Niall Doherty's Blog, page 207
April 22, 2016
Momentos: April 1st – April 15th, 2016
Sometimes I flash back to my life nomadic. This morning the hum of a passing fly returned me to a sun-drenched road in the north of Spain with my thumb out, a golden field behind me, unknown adventures ahead. Sometimes a scene will come to mind and it’ll take me a minute to place it. Was that in Peru? Guatemala? Laos?
2.
Is this me giving into the fear again, or have I raised the bar? I guess you could argue both sides. Been getting along great all evening with this beautiful woman. She seems to linger before she leaves as if waiting for me to make the move… but I promised myself I’d no longer date girls who do what she does.
3.
Amsterdam is quieter than most cities. Probably because most of the traffic here is powered by pedals rather than pistons. I live just off one of the main thoroughfares in Centrum, but from the bedroom you barely hear a thing. Best you can make out is the occasional tram going past, and footfalls of the latest blow-ins upstairs.
4.
Resistance was strong today. Had to submit a proposal for a big web dev project, almost five figures. Part of me would love to land it, another part of me is terrified at the thought. Sucked it up and got it submitted, now we’ll wait and see. Lots of opportunities flowing lately. Locked in another client this morning and had two more job offers this afternoon.
5.
Gotta hire a VA soon, whether I land that five-figure project or not. Lots of day-to-day things taking up my time that someone else could do just as well. Every hour freed up from that busy work is $80 I can earn freelancing. It will take some time and patience up front though, training someone and putting the right systems in place.
International Pillow Fight Day in Dam Square
6.
Put through my first refund for 3M1K yesterday, within an hour of the request. The guy said he liked the course, but didn’t feel it was right for him. Then today I’m on a Skype call with another member, and he’s thanking me for building this thing, saying how much he loves it, how he’s been telling all his friends. Strikes and gutters, ups and downs.
7.
Booked flights to NOLA last night, a quick trip for a friend’s wedding in June, in and out in six days. I met that friend my first week after moving there back in oh-seven. I was 25 and addicted to basketball, met him waiting for the same streetcar on the way to a game. Man, that’s almost a decade ago now. Lived some since then.
8.
Social first, then seductive, then sexual. I’m great at social. The others, not so much. Tonight I got stuck in social mode, told myself I was too tired to push it further, not feeling the vibe. But maybe I should be thinking of this like I think of the gym. I go even when I don’t feel like going. Especially when I don’t feel like going. That’s why I have a six pack.
9.
Ramble around Rembrandtplein for a warm up. Ask for free coffee at Subway. Chat with a lady taking a photo. Ask the pedicab driver how’s business. Strike up conversation with a mohawk. Get offered drugs. Ask three women if they want to get married. Walk away mid-conversation. Get offered more drugs. Ask a dude if he needs help with directions.
10.
Was out last night being socially assertive – leading men, chatting up women, confronting guys who were making jokes at my expense – and now today, despite the usual Sunday exhaustion, I’m being a lot more proactive and decisive work-wise. Thinking: if you’re sluggish in one area of life, becoming more assertive in another may help.
Helping out at Amsterdam Language Cafe
11.
Trying to get those systems in place now. Have the VA on board and setting everything up on Teamwork so I can stay organized. Will bring on a web developer this week too and practice assigning him some simple tasks, see how that goes. Outsourcing effectively is a skill I really need to master.
12.
Mornings are bright and warm again, so I’m back in the park a couple of times a week, busting out a few sprints, some bar and balance work. Thankful for that gym I joined last September though, made it easier to keep exercising on those dark and cold winter mornings. 118 visits now since September 17th. Sweet deal at €110 for the year.
13.
Was going back and forth the past couple of weeks trying to close that mega project I found and pitched on Upwork. Finally got word today that the client has chosen someone else. But I’m more relieved than disappointed. That project would have kept me busy and locked in for the next three months, whereas now I’m free to pursue other opportunities.
14.
Thinking about taxes. Say I pull in €5k/month from my business, have €1k of expenses and pay myself a €3k salary. That puts me on the hook for €125 in company taxes, and €826 personal. That’s actually not so bad, thought it would be worse. Of course, I’m not at that €5k mark consistently yet. Working on it.
15.
At Bar Bukowski for the first time and it’s packed. Talking to strangers while waiting for friends to arrive. Most bars I end up in are more of a mixed nationality crowd, but here seems exclusively Dutch. Strike it up with two girls at the back of the place. Chatting laughing and dancing for ten minutes, seems to be going well, until one leans in and asks me to leave.
Wiling away the evening alongside Egelantiersgracht.
In the comments below, let me know which of the above Momentos is your favorite. Which can you relate to?
April 21, 2016
Life, Death & Basketball (Over Beyond: Episode 004)
Over Beyond is a long-form podcast where I have the occasional meandering chat with my cousin over Skype and record it.
Have a listen, and let us know what you think.
MP3 download available here (70MB, 50:43)
(Check out the podcast archive for previous episodes.)
Links
Atul Gawande books:
Being Mortal
The Checklist Manifesto
Steinbeck:
Brain Pickings article: How Steinbeck Used the Diary as a Tool of Discipline, a Hedge Against Self-Doubt, and a Pacemaker for the Heartbeat of Creative Work
Book: Of Mice And Men
Book: The Grapes Of Wrath
Video: Kobe Bryant Drops 60 in Final Game of Career
Video: Chic with Nile Rodgers – Le Freak
April 6, 2016
Momentos: March 16th – March 31st, 2016
I tend not to make a big deal about my birthday. In my experience, trying hard to make a day special is a sure-fire way to make it suck. Anti-climactic and all that. But today was nice. Walking around Amsterdam, showing off the city to my parents, seeing things I’d never seen before. It’s good they’re here or I would have treated this like any other work day.
17.
