The OpenWorld Podcast: Live Without Limits

Welcome to another action-packed episode of the OpenWorld podcast! Today we honored with the return of a previous guest. Jasper was on our show a year and a half ago, way back in episode #13.

And during that episode, we discussed how Jasper set up his lifestyle business simply by renting out his apartment on Airbnb. He quit his job as a financial trader and became a full-time traveler since 2010, using Airbnb to fund his free-wheeling, jetsetting lifestyle.

Jasper has been traveling full-time for over five years and has flown around the world one year without paying for a single flight, using frequent flyer points.

We've met up a few times in various locations around the world and gotten into a bunch of misadventures together. Jasper has become a bonafide expert at travel hacking over the last six years. Instead of a frugal backpacker, he's living the high life for less than what he spent to live back home.

And that's the topic of this episode. Jasper shares a bunch of his travel hacking secrets, and how he’s able to squeeze more value out of every mile.

If you've ever felt overwhelmed by all of the travel hacking information out there, do not fret! This podcast is broken down into layman's terms, and highly practical. Jasper will tell you everything you need to know about credit cards, credit scores, airline and hotel loyalty programs, and more.

We also dive into a number of other interesting topics such as techniques to hack learning, negotiation tactics, and how to get free breakfasts for a year.

This interview with Jasper was great because he shows us all what is possible with a little due diligence and out-of-the-box thinking!

Jasper has offered this 50% discount code for his Travel Hacking Mastery course for listeners of the show. You'll also earn +100 Karma points for helping support the podcast.

That's all for today... stay tuned for next week's episode with SuperFast Business maven James Schramko!

Welcome to another episode of the OpenWorld podcast! I'm publishing this episode today from my temporary office in Koh Phangan, Thailand. Check out that view!

Onward to the podcast! In today's action-packed, content rich episode I’m joined by Sean Marshall. Sean blogs at FamilyRocketship.com where he teaches people how they can set up a business that enables lifestyle freedom with a family. So if you’re not 22, single and planning to move to Thailand for $1,000 a month, then you’ll be pretty keen to this interview.

From Laid-off to Living the Dream

Six years ago Sean was laid off, he arrived at home with all of his office stuff in a box. He was unemployed, and his together with his wife, they set course on a new path, selling everything they own and creating a lifestyle business.

He started out by doing freelancing (as many of us do), and over time converted that to more of a real business that helps him break the chain of trading time for money.

Together with his wife and three daughters, Sean has lived for more than 2 years in the Caribbean, and spent over six months living all over Europe.

Sean works with people to help them figure out what they want deep down and turn those passions into viable sources of income. He's created an excellent course called "Online Marketing Business: Step-by-Step to $5k/mo in 90 Days" and offered a 50% discount to listeners of this interview.

Sean is unique for several reasons. To start, he has begun his lifestyle business with a family - and mouths to feed. After being fired from his job, he hit the ground running really quickly, earning $2,050 the first month and then signing up a client for $18,000.

Many of us struggle for a long time and just break even for a while before our business starts to pay us handsomely. I asked Sean how he was able to find the confidence to start performing at such a high level and how he was able to close quality clients to make this lifestyle possible.

We also discuss the dynamics of creating a "smart" business that you work on and not in, the tools Sean recommends, and much more. At the end of the interview I break down everything into a 5-step summary and action plan.

If you've been holding something off, as Sean says during the interview: "It's GO time!" Go get started on making your dreams reality, subscribe to our podcast, and I'll touch base with you next episode :)

In this episode of the podcast I was invited on to the "Unleash Yourself" podcast where I was interviewed by the host, Michael Carbone.

We chatted about the mindset and lifestyle of high achievers, how to create your own set of rules to live by, and how to write your own life's narrative.

It was a really interesting, candid discussion. Some things we discuss:

What traveling through 30+ countries taught me about my true self.

Why I couldn't hold a stable job for more than 1 month at a time.

How to get comfortable being uncomfortable.

Why having a work/life balance is the wrong lifestyle to strive for.

How to take random, unplanned, and life-changing mini-retirements. (More frequently than you ever thought possible.)

Why I settled on the metaphor of "buying an island" for my first book.

How to keep growing and learning new things by throwing yourself into new, yet terrifying, business ventures.

The concept behind the Cynefin Framework and how to embrace it.

I'm traveling a lot over the next couple of weeks so these shownotes will be relatively brief. I'm currently in Hua Hin, Thailand headed to Surat Thani in the evening, then Koh Phangan / Koh Tao, Penang, Kuala Lumpur, then off to India for a month!

In the meantime, enjoy this episode! And let me know you think :)

In this newest episode, I'm joined by my friend and a familiar face on the digital nomad trail. Derek and I met by chance a few years ago in an alley in Saigon, and then again in Chiang Mai.

Unbeknownst to me at the time, Derek had whittled his savings down to his last $200 while in Saigon - but completely turned things around to the point where three months later he was earning $10,000 a month through T-shirt designs on Teespring. Within six months, he began hiring other digital nomads, and scaled up his activities to the point where he was earning $30,000 - $40,000 per month.

