If not in 2010, then when? (Photo: jphilipson)
The video case studies that I asked for in the last post really caught me unprepared.
I…am…so happy that it’s hard to put it into words.
From Denmark to India, from college students to retirees, from yoga instructors to engineers, the stories poured in. Narrowing them down to finalists, even with several people, was excruciating, but below you will find 15 of our favorites. Many more are worth watching (I watched them all) and can be found here, or by searching “4hww success” on YouTube. There are also 150 comments on the last post full of practical how-to implementations.
The below videos represent a real-life crash course in the many paths and practicalities of lifestyle design. I hope you love watching them as much as I did…
Happy New Year, y’all. Decide today that 2010 will be the year when everything changes.
It can be.
Gary Misner (below)
Gary is a 22-year old from Long Island. He left his family’s autobody business to start his own businesses, travel the world, redesign his body, rediscover his love for his family, and enjoy the best the planet has to offer, including philanthropy and the little things we so often undervalue. Philosophically, I think he nailed what I was hoping to impart — it’s about living more, not just working less — as did many of the other case studies below.
Chuck Holton (below)
From Chuck:
My attempts at leaving the corporate world met with very limited success until I read the 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss. In the last few years, we’ve successfully done the following:
1. Left the corporate world for good.
2. Taken a 1-year mini-retirement (with 5 kids!) to Panama.
3. Paid off our house through the application of geoarbitrage.
4. Diversified our cash flow into more than ten different streams
5. Automated over 50% of our cash flow (passive or semi-passive)
6. Cut my work hours from 70+ per week to however many I feel like (closer to 20/wk)
7. Implemented 4hww strategies into my children’s home schooling, teaching them to structure their own lives to attain freedom.
Two of Chuck’s children–both under 15 years of age–are also earning $300-500 per month with their own companies.
The World’s Best Fruit (below)
This video doesn’t include a name, as the narrator wants to quit her job in person 🙂
She and her husband put in 4-6 hours per week and earned an extra $2,200 in their first month of testing. Our anonymous lifestyle designer, whom we’ll call “The World’s Best Fruit” for obvious reasons, shares the following:
I did it Tim! Until 14 months ago, I was destined to retire in 30+ years. Twenty days from now I’m giving notice of my intention to leave in May. Thank you!!
I want to be an example of possibility for others that are just getting started. In this video I’ve shared how I applied the following techniques:
-picking a muse
-becoming and expert
-adding a VA (or an intern in this case)
I have also highlighted the first techniques I used to improve my life.
-Dreamlining
-Speed Reading
-Elimination
-Surrounding myself with like-minded people
These helped me in the early stages when I was stuck trying to figure out a product, but knew I wanted to become part of the New Rich.
Ki’une (below)
[Ed. note (2021): Video no longer available.]
Ki’une’s video needs to seen — and listened to — to have its full impact. Recorded over a year of traveling, it also showcases why his dance muse has been successful. That’s some damn fine locking.
Oh, and in case you miss it, don’t forget the sunscreen.
Jose Castro-Frenzel (below)
Think your business is too bricks-and-mortar for lifestyle design?
Using several principles he describes in this video, Jose transformed his concrete company, Omega Masonry Inc., into a virtual company. He also added more than 40 hours per week of free time and has started a new online product based company. Jose also helped me and others (like Matt Mullenweg and Andrew Rosca) build a preschool in Vietnam, which we visited together in 2009.
SoulTravelers3 (below)
From the mother in the family known as SoulTravelers3 (edited for length):
We are beyond thrilled that we are one of the case studies in the new expanded 4HWW & we are a family traveling the world non-stop, on an open ended world tour since 2006!
Unlike someone who mentioned in the comments that it could not be done once these men were married and had families, I am here to validate that it not only can be done, but might also be the most rewarding way to do marriage and family and probably the best possible education for future 21st century global citizens!
…We have traveled over 175,000 miles (most overland) to 4 continents, 32 countries since we left in 2006…
I think [this video] “talks” to the 70% of families that dream about extended travel, inspires many of every age & gives hope to women who love freedom and travel, but fear they must give that up when they have a child.
YES! Families can and DO live the 4HWW dream too! 😉
On the video, which has been viewed more than a million times:
It took 18 months to make this video and it was hard enough to get the film, let alone decent sound in these crowded, noisy environments. Thus we did a montage cover song as all do in these kinds of videos. She is young and it takes great concentration to play such sophisticated songs under such circumstances, but her nature is one of great joy as you can see in our other videos or website. We are not rich and travel and live on a total of 25,000 dollars a year.
Bolding is mine. Living richly does not require riches.
Dane Low (below)
Dane used Facebook to get incredible press for Room to Read and build a school in Vietnam in the process. His approach is an incredible model for the future of giving back and karmic capitalism.
Alex Climent (below)
[Ed. note (2021): Video no longer available.]
Alex, who read the Spanish version of 4HWW in Valencia, Spain, used Pareto’s and Parkinson’s Laws to shoot an independent, low-budget film in 8 locations in 4 days. The script had been in a drawer for 4 years.
The Ren Men (below)
[Ed. note (2021): Video no longer available.]
The Ren Men have created a 3-day workweek (9am-3pm), built a net wealth of $2-million, take 10+ mini-retirements per year, and much, much more. This video explains the 3 principles they focused on to automate a brick-and-mortar business.
Maneesh Sethi (below)
Maneesh has created a digital lifestyle that has allowed him to live in Italy, Spain, Brazil, and Argentina, among others. His video includes an exact screencast of how he has created automated income based on Google Adwords and outsourced article creation.
From Maneesh:
I currently work exactly 3h59m per week (11am-2:59pm on Monday), and in the video I show EVERYTHING—my entire job, the software I’ve written to automate myself out of existence, and how my VAs literally do everything without me. I’m about 4 weeks away from outsourcing the final 3h59m, as well. My business is an SEO SEM biz, writing articles based on keywords that people are searching for on google. My business is monetized by adsense and ad revenue—i literally go to sleep, wake up, and check how much money I’ve earned. I’m serious–no matter where I am in the world, my work is getting done, and I am getting paid, no matter what the hell I do.
So what do I do with all this time? I travel—for 2 years straight, I’ve been living in a new country every four months, studying the language, and just enjoying life. (I have lived in Italy, Spain, Argentina, Brazil, India—and I speak Italian, Spanish and Portuguese). I do pushups in every city (my life goal is a pushup in every country).
Now, with all of this free time, I’m trying to change the lives of others and give them an opportunity to do the same. I founded an NGO, SaveThem.net, and I am building a classroom in Upli Badi village near Udaipur, India—an extremely poor shanty town. I’ve raised over $1500 to buy these children laptops, and I’m going to begin giving them personalized classes starting January 16. I was lucky enough to be introduced to computers at a young age—hopefully, these poor kids will be able to learn to use the computer, break out of their horrible cycle of poverty by working a good technical job, be able to raise money, and bring back this money to their parents and friends in Upli Badi. Until they do, my NGO will be around helping more and more children.
