Jason Vander Griendt is living what many people would consider The Dream. A solopreneur based out of Toronto, he lives in a hotel-based apartment, has no direct employees, travels the world, and generates in excess of $2 million in revenue annually.
He runs two companies: JCAD international and Render 3D Quick. JCAD International specializes in generating 3D CAD files or three-dimensional digital renderings of products and parts for other companies. Render 3D Quick specializes in hyper-realistic digital renderings of properties around the world.
Solopreneurs are relatively common, you can find them running bakeries, operating as freelancers, and providing professional insight as consultants. What is less common are solopreneurs who generate $1 million or more in revenue. Vander Griendt does it with a time-honored business approach. He outsources work to contractors across the globe that he travels to meet and manage. Many of these contractors, in turn, run teams of local contractors to conduct the actual work.
Vander Griendt is also operating as what they call a digital nomad. These are people who not only work remotely full-time but work from whatever locations in which they find themselves. The catch is that they need internet access to conduct their work. Vander Griendt was ahead of his time in adopting remote work, although it’s become more acceptable courtesy of Covid.
Here is one of his educational videos from his Youtube channel about: How long does “success” take, really?
Before Covid came along and upended everything everyone thought they knew about work, about 6 percent of the U.S. workforce worked remotely on a full-time basis. As the pandemic wore on, those numbers changed dramatically. By the height of the pandemic, an estimated 42 percent of the U.S. labor force worked remotely on a full-time basis.
Vander Griendt was also ahead of his time with his digital nomad lifestyle. After years of quarantines, lockdowns, and travel restrictions, more people than ever want to travel. If they can combine work and travel as digital nomads, even better.