From Zimbabwe to Perth: My Journey Through Surf, Culture, and Building a Career I Love

Hi, I’m Nora. I’m a surfer, traveler, and marketing consultant based in Perth. But that barely scratches the surface.

I wasn’t always here. And my journey to finding flow in life, career, and the ocean has been anything but typical.

Surf Culture and Building a Career: Born a Diplomat Kid, Raised a Third Culture Soul

I was born in Zimbabwe, Africa. My father worked as a diplomat, which meant that from an early age, I was constantly on the move. I lived in places like Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, and South Africa. It was a privilege that exposed me to cultures, traditions, and people most only read about.

But being a third culture kid comes with its own silent challenges. You grow up everywhere and nowhere at the same time. You speak many languages of the world, but sometimes struggle to speak the language of self. I often wrestled with questions like: Where do I belong? Who am I outside of geography and passports?

Those questions stayed with me for years. Strangely, it was surfing that helped me start to answer them.

How Surfing Changed My Life

I started surfing in 2016. I wasn’t good at it.

Living in a city made it hard to practice, and surfing isn’t something you master quickly. But the ocean was patient, and so was I.

Everything changed during COVID. I found myself living in Batu Karas, a small village in Indonesia that happens to be one of the best longboard surf spots in the world. Some days I would surf for five hours straight. It was exhausting, humbling, and healing.

That time in the water changed something deep in me. It gave me presence. It gave me rhythm. It gave me flow. And once you’ve felt that kind of freedom, you don’t go back.

How I Built My Marketing Career from Scratch

My professional journey started small. I made free videos, shot photos, and designed content. I helped anyone who needed it.

Slowly, friends began recommending me to their workplaces and networks. I started getting paid a little, then a little more, until one day I realized I was earning more in freelance than I was in my full-time job.

So I quit.

That was more than ten years ago.

When I moved to Perth three years ago, I started over again. I worked a part-time job earning minimum wage. But I knew what I had built before, I could build again.

I went to events. I shared my work. Friends introduced me to their networks. Soon, I was freelancing again. Eventually, my old employer hired me back as a freelancer. I was earning more than I did working full time for them.

Now, I work full time in Perth doing what I love. I earn double what I earned just a few years ago.

Flow, Freedom, and What’s Next

These days, my life in Perth is a mix of early surf sessions, creative work, and digital marketing strategy and that's my story with surf, culture and building a career I love.

Whether I’m helping businesses grow through SEO, branding, or ad campaigns, or paddling out for a session at sunrise, I’m always chasing the same thing.

Flow.

If you're a small business owner in Perth looking for a marketing consultant, or just someone who loves stories about surfing, freelancing, and designing a life you love, I’d love to connect.

Let’s build something meaningful.