hello, i'm nina
A 28-year-old weirdo quietly living in the middle of nowhere in a little town that feels like the Shire from The Lord of the Rings, I'm figuring out life one day at a time through hermit mode and asking what kind of life I actually want to live. Nice to meet you on the interwebs!
That's such a big question, who am I?
I am the type of person who loves to smell fresh-baked bread, eucalyptus, puppies, and earthy smells when rain comes. I am a daydreamer with a vivid imagination. I usually pace back and forth with the same song on loop in my headphones, having entire moments in my head.
I cry once a month. Not because I am sad, just because it feels good. I am, or consider myself, a loyal person. I love deeply.
I can be the most social butterfly out there, but my true self emerges in complete solitude. I listen to music every day, out loud. I love dancing on my own. This is where I feel most like myself.
I usually work best from 12pm till 5am and go to bed with the sun. I don't know why, but there's something about those quiet night hours that lets me get into flow.
I love slow moments. Rainy days when I get to work on my computer, hearing the rain in the background with a delicious cup of vanilla coffee. I write a lot of notes, to myself. I wonder about life all the time.
I love humans, although I spend most of the time alone and in my own bubble. I am goofy, impulsive, but also introspective, quiet, and still. I love communities, but the hermit in me always wins.
And somehow, I am enjoying my frugal life. I am happy.
One of my biggest dreams is motherhood and finding a way to be of service to the world. But for now, I walked away from urgency and started asking what kind of life I actually want to live. Turns out, it's one with more walks, fewer notifications, and space to feel things deeply without apologizing for it.
This site is where I share that experiment.
Before this hermit season, I spent 7+ years helping teams and founders organize their work into something that makes sense. I've worked across marketing, operations, and strategy in all kinds of small businesses.
I'm entirely self-taught. My only college experience was 4 months to land my first paying job, then I learned everything else along the way - whatever it took to get things done.
highlights:
Instagram growth in 3 months
newsletter subscribers in first month
goal achievement with OKRs
faster delivery without burnout
what i care about
my family, my best friends
To whom I am forever grateful for giving me understanding, love and friendship.
love as the moving force of my life
How you do anything is how you do everything.
vulnerability as strength
The courage to be real in a world that often rewards pretending.
systems thinking and operations
How things work together, and how to make them work better.
relational intelligence and human connection
How we relate to each other and ourselves.
Right now, I'm working with 1-2 founders each month through Pixie Dust - helping them rebuild their operations in more mindful, AI-enhanced ways.
I'm also running a "tiny experiment" as part of the Ness Labs community: 6 months of weekly articles + newsletter. I write about emotional intelligence, healing, trauma, and figuring things out.
If you're curious about working together or just want to say hi, I'd love to hear from you.
"Life has quite the sense of humor"
the setup
You might be wondering what led me to having no income and living in hermit mode? I got burned out at a regional marketing position and thought, "I'll just freelance for these 2 clients I've been working with on the side. Easy transition." Famous last words.
the plot twist
Within months, both clients vanished for reasons that could fill a dark comedy series. There I was - almost no savings, back at my parents' house and feeling like a complete loser. But it wasn't just the lost income. I looked around and suddenly couldn't stand any of it: the gossip, the dysfunctional relationships everyone accepted as normal, the weekend escape plans involving drugs & alcohol. It was everything.
the questions
Who am I? Who am I surrounded with? Who am I becoming?
Am I actually helping anyone? Why does everyone only care about money?
the breakdown â breakthrough
So I had what you could call an emotional breakdown and decided to become a hermit. No income, minimal expenses, maximum introspection. Think monk-in-training, but with WiFi and my parents' grocery budget. I let my phone service lapse (accidentally at first, then on purpose). Started reading actual books instead of just skimming articles. Discovered that podcasts could replace most human interaction quite nicely.
the experiment
If I can learn to live with nothing but food (thanks, parents), then what's actually true for me?
What brings me joy?
So that's what I've been doing.