The Travelers

Today's guest is a sought after speaker and thought leader on lifestyle freedom, Ryan Moran. He specializes in helping others build lifestyle businesses for themselves, and for those unfamiliar, lifestyle business has become the term for a business that supports the lifestyle you want to live rather than one demanded by the business. So, there's a natural relationship there for travelers aspiring to build a business that supports a lifestyle of travel. This is a business heavy episode, but listen to Ryan's beliefs on why travel not only matters but is a duty. He asks and explores the big questions he was faced with when, one day, his friend called him out on his sheltered upbringing and said, "We need to get you a new continent." Ryan quickly came to realize that he wanted to be an Explorer, to inform himself of the complexities of the world, so he could better understand the place in which he desired to make a lasting impact. Explorer Quotes "I couldn't understand the world until I got out of my own world, a

Today’s guest is an online entrepreneur, the host of two business podcasts - Mobile Mixed, and more recently Leaving Corporate - and he’s not known for his travels. But, Greg Hickman is without a doubt in my mind, an explorer  and lifelong learner. I know this because of the nature of his podcast. Right out of college, he went on a whirlwind tour backpacking Europe for 3-months. That’s less extreme than some of the guests we have on here, but perhaps more of a reality for most people who want to make travel a bigger priority in their lives. More recently, he got back from the Philippines because his business has opened up opportunities to speak in places all over the country and world. BUT before all of this, he was a dreamer who’s always grappled with doing the right thing in his career. So I’m excited to give him the chance to speak about that, as well as how embracing uncertainty has paid off for him in a big way, and whether travel has anything to do with having that mindset in life. Words from an Explore

"We must let go of the life we have planned so as to accept the one that is waiting for us." - Joseph Campbell Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Soundcloud or TuneIn Do you feel you've earned the right to travel? Are you willing to give yourself the permission to go? Can doing so help you make a more informed decision about what you want to do with your life? Ask a guy who tried four different career tracks -- including the military, law, corporate finance, and real estate -- before discovering what he believes is his purpose. Today’s guest is the host of a top-rated business podcast called Entrepreneur On Fire. He’s not normally known for his travels, and to my knowledge, he hasn’t really discussed them before this podcast. But John has a captivating travel background that I wanted to bring to light, which involves an active tour of duty in Iraq, four months spent living with a family in Guatemala, and dropping out of law school to spend another four months exploring India and trekking the Himalayas in Ne

Sherry Ott is calling from the other side, where adventure lies, to show you that it’s not that scary, it’s not too uncomfortable, and it’s not a bad career move to take a career break for long term travel. But before she became this explorer of an amazing world, Sherry Ott was living, working, and earning six-figures in New York for three years. But when she was 30, she took a vacation and met other travelers who asked her a question that would change her life. In this episode, you’ll hear how Sherry viewed an extended career break as a challenge, took it on, planned, fell in love with exploration, got hooked, and rather than returning, created her own life of travel. Her story will make career breaks accessible for anyone who is longing for long term travel, and how she’s able to financially support her travel lifestyle through blogging and freelancing. Today, she’s a digital nomad and corporate American runaway, who escaped her cubicle in New York City and has been traveling nomadically and solo for over 7

Sherry Ott was burned out. But rather than to go on vacation, she decided to do something a bit more radical. She quit her six-figure job as an IT director and project manager to spend a year traveling around the world. Having only started traveling internationally at 30 years old, with only a few trips under her belt, she was new to this challenge. But she quickly became addicted to the new. In this episode, you'll hear how Sherry viewed an extended career break as a challenge, took it on, planned, fell in love with exploration, got hooked, and rather than returning, created her own life of travel. Her story will make career breaks accessible for anyone who is longing for long term travel, and how she's able to financially support her travel lifestyle through blogging and freelancing. Today, she's a digital nomad and corporate American runaway, who escaped her cubicle in New York City and has been traveling nomadically and solo for over 7 years now, helping others recognize that they can do the same, and wri

