Hello all from the sunny, tropical island of Koh Tao.
A little bit about Koh Tao
Koh Tao is small-ish island off the eastern coast of Thailand. There are two primary activities on Koh Tao. Diving and drinking (most of the time in that order). But don’t let people tell you shouldn’t come here unless you dive. We’ve found plenty to do.
Our Koh Tao Lifestyle
Clay and I are renting a fairly large bungalow near Sairee Beach. We are just up the hill, off the beach and main road. We’ve got big bedrooms and a kitchen (which is a rarity in these parts). We’ve also got the fastest internet on the island. We pay 16,000 baht (~$500 US) plus 1,200 baht for internet.
Our kitchen is pictured below. “It looks like a healthy frat had a party and left their water bottles and egg cartons strewn about,” David Walsh.
A typical day goes a little something like this:
Wake and breakfast. 3-4 eggs and some pork belly (really thick bacon) pictured below.
Work for 1-2 hrs on our veranda. Clay’s developing a product and I’m working on several as well as setting up a publishing company. More to come on both of our projects later.
30 minutes in the gym using Clay’s awesome workout program. The gym is a dream for the ‘pump’. No shirts or shoes are required and you can grunt as much as you want.
Next is a delicious post-workout meal courtesy of Tik restaurant. We opt for the cashew nut and pork or sweet and sour pork. And it’s always accompanied by a big vegetable salad.
More work, often in New Heaven Cafe (which has the best coffee I’ve found on the island)
I go for a nap on the beach at some point in here.
More work and a quick look at the sunset
Dinner is normally a couple beef skewers from the lady right next to the 7-11 on the main road in Sairee beach.
Join friends for drinks/food or more work until bed.
Realities
It gets sweaty. Real sweaty. I sweat at least a little bit most of the day. Bring Icebreaker shirts.
Mosquitos love it here. They feed on drunk tourists all day long.
Mostly whiteys. If you’re looking for Thai culture this is not where you want to be.
I’ve never seen more people walking around with bandages for their injuries. People get injured on scouters, step on glass, and god knows what else.
Recommendations
Most people who stay longer term get scouters. They’re dirt cheap to rent but I’ve heard you have to be careful about scratching them or pay heavy fines.
The more passport stamps I accumulate, and the longer I spend abroad, the more questions I get from my ‘real-life’ friends as to how I’m able to make money while traveling. Some are just curious but a lot of them want to do it themselves.
So, here is what I’d do, if I were you, and I wanted to get started building a business that allowed me to do cool stuff (ie travel) all while working for myself.
Disclaimer: Is this lifestyle for you?
Although I’ve traveled quite a bit these last 2 years, I’m not on vacation. I most likely put in more hours of ‘work’ a week than you do. I’ve studied my butt off. In some ways I know more about marketing than I care to know. But of course, I do it because I want to. And everything I’m doing directly benefits me and my future businesses.
There have also been a lot of ups and downs. I’ve worried about how to pay rent a few times…then the next week I’ve booked a plane ticket out of the country.
Mixed in with all that hard work and some uncomfortable moments have been adventures like a 2000 mile bike trip and time spent living in 5 different countries.
Do you want to do this?
I’m going to make this stupidly simple. I’m over-simplifying for a reason. Because I believe it’s absolutely necessary that you spend money to get some basic business training. I could write up a whole free post but you wouldn’t value the advice as much as if you paid for it (this is simple human psychology). So if you’re looking for free advice, see ya later, maybe you’ll like some of my other posts.
For those still here, this is what I’d do if I were sitting in your position right now.
These are the exact instructions I’m giving my closest friends. This is pretty much a copy/paste email I’ve developed.
1. Get your mind right: There is no ‘making money on the internet’. You are running a business with virtual offices. End of story.
2. You do not need to be an expert to start a small (or large) business. Check out The Launch Coach, sign up for the mailing list, download the ‘Bigger Game’ worksheet and fill it out.
4. Go to MuseLife.com and read every single post. When David launches M6, buy it.
*Immediate Action Step 5.* Go to Chris Gilleabeu’s Empire Building Kit. Buy the product ASAP as he including free bonuses for fast acting customers. A) Chris is absolutely one of the most honest guys around B) I’ve been through the product and I can vouch that it works as advertised, C) There’s no better way to get started, D) I’ve talked to literally dozens of my friends about how I wish this product was around when I started 2 years ago, E) He includes a fair money back guarantee SO that means zero risk.
Awhile back I wrote a blog post about why information products are so cool and in it, I mentioned David Walsh’s Source Control. I’d like to mention it again here, and I’d also like to talk about Sam Carpenter’s Work The System.
