Meet Veronika Peterka | Digital Nomad Health & Fitness Coach

We had the good fortune of connecting with Veronika Peterka and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Veronika, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
It was a very selfish thought process to be honest.. So I could travel! But also because I saw there was a common pain that no one was addressing.

I have been traveling since I was 35 days old and I have spent years studying nutrition and health. It had always been a struggle for me to travel as much as I liked to while prioritizing my fitness routine and eating habits. I once went on a 2-month surf trip and it was pure willpower sticking to my routine. It felt like pulling teeth. It was not easy, because no one around me cared about working out consistently or eating well.

When I became a digital nomad, I had already figured out a system after years of traveling that worked for me. Just a few days in I realized those around me with the same lifestyle were also struggling. I had my own years of accumulated knowledge, but it seemed like the people around me felt powerless.
-“I can’t remember the last time I had a home cooked meal.”
-“I feel so bad, I need to start working out.”
-“As soon as I get home, I’ll get back on track”

I heard these phrases all the time, without even mentioning I was writing my book on the topic. However, it was further reinforcement that there was a need and no one was addressing it.

My first digital nomad trip, (and for those unfamiliar with the phrase, it’s the term for people who work remotely, therefore can work from anywhere, and choose to travel around the world to take advantage of it) was a 7-month trip through South America. I spent the time writing my book addressing the nutrition, fitness challenges common to the travel lifestyle. Because my goal is always to help people understand how things work in order to better implement change, my book addresses the psychology of motivation, the science of discipline,and the biochemistry of nutrition.

After my first trip I unfortunately (maybe fortunately) lost my job and I was no longer able to work remotely. I found an in-office job, and two gym jobs, which kept me on a strict schedule with zero ability to travel. Truthfully, it was extremely challenging to go from total freedom, to bending to someone else’s schedule for every single hour of my day. I understand my experience was extremely privileged, but it is always hard to go backwards. I had put this book on the backburner as a side project, but I kept putting it off. I kept telling myself it was time to finish my book, but truthfully I was scared of making any big steps toward this dream. I wasn’t prioritizing it.

I was getting so frustrated in my situation I just couldn’t take it anymore. I needed to go build this business I had been thinking about for a year. If I didn’t like my situation, I thought: go change it and do what you actually want to go do. There was very little risk on my end because I don’t have children, I don’t have a mortgage, so I figured now was the least risky time to chase my dreams.

6 months later, I’m sitting on a plane to Bulgaria as I type this, to be a keynote speaker at a week-long conference for digital nomads!

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
As a ful ltime digital nomad myself, I help other full time travelers maintain their health and fitness. Digital Nomads tend to move around a lot to see new places, which is exciting, but leads to instability and lack of routine.

Please tell us more about your business.
I have a 12-week coaching and educational program that of course addresses nutrition, fitness, and how to combine it with travel, However you can’t build something great on top of a foundation that is crumbling. So I start by teaching the neuroscience of behavior change, which is what I went to university for. I help people settle into their new location, build out a routine, and slowly add to it. Once they learn to establish themselves quickly in each new location, I begin adding in nutrition and fitness. Many people try to make changes without creating the time and space for it. People need to set themselves up to encourage the new behavior to stick.

We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others?
What sets me apart is that I live it! I know what I’m talking about because I have gone through the SAME pain point and found solutions. I’m not sitting at home with a gym in my building, a meal delivery kit, and a pristine routine. No- I’m living the same messy, complicated, epic adventure as my clients are!

A second distinctive aspect of my approach is I don’t tell you what to do. I cocreate with you and I meet you where you are at to ensure you begin to see success immediately. Quick success then inspires you to make bigger changes. If you’re eating all 3 of your meals at a restaurant, cool we will start there. If your highest level of exercise is walking to the bakery…. I won’t be putting you on a 5-day workout plan! I spend time understanding motivation, failure, and locus of control, and I think that is where I differ.

what are you most proud of or excited about?
I think what most excites me about what I’m doing is that I was terrified to try. I was so scared and full of doubt. I kept thinking I could never. But then I started thinking: why couldn’t I? I am far far from where I would like to be, but the difference I am excited about is now I KNOW that I can.

