Meet Minwoo (Chris) Nam | Neuroscience Aficionado & Chief of Staff @ Insured Nomads

We had the good fortune of connecting with Minwoo (Chris) Nam and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Minwoo (Chris), how has your background shaped the person you are today?

As a Korean-born expat approaching my 18th year in the US, I’ve had a pretty adventurous life. For a brief few years, I had a chance to live in Australia – exploring the city of Gold Coast, seeing the wildlife in the parks nearby, and living on a golf course.

My parents always taught me to be open to new opportunities, to try new things, and to be courageous no matter where I am. As an immigrant, that was obviously hard. But I kept trying, I stayed true to the standards that my family set for me: being a respectful and loving human, yet being confident and dignified.

As my pre-med university days progressed, I slowly realized that I didn’t belong in the medical field – at least for the time being. I was always involved in off-campus activities, sports, and more interested in talking about business rather than medicine. Overtime, people started seeing me as a leader in different areas of life, whether it was a church small group, a club sports team, a study group, etc. I realized then, that I didn’t know what I wanted to do.

I gave myself some time after graduating to think and try neuroscience research, then eventually into a neuroscience graduate program, where I met the most important person in my career: my mentor and professor for Critical Thinking. She spent hours of her time outside of work hours suggesting new ideas, asking questions, being my therapist, and encouraging me. That’s when I realized that I wanted to start a business for myself to try something…something that didn’t cost money.

Project Sunflower started shortly after, repurposing flowers from events into gifts for patients in hospitals and residents in nursing homes; a small act of kindness. I ran this non-profit organization for about 15 months during my graduate program until I realized that I needed to start working to fund for this organization.

That’s where Insured Nomads came in. After 45 job applications and a few offers, this place was it. Something was calling me to this place. Insured Nomads was building something different, something that would elevate the lifestyle of people like me – an expat – and remote workers to live safer and smarter while traveling across the whole world. “It’s a tech company that happens to sell insurance”, I told myself.

Since then, it’s been open doors. New opportunities, new connections, new ideas – all because I learned how to critically think from a neuropsychological perspective. Knowing how thought processes work, knowing what’s best for me, knowing where my purpose is, and understanding the ultimate goal of a conversation helps me to continue impacting the lives of those I come across and I couldn’t be here without my faith that God didn’t create me to live a normal life.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?

I was fortunate to start my own non-profit at the young age of 24, and now working at a global tech company serving over 120 countries as a Chief of Staff. It wasn’t an easy path, nor was it always a joyful path.

One thing I’m always proud of is that I get to stay true to myself, stay rooted in my faith, and have the flexibility to spend time with my loved ones whenever I want; due to the remote-first culture of my company. I remember a time when I was watching K-Dramas during my middle-high school years and thinking “I wish I could work as a managing director or an executive at a global company”. I forgot about that dream when I went to university. I’m speaking to that younger version of myself: “You did it.”. Doing business as a mission, Insured Nomads pours so much into people; including giving back to NFS (Not For Sale), an organization fighting modern-day slavery. I’m proud to be a part of this.

There are challenges to this lifestyle though: people that question why I’m not like a stereotypical “professional” employee, financial hardships, some times spending over 70 hours a week in front of my computer or on my phone working (this includes sitting at a dinner table on date night), and not knowing what skillsets I need to learn for a new project I take on. But all of these challenges were taken on with full faith that there is always more at the end of the road. A healthy work-life harmony for me looks like putting blocks in my calendar to take initiative with my loved ones, trying new projects, clicking random buttons, and Googling some of the most obvious things.

Despite the challenges, my lifestyle allows me to get out and play golf, tennis, pickleball, watch soccer and F1, spend time with family and friends, etc. Making time to rest, pursue your hobbies, and be with your loved ones is more important than anything else.