I’ve been getting sick of spending time on things that I know don’t really add much to my life (ie. pointless internet browsing among others), and these books have forced me (because of their incredible logic) to start analyzing the ‘systems‘ in my business and in my life as well.
After devouring these resources countless times, I’m understanding how systematization can dramatically improve the quality of my life and business.
Here are just 2 examples of how my life has significantly improved because of these books.
Business Example
One of my biggest problems a couple months ago was customer support. I’d get several emails a day from people saying they had trouble downloading a product, or something related.
Not only was I using my time to answer the requests, but I was also worrying about it a lot. If I was away from the computer for several hours I got nervous that someone would send an email asking for help and there would be no one to answer their questions. Then they’d get mad and ask for a refund. I try to keep a high level of rapport with my customers.
I was thinking of hiring someone, but before I started that process, I decided to analyze the systems inherent in the email exchanges I had with customers. I quickly noticed 2 recurring themes:
Many people were having trouble opening the zip files. So I’d type something like: “Once your zip file has downloaded, just double click to open it. If for some reason your computer does not have a program to open a zip file, you can go to http://download.cnet.com and use any of the applications that come up when you search “free zip applications”.
A lot of people could download and open the zips but couldn’t read the PDF’s. So I’d always say, “If you don’t have a PDF reader on your computer, go to http://get.adobe.com/reader to download one for free.
99% of the time these 2 solutions solved the problem.
I decided to put these instructions on the download page. Within the hour, support emails just flat out stopped. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I got an email from someone saying they couldn’t open their files. Of course, I get support emails from time to time, but at this stage in my business, it’d be silly to hire someone to handle customer support when I spend less than 20 combined minutes on it each month.
As my business grows, I will undoubtedly find the need for a customer service person. That’s why every time I get an email, I document the problem in a folder and write the step-by-step procedures to solve it.
When someone is needed, I’ll be able to fill the position quickly and easily and I’m designing it so that even my mom could do the job - she’s retired and bored so she just might get hired.
I think Sam’s Work The System is so good that I’ll personally refund you your money if you don’t say ‘holy crap that’s genius’ at least 20 times while reading it. You’ll probably hit that mark within the first 100 pages or so.
In Sam’s book he recommends you write General Operating Principles for your business and personal life. “The General Operating Principles as the guidelines for decision making for your business or your job (pg. 134).”
I took Sam’s advice and wrote up a complete list of life principles (I have 19 total right now) - many of which I follow already and some of which I’d like to consciously work on.
Just a couple examples :
#1: I ‘live uncomfortably.’
#5: When I talk with others I am present, in the moment and not multi-tasking.
#6: I religiously document measurable systems in my life. I keep workout journals, and when I desire to lose fat, I keep food logs. I write down successes and failures in relationship management.
#11: I eat high protein and healthy fat foods, many vegetables, some fruits, and I restrict the amount of carbohydrates to enter my body.
The other day I was admiring my body in the mirror. Yes I admit it.
I thought to myself, “Wow, I can really shape up fast when I want to. I must have a good system in place for that.” And it’s true, when I want to get in shape, I can do it relatively quickly. But a problem of mine is once I start traveling or don’t have a gym pass, I can revert pretty quickly as well.
I figure that the system was good but flawed. So I went to work analyzing why it’s flawed. I realized that while shaping up I don’t allow myself to ‘relax’ and, thus, when I’m done with it, I go a little wild and eat stuff I shouldn’t and don’t exercise as much as I should.
So now, I’ve built into the system a ‘release’. I follow the 90% rule, meaning, 90% of my meals and workouts are completed, but 10% of the time I can do whatever or cheat. I added the ‘operating principle’: “I follow the 90% rule and I take time each week to ‘relax’ and not worry about the systems I have in place.”
This addition has made my long term health systems much more operable and realistic to my lifestyle.
Go watch David interview Sam on MuseLife.com and pick up a free copy of the digital version Work The System. Or if you want a hard copy go here on Amazon.com.
This last Wednesday was Sayulita Day here in Sayulita Mexico. In the morning there was a parade and in the evening we went to the carnival that’s been running this past week.
Here’s a short video showing some of my experiences there.
One of the best things that has come from creating the 007 Lifestyle was an invitation to a marketing syndicate for guys selling dating products. Even though I’m not trying to be player in the dating scene, it’s been the most incredible learning experience I could hope for. Some huge names in the seduction world - guys you’ve read about in ‘The Game‘ and guys who are pushing well over 20 G’s a month in sales have gathered to share their knowledge and insight.
