I’ve become more interested in the opportunities available to the digital nomad and how individuals can travel and work long-term. I’m interested in the tools, the coworking spaces, the mechanics of the process. To a certain extent, I’m also interested in  what opportunities are the most practical for such a lifestyle.

Personally, my recent travels have been short term: I’m working on my MA in Baltimore, which makes it much harder to get out of town for even a month. I have big plans for the future, but for the present, I’m not going to far.

In light of all of this, one of my goals is to bring someone in to work with me on producing the sort of content for this site that will truly be useful. I want to find someone who is out there, on the road, at this point. Testing out some of the tools I use on a week long trip just doesn’t give me the confidence I need to say that one option is better than another for someone who is on the road all year long.

It’s going to be a slow process, I know, but I do believe in the value of this blog and will continue to build it.

One of my standing concerns has been that there are so many other blogs catering specifically to the digital nomad and location independent lifestyles out there. I want to make sure I’m not just rehashing old information or repeating what other sites cover. I think you’ll enjoy what I’m planning to roll out soon.

But Chris Guillebeau, and the other empire-builders he interviewed for the Empire Building Kit, have done just that. Chris defines an empire as follows:

In this case I define an empire as a sustainable lifestyle business — a one-man or one-woman shop that earns at least $50,000 a year, usually oriented around something the owner/emperor is interested in. I talked to dog walkers, murder mystery party hosts, photographers, and all kinds of fun people to understand more about how they had built their business, and tried to deconstruct that process into its most essential lessons. The key is partly what it’s not: I don’t focus on big businesses or boring businesses. I’m interested in looking at the concept of “following your passion” in a way that actually works.

The Empire Building Kit offers case studies on all sorts of businesses (from offering coaching services to walking dogs) and interviews with all sorts of business owners. Through all that information, the kit guides you to the threads that will help you build a business of your own. Several of the interviews are with people who spend most of their time on the road — Chris even includes insights into his own Unconventional Guides business, which supports his traveling (Chris has visited 125 countries and plans to visit the other 67 before mid-2013).

An MBA in a Box

As I read, watched and listened to all the materials in the kit, I was struck by the fact that it’s essentially a short-form MBA — or it would be if an MBA really taught students how to start and operate a business. Even better, Chris has put it together in such a way that it will work for different learning styles. When asked why he chose to offer such a variety of formats, Chris said,

For a couple of reasons: one, because all of us learn differently. Some people love online video and some hate it. Some of us learn primarily by reading, and so on. I wanted to give people the choice and make it as accessible as possible. Then I threw in the 365-day email series — I’ve since heard from the folks at Aweber that it’s the longest follow-up series in history — to ensure retention and continual progress. Lastly, the project is called Empire Building Kit, so I knew it had to be big. An Empire Building Kit can’t just be an ebook, right?

This is the guide that I wish I had been able to read when I first started out to build my own business. I found details in every case study and interview that I can still use as I grow my business. I think Chris feels the same way:

The thing I enjoyed the most about creating it was talking to all of the case studies. They were quite diverse, but shared similar values in terms of recovering from mistakes, shifting tactics but rarely shifting strategy, and just simple persistence. I didn’t know a lot of people like them when I was getting started, and I’m sure I would have been much better off with their expertise.

I Recommend the Empire Building Kit

If you are looking for a way to get a business off the ground and get yourself on the road, this kit can get you there. You can purchase the kit at EmpireBuildingKit.com — but it’s only available today, for 24 hours. Tomorrow, Chris is leaving for Africa so that he’ll stay on track for that 2013 deadline.

Passport Day is a federal government initiative started by the U.S. Department of State where passport offices take walk-ins — no appointment required — and eliminate any expedite fees.

Passport Day was started in 2009 after stricter travel rules were put into place in 2007 and 2009. As of 2007, everyone traveling in and out of the United States by air needs a passport. As of 2009, everyone entering or leaving Canada, Mexico, and the Bermuda Islands must present passport documents.

On all other days of the year, an appointment must be booked with a Passport Agency. Passports normally take 4 to 6 weeks to clear with standard services and 2 to 3 weeks with expedited service. Expedited service comes with a hefty fee. In addition to that, the cost of passports has been rising steadily.

Hours of operation vary by passport agency, so make sure to call beforehand. However, no appointment is needed. You are able to walk in and wait for service, much like when you get a hair cut.

