Tropical MBA – Location Independent Entrepreneurship

Podcast 32:35 | Download | Stitcher | iTunes | Comment Generally speaking, Dan and Ian aren't exactly fans of having a physical office. This is due, in large part, to the complications and difficulties that come with renting these kinds of spaces. Today's guest is going to attempt to change their opinion. Amol Sarva is the founder of Knotel, a startup based in New York City that offers "Headquarters on Demand". Their model draws inspiration from some practices commonly used in the hospitality industry - and they've had some tremendous success. In this episode, Amol talks about his philosophies on offices, how Knotel came to be and his vision for the future of workplaces for startups. Transcript Listen to this week's show and learn: What Knotel is and what problems they solve for their customers. (2:15) The difference between "foxes" and "hedgehogs". (5:50) How Knotel's users are reacting to the evolution of the company. (12:24) What practices Knotel has borrowed from the hospitality industry. (19:12) Amol's vision for the future of office space. (24:05) Mentioned in the episode: TMBA Masterminds Sponsor the TMBA Podcast The Dynamite Circle The DC Podcast AppSumo Derek Sivers CD Baby Amol Sarva Knotel Virgin Mobile Halo Neuroscience Knotable SoftBank The Hedgehog and the Fox by Isaiah Berlin Alan Kay WeWork Amazon Web Services Starwood Hotels & Resorts WhatsApp A big thanks to A...

Podcast 36:06 | Download | Stitcher | iTunes | Comment A recent thread in the Dynamite Circle forum really caught Dan and Ian's attention, and seemed to resonate with a great number of people in the community. One of the members introduced the idea of "Imposter Syndrome", and asked the rest of the community if they ever felt like a fake entrepreneur. We decided to reach out to three of the people who contributed to that discussion. Brendan Tully, Luis Gil, and Conni Biesalski have all joined us on this week's episode to share some of their struggles with these feelings. To our surprise, we discovered that all the conversations focused less on the idea of feeling like an imposter, and more on the general anxieties, fears and vulnerability that we all deal with in life, and can really be exacerbated by entrepreneurship on the web. Transcript Listen to this week's show and learn: Why Brendan feels like internet marketing podcasts are misrepresenting what it really means to be an entrepreneur. (3:29) How a move to New York caused Luis to change the way that he approached his career in music. (10:50) How imposter syndrome can have direct impact on the way you run your business. (20:08) How Conni handles the negative feedback that comes from YouTube. (26:50) Why living a "dream life" left Conni feeling depressed. (30:05) Mentioned in the episode: TMBA Masterminds Sponsor the TMBA Podcast The Dynamite Circle The DC Podcast Brendan Tully The Search Engine Shop Luis Gil Mark Manson Conni Biesalski Derek Sivers Tim Ferriss Planet Backpack 30 Days of Vulnerability A big thanks to AppSumo - this episode's sponsor. AppSumo is the place to find huge deals on tools to help you grow your online business. They've put together some great free stuff for TMBA listeners as well, check it out: AppSumo.com/TMBA Enjoyed this podcast? Check out these: TMBA 325: A Conversation With Ribbonfarm's Venkat Rao

The toughest nut for Dan and Ian to crack over the last few years has been how to make money with your money. How do you successfully invest in small businesses without having to run them on a day-to-day basis? Today's guest has cracked that code. Brent Beshore is the founder and CEO of Adventur.es. Brent has managed to do something that our hosts have dreamed of doing for a long time. He owns a portfolio of different businesses, and he does little to no work in operating them. On this episode, Brent will share how he has built this portfolio and what things he looks for when deciding to purchase a business.

Podcast 29:02 | Download | Stitcher | iTunes | Comment Today, Dan and Ian are continuing their miniseries in which they look at the many different locations that people in this community have chosen to call 'home'. In this episode, you'll hear from someone who hasn't just settled on a place but is also considering applying for citizenship there too. Dustin Overbeck is the creator of a company that does website and design for municipalities called TownWeb. What makes Dustin's story different from others that we've heard in this series is that he's not just making decisions for himself and, perhaps, one other - but for a family of four, including two young kids. On this week's podcast, you'll find out why Dustin and his wife decided to leave the Philippines, what factors they had to take into consideration and why, ultimately, they settled on moving their family to Brasov, Romania. Transcript Listen to this week's show and learn: Why Dustin ended up leaving his "dream job" in Los Angeles. (4:55) What led the Overbecks to Europe. (11:36) How Dustin and his family were able to obtain Romanian visas. (14:13) How much it actually costs to live in Romania. (18:18) Why Dustin believes Romania could be a great fit for digital nomads. (26:21) Mentioned in the episode: **NEW** TMBA Masterminds **NEW** Sponsor the TMBA Podcast The Dynamite Circle The DC Podcast Dustin Overbeck TownWeb The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss Numbeo Dustin's Crib Sheet Enjoyed this podcast? Check out these: TMBA 365: Estonian E-Residency: Is It For You? TMBA 373: Should You Base Yourself in Southern Europe? TMBA 376: Should You Base Yourself in Eastern Europe? Listening options: Subscribe via iTunes. Listen on Stitcher Radio. Android users can grab our RSS feed here. Right-click and "save file as" for direct download. Or click here to get sent to the top of the page where the on-site player is.