How did you get to where you are today business-wise.
My enthusiasm definitely makes things easier but what I have done differently to address my challenges is I asked for help. I like to do things on my own, because I figure if I ask for help then I can’t take credit for my success. I see the absurdity now. I didn’t know how to get in front of my ideal audience, or how to talk to them in a persuasive fashion so I joined a business program where I learned all of that! It saved me years of figuring it out on my own and expedited the process. They have done the heavy lifting for me, and are teaching me what they know works! I’m doing the same for my clients.

how did you overcome the challenges?
Something I have to come back to is my why. When I am distracted and can’t focus I ask myself why am i doing this, what is my end goal, what is the dream I am envisioning? And that motivates me to get back to work. I do the same thing with my clients.. I ask them to tell me about their dream life, their travels, the adventure book they want to write. Then I help them build strength and health to have the ability and enthusiasm to go live it. When things get hard, we go back to that vision, to understand why we even care in the first place.

What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way.
Something I’ve learned along the way, is if I didn’t face the fear, I’d likely still be miserable at home. Sure I chose to chase adventure, that was the first part,, but every day I now have to recognize no one is going to do it for me. If I don’t feel like doing something- oh well, It’s gotta get done if I want to achieve my dreams.

What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
There is so much LIFE to live!! There are endless exciting things for you to experience. I am in love with my life, and I want people to feel the same. Your epic adventure doesn’t have to look like mine. But I want to teach you how to take care of your health, so you can live a long life full of strength and enthusiasm to live that adventure.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
.Ahhh well now I’m gonna give away my secret spots!

Well I would start with an early morning walk to Saltwater Culture Coffee in Mission Beach. Start at the boardwalk, head south, and grab a coffee at Kara’s. She’s like a sunflower in human form.

I’m a big big walker, so I’d head back to my neck of the woods, grab a coffee at Bird Rock Coffee or a Pastry at wayfarer then walk through the beautiful neighborhoods towards Windansea.

You can’t go wrong with a hike at Torrey Pines State Beach, or start at Torrey Pines and actually hike north along the bluffs! The sandy trail is less trafficked and beautiful

Catch some waves at Turtles or Pipes in Cardiff.

I’m obsessed with the Cedros Design District, just a creative little bubble, and when you’re there you HAVE to go to Lofty and get a chocolate chip cooking. There has never been a better cookie. Don’t fight me on this. I mean it.

Catch the sunset at WeOlive. I hesitate to share this hidden gem because it’s the cutest tiniest place ever so I don’t want it to be crowded that I can’t go!

Alternatively, grab a blanket and hangout at Cuvier Park. It’s this grassy shelf in the cliffs and it tucks you away from the crowds.

Dinner at trust in hillcrest. They really surprised you with the flavors and textures! You read something in the menu and make an
assumption about how it’ll look, and they shock you with something totally different. It’s a neat sensory experience. Or do a taco tour. You can’t really go wrong with tacos. The shadier the better, let’s be honest.

Morning yoga with Steve at Law Street Park on Saturday and Sunday mornings is such a San Diego experience. It’s truly the embodiment of PB. Starting off your weekend with yoga overlooking the ocean?? It’s not a bad life.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Jeromy is a key figure in my life and always poses me the right questions to help me get out of a rut. He never tells me what to do. I was in a big rut, and I knocked on his front door in desperation, and he really helped me give myself the permission to go chase after this dream. One of the big questions he asked was what would it look like if I never went and did this. And that’s a scary thing to think about. A week later I ended my lease and quit my in-office job.

Dylan is a friend I met traveling in Colombia but we both lived in San Diego. Since meeting we have traveled together, worked together, supported each other’s businesses, and just had so much fun together. He is a huge source of inspiration and an even bigger supporter. He hypes me up so much and I think he sees a lot in me. We sit together and brainstorm over coffee and think up solutions, or future business ideas. He really gets me excited. It’s critical to surround yourself with people who see the best in you and want you to succeed.

Website: Seekingvie.com

Instagram: @seekingvie (travel health & fitness) @with.a.k (my travels)

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/veronikapeterka/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/digitalnomadfit

Image Credits
Erin Champ