I’ve been wanting to share a lot more here about the people and stories I find truly fascinating and inspiring, and first on that list is someone very unique that I’d like to shine a spotlight on:

• When we were organizing events together in Bangkok, he proved it was possible to do good and have a blast at the same time.
• He showed me the secret recipe for absolute guaranteed happiness as we volunteered with children throughout Thailand.
• He has written here to show us how to be an unconventional giver, and he leads by example.

My best friend up in Bangkok, and fellow DNA student—Dwight Turner—is the crazy changemaker behind the grassroots volunteer organization In Search of Sanuk. He is an inspirational and unique character in the strange chaotic melting pot that is Southeast Asia. His love for others, and his dedication to helping children and families in need shines brilliantly in the darkness. If you’ve been following me here at Thrilling Heroics for long, you will have seen his name before, but somebody with some skill finally picked up a video camera and followed him around Bangkok to get a real tactile feel for what he’s doing to make this little corner of the world a better place, working hard to help urban refugees in Thailand:

I’ll let this quick 4-minute documentary speak for itself, so watch it. If the video doesn’t appear for you, click here to watch it. It’s only a few moments of your time, and I promise it will be well spent.

To me, Dwight is a shining example of the entrepreneurs—or social inventors—who are creating new realities that will shape the next century. He’s a selfless, hard-working, global citizen who genuinely cares about making the world a better place, and people like him are doing it, a little bit at a time.

If this short documentary has you inspired, then find out more about Dwight’s project and begin your unconventional giving by donating today. Give just a few dollars, a small sum that could very well have a major impact on the lives of an underprivileged family living in poverty.

Dwight is just the first of many incredible social inventors and changemakers who I hope to highlight here in 2012… But  Bangkok certainly wouldn’t be the same without him.

Read the original article on Thrilling Heroics here: The Young Social Entrepreneur Shaping the Future Helping At Risk Families in Bangkok

So our next Tweetup is scheduled for a SATURDAY this month to coincide with Bangkok’s first TED-related event, next weekend, February 13th.

The owners of Q Bar Bangkok have been kind enough to collaborate with us to make donations to Red Cross Thailand to support victims of the recent Haiti earthquakes, and they’re optimistic that we’ll raise about 100k Baht!

This promises to be one of Bangkok’s craziest parties this year.

Come mix with awesome international speakers and attendees of this exciting technology/entertainment/design conference, ring in the Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day, and help raise funds for Red Cross. Get there before 11pm for a special deal and you’ll get in for just 300 Baht (including 1 drink and 100 Baht donation .

Haiti Needs your help!

On Saturday, February 13th, Q Bar Bangkok in association with the International Red Cross will be holding a benefit to help support the hundreds of thousands of Haitian citizens whose lives have been affected by the disastrous impact of a 7.0 Earthquake. The International Red Cross Association will ensure that funds raised will go directly to those in need.

As many of us now know from various news feeds, the death toll for this catastrophic event may reach into the 100,000’s. The number of lives impacted through loss of homes, lands, jobs, and ensuing disease that could potentially wipe out everyone on this small island considered one of the poorest nations in the world.

Food and water and medical supplies are running short on the island and the situation there is “increasingly horrendous” Help is needed as this is a catastrophe for the Western Hemisphere’s poorest nation.

Now is the time, for those of us fortunate enough to still have homes, food, and water, to act. Much like Q Bar did back in 2004 to support victims of the tsunami, and 2008 to help the Burmese after the cyclone devastated Laos. Q Bar Bangkok would like to help raise funds and awareness for this crisis.

We will donate 200 Baht per paid entrance to help support the IRCA efforts.

In addition, guests are encouraged to make an additional personal donation into our Red Cross box and EVERY BOTTLE OF GREY GOOSE SOLD 50 Baht will be donated to the cause! Come join us and party for a cause on Saturday, Feb 13th.

800 Baht entrance includes 2 complimentary drinks (200 Baht as well as additional support goes direct to the Red Cross)

For More Info: http://www.redcross.org

Q Bar Bangkok
#34 Sukhumvit Soi 11
Klongtoey, Bangkok 10110
Tel: +(662)252-3274

Read the original article on Thrilling Heroics here: Valentine’s Tweetup / Love Haiti Relief Party / TEDx Afterparty at Q Bar Saturday February 13th

Feature photo © TEDx BKK & Aloha Lavina.

If you travel in certain circles, you definitely know what TED is. If you aren’t familiar with it, TED is a nonprofit foundation best known for its conferences which focus on Technology, Entertainment, and Design, first held in Monterey, California, in 1990. Curated by former publisher Chris Anderson, TED’s popularity soared and it quickly spread to Europe, Asia, and around the world, hosting high-profile speakers including Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Gordon Brown, Bill Gates, John Doerr, Muhammad Yunus, and Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page.

TED is all about “ideas worth spreading”—it has a wide interest in science and culture and has opened my eyes about a range of things including black holes, how we’re affected by the sounds around us, unconventional design inspired by nature, how nations can use “soft” power, when China and India will overtake the West, new ways to think about philanthropic aid, and post-crash consumerism. TED believes strongly in the power of ideas to change minds, lives, and ultimately the world. TED Talks offer free knowledge and inspiration from the world’s most inspired thinkers, and the conference gives curious souls a platform to engage with ideas and each other.

