservice will really shape this
new generation of workers andtravelers, people who have
already said you know what we'redone with the old.
We want to change the way thatwe approach life and we want to
put freedom and travel andconnection first.
(17:42):
This service is for them, andI'm really excited already to
see the feedback that we'vegotten from our active customers
, and I hope that we play somesmall part in making the world
more of an interconnected, moreunderstanding place.
Daniela SM (17:58):
Excellent.
You create this business andthen, of course, you have to
maintain it, but then now thereis a routine going on.
So is this Marie coming up withnew 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 partof our three-stage growth plan.
This is just part one.
We have a plan to shape andgrow and reach more customers in
different niches, all withinthe sort of remote work and
travel space.
So I'm really excited for thoseother rollouts to hit the
(18:34):
market.
At the end of the day, I'mreally doing all this one to
connect people and reallyinspire them to travel, but two,
just to make sure that myfamily feels safe and secure.
If I can grow this businessinto something that is
multi-generational or generatesenough capital so that all the
(18:54):
key members of my family whohave supported me feel
comfortable, feel secure, don'thave to worry about money, I
will be a happy woman.
And so, yes, constantlythinking of new ideas, both to
shape Nomad, but also to makesure 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 anaccounting career, which you
know obviously everybody knowsthat has no creativity.
So how did that happen?
Why did you change when youwere younger, knowing, because
I'm sure you knew you werecreative and then you, you took
that career.
Marie DeCosse (19:35):
So what I actually really find interesting
about international tax is thatit's sort of it's law and it's
math, and where I come in istrying to figure out ways for my
client to lower their taxexposure.
So it's almost like a game,it's a puzzle.
How do I get around thislegally by doing X?
(19:57):
What if we move their assetsfrom here to here?
How will we decrease theirexposure?
So I think in that way,international tax, out of the
other sort of fields that youcan go into within the tax
umbrella, is the most creative,it's the most interesting, it's
the most strategic and that'swhy it really appealed to me.
But I also sort of naively sawinternational in the name and
(20:23):
was like, oh, I can travel, andjumped into it headfirst after
college.
Yes, I am a creative person.
When I was little actually it'sfunny I was obsessed with
Barbies and I would play with myBarbies for like eight to 10
hours.
I would create these storylines.
Some of them would fly, some ofthem were princesses, some of
(20:45):
them had these huge families.
And when I got older Igraduated from Barbies to Sims.
So I've always been fascinatedin sort of crafting this life,
crafting something fun how do Icreate a family, or how do I
create a business, or how do Ido this and that.
From a young age I wasinterested in the strategy
(21:05):
behind it.
So I think there's a similarvein between my creative
interests when I was little andhow I sort of transitioned into
international tax.
It's that strategic element toit, it's building something, and
those skill sets gave me thefoundation to create this
company.
Daniela SM (21:24):
Yeah, that's true, right, otherwise you wouldn't
have thought about it, or alsoyou wouldn't have the support
because you had to ask a lot ofquestions about international
taxes.
Right, yeah, wow, well, I'mimpressed that you said Barbies.
I haven't heard that and I usedto love playing with Barbies.
Marie DeCosse (21:41):
I know it doesn't seem like kids play with
Barbies that much and it's sounfortunate because now
everything is online and youhave games that you can play and
stuff.
But being able to sit down withyour Barbies and, and you know,
let your imagination run wild Ithink 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 Iwas really happy to see it
afterwards I liked the message.
It was interesting to know thatwhy I like to play with Barbies
but with dolls.
That is a difference, you know.
It's obviously Barbies werewomen, were strong, you know you
could do business things andmake them on a plane and imagine
(22:19):
well, if you have a doll, thenit's just more like a baby and
it's just that's not so much fun.
So that was quite interestingfor me to realize.
Oh, that's why I like to playwith Barbies and not with dolls.
Marie DeCosse (22:31):
No, that's so true.
I think dolls sort of carryforth the traditional stereotype
of a woman.
Right, she's dainty, she needsto be taken care of, everybody
should dote on her.
