Fail fast & pivot purposefully 🔀

Issue 11: 6 minute read

🙋🏽‍♀️Dani’s Doings: How much money we spent in the month of June, how I’m making the most of the time we have left here 😭, and what’s next for my business.

💸 Money Matters: Olive oil is way too expensive, people can only find part-time jobs, and more news about how the economy is in shambles worldwide 😓.

✈️ Travel Tings: Savings tens of thousands of dollars by travelling to Türkiye for medical check-ups, French people are shitting in their river to protest the upcoming Olympics 💩, and more.

• After a 2 month break of sharing monthly expense reports (due to a lottttttt of international travel) as a Canadian couple living in Spain, we’re baaaaaack! Here’s the full spending breakdown for the month of June. We spent a total of 3577 euros/$5257 CAD/$3860 USD.

• Can you believe it’s already been SEVEN months since I’ve lived in Malaga?! We only have 5 months left on this visa 😭! We’re starting to think about what we’ll do next. We’re considering staying in Malaga for an additional 3 months during the Canadian winter (using our visa-free 90 days in the Schengen region) and then maybe checking out Panama for a month? TBD!

  

  Photos I took while in the beautiful city of Barcelona last month 😍

  Failing fast & pivoting purposefully ✨

I’ve been reflecting on my entrepreneurial journey so far, and it’s wild to me that it’s already been almost a year since I first started! There have been SO many highs, such as partnering with some of my favourite Canadian financial institutions, speaking at digital workshops and panels (even while living in Spain temporarily!), launching my website, and pouring into this Liberty Letter every single month.

There have been some lows too, though. One of them is feeling like I’m not yet doing exactly what I’m supposed to be doing. I’m on the right track, but I feel there’s a way to lean more into my purpose and positively impact the lives of even more people on a deeper level. I haven’t quite figured out exactly what that will look like for me yet, but I’d be lying if I said the thought of not reaching self-actualization in my work life doesn’t terrify me 😓.

When I worked in tech, leadership would always say “fail fast”. It meant to that as soon as you recognize that something isn’t working the way you envisioned it to, you need to call it what it is, quickly, and purposefully pivot to the next great thing.

What’s that look like for me? I’m not quite sure yet! I think I’m long overdue to do another IKIGAI exercise, which is a Japanese concept that helps you explore 1) what you love, 2) what you’re good at, 3) what the world needs, and 4) what can be paid for. You can do your own IKIGAI exercise here.

I do think it’ll result in a) less time spent creating on social media (it loses some of its appeal and fun when it becomes a numbers game and an obsession with engagement metrics), and b) niching down and working more closely with folks looking to pursue their own Liberty Leave.

I share this as a reminder to you, friend: It’s OK to start thinking of your plan B, C, D, etc. if something isn’t working out the way you imagined it to. Purposeful pivots are not just OK but actually a part of life and being human. Trust the process and reinvent yourself or the goal as many times as you need to. Don’t be afraid to be seen trying, either! ♥️

• Walmart announced that by 2026, it’ll be replacing its traditional price labels with digital screens. People are (rightfully) concerned that this will lead to dynamic and surge pricing (for example, on a hot day the cost of ice cream will increase) but the company swears that won’t happen. We’ll see 🤨. Read more about it here.

• Have you noticed that the price of olive oil has soared lately? You’re not alone. There was even a protest about it here in Malaga a couple weeks ago! Read about what’s causing the price hike here. If you’ve stopped buying olive oil because of the high price, here are some helpful recipe ideas with olive oil replacements.

• The best time to start with good money management habits is as young as possible. The second best time is right now. Here’s a great list of 25 money moves to make by age 25 (relevant for any stage in life!).

• Studies show that many Canadians are struggling to find full-time jobs, and as a result, are getting part-time jobs involuntarily. In June alone, the economy lost 36,000 full-time jobs but added 62,000 part-time jobs. The full details are here. U.S. employers are also looking to add more part-time workers. Story here.

• The Japanese Yen recently fell to a 38-year low against the U.S. dollar. Read more about why here. While that’s happening, some folks are taking full advantage by buying their Yen in advance of an upcoming trip to Japan, or dabbling in the Japanese luxury re-sale market (which is known to be one of the best in the world for things like designer bags).

• Someone made a website live tracking airlines around the world losing the largest amounts of luggage. Here it is. His inspiration? Vueling (a Spanish airline) lost his girlfriend’s luggage and he got mad, lol.

• 💩 People in Paris threatened to shit in the Seine (a major river in France that flows through Paris) because they’re angry that massive amounts of money are being invested into the Summer Olympics (starting on July 26) instead of investing in the more pressing social problems the country is facing.

• Barcelona announced that it’ll be shutting down all tourist apartments in 2028 following local backlash. Read more here. There was also a protest last weekend where I live (in Malaga, Spain) against mass tourism. Yikes 😬 (I do get it though).

• Medical Tourism: This TikTok went viral because a women travelled all the way to Türkiye to get a full health checkup (including 30+ scans, blood tests, etc.) for only $810 USD. This would likely cost tens of thousands of dollars in the U.S., and months (or longer) to get all of these completed in Canada. Would you do it? Here are the details if you’re interested!

• WestJet’s union held a strike that caused the cancellation of a whopping 800+ flights. People were left stranded for days. Eventually, a deal was reached and the new contract with the new pay deal covers the next five years.

Psssst: Did you know that the Liberty Letter is part of the Liberty Leave brand? Visit the website to learn more! | Wanna work together? Reach out here.