Rob Newberry speaking at TEDIndia University

Photo by James Duncan Davidson.

It has always been one of my dreams to attend or speak at a TED conference, which is where TEDx comes in—a new program that enables local communities, schools, businesses, libraries, and other groups to organize, design and host their own independent, TED-licensed events. My colleague Rob Newberry spoke at TEDIndia University in late 2009 and holds the first Bangkok TEDx license, so I was excited to get involved with the TEDx organizing committee to bring this open exchange of ideas to Thailand for the first time!

TEDx BKK will be held on Saturday, February 13th, at Ruamrudee International School in Bangkok. Thailand’s first TED-related conference encourages attendees to bring “Minds Wide Open” and will be a platform for sharing ideas openly. All who attend are guaranteed to go home feeling inspired!

We will feature the former Bangkok governor and advisor to the Thai Prime Minister Apirak Kosayodhin, social innovator Brooke Estin who works with Kiva.org and ChangeFusion, Gap Adventures founder Bruce Poon-Tip, actor James With, Prezi community manager Zoltan Radnai, dive journalist Chris Mitchell, and many more captivating speakers. If you’re interested to hear these profound speakers and interact with others who share your passion for ideas, take a look today:

• Learn more about TEDx BKK
• See our confirmed speaker list for our 2010 event
• Apply to attend the conference
• Follow event developments on Twitter and Facebook

Application deadline is January 31, 2010

That’s only 10 days from now, so get your applications in if you’re in Bangkok and you’re interested to attend this one-of-a-kind event!

I’ll leave you with this video: one of my favorite TED Talks so far: Stefan Sagmeister discusses how a sabbatical can help rejuvenate your creativity.

###

Love Haiti Charity Party

Saturday the 13th will also coincide with the next Bangkok Tweetup which is set for February. Nothing official yet, but word on the street is that the BKKtweetup will be co-hosting a charity mixer with QBar Bangkok to raise money for earthquake victims in Haiti. So, even if you can’t make it to the conference, if you want to rub shoulders afterwards with some speakers, meet others from around Bangkok, and help raise proceeds for Haiti, come find us there from 8–11pm Saturday, February 13th.

Read the original article on Thrilling Heroics here: Minds Wide Open at Thailand’s First TEDx Event

Hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas & New Year celebration!

We’re back for 2010′s first kick-back tweetup!

THIS Friday, January 8th join us at 8pm again at Moddy Restaurant & Art Gallery near Ari BTS.

Come early because we’ll have cheap Singha beer on draft for just 80 Baht, and Moddy will donate about 70% of that to charity!

We’re looking forward to having some REALLY cool freakin’ people from around the world this week, so it should be good. See ya there!

Moddy is located on Ari Soi 4 North, a 5-10min walk from the BTS. See the map below.

Tweet it! Using #bkktweetup and see you there!

Read the original article on Thrilling Heroics here: Happy New Year Tweetup this Friday in Ari!

Feature photo by chanchan222

For readers from the States, I wish you a happy Thanksgiving! A few months ago, I was thinking about all the individuals who have helped shape the course of my life and the person I am today. I’ve been extremely fortunate to have the guidance of some brilliant minds and to surround myself with motivated, creative, innovative people.

They say your character and your achievements are influenced most by the people you surround yourself with. There have even been studies that show your income bracket is likely to be equal to the average of that of your five closest friends. So who are you surrounding yourself with?

Today I wanted to share my gratitude to my many teachers, mentors, role models, and friends who have influenced my life and given me their support. It’s important to acknowledge those who help foster your abilities and empower you to pursue the life you want.

Alec Hodgins

A French Canadian who taught English in France for years and then migrated to the US to teach French! I was lucky to be in his class for three years in high school. Alec was the most influential teacher I ever had in school, always advocating the unconventional path. He was the one who inspired my fascination with world cultures, languages, and travel. My first travel abroad was on a class trip with him to Cannes & Paris, France, and he first got me drooling over photos of Thailand when he took his wife and son there in 2000.

Lesson learned: You don’t have to color inside the lines all the time.

Alan Haynes

My photography teacher in high school, again for three years. In another life, I was a professional photographer (now it’s mostly a hobby, but I have a travel photo site coming soon). Alan connected me with my very first job, working in a darkroom, and showed me that it was possible to earn a great living if you split your time as an artist and as a teacher, to pass on your craft to the next generation.

Lesson learned: It’s okay to pursue your creative passion professionally.

Nicole Pefley

I met Nicole in middle school and our paths have intertwined ever since. She’s been a two-time Coachellian with me, we have a shared love for travel, French, music, and other assorted weird experiences. After high school, she lived in Paris for many months, and then spent a year studying in Brazil, so she was a great example for me to follow when I chose to live abroad for a while. Recently, she’s followed in Alec Hodgins footsteps and began teaching French at our old high school.

