A few weeks ago, my old blogging buddy Ron Davison sent me a copy of his new book The Fourth Economy: Inventing Western Civilization, which examines the pattern of progress from an agricultural economy to an industrial one, then from industrial to an information economy, and predicts what the next generation will see with the rise of an entrepreneurship economy. If you feel the same entrepreneurial rumble around you right now as I do, we’re only just seeing the tip of the iceberg.

Already in the first few pages it had me absolutely spellbound, so I wanted to share. Ron’s thesis revolves around how the evolution of society has always depended upon invention… but he points out how we tend to think of invention solely as a technological act… when in fact there is another, equally important form of invention that almost invisibly shapes society: social invention.

I’ll quote extensively from Ron’s first few chapters, as he’s much more eloquent and academic about this important claim than I could ever be (emphases are mine):

“Money is only money because we agree it is money. As soon as we all agree that Confederate currency no longer has any value, it no longer has any value. When we agree that information on magnetic strips affixed to plastic has value, it has value. Whether someone is a slave, employee or part-owner of an enterprise is not inherent in any physical reality or dependent on any brute facts, but is—instead—true only as an institutional fact [i.e., a social invention –Cody].

[…] “A technological invention results in a product that can be seen independent of any agreement about it. While its use might require some instruction, instruction that might be something akin to declaration or agreement, its existence does not. A steam engine translates heat into motion and even if it requires an operator to do this, its existence falls more into the category of brute fact than institutional fact. By contrast, a home loan is a [social invention]. Without a contract specifying terms and even who owes what to whom, the loan makes no sense. Further, the loan assumes a whole other set of [social inventions], from money to banks to a real estate market to determine the value of the home for which the loan exists.”

…Ron goes on to explain the immense importance of social invention, including all the institutions that you’ve become accustomed to in your lifetime, in shaping society—nation-states, churches, banks, corporations, money, democracy. At some point in history, each of these things was invented, agreed upon, and eventually accepted as the status quo. But these things haven’t always existed, they haven’t always been the norm, as we tend to forget.

“A set of inventions defines a culture or civilization.

“We recreate civilization in each child. We call it education. Look at the huge amount of time and attention we devote to ‘civilizing’ a baby to become a member of society. The gross effort it takes to recreate society in each child should be testament to the fact that a culture is not a ‘natural’ or spontaneous state; it is, instead a social invention that takes great effort—every time. Language and manners, what we question and what we accept, social roles—all of these end products represent the teaching of parents, teachers, and even the media and are essentially conventions that work to construct meaning, to create the modern life. Rather than see them as inventions, we often see social inventions as simply ‘the way things are.’ Should you want a reminder that social inventions are just made up, however, raise a child. Mothers know that the curious, rebellious, stubborn, and lazy child will challenge social inventions. My family lives close to the Mexican border and when my daughter was protesting her car seat, she would say, ‘Mexican kids don’t wear seat belts.’ She, like every child, knew that things could be different and questioned why they were not. And of course, travel, news reports, novels, and history all remind us that our social inventions are not universal or even stable. What makes you successfully fit into your neighborhood in Manhattan would make you stand out in Afghanistan. Or even Montana. What made you fashionable in 1972 makes you look silly in 2012.”

He implores the need for social progress, for us to become more conscious about social invention. And I love how he describes our opportunity to create a new social reality:

“Perhaps teachers and parents should add this to their list of admonitions and lessons: ‘Warning: contents of this society have been known to create feelings of anomie and alienation; provoke wars, homicides, and suicides; and pollute the habitat you need for survival. Most of what we tell you should be questioned and could be improved upon. This is, really, just the best we’ve been able to do up until now and it could be that improvement will actually overturn much of what we now accept and advocate. Learn about your culture and your place in it, but don’t cling too tightly to it. What we’re teaching you probably needs to change, and soon.’”

[…] “a hypnotist, in a matter of minutes, can program you to do things you don’t normally do and to believe what is not so. […] how much more powerfully can society program you during the course of your life, given that it has so much more time and so many more persuasive tools at its disposal than does a hypnotist?”

[…] “If social invention is to become more widespread [ie: and we are to harness our inherent abilities to pave our own destinies and craft our own world –Cody], the individual will have to become more aware of how his or her life is also an invention. Up until now, it is the few who have defined society and the many that have been defined by it. A few receive the divine revelation and many receive Mass. Think about a world in which the direction is increasingly reversed, a society in which the individual is less social invention than social inventor. Or, rather, imagine a world in which more people engage in acts of social invention. If social invention becomes to this century what technological invention was to the last, we’ll witness such a change. Or, rather, we’ll create such a change.

“If daily life is an invention, the question is, whose invention is it? It is hard to underestimate the importance of inertia in defining society. Yet entrepreneurs challenge this inertia and invent something new.”

[…] “an entrepreneur is a social inventor. Their work is to create a new social invention, an organization, an institution, a new market, or a new business. Social entrepreneurs might start a new non-governmental organization (NGO) or nonprofit or charter school. I’m going to include under my broad umbrella of entrepreneurs not just business entrepreneurs like Bill Gates and Henry Ford but political and religious entrepreneurs like Thomas Jefferson and Martin Luther.

“The next economy will popularize entrepreneurship in the same way that the Information Age popularized higher education and knowledge throughout the twentieth century. As entrepreneurship becomes more popular and diverse in its expression and application, social invention will become as normal as technological invention.”

My wish for 2012 is to see more interesting people building interesting things—projects, businesses, organizations, art, nonprofits, social inventions…

I am excited to see this become the new norm—to see many more people wake up to the realization that they don’t have to be a slave or an employee, but can instead choose to be creators, artists, shapers of the world around them, entrepreneurs. If you find these ideas and trends as fascinating as I do, I highly recommend you pick up a copy of Ron’s book The Fourth Economy for a much more in-depth look at the entrepreneurial revolution he predicts will sweep across the world.

I only hope we can play a small role in this huge societal shift with what we’re doing here and at Digital Nomad Academy, by enabling many more ambitious trailblazers to use their inherent abilities to create and shape things around them to help move the world forward.

On that note, I’m very excited to announce the recipients of our 2011 DNA scholarship and have a couple very special people join us inside soon.

The decisions were extremely difficult between 24 incredible video submissions. You guys attracted over 2,100 views on YouTube, 403 comments, 122 Likes, 44 tweets, 4 Google +1′s (where are you guys on +1??), 251 Shares and a bunch of Stumbles… I don’t think I’ve ever had a blog post as popular as the last post.

THE FINAL DNA SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS:

So after lots of consideration and tallying all the qualifying votes, here’s a big congratulations to the winners of the $1,500 spots to join us inside the Digital Nomad Academy! The DNA students and Thrilling Heroics community overwhelmingly voted you as the most energetic, ambitious candidates to join us:

• Eileen Campos
• Rodrigo Flamenco

And, because there was such a flood of outstanding videos, Ms. Claus and I decided to offer another “wild card” scholarship to a third excellent applicant whose story really resonated with us. That spot goes to:

• Tim Juliussen

Please keep an eye on your inbox over the next 24-48 hours for follow-up details.

BUT THAT’S NOT ALL!!

HUGE thanks to my friend and fellow nomad Maneesh Sethi, who has been good enough to offer up something special for the three runners-up here as well (you each deserve major thanks)! For showing up and making such an effort, you’ll receive a free copy of his Online Marketing Master Class (a $367 value). That means you: Janet, Peter, and Jeff, please email me at cody at thrillingheroics dot com and we’ll get you set up.

Sincere thanks to all who submitted video applications—Jamie, Chad, Michael, Iván, Alex, Sondra, Rick, Naomi, Berrak, Sidney, Marty, Michael, Daniel, Isabelle, Sergio, Tim, and Libor. You’ve all inspired us with your videos, you’ve stepped out of your comfort zone and put yourself out there, and you’ve been amazing sports. You rock!

For everybody: Maneesh is also giving away a sweet mini ebook exclusively for Thrilling Heroics readers called Taking Advantage Of The System, where you’ll learn a ton of awesome stuff, including specific steps to get a free round-trip international plane ticket, and free office space in almost every country of the world. Grab it here.

If you’re not one of our scholarship recipients, please stay tuned as we will have many more opportunities like this in the future, and I’ll work to ensure we make Digital Nomad Academy affordable for the people who need it most and get the right people inside. I hope to have many more of you join us inside in the months ahead.

You are the pioneers of the Fourth Economy. Here’s to creating an improved, more connected, whole, healed, better society through entrepreneurship in 2012 and beyond! 

Photo credit: Abode of Chaos

Read the original article on Thrilling Heroics here: How You and I Are Going to Shape the Next Century Together (PLUS Scholarship Winners!)

After we left our friends in Seminyak after a couple days, Emily and I took off on our own for a genuine escape—a proper holiday away from the traffic, the crowds, away from the laptop and the wifi connections (for the most part)…

If you go to Bali, then the small village of Ubud is the place to be if you want to find amazing landscapes, quiet oases, fascinating arts and crafts (like the impressive batik wax-dyed fabrics we watched in the making, shown below), raw and vegetarian food, spas, and yoga retreats. They say Ubud is sort of the spiritual center of the Island of the Gods.

The last time I was in Ubud about two years ago, I enjoyed the attractive Teba House homestay, especially at the height of the Hindu Kuningan Day festival when the streets are just paved with special decorations, everyone gathers in the streets in traditional clothing, children are in the streets parading, playing music…

But this time we wanted something a bit more remote, quiet, and luxurious. I happened across a new boutique retreat through my friend Amber, the Soulshine Bali villas and retreat, which is nestled between the breathtaking rice field terraces on the outskirts of Ubud and the Agung river.

Surprisingly enough, I learned this amazing getaway was Spearhead frontman Michael Franti‘s place, founded and designed absolutely beautifully along with Carla Swanson. Soulshine is designed mainly for week-long yoga retreats, but we managed to squeeze in a regular booking between retreats (and actually had the place to ourselves), and it served as the perfect escape for a romantic, rejuvenating little holiday.