One of those guys, Brad Jackson, sells a product that teaches guys how to use magic to pickup women. He calls it PUMA Skills (Pick Up Magic Artist). I kid you not. And his business is extremely successful - to the tune of 6 figures a year.
Brad’s site is a perfect example of the possibilities that are available to entrepreneurs online. He took two seemingly unrelated concepts, magic and attraction, and melded them together. It’s subtle genius and it’s worth a look for anyone wanting to create an online business.
You can check out his site and get a feel for his business model here: PUMAskills.com
I’ve posted up a *super-stereotypical-YouTube-minus-the-emo-haircut* video of myself doing a magic trick from Brad’s mastery course. It’s been raining a lot of in Mexico so I’ve had some time to practice my magic skills. I know I’m bad now, but I’m learning and it’s a ton of fun actually.
Thank you to everyone who reads my random writings here.
2009 was a good year for me:
Business
Started a business I can take with me anywhere.
Sold over 400 copies of the flagship product - 007 Lifestyle.
Teamed up with the expert in my niche, Paul Kyriazi. Sales and exposure continue to rise.
Got invited into an exclusive marketing syndicate where some of the best in the business discuss marketing tactics.
Travel & Personal
Biked the Pacific Coast of the USA.
Lived in Argentina, Colombia, San Francisco. Visited the East Coast of the USA for the first time.
This might sound stupid, but I got a six pack - for a month or two anyway. I’ll try to resurrect it in Mexico.
Learned a lot about myself blah, blah, confidence, blah.
I have a strong feeling that 2010 is going to be a huge year for me. These are my goals and dreams.
Business
Release 4 ebooks (1 every 3 months). Right now I’m working on the first: it’s an ebook related to communication influence principles. I’m drawing in part from my studies at UCLA and then real world experience (the marketing will make it sound a lot cooler when it’s done). Another one is currently in development by a friend.
Continue to expand the 007 Lifestyle and add a continuity program (monthly subscription) to the back-end.
By this time next year I want to be doing $8000 a month in online sales.
Travel & Personal
I’m almost done with the first draft of a book (that I will make hard copy & digital). It’s a memoir, travelogue, short novel, whatever you want to call it. This is a lot more personal than business related. I don’t expect it to be a major source of income.
Live in Mexico from early January to mid March. Continue working on Spanish, hopefully learn to surf, and get a tan.
Bike tour late spring and summer. I’d like to be on a bike touring across the States or Europe this summer. Every time I think about my bike tour down the Pacific coast I get a chubby, so I think I want to do that again.
Winter will find me somewhere working on music. Piano lessons, voice lessons, and writing to record sometime in 2011.
I checked email on my iPod Touch at a cozy coffee shop in Port Townsend, Washington. A customer wasn’t able to download the information product I had created and launched to the world a few weeks earlier.
I forwarded the email to my dad who had agreed to be my VA for a month. He was in front of his computer everyday so he didn’t mind. If I had read David Walsh’s Source Control at the time, I would have had someone in the Philippines available for $3.33 per hour to do it.
My VA (aka dad) took the pre-formatted email I had mocked up for this situation, and sent the customer his product. If the customer needed help opening the files, I had an email for that. If the customer had asked for a refund, I was prepared.
If you are not trying to create information products, then you are seriously missing out, SERIOUSLY. I don’t care who you are. We’re in an info-product gold rush right now.
What’s An Information Product?
An information product is any piece of knowledge that has been recorded and passed on to others. It can be in print, audio, or video format.
The main idea is that you’re taking something intangible - ie. the knowledge in your head - and turning it into something that’s beneficial for others.
Some of the most common information products are:
Print e-books
Special reports
Manuals and workbooks
Audio cassettes, CDs, or downloadable audio files
Videotapes and DVDs
Tele-seminars
Subscription-based web sites
The above story is just one reason why they’re great. Customer service is normally nominal. Most info products now-a-days are digital, so there’s no inventory to worry about. There’s a very low overhead in most cases - so you can be a one man show selling your info product.
Don’t I Need To Be An Expert Or Authority?
Absolutely not. I’ve talked about this before - here. So has The Launch Coach, Dave Navarro. You only have to be slightly ahead of people in your niche to provide them something of value.
The Best Part About Information Products
You make an information product and it makes you money for the REST OF YOUR LIFE.
You have some specialized knowledge. You know more than others in some area of your life or career. Make an information product for those who don’t know as much as you.