We pass under a canal and find ourselves on a 27-kilometer stretch of dam that seals off the old entrance to the port of Mokum. There’s no toll. There is a bike lane, all the way along. We’re in a rented car, making this the fifth country I’ve driven in. Twas a bit nerve-wracking this morning getting out of the city. Been a year since I got behind the wheel.
18.
Sometimes I wonder if I’m cut out for family life. The wife and kids thing, I mean. Whenever I spend a full day around other people I start craving solitude, eager to sneak back to my little sanctuary and do my own thing, have some downtime, not speak to anyone. I was positively giddy today returning to the apartment.
19.
Practicing tension. Habitual people-pleaser that I am, I tend to break it pretty fast. Been reading how important it is to maintain for flirting and seduction. So… out tonight, practicing, approaching, more eyes, less words. The cute blonde comes to find me later and asks if I’m going to take her number. Huh. Might be something to this.
20.
A friend asked what my goal is when out meeting women. “Are you looking for validation, a girlfriend, or sex?” I’m not looking for a girlfriend, sex is great but I often prefer going home alone… so yeah, that leaves validation. Not saying I’m proud of it, but that’s most often what I’m seeking.
Loadsa windmills at Zaanse Schans
21.
Energy has been low the last couple of weeks. Not sure if you get this too, but when I’m tired, the urge to consume grows stronger. Sleep would help most, but instead I’m compelled to stay up late watching Netflix and eating food I’m not hungry for. Trying hard to keep the binging at bay this eve. Sitting with the weariness, getting to know one another.
22.
I had no freelance leads a month ago, having dropped all my clients late last year so I could focus on building 3M1K. Getting back in the swing of it now. Today I had a fresh inquiry in my inbox, two calls with prospective clients for projects worth $2,300, another message on Upwork regarding a $1k gig, and spent an hour working on an $800 project I landed last week.
23.
Decided to quit salsa and skipped class tonight, doubt I’ll even finish out the month. Dancing two evenings a week isn’t enough to get good, and if I’m not getting good I’m getting frustrated. I could invest more of course, but I’m running low on downtime as is, gotta reserve most of my energy for work stuff. Keeping that sacred.
24.
You’re in Amsterdam and have to get to the far side of the city in a hurry. You look up the route on Google Maps:
19 minutes by tram
15 minutes by car
13 minutes by bike
Gotta love his town.
25.
Thinking back to last Saturday. The cute blonde. It occurs to me now that she wanted me to push it further, was likely disappointed that I didn’t. Asked her out for a drink this week but blown off. Good chance I’ll never seen her again, moment passed. Gotta stop assuming I know where the line is, keep pushing til I hit it.
Coffee at Central Station.
26.
If the same bad thing keeps happening to you over and over again, stop complaining and make a plan of action. Practice the exact words you’ll use next time you’re in a conversation you want out of. Mentally rehearse the exact actions you’ll take next time you sense a situation going awry. If x, then y. You’re the puppet and the puppeteer.
27.
Built a lot of social momentum the past two days. Tempted to head out again tonight and keep it rolling. Tomorrow’s a bank holiday, everyone else is off, I deserve a break too, right? But, no, that’s dangerous thinking right there. Priorities. Focus. I’ve had enough fun for one weekend. Time to get back to work…
…and then the phone rings.
28.
Reflecting on an interaction I had on Saturday with a Norwegian guy. I made a joke that he took offense to. “No fucking way,” he barked. “Take that back!” I kept quiet and gave him a look, half confused, half amused, as if to say, “Seriously?” For a moment it was a stand-off, and then I guess the tension got the best of him and he talked on like nothing had happened.
29.
Came across this graphic on Facebook. That’s exactly how it’s been for me the past couple of months. But today was undoubtedly of the hell-yeah variety. Got back in from a meetup to find a fresh sale of 3M1K, a $72 affiliate commission, plus a message from a prospective client who’d like to chat more about a $6k pitch I submitted earlier.
30.
Wednesdays be Skype days, batching my calls together. Had ten scheduled today, one cancelled, so I did nine. A couple of friends, some members of 3M1K, and some other folks curious about 3M1K. I don’t hard sell to that last group, but perhaps I should. I get the impression that some of them need that, too indecisive on their own.
31.
Sorry to hark on about the 3M1K stuff, but hey, that’s my main thing right now. Put together my first case study today. One member started doing freelance editing and proofreading at the start of March and earned €1,226 for the month. She shared screenshots of her pitches and everything. You can see the case study here.
Grand stretch in the evenings now, hah?
In the comments below, let me know which of the above Momentos is your favorite. Which can you relate to?
April 1, 2016
How Susan Earned €1,226 Last Month Working Part-Time Online
Below is an interview with a member of 3M1K, my premium course to help you get started working online. The course aims to have you earning €1,000 per month within three months, but Susan went ahead and earned €1,226 in just her second month in the course.
Read on to find out how she did it.
Meet Susan
Joined 3M1K in February and started pitching for jobs in March as a freelance editor and proofreader.Found her first client the first day of pitching.
Earned €1,226 in March, her first full month working online, despite spending just 11 hours per week on her business.
No formal qualifications in proofreading or editing, but was pleasantly surprised to find plenty of well-paid work available to her online.
From Waterford, Ireland.
The Interview
1) Did you have any experience working online before joining 3M1K?
I’ve been freelancing since 2013. Most of that work was done remotely and was delivered via email, but “online work” wasn’t something I was focused on.
I had used sites like Elance, oDesk, Freelancer, and PeoplePerHour to pick up work here and there. I never used them with any kind of strategy or consistency, so obviously I didn’t see any consistent results. I’d usually just abandon the account after a few weeks and then occasionally jump back into them.
2) Did you have any major concerns before you took the plunge and started working online? (For example, were you worried that it was all a scam, or that you didn’t have enough skills, or that there was too much competition out there, etc.)