Austin Evarts (below)
Austin created two profitable companies while traveling abroad and having the experiences of a lifetime. This video showcases his muses and how he designed them.
KEG (below)
KEG used Parkinson’s Law and the 80/20 principle as a musician to finish his long-postponed album, and he then used techniques in the book to get on both NBC’s America’s Got Talent (twice) and Cooking Along with Gordon Ramsey.
Long live rock.
Pete Williams (below)
Pete from Australia applied his newfound “free” time back into his business. He first focused on building his business faster instead of mini-retirements, and now he’s embarking on the latter. From Pete:
I’ve really embraced the 4HWW principles in by “business life” with to two full time Philippine Virtual Assistants and a range of part-time specialists across the world taking care of all the day-to-day stuff; so I can spend more time working on the 3 businesses I own (rather than in them) – This process culminated in being named Global Runner up in JCI’s 2009 Create Young Entrepreneur Awards (ceremony in Tunisia) and a mini-retirement to the Halloween Party at the Playboy Mansion.
The first three dreamlines I’ve set in place and booked for 2010 are 1. Join the circus and learn how to trapeze, tight rope walk, handstand etc (Jan-March) 2. Trek the Himalayas to raise money for charity (April) 3. Train for the NYC marathon.
In a show of good humor, Pete also asked one of his virtual assistants to post a video:
Nathan Jurewicz (below)
[Ed. note (2021): This video is no longer available.]
This is a hysterical video. The theme, however, is practical: shifting from presence to performance. From Nathan:
Book changed my life!!
This really is my lifestyle no joke!
I do whatever I want, whenever I want and I am semi famous!!
Thanks Tim!!
– Nathan Jurewicz
Lee Burrell (below)
[Ed. note (2021): This video is no longer available.]
Lee gets into logistics around 1:30, and he gives outstanding examples of low-cost and highly effective product development. He is now on track to have a million-dollar muse within 15 months and is a full-time student. Note the video suggestion to take customer phone calls in the beginning stages to compile a FAQ — this saves hundreds of hours later in e-mail exchanges and customer service. Suggestions from Lee include:
– Figure out what customers want – and give it to them. By first performing seminars and getting detailed student feedback, I was able to determine where other companies product’s were falling short. Keeping their feedback in mind and building a list of FAQs based on the most commonly asked questions/concerns, I developed a product that people want and are willing to pay more than 8-10x mark-up for.
– Outsource. Outsource. Outsource. I outsourced the website creation, content creation, have a VA, professional proofreader, powerpoint expert for building presentations, and customer service “center.” All of was done using the books principles and recommendations. (Elance rocks)
If sales continue to grow as expected, I will have a million dollar muse in 15 months (at the ripe old age of 24) and will be helping people reach their dreams along the way.
Can’t thank you enough Tim.
Cheers!
Lee
(Btw I came in 2nd in your “Trail By Fire” contest. The Planet Earth DVD’s you sent were awesome! I’m definitely excited about the possibility to win a plane ticket to see some of those places in person :p)
Alex from Montreal (below – turn up your audio volume)
In this video, Alex shows exactly how he left a sales job at a Fortune 500 company to travel the world and live like a rockstar (literally), meeting with both billionaires and celebrities. Brilliant use of local Chambers of Commerce. The audio is frustratingly low, but it’s worth the watch.
David Walsh (below)
[Ed. note (2021): This video is no longer available.]
David has grown a venture-backed start-up from 2 to 14 people, written a book, created an audiobook, launched a language learning tool, and produced a popular podcast. Most recently, he founded an early-stage venture investment firm like Y-Combinator.
He must be constantly connected, right?
Nope. David got rid of his mobile phone 4 months ago and is loving life without it.
Brad Kirr (below)
Brad filmed and edited this video from Morocco on his Sony k100i phone. Cool.
What do you do when you need to add 800 products to a new site but each product takes a fully day? Outsource your life, of course. Brad explains how and underscores the under-mentioned importance of making your instructions teachable.
Now he’s surfing, snowboarding, and skating the world over. From Brad:
I talk about three principles from the book as it applies to my life including outsourcing your life as it applies to technical aspects of product addition and seo of my web business, dreamlining and the use of “My Fantastical Autobiography” to initiate my dreamline of starting a skateboard company in Dubai, and finally the 80/20 principle as it applies to my current dreamline of becoming a big wave surfer.
You can make my next dreamline happen by sending me to the Mentawis buddy!!!
Brad
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Happy New Year all!
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Get the brand-new Expanded and Updated 4-Hour Workweek, published 12/15, which includes more than 50 new case studies (including families) of luxury lifestyle design, muse creation, and world travel. Make 2010 the year when you make the leap.
The Tim Ferriss Show is one of the most popular podcasts in the world with more than one billion downloads. It has been selected for "Best of Apple Podcasts" three times, it is often the #1 interview podcast across all of Apple Podcasts, and it's been ranked #1 out of 400,000+ podcasts on many occasions. To listen to any of the past episodes for free, check out this page.
Comment Rules: Remember what Fonzie was like? Cool. That’s how we’re gonna be — cool. Critical is fine, but if you’re rude, we’ll delete your stuff. Please do not put your URL in the comment text and please use your PERSONAL name or initials and not your business name, as the latter comes off like spam. Have fun and thanks for adding to the conversation! (Thanks to Brian Oberkirch for the inspiration.)
Hope I’m not too late – I vote for Gary.
Hey Tim,
I have been a huge fan of yours ever since I read the book. I have been even more inspired by the case studies and went ahead created a website for it:
http://www.4hwwcasestudies.com
It may look a bit crude now because:
1. I busted my ass for the past 2 days to create it
2. I had no idea abut web site creation- had to use weebly for creating the site and had to learn a bit in the process
I hope to make it better (use your outsourcing technique maybe) in the coming days and would appreciate your comments or suggestions.
I eventually want to take it to a whole new level where there is more meaningful content in it and it becomes a repository of all the 4hww success stories.
Thanks a ton for bringing a change to so many people’s life including mine.
I hope to hear from you soon
Spent past hour or so(lost track of time now) watching all these videos, such inspiring stuff!!! It’s 2am here in UK and I’m stil lrewatching most of them, great effort and great information!
Hahahahaha. I just saw the movie you made Tim! I’m sitting here in CoffeeBean, it took forever for the internet here to load it, but couldn’t stop LAUGHING while seeing your face get displayed everywhere in the world! LOL! People kept trying to peek at what I’m looking at on my laptop here 🙂
It’s really cool! How did you do it man? and why is it in Swedish?
The 4-Hour work week is not going to happen for most of us here.
I think the important lesson here is to learn how to not work so hard and make time for fun. Fun gets lost in the sea of responsibility. Sometimes we just need to realize that fame and fortune is not for us, but we should still seek fun.
