This week I finally recorded a conversation with Lily Bruns. We connected through Leigh Kelson of BeachCity Media with whom we have both been working to develop entrepreneurship content. Recently we have been enjoying many long, geeky conversations about marketing and why Thailand is the place to be these days for startups and digital nomads.
A startup storyteller and content strategist, Lily is the owner of StartupChiangMai.com, lead presenter for BeachCity Media, and a founder of the Chiang Mai Entrepreneurship Association.
During our chat, Lily spins the tale of her entrepreneurial journey which begins in her hometown of Chiang Mai, Thailand, wanders through business school in London, nine burnout-inducing months in New York, a stint running her family’s 150-year-old bed & breakfast in rural Virginia and more before returning to the place where it all began, Chiang Mai.
This seemingly sleepy city in northern Thailand has become known as one of the world’s top destinations for digital nomads and – if Lily has anything to do about it – it’s soon going to gain a reputation for startups and digital ventures.
We had a lot of fun on this chat and get through a lot of topics from what it’s like to grow up on the outside of a culture, whether entrepreneurs are just wired differently, the soft-skills they don’t teach you in business school, the power of mindset, and why you can’t wait for permission to start something.