I dream of a day when I can use the skills, resources, and the money I have earned to help those who are in need. Giving back to my community, to the ones who shaped my life, and to people who can’t have what I have will always be my goal.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

Fun fact: Atlanta is one of the only major city in the US that is not built on a body of water. Interesting, because if there was ever an apocalypse, the city would just be a clump of buildings in the middle of nowhere…just like how The Walking Dead begins in season 1.

In a week-long trip, we would start the journey with the most touristy things and then dive into the local lifestyle:

Day 1:
1. The Georgia Aquarium – you can’t miss the world’s largest aquarium
2. Skip over to the Coca-Cola Factory to try every single Coca-Cola flavor ever to exist
3. Ponce City shop and dine – you have to take a scooter and explore the historic Atlanta Beltline.
4. Ton Ton at Ponce City for lunch (the BEST Japanese ramen I’ve ever had), Isla & Co. for dinner (Australian food…wtf is Australian food anyways?)
5. Downtown Ferris Wheel to end the night

Day 2: Day full of history
1. Atlanta History Museum for the best view of how Atlanta was created
2. High Museum of Art
3. Fernbank Museum
4. Eat at: Brash Coffee, Okiboru, and Choongman Chicken

Day 3:
1. Head over to the Chattahoochee River to explore the hidden bamboo forest and enjoy a day on the river
2. Catch a Braves game or an Atlanta United game after you recover from the river!
3. Coffee: Chattahoochee Coffee Company
4. Food: Chattahoochee food works for all the different types of cuisines from all around the world, and you can’t miss game-day hot dogs and burgers at the sports arenas.

Day 4:
1. It’s time to shop. Lenox Mall, Phipps Plaza are in walking distance and you could literally spend an entire day just in that area. Suit Supply, Aritzia, Zara, Abercrombie, Nike, and Ralph Lauren are some of our favorites and would absolutely take a friend for a makeover
2. Donuts at Da Vinci’s at Lenox
3. 5Church Buckhead has these amazing bone marrow dish…must try
4. You’re missing out if you don’t get a tomahawk at Hal’s steakhouse in uptown Buckhead

Day 5:
1. I’m Korean, and I will never not look for Korean food in a new city: 9292 in Duluth for KBBQ.
2. Explore H-Mart! There are 3-4 H-Mart locations in the Atlanta area: they all have something different to offer from a grocery store, to home and kitchen supplies, Korean clothing brand stands, accessories, trending Korean beauty supplies, and more.
3. Don’t miss Seoul Tofu House…
4. Coffee and bakery at none other than Hansel & Gretel. Can’t find better Korean snacks anywhere else.

Day 6:
1. We’re back in K-town for some Paris Baguette
2. Topgolf-like driving range for some fun family and friends hangout at Paragon golf – you can even play ping pong indoors
3. Check out Northern China Eatery on the way back to the city for their famous soup dumplings.
4. Spend your last night partying at The Ivy Buckhead

Day 7:
1. Gotta get East Pole Coffee before our friend leaves town: they say “leave the best for last”

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

First of all, I give my shoutout to Dr. Lisa Kerr – my mentor and friend – who trusted in me, believed that there was more for me, and gave me the nudge I needed to take my next step. Without her, I would have been stuck thinking that I was limited to the world of running after something I don’t want.

I also want to say a big thanks to my friend, AJ Chiepalich, who helped me get out and try something new when all I could think was “I’m giving up. I’m done.”. Thanks for teaching me to be human again.

My mentor, friend, and CEO of Insured Nomads, Andrew Jernigan, for believing in who I am and my potentials.

There are never enough words to describe the gratefulness I have for my parents and for my family who constantly pray for me, provide for me, and be the light I need in my darkest days.

Lastly, Madison, my partner and my soulmate who has not left my side through everything. The first person to hug me when I need it, the first to say congratulations, and never losing faith in my dreams.

I believe that every person that a human runs into in their lifetime has something to do with their success and their story.

Website: www.insurednomads.com

Instagram: instagram.com/minwoochrisnam

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/minwoo-nam/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nmwnam/

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=JJxZ7xOo_G7rO3DSC4Rt7Q

Image Credits
Taken by friends and family