Hundreds of Ways

The sun rises. 

We wake, shower, dress. And then it's off to work. The daily commute. Traffic, or waiting for the train. We arrive at our office. We sit.

The day goes by. Meetings, calls, and deliverables. A break for lunch, then back we go. Eight hours pass and we pack our things and leave for home—maybe stop for happy hour on the way. We rest, we eat. The sun sets and we go to bed.

Tomorrow, it will rise again.

Days become weeks, then months, then years. And those years become careers. A life measured in promotions and projects, job titles, and three-year stints. 

For most of us, this is the way things are. The only way we were ever told that they could be.

And so we wake up, day after day, week after week, and continue to walk the path that we're on.

But not all of us.

Some of us wake one morning with an itch. We step out of the current and ask ourselves: is this it? Will my life be measured in quarterly figures? Is the sum of my life's contribution going to be totaled in lines of code? 

Or is there something more?

Three and a half years ago, Tim Chow asked himself that very question. It wasn't that he was unhappy, unfulfilled, or unrewarded—six years in, he had just received a lucrative offer to continue his sales career as part of his employer's acquisition by a larger company. The pay and benefits were good, and Tim enjoyed what he did. 

But something was bothering him:

On today's episode, Tim describes how he worked through this period of doubt, emerging on the other side as a professional photographer and videographer. 

From his humble beginnings as a wedding and family photographer, to his recent work as co-founder of Wilco Productions, Tim illustrates how success can sometimes be the thing that traps us, how entrepreneurs can combine what we know with what we love, and how the hardest part of anything is getting started. 

We also cover

• How Tim got started as a photographer and videographer.
• The difference between running a Business-to-Consumer (B2C) and Business-to-Business (B2B) company.
• How Tim taught himself photography and videography.
• How leveraging your existing skills can change the kind of business you run.
• The pros and cons of having a business partner.

You can find out more about Tim and catch his killer reel on his company's website and follow him on Instagram here.

Earlier this year, people everywhere faced restrictions as lockdowns went into effect around the world. For most of us, we met these challenges from cities we call home. 

Justin Poore isn't like most of us.

Justin's spent the last three years of his life living out of a suitcase, documenting his travels on YouTube, and building a following of over 18K subscribers in the process. Since starting this journey, he's embedded himself in over fifty different cultures, living like a local for a month each time. 

This January, Justin and a handful of his nomad buddies—like-minded folks whose lifestyle similarly revolves around travel—headed to Cape Town with plans to stay for six months. But as COVID-19 grew into a global crisis, everyone decided to head back home and weather out the pandemic from somewhere more familiar.

Everyone except Justin.

On this week's episode, Justin shares what made him decide to stay put in Cape Town (the answer isn't what you'd think) and how his career as a freelance animator has given him the freedom to live a life of adventure for three straight years. 

You'll also learn:

• How life as a nomad can help you save thousands in taxes each year.
• Why travel isn't as expensive as it looks.
• How Justin found his first projects and how he continues to grow his client base.
• What to do when you're faced with a gig that pushes the limits of your skills.
• Why it's important to publish your work, no matter what you do.
• How a project Justin did "just for fun" landed him a major client like LEGO.

You can find out more about Justin on his website, or follow his journey across the globe on YouTube and Instagram.

Episode Notes

As Justin mentioned in the episode, below are some resources for learning about animation and finding inspiration online.

Animation Resources:

• Motion Graphics Tutorials
• Motion Graphics Tutorials
• Motions Graphics Courses
• Character Animation 

Animation Accounts to Follow on Instagram

• Motion Design School
• StudioMuti
• MotionLovers
• TheDesignTip
• MotionGraphics_Collective
• FolioArt

Other People I Like:

• Johnny Harris 
• Iz Harris

Running a business is tough, but running two takes something special. And launching that second one in the midst of a global pandemic—now that's a challenge of Herculean proportions.

For Lauren Simonis, overcoming such challenges—and coaching others to do the same—is all in a day's work. 

On this week's episode, Lauren shares her experience working as an Entrepreneurship Coach online and starting Cozy Yoga + Community in Porto, including: 

• How Lauren transitioned from helping African entrepreneurs at a non-profit in Arizona to coaching founders around the world from Porto.
• How Lauren's experience as a coach helped her in building a physical business, Cozy Yoga + Community.
• The differences between starting a digital business and a brick & mortar one.
• The importance of being adaptable in 2020.
• The benefit of leaning on crutches as you take on new risks.
• How to navigate the emotional challenges of running a business, especially when things get dark.
• What was difficult about moving abroad, and why ultimately it was worth it.

You can find out more about Lauren on her site.

And if you're ever in Porto, Portugal, be sure to swing by Cozy Yoga + Community.

On this week's episode of Hundreds of Ways, Eliot plays the role of interviewee as we chat about his experience traveling the globe while running a digital marketing agency. He describes his journey from Hollywood editor to global brand storyteller, talks about how he nails big-name marketing clients like McDonalds and United Airlines, and shares the life experiences that started him down his path towards independence. 

We also chat about what makes entrepreneurship different—how the challenges you find as a freelancer or agency owner can be a source of motivation, and not frustration. When you're working for yourself, everything is on the line. For some people, that sounds terrifying—but for many of us, the high stakes table is the only place to play.

If you're one of the loonies, join us as we explore which of the Hundreds of Ways belongs to Eliot.

This week, Eliot interviews James as he shares his journey as an entrepreneur: from teaching himself to code in college, through moonlighting as a freelance iOS developer while working at Google, all the way to his current life as an independent developer and agency owner on the Mediterranean coast of Spain.

Throughout the episode, James and Eliot provide actionable advice for anyone looking to start down the road towards career independence. They discuss the omnipresent fear before you take that leap, the joy that comes once you're in the air, and the realization that it doesn't stop once you've hit the ground: you just have to keep running.

2020 has been a change-filled year. While change can bring difficulty, it can also open us to new opportunities. These shake-ups offer a chance to make drastic changes in our lives under cover of greater trends. Whether you're one of the 30 million Americans who lost their job due to COVID, one of the 200 million worried if yours is next, or just one of the 850 million full-time workers unsatisfied with their careers worldwide, there has never been a better time to become an entrepreneur.

If none of those categories describe you, good for you! But if you're looking for something more out of your life, we want you to know that there are other ways of living—not just one, but hundreds.

We believe in entrepreneurship. And we believe that everyone is capable of being an entrepreneur—some of us just need to find our way. Join us as we sit down with those who have already found which of the Hundreds of Ways belongs to them.