Post: #1

Guys, there's a few location independence threads, but they tend to be specific to a person or skill, and they tend to fade away after a while, so this thread will be the hub for all of us working concretely towards location independence. This thread is for the doers, but those that are still in the dreaming phase can read and be inspired to turn their dreams into action.

Post about the things you did this week, concrete actions, that you took to achieve location independence. The goal is to gather all the info in one thread, and also, to build a community of location independent folks that can touch base with one another via this thread.

So first, introduce yourself and what your current area of specialty is (or what area you are specializing in), then let us know what you did this week to improve yourself in a manner that will make you more able to live a location independent lifestyle. Keep in mind that specialties can change over time as certain skills lose their viability and others rise to replace them. Also, some of us have multiple, unrelated specialties, resulting in separate income streams.

I'll start.

I'm attending a coding bootcamp in Austin, TX, where I'm based out of, and I'll be graduating in a few months and looking to go remote upon graduation, either via full time work, part time work, or contract work as a full stack web dev.

This week I worked on a project using Node.js, NPM, Express.js, MySQL, Handlebars, Sequelize, and the usual front end tech, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and jQuery. Also, I applied to my first remote position, for a company in the Northeast. The job posting was removed the morning after I applied, so it looks like they found a match before I applied. They had ten job requirements, and they wanted applicants to match at least 3 of them. I matched 9 out of 10, and I'm learning the 10th requirement in the next few months (Laravel), so I threw my hat in the ring.

So that's what I did this week to get me closer to location independence at the income/lifestyle I want.

I want this thread to provide value for as many of us as possible, so that everyone, no matter what age you are, can see that location independence isn't some fantasy, it just takes a willingness to make a lot of sacrifices, some business savvy, and the mental fortitude to stay focused while the world does its best to throw you off course.

So what's your specialty and what did you do, this week, to become location independent soon or to improve yourself if you're already location independent?

As I mentioned in another thread, life's just not that long, we've got to make the most of it before our bodies betray us, as they inevitably will.

Post: #2

I'm also in Austin. Let me know if you want to meet up sometime.

Post: #3

I am also doing the full stack web dev track but through odin project.

I finished all the front end stuff like html, CSS, js, jqeury. This week I worked exclusively on learning ruby object oriented programming like classes, methods, proc. I am currently doing OOP projects.

Post: #4

(07-27-2016 01:50 PM)Spaniard88 Wrote:  Guys, there's a few location independence threads, but they tend to be specific to a person or skill, and they tend to fade away after a while, so this thread will be the hub for all of us working concretely towards location independence. This thread is for the doers, but those that are still in the dreaming phase can read and be inspired to turn their dreams into action.

Post about the things you did this week, concrete actions, that you took to achieve location independence. The goal is to gather all the info in one thread, and also, to build a community of location independent folks that can touch base with one another via this thread.

So first, introduce yourself and what your current area of specialty is (or what area you are specializing in), then let us know what you did this week to improve yourself in a manner that will make you more able to live a location independent lifestyle. Keep in mind that specialties can change over time as certain skills lose their viability and others rise to replace them. Also, some of us have multiple, unrelated specialties, resulting in separate income streams.

I'll start.

I'm attending a coding bootcamp in Austin, TX, where I'm based out of, and I'll be graduating in a few months and looking to go remote upon graduation, either via full time work, part time work, or contract work as a full stack web dev.

This week I worked on a project using Node.js, NPM, Express.js, MySQL, Handlebars, Sequelize, and the usual front end tech, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and jQuery. Also, I applied to my first remote position, for a company in the Northeast. The job posting was removed the morning after I applied, so it looks like they found a match before I applied. They had ten job requirements, and they wanted applicants to match at least 3 of them. I matched 9 out of 10, and I'm learning the 10th requirement in the next few months (Laravel), so I threw my hat in the ring.

So that's what I did this week to get me closer to location independence at the income/lifestyle I want.

