The Chris the Freelancer Podcast

By Christopher DoddSociety & Culture Places & Travel

The Chris the Freelancer Podcast episodes

August 07, 201609: Raphael Szmir on Having a Mission and Building a Startup while Travelling
While most entrepreneurs in Chiang Mai are chasing passive income, Raphael is on passionate mission to help young people with their gap year decisions. His startup, Années Sabbatiques (literally Gap Years in French) is an online portal for discovering gap year opportunities.
Despite his dedication to Années Sabbatiques, Raphael has achieved his lifestyle goal of location independence and regular vacation time. Listen as Raph and I discuss his path to location independence and the experience of building a startup on the road.
Show Notes
[2:32] A life-changing Gap year in Australia, catching the travel bug and making the choice to pursue travel after graduation
[6:22] Taking the first steps towards location independence
[7:52] How Raphael built his career and made it work within his ideal lifestyle
[12:26] The importance of having a mission and working with companies who share it
[17:16] How Raphael built the skills that allowed him to be location independent, his transition into working remotely and how he makes his work, work for him
[23:31] Doing work that fulfils while still making money
[24:46] Raphael’s Startup, Années Sabbatiques
[28:37] The challenges of building a startup on the road, how Raphael went about gaining client work and the one client ended up making all the difference
[35:31] The advantages of finding work before leave your home country
[37:42] Raphael’s travel journey so far and the transition from backpacker to digital nomad
[41:36] Raphael’s favourite places to work remotely
[43:14] Raphael’s top tips for those looking to become location independent
Links Mentioned
Love Affair Travel podcast

Pieter Levels - 12 startups in 12 months

Natalie Sisson - Suitcase Entrepreneur

Années Sabbatiques - Anneessabitique.com

Episode 5 with Chris Chui

Dylan’s Story
47 min
August 01, 2016 08: Adrian Ingram on Crushing It with Kindle Direct Publishing
Adrian is a young guy from Melbourne, Australia who’s completely replaced his income with Kindle Direct Publishing. Using the platform, he earns more than a few thousand every month without the need for much ongoing work.
I was lucky enough to meet Adrian through Johnny FD but it wasn’t until he started his own Facebook group that we started hanging out.
In today’s episode, we talk about Adrian’s story, want lead him into KDP and how it’s changed his lifestyle.
Talking Points
[1:45] Growing up in Australia, taking a gap year and deciding that university wasn’t for him

[2:35] How Adrian got his start in online business

[4:02] Adrian’s approach to selling on Amazon and his driving motivation to earn enough to leave his job

[6:17] The surprising results of his second kindle account after some time off and how fast you can expect to replace your income with kindle publishing

[12:28] Forex trading and his own course, Freedom Self Publishing

[17:31] The various ways that Chiang Mai Digital Nomads make money

[18:26] The origin story of the Facebook group, Chiang Mai Dropshippers

[20:22] Discovering the Digital Nomad community in Chiang Mai

[24:47] A discussion on other top Digital Nomad destinations

[29:22] How Adrian uses his time freedom to focus on health, fitness and looking into new business opportunities

[32:14] Adrian’s blog and YouTube channel, Driven Living with a discussion on ‘YouTubing’ in general

[38:54] Adrian’s advice for getting started in online business
Links Mentioned:

* Stefan James Pylarinos – Kindle Money Mastery
* Adrian’s Course – Freedom Self Publishing
* Chiang Mai Dropshippers FB Group
* Johnny FD’s Blog and Podcast
* Adrian on Johnny FD’s Podcast
* Kohub in Koh Lanta, and
* Beachub in Koh Phangan
* Adrian’s YouTube Channel – Driven Living
* Casey Neistat
* Timothy Marc
* Dan Kennedy Wealth Creation Seminar

