Episode #288: The Brown Girl’s Guide to Traveling the World Solo with Dr. Nabila Ismail

Episode Summary

Learn how to navigate the cultural dynamics of traveling the world full-time as a Pakistani-American digital nomad. Dr. Nabila Ismail joins Matt from Houston and starts off talking about her parent’s experience immigrating from Pakistan to the U.S..  She then opens up about her experience growing up in a homogenous, white area of upstate New York, and being the only Desi Muslim girl in her school.  Nabila talks about traveling back to Pakistan as a kid, then being an exchange student in Europe, and later going to college and Pharmacy school in the more diverse city of Buffalo, New York.  She reflects on her clinical rotation in Zimbabwe, the reasons she eventually quit her job, and how she continues to integrate public health into her travels.  Nabila then explains how she got 250,000 followers on social media, built a fully remote 6-figure business, and navigated the social, cultural, and family pressure when traveling the world a full-time digital nomad.  She reflects on her travels to East Africa, discovering Desi culture there, and on her experience re-connecting with Pakistan as an independent adult.  Nabila then talks about her book “The Brown Girl’s Guide to Traveling the World Solo”, her “Dose of Travel Club” for South Asian Travelers, and the small group trip she led to Iraq. Matt and Nabila then talk about using their platforms to advocate against the genocide in Palestine, and what you can do to help.  Finally, Nabila reflects on the impact travel has had on her, and offers tips for BIPOC, Desi, and Muslim women who want to travel the world.

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Dr. Nabila Ismail

Dr. Nabila Ismail is a pharmacist, marketing professional, travel influencer, and the author of “The Brown Girl’s Guide to Solo-Traveling the World”.  She has been featured in Forbes, Travel & Leisure, BBC, Business Insider, and has nearly 250,000 followers on social media. She is also the founder of The Dose of Travel Club—a safe, inclusive, diverse community that hosts trips and events around the world and has nearly 5,000 members.  Originally from New York State, she has now been to over 65+ countries.

What You'll Learn
  • How to Navigate Social, Cultural and Family Dynamics of Quitting Your Job to Travel Full Time as a Pakistani-American Woman
  • How to Build a 6-Figure Freelance Business and get 250,000 Followers on Social Media
  • How You Can Help Stop the Genocide in Palestine
Links From the Episode

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GET MATT’S TOP 10 ESSENTIAL BOOKS FOR DIGITAL NOMADS

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READ NABILA’S BOOK

#1 BOOK THAT NABILA RECOMMENDS

#1 PERSON WITH WHOM NABILA WANTS TO HAVE DINNER

TOP 3 FAVORITE TRAVEL DESTINATIONS

TOP 3 BUCKETLIST DESTINATIONS

PEOPLE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

ORGANIZATIONS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

UNIVERSITY NABILA ATTENDED

EVENTS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED PLACES IN IRAQ

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED PLACES IN PAKISTAN

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED PLACES IN ZIMBABWE

KENYAN PLACES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

AFRICAN COUNTRIES WITH GREAT DESI FOOD

LOCATIONS WHERE THE INTERVIEW TOOK PLACE

OTHER PLACES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

CONTACT AND FOLLOW NABILA

Time Stamped Show Notes

**Click the time stamp to jump directly to that point in the episode.

[2:20] Introducing Dr. Nabila Ismail

[3:45] Nabila’s Parents Experience Immigrating to the U.S. from Pakistan

[5:02] Growing up in the U.S. and Navigating Her Pakistani, American, and Muslim identities

[8:02] Traveling Back to Pakistan as a Kid

[9:48] Being an Exchange Student in France During High School

[11:16] Attending College in Buffalo, New York

[13:18] Becoming a Pharmacist and Doing a Clinical Rotation in Zimbabwe

[15:19] Reflections on Spending 6 weeks in Zimbabwe

[17:20] Matt’s Experience Attending a Black Tie Gala in Ghana

[20:09] Quitting Her Job as a Pharmacist to Travel the World

[22:47] Navigating Social, Cultural and Family Pressure When Traveling Full Time

[26:12] Integrating Public Health into Her Travels

[28:13] Tips on Building a 6-Figure Fully-Remote Business

[30:00] How to Get 250,000+ Social Media Followers

[33:16] Traveling in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania

[37:09] Reconnecting with Pakistan as an Adult

[40:33] Recommendations for Visiting Pakistan

[42:26] The Brown Girl’s Guide to Solo-Traveling the World

[43:44] The Dose of Travel Club

[45:54] Leading a Group Trip to Iraq

[47:15] How to Join an Upcoming “Dose of Travel” Trip

[48:29] Advocating Against the Genocide in Palestine

[53:25] How to Take Action Against the Genocide in Palestine

[56:05] How Travel Has Impacted Nabila

[57:29] Tips for BIPOC and Desi Women for Traveling the World Solo

[58:13] What Travel Means to Nabila

[59:12] The Lightning Round

[1:00:28] Contact and Follow Nabila