To be honest, because I had tried these freelancing sites before, I thought they weren’t for me. I was going to use the course content to help my pitching skills and keep me on track with my freelance goals.
I wasn’t worried about it being a scam on your side of things. You’ve put your name and face and your reputation out there with this course. It’s fairly clear that this is a long-term business that you’re planning going to grow and build. It didn’t seem like some quick and easy way to make cash before you move onto the next thing.
I knew the competition was fierce, especially because the skill I chose to market has quite a low barrier to entry.
I decided to give it a go as a 30-day experiment for the month of March. I swore full effort for 30-days, and if I couldn’t make it work then, that would be real feedback to move on with.
3) How did you decide what kind of work to freelance?
My background is graphic design and also arts and heritage management which is related to the business management side of historical institutions like museums and galleries. I had worked and had been freelancing across both fields as a designer and also as a researcher/writer. I knew that offering both was really confusing, and I also knew I wanted to drop design entirely.
Proofreading and editing was something that was common to both sides. I considered writing, but I’m not a good copywriter or sales writer. I checked out the jobs that were coming up on Upwork and didn’t think there would be enough interest in academic research and writing.
I saw that proofreading was in demand. Because the writer is the one with the niche knowledge, proofreading would allow me to work across a wide variety of topics. That was my thinking at the time. Editing came into the mix in the second week when I discovered that people say they want a proofreader, but what they actually need is an editor.
4) Did you have to do much groundwork before you started applying for jobs online?
I started working through the course in February, but I wasn’t planning on doing the Upwork part of it. On March 1, I decided to do a 30-day experiment to see if niching down as a proofreader and editor would actually bring me enough work.
As it was just a 30-day experiment, I didn’t put too much time into making it perfect. I went through the lessons and set up my Upwork profile as best I could. I didn’t have a website, portfolio, or any samples. I have no formal qualifications in proofreading or editing, but I knew from experience that it was something I could offer that would be of value.
5) How did you find your first paying client, and how much did they pay you?
Well, not that I would recommend this or that you teach it, but I sent about 20 pitches the first day.
Looking back, most of those job postings were old, abandoned, or they had already hired. I should have just followed your lessons to take it slow and apply to a few select jobs, but I’ve never been able to do what I’m told.
I got my first job on the first day to proofread a brochure for a sustainable packaging company in the forestry industry. They had sent me a message with their competitor’s brochure attached and they were interviewing a handful of people. I sent them a message to say what I liked and didn’t like about their competitors brochure. I also did a sample proofread on their competitor’s brochure, which gave them a tangible idea of what they would get from me. They hired me and asked my advice on their writing.
The brochure was 450 words long, and I was paid $50 for to proofread and edit their writing to align with what they said they wanted to achieve. It took me 15 minutes to complete, and I would say I spent about 20 minutes on pitching and proofreading their competitor’s brochure. So, that was 35 minutes work and $50, which gave me a good sense of what kind of things people value in a proofreader and what they are willing to pay good rates for.
Overall I’m getting a response rate of 1 in 7, and I’m closing 1 in 6. As I’ve refined my pitching and became more selective over the past 30 days, I think this ratio will improve in April.
6) How much have you earned online since you started?
So, my 30-day experiment is almost up. I’ve closed and completed $1,375 of projects, which is €1,226. I’m calling that enough of a result to keep going down this route.
I made so many mistakes this first month. I’m developing a much better eye for which jobs and clients I have the best advantage to win. That’s something you only really get a feel for when you do it, so I’m glad I pitched a lot this month. I think next month will be even better as my selecting and pitching have been refined.
This morning I closed a job worth $450 that I will be working on next week. That’s April, so I’m not including it in my March total, but it gives me a little bit of hope that this hasn’t all been a 30-day streak of beginners luck.
7) About how many hours per week have you been working as a freelancer? (Including time spent pitching for jobs.)
I worked a total of 29 hours this month on projects. I had an average of 60-90 minutes on certain days looking for jobs on Upwork and pitching. If it’s a well-paying job and they’ve attached something, I will do a small sample proof which usually grabs their attention. I just figure this time into the price I bid. I offer to do a sample proof in some of the pitches which some people take me up on.
I would say that all my pitching and samples came to about 15 hours max over the month.
Result: I worked about 44 hours total over the month. It doesn’t divide equally, some weeks were heavier but averaged out it’s 11 hours a week.
8) Why do you think clients hire you instead of hiring cheaper freelancers from places like India or the Philippines?
There is a lot of competition in this particular category because you’ve not only got cheaper freelancers from India and the Philippines (not that I begrudge them at all), but also, you’ve got other categories of freelancer who offer proofreading and editing on the side of their main service.
You would often see writers, journalists, translators and virtual assistants who offer it. It’s a category that has a really low barrier to entry and is considered by some to be low-skill or low-value work. It’s not uncommon to see jobs looking for a proofreader/editor for a 100k word novel for $20.
What’s amazing is these people get plenty of really low bids. What they’re really getting is someone to run spellcheck on their document for them. Which is great if they know that, and they’re happy to pay a small price for someone to sit there and do that.
I’ve got my rate set at $35 per hour, which is definitely in the mid-high range for this category. Most of the jobs in this category are fixed price so I make sure that I’m in the right range when I bid. There are seasoned editors offering developmental editing in the $50+ category, but that’s not a skill or experience level that I have.
I focus on two kinds of work:
Editing academic work at Masters or Ph.D. level, and other projects in the education space. Native English or near-perfect English.
Skilled professionals and entrepreneurs. Native English or near-perfect English.
Both these categories are willing and able to pay a higher rate to get a quality result.
Academic work is usually someone who is overwhelmed with their research and is having trouble structuring a concise argument. This happens when researchers have too much information, and they lose sight of their research question.