The Sound of Sunshine room where Michael wrote the song.

Emily made the most of the large rooftop sala, putting it to good use for some yoga practice, with an amazing view of the rice fields as her backdrop.

Carla put us up in their finest room—the Sunset Room—just like it says, with a sunset-view terrace, a gorgeous bedroom, and spacious, modern bathroom. The amazing thing about Bali is the incredible attention to detail, and it showed here.

We enjoyed the emerald infinity pool every single day. (Funny enough, although I live 10 minutes from the beach, I rarely go see it, so I desperately needed the tan!)

In the cafe, the friendly staff cooked us up all kinds of tasty morsels—a traditional Balinese feast, as well as all kinds of raw vegetarian delights and fresh juice smoothies. The raw cacao and coffee creations in Ubud are impressive (I’ll write more about that next week)—at Soulshine I recommend the tasty orange infused truffles, and prana energy balls, with dark raw chocolate, coconut, spirulina, and mint.

What I loved perhaps most about Carla, and their beautiful resort, was that, unlike many other spas and yoga retreats, there was no pretension, no funny attitude about purity, and we could still get our hands on beer and wine!!

We did go out on the town though for even more food marathon! While I definitely enjoy my share of veggie and raw food recipes, I’m certainly no vegetarian, and thankfully, in the heart of Ubud, one can get their fill of greasy, tasty meat as well!

We met my friend Stuart from TravelFish for some incredible BBQ spare ribs at the famous Naughty Nuri’s. Anthony Bourdain also says they have the best dirty martinis outside of Manhattan, so of course we had to test that hypothesis…

Then of course we had to pay our respects to the local hotspot Ibu Oka Warung, where every morning they roast a pig on a spit (sometimes two or three) and divvy out the delicious results. While seeing your food isn’t for everybody, you can’t miss the babi guling, or suckling pig, if you come to Bali! Again, Tony Bourdain agrees. (You must watch No Reservations!)

We also ate at the famed Bebik Bengil (the “Dirty Duck”), a beautiful restaurant that’s grounds are covered in ornate garden walkways and water features… we got our own dais(!), and feasted upon delicious Balinese crispy duck. They say the restaurant got its name when they were completing construction (back in the days before there was much development and they were still entirely surrounded by rice paddies), and one day a monsoon came, and a flock of ducks all came running into the restaurant, jumping on tables and tracking muddy footprints all over the floor. Apparently things worked out bad for the ducks… but tasty for the rest of us!

Although it certainly felt far away from the bustle of Seminyak and from the “real world”—wherever that is, back here in Thailand, on the interwebs, wherever—Ubud was actually a great spot to chill out with the laptop, enjoy the surroundings, the sunsets, and get a lot of solid writing done.

Ubud served as a perfect digital nomad oasis, as well as a romantic getaway, and a real culinary adventure (even well before the holidays, as you can see I was already gorging myself on all kinds of incredible Balinese and international food!) If you’re looking for your escape while you’re in Bali, I can’t recommend a few peaceful days in the mountains of Ubud enough.

If you want to see all my Ubud photos, go here. If you’re interested in yoga at Soulshine, check out their website for the retreat schedule, or I recommend you look into my friend Amber’s upcoming Raw Yoga Jedi retreat there in March.

If you’d like to take some time out and relax by the pool, but you’re not sure how you’ll break free from the office this year, then make damn sure you get your ass over to Digital Nomad Academy and apply for our official scholarship program. Do it now! What do you have to lose? I’m giving away two absolutely free seats in this $1,500 mentorship program. Applications are due no later than this Thursday, December 29, at 12 noon EST.

I’ll be back with more from our time in Bali soon… Stay tuned if you want to watch me drink cat shit coffee.

Read the original article on Thrilling Heroics here: The Perfect Place in Ubud, Bali to Make Your Escape, Chill Out, and Write Your Masterpiece!

I’ll be back early next week with much more about our time in Bali, but I just wanted to thank everyone who comes to Thrilling Heroics for making 2011 a wonderful year, wish you Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and express my sincerest hopes for a very happy New Year. 2012 is going to rock!

Every week I get a load of great emails in my inbox from readers. A while back, I received this comment from Sam (edited for length):

Man you really inspire me. I read your website at least 3-5 times a week. Since I graduated from high school I’ve always said I wanted to travel the world. Unfortunate obstacles have led me to say ‘#@%& I want to do this’. I want to live my life on my on own terms. I’m saving money now to get started. I want to thank you, keep doing what you’re doing man.

You probably have no idea how frequently you guys make my day, with subject lines like “Wow! This site is incredible!” … “ridiculously inspired.” …and “Thank you for doing what you do.” Your gratitude, appreciation, and feedback are what makes this all worthwhile. I am incredibly excited and humbled any time somebody says that this site or my writing have helped to inspire in any small way.

I receive lots and lots and lots of great questions, and I try to respond to as many as I can. Lots of people who want me to get on Skype and help them with their business ideas. Even people who want me to do some nebulous consulting work with their companies (from small projects to one very large foundation even).

But there just aren’t enough hours in the day! There are simply too many insanely interesting people out there who want to live life on their own terms, or build some cool, useful resource or project and share it with the world. That’s why I started Digital Nomad Academy at the beginning of 2011, as a comprehensive learning center for aspiring online entrepreneurs, where I can focus my time and energy and multiply the benefits many times over to teach, encourage, connect, and support many students all at once. And it certainly has become the focus of my time this year, along with many other incredible collaborators who have generously shared their time as faculty instructors and guest speakers.

I wish I could help every single person who comes to me with questions one-on-one, but I’ve consciously decided to invest my limited time into building something scalable, sustainable, and that will help many hundreds or thousands of students over the next several years (hopefully many more years).

But my faculty and I can only teach you so much. We can give you the business “recipes” if you will, share the techniques and tools that work for us, and connect you to a larger network of like-minded, ambitious people, including successful experts who’ve done it already. But actually building a business that will help provide you with the lifestyle you desire still requires an immense amount of time, effort, and investment that only you can do.

If you’re one of those people who’s been dreaming of starting your own business, quitting your stupid job, and creating a lifestyle you’d really enjoy (hint: ideally, the business part needs to come first), or traveling around the world, but you keep putting it off because of the latest TPS reports that have landed on your desk, this week’s important final exam, or you’ve spent the last 4 months planning the family Christmas celebration, or whatever else keeps you busy… let’s make 2012 the year everything changes.

I’ve put almost all of my energies into DNA this year, to the detriment of most of my other projects. We’ve brought together an incredible community of teachers and of exceptionally bright, motivated students. Many of them have already quit their jobs, started up their own small businesses, started freelancing, gone on short mini-retirements to Europe, moved to the peaceful countryside here in Asia, or set out on epic trans-continental road trips down through Central and South America!

Digital Nomad Academy will continue to provide a stellar learning environment for a long time to come, and as we bring in more and more students, it creates increased opportunity to meet each other, partner with each other, trade services with each other, and together we all improve and build our businesses up. The admission fee is a significant investment, but I believe we will continue to over-deliver by far, and the lifetime value to everyone involved will be priceless.

But I know this is not within everybody’s reach. I’ve heard your requests, and I’ve thought a lot about a financial aid program for the Digital Nomad Academy.

For the holidays I was feeling especially generous and I wanted to do something to give back, after all of you involved here and at DNA have made my year such a fantastic one. I want to help provide a chance for you to join me, my entrepreneurial colleagues, and our amazing students in building a community like none which has ever been seen before.

So, I will be sponsoring two full-ride scholarships, all-expenses paid, to our mentorship and training program at Digital Nomad Academy, so you can come learn directly from me and my all-star cast of faculty and guest experts, and collaborate with our incredible cohort of ambitious students.

What a great way to ring in the new year, right!?

→ Full details and applications for the 2011 Digital Nomad Academy Scholarship Program ←

That’s a $1,500 annual value for two very lucky people. This is a huge opportunity for you, but also for me, and for all of us. 2012 will be a year of explosive growth and improvement inside DNA.

If you want a shot at one of these two seats, absolutely free, all it takes is to get off the sidelines and show us what you’re willing to bring to the table for our student community. Go here to apply.

I hope to get your application, and hope to see you on the inside at Digital Nomad Academy in the New Year.

Happy Holidays! Merry Christmas. And a happy New Year. Let me know where you’re spending your holidays in the comments below. I’ll be spending mine here on the beach…

Read the original article on Thrilling Heroics here: The $3,000 Holiday Giveaway: Get a Full-Ride Scholarship to Digital Nomad Academy

1,076,955 rupiahs – and that’s just what I spent on 9 drinks one afternoon at the pool!

About one week ago, my girlfriend Emily and I returned from a relaxing 2-week break on the stunningly beautiful island of Bali.

Being back on the ground in Indonesia reminded me how much I really love traveling to places like Bali, Cambodia, and Laos, with very high exchange rates to the US Dollar. Who doesn’t love to look at the ATM screen and see balances in the several millions?

According to today’s exchange rates, if you trade in 1 US Dollar you’ll get 4,005 Cambodian riel. That means that if you have $250 in the bank, you’re a millionaire in Cambodia.

In Laos, your dollar is worth 8,030 kip, so for every $125 you’ve got a million in local currency.

It’s 9,174 to the dollar if you’re buying Indonesian rupiahs, so it only takes $109 to be a Balinese millionaire.

And amazingly, in Vietnam you’ll get 20,833 dong to the dollar, so if you’ve got $48 pocket change, you’re a millionaire.

Of course economics, exchange rates, and cost-of-living are things that are constantly in flux, changing all the time, but for now Asia is where it’s at. The biggest corporations all flock here to keep their expenses down, and smart individuals are doing the same. There’s nothing immoral about going where the deck is stacked in your favor, seeking work and a thriving lifestyle where you have the best chances. So why shouldn’t you?