44 min
July 31, 201608: Adrian Ingram on Crushing It with Kindle Direct Publishing
Adrian is a young guy from Melbourne, Australia who's completely replaced his income with Kindle Direct Publishing. Using the platform, he earns more than a few thousand every month without the need for much ongoing work.
I was lucky enough to meet Adrian through Johnny FD but it wasn't until he started his own Facebook group that we started hanging out.
In today's episode, we talk about Adrian's story, want lead him into KDP and how it's changed his lifestyle.
Talking Points
[1:45] Growing up in Australia, taking a gap year and deciding that university wasn’t for him
[2:35] How Adrian got his start in online business
[4:02] Adrian’s approach to selling on Amazon and his driving motivation to earn enough to leave his job
[6:17] The surprising results of his second kindle account after some time off and how fast you can expect to replace your income with kindle publishing
[12:28] Forex trading and his own course, Freedom Self Publishing
[17:31] The various ways that Chiang Mai Digital Nomads make money
[18:26] The origin story of the Facebook group, Chiang Mai Dropshippers
[20:22] Discovering the Digital Nomad community in Chiang Mai
[24:47] A discussion on other top Digital Nomad destinations
[29:22] How Adrian uses his time freedom to focus on health, fitness and looking into new business opportunities
[32:14] Adrian’s blog and YouTube channel, Driven Living with a discussion on ‘YouTubing’ in general
[38:54] Adrian’s advice for getting started in online business
Links Mentioned:
Stefan James Pylarinos - Kindle Money Mastery

Adrian’s Course - Freedom Self Publishing

Chiang Mai Dropshippers FB Group

Johnny FD’s Blog and Podcast

Adrian on Johnny FD’s Podcast

Kohub in Koh Lanta, and

Beachub in Koh Phangan

Adrian’s YouTube Channel - Driven Living

Casey Neistat

Timothy Marc

Dan Kennedy Wealth Creation Seminar
44 min
July 25, 2016 07: Greg Hung on Following Your Passion and Making Money with Video
Greg and I met at Mana Coworking space while I was filming my ‘Where to work in Chiang Mai’ video but it wasn’t until I did a search on Google to find out more about stock footage that I came across Greg’s work.
Greg is the man who’s all about video in Chiang Mai. In today’s episode, we map Greg’s journey from working in IT in Canada to becoming a ‘videopreneur’ in Chiang Mai.
Find Greg at his webiste: http://chicvoyagegroup.com/
Talking Points
[0:58] The ‘Funny’ story of how I accidentally found Greg online after a chance meeting

[2:23] Recent freelance video work and the other ways Greg makes a living with video

[5:22] The ‘dream job’ which failed to fulfil but provided at least some flexibility

[7:21] Discovering a love for travel, building his first business and discovering a new love for video

[10:28] Deciding to move to Taiwan

[11:53] Discovering the Digital Nomad movement for the first time

[16:27] Taking travel to the next level by living abroad

[17:34] Chiang Mai vs Taipei

[20:51] Making the move to Taiwan and doing his first paid video in Hawaii

[22:01] How Greg found his first gig

[25:14] Greg’s tips for creative freelancers and the value of video

[28:48] Staying location independent while taking on the occasional freelance video job

[30:57] Meeting Johnny FD in Taipei & Finding the nomad community in Chiang Mai

[35:22] Working out of various cafes, getting inspired and the coworking culture in Chiang Mai

[39:37] The importance of passion and doing what you’re good at and the opportunity available today for making money with video

[44:52] Greg’s top tips for making money with stock footage
Links Mentioned

* My video – Where to Work in Chiang Mai
* Expat arrivals
* NomadList
* Greg’s Interview with Johnny
* Joe Rogan Podcast
* Johnny FD
* Phillip Bloom
* Makerspace in Taipei
* Punspace (Nimman & Tha Pae Gate)
* Fiverr
* Shutter stock Camera Round-up
* Greg’s courses

