Opt Out Life

Ok, so you've got a business idea - Now what? Dana & Nate go ‘guestless’ on this special episode to talk about how to implement a business idea. They share personal stories of both successes and failures that could give you the information you need if you ever find yourself in a similar situation. More at optoutlife.com/podcast/i-have-a-business-idea/

Today’s guest is Michael Dash. Michael is the author of Chasing the High, a book about his personal journey through addiction, entrepreneurship, legal battles, and all the lessons he learned along the way. Michael battled with gambling and drug addiction for many years, until a perspective-shifting trip to Bali inspired him to have a more positive mental attitude and outlook on life. Through it all, he was able to channel his compulsions into productivity, and find his entrepreneurial passion and purpose in life. Michael’s journey through overcoming adversity is a great story to hear whether you're an entrepreneur or thinking about starting a business. Listen to his story and get inspired. More at optoutlife.com/podcast/michael-dash/

For many people, becoming a "millionaire" sounds like a dream come true. Many believe that reaching the million-dollar mark means being set for life and never having to worry about money again. But in today’s world, what's a million really worth? Listen along as we talk about millionaires and the reality of making a million dollars. No notes, no guest, this episode is 100% uncut and raw from the studio. More at optoutlife.com/podcast/whats-a-million-worth/

For many opt outers, it’s all about getting out from under the 9 to 5 and building a business. But, what if your opt out is just a little more OUT? Like out on the azure waters of French Polynesia, floating on a boat, and not working a real job ever again? Today’s guests are Kristian and Sabrina, a married duo who designed that very life over a decade ago, and have been floating along in their version of the opt out life while the rest of the world spins on. The cool part about Kristian and Sabrina’s story is that they didn’t drop out and get away like hermits. Their boat life is a community, and in some ways a mini commune, where like-minded people can take a week or more and disconnect from their busy lives to reconnect with themselves. The story of the Beadle family is an entrepreneurial journey, from small experiment that works, to growing a venture to the next level, all while juggling priorities, and starting a family. Listen along and learn, whether you want to start a side gig on land, or one that flo

Our guest in this episode, Jillian Sassone, started down her own entrepreneurial journey accidentally. She took a piece of an old heirloom and turned it into a cool new ring. Her first day out wearing it, she landed two custom jewelry clients without even trying. From there, Jillian’s business grew quickly as people realized that she could create custom rings. They soon outgrew their dining table, and leased a small space to have meetings. As things grew, she added her husband as a partner, and staff that has enabled the business to scale. Perhaps you’ll be inspired by the true bootstraps nature of Jillian’s journey, as it shows how anyone with the right mindset can accomplish anything they put their heart into. More at optoutlife.com/podcast/jillian-sassone/

Today's episode is all about the listeners! Listen along as we answer YOUR questions about entrepreneurship, how to get the life you want, side gigs and anything opt out. Do you have a question? We want to hear from you! Email us your best question at Dana@optoutlife.com or Nate@optoutlife.com and we'll add it to the list for our next special Listener Q+A episode. So what do you want to ask? More at optoutlife.com/podcast/listener-qanda/

Today’s guest is Cory Verner.  Cory had spent years commuting to a job he hated. He made it tolerable by listening to audio books every day.  When the time came to launch a business, he decided to start an audio book publisher.  That was 15 years ago, and that little business grew until it was sold to a private equity group in 2016. Yes, Cory did fine, but as we’ll hear, he also learned a tough lesson along the way. Today, we find Cory in the midst of a couple of new ventures and one old one.  Cory’s journey through the entrepreneurial hero’s journey is quite typical, so it’s a great story to hear if you are either at the beginning of your story, or somewhere along the way. More at optoutlife.com/podcast/cory-verner/

Opt Out Life listeners and fellow entrepreneurs Bryton Nield and Matt Mclelland hit us up with a compelling question. How could they best approach launching an "Opt Out" networking event in their city? And how else might we suggest they expand their personal and business networks, in general? In this special episode, we invited Byrton and Matt on to the mics and talk through one of the most important skillsets and strategies any aspiring Opt Out-er needs to master. More at optoutlife.com/podcast/how-to-start-networking

Today’s guest is Chuck Longenacker, the founder of a digital agency who came to us after spending the past two years relaxing and recovering from the long road to success that often ends in burn out. Chuck’s journey as an entrepreneur began a million years ago, the dust of the dotcom crash in 2001. He lost his job in corporate America, and took his $5000 severance as a chance to try and go down a different path. Over time, his little venture grew up into a highly respected digital and design agency, Digital Telepathy, that would eventually have several dozen employees and a unique subscription model for how they charged clients. As you’d imagine, there were bumps along the way. That’s all part of pulling off what this guy pulled off . . . nearly 20 years of building a business that was a reflection of how he wanted to see the world, and the underlying freedom of lifestyle it ultimately provided. More at optoutlife.com/podcast/chuck-longanecker 

The life we lead as entrepreneurs, as "Opt Out" guys/gals, is typically one that looks pretty great.  No bosses.  No set schedules.  Building income streams.  The grass is green, right?  This episode is 100% uncut and raw from the studio, recorded on a day when we were both running around from project to project.  We figured, why not let everyone hear what it's really like without all the fancy storylines and production?  More at optoutlife.com/podcast/uncut-grass

Today’s guest is Chad Mureta. As hit sits today, he’s a best-selling author, advisor, and consultant who has built and sold five different app companies and made millions of dollars in four different industries. And, as we’ll hear, he currently runs Project EVO, a company launched on kickstarter to create daily planners that are built for each person’s unique brain type. Chad had it all when the real estate market crashed, and lost it all. He had a major health scare that changed his trajectory forever.  He traveled the world for 10 years while building his online businesses, and now he's landed here in San Diego. More at optoutlife.com/podcast/chad-mureta