I want this thread to provide value for as many of us as possible, so that everyone, no matter what age you are, can see that location independence isn't some fantasy, it just takes a willingness to make a lot of sacrifices, some business savvy, and the mental fortitude to stay focused while the world does its best to throw you off course.

So what's your specialty and what did you do, this week, to become location independent soon or to improve yourself if you're already location independent?

As I mentioned in another thread, life's just not that long, we've got to make the most of it before our bodies betray us, as they inevitably will.

Regarding the job, could be a good idea to scout the hiring manager on LinkedIn and send a personal mail with your CV for "future" opportunities. I wouldn't be surprised if they contacted you for the current role or another opening in the near future if you sound motivated for it. Just a way to keep your options open.

I performed research on how to run ecommerce online marketing for a Shopify store. Next step is to research how to find a potential niche to sell products too, which I'll do this weekend.

Post: #5

I've started a project which builds on a MEANstack class I took and it's basically lead gen for mortgage funding.

Everything's online so if successful, payments to myself are all non physical.

@OP: good background, you shouldn't have much trouble finding work.

Post: #6

(07-27-2016 08:24 PM)Independent1 Wrote:  Regarding the job, could be a good idea to scout the hiring manager on LinkedIn and send a personal mail with your CV for "future" opportunities. I wouldn't be surprised if they contacted you for the current role or another opening in the near future if you sound motivated for it. Just a way to keep your options open.

I performed research on how to run ecommerce online marketing for a Shopify store. Next step is to research how to find a potential niche to sell products too, which I'll do this weekend.

Yeah man, I'm saving all the ones I apply to so I can reach out again once I graduate in a few months and have learned React, as it seems to be what will put me over the finish line!

Even the ones I don't apply to, I'm saving so I can reach out to once the boot camp is over and I have more free time. Thanks for the tip, and nice work on the research!

Post: #7

I am already location independent but I did build (with a partner) an eCommerce store in 3 days that is already profitable, should scale to xx.xxx in the next month or so.

Post: #8

(07-27-2016 08:34 PM)jj90 Wrote:  I've started a project which builds on a MEANstack class I took and it's basically lead gen for mortgage funding.

Everything's online so if successful, payments to myself are all non physical.

@OP: good background, you shouldn't have much trouble finding work.

Thanks man, yeah, tech is so beautiful, the businesses we create can be very streamlined, can often be run from anywhere, and capital requirements tend to be minimal.

What a great age to be alive in!

Post: #9

(07-27-2016 08:41 PM)skptc Wrote:  I am already location independent but I did build (with a partner) an eCommerce store in 3 days that is already profitable, should scale to xx.xxx in the next month or so.

Nice, skptc, I'm somewhat location independent as well, I lived in Manila for half a year total so far, then I returned to America to attend the boot camp in order to increase my location independent income.

South East Asia is which is where I'd like to go back to soon.

I'll consider Latin America (I speak Spanish) and Eastern Europe (Romania has very fast wifi and seems to be a nice blend of Slavic and Latin), but I really enjoyed my time in the Philippines in Manila and Davao, plus, I don't like winter. Iloilo was not so great due to the air pollution, so I wouldn't recommend it.

The issue with Manila is the wifi is spotty, but there may be ways to overcome that, so I'll get to that when I get to it.

We'll see, I've just gotta put my nose to the grindstone, focusing 100% on school right now and then on landing that remote gig (sorry Chicane, I've put socializing aside since I returned to America, focusing 100% on my goals).

Post: #10

Philippines is a hole hah I could never move back there.

Stayed in Manila for 2 months and also travelled through Cebu and Bohol.

Post: #11

(07-27-2016 08:18 PM)Touchmybanana Wrote:  I am also doing the full stack web dev track but through odin project.

I finished all the front end stuff like html, CSS, js, jqeury. This week I worked exclusively on learning ruby object oriented programming like classes, methods, proc. I am currently doing OOP projects.

