MEET ALI & SUMNER HOBART
Get ready to dive into the extraordinary journey of Ali and Sumner Hobart, a power couple whose story will ignite or inspire your sense of adventure and entrepreneurial spirit.
Their path to success began during their college days at the University of Cincinnati, where a chance encounter sparked a friendship that blossomed into a lasting romance. Ali, a Brazilian girl navigating college life, and Sumner, a suburbanite living with his parents, found love in the most unexpected of places.
After three years of dating and seven years of marriage, they've become more than just partners – they're best friends. From starting an online business to becoming full-time travelers and vloggers, their journey is a testament to the power of determination, innovation, and love.
Join us as we sit down with Ali and Sumner to unravel the secrets behind their unconventional lifestyle, their thriving careers, and the key to their unwavering bond.
Q: Your journey from starting an online business to becoming full-time travelers and vloggers is truly inspiring. Can you share some key moments or decisions that led you to where you are today?
It's funny because it was one of those epiphany moments. One of the reasons we started our online business was that we craved more time—time to spend with each other, our friends, and our family and to travel more. However, it wasn't until about a year after starting our business that we went on a trip to Europe with Ali's family. It was amazing because we were able to enjoy new experiences, spend quality time with family, and even work a little bit without any stress.
After returning to the cold Ohio winter, we both said to each other, “Why are we here?” when we could work from anywhere in the world. We remembered reading about the concept of geo-arbitrage in the book “4-hour work week” by Tim Ferris, where you earn in a stronger currency and spend in a weaker currency, and that way, your money goes much further.
So we decided to move to Florianópolis, Brazil, for a few months, which led us to another epiphany moment: “Why don’t we just keep traveling the world?”
Q: That sounds amazing! We are sure transitioning to this lifestyle brought some ups and downs. What are the three pros and cons of working as a digital nomad versus a traditional 9-to-5 job?
That’s a great question because so many people automatically assume one is good and the other is bad, and we believe it has a lot to do with someone’s personality.
- Work Schedule: As a digital nomad, you can choose when to work, which can benefit business owners. However, managing your own schedule requires discipline. In contrast, a 9-to-5 job provides structure, with set hours chosen by someone else. Finding the balance between work and leisure is crucial for digital nomads, ensuring full engagement in both areas.
- Geo-arbitrage: Earning in a strong currency and spending in a weaker one is a significant advantage for digital nomads, allowing for a higher standard of living in various global locations compared to traditional 9-to-5 jobs.
- Life Experiences: Digital nomadism offers unparalleled opportunities for personal growth and diverse experiences. Unlike the routine of a 9-to-5 job, digital nomads can explore different cultures, lifestyles, and environments, enriching their lives in profound ways.
So, you made a choice to become world travelers who also work together. What role do you each play in your businesses, and how do you support each other in your respective roles?
We love to divide and conquer! We´ve grown our business so much more by having different “departments” to handle. That not only makes us more efficient, but we also annoy each other less, LOL.
Sumner is the brains of our businesses. He strategizes, analyzes, advertises, and creates amazing systems for us and our virtual assistants.
Ali is the top manager of everything. She makes things happen by communicating with all the team members, figuring out logistics, developing products, and organizing our lives and finances.
We do share some areas we both enjoy like creatives, graphics, travel planning, and teaching.
Teamwork makes the dream work! However, many people mention that working with a romantic partner is difficult. How do you manage the dynamic of working together as a couple while running a successful business?
It is not easy, but there are strategies you can apply that help.
- Assign each person to a specific area of your business and avoid interference. You can ask each other for input, but one of you should be the decision-maker in that department.
- Have a hard stop on your workday. This is probably the most difficult for business owners, but trust us, this will make all the difference. Once your workday ends, avoid talking about it and have at least one day of the week when you don’t work at all. We do this not only because we’re Christian and want to honor the Sabbath, but this is essential for anyone’s mental health and relationships.
- Try to work in different rooms or desks and/or use a messaging app to communicate during the workday. This is a must for us; otherwise, we not only distract each other all the time, but we get “sick” of each other more often.
- Be gracious with each other. Try really hard not to bring work stress into your relationship. This requires a lot of work that you both need to put in.
That’s great! So, as successful mentors in the field of online business, you surely have some advice for couples looking to start their entrepreneurial journey together.
Yes, refer to the previous answer, LOL!
But also, before you venture into anything, think first about your ultimate life goal. What do you see yourselves doing in the future? How much money do you want or need? Where do you want to live? How many hours do you want to work?
Once you think about those things, you should only work on a business that will take you in that direction and not away from it. For example, if you start a service-based business where your income is reliant on your work hours, and your goal is to work 20 hours a week, you must have a strategy to expand and keep your business going as you work less.
Now, getting a little more personal. Can you share a memorable or challenging experience from your travels that strengthened your relationship as a couple or taught you valuable lessons?
One situation that comes to mind is when we got scammed in Kenya. Instead of getting angry or frustrated at each other, we worked as a team to figure out the best way to resolve the situation.
We learned that travel, especially full-time travel, comes with unexpected situations that either force you to blame each other or be gracious and work as a team to find the best possible outcome.
That makes so much sense, but it must take work to get to that understanding. Do you have any rituals or routines as a couple that contribute to the strength of your relationship?
We both love having a good routine! That may seem contradictory to our lifestyle, but that’s why we have chosen to travel slowly. This means we try to stay at the same place for longer periods of time and always look for Airbnbs that offer what we need: great WiFi, close to gyms, close to grocery stores, etc. Also, as we said before, we always have free time every night and on Sundays when we don’t work or talk about work.
That’s great! So, success is a word that has different meanings for many people, but what does it mean to both of you personally, and how has your definition of success evolved throughout your journey together?
Success is about pleasing God; everything else is vanity. That comes from our Christian belief, which we know others don’t share. However, something to remember is that money is just a small part of the equation. How much money you actually need is different for every person. Get clear on your goals because you can travel the world and have life-changing experiences for very little money and live a successful life.
True! On another note, from your experiences traveling the world, if you had to recommend three destinations for couples, which ones would you choose?
It completely depends on what the couple is into, but in general, for most couples, our top three would be Croatia, Thailand, and the USA (especially National Parks). If we were to throw a fourth one, it would be Vienna, Austria.
Awesome!
To end our interview, we like to ask every couple we meet: what do you think is the key to a happy relationship?
Having a relationship with God has completely transformed ours. That is definitely our number one key. However, regardless of your beliefs, when someone is solely focused on what their partner can give them rather than what they can give in return, it can lead to an unhappy and unfulfilling relationship.
Although it may seem easier said than done, prioritizing serving your partner in a relationship can make a huge difference. Both partners end up happier, even if the outcome remains the same. For instance, if Sumner likes smoothies and Ali likes chocolate, their relationship would be much better if Ali makes Sumner a smoothie and Sumner gets Ali chocolate, instead of both preparing their own drinks. Does that make sense to you?
There you have it, folks! Ali and Sumner's remarkable journey is a testament to the power of love, dedication, and faith. From their humble beginnings to their global adventures, their story is a beacon of inspiration for couples seeking to break free from the ordinary and forge their own path. So, whether you're dreaming of starting your own business, traveling the world, or nurturing a deeper connection with your partner, take a page from Ali and Sumner's book and dare to live on your own terms.