This may involve just doing something non-productive or fulfilling a guilty pleasure. Some could have a more joyous life by ditching responsibilities and learning how to slack off. We all have been conditioned to get an education, have a family, and to seek gainful employment. But we could have more fun by not going to school, not having a spouse or kids, or not working on a regular basis.
I would love to be as successful as Tim here, but I am not that lucky. First, I am not white. Second, I did not come from a well-to-do family. Third, I make very little money. Fourth, I am not attractive. Last, I do not have any special skills. This just about eliminates any chance at real success. But I do have fun by reading this blog and living through others.
[…] a recent post on Tim Ferriss’ blog. These are my favorites out of the whole bunch. Click here to view the rest. Click here to buy Tim’s book if you have not yet. Cheers to 2010 […]
Good Afternoon,
I like your book, Tim.
So much so that I am giving to it my 60 year old Dad who will soon be retiring from the death wheel known as the asian corporatocracy. Anyone who truly understands the asian corporate world knows that surviving to retire at 60 is a monumental accomplishment. Retiring at 60 after a Successful career is nothing short of astonishing. (Really, the things you must go through will make a grown man curl up in the fetal position crying and eventually choke on his own tears) For his generation, climbing the ladder in the corporate world was the best choice available. Now that he will be out, changing pace and looking for new challenges, I believe the principles of the 4-hour-work-week will give him the rich, free lifestyle that he deserves. The man is not stopping, so I won’t be surprise if he becomes your next success story pretty soon.
Thanks Tim.
Tim,
Well done on everything you’ve achieved in the past few years – I’ve loved following your blog and am working on my own muse.
I have the same Firefox error as Lyle and am using version 3.5.6 for Mac.
It might be worth clarifying that SoulTravelers3 aren’t letting their child play for money – I was a bit worried by some of the costumes she was wearing.
Best wishes for the new decade!
Benedict
Congrats on having such a powerful impact on the world – you have mobilized an entire population of people ready to live life to the fullest (or at least given voice to their feelings!). Your point is excellent: if not 2010, then when? A question I asked myself last week.
cheers!
Nacie
THANK YOU ALL!! BUT YOU GUYS ARE THE ONES INSPIRING ME!
Hi everyone – this is such an amazing community. I am touched by the number of people that have reached out to give congrats or thanks. Thank you!
A few people have asked me if they can talk to me more about how I got to where I’m at. I’m thinking a conference call might be best. Please let me know if you’d be interested in starting a weekly call on Wednesdays at 6pm PT. We can use free conference calling. The format will be something along the lines of here’s what I accomplished last week, here’s the challenges I faced, and here’s my commitments that I’m making to myself to get done next week.
Please email info@theworldsbestfruit.com Please share a brief bio and tell that you’re able to make the weekly commitment. These groups only work well if they’re fairly small (less than 10 people) and they have regular participation. If I get a lot of response I’ll form up a couple.
Please make sure you’ve read one of the editions of Tim’s book.
Thanks! Looking forward to meeting some of you. Please expect a reply about this no sooner than 1/10. Please email me if you’re interested by midnight (PT) on 1/8/10.
Okay, so I can’t get a Kindle version of this book because I am in the UK. Any clues as to when I might be able to do so?
Just search for “Amazon hack!!” here and you’ll be set 🙂
http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2008/12/15/book-launch-101-media-hijinks-amazon-timing-and-vip-treatment-for-you/
I’d also like to thank everyone for the kind words (and even tears!) expressed over my video. Although I submitted my video too late for the contest, I’m just happy Tim posted my video to inspire people.
This is all I really wanted, as my long term altruistic goal from having my time freed is to help other people in their personal development, which is reflected in my website http://www.risingbean.com
Moreover, after watching the other videos, I just feel honored and awed to be in the company of great people. This truly is an inspirational page.
My vote goes to Dane. Thank you for sharing the Room to Read story!
Tony David,
None of that matters. I think this is my first post here but I wanted to give back to you what I’ve been given.
Luck is made. The color of your skin does not matter. A well to do family can be as much of a hindrance as it can be a help. The money you make now has no bearing on the money you could be making in the future. Being good looking is not important. Skills can be learned.
The only thing that matters is your ability to Dream and you willingness to work at it.
How do I know?
A year ago my now business partner told me to read the original 4HWW.
I did but it didn’t take except as “a good idea I’ll try someday”. Then I mentioned to her in passing that I knew why people didn’t have success and she challenged me to create a curriculum we could use to train people…including myself, on how to succeed. I decided that I had nothing to lose by accepting her challenge and we put together our first group in less than a month. We’ve been at it a year now and the curriculum we created has been 100% successful for everyone who completed it to date. That was completely unexpected but 100% predictable because rather than holding back we jumped in with both feet.
Now my business partner and I are working on expanding our capability to run our curriculum by training graduates of the curriculum to run the curriculum and monetizing “muses” that dovetail with the curriculum so that we can go at it full time and reach more people faster. Both of us are well on our way to working the hours we want doing the work we want and having a ball doing it.
For me this came out of the ideas and inspiration I got from the 4HWW.
So…I did this and I believe you can do this. Have faith, do the work and GO!
And Tim Ferriss, much thanks…the revised version of the book is even better than the original but the original kicked me in the teeth hard enough to make me go for it. I’d love to give a bit back to the process so if you are still looking for victims…I mean subjects…for your next book I’d love to help! Being superhuman sounds like fun…
Neil
[…] exciting way to wrap up this project was to have this project featured on Tim Ferriss’ blog as a case study for the “future of giving back and karmic capitalism” and acknowledged […]
Rich,
I bought the new 4hww on kindle dec 28th. I had to search by Tim’s name, I couldn’t find it any other way.
Good Luck!
I’m really happy to see the positive comments on homeschooling. My daughter is 3. I’ve been agonizing about whether or not to home school her since she was born. My gut has been telling me it’s the right move. Your comments helped reinforce my decision. Thanks for sharing!
Homeschooling certainly isn’t for everyone, but we find it works well with the 4HWW lifestyle – simply because it gives us the freedom to go where we like when we like, and to “augment” our kids’ book-learning with, say, a trip to a 15th-century pirate fortress, or the ancient city of Petra. You could study ABOUT those things for a long time and never learn what you can by being there.
We make that kind of learning a priority, and I think our kids will be better for it.
Tony, I understand the challenges you face. American culture is by no means equitable or fair.
I want to remind you though, that a defeatist attitude is the worst thing you can do for yourself. Your right, most people here will NOT achieve a 4 hour workweek. But who are we kidding? Do you really think Tim works that little? Definitely not. I’m sure he could if he chose to but he doesn’t.
The point is that even though the world sucks you don’t have to. Here’s one thing you could do that doesn’t require beauty, riches, or connections. Invest in yourself. Go to a community college and learn how to hack(program) and then either work for others(fairly high paying) or make peoples lives easier with technology you create. I personally know someone who in a couple years got good enough at web development to charge 65+ dollars an hour.