“A dominant impulse on encountering beauty is to wish to hold on to it, to possess it and give it weight in one’s life. There is an urge to say, ‘I was here, I saw this and it mattered to me.” ― Alain de Botton, The Art of Travel Antrese Wood is painting her way across Argentina. A native of Pasadena, California, Antrese is a former artist with Disney Studios, currently living in Argentina where, after running a successful Kickstarter campaign, she is working on a series of paintings titled A Portrait of Argentina. Her goal is to paint Argentina from an individual, national, and world perspective. Personally, my mother is an artist, I grew up around the arts, and I believe the perspective of the artist is often the most insightful, so I’m really psyched up to have Antrese come on the show and share with us her cultural portrait of a place that’s been at the top of my bucket list for way too long: Argentina. On a personal note, I like to be creative while I travel. I can draw, a little, not very well. I wish t

Did you like what Scott Mackenzie had to say in this episode about earning and redeeming points and miles? If you'd like to get started with points and miles, then you can check out my book The Beginners Guide to Points and Miles. And be sure to follow his blog, Hack My Trip. Photo by: Nick Ciorogan Before Scott Mackenzie mastered earning points and miles, he was earning his Ph.D in neuroscience. He launched his travel hacking blog, Hack My Trip, while he was still in school. It was flying to interviews for his graduate school interviews that introduced him to earning enough frequent flyer miles for his first redemption. He quickly earned enough to extend his travel perks into his time spent living the frugal life of a student. Graduate students don’t generally have large sums of cash to help them fly to Asia during their school breaks; but Scott had figured out the secret to not only taking trips a student could pay for, but that most people couldn't afford to take. In this episode, Scott allows me to pick h

In 1999, Earl Baron graduated college and took what was supposed to be a 3-month trip to Asia. Today, that trip has yet to end. It was within a week that he discovered a new version of himself, meeting people, all the new experiences, and everything he was learning every day. He knew he couldn't go home to a career that could ever be as rewarding to him as these experiences. Sitting on a stone wall during a festival at Angkor Wat in Cambodia, sitting on a stone wall watching an amazing world unfold before him, he knew right then he could never stop traveling. He’s been to 87 countries and on 6 continents, using his ingenuity to afford to keep on the road and gain an online following through his blog The Wandering Earl, where he writes to help people learn how they can do the same, while championing a "New breed of explorer." I really wanted to have Derek on the show because of his  message about travel, exploration, choosing to live an adventurous life of travel, and not letting anything be an excuse, whether

It was over egg rolls and stir fry, when her Aunt Judy unexpectedly shared her travel stories with her teenage niece. Captivated and enthralled by her aunt's own personal legend, Regina Busse knew instantly that she wanted the same, to be more adventurous and have these stories of her own to share, just like her aunt. "The life she had lead and continued to lead sparked a fire inside me," says Regina. And so a 16-year old midwestern girl from Omaha, a small city in the heart of the state of Nebraska, planned a one month trip to Australia and bought that ticket. One month turned into a year, and Reggie turned into an explorer of an amazing world. Nine years later, she's still on the road. This transformation was so profound, she's now compelled to help others experience the same, to inspire those who aren't seeing the world to aspire to do so, to incorporate a love of travel into their lives, and promote the encouragement to do so within society. Let Reggie's message entrance you and her passion for inspiring

This is part 2 of my conversation with Jason Moore. Listen to part 1, From Zero to Travel with Jason Moore. Jason Moore has this concept he calls "Wanderliving." And for 15 years, he's been making full time travel a reality for himself. Today, he's helping his audience do the same on his website and podcast, Zero to Travel. When I had the idea for this show, Jason was the guy who was already out there doing it, in his own way, focusing on practical ideas, concrete resources, and actionable advice all bundled up into inspiring stories from interesting travelers. Words from an Explorer: "It's good to get comfortable with fear. Otherwise it's hard to do new things like this." Jason's Best Travel Advice: The First Step: If you’re thinking about the trip, but hesitating because you’re nervous, there’s no rule that says you can’t try it in your state. Go spend a night in a hostel in your hometown. See what it’s like. Then, buy the plane ticket. Lock yourself into it. Get your friend to buy the ticket for you, if y