**Previous version missed the drop-ins**   Our guest is Steve Welty, he’s the 30 something owner of a business called Good Life Property Management. It’s a San Diego based property manager, with some 650 single family homes under management. As you’ll hear, Steve is a personable, outgoing face for a company that embodies his unique philosophies on lifestyle, balance, revenue growth, and company culture. He did it his own way, by empowering the generally younger group that makes up his workforce, and by consistently challenging them to work him out of a meaningful day-to-day position. Now, he has time to spend countless hours with his young son, work ON the business instead of IN it, and the results are commendable. More at optoutlife.com/podcast/steve-welty Learn more and follow the hosts at optoutlife.com

What if I told you there’s a little-known cottage industry of generally-younger entrepreneurs out there, buying businesses that have millions in profit, to kickstart their own careers? Our guest in this episode is Tim Ludwig.  Tim’s an OG member of the world of search funds.  What’s a search fund? It’s a term commonly used to describe a hungry entrepreneur in waiting, who takes the backing of a small group of investors to go out and SEARCH for a business to buy.  It’s an interesting method for any enterprising person such as yourself to jump into the world of business ownership. Tim has made a career out of investing in them. He’s invested in some 40 companies over the years, and you’ll hear how he ultimately has used the industry of searching to find his own opportunities to buy a few businesses of his own. Most days, he works from home and takes calls from his back patio, overlooking the palm trees and Pacific Ocean in La Jolla.  More at optoutlife.com/podcast/tim-ludwig Learn more and follow the hosts at

Today’s guest changed the category of "comfortable women's shoes" forever back in 1999 when she left her medical career to enter the footwear industry. Taryn Rose became a household name a few years later when a stroke of luck put her on the cover of Fast Company, and, well, Oprah declared that she loved Taryn’s shoes. Her shoes can be found in high-end stores like Neiman Marcus, but also on Home Shopping Network, where the brand High Heel Power by Taryn Rose is sold, with her handbags, legwear, and foot skincare. Taryn has had ups and downs through her career, including a successful exit.  More at optoutlife.com/podcast/taryn-rose Learn more and follow the hosts at optoutlife.com

Dana & Nate go 'guestless' on this special episode to talk about how aspiring entrepreneurs and fellow Opt Out Life listeners can best figure out a path "out".  More at optoutlife.com/podcast/exit-plan Learn more and follow the hosts at optoutlife.com

Today’s guest is Joanna Kinsman. We met her on the 4th of July as she skated into a little house party on San Diego’s Boardwalk, that famous two-mile stretch of sidewalk that runs along the Pacific Ocean. There she was skating the boardwalk on a holiday (and most weekdays!) while running her growing business, Kini Bands. The path to success wasn’t all roses for Joanna, but her story shows that anyone with the ambition can achieve what they want. We love Joanna’s story for several reasons, not the least of which is the fact that she teaches us that what you do at a regular old job can eventually translate into a business that you own and control. Grab your skates, a boom box, a red-white-and-blue headband, and of course, a kini band bracelet to tie your hair up. More at optoutlife.com/podcast/joanna-kinsman Learn more and follow the hosts at optoutlife.com

Our guest is Ryan McKenna.  He’s a real estate syndicator from Chicago, who’s been on his own for a little while now.  He’s in his mid-30s, has a young family, and works most days in his own place, on his own time.  Ryan’s built a mini-empire over the course of his young career by investing in his own real estate deals, building passive income, and freeing up his options. What’s cool about Ryan’s story is he very deliberately invested not only in property but also in his personal network and his own knowledge and experience while working in a more traditional career in commercial real estate. Listen along as we talk about the nitty-gritty of what the heck a “syndicated multifamily deal” is in the real estate investing world, how relationships lead to opportunity, and how a health scare earlier in life turned this college baseball player onto a different, yet still very audacious, goal to accomplish.  More at optoutlife.com/podcast/ryan-mckenna Learn more and follow the hosts at optoutlife.com

If you are old enough, you’ll remember back when your old cell phone would end up in a drawer after you bought the hottest, newest thing. Maybe you’d hock it on Craigslist or hand it down to your brother. Enter John Beane, an entrepreneur with some serious technical chops and the boldness to take on engineering problems that others might think impossible.  John designed ATM style dispensers for hospitals to disburse medicine. And then somewhere along his journey - and we’ll say it was probably at least 5 companies into that journey - John joined up with a group of partners who thought, “Why not use an ATM to buy people’s old cell phones?” That’s exactly what John helped them do, as they founded EcoATM, He was determined to make this one work. And it did. The sale of the company made he and his co-founders one of San Diego’s big success stories. More at optoutlife.com/podcast/john-beane Learn more and follow the hosts at optoutlife.com

Some of us are born entrepreneurs, and some of us discover it by happenstance.  Today’s guest is Brett Fogle, he’s the serial type of entrepreneur, who started as a kid by selling “Mailbox beautification” services around his neighborhood. From those beginnings, he grew up and each new venture has brought him a new lesson, and by now, Brett has compiled those hard earned lessons into a system that any entrepreneur can use to make money without the risks that cause most ventures to fail. That system is the basis for Brett’s book, Click and Grow Rich. The book is an outgrowth of Brett’s work as a mentor, and business partner, with entrepreneurs launching their first online brand or business. And its contents are a full-on playbook of both the opportunities that exist online, and how to take advantage of them, no matter who you are. More at optoutlife.com/podcast/brett-fogle Learn more and follow the hosts at optoutlife.com