Tenacity would serve you well.
check out this article:
http://paulgraham.com/start.html
He is a really clear and interesting writer with lots of good insight.
Best,
Andrew
Wow, everyone on this blog is incredible for getting up and taking charge. For me the hardest part is putting ideas into action as I tend to get so many at once and cant decide on 1 to fully engage in.
Each and every video is a true inspiration so congratulations to everyone.
I am in the middle of start-up as well and would love to interview anyone on this blog who is doing something inspirational with their lives. Should be easy on here. Whether its creating a non-profit to help this very deprived world, or using online business to be location independent, ETC…I would love to interview you. online since everyone is traveling 🙂
My email is mattbailey84@hotmail.com
Have a great week everyone!
Dear Andrew K.,
Thank you for reading and responding to my story. I have been depressed for a long time, but this blog does give me a glimmer of hope. I just do not understand how bad my outlook had become until I started reading stories here.
I felt that there were other people like me who needed an outlet and some inspiration. I just get crushed by rejection and insincerity. It has been difficult to wake up to the same reality each morning.
I do really want to become a somebody. I may not become a somebody to everyone, but I do need to feel that I am more than a cog in the machine.
Moreover, after watching the other videos, I just feel honored and awed to be in the company of great people. This truly is an inspirational page.
A few people have asked me if they can talk to me more about how I got to where I’m at. I’m thinking a conference call might be best. Please let me know if you’d be interested in starting a weekly call on Wednesdays at 6pm PT. We can use free conference calling. The format will be something along the lines of here’s what I accomplished last week, here’s the challenges I faced, and here’s my commitments that I’m making to myself to get done next week.
Hi Tim,
Can’t wait for the next 18 case-studies.
Thanx for the inspiration to grow. It is possible!
Klaus Tol
Rumour has it, you’re coming to Cape Town, South Africa? If you get time to enterain a fan please contact me. Also on Twitter @NicMuhl
Sorry, I think I expressed myself a little ambiguously in my last comment. Tim, I was suggesting that YOU should clarify whether the daughter of SoulTravelers3 is playing for money or not.
There are a few things that worry me about that video:
1) The costumes she’s wearing, which looks like they’re designed to appeal to tourists. The second one she wears in Ephesus, Turkey, also strikes me as being inappropriately adult.
2) The comparison with Mozart. It’s generally accepted that being toured as a child prodigy stunted Mozart’s growth as a person, which contributed to him dying in poverty at the age of 36. Comparing any 5-year-old with any great composer surely puts unreasonable pressure on the child.
3) The fact that the girl’s been away from the US, her home, for 2 1/2 years so far and the family have no plans to return. Did she ask to be taken away from her friends? And did she ask to have videos of her advertised on the internet? How can she maintain friendships when she’s constantly on the move?
4) Finally, the “montage cover song” is a professional recording of Pachebel’s Canon for string ensemble. Why didn’t the family want us to hear a recording of the child, playing solo?
If I were in your position I’d take the video down as I think it’s detracting from the positivity of the others.
What a wonderfully inspiring post & conversation!
Like @Ki’une’m, our youtube video was a late addition after the contest closed, but we’re just happy Tim posted our video to inspire people. Thanks for the kind words!
You’re right @Benedict, our daughter is not a professional musician nor are those performances, just a kid who loves music so we travel the world non-stop with her violin and a full sized digital piano and she takes her lessons in both with fabulous teachers on another continent via Skype webcams. If there is a will, there is always a way!
As a special memoir for her, we take a few minutes of video of her playing as we tour, so she just wears what she has on that day. She is a little kid, so we indulge her desire to dress like natives & sometimes wear those costumes like the belly dancing costume we bought in Turkey that allowed her to pretend like she was living in ancient Ephesus when we arrived early & had it totally to ourselves, a souvenir mask in Venice while taking a gondola ride or Arab princess outfit when touring the Alhambra after reading Washington Irving’s tales!
Little did we know that the video would be so popular & it’s only the first 18 months, so many more are coming, the second montage soon adding more countries & places. The title was just a funny take off on “where the hell is Matt” as he was an inspiration & we use the online nickname “Mozart” for our child because he is a hero to her. Interestingly the real Mozart did MUCH more world traveling than his peers as a child & many say that had a profound impact on his talent due to the richness of the experience.
Our child was reading a kid’s version of Homer & Greek myths when we toured Troy, Knossos & Mycenae etc and got to talk to real archeologists and even do a little digging! An over night camel ride in the Sahara, swimming with dolphins in Portugal, sailing the Turquoise Coast via gulet in Turkey, cooking & eating reindeer meat in a traditional kota hut in Sweden with friends, becoming an expert at traveling by cargo ships, horses, trains, ferries, sailboats, buses etc & navigating mass transit around the world are powerful learning experiences she will never forget.
@Mary, I must agree wholeheartedly with @Chuck & @Nathan that homeschooling is absolutely the best way to bring up your kids. It’s much easier than most people think & also allows families more freedom and tighter bonding.
Most homeschool kids do better than private or public school educated kids & many finish school early like my niece who started community college at 15, then transferred to Rice where she got a degree in Chemical Engineering several years younger than her peers & landed a 6 figure job and bought her first house right after graduating & still a teen! Now she also gets paid to get her Masters degree at night!
That said, going to local schools in a 2nd language like my daughter has done for the last 4 years in Spain and like the Mandarin Chinese school that she will attend next year in Malaysia, is perhaps the very best way to become fully fluent in another language, literature & culture.
I believe Tim was an exchange student in Japan as a teen & I’m sure that was a life influencing experience for him as it’s been for many, but I think today’s 4HWW/ digital nomad lifestyle design allows these benefits even to families & young children at low cost.
I’ve written a lot about education & “roadschooling” on our blog, but will be doing a whole series soon on the many benefits and ways to do it. Even with the few months that my daughter is in school each winter in Spain, I consider her a homeschooled child as we use the school only for deep language immersion & for a consistency with friends and continue our homeschool in English all year. Unlike schools in the US, here we have had no problem taking her out to tour or coming late & leaving early in the school year & the school day is very short. She does fun things after school too like learn flamenco, rock climb and ceramics in her 2nd language!
With the economy affecting schools & all education going through a paradigm shift, parent’s today, more than ever must be responsible for educating their children.
Slow travel in itself & deep immersion is the best possible education, but 4HWW/digitalnomad parents are primed to give their children many advantages. We thought life as a field trip would be good for our family & child’s education, but have been astounded on just how good!
http://www.soultravelers3.com/2009/04/how-to-travel-the-world-as-a-digital-nomad-family.html
Not only for languages, but for time in nature, time together, a deeper understanding of history, people & places, time on their own to develop a sense of self, learning to play with kids in many languages, and amazing digital/virtual opportunities from making money like Chuck’s teens to collaborating with school kid’s from around the world, learning programing with MIT’s Scratch, taking online classes with awesome folks like John Hopkins University’s CTY program & more like we do!