53 min
July 24, 201607: Greg Hung on Following Your Passion and Making Money with Video
Greg and I met at Mana Coworking space while I was filming my 'Where to work in Chiang Mai' video but it wasn't until I did a search on Google to find out more about stock footage that I came across Greg's work.
Greg is the man who's all about video in Chiang Mai. In today's episode, we map Greg's journey from working in IT in Canada to becoming a 'videopreneur' in Chiang Mai.
Find Greg at his webiste: http://chicvoyagegroup.com/
Talking Points
[0:58] The ‘Funny’ story of how I accidentally found Greg online after a chance meeting
[2:23] Recent freelance video work and the other ways Greg makes a living with video
[5:22] The ‘dream job’ which failed to fulfil but provided at least some flexibility
[7:21] Discovering a love for travel, building his first business and discovering a new love for video
[10:28] Deciding to move to Taiwan
[11:53] Discovering the Digital Nomad movement for the first time
[16:27] Taking travel to the next level by living abroad
[17:34] Chiang Mai vs Taipei
[20:51] Making the move to Taiwan and doing his first paid video in Hawaii
[22:01] How Greg found his first gig
[25:14] Greg’s tips for creative freelancers and the value of video
[28:48] Staying location independent while taking on the occasional freelance video job
[30:57] Meeting Johnny FD in Taipei & Finding the nomad community in Chiang Mai
[35:22] Working out of various cafes, getting inspired and the coworking culture in Chiang Mai
[39:37] The importance of passion and doing what you’re good at and the opportunity available today for making money with video
[44:52] Greg’s top tips for making money with stock footage
Links Mentioned
My video - Where to Work in Chiang Mai

Expat arrivals

NomadList

Greg’s Interview with Johnny

Joe Rogan Podcast

Johnny FD

Phillip Bloom

Makerspace in Taipei

Punspace (Nimman & Tha Pae Gate)

Fiverr

Shutter stock Camera Round-up

Greg’s courses
53 min
July 17, 201606: Graeme Lawson on Building a Freelance Business and Accidentally becoming Location Independent
This week's episode is with Graeme Lawson, the accidental digital nomad that built his own business and now works location independently as a freelance digital marketer and business coach.
In the episode, we talk about how Graeme got started in freelancing and how he was able to transition out of living in Scotland to living the good life in Chiang Mai and Koh Phanagan.
Find out more about Graeme at his website here or sign up for the pre-sale of his upcoming course here
Talking Points
[5:19] Dropping out of university to do a string of ‘normal jobs’ before starting his own freelance business about 5 years later
[5:42] Discovering the Digital Nomad movement and his niche as a freelancer
[8:01] How Graeme easily transitioned into remote work
[12:17] How he learned the skills that he now uses to help business’ with their websites and marketing and the story of how he got his first SEO client
[14:16] Working for free and building your portfolio starting out
[21:06] Personal Brand vs Reputation
[23:46] How Graeme does Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
[26:57] Managing clients’ expectations with SEO
[30:02] The beginnings of Graeme’s digital nomad journey
[33:30] Avoiding the rainy cold of the city in Scotland and the importance of time vs money
[36:46] Answering the critiques of the movement and the lack of class system amongst digital nomads
[39:28] Graeme’s (almost) accidental journey to location independence
[40:20] The community in Chiang Mai and exploring new locations
[42:14] Final advice for starting a location independent freelance business
Links Mentioned
Timothy Marc - SSM

Graeme's Website - graeme-lawson.com

Alex Becker - Source Wave

Dan Kennedy’s Wealth Creation Seminar

Sam Marks
45 min
July 10, 201605: Chris Chiu on Achieving Balance and Entrepreneurial Success in Thailand
Chris and I had been watching each others videos on YouTube since the beginning of my Digital Nomad Journey although, it wasn't until I found out Chris was organising the weekly Chiang Mai Nomad Coffee Club Meetup that we finally met.
It turns out, Chris has a very interesting story. A former Wall-streeter, Chris had transformed his life and now lives location independently in Chiang Mai.
Click here to read more about Chris' story, or

Click here to get his Udemy course for free
Talking Points
[1:50] Chris’ early stage mentality of chasing riches via the traditional 9-5 means and scoring his first job in New York City

[4:53] Is monetary success a values thing or an illusion to begin with?