For skilled professionals and entrepreneurs, what they really want is someone who is their equivalent. Professional, educated but a native English speaker. They want the peace of mind that they are coming across as professionally as they would if they had written the same document in their native language.
I definitely think there is work available at all price points in proofreading and editing, and that it could be adapted to many people’s existing background and skills.
9) Has working online been much different than you expected? (Easier? Harder? Any unforeseen benefits or drawbacks?)
I didn’t think there would be as much work available as there is, which is great.
The benefit for me is that I get to further develop and use a skill that maybe I wouldn’t have kept up much longer. It’s like exploring another potential career path, or a taster of what might have been if you had gone a different direction.
10) What advice would you give to other people who are eager to replicate your success?
Give it a try for 30-days. The worst case scenario is you try really hard, make no money, and learn a lot.
I would also say, don’t undervalue yourself and the experience you naturally have built up over the years. Maybe you’re really into paranormal romance novels; there’s a niche that’s hiring. Maybe you were a web developer and it didn’t suit you. There are lots of people writing books on technical subjects who need a technical mind with good proofreading and editing skills.
I’m really bad at grammar and punctuation (you’ve probably noticed), and I have bad writing habits, but I’m good at organising information and understanding complex topics. You can buy a book and learn as you go.
11) How has 3M1K helped you get to where you are now?
3M1K is great. I’m very all or nothing. I need to be immersed to get going, which must be annoying for the others in the Facebook group who have to listen to me, but it helps me stay on track. (Sorry guys!)
The benefit of 3M1K is that it makes your existing skills online compatible. There are probably thousands of really skilled people out there who are struggling to get freelance work (online or offline), and this course could make them compatible with the online workplace. It’s like a bootcamp for digital freelancing skills.
I wouldn’t have stuck with this 30-day experiment if I didn’t have the course. There’s always someone to answer your questions, give you feedback, talk you down when you get all nervous about something. I would challenge anyone who thinks they don’t have any marketable skills to go through the course. They might surprise themselves.
12) Would you be willing to share a couple of winning proposals you submitted on Upwork?
SAMPLE 1
This is a job I did last week. I bid $125, and it was accepted immediately. This job took me 90 minutes to complete and 30 minutes to double check. As this was a legal document, I was careful to edit in a way that did not change the meaning of any of the sentences. This Swiss lawyer had English that was near perfect.
I delivered the files within 2 hours and the client added a $40 bonus to my payment and left me 5-star feedback. $165 for 2 hours is a pretty good rate.
Job description:
Things of note / things I picked out of their proposal:
Native English speaker for a 9-page legal document.
The price was good. $150 for less than 4000 words.
The deadline was strict and fast completion was really important.
Confidentiality of the document was also very important.
Requested that applicants add a code to their pitch to show they had read the description and not just copied and pasted a standard pitch.
They had 5-star reviews and plenty of previous hires.
Based in Europe so we’re on the same timezone.
My proposal:
And here’s the review they left for me on Upwork after the job was complete:
SAMPLE 2
A bad example that worked out okay.
They hired two people and split the work between us. This was my second job on Upwork. There are parts of this pitch that I no longer disclose while pitching, such as the base rate that I was using for calculating job bids, and also the part where I talk about being new on Upwork.
They paid me $133 total to proofread 4 academic articles in the maritime engineering field. These articles were written by European academics with near-perfect English. We are still in touch as they submitted a tender for work that was conditional upon me being their proofreader/editor. Hopefully, it will mean ongoing work from them.
Job description:
My proposal:
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March 25, 2016
Making Money Online: Early Results & Feedback From 3M1K
Below are a bunch of screenshots to highlight the results I’m starting to hear back from members of 3M1K, my premium course for people who want to make money online.
The course aims to help you make your first €1,000 online within three months. It launched less than two months ago, but already people are having great success with it.
Note that some of the feedback below is from people who had skills suitable for working online before they joined 3M1K. But there are also plenty of people (e.g. Susan, Conor, Maria) who didn’t have any well-defined skills when they joined the course, but quickly learned enough to start seeing results.
Also, some members preferred not to have their names/photos display here so I’ve blurred them out.
Lastly, I want to point you towards the blog of another member of the course. Karl Webster has been posting frequent updates of his experience in 3M1K.
Here are a few excerpts…
Firstly, the tone of voice of the training materials is refreshingly frank and free from bullshit.
That’s what I have always lacked. Order. Discipline. Doing this course and sticking to the timetable I’ve imposed upon myself, I can feel myself responding to it. To ordered learning. And the course is very well ordered, which is to say, sequenced. That’s another thing I’ve always lacked. Sequence. Thus far then, I am pleased to report, the course is providing the precise guidance I need to be able to give my best to all the stuff that I’ve always previously recoiled from.
The truth is, I think that doing this course might be a significantly life-changing experience for me. This is primarily because it’s proving clear, wise and well-structured enough to have already justified my commitment to getting organised enough to get the best from it.
So there it is and here I am, thirteen days in.
And although I could probably have tracked down everything I’ve seen and read so far myself – I could even have interviewed Niall’s interviewees, in theory – it would have taken me years to gather all that knowledge and sage advice together. And having it all in one place has been very well worth the £230 the course costs.
If you’d like to learn more about working online and start seeing real results yourself, join the free mini course, or you can sign up for the premium course here.
March 6, 2016
Momentos: March 1st – March 15th, 2016
Working on my latest finance report. Things are getting more complex lately with VAT and bills and taxes. The price of staying in one place. I’m cutting it quite close money-wise, don’t have much of a buffer, little room for error. But I’ll make it work, figure something out. I’m good at that.
2.
Posted on Facebook that idea about a US road trip in June, asked who wanted to join. Dozens of people expressed interest but only two reached out beyond the comments, sent me private messages to inquire further. That’s usually the way. We say we want something and get all excited, but desires and intentions alone don’t make shit happen.