I’m not a millionaire in the typical sense of the word—in US Dollars. But in Thailand, I’d say I’ve lived like a king for the past few years, at a fraction of the cost I’d need to lead a similar lifestyle in San Francisco, New York, London, or anywhere in the West.

So many people I talk to think that a permanent travel lifestyle would cost a tremendous amount of money and that it’s out of reach for them—but it doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. Learn how Steve Kamb got his round-the-world tickets traveling 35,000 miles, visiting four continents, nine countries and 15 cities for just $418. Or read how Nora Dunn, one of our faculty members at Digital Nomad Academy, has been traveling full-time around the world for less than $14,000 annually for several years.

Money and toys and possessions are all fun and good, but I think in the West we have developed a serious societal disease—in the middle class at least, a majority of people mistakenly accept the fallacy that those things are an end rather than a means to an end.

What you do while you’re on this earth, how much enjoyment you get out of it, who you are, and the impact you make (on the world, on the people around you…whatever scale you want to operate on) matter far, far more than the things you own, and the material shit you collect.

“You’re not your job. You’re not how much money you have in the bank. You’re not the car you drive. You’re not the contents of your wallet. You’re not your fucking khakis.”

–Tyler Durden, Fight Club

They have you chasing all the wrong things, wasting your time working a job so you can pay for shit you don’t need, while they call all the shots.

We’re still a small minority, but I see more and more people “waking up” and realizing there is another way to live. I think the biggest thing I’ve learned living abroad is that you don’t have to play by anybody else’s rules, and you don’t have to do things the same way everybody else around you does them.

I boarded a plane in San Francisco on November 25, 2008, with a one-way ticket to Bangkok and a crazy idea to come out to Asia to bootstrap my web development business while I enjoyed a much lower cost-of-living than back home in California. I’ve now lived in several different locations around Thailand and traveled to at least seven other nearby countries here in the region on a regular basis for over three years. Actually, I’ve been living abroad and traveling for exactly 1,121 days now!

I’ve learned a tremendous amount in those 3+ years. A lot about myself, a lot about business, about the world, about other societies and cultures, I’ve met hundreds (if not thousands) of interesting people along the way…

The biggest benefit I’ve had on my side throughout all this time “offshore” has been my ability to leverage geo-abritrage in my business—working remotely with clients overseas (in the US, Canada, Australia, UK, France, Singapore, South America, and more) where I can bring in strong currencies, while I spend in Asian currencies where my money goes much further, and I get to take advantage of a much lower cost of living in Southeast Asia.

My advice to anybody who wants to live the high life for less is you must come to Asia.

Tim Ferris said in The 4-Hour Workweek, it’s not that we really want to be millionaires, it’s that we want to have experiences we think only millions can buy.

While we were in Bali, we split an amazing 2-bedroom villa with private pool and gardens with our friends Chris and Hannah, definitely a four-star, truly luxurious experience that far surpassed most accommodations I’ve ever stayed in, for only about $150 a night.

Emily and I had a spacious, serene villa and retreat oasis all to ourselves for a few days—an interior designer’s dream, every detail crafted with care, a true sanctuary hidden away from the noisy chaos of real life around us, where we enjoyed the quiet, stunning views of wildlife, rice paddies and forests up in the mountains of Ubud.

We had a brilliant two-story family villa in Seminyak for a week with the parents, spent the afternoons catching up with friends, soaking up the sun in private pools…

We enjoyed cocktails, beers, and sangria at the swim-up pool bar at the Potato Head Beach Club, voted as one of Bali’s top restaurants and bars, and the kind of ultra-posh hotspot that would easily cost several hundreds of dollars (or possibly into the thousands) if you wanted to be a baller in Miami, Los Angeles, or even Ibiza.

We lazed on comfy bean-bag chairs of Bali’s beautiful beaches, taking in breathtaking sunsets that lit up the twilight sky with brilliant reds, yellows, and golds.

Definitely a million-dollar sunset.

I see more and more guys (and gals, and couples) selling all their possessions and choosing to travel and move abroad to experience a different kind of life. More people are “waking up” to the realization that it’s not about how much crap you accumulate or what your net worth is on paper, but life is more about how much varied experience you accumulate, how much fun you have along the way, and how happy you are.

Check out how my buddy Mark and his friends went island hopping in Palawan on their own boat with crew, eating a delicious crab feast on their own private beach, and how he felt like a millionaire, all for just 35 bucks (flight included)!

Dan Andrews, another collaborator of mine at DNA, has built an incredibly successful business here in Asia—he has a huge 4-bedroom house in the heart of Bali’s happening Seminyak area, with their own pool, and maids and gardeners, all for only about $1500 per month, where he brings interns out to live and work with him on the Tropical MBA (which I just think is the coolest fucking thing BTW), living a fantastic lifestyle, hustling and building a great business like nobody else I know, all while they have a great time too!

Back home here in Krabi, Thailand, my girlfriend and I have an immense, modern 3-story, 3-bedroom townhouse on the quiet outskirts of town that overlooks breathtaking limestone mountains and lush green jungles for just $575 per month. And that’s splurging for us, in a big way, so that I have a spacious office where I can be productive and so we can easily host a big happy family during the holidays.

I’d say that the value you get for your money is incredible here in Asia. If I’d been living back home for the last three years, I probably would be going out on the weekends with friends, but living on ramen noodles and sharing a small apartment with roommates to get by.

Instead, we get to have a wonderful, fulfilling lifestyle, live in abundance, travel frequently, spend a tremendous amount of time with friends and family, all while we keep our costs down substantially. That means we get to do a lot more of what we love here than we might somewhere else.

Making a move somewhere like Asia or South America might be a way you can also spend more of your very limited, precious time making memories you’ll cherish, having new experiences, and building something (preferably something of your own—a business, a charity cause, a legacy, what-have-you). You only live once, so don’t waste it.

Read the original article on Thrilling Heroics here: How to (Literally) Be a Millionaire and Live the High Life on the Cheap

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A digital nomad has the freedom to live and work wherever they choose. We make the most of this freedom by living out of a carry-on size backpack and travelling all over the world. A life of constant travel can make getting work done difficult though, and there are times when we need to settle down for a few months, rent an apartment and enjoy some home comforts and a solid internet connection.

We are always on the lookout for the perfect place to stop and work. We’ve tried Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Medellin, Colombia, but recently we have settled in a city that eclipses them all—Chiang Mai, Thailand.

The number of other digital nomads who have made this city in northern Thailand their temporary base is a testament to its appeal, and we’ve found that it has lived up to the hype. Here’s why…

Low Cost of Living

One of Chiang Mai’s biggest attractions is the high quality of life that’s possible for very little. With apartments starting from $160 a month, a delicious meal at the market for $1, a fresh fruit shake for $0.50, monthly motorbike rental for $60, laundry for $1 a kilo, and a large beer for $2, it is possible to live comfortably for well under $1000 a month, or even just $500.

Good Internet

Good internet is essential for a digital nomad, and it’s one of the reasons they flock to Chiang Mai. Most cafés and restaurants have free WiFi and the speed is good. It’s also very affordable to buy a local SIM card with a data plan.

Availability of Accommodation

There’s plenty of accommodation available to suit all budgets. The best thing to do is stay in a guesthouse for a few days and look around. Studio apartments without a kitchen (because eating out is so cheap) cost from $160-300 a month and WiFi and A/C is standard. A luxurious 1-bedroom apartment with a kitchen, pool, and gym costs $650 a month, although you’ll get far cheaper rates if you rent for 6 or 12 months. Electricity and water, and sometimes internet, is extra. We pay about $50 a month for electricity (using the A/C quite a lot), $9 for water, and $15 for internet (per computer).

Great Weather

From November to February the weather is perfect—clear blue skies with 30°C temperatures and low humidity during the day and lower temperatures at night. Things start to heat up in March, and the rainy season lasts from May to October—it doesn’t rain all the time though, and everything becomes lush and green.

Friendly People

There’s a good mix of Thais, expats, and tourists in Chiang Mai. It’s a university city, so there’s a youthful vibe and the education level is high with English spoken by many people. Unlike some more touristy parts of Thailand, the locals aren’t resentful of foreigners, there are no scams, and people are very friendly and helpful. We have had a flat tire on our moped twice and both times locals went out of their way to help us.

Delicious Food

Thai food is delicious, fresh and wonderfully affordable. Food stalls and markets are found all over the city where you can sample local dishes for $1 a meal. Thai favourites like pad thai and green curry are readily available, or try the tasty local speciality Khao Soi—egg noodles in a coconut curry soup topped with crunchy fried noodles [ed: this is perhaps the most delicious Thai dish of all! –Cody]. For vegetarians it’s heaven, with dozens of meat-free restaurants and even vegetarian stalls at some of the markets. If you get tired of Thai food you’ll find Italian, Middle Eastern, Mexican, Japanese, Indian, American, and more to satisfy your cravings. International food is more expensive, but even a splurge meal at one of the city’s best Italian restaurants cost us less than $10 a person.

Fresh Produce

If you choose to cook for yourself the markets are wonderful with a diverse range of high-quality, cheap fresh produce including plenty of tropical fruit. Chiang Mai is ideally located with access to produce from both a tropical climate and the cooler mountains, so you’ll find more diversity here than in southern Thailand.

Digital Nomad Hub

Chiang Mai has attracted many digital nomads so there is a ready-made community to offer support and advice to help you settle in, and perhaps even work together on projects.

Cheap Transport

The old city is compact and walkable, so if you stay there you won’t need your own transport. Renting a moped is cheap and fun though, and we love the freedom it gives us. If not, rides in shared pickup trucks (or songthaew) cost from $0.65.

Beautiful Scenery

Chiang Mai has a beautiful setting surrounded by hills and you’ll find shimmering golden wats (temples) on almost every street.

