As part of the inspiring force to help you ‘take the leap of faith’, we will be conducting mini interviews featuring global entrepreneurs who have become “Business Backpackers”. Because we are all busy traveling, working, and having loads of fun, it is a short list of questions that will hopefully give you a quick glimpse of others “Living the Life”.
Our fifth mini-view comes from Andy Hayes, expert traveler, writer, and author of the blog sites AndyHayes.com, Travel Online Partners and Sharing Travel Experiences. His site very informative for writers and anyone who has a blog. Andy is a great example of someone living an unconventional life with a business that will travel.
What is your passion and how are you sharing it with the world?
My main passion is travel. I find exploring foreign cultures and having unique travel experiences is what really gets me out of bed in the morning. From sunrise at Stonehenge to sunset on the Hong Kong skyline, I’ve seen and done so many amazing things and I hope to be able to inspire and help others get off their armchairs and have their own unique experiences. I have been doing this with my ever-expanding blog, Sharing Travel Experiences, where I am sharing an open conversation about great travel experiences, photos, and recommendations. It has become pretty popular and I am loving it.
A side project has developed from this – I know and have met in the course of my travels many small businesses working in the travel industry – many of them just one or a handful of people – who have seen the popularity of my blog and others and want to know how to duplicate this success in their own business. So, I am launching a separate community for those small businesses who want to learn, share information, and benefit from this ever-expanding world of the Internet.
Where in the world are you now and how did you end up there?
Although I travel a lot (but not as much as some of my fellow travelers), I am based in cozy Edinburgh, Scotland. It’s somewhat more cosmopolitan than some imagine, going well beyond the stereotypes of castles, ghosts, and men in skirts! I love it so much I ended up writing a book about it – the Historic Walking Guide Edinburgh. Before I lived here I was in sunny Amsterdam where I lived for many years. Amsterdam is another place that defies its reputation; the sex, drugs, and rock and roll are confined to only small areas of the city, whereas you’ll find bohemian cafes, restaurants, and great atmosphere in the rest of town. Walking along those gorgeous canals and hanging out in quirky cafes, I learned a lot about myself and about my passions in the world. It was where I truly found the path that I find myself on today.
What would you say was the most challenging part of getting to where you are now?
Breaking down those misconceptions that my ideas and my plans would never work was very challenging. I had a huge mental block that said “things are the way they are and it will never change” but after getting some help and perspective, I realized that the only thing standing between me and my dreams was: me. After that, it all came together very quickly – in some cases a little too quickly. While I still have a very long path ahead on my journey and some days are better than others, I certainly feel like getting the ball rolling is one realllllly big push that you really have to prepare your energy for. It is easy to be scared about what will happen next – because if you push, something will happen – but overcoming the fear and starting that inertia was difficult for me.
Inspiring words and advice for others interested in going global & putting lifestyle first…
Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it. I wouldn’t be where I was today without a great support network so find people who will be supportive and who have knowledge that can help. You might need a coach to help you get your feet off the ground, or a marketing or business coach to work out the finer points of your business model – Alex Fayle was instrumental in helping me with getting things going. But really, you don’t know what you’re missing. Come on in – the water’s warm…
Links:
My Book About Edinburgh – http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0955928133?ie=UTF8&tag=sharinexperi-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=0955928133
and newest additions…
http://www.travelonlinepartners.com – a new resource for small businesses in travel and tourism to get the help they need with online technology
http://www.sharingtravelexperiences.com – a relaunch of his previous travel site. Same great recommendations and experiences but now with hand-picked travel specials and a exclusive travel concierge
Alex Fayle’s website is http://www.somedaysyndrome.com
