How To Build A Global Remote Business And Real Life Community As A Digital Nomad

What does it really look like to build a business that gives you freedom, flexibility, and community at the same time?In this episode of the Reclaiming Bossy podcast, I’m joined by Laura Smyth, founder of Butterfly English Education and Found Her Madrid, to talk about how she built a fully remote language learning academy with a team of 20+ teachers whilst  also creating an in person community for women in Madrid.We talk about the reality of scaling an online business, building systems that allow you to work remotely without burning out, and why community still matters so much in a world that is becoming increasingly digital.This is a conversation about creating a business and lifestyle that actually feels aligned, whether that means working across time zones, running events in a new city, or building a team you trust.If you are interested in entrepreneurship, remote work, online business, community building, digital nomad life, or creating more freedom in your career, this episode will give you both practical advice and a lot of reassurance.Timestamps00:00 - Introduction to the episode00:23 - Laura’s background and introducing her two businesses00:56 - The burnout that inspired her to start a language academy01:31 - First steps to starting a business and getting fully booked03:01 - Why you should hire before you’re ready03:39 - How to choose the right team and the “hire slowly, fire quickly” rule04:49 - Navigating difficult conversations and letting go of a friend05:50 - Scaling to a team of 20 using Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)06:51 - Using AI to build out your business structures and systems07:24 - Running a remote company with zero daily meetings08:34 - Trusting your team and avoiding micromanagement09:28 - Managing a global team across multiple time zones10:17 - Time management and structuring a schedule to run two businesses10:53 - Why Laura built the “Found Her” community in Madrid11:31 - How to get people to show up to your very first event12:26 - Creating an English-speaking community in a Spanish-speaking city14:10 - Applying lessons from your first business to your second14:55 - What Laura wishes she did differently when starting out15:24 - Where to find Laura and the Found Her community online15:42 - Final advice on building a life and business you love16:09 - Reclaiming the word “bossy”16:33 - Actionable homework for starting a local community17:07 - Actionable homework for launching an online business17:36 - Conclusion and outroFollow Laura / Butterfly English / Found Her MadridLaura’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurasmyth/Laura’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laura.inmadrid/Found Her Madrid: https://www.instagram.com/foundhermadrid/Butterfly English Education: https://butterflyenglisheducation.comBUILD YOUR BOLDEST + BOSSIEST LIFE/ CAREERBossy Behind the Scenes: Essays, reflections, resources and all the behind-the-scenes of building a bold, bossy life.⁠https://substack.com/@bossybehindthescenes⁠WORK WITH MECreator/Founder Office Hours: Bring me your ideas, questions or whatever you’re stuck on, and we’ll turn it into a plan.⁠https://calendly.com/maahika/mentoring?back=1⁠Founders + brands: Work with me on storytelling, personal branding, content and strategy through Empower Sounds Media.Book a Strategy Session : ⁠https://calendly.com/maahika/branding-strategy-session?back=1&month=2026-07⁠Book a discovery call : ⁠https://calendly.com/maahika/discovery-call?back=1⁠Join the next personal branding sprint : ⁠https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeNPFNgdt02CyvYsb6n9i8kmvEJRxQDmTwOVusTxII_tMoJ7Q/viewform?usp=header⁠Follow The Podcast/ Connect With MePodcast Instagram: @reclaimingbossyPodcast TikTok: @reclaimingbossyMy Instagram: @maahika.sMy TikTok: @maahika.sCollaborations + enquiries: [email protected]