3.
Gym-bound at the crack, running on four hours sleep cutting through a narrow alley, feeling oddly energetic, blissful even. Feels like I’m on the verge of something, boulder cresting a hill. Later I’ll sit in a crowded room and listen to a lady strum a guitar and sing a song about love and bravery and it will all seem connected somehow.
4.
It dawns on me about halfway through that he’s a level beyond where I’m at and there’s no way I’ll be able to afford his services. At least not yet. So I let him talk and try to follow along, but I’m distracted by his big watch and wondering why he hasn’t qualified me in some way to make sure I’m not wasting his time.
5.
R invited us over for dinner at her new place. Minestrone. Just the three of us, sitting, chatting, eating, laughing. I don’t think they realize how much this fills me up, keeps my heart warm. Didn’t realize it myself until it was time to go and I was left wishing for more.
Glug event at Rockstart.
6.
So far this month four people have canceled their recurring payments to 3M1K. None have asked for a refund. One tells me he’s too busy to devote time to the course right now, awaiting feedback from the others. My bad for not being more aware the last few weeks. I should notice when someone’s inactive and check in with them to see what’s up. Learning.
7.
Hit the wall today. Burnt out. Run down. Feeling sorry for myself. Gave the gym a miss and skipped the 24-hour fast. Needed rest and comfort food. Still got the essentials done but also allowed myself to veg on the couch for a bit, watching Netflix and eating a whole bag of pistachios. Can’t afford days like this too often though. Back at it tomorrow.
8.
Definitely pushing against my limits this week, but trying to stay focused on the upside. Significant growth potential here, no better time to cut the fluff, enforce boundaries, and demand respect. Kinda like like Michael Douglas in Falling Down. Except, you know, I make my own breakfast.
9.
Still skipping the gym, I’ll pass on salsa this eve, and now filtering emails from that tax guy who wants to bill me for the “free” consultation we had last week. Only so much I can handle at one time and stay sane. Ten skype calls scheduled today and a fever coming on to boot. I’m a mighty mighty man, I’m young and I’m in my prime.
10.
Two calls with prospective clients, discussing projects worth $2,600. I found them both on Upwork, managed to get their attention despite 50+ competing proposals for each job. That’s one thing about creating my course: they say the best way to learn is to teach, and I’ve definitely become a better freelancer by teaching others how to become better freelancers.
Game night.
11.
Advising a member of 3M1K not to compare himself to others. There’s always someone out there faring better than you are, so it’s always a losing proposition. Then I hear of a friend who’s killing it with her online biz. She started later than me, and is now much further ahead. I’m happy for her, but it also makes me question what I’ve been doing.
12.
Decided not to do that USA road trip in June. It would be cool and everything, but it would also be another project on my plate, a project requiring time and energy and money, both to plan and execute. I’d be falling back into that old habit of trying to do too much. (Actually, not sure I’ve ever broken that habit.)
13.
Feeling the urge to get back to blogging more frequently. I quit my twice-a-week schedule in 2013, and traffic has plateaued since. I believe writing is my best contribution to the world, where my brightest future lies. But again, there’s that old habit to be wary of. Decided to ditch one project yesterday, and today I’m back on the hunt.
14.
Imagine you really liked puppies but there was one puppy left on earth and you only got to play with him for five minutes every three days. That’s me as a boyfriend. Great when I’m there, but never around as much as you want me to be. Too busy trying to build that empire. Luckily, I’m nobody’s boyfriend. Barely make time for a booty call these days.
15.
Sitting, sipping coffee, eyes towards arrivals. A very old priest walked by a minute ago with a big smile and a glow all around him. Then a lady with an Alsatian twice her size. Now a pretty girl in a hat, a couple embracing. I’m waiting for the folks, in town for my birthday. Looking forward to walks and talks and time away from the machine.
Airport waiting.
In the comments below, let me know which of the above Momentos is your favorite. Which can you relate to?
March 4, 2016
Everything I Earned And Spent In 2015
2015 was my fifth full year of self-employment, and it was a big year of transition as I quit traveling the world and settled down in Amsterdam.
I still managed to visit ten countries in 2015, the same number as the year previous, but most of those happened within the first five months. Since June I’ve barely left Amsterdam, save for a couple of quick trips back to Ireland to visit family.
If you’re a regular visitor here you’ll know that I’ve been tracking all my income and expenditure since I quit my day job at the end of 2010, and sharing detailed monthly finance reports with my email subscribers.
Below I’ll share with you a summary of all my income and expenses from 2015.
2015 Expenses
Housing & Utilities
€ 11,587
$ 12,730
Business Expenses
€ 5,442
$ 5,988
Food & Drink
€ 5,257
$ 5,777
Travel
€ 2,349
$ 2,600
Miscellaneous
€ 1,785
$ 1,955
Clothing
€ 1,123
$ 1,239
Gifts & Donations
€ 502
$ 548
Insurance
€ 402
$ 440
Books
€ 369
$ 409
Phone Credit
€ 336
$ 369
Movies/Cinema/Television
€ 157
$ 177
Toiletries
€ 120
$ 131
Gym Membership
€ 110
$ 123
Laundry
€ 62
$ 69
Total Expenses
€ 29,601
$ 32,555
2014 Totals
€ 20,286
$ 26,655
As expected, it’s proving to be more expensive to live in one place than it is to travel the world indefinitely.
My expenses for the first five months of the year (i.e. when I was still traveling) averaged out at €1,842/month. But since moving to Amsterdam that average has jumped €2,913.
Of course, a big chunk of my expenses here in Amsterdam can be attributed to renting a nice apartment all by myself. I could find somewhere cheaper to live, but I like having my own, centrally-located place, and I’m happy to pay a premium for that.