Sorry so long, but I am passionate about letting parents & families know that 4HWW/digital nomad living is easier, cheaper & more enriching than most know!
[…] one of the best blog posts ever with 15 real life case studies on people that have done it! …and now, I’m feeling excited and liberated, as I am […]
I had the privilege to watch Austin Evarts go through the process of automating the entrepreneurial process and being able to travel while his businesses run. It never was easy for him to find the right system that worked but through his perseverance and passion he was able to make it happen. It’s great to see people with passion take control of their life rather than the other way around!
Smooth video Austin!!
Tim,
This blog has been the most inspiring blog that you have put up! In my opinion it is the best blog posting the WWW! I am a serial business owner in Denver CO. To date we operate multiple barbershops, a financial services company, and we are currently creating a new muse that is a new slant on mouthwash! I wanted to thank you for your wisdom and blazing the trail!
I wanted to post this because I am looking at hiring a couple of VA’s. In this post we had a lot of mention of VA. Can someone give me a referral to the VA they are using and how they got connected with them. It would be much appreciated.
Blessings,
Chris Miller
It is so great to hear real world experiences! Thanks for putting this together. Gotta get the new book.
Tim,
This is the greatest post on the web right now! People really learn by seeing and modeling! Awesome! Looking forward to the next lifestyle design contest so that I can submit my entry. We have several business right now that are being automated, including a financial services company, barbershops, and a new dental product!
I wanted to post this to ask some of the fellow biz owners who they are using as VA’s. Can somebody refer me to a VA that they particularly like! Tim perhaps you have a direct referral as well!
Blessings,
I am so excited after watching all the videos and I am really excited about taking action as soon as I get my book that I ordered two min ago. Tim you really kick ass man I will be living my 4 hour workweek soon and I can’t wait to show it to others out there busting their butts 80 hours a week like I use to selling door to door 3k vacuums can’t wait…anyway I want to wish everyone here and you tim a happy new year and good luck with all.
Thank you so much for posting these videos. Aside from the book, this is inspirational in so many ways! Thank you!!
I am about half way through the videos and just found one of the interuptions that I need to sort out and remove as soon as pos… I will get back to these video clips in the moring as I am awy to re-read my 4HWW right now…
Hi @SoulTravelers3,
Thank you for responding to my comment, and kudos to Tim for publishing it. The video is ambiguous out of context and it probably didn’t occur to you how it could be misconstrued!
I think you’ve made a brave leap as a family and I certainly wish I’d be exposed to other languages more as a kid. I still worry that the only time your daughter seems to be able to maintain friendships is during the winter in Spain and I know I wouldn’t want that for my child – having read all of Mozart’s letters I’d say that while his peripatetic education definitely made him a better composer I don’t think it made him happy! However, it may be a personal choice, and it’s easy for me to criticize when I haven’t yet taken on the challenge of being a parent myself.
I wish you the best of luck on your travels!
Benedict
I vote for Nathan Jurewicz’s video….hilarious!!
Hey! Great photo 😉
🙂
Nathan’s the best. Outrageous, ridiculous, funny and the real thing – at least business-wise!
Can anyone give some information on where they find VA’s?
After looking at Ask Sunday, Its works out to about $14/hour which is quite expensive. Maybe even more expensive than having a personal assistant working for me in Canada.
Any ideas?
Matt
Matt,
Try odesk.com
or elance.com
post a VA advertisment or go and look at profiles for one
Hey @Benedict!
Thank you! I’m glad you feel better. The funny thing is, I was responding to your first post and didn’t even see your latest until after mine was posted!
I think Mozart’s problems had more to do with his personality and conflicted relationship with his father, rather than his travels which expanded his knowledge, although doing it all by horse and buggy certainly made it much harder than it is today. 😉
You bring up the often asked question about socialization that those who don’t understand homeschooling wonder about. Studies show clearly that is a false fear and myth.
Your assumptions about our daughter’s social life and friends is also totally incorrect, but understandable because you have no experience in this area. We’re older parents and have put a LOT of well researched thought into this. Perhaps read our blog or watch our videos to get more of a sense of what we are doing, why and who we are.
Our child actually has MORE friends this way and it’s part of the beauty of our slow travel journey. She makes friends instantly where ever we go with people of every age from babies to grandparents and every nationality.
It’s amazing to watch her play with kids from around the world as campsites in Europe are like 5 star resorts and mini United Nations with free kids clubs where she does fun activities dashing between English speaking kids from Ireland, Australia, NZ, UK etc and Spanish speaking kids as well as playing with kids from many countries where she doesn’t speak the language. She has also had a blast playing with kids in Morocco & Turkey.
She often stays connected with kids she meets through emails, blog and free webcam calls. She also stays connected to her best friends at home the same way. When we went home for a visit, it was like she never left and she had a ball paying with her friends. She stays in contact with her good friends in Spain while we roam too.
Many families (like diplomats & armed forces) have lived mobile lives abroad for years that have enriched them (just look at our President or many on his staff), but today it is better than ever due to technology. Today one can immerse deeply in one culture while retaining regular connection easily with family and friends at home.
Free webcam calls have changed the whole dynamic! All of the advantages and none of the disadvantages like the isolation that happened when snail mail & expensive calls were the only option. Even little kids today can & DO connect and collaborate world wide!
Europe is the best place for a child to learn the value of being fluent in several languages as they see the advantages first hand. Direct experience with other cultures, flexibility & adaptability are perhaps the most important things to teach future global citizens of the 21st century!
Life is often like a Rochart blot & we all see reality through our individual perceptions. How one raises a child is a personal choice and I’m certainly not telling you or anyone else that you must raise your child like I am. This really works for our child and our family, so I share that with people who are interested.
There are MANY ways to do the 4HWW & that’s part of the beauty of it as the videos above show!
[…] Checkout all the videos here […]
Tim,
super-uber-thanks for setting this up and sharing the videos. I just purchased the updated book and am starting to read and get my juices flowing again (read original two years ago and dabbled in some ideas but never got started…). Reading combined with the videos makes it all real and inspiring!!
Today I end my employment as a project manager to go into my own 4 hour work week model buiness in chemical free cleaning solutions…
I had read the 4 hour work week a few months back and have had so much going on in my life that it remained in the back of my mind… but always with an aim to bringing it to a realised goal…
Tim’s book and appraoch to life has helped me look at my own life when times were otherwise very hard and challenging… (please excuse spelling mistakes on this post, cheers)…
I am now at a pivital point in time, to the socond that my life is going to take a massive swing in a better direction and my nose will be firmly stick in my 4hww at the quickest opportunity possible…
I am embarking on someting that years ago I would have over complicated and got to tied up in fears instead of looking at opportunities and muses… I thank you tim for helping increase the courage… I trust you are a genuine guy and not with your head stuck firmly up your own rear (this is often a non 4hww exec trait that I have come to put up with)… really… thanks…
So my task now is to read the book again, take out the main related points and get moving on my ideas…
All the best… great vidoes and comments as well guys…
cheers tim
scottie
It’s funny, my last comment has some spelling errors and (gram) mistakes in it, and I actually loked at it and felt imbaresed there for a moment, but truly I know that I am not the only person in the world that can not spell… I have pretty funny range or level of dyslexia and it’s made my who I am as well as stopped me trying to become who I want to be sometimes… however, I will no longer let this be a burden and I aim to get creative on it’s ass and find a way of making this a 4hww advantage in some way… not sure how, but I am sure some folks out there may have ideas… I welcome all…
I love writting and telling stories, I was told that I would become a nobody by teachers who were clearly not really educators… so I am here to prove a point, I always feel that a bit of help and support is needed, but the better work is probably partnership… so I will look out for great partnerships as well as opportunities to put the 4hww into action…
gods speed…
it’s the begining of a whole new venture…
scottie
Love it! Please keep adding to this!