Lots To Do

There’s plenty to do in your downtime. You could visit one of the many wats; learn a new skill: cooking, massage, Thai language, or yoga; go rock climbing, white water rafting, zip-lining, or trekking to hill tribe villages; relax with a $5 massage; and even get up close with tigers or elephants. It only takes 20 minutes to leave the city behind and explore the waterfalls and mountains of the surrounding countryside. Further afield there are plenty of interesting places to visit in northern Thailand for weekends away.

Accessible

It’s a one hour, $60 flight from Bangkok, an international hub with cheap flights available all over the world. Chiang Mai is also only six hours away from both Myanmar [Burma] and Laos which makes border runs possible as a day trip.

Visas Are Easy To Get

Many people manage to stay in Thailand indefinitely by doing visa runs, or leaving the country to renew their visa every few months. It’s a great excuse to explore neighbouring countries like Laos or Malaysia. Most nationalities get a 30-day visa exemption when they arrive by plane, but if you want to stay long-term it’s best to get a 60-day tourist visa available from many neighbouring countries—the nearest is Vientiane in Laos. A double-entry 60-day tourist visa will allow you to stay for six months by getting a 30-day extension at the immigration office, and then doing a border run after three months.

Relaxed Atmosphere

Chiang Mai has a relaxed atmosphere in stark contrast to hectic Bangkok. It’s very walkable, the traffic isn’t too crazy and it’s family-friendly—there are plenty of expats and travellers with young children here.

Everything You Need

Although it’s not a huge city (around 150,000 people), it has all the facilities you need including lots of good cafés (and yes, there’s Starbucks), shopping centers, cinemas, cheap markets, and (important for digital nomads) Apple Mac stores.

Quality Healthcare

Healthcare is of a high standard with many doctors trained in the US, but prices are very affordable. A visit to the doctor including a blood test cost me $22.

Culturally Vibrant

While life in Chiang Mai is easy and comfortable, it is still culturally rich and glimpses of the quirkiness of Thai life keep things interesting—teenage monks in saffron robes texting on their mobile phones, entire families (including dog) whizzing past you on a moped, and standing up for the national anthem before films are shown at the cinema.

Great Local Festivals

The local festivals add to the city’s cultural richness. It seems like there is always something going on—the Yee Peng floating lantern festival and the mass water fight Songkran are just two of the highlights.

Are there any downsides to life in Chiang Mai? Well, it’s not by the sea, so it may not live up to everyone’s image of Thailand, although there are cheap direct flights to the islands, and I find my apartment pool helps keep the tropical vibe alive. If you love huge bustling cities, then Bangkok might be better for you, and although there is plenty of nightlife, it’s more relaxed than Bangkok or the party islands in the south.

For us, we’ve found the perfect base to take a break from travel and focus on business projects. It may well be hard to leave.

Erin McNeaney and her partner Simon sold everything they owned and left the UK in March 2010 to travel the world forever. They run a WordPress web design business on the road and have travelled to Latin America, North America and are currently in Asia. You can follow their adventures at Never Ending Voyage.

Read the original article on Thrilling Heroics here: 18 Reasons Why Chiang Mai makes a Perfect Digital Nomad Headquarters

Do you daydream about quitting your job and traveling around the world? What about taking it a step further and building a location independent career, so you can live and work wherever you want to?

I can remember the first time someone labelled me a “digital nomad” on a major blog… Two-and-a-half years ago these were the words of Corbett Barr—back when his site was still called Free Pursuits. Corbett listed me among the top 10 Digital Nomads to Learn From, alongside Tim Ferriss and Rolf Potts—two truly incredible writers who inspired me to follow my own path in life—as well as huge A-list bloggers Chris Brogan and Mike Elgan, and big names in the travel blogosphere including Christine Gilbert from Almost Fearless and Chris Guillebeau of Art of Nonconformity fame.

I wasn’t quite sure what I thought of the label at first, although I was immensely honored to be among such incredible company. I was excited! Reading Tim Ferriss’ The 4-Hour Workweek and Rolf Potts’ Vagabonding had been a turning point in my life—those two books opened my eyes to whole new possibilities and put a fire under my ass to create a life of my own design, and try my hardest to enjoy every moment of it.

Not long after in late 2009, Jonathan Mead used me as a case study in his manifesto The Zero Hour Workweek, which played off of the ideas in Tim’s book, but took them even further to encourage people to build businesses that basically allow them to get paid to be themselves. Soon I was being interviewed about my live-and-work-anywhere lifestyle, and people started calling my story inspiring, and asking me about my travel experiences and advice for overcoming travel obstacles.

Sometimes I’m a bit embarrassed by the buzzwords (digital nomad, location independent… and lifestyle design… there’s another one!) but eventually I embraced the title Corbett had bestowed upon me. Who’d have known that just two years later I’d be running a business course called Digital Nomad Academy with the help of Corbett himself and several other hugely successful remote-control entrepreneurs I look up to!

Like many people, sometimes I feel like the small (but growing) online niche we’re in is a bit too cliquey, too markety, and sometimes people get big egos, or they feel under pressure to maintain the appearance like they’ve got everything figured out and their lives are just so cool.

I know, because I’ve been there… but I’ll be the first to tell you, nobody has it all figured out. I’ve been broke as a joke many times along my journey, I’ve been stuck up a creek with no paddle many times on my travels, I’ve experienced immense business failures, I’ve been stabbed in the back, I’ve been discouraged. But, this is an incredible life we’ve all been given, and I’m grateful for the amazing adventures and obstacles I’ve experienced. I wouldn’t trade my experience for anything.

I’m even more thankful for the people around me who have helped fuel this adventure. It has its ups and downs for sure—I was defrauded and went through several down months. I wasn’t confident everything might not collapse at times. I took a break from blogging and let some of my friends use this platform to share their writing and their projects with you (I see no point writing unless I actually have something to say, but once I conquer the challenges laid out in front of me, maybe then I’ll have something of real value to share about them).

But despite the challenges of living an unconventional life, I have no plans to quit traveling, meeting new people, and having new experiences anytime soon, to stop experimenting with my own businesses, to ever go back to a 9-to-5 if I can avoid it, to move back home, or to stop blogging about this weird journey. Living life your own way, you will definitely be confronted with setbacks, and the journey will be more challenging than living according to someone else’s prescribed path. But it is absolutely, 100% worthwhile. 

My girlfriend and I are fortunate to live for now in one of the most beautiful regions in the world, in a three-story townhouse surrounded by forests and beautiful limestone mountains, all for a fraction of what it would cost back in California.

Emily and I recently spent a week in Singapore, and it was the most fun I’ve had in months! We were trying to decide what country to visit for a renewed visa and I decided I really wanted to visit old friends there. She teases me that I can’t travel anywhere unless I know someone there, and when I thought about it, I realized it’s not far from the truth.

Undoubtedly when most people think about travel, they tend to think of places, monuments and landmarks like the Acropolis of Athens, the Roman Colosseum, the Eiffel Tower, London’s Big Ben, Bangkok’s reclining Buddha, Krabi’s mountaintop Buddhist temple, the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur. Each of these are fantastic places I’ve been able to see on my travels. But what really has made my travels remarkable are the people I have met and the experiences I’ve shared with them.

I became very close with my French professor in high school, who was also a huge influence on me (as far as my interest in travel, culture, art, music and languages). The very first time I traveled outside the U.S. was a trip with some classmates to France, and what made it special was the wonderful family I lived with for a week on the Mediterranean coast in Cannes, as well as the time I spent with Mssr. Hodgins and my classmates wandering around Paris.

London is probably one of my top three favorite cities in the world to visit. Although I really enjoy wandering around on foot through London and sightseeing, it wasn’t the London Eye or the Houses of Parliament that kept me coming back… it was because I first traveled there on my own to visit my cousin Ian, who spent a year as an exchange student there, and it was the fun crowd of college students I got to know—James, the Toms, Sarah, Dav, Elaine, and many more—when I visited him for two weeks that made my experience so special.

I traveled to Spain for a three-week Christmas and New Year holiday with my friends Paul, Tim, and Ryan. Barcelona was a stunning city with great food, equaled by the gorgeous views and historical Old Town on Ibiza (and it’s nightlife), but what really made the trip special were the incredible friends we made—Meye and Barbara, two amazing women who took it upon themselves to show us all the best restaurants and pubs in town, introduced us to friends, showed us the parades and the local Catalans celebrations, and invited us into their homes for Christmas dinner!

Greece, Turkey, and Italy are infused with history, vibrant culture, and amazing sights (especially for someone who studied history at university) but what made my travels there special were the memories and time I spent bonding with family.

When I first arrived in Thailand, it was two Thai friends I met—Poon and Om—who spent three days driving me all around Phuket on their motorbike showing me the sights.

Bangkok is a huge metropolis with great nightlife, great food, a big flag on the backpacker trail. But what made it so much fun for me was the people. I got caught up there for a year and a half eating cheap street food all the time with Migration Mark, Joel, Ryan, May, Nalin, Bank, and Aum, going out partying, and running fun monthly mixer events and volunteering with Dwight Turner, Christina, Craig Gonzales, and others. I remember the first day Sean Ogle landed in Asia, and we went with my sister and my friends Chris, Ryan, and Nick to explore the ancient ruins and Buddhas at Ayutthaya, coworking with David Walsh and Derek Johanson, planning a TEDx conference with Rob, Greg, Andrew, Chris, Karla, Fluke, and more.

Travel puts me face-to-face with friends—many friends I’ve known for many years from school or work, but also many who I’ve met and become friends with through running my business online.

In Bangkok, mostly through Twitter and the Bangkok Tweetups that Dwight and I would put on, I also was able to meet in person with awesome bloggers Dan Andrews, Adam Baker, Benny “the Irish Polyglot” Lewis, Gary Arndt, Matt Goult, Jodi Ettenberg, Jonny Gibaud, Marc Gold, Ross Hill, Kevin Revolinski, Wes Nations, Ryan Martin, Mark Powers, and many more.