2015 Income
Freelance Web Design
€ 21,142
$ 23,263
Travel The World + Work Online (now 3M1K)
€ 8,921
$ 8,098
Gifts and Donations
€ 1,495
$ 1,634
Affiliate Income
€ 630
$ 685
Miscellaneous
€ 524
$ 586
Book Sales (via Amazon and ndoherty.com)
€ 421
$ 462
Speaking Gigs
€ 389
$ 432
Google Adsense (via my YouTube videos)
€ 321
$ 356
The 1-Hour Website Webinar
€ 306
$ 332
Fake Flight Itinerary
€ 143
$ 160
Total Income
€ 33,469
$ 36,831
2014 Totals
€ 20,057
$ 26,328
Thankfully my income rose in line with my expenses, even a bit more so.
As usual, freelance web design was my bread and butter. I made a good chunk from that despite working at it only part-time.
Other Numbers Of Interest
Total cash and bank balances on January 1, 2015
€ 4,140
$ 5,009
Total cash and bank balances on December 31, 2015
€ 7,836
$ 8,509
Difference between those two numbers
+ € 3,696
+ $ 3,500
Money spent per day in 2015
€ 81.10
$ 89.19
Money earned per day in 2015
€ 91.70
$ 100.91
Lowest income month (November)
€ 311
$ 330
Highest income month (July)
€ 6,931
$ 7,612
Most expensive month (June)
€ 4,115
$ 4,571
Least expensive month (April)
€ 1,125
$ 1,257
Monthly Profit/Loss
Here’s how I did throughout 2015 in terms of profit and loss:
€174/$196 in January
€2,170/$2,355 in February
€608/$655 in March
€1,366/$1,526 in April
€389/$425 in May
€1,422/$1,576 in June
€2,945/$3,236 in July
€689/$777 in August
€1,686/$1,889 in September
€1,031/$1,135 in October
€2,104/$2,235 in November
€276/$329 in December
€3,696/$3,500 overall
Lessons Learned
They say you’ve really only learned something when your behavior changes. Anything before that is knowledge, and knowledge is useless unless acted upon.
Before 2015 I knew all about the importance of routine, but until I settled in one place and started hitting the gym every morning and chipping away at my business every day, I hadn’t really learned.
So that was the biggest thing I learned in 2015: the value of routine.
Life on the road was great for a few years, but it was also very distracting. If you really want to make progress towards your goals, knuckle down in one spot and get after it relentlessly, day after day after day.
And that might sound like a chore, but it’s not. I worked a lot more in 2015 than I did in 2014, but I’d say I was also more content.
Biggest Regret?
A couple of clothing purchases spring to mind.
Back in June I dropped €115 on a pair of jeans that I’ve worn maybe two times since. And the following month I spent €40 on a nice white dress shirt that soon wouldn’t fit me because my boobs got all big from the gym.
Ah well.
A Few Photos From 2015
Motorcycle adventure beneath the shadow of Volcán Maderas on Ometepe Island, Nicaragua.
Giving away $100 on the streets of New Orleans. Lots more photos on Facebook.
Arriving in Barcelona. More pics from my cruise across the Atlantic over on Facebook.
The green green grass of home 
Arriving in Rosslare on May 16th to finish my 44-month trip around the world without flying.
Arriving in Amsterdam in June.
Cruising the canals.
Another workday in Amsterdam.
Gay pride :-)
Fluffy Puppy Slippers!
Autumn in Amsterdam.
Would you believe my gym membership in Amsterdam is only €110 for 12 months!?
2016 Forecast
I plan to spend most of 2016 living in Amsterdam, and so I expect both my income and expenses to increase significantly from 2015.
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March 1, 2016
Momentos: February 16th – February 29th, 2016
Another one of those days dreams are made of. Nothing fancy, just head down and doing the work even though I didn’t feel like doing it. The course hasn’t taken off as fast as I’d hoped, but then few things worthwhile ever do. Overnight success tends to take a while when you’re looking out your own eyes.
17.
Salsa class. We switch partners every few minutes so you get to dance with everyone. I prefer some to others. One girl likes to tell me I’m messing up but I’m pretty sure it’s her who’s getting it wrong since things flow fine with the rest. But I don’t know enough to correct her, so I keep my mouth shut. She obviously doesn’t share that philosophy.
18.
When you realize that something you used to struggle with has become easy and enjoyable. Social settings like this eve used to scare the bejesus out of me. Okay so sometimes the anxiety still surfaces, but less and less as time goes by. All that practice has paid off. Putting myself out there, starting conversations, stumbling through the awkwardness.
19.
I was 17 working late shifts at a hotel in my hometown. They had me lugging suitcases, collecting glasses, mopping puke off the dance floor. That summer was the first time it really dawned on me that everything comes and everything goes. Even the shittiest nights would run their course and I’d go home to fresh toast and a warm bed.
20.
It’s raining, it’s Saturday and I’m running in the park. There’s a guy trying to keep his pearly kicks out of the mud and a dog that thinks this weather is the best thing ever. I don’t usually exercise on weekends but today I had the urge to get out and run. Feels like I’m running away from myself, trying to keep dark thoughts at bay.
Pro tip: don’t put lemon in your coffee.
21.
Kinda caught in limbo with the course. It’s done well enough that it makes sense to keep investing in it, but not well enough to keep me afloat financially. I’ll need to get back to freelancing and postpone some other projects I had in mind. Trying to stay positive and see the challenge as an opportunity. Lots more learning ahead.
22.
Yesterday was a rough one. Some of the sad was simple burnout after a long week, but a good chunk of it was me feeling sorry for myself, disappointed that things haven’t gone better this month. I think I’ll always have the occasional day like that though, no matter how good life gets. Important thing is to not to dwell on them. Everything comes, everything goes.
