Digital Nomad Radio

My Move Across The Country

justin@lifeofjustin.com (Justin Wright) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 08:47:38 +0000

It sure felt like it while driving across Texas…

Digital Nomad Radio is officially back on the air! Want even better news? It now has a kickass introduction.

In this week’s episode, I’m going to talk about my move from Arizona to Texas. Specifically, I’m going to talk about what it was like moving my job along with me. It was the first time in my life I moved to a new state not having to worry about finding a job.

And let me say, it’s a whole lot different this time around.

Length: 10 Minutes and 26 Seconds

Teaser:

Some of the things I discuss in this weeks episode include:

Why being a digital nomad is the best way to live – even if you don’t like traveling around.
Why moving your job with you is a hell of a lot easier than finding a new one.
Social Media – how it can make moving easier.

Want to add anything to this week’s episode? If so, please feel free to leave a comment below. And don’t forget to check out next week’s episode!

Bookkeeping And Tax Tips For Bloggers/Freelancers

justin@lifeofjustin.com (Justin Wright) — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 19:28:34 +0000

This weeks episode of Digital Nomad Radio is all about bookkeeping and taxes. I agree, it’s the most boring part of having a business. Unfortunately, it’s something we all have to do at some point.

The reason I chose this topic this week is because I spent about 8 hours (at least it felt that long) last night printing and scanning receipts, entering invoices, and catching up on all the books. It took me a lot of researching before I had any idea what I was doing. I have a feeling some of you are in the same boat as I was and are clueless about what to do. (Just remember, I am not an accountant nor will I ever be one. So you might want to contact one for professional advice.)

Hope you enjoy the show!

Length:

14 Minutes and 35 Seconds

Teaser:

Some of the topics I will cover include:

Accounts Receivable - How to keep track of all your income.
Accounts Payable – What you should be keeping track of for business expenses.
Tax Deductions For Bloggers/Freelancers – I’ll share some of the tax deductions that you might be able to take if you are a blogger or freelancer.
Invoicing Software - I’ll share a really useful tool I use for invoicing.

That pretty much wraps it up for this weeks episode. If you didn’t make it to the end, I just wanted to let you know that I am currently looking for guest on the show. So if you are a blogger or freelancer, I’d love to interview you or feature you on the show. Please contact me for details!

Show Links:

Anyone have some other useful tips for bookkeeping/taxes? I’d love to hear them.

10 Ways To Stay Productive While Working From Home

justin@lifeofjustin.com (Justin Wright) — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 18:24:50 +0000

This weeks episode of Digital Nomad Radio is all about staying productive while working from home. It can be very difficult to work from home, especially if you are used to working in an office. So I thought I would share my 10 favorite tips on how to stay productive. Enjoy!

Length:

12 Minutes and 37 seconds

Teaser:

Here’s a quick look at a few of the tips to stay productive while working from home:

Create A Work Area – It’s simple. Create an office in your home.
Set Some Hours – It is really important to create a work schedule. Otherwise you will end up working a TON of hours.
Close Your Email And Turn Off Your Phone – Trying to get a project done? Don’t be afraid to shut down your communication methods for awhile.
Don’t Forget To Eat – Your body will thank you.
Take Breaks – Just like every other job, it is important to take breaks from working. Otherwise you will go insane.

Do you have some work from home tips? If so, please feel free to share them.

Want to subscribe to Digital Nomad Radio? Get it via feed or iTunes.

5 Ways To Beat Writer’s Block

justin@lifeofjustin.com (Justin Wright) — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 08:00:11 +0000

It’s Monday already? Whoa! That means it’s time for another episode of Digital Nomad Radio. This week’s episode is all about beating writer’s block. A fellow blogger sent me an email asking how I managed to come up with new ideas to write about everyday and I thought I would answer her questions and share them with everyone. So hit the play button!

Length:

19 Minutes

Teaser:

Here’s a sneak peek of the 5 tips to beat writer’s block:

Write Down Your Post Ideas – It’s simple. Right down your post ideas!
Use Other Blogs As Inspiration – Check out other blogs for some good ideas and topics to cover in your own posts.
Read Websites Like Yahoo, CNN, Etc. – Use websites like Yahoo as a place to find articles. Then spin them in your own words and add to them.
Look Back At Your Old Posts For Ideas – You have an archives page right? When’s the last time you took a look at it for some blog post ideas?
When You’re In A Writing Mood…Keep Going! – So you’re in the zone and writing like a mad man. Don’t stop after one post!