Still not sold? Think about it this way: you decide you want to take a trip. Nothing major, you live in New York and want to go to Toronto for a long weekend. You need a passport. If you don’t have a current one lying around, you have to book an appointment in advance (including working around when there are appointments available and trying to co-ordinate them with your schedule), then wait 2-3 weeks minimum for your information to clear and your passport to be renewed or issued-and that’s if you pay the fine for expediation.

On Passport Day you get to eliminate an entire step-booking an appointment in advance. You get to just walk into the office, wait patiently in line, and start the process. You can even have the expediation fee waved. You’re now free to be able to travel at whim with your currently-active passport, without worry.

This convenience only comes once a year, so make sure you take advantage!

Baker’s ebook, Unautomate Your Finances, isn’t just for readers wanting to travel. It can apply to plenty of other situations. But the fact of the matter is that it’s a system that works particularly well if that’s your goal. It’s based around the idea that automating your finances is not necessarily a good thing. Now, Baker isn’t trying to claim that nobody can benefit from making their finances automatic. Instead, the issue is that most of us automate both good and bad financial practices: a credit card, for instance, can make managing your money a lot easier and lot more automatic. But it can also cause a lot of financial problems because of that automation.

It’s not an uncommon situation. In fact, it’s exactly the one Baker and his wife were in just a few years ago. It was only when they started really paying attention to their finances that they could eliminate debt and improve their situation. Baker points to three core principles that make all the difference in the world: consciousness, sustainability and focus. These three principles can translate into a simple approach to personal finance that makes it manageable. Throughout the ebook, Baker explores these principles. He not only gives concrete approaches that will let you actually move towards your financial goals, but he describes a financial mindset that is a whole heck of a lot healthier than many of the personal finance books out there.

Unautomate Your Finances is priced at $17. That gets you the ebook, plus interviews with personal finance experts like Leo Babauta and J.D. Roth, templates for the budgeting system Baker outlines and updates that Baker will be sending out over the six months. Hands down, Unautomate Your Finances (affiliate link) is one of the most accessible personal finance books I’ve seen, in print or on a screen.

In Project M-31: Simplify Your Life in 31 Days, Damron builds up to some major changes with small steps. The first day is just about cleaning off your desk — he walks you through, step by step, not only getting stuff off your desk but making sure that it won’t be back in a process that only takes about a few minutes. It took me about fifteen minutes, although, in my own defense, I have a desk and it was impressively cluttered.

This ebook isn’t all sunshine and puppy dogs, though. It’s dedicated to (among other things) getting rid of the physical stuff that clutters up our homes and lives. That stuff is not easy to get rid of — for each item you can easily throw away, there will be one that you struggle with, trying to convince yourself that there’s some small chance you’ll need it down the road. It can take some personal struggles to carry through each of Damron’s tasks.

Despite being a short ebook (66 pages), I do not suggest that you sit down and read Project M-31: Simplify Your Life in 31 Days straight through. It’s most effective if you actually spend time on the task and projects suggested for each day, and if you try to go straight through, you’ll wear yourself out. Take the time to work your way through at a comfortable speed, assuming you’re serious about making your life easier. And while Project M-31: Simplify Your Life in 31 Days isn’t particularly expensive as far as changing your entire life goes, if you’re going to spend $9.95 on ebook, it’s worth taking it seriously.

Damron is definitely someone you want to listen to when it comes to minimalism, especially if you’re simplifying your life with an eye towards heading out on the road. Damron travels around the world with less than 100 things and, even when he’s settled, he keeps his possessions around 100 things. You can read more about Damron on his sites, The Minimalist Path and LifeExcursion.

A lot of people seem to take Ferriss and his book at face value. They try to replicate exactly what he’s done to make his life fun and enjoyable, becoming confused when they can’t match either his success or his enjoyment of that success. The problem is that the book isn’t a how-to manual, unless you’re actually Ferriss.

• Do you already have a moderately successful business up and running?
• Do you enjoy spending hours learning new skills?
• Are you ready to put yourself first over just about everything else?

If you can’t answer yes all around, you’re certainly not Ferriss and, straight out of the box, you’re not going to wind up with an ideal lifestyle if you follow “The 4-Hour Workweek” precisely.

A Moderately Successful Business

Before Ferriss started working a four-hour workweek, he built up a successful business. I’m willing to bet that when he started out, he worked on a more typical entrepreneur’s schedule — sixty hours per week doesn’t sound out of the question to me. Ferriss does point out in his book that you shouldn’t assume that you can jump into running a business that covers all your expenses, but his approach does have a certain ‘you can do this now’ vibe.

