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 forth mini-view comes from Sharon Hurley Hall, freelance writer, ghost writer, and author of the blog Get Paid To Write Online. I’ve been following Sharon for quite some time and she has loads of information for those of you that want to write from anywhere in the world. Her posts are very informative for writers and anyone who has a blog. Sharon is a great example of someone living an unconventional life with a business that will travel.
How did you know you didn’t fit in to conventional society?
It’s funny, but I never thought about it as not fitting in, simply as following my dream. I knew that I wanted more from my life than staying in a job I wasn’t enjoying simply to earn money. Luckily, my husband also shares that vision, so it was simply a matter of planning our escape.
What do you currently do & please describe a brief road map of the haphazard leaps of faith that got you here today…
I’m a freelance writer, blogger and ghostwriter. Although I didn’t know it at the time, my first step towards freedom came when I took a break from writing to teach journalism at university. That got me away from the 9 to 5 existence and once I’d left it, I didn’t want to go back. Then two things happened in quickish succession – we found a place we both wanted to move to and I had a baby. That made us spring into action and start planning for real. Overall, it took a couple of years to get everything arranged. Even then, I wasn’t sure my (then) meager client list would ever turn into a decent business.
Your most life changing travel place & why?
Oh, that’s a tough question. I’ve learned so much from everywhere I’ve been. But if I had to pick one, it would be Nimes, France, where I spent almost a full year at the age of 21. It was the farthest from home I’d been and I didn’t know anyone – a great way to find out what you’re made of. It wasn’t always easy, but I learned a lot, both about the value of stepping out of your comfort zone once in a while and the danger of stereotyping (I was on the receiving end, but it made me determined to avoid doing the same to others).
Encouraging words you would pass on to readers: If you could have had someone there when you took the leap of faith, what would you have needed to hear the most?
A lot of people are only too ready to say how crazy it is to leave friends and family behind and move halfway around the world. Ignore them. Make sure your business is portable and then choose the life you want – you only get one shot, so you might as well enjoy it. It’s always better to try something than to wonder what would have happened if you did.
My thoughts exactly! Thanks for sharing, and readers, post your questions and comments bellow!
Get in Touch With Sharon:
http://www.sharonhh.com
http://getpaidtowriteonline.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonhh
http://www.slideshare.net/sharonhh/sharon-hurley-hall-intro