Lesson learned: We’ve both found you really can be a drifter for a few years after school, explore your interests, and eventually land on your feet.

Ramit Sethi

I’ve mentioned Ramit a few times recently. He was the first big blogger I reached out to when I started building my online presence in 2006, and I found out we’re from the same town! He’s a perfect role model for gen-y bloggers and entrepreneurs—he’s a year older than me, a graduate of Stanford University, and a successful tech startup co-founder. He’s worked with bigshots like Seth Godin and eBay founder Pierre Omidyar, and now he’s a New York Times bestselling author!

Lesson learned: Nobody’s going to give you handout. But there’s no harm in asking for what you want.

Jeffrey Skoll

Jeff Skoll was the first president of eBay and founder of movie production company Participant Media (responsible for bringing An Inconvenient Truth to the world). He’s been an active voice at Stanford’s Center for Social Innovation, and took his wealth from his success at eBay to become a philanthropist and support innovative entrepreneurship and social change with the Skoll Foundation. I’ve never spoken to Jeff, but he has always served as a great social entrepreneur role model for me.

Lesson learned: You can make a damn good living and make a difference at the same time.

Warren Buffett

The “Oracle of Omaha” is known around the world as one of the world’s most talented investors and money managers, the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway and the richest person in the world (up until 2008, worth about $62 billion). Buffett started out with the money he earned as a newspaper boy to buy his first assets, and despite his now immense fortune, he still lives in a home he purchased for $50K in the 1950s and embraces a frugal lifestyle. In 2006, I had the opportunity to meet him briefly, just weeks after his announcement that he’d be giving away 85 percent of his fortune to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Lesson learned: If the wealthiest investor & philanthropist in the world grew his business from just a few dollars from his paper route, you can too.

Rajesh Setty

I connected with Raj through his blog Life Beyond Code in my early days of blogging. As a serial entrepreneur, he tends to be involved as a co-founder, investor, or board member in about eight companies at any given time. He shares his wealth of business experience and motivational wisdom through his blog, Twitter, speaking engagements, and his books, and he was a huge influence on me when I first started my freelance side business which later grew into Thrilling Heroics Consulting.

Lesson learned: Business isn’t about a product, it’s about the people you work with, the relationships you build, and the dedication you show to your customer.

Timothy Ferriss

My interest in coming to Southeast Asia was fueled by reading Tim Ferriss’ inspiring NYT Bestseller The 4 Hour Workweek. Ferriss noted that Thailand and Argentina were two of the world’s best remaining destinations where Americans can easily stretch their dollar, and that if you spend the time to build a business that you can run from anywhere, you can easily leverage the idea of geo-arbitrage—earning in a strong currency while you live somewhere with a low cost-of-living. Though I’ve never met Tim, his ideas and experiments have certainly influenced a lot of my business decisions since reading his book!

Lesson learned: You don’t have to wait until retirement to create the lifestyle of your dreams. Also, nobody ever said you have to follow the rules.

Jacqueline Novogratz

Founder & CEO of Acumen Fund, a nonprofit venture fund that invests philanthropic capital and trains the next generation of business leaders in South Asia and East Africa to build thriving businesses focused on delivering affordable healthcare, water, housing and energy to the poor. She delivers a few incredibly pursuasive TED Talks and is a shining example of some of the social entrepreneurs that are trying to lead social progress for the developing world. (Side note: Jacqueline is married to TED‘s founder Chris Anderson, another inspirational figure who has proven that that ideas can change the world. I’m excited to bring Chris’ vision to Thailand in Febraury with TEDx BKK!)

Lesson learned: Entrepreneurial approaches can be applied to solve the problems of global poverty.

Matt Mullenweg

At just 25-years-old, Matt Mullenweg has developed a company that is changing the way businesses interact with their clients online. His company created the WordPress blog platform, which makes it easy for anyone to get started publishing online, and which is what I have built my two businesses around—Thrilling Heroics Consulting and FreelanceWP—to help make online publishing more accessible to everyone and help innovators and changemakers spread their message to the world. Matt is a huge advocate of open-source development, which is making great software more quickly and easily possible, and transforming how we think about ownership.

Lesson learned: Share your best ideas with the world freely to empower the largest possible community, and it will come back to you many-fold.

Paul Dickey

Paul joined E*Trade after high school and became senior internal auditor, working around the world and overseeing a team of employees with advanced degrees. We met in college when he returned to get his own Bachelor’s degree, lived together for nearly a year, and traveled to Spain together with friends. Paul led a campaign to implement leadership studies at Sac State, was president of several student organizations, and together we attended many entrepreneurship conferences, organized monthly Saturday art walks in Sacramento, launched the U.S.’ fourth university Toastmasters chapter, and networked with tons of other entrepreneurs. He’s got a few business plans laid out, a submission with the patent office, and real estate property.

Lesson learned: Set your life goals and manage your time appropriately, and you can maximize your involvement in different entrepreneurial opportunities to guarantee your success.

