I was raised to believe that money was everything and that it ultimately brought happiness. As far back as I can remember, I was raised to become a successful business employee, work very hard, earn management status and live the life that my parents only dreamed of.
It wasn’t until the end of my senior year of college that I found resources and sources of inspiration to bring out the entrepreneurial spirit within me and show me that I can choose to do what I want to do instead of what I thought I needed to do.
One of the greatest sources of inspiration has been Chris Guillebeau and his art of non-conformity.
Though our lifestyles may be very different (I have chosen the lifestyle of the internet entrepreneur in Silicon Valley), I believe that our ambition and desire to pursue our dreams in life are very much aligned. I have read his previous products and am extremely excited for the big launch of his new product – Empire Building Kit, which teaches you how to Build Your Own Empire in 1 Year.
I had the opportunity to sit down and speak with Chris Guillebeau about his experiences as an entrepreneur, the advice that his latest product contains and his personal life in 2010.
If you’re looking to learn about Chris, what he does, and how he can help you achieve your goals and passionate dreams in life, check out a recap of our interview below.
Who are you and how are you breaking the template lifestyle?
Chris is a full-time writer and world traveler. He has a personal goal of visiting every country in the world. Among many, many things, Chris lived in South Africa for four years and worked as an AIDS worker. He has always been self-employed and lived a location independent lifestyle since the age of 20, so he has never actually had the “templated” lifestyle.
Chris sees himself as more of a catalyst than a pioneer in the mobile lifestyle/freedom business arena.
Before the blog and the unconventional guides, what was your original product or service?
The original product was a whole sale coffee business. Chris would import coffee from Jamaica and sell it to coffee importers. He has also dabbled in website design, business consulting, and affiliate marketing. His goal for about 10 years was to earn enough money to allow him to do what he really wanted to do.
Do you believe that anyone can live the unconventional lifestyle? Is it more difficult now that there are so many people trying to achieve that lifestyle?
Chris truly believes that anyone that wants to live the unconventional lifestyle can live it with the right work-ethic, passion, and commitment.
“The best time to start was last year, but failing that today will do.” It would be great to start as early as possible, but the best thing you can do is start where you are and work hard to get to where you want to be.
How is the Empire Building Kit different or better compared to the previous products that you have created?
Chris calls it the “kitchen sink” product because it contains everything bit of knowledge that he has and he holds nothing back. Chris has a 365 day email follow up series which is officially the longest series in Aweber history.
Most importantly, Chris used a case study method where he interviewed other entrepreneurs who have been able to build a lifestyle business. You will not only learn directly from Chris, but also from the people that he interviewed after months and months of interviews.
If I’m passionate about fitness, what is the best way for me to get started in building a lifestyle business?
Chris believes that your passion must be aligned with something that other people are passionate about and that other people will pay for.
For example, if you’re passionate about pizza and video games, then you’re going to find it very hard to build a lifestyle business.
The goal is to find the intersection of what you’re the best in the world at, what you love doing, and how you can get paid to do what you love. The Empire Building Kit takes you through each stage of discovery, planning, and execution on your way to a lifestyle business.
Hooray! You’re done and well on your way to Untemplating your life and ruling your own remarkable empire!
Leave a Reply