He's since launched a Udemy course teaching how exactly how he was so successful with Teespring, and has created another successful business selling supplements through Amazon FBA.

We reunited recently in Bangkok, where Derek was on his way Koh Phangan, where he's calling in from today. His travel plans this year also include Bali, Japan, India, and Africa.

What really impresses me about Derek is his very thorough and analytical approach to entrepreneurship. He has an uncanny mind for breaking complex business opportunites down to their component parts and predicting outcomes.

In this interview, we discuss Derek's systematic formula for quickly building web startups and acquiring initial customers within a few short weeks.

We also discuss:

The importance of discovery calls and dissecting existing business models

Criteria to look for when assessing opportunities

Paid advertising strategies for scaling up traffic and revenues quickly

Top paid advertising resources to get up to speed quickly

Understanding buyer behavior - and optimizing your funnel based on the lead source

Strategies to fully monetize new leads

Alternative advertising channels besides Google and Facebook

Why blogging tends to be a broken business model, because most bloggers have no legitimate plan to monetize their audiences

Successful ways to intersect content marketing and paid advertising

How mailing lists affect SEO performance

Plus much more!

This was an excellent and inspiring interview with Derek. Enjoy, and if you love our show please subscribe and review! Every little bit helps.

Links included in this episode:

Discounted link for Derek's Udemy course:

"Launch on Teespring: How I Make 6 Figures Selling T-Shirts "

Fly Free Academy - How to Book a Flight to Anywhere in the World for $20 Dollars

In this episode of the podcast I was invited on to the "Brand New You Show" where I was interviewed by the host, Ryan Rhoten.

Ryan did an excellent job of preparing for the interview, picking apart my first (and heftiest) book, "Buy Your Own Island," which led us in to a deep and rich conversation about the location-independent lifestyle.

This interview is well worth your time! Some of the things we discuss:

How I've systemized book production and launches (learnt by launching four books the wrong way)

The moment I broke the chain of location-independence and overwork - and made my lifestyle dreams possible

Alibi-itis, leaning beyond your edge, and building the right reference experiences

How to write to your avatar - and why it's important

Defining goals and busting through obstacles

The importance of changing your environment - and who you surround yourself with - for massive personal change

How I created my first mastermind, and how it led me to new heights

A simple exercise to re-wire your mind from "can't" to "can"

Stoicism and perceptive filtering

Using the skills, knowledge, and experiences you have to build a brand and freelance business

How to hack Upwork by creating massive perceived value, and juicing up your profile with reviews and brand studies

How to handle client objections to close more deals and other important sales tactics

Plus more goodies!

Enjoy this episode with Ryan! P.S. we are switching to a bi-weekly publishing schedule over the next few months with new episodes every Sunday and Wednesday (ish - providing I have strong Wi-Fi). Thanks always for your support! Please subscribe and leave us a review if you like this podcast.

Welcome to another episode of the OpenWorld podcast! in this episode Sorin Constantin, an entrepreneur coach and prolific Udemy course creator, joins us for the call.

Sorin is a location independent entrepreneur from Romania who has been an online entrepreneur since 2011.

 He also helps teach people how to create viable online business models, generate traffic for their products, and live the location independent lifestyle.

Recently he has created no less than seventeen courses on Udemy, including the Entrepreneurship 2.0 - The Elite Online Business Blueprint (which is how I found him). The promise of the course is that it will teach how to set the foundation for time, money, and location freedom: the goal that so many of us are after.

During the interview, Sorin provides a simple blueprint to successfully create your first online course and monetizing what you already know. He's created all of his courses in just a year and a half, and is earning multiple four figures per month in passive income (which will reach five this year).

During the chat we discuss how easy it can be to set up your courses (he's created all seventeen of his within one year), and various online marketing strategies. Listen to this interview and be inspired to start working on your course today and start your own path to freedom!

Also, if you're looking to take your education further, Sorin graciously has offered Udemy discount codes for several of his courses for more than 80% off each one :) You can also try any course with no risk - Udemy offers a refund for up to 30 days.

Below are the discounted Udemy links:

Entrepreneurship 2.0 - The Elite Online Business Blueprint

Online Traffic Domination - The 9 Steps Success Blueprint

Email Marketing Basics: A Step-by-Step Beginner's Guide

Viral Marketing Blueprint- The 8 Steps Online Business 

Note: if you sign up for any of these courses I will get credit, which will help support the podcast :) Thanks for listening, stay tuned for the next action-packed episode!

In this episode, I’m joined by David Hindin, he’s a doctor by day, by night a freelance writer who picks up gigs via Fiverr, and a closet tech enthusiast.

He’s also created a digital magazine called “Invented Magazine," which is designed for new entrepreneurs seeking to become tech founders, which he’s successfully crowdfunded on Kickstarter, raising more than $7,000. He’s also been invited to speak at a forthcoming TEDx talk.

He's an individual who wears many hats and is extremely passionate about entrepreneurship.

