Escape Artist Q&A: Audrey Scott and Daniel Noll of Uncornered Market
Photos by Audrey Scott and Daniel Noll
This column, “Escape Artist,” is a series about folks who have escaped. More importantly, this biweekly column is for those thinking about trading in their 9-to-5, leg-shackled-to-the-desk existences to forge their own way. The brave outliers featured in this collection of interviews are the digital nomads, online entrepreneurs and lifestyle trendsetters who decided it was time to say to hell with the humdrum and grab life by the roots.
Travel bloggers Audrey Scott and Daniel Noll run Uncornered Market, a travel blog that shares what it’s like to travel as a married couple. They’ve traveled to more than 90 countries, aiming to create a movement of respectful travelers who have adventures and care for the planet at the same time. In 2016, they’ve walked the Camino de Santiago in Spain and spent time in Botswana.
Paste Travel The “escape the 9-to-5” mentality seems to be popular now. What are your impressions?
Audrey Scott Although there’s always been a portion of people who are freelance or self-employed, we have seen this idea of “escape the 9-to-5” increase during the last decade. Technological changes have allowed people to find connectivity almost everywhere, and more work can be done remotely or delivered over the internet. It’s easier for people to develop income streams through freelance work or their own products and services.
There are advantages and disadvantages to this style of work. It provides people with flexibility to set their own schedule and have a level of independence that they might not have if they were working a traditional job. However, there is often a higher level of uncertainty and risk, as well as need for self-discipline. This isn’t for everyone, and not everyone thrives in this sort of environment.
PT What was the “aha” moment that sparked ongoing travel for you?
AS We made two big international leaps that created the lives we have today. We moved from San Francisco to Prague, the Czech Republic, at the end of 2001 and then left Prague to travel around the world in 2006, which eventually turned into a new profession and lifestyle. Both decisions were spurred by curiosity about the world and asking, “What if?” It’s easy to put things off to the point of it never happening. We didn’t want to look back with regret in 10-20 years and wonder what would have happened if we had acted when we had the opportunity.
PT What inspired you to start blogging, and how did you first build a following?
AS In our previous lines of work, we didn’t feel like our creative sides had much of an outlet, so when we made the decision to quit our jobs to travel the world, we looked at it as a 12-18 month “creative sabbatical.” Originally, Uncornered Market was meant to be a home for that creative writing and photography and a portfolio to transition into other more creative-oriented work. We focused on telling stories that shifted the prevailing narrative and stereotypes and traveled to countries considered unusual or dangerous by family and friends back home such as Central Asia, Iran and Bangladesh. I’d like to say we had a strategic plan to build a following, but it happened because our blog stood out for the places we visited, our focus on people and their stories, and the quality of the writing.