[6:38] Falling for the hype of making money in the big city & the slow realisation that the big city dream wasn’t for him.

[9:17] The story of how his high-stress lifestyle induced a collapsed lung on two occasions

[11:55] The Golden Handcuffs (ie. the trap of living and working in the big city)

[13:55] Valuing your time above the money & transitioning out of the Wall Street Lifestyle

[17:42] Becoming Inspired to live the digital nomad lifestyle & making the switch

[21:57] How Chris got started in online business

[23:50] Meeting Riley Bennett and Torsten ‘Toto’ Kremser at the first dropship lifestyle retreat, getting the first sales and moving into Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA)

[28:22] FBA vs Dropshipping and how they work together

[31:30] Running his businesses on autopilot, seeking more fulfilment and the realisation of wanting to become a coach

[35:52] Chris’ favourite nomad cities and locations including Bali and Chiang Mai

[39:06] His spiritual journey, dealing with psychological demons, mediation and experiencing Ayahuasca

[44:28] Chris’ advice for achieving balance and finding success
Links Mentioned
Monster.com

careerladders.com - No longer active

johnnyfd

Into the wild (Movie)

Johnny’s tour of Punspace

Udemy

The Amazing Selling Machine (Now Brand Genesis)

Chris’ interview with Toto in The Toto Experience
47 min
July 01, 201604: Snir Alayof on Achieving eBay Dropshipping Success and Moving to Chiang Mai
Snir Alayof is a former Israeli solider who decided that he wanted to gain control of his lifestyle and now runs a successful dropshipping business on eBay. Snir and I met in Chiang Mai after he was inspired by my videos to connect with the digital nomad entrepreneur community.
In today’s episode, we talk a lot about drop shipping, living in Thailand and pros and cons of running your business on third-party platforms.
Talking Points
[1:01] The ‘funny’ story of how Snir and I became acquainted

[2:10] Snir’s humble beginning as a solider in Israel and making his first sale online

[4:54] Breaking out of the standard Israeli norm to build a highly passive online business

[6:56] The early stages of building a business on eBay and discovering David Vu’s Udemy Course

[9:32] Reading the 4-hour Work Week and creating a business to achieve his desired lifestyle

[12:47] Discovering the Chris the Freelancer YouTube channel and becoming inspired to move to Chiang Mai

[16:14] Cost of living in Thailand

[19:07] Snir’s search for a community of online entrepreneurs and how he found it in Chiang Mai

[21:04] Snir’s plan to attend to build his own Dropshipping store and attend the Dropship Lifetyle Retreat in Hawaii

[24:33] A short discussion on the art of podcasting as well as Snir’s favourite ones to listen to

[29:34] The reason why he chose drop shipping as his first business to get into

[31:11] How PayPal froze $10,000 of Snir’s money and a greater discussion on the pros and cons of relying on big third-party platforms

[38:01] Transitioning from selling on eBay to building his own drop shipping store with the Dropship Lifestyle method

[40:09] The Psychology and strategy behind product pricing

[43:14] A short explanation and comparison between dropship lifestyle and David Vu’s eBay method

[46:17] Pushing through the initial tough period to achieve success and always working to improve

[49:52] Snir’s final word of advice for success in any field
Links Mentioned
My $80 apartment video by True Transient

Think and Grow Rich (Book)

Johnny FD’s Travel Like a Boss Podcast

Dropship Lifestyle

My interview with James Abbott, Founder of KoHub

Project Life Mastery Podcast

David Vu’s Course

Udemy

Amazon Kindle

eBay
53 min
July 01, 201603: Colin Pomeroy on Building a Location Independent Copywriting Business from Scratch
Colin Pomeroy was a cocktail bartender until he discovered the digital nomad movement and made the decision to become location independent. He now travels the world as a freelance copywriter.
In today’s episode, we discuss Colin’s journey towards location independence including the struggles and the successes as well as the success principles that got him to where he is today.
You can find out more about Colin by visiting his website at www.colinpomeroy.com
Talking Points
[2:40] Colin talks about reading his first blog post on Location independence.