If you are anything like Dan and Ian, then you have likely spent years geeking out on the writings of this week's guest. Cal Newport is a computer science professor, and he has been operating a blog on his website since 2007. He has also been writing books since he was in college, and his most recent book is called Deep Work, which is about the benefits and practical steps to getting more done in the internet age. This interview covers a wide range of subjects, including distributed algorithms at the extremes, why Cal uses walking to enhance his productivity, and why creativity is more workmanlike than most people realize.

Dan and Ian have talked many times on this podcast about how the best ideas often come from scratching your own itch, or finding problems for solutions that you have experienced. Lately, Dan has had a very specific itch. Email tracking software has really been getting on Dan's nerves these days, so much so that he has even written a recent blog post about how much the industry is upsetting him. Enter Sonny Tulyaganov. Sonny was feeling some of the very same frustrations with email tracking software that Dan has been experiencing, but Sonny decided to do something about it. He developed a browser plugin called UglyMail, which allows you to see who is tracking your email. On this week's show, you'll hear the history of how Sonny developed this plugin, and the startling revelations about just how much of the information in your inbox is at risk.

Podcast 47:06 | Download | Stitcher | iTunes | Comment It's no secret that Dan and Ian are radio enthusiasts. It's the reason that they started making this podcast in the first place. They are also interested in learning how others have grown successful businesses through putting their voices on the air and by developing podcasts. One of those people is Jordan Harbinger. Jordan and his co-host A.J. produce a podcast called The Art of Charm, which centers around teaching men how to connect and communicate effectively in both their personal and professional lives. Jordan also hosted one of the first podcasts on the internet in 2005, called The Pickup Podcast, which opened the door for him and A.J. to have successful careers in satellite radio. On this week's episode, Jordan shares his own passion for creating audio content, the story behind his success in broadcasting and why you should only do it if you love it. Transcript Listen to this week's show and learn: What led to Jordan and A.J. cutting a deal with a satellite radio company. (7:45) The differences between the satellite radio audience and the podcasting audience. (11:52) Why they decided to leave satellite radio and focus entirely on podcasting. (17:02) Jordan's relationship with advertisers and what it is like to be on the PodcastOne network. (32:30) What Jordan believes the future of podcasting looks like. (37:55) Mentioned in the episode: **NEW** TMBA Masterminds **NEW** Sponsor the TMBA Podcast The Dynamite Circle The DC Podcast Jordan Harbinger The Art of Charm Kevin Durant on The Bill Simmons Podcast Tony Hawk on The Art of Charm SiriusXM PodcastOne General Stanley McChrystal on The Art of Charm Libsyn Brandi Glanville Unfiltered The Big Podcast with Shaq The Steve Austin Show Talk is Jericho Spotify TuneIn Radio

Podcast 39:10 | Download | Stitcher | iTunes | Comment On today's show, Dan and Ian have decided to focus on something that has never been done on this podcast. They have interviewed many entrepreneurs over the years, but they have always wanted to document the story of a business. This episode follows the creation of a SaaS product called Splitly: the people who started it, and those who later became involved in its evolution. You'll hear firsthand accounts from James Andrews, Greg Mercer and Andy Brown. It's a story of what is possible when you put yourself among people who can not only inspire and support you, but also hold you accountable. Transcript Listen to this week's show and learn: Why James decided that he needed to leave London. (2:32) How a failed business venture in China led Andy Brown to southeast Asia. (13:05) The conversation that led Andy and James to partner up on Splitly. (17:42) What happened when the software behind Splitly broke almost immediately after it launched. (20:09) What led James and Andy to approach Greg about partnering with them. (30:16) Mentioned in the episode: **NEW** TMBA Masterminds **NEW** Sponsor the TMBA Podcast The Dynamite Circle The DC Podcast Splitly James Andrews Andy Brown Greg Mercer iClan The Empire Flippers Dave Huss The Amazing Selling Machine TeeGrasp JungleScout Seller Labs JumpSend Enjoyed this podcast? Check out these: TMBA 324: The Amazon Gold Rush TMBA 374: Are You An Entrepreneurial Person? TMBA 375: How 100s Of Young Entrepreneurs are Making Generational Wealth in Less Than 5 Years Listening options: Subscribe via iTunes. Listen on Stitcher Radio. Android users can grab our RSS feed here. Right-click 