Warning: I’ve linked to a lot of people in this post! But I want to share each and every one of them with you (I’m definitely missing more than a few, too) not to gloat… not because I’m some celebrity, but because I’ve been blessed to meet so many truly cool people from around the world—each of them working on their own unique, interesting things—and each of them has at some point or another in my travels made a profound impact on my journey in their own small way. Because of that, I do encourage you to check out each and every one of these folks and discover how they’re making the world a more interesting place. I owe it to them to share what they’re doing.

In Bali I met Kyle and Bessie Crum doing yoga in the rice paddies, Stuart McDonald eating ribs at Naughty Nuri’s, Jez Tryner for a drink, and spent time with my friends Jerm and Vie at their lovely condo.

In Kuala Lumpur I met Nomadic Matt Kepnes while wandering around hostels, Dwight and Mark and I met our travel buddy Agnes (who drove us at lightning speed at 11pm one night to see the cozy little town of Melaka, on a whim!) through Couchsurfing, and I met Hani Khaursar, Vishen Lakhiani, Brian Wong and others on a subsequent trip when I spoke at a conference.

Phnom Penh has been home to my two friends Brittany Sims and Caron Margarete who, along with some of Cambodia’s footballers showed me the town and made me feel right at home.

Here in Krabi, I spent considerable time climbing and beach partying with my friends Alicia, James, Vanessa, Peter, Jane & Toto, and I finally met in person with my blogger buddies Carlos Miceli, Colin Wright, Adventurous Kate McCulley, Backpacking Matt Kyhnn, and Shannon O’Donnell, who’ve all stopped by on their travels.

When I traveled back to the States this year, in Austin, I met up with Markus & Ashley, Nick Reese, Jenny Blake, Ridiculously Extraordinary Karol Gadja, Where is Jenny Leonard, Andy Drish, Andrew Norcross, Thursday Bram, Technomads Chris & Cherie, and many other good folks for a week of awesomeness while South by Southwest was on.

The San Francisco Bay Area is home to a host of inspiring folks like Ramit Sethi, Corbett Barr, Amber Zuckswert, Charlie Hoehn, Lorna Li, and serial entrepreneur Rajesh Setty (and I also had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Chris Ducker there, who usually plays an Englishman in the Philippines).

Los Angeles is or has been the stomping grounds of my very good friend Ryan, entrepreneur Jun Loayza, blogger Jonathan Mead, dating coach Jordan Harbinger, my friends Dariane Nabor, Laurenne Sala, and many other cool peoples.

In past trips to Singapore, I’ve met other cool nerds (like myself) Adrianna Tan, Ziqi Koey (who also just visited us here in Krabi!), Guyi Shen, and many more.

This trip, Emily and I had an incredibly fun time together…  we did all the touristy stuff: we walked all around the city on foot, stayed on the beautiful riverfront in Boat Quay, gorged ourselves on amazing delicious food from all around Southeast Asia and beyond, we hung out at the marina by night and took in all the city lights, wandered all around the big fancy new Marina Bay Sands resort and casino, went to a Salvador Dalí exhibit, to the cinema, briefly to a concert hall, and much more. But our time together there also reminded me that one of my biggest motivators is the people I get to share it with.

It was seeing my friend and singer Shimona Kee for her birthday and enjoying the hip young local music scene, having a lovely homemade dinner with Michelle at her impressive 16th-floor apartment, having a drink, a shisha and a catchup with my old friends John Berns and Martin, and getting to meet Derek Sivers in person (the very down-to-earth, engaging, but brilliant and wildly successful gentleman who founded CDBaby) to chat about travels, businesses, failures, and planting multiple flags (BTW you absolutely must watch this fascinating, short 8-part video series by Sivers). Getting to interact with, have fun with, learn from, and learn about all these fascinating people that are all doing their own interesting things—that’s what makes travel so much fun for me.

Running my business online has meant I’ve built friendships with people all around the world. Interacting with people through Twitter alone has connected me to dozens and dozens of new people that I’ve actually become real friends and done business with.

The point is, I’m just an average dude—but because of the way I choose to live my life, the way I run my business, and the way I reach out to connect with other people out there, I’ve had an extraordinary experience making new friends all around the world. The tools I’ve used to build an international network of friends and colleagues are also available to you.

Being location-independent, running a business online, and being on the move—living my life this way has opened many doors to people and experiences I wouldn’t have back in my “normal” life, that I would have never dreamed I’d have. My passion and what drives my journey is the interesting people I meet… making new friends and having fun new experiences with them, learning from them, and growing with them. Your interests, what drives you, and the life you want to have may look entirely different to mine, but whatever they are, there are millions of people you can connect with out there in this small little world of ours. The amazing journey I have had, like many others, is only an example of what anyone could do. You only need to start opening doors.

What journey are you on? What are the people, places, and experiences that have meant the most to you along your path?

If you found this interesting, and if you’re anything like me, click here to get some incredibly awesome (and completely free) stuff to add to your toolbox and learn more about my philosophy. You won’t regret it→

Read the original article on Thrilling Heroics here: Setbacks, and What Motivates Me to Keep Exploring & Experimenting

Have you heard about AppSumo?

If not, you should have.

AppSumo is a great new daily deals site for web geeks! They’re sort of like Groupon for nerdy-awesome online stuff that people like you and me are into, and they have a really cool business model where they bundle up a bunch of great software, business resources, services, books, and courses—and sell them at a deep discount!

If you’re a web developer, designer, or entrepreneur of any type, I highly recommend you keep an eye on what they’re offering.

But for today…

Here’s how you can get $173 worth of absolutely FREE, high-quality business training and tools

I’ve partnered up with AppSumo, and starting today, if you’re a member of the Thrilling Heroics Inner Circle here, you will get completely free, exclusive access to two excellent-quality, premium AppSumo Action Videos that will help you build your own small business, courtesy of Chief Sumo Noah Kagan himself!

The AppSumo team continues to interview highly successful, A-list entrepreneurs and startup founders and produce top-notch classes that distill their experience and knowledge into actionable tutorials!

They even release them for free from time to time (if you want an example of the type of awesome Action Videos we’re talking about here, check out this random guy who made $22 million). But today, you’re getting special access to two high-dollar video series:

Action Video #1: Blogging for Startups

Just by signing up for my exclusive Inner Circle, you’ll get instant complimentary FREE access to this 67-minute video course with Mixergy‘s Andrew Marshall and Hiten Shah, founder of tech company KISSmetrics. They started their blog 10 months ago, and already got A MILLION VISITORS. They even turn part of those million visitors into paying customers… which is essentially free advertising for a small startup company. In this awesome vid, you’ll learn:

• How to launch a successful blog for your startup business
• How to build long-term traffic & quick tips to generate traffic in a week
• How to use cookies to track where your customers are coming from and learn more about them
• How to create customers before you’re ready to sell something
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If you’re into business, you may have heard of this “Lean Startup” concept. Well, Eric Ries is the guy who wrote the book on it! Literally. In this 70-minute video course with Eric Ries—also the author of Startup Lessons Learned and Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Harvard Business School—you’ll learn how to use continuous innovation to create fast, light, successful businesses:

• Learn how to start thinking about improving your business on the fundamental level to become more efficient.
• Tips on how to validate and optimize your ideas.
• Learn how Zappos employed the Lean Startup methodology to build a hugely successful business.
• Where to go create launch sites quickly to test out ideas.
• How to be “Just in Time” not “Just in Case”.
• Why its more important to measure what customers do and not what they say.
• Many many more transformational tactics…

This training course is a $49 value, $25 if you were to get AppSumo’s discount… Except that you can’t! It’s gone off the market. But, if you join the TH Inner Circle and share with your friends, you’ll also earn 100% free access to this great bonus.

More Useful Free Resources to Help You Build Your Online Business

When you sign up to join over 6,000 readers here, you’ll get all this and you’ll also get a complimentary copy of my Thrilling Theme for WordPress (normally I charge $25 for it), pleasantly infrequent email updates when there’s useful new articles on Thrilling Heroics, and not to mention my 15-week minicourse designed to help you get started building your own Live-Anywhere Business, complete with case studies and expert video interviews.

Alright, so are you ready? It’s easy—all you have to do is sign up here and start enjoying your free bonuses.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Even if you’re already a Thrilling Heroics subscriber, simply enter your name & email on the form on this page (don’t worry, you won’t get double-subscribed) to get immediate access to Action Video #1 from AppSumo, and your own referral link to share with friends and earn your bonus Action Video #2.

One Last Thing: Earn More Free Rewards!

If you’re reading this on the website right now, you’ll see a little red “Rewards” tab right to the left (if not, click through and visit the site!).

Thrilling Heroics now has its very own loyalty program! From now on, when you visit TH while you’re also logged in to Facebook, you’ll earn rewards points just for 1) visiting every day, 2) leaving comments on any articles here on the site, 3) “Liking” us on Facebook, and 4) sharing articles through any of the social media buttons (i.e, with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, StumbleUpon, etc.).

If you get enough reward points here (and on a couple other cool sites across the web), you can earn some sweet rewards, such as gift cards from Groupon, BestBuy.com, and eBay!

Just one more bonus to thank you for interacting here at Thrilling Heroics, for leaving your feedback, and for being an engaged member of my community. Cheers!

What do you think of these free Action Videos and rewards? Let me know what sorts of videos and bonuses you’d like in the future by leaving a comment down below.

Read the original article on Thrilling Heroics here: How to Get $173 Worth of Awesome AppSumo Action Classes to Help You Build Your Business, FREE

The moment I boarded the American Airlines flight to the U.S., I was reintroduced to American standards of customer service (piss-poor compared to Asia), cultural sensitivity (now I’m being completely sarcastic), and security checks. At LAX, I refused the backscatter X-ray machine and was the lucky recipient of the up-close-and-personal new pat downs the TSA is graciously giving out.