23.
Found a parkour gym here in Amsterdam, went for a session this eve. Easily my favorite form of exercise. Trying to set myself up business-wise so I can do some immersion adventures in the not-too-distant future. One would definitely be parkour. Train at it consistently for several months, become a certified coach, break some crazy jumps.
24.
Anxious in the hours leading up to salsa class tonight, probably because of that annoyance last week. Figured it would be more of the same. But nope, it wasn’t. Great class, finally felt like we were flowing, not so robotic. Reminded me how we suffer more due to worries and expectations than things that are actually happening.
25.
A friend once told me that he’d never managed to bring his lady of five years to climax, and not for lack of trying. That memory comes to mind as I joke with this girl about how she might have broken the world record for multiple orgasms just now. I’d like to take all the credit, but fact is some women get there easier than others.
Reguliersbreestraat in Amsterdam.
26.
I tell everyone that I’m still in the honeymoon period here in Amsterdam. Nine months in and loving it relentless. But these love-struck days may be numbered. More bills came through the door this afternoon, and taxes must soon be paid. Someone once wrote that most folks visit works of art, while the people of Amsterdam live in one. Good art ain’t cheap.
27.
There’s that gap between what you know you can create, and right now. I can envision the business I want to build, the business I am building, how it will help people and the packaging it’ll be wrapped in. I have no doubt it will be a success. But man, that gap. It looks mighty big and intimidating sometimes, like it does today, a long way from here to there.
28.
Actually, looking at the sales numbers for 3M1K, it’s done alright this first month. 25 sales totaling €2,761.95. I opted to make VAT inclusive though, and 18 of those sales are from VAT countries, so that’s a big slice of the pie I can’t eat. Still, not bad going. 23 of those buyers are on monthly payments, too, so they’ll pay me again in March and April.
29.
Invited to a wedding in New Orleans in June. Now I’m thinking, why not turn it into an epic adventure? Start on the east coast, rent a car or an RV, road trip it down south and back again. Two weeks maybe. Meet some internet friends, visit Rushmore, that kinda thing. But not alone. 4-5 people would be great. Interested? (I’m serious. Get in touch.)
Improv comedy night at Mezrab.
In the comments below, let me know which of the above Momentos is your favorite. Which can you relate to?
February 19, 2016
Momentos: February 1st – February 15th, 2016
Monday, fast day, no grub, plenty of work. Kinda scattered at the mo. It’s a weird week with the course launched and waiting to see how many sign up. Had to get out and walk for a while this eve to clear the head, down old streets past uncurtained living rooms underneath a Rembrandt alongside a big patch of melting ice.
2.
Hadn’t seen this girl for a couple of months, ever since she turned down an invitation back to my place. Now she says she’s here for me, acting all flirtatious, fishing for another invite. Which is kinda inconvenient because I’m on a date with someone else, and that someone else is sitting well within earshot of this whole conversation.
3.
Starting to feel the stress of it. Haven’t been sleeping great, mind racing late into the night. Tried to take two naps today and barely drifted off despite the tiredness. Salsa this eve was good to get me out of the house and focused on something else. It’s all kind of thrilling at the same time. A regular job would bore me to tears.
4.
Hitting the gym on 4.5 hours of sleep. I’ve been consistent with the workouts the past several months, and my body has never looked better. Words from Charlie Munger come to mind as I bust a hundred crunches: “Slug it out one inch at a time, day by day. At the end of the day – if you live long enough – most people get what they deserve.”
5.
Writing this in the morning before checking the inbox. I’ve been warming people up all week with a series of emails about how to get started working online, and today comes the sales pitch for my course. 30 sales this weekend would be nice, but I think I’ll be at peace no matter what. I’ve given it my all and created something I’m proud of. It’s a beautiful morning.
Lunch
6.
Hmm. Sales are slow. Very slow. The gods of marketing say you need the right product, offered at the right price, sent to the right people, at the right time. I’m thinking the weakest link in my chain is the pricing. Will run a survey next week and get feedback from people who don’t buy, see if that’s it. In the meantime, I gots me a hot date.
7.
Sales have picked up. Was aiming for 30 before tomorrow and currently at 19, might get a few more overnight. Also got 75 new people into the funnel today, mostly thanks to the legendary Ms. Leon posting about the course in a popular digital nomad group on Facebook. We’ll see how they convert two weeks down the line. Wheels keep on turning.
8.
So many ideas, so many opportunities. They key thing now is focus. Prioritizing. What actions will have the biggest impact? There’s no way I can do it all, so I have to be selective. After that call though it feels like I’m on the verge of something big. He was gushing about the course, absolutely loves it, sees the potential.
9.
Sent out a blast this morning asking everyone who didn’t buy the course why so because, got a flood of responses. Great stuff in there. Looks like the pricing was the major issue, which is good news, can fix that easy. Spent several hours replying to those messages, even the ones from people who’ll never buy. Grateful for them all.
10.
Less than five hours kip last night, work all day, no afternoon nap, two hours salsa this eve… should be wrecked but I feel great. Could be setting myself up for a crash, but right now, with how the course is going — more so as regards feedback than sales — I feel like I’m providing more value to the world than ever. That has me buzzing.
Early morning walk in De Pijp.
11.
Skype today with my copywriter, who’s great at what he does and business savvy and just turned 21. Then drinks this eve with two guys new in town, both 22 and hustling to make their entrepreneurial dreams come true. They’ll all do well, ahead of the pack already just by thinking along these lines. My mind wasn’t on such matters until I was 27 or so.
12.
Almost 2am. She’s asleep in my bed. I’m out here on the couch, checked a few emails before typing this. I haven’t talked to her yet about where we’re headed, expectations. Need to do that. From her messages this week I get the impression she wants to be my girlfriend, which means she’ll soon be disappointed.