Podcast 32:36 | Download | Stitcher | iTunes | Comment A short while back, Dan and Ian invited Rob Dix and Rob Bence on to the show to share their knowledge about property investment. During that conversation, the Robs spoke to Ian about a lot more than just investing in property. They have managed to build an empire around their podcast, The Property Podcast, and they have a membership community of over 10,000 people strong. They've also built a business that sources and manages properties for clients, many of whom find that service through their show. We are excited to share the rest of that conversation with you today. Listen in to hear Rob and Rob share their perspective about what it takes to grow an audience around your expertise. Transcript Listen to this week's show and learn: How the Robs met and how they became business partners. (3:16) What kind of responsibilities they have to their clients and their audience. (5:27) Why the Robs don't believe in hard selling. (8:40) What their organization looks like on the inside. (15:50) How close they are to developing the ideal workday. (24:59) Mentioned in the episode: **NEW** TMBA Masterminds **NEW** Sponsor the TMBA Podcast The Dynamite Circle The DC Podcast Rob Dix Rob Bence The Property Podcast Forex Tim Urban Mark Manson Enjoyed this podcast? Check out these: TMBA 335: The Long View on Location Independence TMBA 358: Is All Property an Investment Opportunity? TMBA 372: A Conversation with Wait But Why’s Tim Urban Listening options: Subscribe via iTunes. Listen on Stitcher Radio. Android users can grab our RSS feed here. Right-click and "save file as" for direct download. Or click here to get sent to the top of the page where the on-site player is. Have comments about the show, or ideas for things you'd like Dan and Ian to discuss on future episodes?

A few weeks ago, Dan and Ian published their first episode of a new series on this podcast, where they decided to seek out the answer to a question that every location-independent entrepreneur has struggled with at one point in time: If I can live anywhere in the world, where should that be? On this week's episode, they will be focusing on two nations in Eastern Europe: Hungary and Georgia. Clayton Cornell runs his own lead-generation business online, as well as one of Dan and Ian's longtime favorite blogs called Spartan Traveler. On this podcast, Clayton shares his story about what led him to the capitol of Hungary, Budapest. You'll also hear from Dana Lindahl. Dana has chosen the nation of Georgia as his home base, as his wife has recently started a business there. You'll hear about what that process was like, as well as the entrepreneurial climate in this former Soviet country.

In the past, Dan and Ian have explored what they like to call the "Amazon Gold Rush" on this podcast. Today's show is inspired by someone that Dan recently spent some time with who is knee deep in that movement. Kevin Graham is the founder of Bulk Buy Hosting, but he has also made a considerable amount of money through his own Amazon affiliate business. The Amazon ecosystem is a huge opportunity, and is creating generational wealth for many crafty, young entrepreneurs. Kevin has had this kind of success, and on this episode, we will walk you through every step of how to create one of these businesses and get them ranking in search engines. This is one of the most business-focused episodes we have ever done on this podcast. If you are considering this path in your online business ventures, this is the episode for you.

A few weeks ago, Dan and Ian sent out an email to the listeners of this podcast, in an attempt to get to know the audience a little better. They were excited to find out that many of the listeners of this podcast consider themselves to be entrepreneurial, but they don't have their own business yet. They were also excited to meet some young, entrepreneurial minds at a recent Dynamite Circle Junto, and they decided to start exploring what it means to be an entrepreneurial person. This week's episode is for those people. If you haven't started a business yet, but you are ready to find a way to turn your dreams into aspirations, this is the episode for you.

This episode is the first in a series in which Dan and Ian attempt to answer one of the fundamental questions that all location-independent entrepreneurs eventually ask themselves: If I can live anywhere, where should I live? On this week's show, they will be focusing on two countries in Southern Europe: Spain and Portugal. To learn a bit more about Portugal, Dan reached out to Dr. Shannon Weeks, a Natropathic Doctor and Applied Kinesiologist, to share his experience about establishing residency in Portugal and his home city of Lisbon. You'll also hear Ian speak to Dan about a little bit of his own personal story, as both he and his girlfriend have established residency in Spain. Listen in as Shannon and Dan share their perspectives on visas, taxes, culture and more.

Today's guest is easily one of Dan and Ian's favorite writers online. Tim Urban is the man behind Wait But Why. He writes long-form, stick figure illustrated blog posts on a variety of topics. Better yet, he has turned his own procrastination into success. As you'll find out during this episode, Tim is more than just a blogger. He is a business owner, and all-around creative persona. His blog has even attracted people like Elon Musk, who enjoyed Tim's blog so much that he reached out to him directly to ask him to write about some of his projects. This week, Tim shares the story behind the creation of his blog, his business partnership, and what the future holds in store for him.

Dan and Ian know that all entrepreneurs struggle with hiring, and specifically hiring remote workers. One thing that they have learned over the years, through listeners of this podcast and members of the Dynamite Circle, is that stay-at-home moms tend to make model team members. On this week's episode, you'll hear the stories of three women. Kiri Masters is the founder of Bobsled Marketing. She shares some of her experiences finding great team members, and why that strategy revolves around stay-at-home parents. Louise Gray is one one of Kiri's remote employees. She had a very successful corporate career at Sony, before having a baby and reconsidering how she approaches work. Lesley Pyle is the founder of HireMyMom, a well-established agency that places stay-at-home parents at companies around the world.