April 2nd, 2008 — entrepreneurship, make money challenge
I wanted to do this roundup the other day but time got away from me. :)
Quite a few people took the time to comment and or make suggestions on what they think I should do that would be most helpful for me in terms of generating some passive income. If you would like to read about the seven money making ideas that I came up with then read this post AnyWired-Middlebrook Make Money Online Challenge: Open Source Entrepreneurship first. In addition to my own ideas this is what folks had to say:
image source: marielito
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March 31st, 2008 — entrepreneurship, make money challenge
Please Note: For those of you just joining the AnyWired-Middlebrook Make Money Online Challenge you might want to go back and read, “The Beginning.” MyTropicalEscape is NOT becoming a make money online site, but I have come to the determination that if I want to fully pursue the lifestyle entrepreneur existence then I need to come up with some way of generating income online (which will hopefully then become passive income streams). Specifically, I need to learn how to make money online and I would like others to learn as well while we discuss online business in a sort of “open source” entrepreneurial forum.
My self-imposed challenge was partially inspired by my entrepreneurial aspirations, the recent AnyWired post on Becoming a Lifestyle Entrepreneur, Caroline Middlebrook’s Niche Website ebook, and my interview with Shana Albert.
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Last night while lying awake in bed I started to question myself as to why on earth I would put myself out there like this to see if I could make money online? The first thing that came to mind was, “boy you are going to make yourself look like a stupid baboon (not that I have anything against baboons) or an idiot, or both!!” But, what’s done, is done, and now I have to move on.
image source: mocambique
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March 27th, 2008 — entrepreneurship, make money challenge
I am very fortunate because I get to live in the Caribbean and run a small business. However, a couple of posts on the internet this week made me realize that I am only living half of the “tropical escape” dream. Yes, I am my own boss, and I have made it to the Caribbean, but my business is currently an all-encompassing operation.
Presently I am not left with very much free time to actually enjoy my surroundings. There really isn’t any point to living in a great destination if you can’t even enjoy it.
In the name of my ongoing pursuit of personal freedom and a designed life, I am finally ready to start working towards my ultimate goal, which is to create some passive income streams. Let’s be honest, it is pretty hard to have TRUE personal freedom without financial freedom (just my humble opinion). Creating passive income streams will allow me to keep focusing on my small business but if tourism hits the skids, or I want to spend more time at the beach, and possibly travel the globe then I will still have a means of generating income.
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March 25th, 2008 — interview series
Today at MyTropicalEscape I am fortunate to have online entrepreneur and top “Stumbler” Shana Albert. For most people who want to “escape the cube” or pursue personal freedom you still have to generate an income. Well, Shana has been quite successful with ABC Home Preschool and she runs a slew of other sites that help her to create passive income. I was quite interested to find out how participating in social media communities helps her to promote her various projects.
1. How have you been able to create your well known online profile in such a relatively short period of time?
Well known? That always blows me away when I hear that. I don’t really understand how my profile became so well known. For me the only answer I can easily come up with is that it must be because I love everything Social Media….. that I put my heart and sole into it.
It’s true… I absolutely love Social Media. I truly believe that I have been successful at it because I love it. There are a few Social Networking sites that I frequent and I spend most of my time at. I don’t try to use them all… if I did I don’t think I would be as successful at it. I offer something to each of the Online Communities I am a member of. I love being a member of these communities and I’m sure the other community members can sense that. I am totally genuine in all that I do as an online community member. I love Social Media and I believe that my profile is well known because my genuine love for it.
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March 22nd, 2008 — Uncategorized
Happy weekend everyone. If you are looking for a little light reading, Steven Snell of the popular Vandelay Design recently profiled me for a post on his new site Traffikd.
Traffikd Reader Profile: Mark Hayward
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March 19th, 2008 — Uncategorized
Are you in a career or job that you simply hate?
Someone recently emailed me and asked, “How do you know when is the right time to leave your corporate position or your job?”
My first thought, is that leaving your job that you have been in for two, five, or ten years is a lot like a divorce in many ways. Not that I would have any idea what going through a divorce is like, but for many people, even if they can’t STAND their career it still defines who they are, much like a long-term relationship.
I think the thought of separation [from a job] and the act of following through with the split can be a lot more difficult than most people imagine. Additionally, some people cling to their job (or marriage) like a life raft and are tremendously afraid to let go. Really, it comes down to the following. You have a burning desire and goal to be doing something else and the only reason you’re not is because fear, or a sense of job security, is holding you back.
image source: amazon
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March 15th, 2008 — Uncategorized
Have you been reading sites like AnyWired, Gadling, or Brave New Traveler and have decided that you would like to travel the globe?
Even though I love where I live, the travel bug in me lurks its ugly head on an almost daily basis. Whether I have recently spoken to someone and heard about their trip to a terrific destination, or read about someone else’s adventure online, I really like to travel.
However, for some reason this past week I have been feeling like I REALLY need a trip! Preferably, I would like to take an around the world journey where I can hit the many places that I would like to go.
Seeing as how a three to six month circle the globe expedition is not in the cards for me right now I thought this morning…. “Hey, FLICKR has lots of great photos from all over the world I bet I could take a virtual journey to some of the countries that I have been thinking about lately.”
Next thing you know, I pulled out my Portable World Pocket Atlas and began my trip. So, I present to you my free around the world, global expedition using FLICKR.
First things first, I would head off to Nicaragua for a quick little surf trip.
image credit: jordanfischer
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March 12th, 2008 — marketing
Yesterday I met this person and their personality had a repulsive air that can best be described as a glaringly obvious faker. I wish I could say the person was abrasive but it was subtler.
image source: zach klein
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