[4:58] Colin’s college semester in Copenhagen, Denmark, a month of travels in Europe and the beginnings of his desire to travel with purpose

[7:59] Being stuck in an interim job

[9:04] Meeting Sean Ogle and Colin’s first attempt at building location independence through Video Editing

[13:19] The importance of choosing lifestyle first and passion second and how Colin made the switch

[14:41] How the advice of following your passion can be a trap

[17:39] The importance of skill building and the unexpected ways in which they can interrelate

[18:16] Choosing one path to location independence and sticking with it

[20:35] Content Writing vs Copywriting

[21:26] A quick overview of Location rebel and how Colin used the community to get his first few gigs

[27:45] Finding the sweet spot between being over prepared and under prepared

[30:20] Transitioning from Content Writing to Copywriting

[31:09] Setting off to Paris as the first stop on his digital nomad journey and finding the balance between work and vacationing

[34:29] Moving to Chiang Mai, the decision to slow down on travel and initial struggles with finding and succeeding with work

[40:25] Breaking through the initial self-doubt and connecting with the community

[45:01] The value of freedom, ownership and creativity when it comes to living the digital nomad lifestyle

[47:43] Colin’s final word of advice to listeners
Links Mentioned
The Chiang Mai Lifestyle Vlog

Bartender to Jet-Setting Copywriter in 9 months - My interview with Colin

Sean Ogle's Blog - Location 180

My video on How to find your Path as a Digital Nomad

Location Rebel

My EDM Mentor, Nick Galea
51 min
July 01, 201602: Zack Young on Remote Freelancing and Scoring Work in New York City
Zack Young is an Entrepreneur, Coach & Digital Strategist from England living life as Digital Nomad. Zack and I met in Bali through the Slack community #nomads and since then he's taken his career to the next level, scoring work in New York City and helping his most recent client raise over a million dollars in a carefully executed crowdfunding campaign.
In today’s episode, we talk about the early beginnings of Zack’s freelance career, how he started a successful business in college and scoring gigs in New York, London and now San Fransisco.
To find out more about Zach, visit his website at www.zackyoung.co.
Talking Points
[2:41] The beginnings of Zack’s Nomad Journey

[4:53] Becoming a startup entrepreneur in England

[7:15] The beginnings of Zack’s freelance career

[8:47] His short corporate career in London, the illusion of big city success and finding a career in which he could make a difference

[13:19] The beginnings of becoming a remote freelancer and his major breakthrough that landed him in New York City and now San Fransisco

[15:53] Refining his personal brand on LinkedIn and through writing

[16:52] Investing in his education and how he built his skills as an expert freelancer

[18:35] The transition into remote work

[21:03] Avoiding getting caught up with tourists and achieving balance with work and partying

[24:26] The biggest challenges of working remotely and how develop trust with clients while on the other side of the world.

[29:18] The Zack Young style of travel and his favourite locations around the world

[32:18] The experience of working remotely in Australia and the challenges of being on a vastly different timezones

[38:53] Coworking in Bali compared to Chiang Mai

[41:08] The importance of external influence and achieving career growth as a digital nomad

[44:01] Scoring writing jobs with Glassdoor and the Huffington Post and the benefit of guest blogging for your personal brand

[48:41] Zack’s top tips for preparing yourself for a digital nomad lifestyle
My Favourite Quote:
“LinkedIn is a really powerful asset and recommendations on LinkedIn are crucial” [15:15]
Links Mentioned:
The Miracle Morning (Book)

Glassdoor

Huffington Post

Medium.com
54 min

About The Chris the Freelancer Podcast

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Interviews with digital Nomads and destinations reviews for remote workers.

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The Chris the Freelancer Podcast episodes

About The Chris the Freelancer Podcast