Awesome! Really enjoyed these.
As fun as it is seeing success stories, I think that stories of failed attempts, obstacles, and how they were overcome might be even more useful for those trying to emulate the 4HWW model, particularly if they identify common obstacles.
I know that the Hacker News/ YCombinator crowd are big on this idea for tech startups, but Is there anywhere that these are being discussed or compiled for 4HWW-type businesses?
Hi,
not really a 4hww success story, but I implemented the Pavel 80/20 Powerlifts from Tims blog, and made a video about it, for motivation and inspiration:
Cheers, and have fun,
-Richard
Wow Tim! Thanks for sharing these, they’re so inspiring. I must say that the sunscreen video was my favorite, he really shared some valuable life lessons we can all learn from plus I loved his dancing.
I’m working on my muse right now, so hopefully the next go ’round I can represent for the women…and the Black women out there, I know I can’t be the only one who’s read your book lol 🙂
Oh, this is off topic but for your super human book, will you talk about how to improve your eyesight? I think that would be pretty cool as a blog post or part of your next book.
Off to get the latest copy of 4HWW…
Am I the only one bothered by the title picture to this post? This guy is showing off his “stuff”
first day in my new business project safebiocleaning.com and posted an intro to the four hour work week on one of my first ever youtube video posts… I was a bit nervious… but it’s posted now… a bit boring but I am sure over time they will improve
For French people, I choose 8 videos from this selection and make them translated and subtitled on Elance.
You can see the 8 videos with French subtitles here : http://www.des-livres-pour-changer-de-vie.fr/etudes-de-cas-video-la-semaine-de-4-heures/ .
I dont know why I havent got this book yet. Case studies were great so this is moving up my reading list to right after Crush It which I just got.
Oh and if you dont have a Kindle, you better get one son!
Tim, is there a way I could get in touch with Maneesh? I was hoping to ask him some questions on his lifestyle design video.
Thanks
Dave
Dave, you can contact Maneesh via his website: savethem.net. It was posted at the end of his video.
Thanks! I figured that out after rewatching the video… should’ve posted it.
Again thanks for the response
These videos are awesome… they make it go from just a cool idea to something tangible.
Pity there wasn’t anyone who had negotiated a mobile office type agreement… really interested to see someone who’s made that work.
Hi Matt,
There is a template proposal in the new edition if you haven’t seen it. It shows you verbatim how to negotiate this.
Best,
Tim
Tim, great work on this!!! Super inspiring stories from various people. I have to get into the next round 😉
Cheers
Hi Tim,
Love the blog and not only that I just bought the book and have practically devoured it. I just have a question and was wondering if anybody had any advice? My partner and I would really like to go and live in Japan for a while. However there seems to be a bit of difficulty with regards to getting a visa, especially as I’m Irish and he’s French. I just wanted to know if anyone has any advice? It would be really helpful.
Thanks a mill,
Kate
So this post has really sucked me into being an avid reader of the blog. I havent watched all of the videos but I did a few and they are awesome and inspiring.
I am putting 4HWW as next in line on my Kindle as well, its long overdue. I remember picking it up at Borders and browsing some of the text and thought “I need to read this.”
But I didnt. Now it is time, and Ill help you out on Amazon too!
Tim,
My wife and I are voting for Chuck Holton. I definitely resonate with what he has accomplished for his family.
dave
After reading the book about a dozen times, I created a web-based service-based business that enables me to travel anytime and run the business from anywhere. I haven’t managed to get it down to four hours a week yet, its more like ten. Nevertheless, after seeing me take a month or two off at a time when many are struggling, my friends asked me to clone the business for them so they too can, as one put it, “ascend above the cubicle swamp”. I’ve had to document every part of the process, ad system, etc. of course, but you should know that Step One is ‘Read 4HWW’.
[…] time flies when you’re having fun and since watching the wonderful Real-World Lifestyle Design Case Studies (Maneesh Sethi is my favourite) on his blog, I wanted to also share five of the life-changing […]
[…] Shouldn’t I completely give up? No. Because I feel that the possible payoff is priceless. Having your cake and eating it too is something that has always been held out right in front of our eyes. And I know so many people who have actually done it and succeeded. […]
Love the case studies, love the stories – so much easier to get when you see how another person has put ‘steps” into practice, tweaked them personally, made them work. Thanks, Rori Raye
[…] found out about Ki’une through the blog of Tim Ferriss (you know – 4HWW) , which is another great place to get inspiration on how to live your life […]
Hey Tim,
Thanks for all the Great Insights and material you’ve provided for the world.
Because of It, I’m starting to hear the Muses Sing.
Chow
Wow! So inspiring! I just finished reading the 4HWW two days ago and already have a great idea for a muse! I’ve put a free basic projects up on Elance just to get a feel for outsourcing and can’t wait to get a dedicated VA to help me get started.
To Tim’s VAs — Hope you see this comment! Is there any way I can get the direct contact information (email/phone) for the submitters of the videos in this post? As a muse-newbie, I’d like to talk with some successful muse-creators to get the best tips on how to get my muse up and running. After all, as Tim emphasizes in 4HWW, it’s better to get real, practical advice from someone who’s done it instead of putz around in books and the internet.
[…] the Four Hour Workweek blog, I was a finalist in a recent video competition. I wanted to show exactly how I live the digitally nomadic lifestyle. Want to see how I manage to […]
Kent- Would like to hear more about your business..
Hey Tim!
Hope you are well as you continue to find and break human limitation.
The work that you are doing in absolutely incredible! I just started reading your material and I am so excited to apply it to my own life. I have read numerous books on business development and self development (for lack of better terms) and your work is among the most inspiring and practical. I have started to apply the principles already and can see the limitless possibilities to change in my lifestyle and happiness.
Thanks. Keep up the great work! Take care.
Jayke, to answer your above question, and staying as Fonzie-like as possible I’ll provide the highlights. The business is a niche area online business in the search marketing space that’s growing at about 7% annually according to many prominent witch doctors.