Jason Moore has this concept he calls "Wanderliving." And for 15 years, he's been making full time travel a reality for himself. Today, he's helping his audience do the same on his website and podcast, Zero to Travel. When I had the idea for this show, Jason was the guy who was already out there doing it, in his own way, focusing on practical ideas, concrete resources, and actionable advice all bundled up into inspiring stories from interesting travelers. In this episode, I'm turning the tables on Jason and interviewing him about his travel stories, which include how he turned a lifelong dream to travel into a reality by landing a traveling job in event marketing and his adventures in hitchhiking. What we discuss:  How Jason found work that allowed him to build travel into his life, and became addicted to the practice. How safe is hitchhiking, and can it be a great way to challenge yourself, escape your comfort zone? Does the length of time you know someone really matter? All the people on your travels mak

This is part 2 of my conversation with Travis Sherry. Listen to part 1. Travis Sherry got a late start in life to traveling the world internationally. He was 25 when he finally got bit by the travel bug on a study abroad internship trip, living in Lozan, Switzerland. Since then, he has worked tirelessly to make for himself a life of travel. “Everyday I would go swimming in Lake Geneva," says Travis, "and I'd look up at the Alps and think, ‘I’m not going to get this by just staying home all my life.’" Today, Travis bills himself as a regular guy who loves to travel, but zip on over to Extra Pack of Peanuts. and you’ll see he has just a little expertise in traveling the world for free, and helping his audience do the same. There you can pick up his Ultimate Guide to Points and Miles. He also runs a travel podcast by the same name, and if you like this show, you’d probably like his too. I’m excited to have him on to discuss his lifestyle and how to earn and redeem points and miles to see the world for as close t

Travis Sherry got a late start in life to traveling the world internationally. He was 25 when he finally got bit by the travel bug on a study abroad internship trip, living in Lozan, Switzerland. Since then, he has worked tirelessly to make for himself a life of travel. “Everyday I would go swimming in Lake Geneva," says Travis, "and I'd look up at the Alps and think, ‘I’m not going to get this by just staying home all my life.’" Today, Travis bills himself as a regular guy who loves to travel, but zip on over to Extra Pack of Peanuts. and you’ll see he has just a little expertise in traveling the world for free, and helping his audience do the same. There you can pick up his Ultimate Guide to Points and Miles. He also runs a travel podcast by the same name, and if you like this show, you’d probably like his too. I’m excited to have him on to discuss his lifestyle and how to earn and redeem points and miles to see the world for as close to free as possible. Personal note: When I looked out there to see who wa

Long before The Daily Travel Podcast launched, Chris Christensen was blazing the trail for travel podcasters to follow. Chris has been producing his podcast since 2005, just a year after the medium began. At the time, he loved podcasts but hadn’t found the right subject. He considered a range of topics — including religion or tech — but after a night spent with friends at his home, he recognized the best stories were travel stories. Nobody had a travel podcast. And right then he knew he had to do a travel show. Today, nine years later, his show, The Amateur Traveler podcast, gets over 1 million downloads per year. I sought out Chris at New Media Expo in Las Vegas and without hesitation he agreed to come on my show. We discussed the value of exploration to the individual as well as Chris’ recommendations for exploring Istanbul beyond the prescribed tourist trail. What are your favorite spots in Istanbul? I'd love to hear it in the comments. Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Soundcloud or TuneIn Words from a

Get $20 off Tortuga Backpacks! Fred was nice enough to put together an exclusive promo code for listeners of The Daily Travel Podcast. Through the end of June, get 10% off at Tortuga Backpacks with discount code DTP514. Get your backpack here! Thanks Fred! They're currently sold out but expecting more in mid-June. On a 2-week trip to Germany with his best friend, Fred Perotta had an ah-ha moment. After heaps of research and no help from retailers, Fred couldn’t find the right bag for travelers. He couldn’t understand why most travelers use outdoor ‘hiking’ backpacks, rather than one made specifically for ‘traveling.’ That is, until he realized the solution he wanted — a front-loading backpack, rather than top-loading, that fits into an overhead compartment — didn’t exist. So, he decided to solve his own problem. Today, he’s a world traveler, entrepreneur, startup marketer and co-founder of one of Entrepreneur magazine’s 100 Brilliant Companies List in 2012, Tortuga Backpacks. Fred’s a shining example of how

