From a sudden layoff to building a thriving nomadic freelance business, Denny Neidhardt’s journey is a story of resilience, reinvention, and embracing life’s opportunities. As a Berlin native turned global adventurer, Denny combined his passion for investing and content creation to establish a business that thrives across borders. Now living a location-independent lifestyle, he and his wife have found freedom, flexibility, and fulfillment while exploring the world.
In this inspiring Xolopreneur portrait, we dive into Denny’s story—how he turned a setback into a launchpad for success, his insights on freelancing, and his advice for those ready to carve their own paths. Whether you’re a seasoned freelancer or considering the leap, Denny’s experiences offer valuable lessons for solopreneurs everywhere.
Hey there! Could you introduce yourself to our readers?
“Hi! I’m Denny. A 35-years old guy who was born and raised in Berlin. I’m passionate about a lot of things, from Batman to competitive sports.
My wife is Italian, and thanks to her I’ve become far more adventurous when it comes to traveling abroad. Six years ago we left our apartment in Berlin behind to start living location independent. Although we don’t have permanent residency yet, we’ve found a wonderful little home in Chania, Greece’s second biggest city on Crete––lovely weather year-round, chill people and amazing nature, food and a cost of living.
My core business helps retail investors make better investment decisions in the niche asset class of p2p lending. I’d set up the domain for my P2P blog in 2018, and created a German YouTube channel just a few weeks after.”
What did you do before you started freelancing and why’d you decide to switch?
“After graduating university in 2013, I worked for nearly five years in B2B sales across two separate companies. It was a major joy for me! I was able to nurture my competitive side, all while helping other companies benefit from our promoted products and services.
In 2018 I was caught off guard by my last employer, who suddenly suspended me from work. We’d had a few arguments the week prior, just as my new commission payouts were to be established. I felt betrayed and less honored by the work I’d put in. I needed to look for something new.
The numbness I felt about this decision is still vivid in my mind. Sales has always meant belief and identification to me. Despite performing on such high notes, I began to understand how dependent I’d been in my work. I started to rethink my future.
That Summer I realized two things: I couldn’t just go back to another corporate sales job and that my financial and investment choices should let me buy freedom. I wasn’t going to work my ass off, just to be one meeting away from starting over again. It was time to pursue my own destiny.”
6 years self-employed, an investor for 7––how did you start your business and how has it grown?
“My business was registered in Germany in the Autumn of 2018. It started off with a simple WordPress blog on my newly-registered domain: rethink-p2p.de.
With a natural love for blogging and expressing my ideas, handling this came quite naturally. I’d blogged in the past when I was documenting my journey of beating Haile Gebrselassie at the 2010 Berlin Marathon, and had a blog named Batrepreneur: a wonderful mix of Batman and entrepreneurship.
My business grew gradually with its primary focus resting on consistent, quality content. I believe this helped me gain trust from investors, as my main goal has never been to collect every dollar on the table. My goal was to offer honest, genuine advice, even if this netted less profit along the way.
I’d begun to expand my content in 2023, launching an English interface and an English-speaking YouTube channel. Today, my P2P blog is also available in Spanish.”
What drove you to live location independent? How’s that life today?
“My jobs have always given me more flexibility in my working hours and location, but my wife’s work has always been tied to Berlin. After the pandemic came, the rules around her company’s remote work changed a bit. We immediately took off for good in December of 2021. Now we’re all over the place!
This year alone, we’ve spent three months in South America across Peru, Argentina, Chile and Bolivia. We then traveled through the Baltic states, visited both our parents in Berlin and Verona, and have now been spending around 3 months in Crete.
Our initial thought was that this adventure would cap at about two years––maximum. Now it seems hard to imagine that we’ll ever come back. If you get the taste of how much easier and pleasant life is outside of Germany’s gray weather, you’d maybe feel the same.
I don’t want to glorify this lifestyle too much though. Traveling abroad, breaking your comfort zone and getting to know cultures and people is great, but I also believe that a steady place helps you rest a bit, follow-up on your routines, and grow long-term relationships with people. No question, this is a balancing act.”
What advice would you give to someone in a similar position? Do you have a “Top-3” for people wanting to build their own careers?
“I’m maybe not the best person to ask, but what made the change for me was the pain point of not going back to another corporate job. Getting sacked was beyond disappointing. I didn’t feel it was the right path moving forward.
Looking at my peers, I often feel like this pain point is simply not big enough for many who appear to be unhappy with their current career. It’s likely fear that is holding them back, or the imagination of what the outlook could be in the best case scenario.
But my Top-3 on building something new?
- Create a healthy and stable financial position that buys you the time to pursue whatever it is you want to do. Smaller, part-time jobs can help you navigate this situation a bit better, but I always like to be 100% committed to my projects. Especially when I’m just starting out.
- Understand that you can always go back to a corporate career. I believe this door is always open for qualified people if they decide to return. There is no shame if it doesn’t work out in the end.
- Focus on a topic/project that you’re naturally curious about. I’m trying to avoid calling it “my passion,” but following-up on something that you are truly excited and curious about is key.
I’d put monetization as a second priority. Not the other way around. It helped me maintain a good spirit, even when there were bad times in the market (such as when pandemic hit). I maintained consistency in tough situations. If the primary objective is money, the likelihood of quitting in difficult times is a lot higher in my opinion. Try to find something you truly enjoy doing!”
Why did you choose Xolo, and what impact has it had on your solopreneurship journey?
When I went through the entire e-residency application process, I came to Tallinn in September 2022 to visit a few accounting companies in person. I knew Xolo was the main provider for most e-residents, so I came to the office with high hopes and expectations. The Xolo team left a professional impression on me, and I decided to go with you guys!
I had a few fears about starting a company abroad, but the entire Xolo-team has been super helpful and was always very responsive. No complaints. Five stars!
What one message would you leave to our readers here?
Time is the most valuable asset. Make sure you don’t waste it.
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