Welcome back, Cody!

Finally, I arrived in Austin, Texas, for the tail-end of the South By Southwest Interactive conference and the start of the city’s immense music and film festival that attracts tens of thousands of people from across the country and the world every year.

For four days, I had the great fortune to hang out with friends at The Monarch apartments in Austin, right in central downtown, with a great view of the city, meeting several faces I’ve known for years (but only online), catching up with a couple old friends, and interacting with several fascinating new folks. Here are just some of them:

Markus Urban is without a doubt, one of the most profoundly inspiring people I have ever crossed paths with. He unapologetically pursues what he desires and follows his every instinct and passion (he calls this Living on Impulse). He has an incredible, sometimes startling ability to connect and relate to others, pierce through all the things that typically distract us from being completely 100% authentic, and turn the seemingly “impossible” into reality. He currently uses his superpowers to bring awesome people together into the same environment, collaborate on exciting projects like the upcoming DMAD.com and I Want to Travel show, and generally create fun everywhere he goes.

Ashley Spiker found the perfect niche for herself online when she combined her love for designer shoes and blogging at ShoeRazzi. Ashley and Markus are digital nomads that have been traveling across timezones together for the last year+. We met for a brief time in Krabi, Thailand, last year and they made a profound impact on my life, even in such a brief time. The two of them were generous enough to invite me to stay with them at the brilliant condo they rented in Austin for the month—the Superhuman Loft! It’s largely because of the two of them I was introduced to dozens of motivated, ambitious, interesting young folks all working to change the world in their own ways.

Will Hutson produces awesome television and video, including A Drink With Dave (with MTV’s Dave Holmes), among other things, and heads up Unscripted, the production company working on the upcoming I Want to Travel show mentioned above. He also shares cool and funny stuff at thehipsterdiet.

Nick Reese is a passionate young entrepreneur, affiliate marketer, and nomad. He’s recently released an impressive project with Chris Brogan, the book How to Turn Traffic and Trust into Sales, and explores what sets some people apart from the crowd at Becoming Bold.

Jenny Blake is a Career Development Program Manager and internal coach at Google, and has just recently published her book Life After College: the Complete Guide to Getting What You Want. A passionate young woman with a personal growth obsession, find her at Life After College.

Thursday Bram is a prolific freelance writer who’s done tons of impressive work for CNET, GigaOm, Lifehack, and many other publications. She’s also runs Hyper Modern Consulting, and is a really friendly gal to bounce business ideas off of over lunch, as I discovered with Jeanie Witcraft (see below).

Karol Gajda is my Polish-American, vegan, digital nomad friend who’s about a foot taller and even more dynamic in person than I imagined! He’s on a mission to help 100 people achieve Ridiculously Extraordinary freedom and he’s setting out on a tour of every roller coaster in the U.S. Karol is also the author of How to Live Anywhere: The Official Guide to Ridiculously Extraordinary Freedom.

Jenny Leonard is a skater chick and a courageous young soul who’s taken some huge risks recently to completely reboot her life, overcoming health challenges and other obstacles, selling all her belongings, and leaving everything behind to start traveling the world. Jenny, Markus, and I shared some cool, deep, vulnerable conversations. She’s always been self-employed and supported herself with her graphic design and creative freelance work. Find her at Where Is Jenny for now.

Andy Drish is someone I’ve been following for a very long time, since the beginning of my time online, so it was great to finally meet him face-to-face, albeit brief. Andy has worked extensively in corporate leadership development, social media marketing, and sales development and shares his knowledge through speaking, training, and workshops.

Benny Lewis is a multilingual Irishman who’s been traveling for almost a decade. He speaks at least 8 languages fluently and constantly relocates to new locations around the world to embark on new language-learning missions and become Fluent in 3 Months. It was especially good “craic” (fun) hanging out with the nondrinking, vegetarian Irish Polyglot for my favorite holiday, St. Patrick’s Day. If you’re into travel and languages, check out Benny’s extensive Language Hacking Guide.

Sean Ogle is a good friend that I spent several months with in Bangkok, so it was great to spend time with him again after some time. Sean quit his finance job to travel the world and work with Dan at the Tropical MBA, picking up a wide range of entrepreneurial skills along the way, and now he travels freely, working on several cool projects with some of the biggest names online. He recently put out a great course about Overcoming the Fear of Uncertainty, and you can follow all his unconventional adventures at Location 180.

Ryan Martin recently finished a ridiculously epic full year of travel. A close friend of Sean’s who I met back in Thailand, they should be somewhere between Las Vegas and Portland right now. Ryan will soon be working as an adventure tour guide all across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Check him out at Follow Me Everywhere.

Andrew Norcross was one of our partners when we started up Untemplater, so it was really fun to finally meet him in person for the first time in Austin! Norcross is an incredible developer, always helping solve my technical problems, and a stunning web designer (if you need a site redesign, I highly recommend you hire him). As he says, his ’personal brand’ is a combination of Camel Lights, tattoos, his son, and the word ‘fuck’, which is hilarious.

Adam Baker was another cofounder of Untemplater. We met while he was on his worldwide travels with wife Courtney and their young daughter through Australia, New Zealand, and Thailand, and this year the Baker family is on an RV journey across North America. Baker is author of Unautomate Your Finances, Sell Your Crap, and provides tons of great personal finance and life advice at Man Vs. Debt.

Chris Dunphy & Cherie Ve Ard are two technology-enabled nomads who have been traveling full-time since 2006. They started as RVers wandering across the U.S., and this year they’re living on the US Virgin Island, St. John. I only got to hang out with them briefly at the HP Trailer Park at SxSW, where they showed off some of their cool iPhone/iPad apps made for travelers based on needs they’ve addressed in their own travels (app one and app two). You can follow their travels at Technomadia and grab their book Answers to Common Excuses Not to Travel Full-Time.

J. Money is a lively, good-humored, punk rock kinda guy who learned a tremendous amount about personal finance when he got married and bought his first house and now shares it in an exciting, sexy way at Budgets Are Sexy.

Nate St. Pierre wants to change the world, by focusing on giving hope to people on an individual level, one at a time. He and J. Money work together on a truly inspiring project called Love Drop. Check out how you can make a difference in the world in just 15 minutes a week at ItStartsWith.Us.

Jeanie Witcraft has worked as a mental health therapist and is just starting to build a radically new life doing work to change the world sustainably, balancing different spheres of time, focus, and life, and connecting with people one-on-one to help in healing society’s ills.

Monica O’Brien was another of our cofounders when we started Untemplater in 2010. It was fantastic to finally meet her face-to-face, although entirely too brief (we’ll have to do it again soon). Monica is the marketing director at Braintree, and author of Social Pollination, and just recently released her first fiction work Silver Smoke.

A huge thanks to all these folks, and especially to Markus and Ashley who put a lot of us together in one place and made a ridiculously cool mashup of minds possible. It is indeed true, when you surround yourself with insightful, ambitious people, you up your game. I hope to release some interviews and videos with a couple of these folks soon…

Also, credit to Markus Urban for most of the photos on this page.

Please share your South By Southwest experience in the comments!

Finally, a side note: today is my birthday! If you want to help make my year, please consider contributing or helping me spread the word about my 5-week tour across the U.S. I’m seeking a sponsor to make one of my biggest, most ridiculous dreams come true, and I hope to host a big personal development and entrepreneurship summit in April (or next year if we have to, but we will make it happen!) Please help me spread the word by sharing on Facebook or sending a Tweet to your followers. Sincere thanks!

Read the original article on Thrilling Heroics here: 20 Inspirational, Superhuman Folks I Hung Out With at South By Southwest

You and Your Laptop Can Be a Multi-National Corporation: 7 Ways Location Independence Can Make You Cash Money

The incredible cocktail that Skype and the Four Hour Work Week has created, and the resulting proliferation of location independent professionals and entrepreneurs has been a total game changer for many. For me, it’s meant the chance to travel the world while I grow a business. A dream come true. 5 years ago I didn’t know this sort of thing was possible, and in many ways it wasn’t. There weren’t the Cody’s of the world showing how it can be done, internet connections in developing countries sucked… I mean SkypeOut was launched in 2006!

A lot of people think blowing off to Thailand to run your consulting business is faddish. A flash in the pan. More of the same.

Bullshit.

Because the costs to re-location and globalization are trending, at a very fast pace, towards zero, businesses and entrepreneurs will more and more focus on optimizing their location. It’s a question I’ve started to ask myself more often as the years go by: am I in the right place? (How deliciously existential!)

I’m assuming most of us are are all sold on the incredible personal advantages of living a location independent lifestyle, but what about the incredible business advantages? Multi-nationals have been taking advantage of offshoring for decades, and now you can do it, by yourself, with your laptop. Here are some key ways being location independent can help your business.

