The Truth About: Choosing Ethical Work

As you (probably) know, the name of my website is Ethical Digital Nomad.

First, because I believe that we can be nomads, we can travel the world, and still make important ethical choices. Whether it be in the way we travel, the places we visit, or the mark we leave behind.

But I also chose that name as it goes well with my sole proprietorship Ethical Business Analyst. It is all part of my personal brand. Ethical BA is the work that I do remotely. Except when I'm contracted for work under a different title, such as in operations. The changing titles don't bother me much. But the ethical part is always important to me.

I choose to work with ethical organizations who share my values of sustainability and of making the world a better place. And I love that about my life choices. It makes me feel fulfilled. It gives me purpose. It allows me to work towards a bigger picture.

My Summer '22 Workspace - Cheap Camper Life

However, I'm not gonna lie, making such decisions about my work does not make my life easier. There are countless companies I would never work for or with. And often times, the most impactful businesses are not the most profitable. This makes sense. A company who doesn't support modern slavery, for example, might have much higher Costs of Goods Sold. And since we live in a world of cheap convenience and fast demand, this can largely affect a business' profit margin as the consumer demands the lowest costs possible.

So I understand how such a business will need to cut expenses. I cannot expect to earn six figures with a non-profit the same way I would earn six figures with, say, a big bank. Everything has a price. And if my pay cut means I don't fund modern slavery or the destruction of the environment, I'm OK with paying that price.

Furthermore though, those jobs aren't as easy to find as paid opportunities - they are much easier to find if you wish to volunteer. The competition in the impact/purpose/sustainability world is fierce. A lot of people value doing good over just making money for themselves. And that's beautiful.

In short, choosing ethical work often means less money, less opportunities and more competition.

This is precisely the reality I had to deal with when my client stopped paying my invoices a couple of years back (see a little bit more about that story here). On one hand, I didn't want to give up on a team I had supported for years. And on the other hand, it was really difficult and time consuming to find other work fully aligned with both my skills and my values.

Roadtripping in Labrador and sleeping in my tent, instead of giving up on my dream life - Autumn '23

In that situation, I stuck around with said client for way too long. I fell victim to the CEO's empty promises and his unrealistic goals or dreams. As a team, we were practically brainwashed into believing that we were a family, that we had each other's backs, and that we would get through the tough times together.

So I stuck around, accumulating unpaid invoices, hoping for the best. And when the time came for the CEO to have my back, it turned into more mind games and manipulation. Somehow, he was the victim. And I was on my own.

I should have gotten out about a whole year earlier, but I learned my lessons my way. I thought I was doing the right thing. I thought I was supporting a beautiful and caring team and mission. And the cost I paid was my own livelihood and my own financial sustainability. And of course, I ended up wasting precious time that should have been spent looking for work. My mistake.

As a side note, I'll say that it doesn't matter how much good a company aims to do in the world, if the owner puts their needs before the needs of their team, it makes it a bad company for the world. Regardless of the certifications and the marketing claims.

Starting a serious job search in the competitive and slim market of purposeful work, a year into a mental and financial downspiral, is just tough. It felt impossible at times. And I had one additional challenge: my nomadism.

Being a nomad means, amongst many things, relying on remote work for income. A "normal office job" requires a fixed address. As a nomad, "simple" jobs in a local community become inaccessible. Employers want commitment. Employers want stability. Employers want the mould.

So without a stable roof over my head, many more jobs revealed themselves to be out of reach.

Finally starting new work, in yet another housesit - Early Spring '24

Perhaps at that point, most people in my situation would have just settled down somewhere, paying rent and working any available local jobs. Perhaps most people would have found a way to borrow some money to pay for the rental deposit. Perhaps they would have managed to find rental options that didn't require proof of employment, which I clearly didn't have. And after jumping through all these seemingly unattainable hoops, they would have "succeeded" in working a couple of jobs and giving half of their paycheques to a landlord.

That scenario felt like death to me. Death of my freedom, my dreams, of everything I had worked so hard to build in my life.

I realize that my risk tolerance and my poverty tolerance have a much different threshold than most people in my network. Whether that is a good or bad thing, I can never be sure. But I chose a different path than what "most people" might have done in my situation. Of course, that came at a price. And of course, it wasn't easier.

But it brought me here. Still making ethical work and life choices. Still paying the price, literally. Still living a life that is right for me. Still swimming against the current, hoping to make a difference in a few people's lives... even if just by sharing this story. 💜