That’s great for some people, but not so much for others. Some people just don’t want to run their own businesses. That kind of responsibility, especially when they can pick up a part-time gig that covers their needs, just isn’t worthwhile for everyone. For other people, it’s necessary to have a better safety net. Ferriss is a single young man, after all: while he includes examples in his book of families that travel around the world together, he doesn’t make mention of the sort of safety net many parents want to have in place before taking the slightest risk with their offspring’s well-being. It’s just not a practical system for everyone.

There are other options out there beyond trying to build up a business fast enough to make the changes you want to make in your life. Treat Ferriss’ suggestions as an inspiration and explore what sort of work would really be enjoyable for you — whether or not you’re spending four hours a week at your desk. Honestly, I can see the appeal of spending as little time working as possible, when your job involves reselling something.

Enjoying Work

The things Ferriss talks about pursuing in his free time don’t appeal universally. Personally, I have a lot of things I’d rather do than learn how to expertly tango. Ferriss seems to love going out and learning everything there is to know about certain topics, usually trying to hack the system in the process. And if that’s you’re idea of a good time, go for it.

For the rest of us, that sort of goal doesn’t always make sense. Personally, I’d rather never get down to just four hours of work a week. I actually enjoy my work and I’d probably go a little crazy if I had to amuse myself day in and day out. But I have cut down on the total amount of work I do. I’ve found a balance that works for me and the things I find enjoyable.

it’s worth taking a look at the things you find to be truly enjoyable, as well. Maybe it’s a certain type of craft, maybe it’s spending time with particular people. Focus on how you can make those things into an everyday part of your life — perhaps by building a more enjoyable job or business out of them. If travel’s your thing, you can still make that a part of your life without absolutely reducing the work you do.

Putting Yourself First

One of the things I struggled the most with when reading “The 4-Hour Workweek” is how much of Ferriss’ strategy relies on putting yourself first. Even his email system is based on the idea that his time is more valuable than anyone emailing him. That approach isn’t necessarily bad, but a lot of people have reasons why we can’t just flat out put ourselves at the top of the heap. Certain clients would walk if I took that approach, and I’m pretty sure it would drive my family crazy.

That sort of mindset works when you have specific types of responsibilities, but it doesn’t work universally. For most of us, true prioritization is necessary before we can really start thinking about how to build a lifestyle that works for us — and don’t think that there aren’t other options. There are plenty of tools these days that will allow you to let specific people get in touch with you immediately while excluding those who aren’t among your priorities.

Finding Your Own Way "The 4-Hour Workweek" can be a great source of inspiration if you need a starting point for building a lifestyle that works for you. But it's not the end all and be all. Find approaches that work for you and the realities of your life, whether those are your family, a job you love or interests other than becoming an entrepreneur.

]]> http://www.workingyourwayaroundtheworld.com/2010/02/the-problem-with-the-4-hour-workweek/feed/ 7 http://www.workingyourwayaroundtheworld.com/2010/02/the-problem-with-the-4-hour-workweek/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WorkingYourWayAroundTheWorld/~3/3ErtFiveCGU/ http://www.workingyourwayaroundtheworld.com/2010/01/should-travelers-tweet-the-worry/#comments Sat, 30 Jan 2010 16:09:00 +0000 Thursday http://www.workingyourwayaroundtheworld.com/?p=326 I have friends all over the world. I’m pretty sure the only continent where I don’t know someone is Antarctica — and there have been several near misses there. A huge number of those friends I’ve met through Twitter. I’ve met tons of people through Twitter and have have even arranged the occasional face-to-face get-together.

But lately I’ve heard several people discouraging travelers from tweeting, at least about their travels. While it’s more of an issue for folks on vacation, the concern is that if a huge number of people know where you are and where you’re going, something bad could happen. The most common concern seems to be if someone was to rob your house after you tweeted that you were on vacation in another country.

Honestly, I’m just not that concerned. At the very least, I feel like the benefits far outweigh those concerns — after all, how many people have tweeted that they’re in trouble while traveling? We’ve heard about natural disasters, arrests and all sorts of things where someone was able to get out a tweet but might not have managed much more communication beyond that.

Furthermore, I take some precautions when I travel, in terms of my home. Most of the time there is someone else here — while I don’t mention the fact very often on Twitter, I don’t live alone — and I do a little more than just lock the door if I’m planning to be gone for a while. I would hope that most travelers are taking similar precautions in terms of whatever home base they rely on.

I think the worry, in this case, is unjustified. As long as you take reasonable precautions, like not tweeting that you’re leaving such-and-such address and you won’t be back for six months, I think you’re going to be just fine.