1. An extra 40K in personal income. WHAT?! (For US citizens) Did you know that if you can keep your pretty buns outside of the USA for all but 30 days in a calendar year (and establish some sort of permanent residence overseas recognized by the IRS) you don’t have to pay taxes on your first $91,500 of earned income? Hot damn that’s HUGE! Saving money is easier than making money, and this is a huge opportunity to save a bunch. [Cody: remember we're not lawyers or tax professionals here, so start with this article from the IRS and consult a professional.]
2. Personal sustainability. If you are on this site and you’ve got an itch to explore the world—to do something exciting—but instead you decide to “pay your dues” and start a business that doesn’t consider your passions, you won’t be getting your best, most enthused, most productive self on a daily basis. Despite what people say about automation and processes, you are more than likely the most critical element in your business. Get yourself excited and passionate about your lifestyle, and I believe you’ll see it on the bottom line.
3. Set up corporations in tax-friendly countries. Tax rates in countries like the Philippines are much lower than in the west. Why not run your operation from overseas? Even if your main entity is in your home country, you can use your foreign corps to increase your spending and reduce your tax load. (If you are interested in the nuts and bolts of how this works, subscribe to my blog, I’ll be showing how I do this in the coming months). This is the type of financial landscaping that was previously only realistic for rich dudes and big corps, now you can implement it in your business.
4. All your travel is 35% cheaper. YEP, that’s right world traveler. If you are traveling on your business, every single line item is up to 35% cheaper (depending on your tax rate). That’s because you are spending money before it’s taxed by your government. That’s balla!
5. Insource your talent. Universally, travel is one of people’s biggest desires. Tap in to that by offering intelligent people a seat next to you on that train. If you are living a remarkable lifestyle, and running an interesting business, people are happy to be compensated with experiences rather than cash. This can help you scale your business faster, and I promise you’ll have tons of fun in the process. Check out my Tropical MBA internships to see how this can work.
6. Outsource your talent. You are probably well aware of how outsourcing to places like China and the Philippines can help your business by keeping your labor costs much lower as you scale. Why not go meet those people? Make them a part of your business and life. It’s fun, and you’ll learn a ton and be exposed to opportunities you can’t predict.
7. Cash Runway. Got an idea? Got a buddy? Got some programmers? Ready to make that start-up happen? If you are sharp, you can survive for 6 months in Southeast Asia on $5,000 bucks in relative luxury. To an entrepreneur, runway is freedom. It’s the chance to be creative, work hard without distraction, and build something great.

I’m out of reasons… those of you doing this overseas, what other advantages have you come across? I’m taking notes!

Read the original article on Thrilling Heroics here: 7 Ways Location Independence Can Make You Cash Money

I’ve been running a location-independent online business for nearly 4 years now, and I’ve been asked time and time again why I don’t have a product or a coaching program of my own yet about the digital nomad lifestyle I live.

For ages, I thought I didn’t have time, or that I was too busy with my own client projects.

But a few friends and I got together and finally started to bring things together, and they kicked my ass into motivation mode. One day I asked you if you’d be interested in learning how to become a digital nomad. And lo and behold, between email messages, blog comments, survey responses, and more, I’ve received hundreds and hundreds of enthusiastic responses from around the world!

I just didn’t anticipate a response like this. This is the biggest idea I’ve ever put out there, and it’s had the biggest reception! Your surge of support was encouraging and exciting and unreal and inspiring and overwhelming and humbling and scary.

And for the first time in a very long time, I got really excited about something new.

Readers sent in 220+ detailed, lengthy, thoughtful, amazing responses. In your survey responses, you told me what you wanted in a Digital Nomad training program.

You said you want one-on-one coaching. You want an incredibly selective application process. You want case studies of those who’ve been successful. You want direct access to them. You said you want supervision, and marketing advice, and troubleshooting guides, a yearly conference, and so many more great and helpful things.

In addition to the exclusive business course we’re building, we also promised to share a bunch of cool free resources, and dozens and dozens of people wanted Digital Nomad Case Studies. So today, if you are on our DNA list, you can get a free report with profiles of several top digital nomads:

Cody McKibben from Thrilling Heroics

I’ve traveled to 25 countries, including all of North America, France, the UK, Spain, Turkey, Greece, Switzerland, Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, and more. I’ve been running my web development and online marketing company remotely from Southeast Asia for over two years now. You know me. Let’s move on…

Dan Andrews from Lifestyle Business Podcast

Dan and his partners have a series of niche manufacturing businesses with offices in San Diego and the Philippines, and has become a leading authority on outsourcing. He is based in Manila, and has spent significant time in Boracay, Dumaguete, Manila, Cebu, and Puerto Galera, Philippines, as well as Thailand and Bali. Meanwhile he co-hosts the #1 podcast for lifestyle designers and lifestyle entrepreneurs, The Lifestyle Business Podcast, and sponsors the Tropical MBA internship program.

Corbett Barr from CorbettBarr.com

Corbett started a major Silicon Valley tech company, raised $3 million in venture capital, had employees and the whole bit, when he and his wife decided to take a six-month sabbatical to Mexico. Now he has built his own small business around ThinkTraffic.net and his personal site, earning over six figures a year and spending half the year at home in San Francisco and half the year either in Mexico or elsewhere. This summer they’re headed to Croatia.

Adam Baker from Man Vs. Debt

Adam, his wife Courtney, and their two-and-a-half year old daughter Milligan spent over a year living and traveling abroad, in Australia, New Zealand, and Thailand. They spent a year preparing for their trip, selling all of their possessions, and paying down $18,000 in consumer debt, so Adam brings a lot of insight into personal finance and minimalism. Now they’re voyaging out from home state of Indiana to wander around the United States in their newly-purchased RV.

Nora Dunn from The Professional Hobo

Nora had a successful financial planning practice in Canada when she realized her life’s dream to travel extensively around the world was passing her by. In 2006, she sold everything she owned to travel the world full-time and has already set foot in 15 countries while she works as a freelance travel writer. Her travels have taken her to Hawaii, across Asia, Australia, throughout Europe, and now she is starting the new year in New Zealand.

Jeanne Dee from Soultravelers3

The “Soultravelers3″ are a digital nomadic family into their fifth year of an open-ended world tour. They were living the American dream, with a large, ocean-view California country home, but when they had a child in 2000 they decided that a permanent travel lifestyle would give them more time for bonding and freedom. They’ve raised their daughter to be tri-ligual in Chinese, Spanish and English, and they’ve now seen 38 countries on 5 continents, usually spending their winters in Asia (they are currently in Penang, Malaysia), and summers in Europe.

Andrew Hayes from Sharing Travel Experiences

Andy launched two online ventures at once. Sharing Travel Experiences is an online travel lifestyle magazine where he puts to use many of the skills he developed when he used to do a lot of writing for clients, and Travel Online Partners is a tourism marketing company that he has spent time working on while he’s been in Spain, Canada, and California in the last year. He is also an iPhone app developer and a published travel author.

Brooke Ferguson from Business Backpacker

Brooke was running her own business consulting company in Northern California when she decided to move her clients online and work remotely. She continues to coach clients one-on-one to turn their businesses into something that support their ideal lifestyle. All while blogging, rock climbing on the weekends, and earning her Divemaster certification. Brooke will serve as DNA’s curriculum director, and brings to it her comprehensive, all-inclusive self-mastery and business building system which she developed over the course of four years working with clients one-on-one.

Michelle Dale from Virtual Miss Friday

Michelle is a mobile entrepreneur, mother of two, and the virtual assistant behind VirtualMissFriday.com and VirtualAssistant-Live.com. She left a high-paying job in the banking industry and left the UK to move to Egypt for two years. Since then, she took her VA business from a one-person operation to a 6 figure offshore company while living in Luxor and in a few different parts of France. Michelle currently lives in Spain, and will be making her way to Italy later this year.

Drop Your Email in the Signup Form Below to Receive Your Free Digital Nomad Case Studies Report

(Note: If you’re already on the DNA email list, you don’t have to sign up again, you’ll be getting this in your email inbox very soon.)

Get on the DNA waiting list! Plus get our Digital Nomad Resources Guide and Case Studies Report absolutely FREE:

We hate spam just as much as you

But people didn’t just want case studies of successful nomadic entrepreneurs. You asked for direct access to them. You said you want supervision, and marketing advice, and troubleshooting guides, a yearly conference, and so much more.

Looking at all the feedback to what we’ve been bringing together at DNA made me realize the immensity of what we’re about to do. Nothing like what we’re about to at Digital Nomad Academy exists. There is no rulebook for what we’re going to put together for our students there. And we’re going to blow every other product or community in this niche out of this universe! (Sorry guys)

This is going to be so much bigger than I had originally imagined. I’m going to need to cancel some plans this year, stop doing my normal client work for a few months, and pour my time and energy into DNA. This will be an undertaking for all of us because we’re not just talking about a 6 session class, followed by some Q & A sessions. We’re talking about a comprehensive all-inclusive training program.

All of the individuals profiled above will be Digital Nomad Academy Faculty Members.

That means they will each participate on weekly coaching and mentoring calls, and you’ll get the chance to ask them your questions directly.

Not only that, but this is just the first round of faculty announcements. We’ll have many more successful online entrepreneurs, nomads, and niche experts involved to contribute to the vast amount of knowledge and training we’re putting together for you at DNA over the course of 2011!

Do You Want to Learn Directly from These (and Many More!) Successful Digital Nomads?

If you do, then here’s what I want you to do next: drop your email in the sign-up form up above on this page and we’ll send you the free report “10 Real-World Digital Nomad Case Studies” (as well as my last freebie, the Digital Nomad 101 Resources Guide), and you’ll get a chance to learn more about how you can be mentored directly by myself and all of these experienced nomadic entrepreneurs and many MORE!

Read the original article on Thrilling Heroics here: 10 Digital Nomad Success Stories, and How You Can Learn From Them…

The Story of How I Became a Vagabonding Entrepreneur

As most of you know from reading my site or my free Digital Nomad 101 guide, I left California in November 2008 with a one-way ticket to Asia and no plans to return for at least a year.

My desire to travel abroad started as a bit of an escape—to start fresh somewhere new. I’d had a nasty breakup, found myself bored in my 9-to-5 office job, stagnating in my personal growth, followed by another messy relationship. I was ready for change.

I’d lived in my hometown for 24 years and I was ready for new scenery.

Like Neo in the Matrix, I didn’t know what it was, but always knew that there was something wrong with the world. I looked around at everyone tied to their cubicles, plugged into the Machine, slaving away chasing some “dream”, but really just feeding the System: a system that encourages the status quo, conformity, mediocrity, stagnation, and submission to the same groups that have always held power in our society.

But I digress…

How This Whole “Digital Nomad” Thing Started

I remember the EXACT moment I decided that I was going to follow MY intuition when it came to how I live my life, where I live it, and what I make of it.