But Barbies just sort of rockedthe market and said you know
what?
No, you can be a princess ifyou want.
But also you can be a pilot,you can be a cop, you can be
(22:52):
whatever you want to be.
And it was so important forwomen to realize that.
Daniela SM (22:56):
Yeah, that's cool.
Yes, well, I actually have thefirst 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 oneday, 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 saltwater, any sort of dye on it.
Oh my gosh.
I remember one of my Barbieshad this massive dreadlock and I
couldn't get it out and I wasjust crying for days because it
(23:40):
was my favorite one and I endedup cutting off all her hair.
And I feel bad for my parentsbecause I know I was just a
wreck and so so rude anddramatic for days because of
this Barbie.
Daniela SM (23:54):
That's funny, yeah, so who is?
Who is Marie?
Besides the business and theBarbies and curiosity, what else
is about her?
Marie DeCosse (24:02):
Besides the business, who I am is shaped by
two sort of competing idealsthat are rooted in where my
parents come from.
So Senegal is country in WestAfrica.
It's rooted in communalisticideals.
You put family first, you putcommunity first.
(24:23):
You take care of other people.
That's just the way of life.
That's what my mom grew upunderstanding and a lot of those
lessons she taught us.
And then my father, beingAmerican, he's from country
that's rooted in moreindividualistic ideals.
Doesn't mean that Americans areselfish not at all.
It just means that we're from acountry where you really break
(24:46):
your back to get ahead.
You're constantly fighting toprove yourself.
It's not as much focused oncommunity and more so focused on
your individual growth and yourindividual success.
I'm really grateful that I wasable to grow up with influences
from both sides of my family.
(25:06):
I was able to get thiscommunalistic side, this love
for family, this feeling that atsome point I need to give back
to the people who have laid thispath for me.
And then also having influencefrom my dad's side, of fight for
whatever you can get, use yourbrain, study hard, be
competitive but don't be mean.
(25:27):
Make sure that if you want toprove yourself, you can go out
there and get it.
The opportunity is there, youjust have to seize it.
Really thankful that I was ableto have both of these
influences in my life, who haveshaped me into who I am.
At the root of who I am, though,despite the business-y side and
the go-getter and all thatstuff, I'm really goofy.
(25:49):
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 onInstagram for like three hours,
four hours, especially if I'mfeeling down.
It's the only thing that'llmake me feel better.
(26:10):
Right now, at this point in mylife, I really feel this passion
to prove myself, and I knowit's the time to do it, which is
why Business Marie comesforward.
Funny, relaxed, silly Marietakes a backseat for a little
bit, just until we can get wherewe need to be.
So I'm secure, my family'ssecure, and we're doing
(26:33):
something that's really changingthe 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 Spainand I've been living in Canada
for 28 years, so I know theindividualistic part.
I feel like maybe us and mostpeople that have done this could
maybe come up with a new nameand something that takes the
(27:05):
good of both of them, becausethere 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 forme, it is quite important.
The characteristic of acommunal culture is not
(27:27):
necessarily all of them 100%perfect, because you don't get
to express yourself as much andyou have to do things for the
good of the community.
Sometimes they're not good foryou.
Maybe, since we are more mixedthese days, that we can come
with something new, a new style.
Marie DeCosse (27:44):
I agree.
I think it's important to namewhat the intersection of that is
, and not a lot of books,especially, I think, more books
relating to, like internationalbusiness or economics I don't
think I've ever heard a termthat highlights the blend of
both when we should.
I mean we live in a world nowthat has been influenced by our
(28:09):
colonization, that has beeninfluenced by the merging of
cultures, that has beeninfluenced by you know, so not
really who they are, becausewe're generalizing, when this
(28:32):
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 categorizewho 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 wouldbe amazing if we can come to a
new concept, a new movement.
But there is time for changesin so many aspects you know in
school and so many behaviorsthat I think are important, that
we change it and make it better.
Marie DeCosse (29:07):
I agree.