Chris Guillebeau

After Tim Ferriss, Chris Guillebeau has perhaps been the most influential writer encouraging the masses to think differently and pursue unconventional, remarkable lifestyles. Chris is on a mission to travel to every country in the world (he’s already visited 122), and since starting his blog The Art of Nonconformity a little under 2 years ago, he has managed to create a full-time income for himself just from his writing projects. He even has great tips on how to travel to rogue states and “off-limits” places like Iraq, Afghanistan, Burma, Libya, Syria, Zimbabwe, Cuba, Iran, Sudan, and North Korea. I got the chance to meet him on his way through Bangkok in February, and have often been inspired by his thoughts on entrepreneurship, success, and changing the world.

Lesson learned: You really can go anywhere you want, and create your own wealth along the way.

Dwight Turner

Dwight and I met briefly in college. When I learned he had taught for a year in Thailand, we became fast friends and eventually both ended up back in Bangkok together. Dwight’s In Search Of Sanuk is a grassroots charity organization that makes it easy for anyone to contribute their time or donations to make a difference for orphans and refugees here in Thailand. He housed me when I first moved out here, has supported me through a lot of the challenges of getting used to expat/entrepreneur life, and together we’ve done a lot of traveling, volunteering, and bringing cool people from different walks of life together for the monthly Bangkok Tweetup, charity mixers, and other social events.

Lesson learned: It’s easier than you might think to mobilize a community to create social change.

Vanessa Rubin

An incredible young woman I was lucky to meet this year here in Bangkok—Vanessa is an aid worker who has spent nearly a decade working on humanitarian projects (frequently as a food & hunger advisor) in places like Nepal, Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, & Bangladesh—she’s full of life, an avid rock climber, and earlier this year she was filmed for the BBC’s TV series Extreme Dreams on an expedition to scale Mount Chimborazo in Ecuador. She came to Thailand to review progress made by Care International since the 2004 tsunami.

Lesson learned: Always reach for new heights and seek ways to improve the lives of others, but never neglect yourself either.

Larry McKibben

My dad has been the biggest supporter of my unconventional entrepreneur & digital nomad lifestyle. Though I’ve made plenty of mistakes along the way, he has often been the one to encourage me and give me the pep-talk I need. Although he didn’t finish his college degree the first time around, he has had an extremely successful twenty-year career in retail sales and training and quickly worked his way to earning an envy-inducing salary. He’s always been dedicated to his family and a great example of a hard worker.

Lesson learned: With enough dedication, you don’t have to let perceived barriers-to-entry prevent you from being successful.

So who are the teachers that had the most impact on you? Who are your mentors? What supportive friends and role models are you thankful for?

Read the original article on Thrilling Heroics here: Show Thanks For Your Teachers, Mentors & Role Models

On November 6, Bangkok’s Twitterati gave us yet another fabulous meetup. Thanks to all of you, more than 50 or 60 people were in attendance and we raised a total of 4,700 Baht for charity! Special thanks go to Lub D hostel for providing us with a great venue and making a wonderful night possible.

We set the bar sales record for the second time—20% of all drink purchases were contributed to In Search of Sanuk, and we collected donations from individuals throughout the night to support ISOS’s various charity projects around Bangkok. On behalf of In Search of Sanuk, I would like to thank all of you for your generosity.

December’s Tweetup will be held on the first Friday, Friday the 4th. It’s coming up fast! We will announce the location in the coming weeks. Don’t forget to mark it on your calendar!

Read the original article on Thrilling Heroics here: A Review of November’s BKKtweetup

Our Bangkok Tweetup last Friday night was a great success at Moddy Restaurant & Gallery in Ari. Special thanks to famed local artist Chalit for hosting us in his beautiful two-story art gallery. Probably about 60 or so beautiful faces rolled through to say hello throughout the evening and we raised over 8000 Baht for In Search Of Sanuk charity projects. Thanks everyone!

Here’s just a partial list of the great Bangkok folks who came out to support our cause this month:

@ryan_lei (Thanks for helping set up!)
@codymckibb
@bkkgreg
@saksith (Safe travels back home to Germany)
@InSearchOfSanuk
@ruthmantle
@MyEggNoodles (who runs an awesome blog)
@ShawnMRill
@Chutchapol
@RobInThailand
@underexpose
@thanr
@pradt
@smurfpat (Thank you for a super-generous donation!)
@siamese_kitten
@nalincredible
@migrationology
@jbruner42
@richardescobar
@dragonredrose

Stay tuned for details on the next @BKKtweetup, tentatively scheduled for Friday, November 6th.

Read the original article on Thrilling Heroics here: Awesome Turnout for October’s Artsy BKKtweetup!

My friend Dwight is slowly convincing me that I’m a philanthropist.

I’ve talked before about the impact Dwight Turner is making in Bangkok—making it easy for people to volunteer and contribute to charitable causes in Thailand. We have gone to hand out food to the homeless near Democracy Monument here in Bangkok, we’ve taken the great kids at Chonburi Children’s Center to the beach, we’ve volunteered with the infants and toddlers at Friends For All Children (F.F.A.C.) nursery, we’ve held events to raise money for an urban garden installation project here in Bangkok and for medical aide for refugees. Dwight’s hard work has even earned him the attention of CNN’s new local Asia site.

