Tarek Kholoussy has explored more than 100 countries and has made social impact his priority along the way. In 2018, he started an organization called Nomads Giving Back! to support social causes worldwide. Two years later, Tarek founded another organization, Nomads Skillshare!, to help remote workers improve digital skills via online educational courses.
We recently spoke with Tarek on the Forge Ahead podcast about defining your career path, pushing yourself to experience new things, and connecting with others in new places.
1. Define Your Career Path
Listening to your intuition will guide each phase of your professional journey. However, your career path may not always be straightforward. Sometimes, you have to try a new opportunity before knowing if the job is right for you.
Tarek says a colleague once sent him a job description she thought seemed “perfect” for him. But within days of starting the job, Tarek says he knew it wasn’t the right fit for him. He says the job would have been a good match for him in his previous career path, but it didn’t fit his vision for the future.
Tarek’s experience shows us that it’s okay to try something new and decide it’s not for you. That experience will inform your choices and present new possibilities.
2. Push Yourself to Experience New Things
Personal growth happens when you encounter new situations. Tarek recommends traveling to a new place and taking time to connect with the people there. It will feel challenging, but you’ll experience self-discovery and personal growth.
Tarek says people often fall into a comfortable bubble, choosing to spend time with familiar people and things when they’re in a new place. But he encourages travelers to resist that tendency and get out of their comfort zones. He believes that when you push yourself to experience new things, you learn new skills, hobbies, languages, and customs.
Tarek makes the valuable point that experiencing new things leads to personal growth. In this scenario, discomfort is a good thing because it means you’re learning something new.
3. Connect with Others in New Places
Tarek recommends cultivating relationships with locals, fellow travelers, and expatriates as you travel. Doing so allows you to find shared passions, which can lead to collaborative projects and social impact.
Tarek says that you also have to connect with local leaders to achieve a positive impact. He says that’s how you get an understanding of local challenges. “The magic happens when you actually are connecting with locals and making people feel like they can benefit from getting to know you because we’re benefiting from them,” Tarek says. “And that takes time, matchmaking, and relationship building.”
We can learn from Tarek that spending time with local leaders can lead to a mutually beneficial relationship. Together, you can accomplish more and leave a significant impact.
Visit the Forge Ahead homepage to hear the entire conversation with Tarek.