It's really about listening tothe young generation too.
This generation is interesting.
We have grown up with 9-11.
We've grown up with terrorismin other ways.
We've grown up with, in someaspects, genocide.
We've grown up with a number ofdifferent things COVID.
(29:27):
I mean we are desensitized tothe point where it's a little
bit scary From what we've seenin the news, this constant 24-7
media cycle depicting the worstof humanity.
This generation is tired.
We just want people tounderstand each other.
We really want to carry forthwith kindness, for the most part
(29:50):
and I'm generalizing, but Ithink I speak to a number of
members of the young generationwhen I say this figuring out a
way to live a little bit moreeasily, to live differently than
the older generation has, tonot have to go into the office
and be exhausted and miss out onthings at home.
(30:10):
I think this generation isreally going to do something
when it comes to reshaping howthis world operates, and it's
important for people in power toreally pay attention and
believe in what they're sayingand try to implement some of
their strategies for reshapinghow we operate, because it'll
only serve to better everybodyin 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 washaving a lot of hope, thinking
all Generation X are going to beso much better.
But most of the people that Inoticed they have been
influenced by the boomers.
I'm not sure that they aregoing to be getting out with the
old.
Marie DeCosse (30:56):
Yeah, I think the upper tier of millennials in
particular, who currently arebetween the ages of 36 and 42,
are still influenced by babyboomers Because think about it,
I mean, got out of school, theywent straight into a corporate
gig.
For the most part that was stillthe fast track.
Covid really shaped the waythat we approach work.
(31:19):
But then all the way in betweenwe've had these major events
that have occurred in all of ourlives where we're still young
to sort of really think throughwhether this is something that
should be happening, is there away to change this?
And now we have people in ourpolitical system that are sort
of leading our government tofailure.
(31:40):
So we're reaching this pointwhere we're seeing this brink of
doom.
Behind that there is a littleglimmer of hope that maybe if we
band together, maybe if we letyou know kindness, love,
compassion, when we can dosomething to shape this world.
So I agree, some millennialsprobably are already stuck in
(32:03):
their ways the lower part of themillennial generation, gen Z
and this newest generation,which is Alpha.
Yeah, we should listen to them.
I read, definitely thinking thatyou, 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 theinfluence of TikTok and content
creation it allows you to live amore flexible lifestyle.
When it comes to that group offriends, I'm really seeing how,
even right out of college, theywere playing around with social
media, they started monetizingtheir content.
(32:40):
Now they're traveling the world, they're living a flexible
lifestyle, they're getting to dowhat they want and they're
being creative while doing it.
So we're already seeing a hugeportion of like Gen Z and
millennials who are realizingthat there's other things out
there for them instead of thestandard corporate track.
But then you have some peoplewho are still listening to
(33:03):
what's taught in school.
This is the safe way to do itand just try it out.
Try it out.
But the reason that, especiallyin finance and accounting,
there's such a huge drop inrecruiting is because more and
more people are straying awayfrom this fast track and
realizing there's other thingsthat they can do that'll give
them money and let them havemore 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'renot going to have everybody
being creative.
Also, we have to keep that inmind, that it is okay that we're
all different, otherwiseeverybody's going to be doing
one thing.
Yes, you're going to havepeople that have changed, that
(33:46):
like to work from home, that arecreative, and some of the
people just like the safetything of going to the office,
and that's okay, because I keephearing things like you have to
do this way, and then you're atthe end, like always crazy,
trying to be different than whoyou are, and maybe you just have
to figure out you do your wayin the best way that works for
(34:06):
you.
Marie DeCosse (34:07):
Yeah, I think that's perfectly said.
Just figure out what you loveand 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 doI have to do?
I have to have a house or Ihave 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 yourhome, so all of our customers
must list a property.
We only take one property percustomer.
You can have a house, you canhave an apartment, you can have
an RV, if you like it.
We love it.
We do require all of ourcustomers to pass a background
(34:47):
check before their profile isapproved on our site, and this
is to make sure that ourcustomers 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 itwork?