David has a stable job as a practicing physician, but felt as though as he wasn't being properly challenged. Unlike many doctors, who tune out during their free time through a date with Netflix, David has instead quietly racked up a list of entrepreneurial achievements. So I invited him to join us today to share his formula for success.

There were a bunch of great nuggest on this call, such as:

The philosophy that seperates top performers from the mediocre majority

How to become a top-ranked seller on Fiverr (David clear $10,000+ his first year as a side hustle in his spare time)

How to avoid the "race to the bottom" and "play in a different sand box"

The power of platforms - and how to leverage them

How David successfully launched his idea on Kickstarter

How he grew his Instagram account from zero to 15,000+ in five months (and then monetized it)

David's new project, Invented Magazine

And a whole lot more!

The more I learned about David's story, the more I fascinated I became... and he has a lot of insights to offer to other entrepreneurs. Enjoy this episode! Please subscribe to the podcast and leave us a review if you haven't already.

Today I’m joined by Jiro Taylor. He’s the host of “Flowstate Collective” podcast and founder of a global community of the same name, where he helps individuals reach their ultimate peak performance and potential by optimizing "flow."

He runs a blog, interviews top performers, creates adventure retreats, and explores altered states of consciousness. He also coaches entrepreneurs and guides them to optimize life through flow, mindfulness meditation and adventure.

"Flow" is a state of heightened focus and complete absorption in the present moment. All sense of time and sense of self disappears and one becomes fully absorbed and connected to the joy of life.

We had an excellent chat where we discussed...

Why there are few answers to life's deepest questions

Why most of us live according to someone else's values instead of searching for our own

Creating internal self-love and self-acceptance

The value of separation and reinvention

Eastern vs Western philosophy - and lessons

The definition of "flow," where our sense of time, self, and rational thought shuts down

Simple techniques to cultivate flow and heighten awareness

Lessons from Zen Buddhism, samurai philosophy, and Zanshin - "the mind with no remainder"

Plus much more!

If you've followed my work for a while, you'll know that "Flow" and optimizing for peak potential is something that I'm truly passionate about, and could spend a whole day discussing this. Hope you enjoy this excellent, value-packed hour long interview with Jiro as much as I did.

Also, if you have a minute and want to support our podcast, please visit our iTunes page and write us a review. Every bit helps!

In this fun and exciting episode I'm joined by the one and only Jeremy Ginsburg, who calls himself "The Culture Chameleon." Jeremy is a veteran digital nomad, who has experimented with countless ways to earn money and travel.

To support his international travels, he has worked as a remote freelance writer, videographer, musician, stand up comedian, English teacher, and basketball coach (to name a few), and is based in Ho Chi Minh City, where he stars in Vietnamese reality TV shows.

In addition to Vietnamese, he's fluent in four other languages, and is the author of the upcoming book called “Faking Fame” - the story of how he became famous in Vietnam.

What I love about Jeremy the way he leads a full life as a "life experimentalist" - willing to try anything once, no matter how unconventional. During the interview, we discuss the recipe behind Jeremy's many achievements.

How to become a prolific learner at any skill

How to achieve mastery

How to "break into" a new field and achieve success (such as acting)

How to earn money on your own

Cultural conditioning, and the importance of context and comparison

How to become your "own person" - free from outside influence

Jeremy's forthcoming book, "Faking Fame" - which you can get for free from his website.

Plus a bunch of other goodies...

Enjoy this fun chat, and for more from Jeremy check out the fun videos on his YouTube channel. Finally, if you like our podcast and want us to continue producing new episodes, become a friend of the show and write us a review on iTunes!

In episode #73 of the OpenWorld podcast I'm joined by my new friend and fellow author, Tommy Joiner. Tommy has just published his new Amazon book, "Teaching in East Asia" (full disclosure: we worked on the project together).

The book shares his story (and the stories of many others) of teaching English abroad, a wonderful experience which helped him get out of debt, save a lot of money, travel, and start an entrepreneurial career.

We talk a little bit about why teaching English is such a great opportunity (hint: second language speakers outnumber native speakers by 3 to 1), and how it can provide a stable runway to a very successful entrepreneurial career and digital nomad lifestyle.

Tommy grew up, like many of us, in a sheltered upbringing in suburban America. Everything was taken care of; it seemed as if his whole life was set to run on autopilot. But he wanted to experience "rock bottom." He wanted to learn how to survive on his own, and develop himself and his life from square one.

So he hit the "Reset" switch. He packed up everything, said goodbye to his boss at his dead-end job in Chicago, and left for South Korea, where he became an English teacher.

In a year and a half, he was able to save $20,000, start his entrepreneurial career (he's now the founder of Gingerbread Marketing and Freelance Hustler), and begin a life of complete location independence and travel (he's currently based in Colombia).

During our call we talk about his journey and he shares a bunch of great insights for anyone seeking to break free and discover their own location independent path. Be sure to check out the book we've create together as well, "Teaching in East Asia" includes several real stories and is available for just 99 cents on Amazon, Friday - Sunday (Feb 26 - 28 2016).