Rather than waiting for retirement to do what I wanted with my life, I decided to quit wasting time going down the template life path and start working on doing the things I dreamed of doing NOW. Even if it means I fail a few times before succeeding.

It sounds so obvious once you start thinking differently than they tell you to think about your “career”, but technology now enables us to collaborate from opposite ends of the earth, and build 1-man businesses that span the globe on the internet. What many folks don’t realize is that means you’re no longer tied to one place, geographically.

Digital nomads are the savvy professionals who leverage technology to work from anywhere they want—from home, the coffee shop, on the beach, or from the other side of the world! With a laptop, an internet connection, and a little resourcefulness, you can hire assistants in India or the Philippines, manufacture in China, and sell products to customers on the opposite side of the earth!

From the time I was toying with the idea of sneaking my way into Stanford Graduate School of Business, I’d already built an online platform to share my ideas about business, technology, and social entrepreneurship. And with my growing web development business, I’d already worked with clients in Canada, Australia, France, and beyond. Why couldn’t I run my business from anywhere?

I was smart enough. I was good enough.

There were naysayers who said I’d fail… that I’d go broke and come home with my tail between my legs. I had many moments of doubt (and still do, that’s part of being an entrepreneur!)

But here I am still after more than 2 years, while they sit in their cubicles…

… living near my favorite beach in the world, working on my own creative projects, meeting tons of cool entrepreneurs and travelers, and free to go out for dinner and drinks with friends any night of the week!

Creating a business that I could run remotely from anywhere in the world has given me the freedom to choose: where I live, when I work, and it has enabled me free up more time to put into relationships, writing, volunteering, and many side hobby projects.

And being able to travel frequently and spend extensive time abroad (I’ve traveled to another 8 countries in the last two years) is perhaps the most impactful and meaningful facet of the lifestyle I’ve been able to create. I can’t imagine any better way to learn about yourself, your values, and worldview, than interacting extensively with a wide range of people who will show you their many different diverse cultures, traditions, values, religious beliefs, and more (not to mention their food and parties!)

I used to get emails from friends of friends, or referrals from my clients. People started to notice the way I was living my life.

Now I get hundreds of emails every month from people who are interested in traveling or moving to Asia, or who are striving to build their own freelance businesses so they can have more time freedom and location independence.

When I started, there wasn’t anyone in the trenches with wannabe Digital Nomads like me.

“Lifestyle design” has of course been around for ever. And as you all know, there was Tim Ferriss’ book The 4 Hour Workweek… which was a major wake up call for many of us. And there have been a lucky few who have been working “telecommuter” jobs for the last 15 or 20 years I suppose.

But the Digital Nomad lifestyle is really a paradigm shift. It’s still a new idea in the workplace, still in its infancy. At the time when I got my start, there was nobody out there to mentor me or supervise me or even to brainstorm with me when it came to actually taking my small business mobile.

There were no authorities on the subject who were accessible.

There were no training programs…

So I researched and read and taught myself along the way, taking bits of knowledge from business mentors, internet marketers, travel gurus, social media “experts”, remote workers, and more. And I actually became a part of the early Lifestyle Design/New Rich/Digital Nomad community that was just starting to grow (and still is growing).

My passion (and flat-out obsession at times) for living life on my own terms, and for helping others achieve the same freedom, is what kept me going, and keeps me going, even when things get tough.

In The End, After Tons of Work… All My Passion and Drive Has Worked . . And in a BIG Way.

Back when I began doing all of this (all alone, working until 5 in the morning, pull my hair out some nights) I never would have dreamed that…

• I would have a hugely successful blog—with an audience of thousands of worldly, ambitious readers—and that lets me connect with hundreds of brilliant online entrepreneurs, accomplished authors, and intriguing travelers from around the world in person!
• That I would have millionaire globetrotting clients, and customers on 5 continents!
• That I’d co-found a company (with friends, just for fun!) that would get us in the New York Times
• That my story would be featured in books, or that I’d be interviewed by ABC News or countless business & travel sites
• Or that I’d be speaking at (and helping organize) international business conferences
• Or be able to help underprivileged and orphaned children with my friends at In Search Of Sanuk

But In Addition to Being Humbled By the People I’m Able to Interact with Every Week and the Impact I’ve had, I’ve Also Been Fortunate to Have A Very Gratifying Lifestyle (My Friends Call It Amazing… I Just Enjoy Having Choices).

For example, I get to work FROM HOME (wherever that is this week) on the web with individuals all over the world, and know that I’m making real and meaningful connections with people (and that my interactions with clients and friends can create dramatic changes for the better).

I never would have dreamed that I’d get to set my own schedule (so I have more time to spend with friends, in relationships, and getting to know new business contacts).

And I never would have imagined that I would be able to jet set around so many beautiful destinations and stay in such luxury as I have at times… It doesn’t cost as much as you might think to live a rockstar lifestyle abroad, by making a few savvy choices and using a couple smart geo-arbitrage principles.

So Here’s What I’m Getting To… Here’s What I Feel Compelled To Do…

So here’s the deal. Things have changed since I got my start a few years ago.

There is a TON of demand from people who want to know how to build a business that lets them live like this, way more than I can keep up with (like a thousand times over). And with each passing day, there are also more and more people who are successfully DOING IT. There are a lot of bloggers talking about “lifestyle design” or “location independence” who are just locked up in their dorm rooms—who haven’t actually traveled anywhere, and whose only “business” is their blog, but in the last two years, I’ve gotten to know dozens of people who are REAL success stories, many of them in person. These folks are the real deal. So I feel that our community is being compelled to step up to the plate.

The time has come for a central place to gather all these successful Digital Nomad authorities in one place where those of you who need guidance and encouragement can learn from them directly.

It’s time for some of you to stop living vicariously through what you read here and elsewhere online…

… and I’m on a mission to bring many of my friends and several of the big names online together to take you by the hand and actually TAKE ACTION to move towards the life you want. In my heart of hearts, I want to empower every one of my readers to have the same freedom and choices that I have. I’ve wanted this for a long time. And this is way overdue.

It’s time for Digital Nomad Academy

Last week I asked if there were many aspiring digital nomads out there who’d be interested in my complimentary resources guide.

I’m a lazy procrastinator, and I didn’t want to make the thing if you guys didn’t want it… so I made an interest list to gauge the interest.

(If enough people joined the interest list, I promised you I’d compile the free guide).

Well… um… enough people joined.

I was blown away! Over 600 people signed up for the interest list, which resulted in well over 200 comments & survey responses from all across North America, and as far as Australia, Hong Kong, Sweden, Argentina and South Africa! I’ve been really humbled by the buzz surrounding the Digital Nomad 101 guide. I even got enthusiastic responses from authors Seth Godin, Rolf Potts, and Sam Carpenter, who I featured in the guide!

And there has been A LOT of interest in the coaching program that I talked about POTENTIALLY developing. So we’re doing it. DNA will become a reality in early 2011.

We’ve already secured commitments from some of the biggest Digital Nomads online to be faculty members at Digital Nomad Academy, and we’re in talks with several more. I’m going to bring as many of my friends as I can into this program to share their success stories, and so you can ask them your questions directly—a wide range of people from all different backgrounds, running different kinds of businesses, traveling and living in different countries.

AND we have an incredible curriculum we’ve spent a LONG time developing for you to go alongside the premium access to the experts. More on that later…

The Final Call

Starting tomorrow, only people on the Digital Nomad Academy early bird list will receive insider information on the upcoming coaching program and receive the free content we’re creating for you (If you’re on the list, you’ll get that free resources guide, and next I’m working on a case studies report, because that’s what many of you asked for).

(I’m not here to hard sell you, and some readers are only here to read my travel stories or my thoughts on web entrepreneurship, not because they want to live the same way I do… so I want to be considerate of them and make sure that they don’t get bombarded with information they don’t want or need).

So if you want to get the free resource guide, and the all the good stuff I’ve got coming your way, I highly suggest you join the Digital Nomad Academy early bird list below now:

Get on the DNA waiting list! Plus get our Digital Nomad Resources Guide and Case Studies Report absolutely FREE:

We hate spam just as much as you

That’s It For Now

Well, I’m off to figure out where I’m meeting my diver friends for New Year’s Eve barbecue tomorrow night!

But rest assured that if you’re on the DNA email list, I’ll be hooking you up with lots of great resources and information…

Have a GREAT New Year’s weekend, and remember to check back for your regularly-scheduled programming here next week!

–Cody McKibben
Dean, Digital Nomad Academy

Read the original article on Thrilling Heroics here: My Digital Nomad Journey: How to Run a Business That Lets You Work from Anywhere

My friend Hani Khaursar invited me to share the stage with some great folks including Vishen Lakhiani, Brian Wong, and others, and I discussed lifestyle design, finding your purpose and passion in business, geo-arbitrage, and living the digital nomad lifestyle anywhere you choose.

We had a blast! Attendees to the full-day summit paid more than $100 to hear our talks, but here’s your free ticket to watch my presentation below (hopefully I won’t get in trouble with Hani). Also you can follow along with my interactive visual presentation right below the video.

Enjoy!

Let me reiterate what I said at the end of my presentation:

The tools and the resources are the easy part—it’s the mindset, and breaking your preconceived ideas about your business and your life that’s difficult.

But I’ve said it before, if I can do this, anyone can do this.

If you’re serious about learning the mindset and overcoming the challenges that are holding you back from living life fully, on your own terms, then take a look at Digital Nomad Academy, where we bring together a faculty of incredible, experienced entrepreneurs from all backgrounds who’ve done it, that can help lead you where you want to go.

If you enjoy the presentation above, you can also watch my interview on the Leaderonomics Show in Kuala Lumpur, for more on similar topics.

Read the original article on Thrilling Heroics here: How to Make Friends Around the World & Serve Clients on 5 Continents