Work Exchange: How to Travel with Purpose with Ricardo Lima from Worldpackers

Zero To Travel Podcast

Jason Moore

Society & Culture, Business, Entrepreneurship, Places & Travel

4.6 • 866 Ratings

🗓️ 19 September 2023

⏱️ 84 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

How can volunteering abroad enhance your travels? Today, I’m joined by Ricardo Lima, founder of Worldpackers, to talk about how you can get the most out of your work exchange experience. Worldpackers is an online platform that connects travelers looking to exchange their skills for accommodations with incredible hosts from around the world and has facilitated more than 140,000 exchanges in 140+ countries. In this episode, Riq shares why he left his successful career as an investment banker to travel the world and eventually found one of the largest work exchange platforms for travelers. You’ll gain insight into how these types of programs work on both the volunteer and hosting side, common concerns and misconceptions, and why volunteering abroad is one of the best ways to immerse yourself in a culture and experience deep transformations. We also talk about the state of the hostel industry, why he moved his company from a hostel to a van, and his best business advice for someone who wants to create something bigger than themselves. Have you volunteered abroad, or are you considering a work exchange program? I'd love to hear about your experience and hope you’ll share by sending me an audio message. Premium Passport: Want access to the private Zero To Travel podcast feed, a monthly bonus episode (decided on by YOU), exclusive content, direct access to me to answer your questions, and more? Click here to try Premium Passport for only $1. Tune In To Learn: How the hostel industry has shifted since Covid and the pros/cons of hostel life Why Riq left his successful career as an investment banker to travel the world and the lessons he learned from 3.5 years of travel How you can travel for a purpose with Worldpackers and general advice for work exchange How to address the #1 concern for travelers looking for work exchange programs Why your mindset can make or break your experience Why volunteering abroad isn’t only for budget travelers How these programs create opportunities for cultural immersion and connection The biggest lessons he’s learned from building his company and scaling to have a bigger impact (for both solopreneurs and partnerships) Riq’s advice for investing, facing conflict head-on, and managing remote teams And so much more Resources: Join Zero To Travel Premium Passport Subscribe to our FREE newsletter Today's Sponsors - LifeStraw, Loop Earplugs Plan your next experience with Worldpackers (PLUS get $10 off with code ZEROTOTRAVEL) Check out Riq’s podcast, Abrindo Caminhos Want More? Travel Legends Series: The Story of WWOOF – An Interview With Founder Sue Coppard A Beginner’s Guide To Volunteering, A Free Global Volunteer Network And More DIY Volunteering Thanks To Our Sponsors This episode is sponsored by LifeStraw Go water bottles. Use the promo code TRAVEL to get 20% off your LifeStraw Go purchase when you visit www.lifestraw.com. Upgrade your sleep at home and on the road! Get 10% off your pair of Loop Earplugs by visiting www.loopearplugs.com/zerototravel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Going to a place that you always dreamed of going and being present then, having this experience that you go, remembering that we are going to die some day sooner or later.
0:11.4	And I went there.
0:13.0	I fulfilled that dream.
0:14.6	I had this experience that I always wanted for.
0:17.1	It's so good for self-esteem, for presence, for, so I think that is a, as a partner in
0:22.5	healing, the mental health global situation, like travel with purpose. Like, just to consider
0:29.7	the possibility of taking one or two weeks off to volunteer for some calls that make sense for
0:36.2	you. And if you can do that in an affordable way and also improve your skills, just consider that.
0:42.1	So just navigate through the possibilities and most important talk to other people who did that.
0:48.3	That is today's guest, Ricardo Lima, who is the founder of World Packers, which is an online
0:53.5	platform that connects travelers
0:55.0	looking to exchange their skills for accommodations with incredible hosts from around the world.
1:00.5	And since they have facilitated more than 140,000 exchanges in 140 plus countries, and he also
1:07.5	spent three and a half years on the road visiting over 50 countries volunteering
1:10.9	and learning as much as he could.
1:13.5	I thought he would be the perfect person to bring on to help you find safe volunteer or
1:18.8	work exchange opportunities on the road to get his best advice around that.
1:22.9	Whether you're a traveler or on the hosting side, if you're somebody listening who has
1:26.8	the opportunity to host
1:28.1	travelers and provide accommodations in exchange for their help, their services, and doing it all
1:35.6	in a way that's very symbiotic. It's not anybody taking advantage of one or the other.
1:43.1	And also a dialogue around who should not consider
	...

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