CHARLIE & JORDAN DE RUSSETT
What first attracted you to the 320 days of sunshine a year, exquisite food, Bounty Ad beaches, stunning architecture, low crime and the super friendly people we ask?
It’s hard to find anyone who doesn’t fancy being in southern Europe at this time of year. Before the crowds and the heat arrive, but after the cooler winter months so you can still wear shorts and an open necked shirt. There’s several sunny cities that we’d be willing to brave a Ryanair flight for to spend a few days in sun, but none more so than Lisbon which is very much having a moment right now.
But some folks are not just bunking off for a long weekend, they’re going all in and fleeing the shores of Blighty permanently.
This is not the Eldorado and full English crowd. This is the modern-day digital nomad. A trend seemingly accelerated by the joyous three-way of Brexit, Covid and Trump 2.0, Lisbon has become a mecca for ex-pats from all over the world seeking (and very much finding as far as we can tell) a lifestyle which was impossible to pull off even five years ago.
WFH, Teams, Zoom. Why sit in your basement flat in Tooting with nothing but a view of dirty wet trainers walking past your window, when you can gaze over the sun-drenched Atlantic breakers in your shorts and flip flops? We were lucky enought to meet some other kindred souls who we aren’t at all jealous of. Honestly.
It’s hard not to feel like you could have tried a bit harder at work when you meet Charlie. He’s started and sold more businesses than most of us have had hot
dinners. And a very likeable, handsome and affable bloke he is too. So annoying.
His wife Jordan, another over achiever. Blogger, DJ, social media whizz, and one half of @collyertwins.
We’re fortunate enough to spend some time with this pair who can only really be described together as digital aristocracy. And to add to the annoyance quotient, they really are very nice.
Recent arrivals in Lisbon, this pair of over-achieving digital nomads are clearly both quite good at the internet. They left the shores of Blighty last year attracted by the climate, the beaches, and the all-round lifestyle on offer in Lisbon. And we can see why.
Jordan spent her teenage years growing up in Portugal and hankered after the beach, sunshine and outdoor lifestyle. She didn’t think Charlie was adventurous enough to make the move, but he rose to the challenge. Or at least called her bluff.
If you’re going to work from your kitchen table, it might as well be the kitchen table in a house you’ve designed a stone’s throw from the beach.
They’ve nearly finished this house project. We reckon it’s a mega house, but Charlie describes it as a baby project. And as a team they clearly work well. Kevin McCloud would have little intrigue to exploit here, it all seems to be running like clockwork. And they’re counting the days down to the first pizzas and outdoor cinema on the roof terrace overlooking the mountains. We shall be joining them.
Charlie’s career started in hedge funds (we’re thinking Damian Lewis in Billions but he assures us not – more chinos and China Whites which wasn’t his scene) followed by the obvious and seamless transition into the car-wash business. I’m trying to picture this career move and after a bit of chat about the infamous Jessica Simpson music video, we rapidly move on. First into publishing magazines and then into the digital agency world. This culminated most recently in the sale of his last business Idea Drop in 2023.
Meanwhile, Jordan has been busy building a successful career in the world of influencer marketing. With multiple strings to her bow, along with her twin sister @loannecollyer, who she DJ's with, and working in travel, fashion and lifestyle for an enviable roster of global brands. She now runs a successful boutique digital agency @oatleedigital, which leverages her not insubstantial experience and expertise.
We didn’t really need to ask this question because we knew the answer. But for the sake of journalistic thoroughness, we did so anywhere. It went something like this:
Me:
“what would you say to your friends in the UK if they were thinking about
moving to Lisbon?”
Them:
“Just do it. 100%”