Marie DeCosse (35:02):
Yes, so the house has to be a single dwelling
unit, which means you can't havea roommate or family members
staying there.
Everybody who is staying atyour property must be registered
on your profile.
So when you actually swap yourhome, the member of your travel
group is coming to an empty home.
We don't want them to feelunsafe, not knowing who else may
(35:25):
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 iton listing.
I want to go somewhere inGreece, so they have to be
somebody in Greece that has ahouse.
Marie DeCosse (35:37):
Complete your profile registration process.
Once your profile is completedand background check is approved
, you're able to select thelistings that you prefer that
are registered on our site.
So you see the supply that wehave.
You select as many listingsthat you prefer.
You submit that information toNomad.
We take that information andthen we match you into groups of
(36:01):
travelers who have selectedyour home or the location that
your property is in.
Once we've paired you into atravel group and these are
travel groups of three for ourfirst iteration, travel groups
of three for a six-month periodwe ask that you make your home
available to other members ofyour travel group for at least
42 non-consecutive days within asix-month span.
(36:25):
After that shared calendar hasbeen updated, we give you group
messaging features.
You can build relationships,you can coordinate your travel
plans, explore your memberprofiles.
At the end of the day, whatthis 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 oneweek on Nomad is $250.
(36:51):
So you compare that to theother accommodation platforms
currently listed on the market.
We blow them out of the water.
And let me explain the travelgroup mechanism a little bit
more, because it's a travelgroup 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 adirect swap.
(37:13):
You could also have Becky, whomakes her home available to the
members of her travel group.
She's not staying at any otherhome, she's going home to her
family for a little bit, but herhome is available.
So you have one person swappinginto Becky's home but Becky's
not doing any sort of otherswaps for the time being.
So as part of that $250, wehave a portion that goes to
(37:33):
Nomad for facilitating thesehome swaps.
But then you have a cleaningfee that you pay to Nomad.
Nomad holds it.
Once that stay is concluded, wedistribute that to the host so
that they can use it to repreptheir 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 oranywhere else I want to.
Marie DeCosse (37:57):
You can choose any cities that you want.
We just submit that informationto Nomad for Nomad to then
curate your travel groupassignment.
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, butwe're doing it with a travel
group mechanism, and the reasonwe're doing this is because it
makes it a lot easier tocoordinate your travel plans.
If you look at other homeexchange platforms, you're
listing your home to I don'tknow 20,000 people.
(38:30):
However many people end uputilizing the site, you don't
know anything about them.
There isn't really a way tocommunicate regularly with them.
They may say their home isavailable in March, but actually
I really need to go there inApril.
How do I reach out to them tohave them change up the days?
It just gets too complicated.
And so the reason we're doingthis travel group mechanism is
(38:53):
because, for the flexibletraveler, it makes it a lot
easier to figure out when toswap, how to swap and then
really trust the people whosehomes you're swapping into.
Daniela SM (39:04):
All right, okay, well, lots of success with it.
I'm sure it's going to beamazing.
We're going to hear a lot aboutyou soon.
Thank you, yes, and it waslovely meeting you.
Thank you so much for sharingyour story, and especially the
story about the Barbies.
I'm so excited, thank you.
There are too many people thathave the same as me, so thank
(39:28):
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 andreally tell people a little bit
about Nomad and Danielle.
You're doing an amazing thingwith this podcast, really
allowing people to share theirstories from a genuine place.
So thank you for creating thisso that people can do that,
thank you.
Daniela SM (39:48):
Thank you, I appreciate it.
I hope you enjoyed today'sepisode.
I am Daniela and you arelistening to, because Everyone
has a Story.
Please take five seconds rightnow and think of somebody in
your life that may enjoy whatyou just heard, or someone that
has a story to be shared andpreserved.
When you think of that person,shoot them a text with the link
(40:09):
of this podcast.
This will allow the ordinarymagic to go further.
Join me next time for anotherstory conversation.
Thank you for listening.
Hasta pronto.
Thank you.
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