I’ve met incredible people with touching stories. I’ve made incredible friends with some of the other volunteers.

To commemorate September 11th this year, In Search of Sanuk hosted Bangkok’s Twestival celebration. Twestival is a Twitter-inspired social event where attendees can meet other Twitter users (much like our monthly Bangkok Tweetup), but also be a part of a global awareness and fundraising campaign for charitable causes around the world. We raised money for two orphanages near the Burmese border—Baan Unrak and Baan Dada.

The event was spectacular. Over 350 people came out to party on the Fraser Suites’ poolside rooftop bar and support our cause. People recorded and shared our social media-powered event live. We raised over $2400 US, which can go a long way in Southeast Asia. The founders of Digital Democracy even showed up to interview volunteers Jen, Danielle, and myself about emerging technologies in Thailand and about how the global Twitter event was helping make a social change:

So here’s the secret: Some of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had have been volunteering with children throughout Thailand.

A few days after the event successfully wrapped, Dwight and I took a 7-hour van ride to hand-deliver donations and visit the two children’s homes with our travel buddies Mark, Joel and Agnes.

Baan Unrak and Baan Dada educate and empower orphaned or otherwise impoverished kids—not only Thais but also Karen and Mon refugees who’ve been driven from their homes and persecuted by the Burmese military dictatorship. The children are instructed in playing musical instruments, sewing, fixing motorbikes, art, languages and technical skills. They’re taught to respect all people, creatures, religion and to practice vegetarianism. The homes also provide jobs for refugees and local families who help care for the children, assist with farming, construction and weaving projects.

Hanging out with kids like these is a transformative experience. They are some of the poorest people in the world, often living in crummy conditions, many have lost their families, yet they are the most cheerful and gracious little people you’ll ever meet.

Words cannot describe, so I’ll let this video do the job for me. This is a montage of many of the great kids I’ve had the opportunity to share time with while helping out at Baan Dada, Baan Unrak, F.F.A.C., Chonburi Center, and more.

Whatever you do, watch this video:

Spending time with children in need will change your life. Once you begin to understand the loss some of them have experienced, the disadvantage they are at—and yet they still exude love—it should cause you to reevaluate how you look at your own life. You can’t help but smile around some of these kids.

The only activity I’ve found yet that is guaranteed to keep a smile on my face.

Find children in need (they are everywhere, unfortunately). Go and give generously with your time and any other resources you can share.

—

This message is dedicated to a gracious, playful little tyke who lost his life way before his time. Ali Baba lost a battle with disease on Thursday, September 17th, just two days after we said goodbye to him and the other children at Baan Dada. The loss was unbearable and affected a lot of us. Rest in peace, friend.

Ali Baba

If you’d like to make a donation on his behalf, the home is building a new medical clinic and needs your help. You can sponsor a child’s food and healthcare needs for three months for only $187. Donate to Baan Dada.

Read the original article on Thrilling Heroics here: My Secret Recipe for 100% Guaranteed Happiness

Last week I told you about my big announcement! I’m working with Dwight Turner to promote fun-raising events around Bangkok, and my business will now be donating 5% of all profits to In Search Of Sanuk charity projects in and around Thailand.

Bangkok Tweetups

Well this weekend, we had another great event to promote a charity cause here in Bangkok: our July Tweetup attracted about 30 or so great folks from Twitter, Facebook & Couchsurfing. We had some tasty Thai food from a local street vendor, knocked back a few beers, talked about everything from design to microphilanthropy, and contributed a percentage of the bill to Dwight’s Urban Garden Project.

For those of you in Bangkok, or any travelers who plan to pop in for a visit in the upcoming months, make sure you check out our new site BangkokTweetup.com for ongoing info about our monthly Tweetups and other fun events around town (or follow us on Twitter @BKKtweetup).

“How to Live an Adventurous Life” telecall with Cath Duncan

Additionally, I had a fantastic call with Cath Duncan from Mine Your Resources last Thursday. I was quite nervous for the call, but Cath is an expert interviewer. She had some incredible questions and we ended up having a really great, in-depth chat. I think a lot of the questions & answers will be useful for anyone who’s interested in travel, lifestyle design, social media, building a mission business, and giving back. It was pretty much the most thorough discussion I’ve ever had on my whole life-work philosophy and I was quite proud with it. Cath has the recording available for free on her teleconference page here (look under “Recordings of Past Teleseminars”), and I’ll also make a direct download available to my newsletter subscribers soon.

Video interview on living nomadically in Thailand with John Bardos

I also had a really fun discussion with John Bardos recently, from JetSetCitizen.com. John is originally from Canada, but he’s been living an expat life in Japan for the last 12 years. He had some fun questions about life in Thailand, location independence, and freelancing for me. Check out the short video on his blog. Sorry for my slow connection, the video’s just a a little choppy but John did a fantastic job cleaning it up and polishing it! (Also check out a fantastic, underrated interview with John on the Viralogy blog not long ago!)