Ben Krueger comes to us from his office in the jungles of Costa Rica. Ben is the founder and operator of Authority Engine, an avid entrepreneur, marketer, and adventurer. He started his company from his laptop as a hub for podcasting information services that redefine best practices. I met Ben at New Media Expo. We instantly connected on our mutual ecstatic love of travel, it’s importance in our lives, and the power of podcasting. Studying for a career never sat well with Ben, and the travel itch led him to concentrate on learning the skills needed to be able to travel more on his own terms. He absorbed everything about online marketing and honed these skills knowing it’d be his golden ticket. Eventually he earned the opportunity to go to the Philippines for a 6-month position that involved driving leads for a vacation resort in exchange for food and shelter at the resort. Ben pounced on the opportunity. Within a week, he met a collective of location independent entrepreneurs who run their businesses from the

Go to college, incur thousands of dollars of debt, and have no plan to pay it off. "That is a horrible idea." This is the message Grant Baldwin tells his audience every year at Iowa State University freshman orientation, and one he spreads during his travels across the country. Last year, after his talk, a young kid approached him with tears in his eyes and told Grant that he’d always dreamed to go to Iowa State but didn’t have any plan whatsoever. Even though he’d made his lifelong dream to be there a reality, he realized he had no actual reason to be there. Grant's mission is to help students by guiding them towards finding their reason, their path, and their purpose. He's the author of Reality Check, a guide for helping students make that uncomfortable transition for helping students make that transition from high school to college to "the real world." What does this have to do with travel? Everything. Disclaimer: I mention at the beginning of this show that I'm not a parent. As of a week ago, I'm the fath

Cailin’s been making films since she was 12, and traveling for even longer. So one day, having the background she has, she decided that rather than dream to have her own travel series on television, she’d just go out there and do it herself. She took a videographer with her to Madrid where she filmed the first episode of her own Youtube series, Travel Yourself. Today, rather than following a traditional career path, she’s taking every opportunity she can to get out and see the world and build a life of travel. From her perspective, this huge leap has made her a happier person, and one who can’t ever stop traveling. Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Soundcloud or TuneIn Words from an Explorer: "I don’t think I’m missing out from what I see my friends doing. I just think I’m going to get around to it a different way." Thank her for sharing her story. What you’ll learn: How to travel as a solo female, safely. Why solo travel can be both overwhelming and liberating, and how to balance that. Why certain tour

When I reached out to Domingo Silvas to be on the show, I thought, "I've traveled extensively, do I really need someone to tell me how to live in another country?" Then I realized how drastically different this is than the travel I might be used to, even long term travel. When you set up a new life for yourself, you're effectively alone with no end in sight. It's intimidating if not scary to perform simple life tasks. You have to figure out everything you know, everything you might consider common knowledge all over again in a foreign place, in which you might not even speak the language. You're reinventing home and what home means to you, which is essentially your entire world. Suddenly, I realized how much more complex that is. Domingo Silvas is a serial entrepreneur whose  grown 8 companies, some into 7-figures. He's lived in several countries with his family and struggled repeatedly to come to grips with exploring the unknown. Today's he's the CEO of EscapeArtist.com, one of the internet's first sites, wh

This is part 2 of my conversation with Steve Kamb. Listen to part 1. Steve Kamb is the man behind the incredibly successful NerdFitness.com where he helps nerds and average Joes, and podcast hosts, level up their lives. As the title suggests, his primary focus is on fitness but he also writes about his adventures in world travel and travel hacking, which he implemented to go over 120,000 miles across 15-countries to Australia/New Zealand, through Asia, the US, Western Europe, and Argentina... for about $400. And I was thrilled he accepted my invitation to have him on the show to discuss both travel and fitness and how they relate to each other, while exploring how and why Steve was able to make travel a bigger priority in his life. Before any of this, Steve had never traveled outside of the country. It was always something he wanted to do but he kept sying "I hope I get do that someday.” And like many people, he kept putting off his desire, thinking there’s not enough time, money, or life is just too complica