The big pieces are:
1. Drive prospects with a refined over time PPC and SEO campaign. PPC to start, then taper as much as possible as SEO kicks in. PPC is tricky and expensive when done wrong. I did it wrong at first even after reading the books. So I finally broke down and got a pro firm to do it – worth the money but was difficult to find a good one. Online leads go to website of course.
2. Web site is database driven, has a CMS so can be manipulated from afar easily with little tech know-how. Prospects arrive via online form or phone calls (800 number forwards to answering service, then to cell if rules are met). I have a commission only sales person that works at home that either answer calls or responds via email or both. We use Quickbooks and merchant services to run CC’s. Money deposited into our account within a few days.
3. Hand off to a Project Manager who works at home somewhere in America. PM had to be trained. Writing the instructions and check lists took forever, but training only 60 days, mostly OTJ. Project Manager interacts with customers via email only. PM could be eliminated, but I like the impartial observer watching the chickens rather than outsourcing every single thing. PM helps with work verification and quality assurance.
4. PM directs outsourced fulfillment to another US based company. This is basically filling out a form and emailing it. They charge our CC, but we only initiate after we have payment in advance from customers. No cash outlay, no inventory! We run it all through PayPal and Amex to get fly miles for travel.
5. Subscription based system provides steady monthly cash flow and 50% margins (not as high as Tims target, but it works for me). Also, its a service biz not a product biz.
I used 4HWW and E-myth books to guide me as well as about 25 industry specific books. Most work: creating and refining the process and finding great vendors – it was a frog kissing contest for a long time. Worth it now though because clients stick around from six months to years. Biggest personal challenge: being a control freak with the process creation, but refraining from micro-managing once the process was initiated.
I hope that helps. Good luck.
Kent
Tim,
I want to sincerely thank you for this well crafted post. As I’ve spent the past few months perfecting my muse and getting it up and running, I have visited these videos periodically throughout the development for continued motivation and support. The stories you’ve inspired and shared with the rest of us have been my own personal support network as I embark on creating my personal lifestyle of choice. Just two weeks into the official launch of my site, the shopify platform is proving to be extremely effective as I now have orders flowing in throughout the day from all over the country! Thank you so much for everything as my life journey has truly just begun…
-Patrick Hitches
apologies for the post on the other cold remedies tim, forgot which tab i was looking at
regarding nathans entry:
i did a quick google search and got this
http://realestatesolutions3d.wordpress.com/2009/05/27/we-read-this-crap-so-you-dont-have-to-nathan-jurewicz/
does he really flip houses?
Yes Safi I really flip houses… that guy was complaining that after giving away a free online video for opting in that it also directed you to a sales letter where I try to sell you my entire course. How dare me right? lol – Nathan
Tim,
I feel like i have learned more from your book and this website than I have from 5 years of college. I also find it very interesting that you spoke at a division 2 college (Ferris State University) in Big Rapids, Michigan last year about world travel while you had a best selling book out. It was January or February of last year and you never even spoke of the book you had out. It was a great presentation of stories about traveling around the world. Who do you know at Ferris and why did you decide to come? I have used your ideas with my job as well as school. Im not setting the world on fire yet traveling the world and what not but will hopefully figure out something soon!
Thanks,
Andy
This is just some really eye-opening material here… Ki’une had such an inspiring video just amazing. Austin Evarts video was really well made. Chuck Holton very innovative parenting, kudos for being so supportive and involved… Pete Williams–would love to get more details on how you became so successful?! Maneesh Sethi (I believe Ramit’s brother–who is a genius) is brilliant… Kudos to everyone for being so proactive and taking action in your lives, I am joining you guys very soon!
Hi,
I liked looking at soultravelers3 video of her daughter playing violin. We would like to know more about their story.
Here is our story as of today:
We have read the 4HWW several times and just got the new updated version a month ago. We definitely know this is our goal in life is to get out and see the world instead of staying in the same house forever.
We have been working on turn-keying our Chiropractic practice for about 1.5 years and we estimate another 6 months to be able to have it work without us and be profitable. We would like to know your story on how you worked up to the point of getting out of your stationary state to where you are on traveling as a lifestyle. We have determined that our situation is slightly more complicated than having an internet business like Mr. Ferriss but we are almost there.
I like to know where what you BE, then what you DID and we already know what you have.
Thanks!
Mikayla
Timothy Ferriss:
I am writing on your wall because I can not find any other way to get in contact with you. I would rather write you privately, but that is not an option.
I read your book the 4 Hour Work Week and have followed it to a tee, including paying World Wide Brands a significant amount of money to join their membership. I also followed your advice on setting up a LLC in December. Just recently, I received a letter from the State of California that states: “must pay an annual tax of $600 with a Limited Liability Voucher.” Why did you not warn any of us of such a significant liability? Now I am forced to shut down because of this unexpected liability. I would love to hear from you.
Daniel
Hi Daniel,
I’m sorry to hear of the confusion and unfortunate end. Alas, I do — above all — recommend that people understand all fees involved before signing anything. In the book, I can’t account for everything that can go wrong, so I have to emphasize the importance of doing your own homework and working with professionals when possible. I have never formed business entities without professional advice. There was a point when I couldn’t afford it, and I waited until I could.
I hope that helps somehow,
Tim
I am at a point in my business where I require some help… The full legal and financial areas have all been considered (and where I have not, I have learned some lessons… it’s life)
I am looking to access routes to market in the UK and Europe and would appreciate any advice from people who have made it through those first few harsh months of business when money is scarce… cash flow monsters are getting angry….
any ideas would be helpful…
scott
Tim, thank you for this fine book of yours. A solid reminder to all of us that our existence is finite and to use it wisely. A fine example that speaks to so many of our fears under the employ of the corporatocracy is the following essay:
“Security,” by Hunter S. Thompson (1955).
Security … what does this word mean in relation to life as we know it today? For the most part, it means safety and freedom from worry. It is said to be the end that all men strive for; but is security a utopian goal or is it another word for rut?
Let us visualize the secure man; and by this term, I mean a man who has settled for financial and personal security for his goal in life. In general, he is a man who has pushed ambition and initiative aside and settled down, so to speak, in a boring, but safe and comfortable rut for the rest of his life. His future is but an extension of his present, and he accepts it as such with a complacent shrug of his shoulders. His ideas and ideals are those of society in general and he is accepted as a respectable, but average and prosaic man. But is he a man? has he any self-respect or pride in himself? How could he, when he has risked nothing and gained nothing? What does he think when he sees his youthful dreams of adventure, accomplishment, travel and romance buried under the cloak of conformity? How does he feel when he realizes that he has barely tasted the meal of life; when he sees the prison he has made for himself in pursuit of the almighty dollar? If he thinks this is all well and good, fine, but think of the tragedy of a man who has sacrificed his freedom on the altar of security, and wishes he could turn back the hands of time. A man is to be pitied who lacked the courage to accept the challenge of freedom and depart from the cushion of security and see life as it is instead of living it second-hand. Life has by-passed this man and he has watched from a secure place, afraid to seek anything better What has he done except to sit and wait for the tomorrow which never comes?