My Coachella Music Festival project

One last personal project I’d like to point your attention to is my new concert site. For anyone interested in outdoor concerts and music festivals, I think you’ll find this interesting. I’ve been going to the annual Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in the desert in Southern California for the last three years. This year’s headliners were Paul McCartney, The Killers, M.I.A., The Cure, Morrissey, Franz Ferdinand, Thievery Corporation, and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. HellaCoachella.com aggregates news, photos and videos from the concert. If anyone is in California or plans on attending next year, keep in touch with me since I plan on returning yearly for the festival.

Later this week

I’ll be back soon with a review of Randy Komisar’s Monk and the Riddle, which I just finished. Fantastic book about life as a Silicon Valley venture capitalist, and the real secret to successful business.

Read the original article on Thrilling Heroics here: My July Projects +2 Free Interview Recordings

Making a difference and having fun don’t have to be mutually exclusive.

Today I’d like to highlight someone who’s definitely living a thrilling life—making a huge difference in the world and serving a great example of how to choose the path less taken. Dwight Turner is a close friend whose passion is to help the less fortunate in any way he can, and he runs an organization here in Thailand called In Search Of Sanuk, where he promotes worthwhile humanitarian causes.

Sanuk is a Thai word roughly translated as fun or enjoyment. Sanuk, however, is much more. This value permeates Thai society giving people a jovial, lighthearted outlook on life. We combine this aspect of Thai culture with our goals to help needy people. To us, sanuk is a lifestyle. This lighthearted outlook naturally translates to those we’re trying to reach and becomes a powerful mechanism of hope and healing for all involved.

Dwight worked as an English teacher in Thailand for about two years off-and-on, and he was my only contact in Thailand when I first came out to Asia in 2008. We currently both live in central Bangkok, and Dwight spends the majority of his time promoting good causes and organizing mixers and fundraising events to raise money for charity projects around Bangkok and throughout the region. I do my best to help him promote his events, but he’s the mastermind—the real passion and drive to create change around here. He has worked with Burmese migrants, Balinese orphans, refugees, and much more. He’s the real deal.

Doing Good and Having a Blast at the Same Time

Together, Dwight and I host monthly Bangkok Tweetups—tech-centric Twitter meetups for charity. People get together to have some dinner and a few beers, meet interesting new folks (expats and locals) from around Bangkok, and a portion of what they spend on food & drinks goes to support In Search Of Sanuk projects in Thailand.

Ryan, Dwight & the Lub D staff

To recognize World Refugee Day on June 20th, Dwight hosted a Taste of Sri Lanka dinner at the Lub D hostel, attracting people from our Tweetups, from Facebook, and Couchsurfing. Everyone mixed and mingled, had some delicious food cooked by Tuan, the cook at the local refugee center, and proceeds went to support the medical needs of asylum seeking refugees.

And just recently, along with the good folks at Green Networking Days Bangkok, Dwight co-hosted a huge nightclub event at Fraser Suites called LUSH, Bangkok’s Green Night Out. There were over 250 people in attendance at this spectacular upscale rooftop bar, everyone danced and drank and enjoyed the DJ music, and we were able to raise 35,000 Baht (over $1000 US) for In Search Of Sanuk’s Urban Garden Project to put vegetable gardens in the Bangkok Refugee Center and slums.

Cody, Pom & Mint at LUSH

ISOS’ events allow people (especially young people and travelers) to do things they’d already want to do—get together with friends, go out dancing, grab dinner and drinks, or attend music & art events—and easily contribute to making a positive difference at the same time. I think this is a world-changing idea, and I know Dwight will leave a big impact on the world.

I’m sure there are people doing this elsewhere, but I’ve never witnessed someone so dedicated to empowering others to make a change. I’m excited that my lifestyle gives me the time to invest in travel, hanging out with friends like Dwight, and participating in good causes.

Announcement: My Charity Commitment

For a long time, I wanted to contribute to something like 1% for the Planet, Kiva.org, or local charities. When I visited Cambodia, I really felt compelled to contribute to causes in this region. One day I realized, ‘Hey I know Dwight personally, I trust him, and he’s committed his life to doing good for others!’ So I decided to work more closely with him. We’re making plans to travel to neighboring countries across Southeast Asia every three months and volunteer for good causes wherever we go. And starting this week, 5% of my business profits will go toward ISOS projects. Anyone who signs up for my consulting and services will help us make a difference.

Improving a Broken System

Sadly, the state of philanthropy and volunteerism in Thailand is pretty convoluted and decentralized. Dwight works painstakingly to get non-profit organizations and NGOs throughout Thailand collaborating with each other and to turn volunteer opportunities into something more organized than they already are, so that people can more easily contribute and make a difference.