13.
Had the talk in bed this morning, went fine. Or so I thought until an hour later when we were mid-tryst and she asked me to promise, between moans, that I won’t date anyone else while I’m dating her. Let’s talk about it later, I said. No, she said, promise me now. And I knew right then what needed to be done, but I wasn’t sure if I had strength enough to do it.
14.
Way behind on posting Momentos and finance reports. I’ve let a lot of things slide the past several weeks in favor of 3M1K. And I’m okay with that, reminding myself of a key lesson from Essentialism: it’s not possible to solve every problem that comes your way; you have to choose which problems to tackle, and which to live with.
15.
Business lunch at StartDock. A dozen or so entrepreneurs in the room and we all got a couple of minutes to talk about what we’re doing and what we need help with. I may have been over-prepared, rehearsed my little pitch at least twenty times since yesterday, twice while juggling. But it was worth it. Met cool people and received good feedback.
Trust Cafe in Amsterdam – Pay what you want.
In the comments below, let me know which of the above Momentos is your favorite. Which can you relate to?
February 17, 2016
Momentos: January 16th – January 31st, 2016
I try think no thoughts in an old church before collecting my bike where it slept and heading towards the first dam ever built in this town. They celebrate the national flower today, covering the square with two-hundred-thousand of them, free for anyone to pluck. I’ll get five for myself and make some new friends and go eat waffle fries.
17.
The urge to self-sabotage grows stronger as I get closer to launch. Aimed to have an early night last night but sat on the couch until 3am watching shitty YouTube clips and eating crap I wasn’t hungry for. Why is it so hard to do the things we know are good for us? At the bottom of it all, I wonder if I really feel deserving of the success I seek.
18.
Chatting with a friend about online business. He’s been pulling in $7k/month from his content biz, and tells me about a travel blogger making $3k/month minimum from affiliate programs. So much money out there to be claimed. Really, the hardest thing is staying focused long enough to break through and reap the rewards.
19.
Decided to push the launch date back a week. I could probably get enough done by the 29th to launch as planned, but it would be too rushed. Finances will be tight, but I’d rather take my time and get everything dialed in good and proper. Started on styling work today. It’s all coming together nicely.
20.
Changing up the pricing now too after feedback from my copywriter. I was planning to charge €297 up front for three months, and then €30/month thereafter. But that’s confusing, gives people pause. Either do a one-time upfront fee or simple monthly pricing. So we’re rolling with the latter. €97/month (including VAT, so everyone pays the same).
Tulip festival in Amsterdam.
21.
Started hardcore into recording the course videos today. Was going to head out to a Bollywood dance meetup this eve but it’s crunch time right now so sacrifices have to be made. Recorded and edited 15 videos in total — more than two hours’ worth of content — but I still have about 50 more to do before launch.
22.
On a date talking about gay assholes. She tells me the Egyptian army has recruits drop trou so they can inspect the rect and ensure they’re not gay. Because apparently you can tell just by looking and homosexuals make ineffective soldiers. She also tells me about Egypt’s first gay wedding two years back, the arrests made and the outrage caused.
23.
Worst cheat day ever. As in, I didn’t go nuts and throw a ridiculous amount of unhealthy fare at my face. Last week’s binge left me feeling low, so trying to do things a little differently now, pausing to acknowledge the desire for distraction and destruction, allowing myself to feel and process whatever pain is there. Tara Brach has been helpful.
24.
I weave around Vondelpark in the drizzle for a bit, looking for a spot to record a video, end up propping against a gate leading to a bandstand in a lake. Two women nearby are teaching a third how to ride a bicycle, and there’s birdsong in the air. I slept log-like last night and felt no hunger this morning. All is patient, all is kind.
25.
Someone asked if I script or rehearse my videos. I always try do them in one take and roll with any fumbled words or lost trains of thought. Many people post heavily-edited vlogs online and they look slick and everything, but a) all that editing seems like a lot of work, and b) you don’t get a sense of what that person is really like, seeing only their highlights.
Salsa party.
26.
Sucked it up and got 17 videos finished yesterday. That’s the bulk of them done for the course now, more than eleven hours’ worth. Feeling good about the content overall. The course is solid. It has the potential to help a lot of people. Now to focus on the marketing side of things. I know I can create value, but communicating it is a whole other challenge.
27.
On the way to salsa class, telling her I’ve been sleeping well of late. Surprisingly. Usually when it’s crunch time with the work stuff my mind won’t stop racing and I toss and turn for hours. But not so much this time around. I feel there’s more at stake with this launch than the last, yet I’m more at ease now than I was then.
28.
Henry Rollins puts on a good show. Not sure which is more impressive, his head or his heart. One thing that sticks with me is his age, mentions he’ll be turning 55 this year. That’s 21 ahead of me. Two decades and change, and he’s still got plenty in the tank. We’ve got so much living left to do, so much more to experience. Lucky us.
29.
Got up this morning, went to my magic notebook, and within sixty seconds was listening to a random song that had come to mind. Then I retrieved some food items from my refrigeration machine, cooked them in my electromagnetic radiation box, and ate while watching the world’s most famous astrophysicist unravel the mysteries of space and time.
30.
I usually spend about €400/month on food. This month I’ve spent less than €300. Cutting way back on meat has probably helped, but also I’m getting better at listening to my body and only eating when truly hungry. Tonight, for example, I came home late with snacking in mind, but stopped and listened and went to bed content without eating.
31.
Alright, there it is: the course is launched. I’m guiding everyone through a free email series first to give them a good taste of what’s on offer, rather than beating them over the head with a sales pitch. But anyone eager to get started can buy into the course as of now. Should be an interesting week seeing how the sales go.
View leaving the gym at 7:35am
In the comments below, let me know which of the above Momentos is your favorite. Which can you relate to?