Turn back the pages of history and see the men who have shaped the destiny of the world. Security was never theirs, but they lived rather than existed. Where would the world be if all men had sought security and not taken risks or gambled with their lives on the chance that, if they won, life would be different and richer? It is from the bystanders (who are in the vast majority) that we receive the propaganda that life is not worth living, that life is drudgery, that the ambitions of youth must he laid aside for a life which is but a painful wait for death. These are the ones who squeeze what excitement they can from life out of the imaginations and experiences of others through books and movies. These are the insignificant and forgotten men who preach conformity because it is all they know. These are the men who dream at night of what could have been, but who wake at dawn to take their places at the now-familiar rut and to merely exist through another day. For them, the romance of life is long dead and they are forced to go through the years on a treadmill, cursing their existence, yet afraid to die because of the unknown which faces them after death. They lacked the only true courage: the kind which enables men to face the unknown regardless of the consequences.
As an afterthought, it seems hardly proper to write of life without once mentioning happiness; so we shall let the reader answer this question for himself: who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed?
This inspires me SO much. I recently graduated from college (in May) and absolutely hate the 8-5 world. I hate my job and have been looking for a way out. The four hour work week is it!! I haven’t quit my job yet, I’m still trying to come up with my muse and stop thinking and just jump!
Thas is Great when you came to colombia go to Irotama Colombia
Hi Tim – the chaps at MoneyMakingMuses across the pond here in London once again bow down to your status as lifestyle creation guru.
We’re aspiring lifestyle creation guru’s ourselves, two ordinary guys with jobs and a keen interest in making better choices in our lives.
Me – I’ve realised it’s not more money that I want, It’s actually more time. With two young children and a passion for leaving a legacy behind that improves the world my children live in is an important goal. It’s a curious situation we find ourselves in – in order to create more time one needs to reorder ones life such that money doesn’t become a barrier or an inconvenient hurdle for achieving more time. I recognise that I need to make some changes about how I go about my business.
I used to dive for diamonds in the rivers of Africa which was an exciting and exhilarating job. I now run a conflict resolution consultancy in London in addition to making a feature film and a few other interests. So 40-hour work week seems more like it at the moment. But all is about to change…
Anyway, I was talking about my latest venture with my partner Dan and we wondered what we’d say in 30 seconds if we found ourselves in a lift with you such that you’d be curious enough to find out more about our goals, aspirations and what we’re doing to move us in that direction. It led us to to think about starting a little competition on our website (we have already dedicated a section to you on our website). So once we’ve figured out what we’ll say we’ll get in touch with you and say it – be great to get your reaction.
That’s all for now.
Best wishes
Aled & Dan
Hey Tim,
I’m in Europe for 2 months on another mini-retirement!
Italy (now), then to Germany, & Croatia. The muse is still growing and I’ll be 100% outsourced before too long!! It’s not too bad until then 🙂
I take the book on every trip I go on – read and re-read to re-motivate and re-educate.
Had alot of people email me about the video and whatnot. If anyone was one of them, I’ll eventually get back to you. Been busy learning languages and other things.
Cheers again!
Lee Burrell
These videos are awesome. I finally just got around to finally watching them! So neat to see everyone’s stories. I wish I participated in this…
[…] first learned about the Ren Men when they were part of a video contest put on by Tim Ferriss of 4-Hour Workweek fame. I checked out all of the videos in the finals of the contest and Grant […]
[…] 9 to 5, maybe not reaching the four-hour work week, but at least a twenty-hour one? Just by posting a bunch of case studies on his blog, Ferriss won’t silence his […]
Hey Tim,
I hope to soon remedy the male-dominated videos here. I’m 2 months away from walking from the day job. Love the videos as they are great inspiration and motivation that everyone can do it.
I hired my first virtual assistant and have outsourced many of my start-up tasks. The initial letting go was the toughest thing to do, but now I’m liking the free time I’m having to actually have a life. Once the full-on launch is on, I’ll begin the travel itinerary.
Maria
Congratulations, Maria! Can’t wait for the stories 🙂
Un abrazo,
Tim
I vote for Chuck Holton. I want to learn more about the 4-hour work week and see if the Lord is leading me in this direction for my livelihood.
Can some one help me find my niche market and execute income autopilot 1-3? Im having a hard time finding myself in tim’s techings income auto pilot chapters. If anoyone coud give me some advice or some insight from personal experience, that would be greatly appreciated. my email is pollard.kerry@gmail.com
Awesome videos! I read the first book and now I’m reading the second version over and over again and really it changed the way I saw things.
I have to admit that I’m quite a bad student, in the sense that I didn’t plan any mini-retirement yet. However, I have been working on developing a muse during the last few months and it’s already working great.
So thank you Tim!!
Very cool videos.
Bad news for The World’s Best Fruit, though. I looked into Miracle Fruit a year or so ago. Did some diligence on the market. For a lifestyle business, yeah, maybe it’ll work.
But the folks I talked to at FDA were pretty clear in that any scale operation would be shut down. Miracle fruit is not legal for sale/distribution in the United States per FDA guidelines as it is considered an unsafe food additive (weird, right?).
Anyway, I’d advise The World’s Best Fruit to do some more diligence if she is planning to quit her job.
[…] success at hacking The Superstar Effect. Consider, for example, Maneesh Sethi (featured recently inTim's lifestyle design case study competition), who got into Stanford on the strength of having written a popular computer programming book, or […]
I watched everyone one of these videos and am inspired more than ever. It’s time to Crush It! Thanks Tim and everyone else on here that’s an inspiration! I won’t stop till I’m living in a hut in Tahiti.
I love hearing these stories. My wife and I got married 18 months ago, and we were living in Vancouver, Canada. People told us we couldn’t have kids, travel, and live the life we wanted.
Well, we moved to Taiwan last month, we’ll probably be having kids here, and I can run my coaching business from anywhere in the world thanks to the Internet. We’ve never felt more free to live, to travel, and to create our lives exactly how we want. Thanks for the inspiration!
So I have been reading these posts and following the book. I have a few technical questions.
1. Can anyone recommend a merchant account for taking cc’s online? Are they all the same?
2. My bank told me that every merchant that takes credit cards has to go through PCI compliance testing on an annual basis and would cost $179. Is this true or is she trying to seel me on something? Thanks in advance. I feel blessed since I already have my muse idea, but its all this technical stuff that is getting in the way.
Tim,
Funny, before it became something you had to figure out, or strategize about “becoming” – the 4-hour workweek used to a no-brainer from my early twenties through about my late-thirties (I’m now 55). It was a lifestyle of choice, where wants and needs were bare minimums, and every dollar was saved to put toward the next adventure. I spent years traveling around the world on a shoestring budget and then – I’m not sure what happened, other than I got caught up in the syndrome of “I need to do something with my life” and the rest – well, the rest ain’t even history.