When I’m in the US, watching mainstream media, it feels like there is a 24-hour-a-day bad news feed directly into your brain. There is the war in the Middle East, the ongoing argument over global warming, shrinking resources and a growing population. Watching the news makes people afraid and helpless. In the face of this negative hype, I think most folks tend to retreat from the “real world.” We look for ways to escape (me included): You go see the new Terminator movie. You go get a drink downtown with your friends. You play online games for hours on end. You do your job, you go home… But we ignore the genocide, hunger and poverty going on around the world. We even stay selectively ignorant about the issues in our own backyard. Like Dwight says in a recent post, maybe we are Over Entertained and Under Challenged:

Consider what avenues exist to discuss helping the less fortunate or marginalized in your community. What are they? Are you a part of the discussion? I fear so few of us are not even having these discussions. When they do occur, it happens in niches so isolated that they’re inaccessible to both other groups having similar discussions or people who are not members of these segmented communities.

It’s my passion to change this where I can.

LUSH mixer at Fraser Suites, Bangkok

In Search Of Sanuk makes it easy for anyone to get involved and support good causes by making it fun! If you want to volunteer, Dwight makes it easy, but if you want to make contributions without having to go out of your way or spend a lot of money, we also host mixer parties, art shows, donation drives, and other fun events in Bangkok to raise money (and awareness) for local charity projects. If you’re not in this part of the world, you can still show support by following the ISOS blog, connecting with Dwight on Twitter, signing up for our services, and helping us spread the word.

Dwight is a shining example that you can have fun and make a difference at the same time! He’s a selfless, hard-working guy who genuinely cares about making the world a better place. He understands that not everybody is able to or willing to make the same commitment, so he does his best to enable others to contribute in simple and fun ways. Bangkok wouldn’t be the same without him.

Photos by Sascha Steinhoff.

Read the original article on Thrilling Heroics here: Having Fun and Making a Difference

Let’s have a real follow Friday! Follow InSearchOfSanuk.com and a host of Bangkok peeps to Buongiorno Coffee & Wine Bar on Friday May 15th! It’s a small, but cozy place. So be prepared to kick back and inaugurate the weekend with your favorite group of people you’ve never met!

What: Bangkok Charity Tweet-Up

When: 7pm Friday, May 15th, 2009

Where: Buongiorno Coffee & Wine Bar

The place is located on Ratchawithi Soi 2, a 15 minute walk from the BTS. Exit 3 or 4 on the BTS and take the skywalk towards the monument. When it forks go right, and go down the steps in front of the Fashion Mall (across from Center One). Follow the street to soi 2 and walk down the soi and underneath the expressway, continuing until you see the restaurant on the left side.View Map

A portion of what we eat and drink will be donated to the BKK Urban Garden Project!

Read the original article on Thrilling Heroics here: The Second Bangkok Tweetup for Charity – Coming May 15

UPDATE May 14: The winning participant is reader Daniel Hoang—Investor, Lifehacker, Technologist, Analyst, Careerist! Daniel, I’ll be in touch with you via Twitter/email soon and we can arrange a time for your free 1-on-1 consulting call. Thanks to everyone who submitted an entry!

UPDATE May 10: This contest is now closed. The winner will be announced via Twitter & the blog soon. Thanks to all for your participation.

I’ve been back in the States for a few weeks this month—my only brief trip home this year—and it’s been a lot of fun catching up with friends and going to the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in the Southern California desert. But I had very mixed feelings about coming back to the U.S. right now, and my visit has been a little bittersweet.

The U.S. has been hit hard by a down economy, and California is showing visible signs of the recession. Restaurants are empty. Small businesses are closing their doors. A lot of folks are looking for work, a lot are depressed, a lot of people are stagnating.

In this economic downturn, it’s time to take your reputation, and your career, into your own hands. There is no such thing as job security anymore. Pensions and benefits can be taken away at a moment’s notice. And even your retirement savings can’t be relied upon these days.

I believe that entrepreneurship, as risky as it can be, is truly the best solution. As a freelancer or business owner, you take your destiny into your own hands. And if you prefer the “security” of a full-time job, these days you should at least develop a second, side income stream, and actively manage your “employability”. That means staying sharp on developments in your field, keeping your resume fresh, and regularly adding people to your professional network. You should never quit job searching really, because the unfortunate reality is that everyone’s job is disposable.

It’s funny—in conversation you notice there are fundamental differences in the way employees and entrepreneurs think. I won’t say one is better than the other, but I think at least a little bit of entrepreneurial thinking is good for everyone. It keeps you on your toes and makes you realize that you can create your own prosperity if you try hard enough. My mission here at Thrilling Heroics is to help people break out of conventional thinking and pursue their potential, so I expect you guys to be able to hear me say that, or else you wouldn’t be my audience!

Anyways, I’m working on a few things to help everyone kick ass at life just a little bit more. My mission this year, in everything I do, is to empower as many would-be freelancers, entrepreneurs, and other do-gooders to take back their power, to realize they don’t have to be just a cog in a wheel and take what life gives them. You can build an awesome business, you can live a remarkable life, and you can do anything and go anywhere you want! You just have to work for it.

Here we go:

Discount Social Media Consulting for New Clients

It’s no secret that I provide social media consulting and blog development services for select web entrepreneurs and professionals. Just this month I helped Kare Anderson—a dedicated blogger and author who already kicks ass even without my help—launch her new site HowWePartner.com. And I helped coach Eileen McDargh—a professional speaker and management consultant—on introductory ways to utilize social media more effectively for her business. Eileen was completely ecstatic and said this after our first hour together:

“In just one hour, Cody cut through the chaos and confusion of social networks, showing me what I needed to do and—even more importantly, what I did NOT need to do. It was very valuable and worth the time.”