You don’t have to quit your job but you might need to donate an extra one or two hours every night for a couple of months to get it done (this is what a friend of mine is doing right now - I convinced him to write a fashion related ebook and he’s nearing completion as I write this).
Then you have something that makes you money for the REST OF YOUR LIFE. REST OF YOUR LIFE. REST OF YOUR LIFE. REST OF YOUR LIFE. REST OF YOUR LIFE. REST OF YOUR LIFE.
Is It Easy To Make An Information Product?
No, no it’s not. But just GET STARTED. Please.
Will My Information Product Make Me Rich?
No, it probably wont.
But if you make enough of them it will.
And, if you make enough of them, you can support your digital nomad lifestyle, if that’s what you want. Or it will help you pay some bills. Or start a business. Or whatever else money can do for you.
The Colombians that are in nice clubs (ones with cover charges) are upper class. They have money or their families do.
So when I set out to go to one of the nicest clubs in the capital city, Bogota, I knew I was going to be interacting with a different class of Colombian. Especially when I was paying the equivalent of $25 US dollars just to get in the door, an astronomical sum by Colombian terms.
This time I was accompanied by 3 Australian guys from the hostel. I thought I stood out. All of them were over 6 foot tall, blonde, and absolutely huge. It’s an understatement to say that when I went out with them over the course of a week, we got noticed.
The club was on the 40th floor of a high rise building and had views of the whole city. Once again I found myself on the dance floor. This time there was no salsa but electronic music. The coked-up Aussies (which is almost redundant) weren’t fans of salsa so we were frequenting electronic clubs.
Early in the night I approached a couple different groups of girls without much luck. These upper class girls weren’t curious about my white skin. They’d been there, seen that. But that’s a weak excuse because I seemed to be only one having problems. The tallest and blondest Aussie was dancing real close to a girl behind me. Her friends, one guy, and one girl were watching closely.
The guy was the oldest one in the club. Over 50 and wearing a very nice leather jacket. The girls he was with were in their young 20’s and beautiful. Something didn’t connect.
Like an idiot I thought, “Hey I’ll help my friend and try to distract the other two so he’s got some time to work his magic.” They were hovering around the Aussie and he needed the space.
I tried to start a conversation with the girl and even tried to include the older guy in it. He was not pleased.
In a very relaxed tone, he looked me straight in the eyes and said, “I will fucking have you killed.”
This type of threat normally wouldn’t scare me that much. Especially if I was in the States. But there were all kinds of red flags here that really got to me.
First of all this guy appeared to be a baller - nice clothing, young beautiful girls, in an expensive club. Second, he said, ‘have you killed’ implying he wouldn’t need to do it himself. He had the means to hire someone to do it for him. Lastly, there’s all types of negative stereotypes to overcome from my childhood. Was this guy a Colombian drug dealer?
That’s the second time my life was threatened in Colombia and the one I remember most.
Bonus Story
So now I’m freaked out but something I struggle with is learning my lesson.
Later, in one of the chill-out areas of the club, I notice one of the other Aussies. I throw the word ‘beautiful’ around a lot but in my humble opinion he was talking to two of the hottest girls I’d seen in Colombia. That says A LOT.
I decided he needed some help. From my angle it looked like he was losing the interest of one of them and I didn’t want a cock-block scenario to take place. I walked over, patted the Aussie on the back and weaseled my way in.
The disinterested friend suddenly seemed to become very interested - interested in me. Her eyes lit up as I spoke Spanish to her. She wasn’t understanding the Aussie’s conversation with her friend.
We began talking about salsa and how much I enjoyed it. She asked me about a couple variations of the dance that I’d never heard of.
One of the most awesome moments of my life ensued. A Colombian girl that could easily have been a model told me to place my hands on her hips as she demonstrated the subtle differences in salsa dances.
I’m staying in Bogota forever!
And then he came back. He was at least 6′5 and 250 pounds of muscle. She introduced me to him and said he was from Mexico. She didn’t say boyfriend, but I got the feeling.
I tried my best to not seem intimidated. I started speaking to him Spanish and pointed out a Mexican flag pin he was wearing on his shirt. I reached up and touched it! I touched his Mexican flag pin.
He looked down slowly at my finger on him and then stared at me.
“You don’t have to speak Spanish bro. I speak English.”
He grabbed two flowers from a display case behind us, handed them to the girls, and then dragged both them away from the Aussie and me.
I think Sam’s Work The System is so good that I’ll personally refund you your money if you don’t say ‘holy crap that’s genius’ at least 20 times while reading it. You’ll probably hit that mark within the first 100 pages or so.