]]> http://www.workingyourwayaroundtheworld.com/2010/01/should-travelers-tweet-the-worry/feed/ 0 http://www.workingyourwayaroundtheworld.com/2010/01/should-travelers-tweet-the-worry/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WorkingYourWayAroundTheWorld/~3/1QFKczRaIek/ http://www.workingyourwayaroundtheworld.com/2010/01/7-skills-you-must-have-to-run-a-nomadic-business/#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2010 16:09:00 +0000 Thursday http://www.workingyourwayaroundtheworld.com/?p=324 Hands down, most of the people I know who want to travel for more than a few weeks here and there want to run their own businesses. They want to start their own business that allows them to support their traveling habit while still working on a schedule that is convenient for those same travels. But that approach requires skills that must be developed in advance. While it’s possible to pick up one or two of these skills when you’ve already got an itinerary planned, building them ahead of time makes a world of difference.

1. Paperwork-Fu: You’re traveling light, which means that you don’t have a filing cabinet for all those pages of paper that can build up at the average office. The minute a piece of paper comes in the door, it must be processed. Depending on how you travel, the process can be different — a high quality camera can be useful if you want a record of all your receipts without carrying the associated papers around. It’s best if you use the same approach for digital paperwork as well. You never know when you’re going to be without an internet connection if you’re out on the road.
2. Rules Lawyering: The phenomenon is most common in tabletop RPGs, when one player knows every single rule in the book — and how to take advantage of them. While I don’t want you to be a pain in the butt during games, it’s a skill that will come in handy when you’re trying to figure out details like what your visa allows you to do in your destination and how to handle taxes from oversea.
3. Loquaciousness: Aside from the fact that I’ve always wanted to actually use the word ‘loquaciousness,’ you must be out-going and have the associated skill set. You have to be able to walk up to strangers, ask questions, make friends and talk about just about anything.
4. Short Attention Span: Time management is particularly tough when you’re on the road. Even if you have a schedule in mind, things come up just about every day. That means that you need to cultivate the skill of sitting down to work in short spurts. It can’t take you an hour to get into the groove of working — you need to be able to get into a work mindset immediately.
5. Technical Know-How: There are plenty of cities without Apple stores around the corner. No matter what equipment you rely on for your work, you need to be able to handle basic problems. It’s worthwhile reading up on some simple maintenance, too — assuming you want to minimize the problems with your computer.
6. Sign Language: Depending on where your destination lies, there is a decent chance you may wind up somewhere that you don’t know the lingo. Communicating in such situations can be difficult, but picking up on the local gestures can help you speed the process along. It doesn’t hurt to think ahead about how you can get your meaning across.
7. Salesmanship: No matter where your business is, you’re going to have to be able to sell yourself. Doing it through a computer can be much harder than handling sales in person, so getting in plenty practice before you pack your bags is critical.

Photo — StephenMitchell

]]> http://www.workingyourwayaroundtheworld.com/2010/01/7-skills-you-must-have-to-run-a-nomadic-business/feed/ 6 http://www.workingyourwayaroundtheworld.com/2010/01/7-skills-you-must-have-to-run-a-nomadic-business/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WorkingYourWayAroundTheWorld/~3/TWri2tZOHXo/ http://www.workingyourwayaroundtheworld.com/2010/01/using-a-weapon-as-a-travel-hack/#comments Thu, 21 Jan 2010 14:32:00 +0000 Thursday http://www.workingyourwayaroundtheworld.com/?p=321 When you’re flying domestically within the U.S, a gun — even a starter pistol — can be a useful travel hack. You have to specially register any baggage containing a projectile weapon, which means the TSA will go to extra efforts to ensure your bags show up in the right airport and on time.

But it pays to be very careful when using a travel hack like this. Packing a weapon can guarantee that the TSA will handle your bags with care, but it can also guarantee a kind of reception you do not want.

Many states have very specific laws about gun ownership and if you don’t have the proper permit, you can wind up in some trouble. While a starter pistol may not be an issue, anything larger could result in confiscation or some legal issues.

Taking a weapon overseas is even more of an issue. Depending on your destination, any kind of weapon may be strictly controlled. Even packing a knife can get you into trouble — I’ve actually run into trouble on my pocket knife when I moved between states. The legal limits on length, serration and other factors differ between both states and countries.

Be sure to carefully research not only your destination when you’re considering taking anything that can be construed as a weapon with you when you travel, but the layovers in between. Getting in trouble over a weapons issue in a country you were only planning to see from the airport does not sound appealing.

Photo — Jayel Aheram

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