My fees are typically somewhat substantial, because I try to filter out only the most dedicated and remarkable clients, and dedicated people tend to have money to spend on their remarkable projects. The amount of attention and commitment I give to each client makes the investment worthwhile. My job is to follow industry trends in the social media and blogging space, filtering through the noise to find the most important solutions for my clients. I maintain a wide knowledge base and an active network in the blogosphere so that I can provide my clients with relevant news and resources, software and tutorials, and even introduce them to like-minded professionals and key influencers in their niche, to establish authority on the web and improve their business.

Because we’re all feeling the negative effects of this economy, I’m offering a small discount on my consulting for new clients right now. If you’ve got something important to say, I want to help you get the right web technology and social media strategies in place to increase your online exposure. Add me to your team and leverage my expertise in the following areas:

• WordPress
• Blogging
• Social networks
• User-friendly, accessible web design (XHTML, CSS, PHP)
• Search engine optimization (SEO)
• Personal branding
• Online project management & collaboration tools

I usually bill $95 per hour for my consulting time. But if you book an Introductory Blog & Social Media Consultation with me in the month of May, I’ll give you your first hour of consulting for just $75. I’ll talk with you directly via phone or webcam to understand your specific business situation and your online marketing objectives, and help point you in the right direction.

An Awesome FREE WordPress Theme in the Works

There is a sizable market for my premium web services. But I realize there are also several important demographics out there who can’t afford pricey web consulting and development work, including young professionals like myself who are interested in personal branding and establishing their reputation on the web, micro-business owners and other solopreneurs who are tightening their belts right now.

As a low-cost alternative for these rockstars in training, I’m currently building a killer app—a premium, all-in-one blog design, which I’ll release as a free WordPress theme. “Thrilling Theme” will be my masterpiece. It will serve as the framework for my future web development projects, and it will have everything you could ever dream of! The free theme will include:

• Multiple color schemes and style options to choose from
• An easy way to upload your own custom logo or header image
• Integrated Twitter updates, Flickr photos, and more
• Easy insertion of your Google Analytics tracking code, your FeedBurner RSS feed, etc.
• And tons more. Please share your ideas in the comments!

For do-it-yourselfers, the theme will be available as a free download. For individuals and small businesses that want some basic help getting started with Thrilling Theme as the template design for their site, a basic setup & customization package will be available for a nominal charge. (We’re talking about a complete social media platform—possibly the framework for your online business—for less than 400 bucks!)

What About for Non-Blogging Nerd Types?

Additionally, I’ll be doing as much as I can to provide free, valuable advice on this blog to help as many people break free as well—talking about going solopreneur, building a strong reputation on the web, and taking your business location-independent if you desire. Blogging and leveraging social media has allowed me to make awesome friends in all corners of the globe, and I’ve even attracted clients from five continents! My only desire is that I can help you guys experience similar success.

I have a few projects on my back burners, some things that have been marinating for a while. In the coming months, I look forward to teaming up more with great folks like Jun Loayza, Jonathan Mead, Carmen Isais, Mark Weins and Tom Barrett to deliver some fresh, unique perspectives and experiment with some new ideas.

Locally, I’ll continue to work with Dwight Turner of In Search of Sanuk to host charity events and fundraisers in and around Thailand, and I hope to provide discount services to many more non-profits this year. I’ve just partnered with Fusion International on a new project to help them relaunch and revitalize their website focused on victims of extreme poverty, conflict and internal displacement. When you support this site, do business with me, or tell people about Thrilling Heroics, you’ll help me continue to support good causes, and promote events like our Bangkok Tweetup for Charity.

The Part Where I Ask for Your Help

In order to empower as many people as I can this year, I need your help to reach the biggest audience possible. What can you do? You can subscribe. You can tell people about my mission and about ThrillingHeroics.com. You can check out my company, Thrilling Heroics Consulting. But I’ll go a step further: if you blog about my mission with link to this post by May 10th, you’ll be entered for a chance at a FREE 1-hour Blog Consultation. It’s simple:

1. Write about my mission to help as many people become Rockstars as possible with discount consulting. Write about the upcoming free Thrilling Theme. You can even write about the competition itself.
2. Include a direct link to this post or to ThrillingHeroicsConsulting.com
3. To make sure I get your submission, leave a comment on this post and include the URL for your blog post about this competition.

On May 10th, I’ll choose one commenter at random to receive a free consultation with me by phone or Skype. You’ll get a full hour to ask me any questions you like about blogging, social media, and WordPress.

Thanks for staying with me this long. Forget the crummy economy. Let’s all combine forces to do some good this year. Check back soon for more on living a remarkable life.

Feature photo credit: Elmo Keep

Can’t get enough Thrilling Heroics? Follow @codymckibb on Twitter.

Read the original article on Thrilling Heroics here: I Want to Make You A Rockstar!