So there you have it, 5 ways to beat writer’s block. I’d love to hear your ideas and advice on how to keep coming up with great content!

Want to subscribe to Digital Nomad Radio? Get it via feed or iTunes.

Quitting Your Day Job

justin@lifeofjustin.com (Justin Wright) — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 10:00:39 +0000

It’s Monday once again and that means it’s time for another episode of Digital Nomad Radio. In this weeks podcast, I answer the common question: How do I quit my day job? I discuss how I did it and what I experienced as a result. I also discuss what you should do to make it as easy as possible. I cover things like dealing with benefits, savings, and stress. You can’t miss it!

So go ahead and click the button below to get it started:

Length:

20 minutes and 45 seconds to be exact…

Teaser:

Here’s a quick peak at some of the points I make in this weeks episode:

Have An Existing Blog/Website – I talk a little about how important it is to already have an existing blog or website before you quit your job.
Be Ready To Work A Lot Harder – I give you some insight into life after quitting and why it’s more difficult at first.
Take A Look At Your Benefits – I discuss benefits and what you need to think about before you quit. A very important step, especially if you have a family.

So that concludes this weeks episode! I hope it helps clarify what you need to do to escape the day job. Please feel free to leave any comments you have about the show. Don’t foget to subscribe to the podcast by clicking here.

Life As A Freelance Blogger

justin@lifeofjustin.com (Justin Wright) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 13:45:05 +0000

First off, thanks for checking out the first ever podcast here on Life of Justin! I really hope you enjoy it. For each podcast, I will feature the mp3 link along with the built in player. Simply click the play button and you’re good to go.

I will also try my best to type of the podcast or include some notes. That way if you don’t have speakers or a place to listen, you can still read it. As my podcast get longer (which they will), I will most likely start summarizing them instead of writing them out in full.

Anyways, lets get started. Click below to listen to the podcast:

Read It Instead:

As you all know, I quit my office job back in October and have not had a job since. Its been a long and winding road ever since then. When I first quit, I had a full-time blogging position with a company here in Phoenix. I got paid to write blog posts, market the blog, and do all the design work. This was a great step in the right direction because it gave me the income I needed to live off of and still let me work from home.

However, December brought a big problem. The company I was working for pretty much went broke and decided they did not want to pay me anymore. So a word of advice, always have something on the back burner because you never know when a job could end. Even one you might consider “steady.” I ended up living off my saving for the rest of the month and sold my car.

Once that happened, I was back to square one. Which basically meant I was living off the income of Life of Justin, which is still below my monthly expenses. So I had to figure out another way. I either had to get another job (which is not going to happen) or I had to find a way to generate some income.

Time To Do Freelance

This is when I decided to start selling my services. In the beginning of January, I started responding to ads all over Craigslist and eventually set up an Elance account. Before I knew it, I was getting a bunch of gigs that were paying anywhere from $100 to $900 depending on the project. Now I can safely say I made almost $2,000 dollars since then. Not to bad if I sat so myself.

For the time being, I am really happy with the way things are working out. The only downside is it can be extremely stressful at times because you never know when you will get paid. It isn’t as simple as expecting a paycheck every other Friday. So I need to start learning to keep more in savings since there is sometimes breaks between projects.

The good news is it gives you the freedom to be anywhere anytime. Sometimes I stay up until 4 am working on things and don’t get up until noon. Plus being able to go places like the coffee shop whenever you want is really satisfying.

The Road Looking Ahead

Now that I am making a living blogging and doing freelance projects, I really hope to focus more on these topics on my blog. As time moves on, you will start to see more and more posts about how I am making money online and what you can do to follow in my footsteps. I have received a lot of emails from various readers asking me questions about how I make money and I am ready to answer them.

So some big things are going to happen on Life of Justin in the near future. Expect 110% from me from now on and I am going to do my best to help all of you reach your goal of make a living online. Office jobs are a thing of the past….