Very cool TMB, I did a bit of the beginning of The Odin Project, but then I noticed that some things were not being updated, I think because Trautman, the founder, is focusing more now on his Viking Code School. Realistically, it's very difficult to keep a project of that magnitude up to date without a lot of manpower. I know some folks that have completed it and landed remote jobs, however, so the curriculum works.

One great thing about Free Code Camp, as opposed to The Odin Project, is the community. When you get stuck on something in The Odin Project, it can take some time to get some help, while on Free Code Camp, due to the chat rooms with hundreds of people on them, help is a few minutes away.

They're both great resources, it just depends on what you're looking to learn.

Nice work, man, keep it up, I'm looking forward to seeing you grow as a developer!

Post: #12

(07-27-2016 08:41 PM)skptc Wrote:  I am already location independent but I did build (with a partner) an eCommerce store in 3 days that is already profitable, should scale to xx.xxx in the next month or so.

Can you share more about this?

Was this a product that you were already selling elsewhere or a new product? Did you already have a following to sell to? What kind of marketing are you doing?

Zero to 10k in a month is very impressive.

Post: #13

(07-27-2016 09:07 PM)skptc Wrote:  Philippines is a hole hah I could never move back there.

Stayed in Manila for 2 months and also travelled through Cebu and Bohol.

I loved the people there, they're so upbeat and always smiling, plus being able to speak in English is great. Safety was great also, and being a tall, good looking guy is a huge plus everywhere, but there it was on another level.

The issues were the food was not that great, but after a while, you can find the good spots, and also, the air pollution can be a bit much sometimes.

Nonetheless, I enjoyed it, it's the spotty wifi that makes it a hard sell for me.

BUT, I've never been to Thailand. I hear it's a world of difference, so I may have to check it out.

Post: #14

Excellent thread.

I'll be getting my CELTA cert soon and might teach English after graduation.

I am also learning as much as I can about marketing and do 4 hours Russian practice per day..

I don't have any ideas on how to become location independent but I will contribute when I do.

For now, I'm trying to educate myself as best as possible.

Post: #15

I'm a remote copywriter/publisher in the USA.

I just got my first independent contract with a client outside of Upwork this week, registered my LLC, and opened a small business checking account with Capital One (only $15/mo maintenance fee for basic business checking, otherwise its free with a monthly balance above $2K).

Ever since Upwork raised their fees to take a 20% cut on new client contracts, I've been fucking fired up. That website is trying to pimp freelancers hard and it's not gonna work for them in the long-run. Retards.

But, what's funny is that Upwork's fee shift has been one of the best things that's happened to me. They're literally motivating remote workers to leave Upwork and start their own companies!

Oh, and I also started writing daily affirmations this week. I can already tell it's going to be life-changing. I highly recommend that you guys start writing out your affirmation 15x per day like Scott Adams explains in his book. Sounds kind of nutty to people who aren't really deep into psychology, but it's the real deal.

Great thread by the way. I'll be contributing to this weekly.

Post: #16

(07-27-2016 11:44 PM)stefpdt Wrote:  Oh, and I also started writing daily affirmations this week. I can already tell it's going to be life-changing. I highly recommend that you guys start writing out your affirmation 15x per day like Scott Adams explains in his book. Sounds kind of nutty to people who aren't really deep into psychology, but it's the real deal.

Great thread by the way. I'll be contributing to this weekly.

While on the topic of motivation, several months ago I ordered three custom large posters with quotes that I pinned on my walls. I forgot from what site, but the quotes I went with, in white print on a solid black background are:

"Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential." -- Winston Churchill

"Success is a few simple disciplines, practiced every day; while failure is simply a few errors in judgment, repeated every day." -- Jim Rohn

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act but a habit." -- Aristotle

Whenever I'm in my large, minimalist bedroom, the stark contrast of the white walls with the large black posters, and the messages within, are a gentle reminder of what it takes to accomplish things.

I'll try the 15x thing, or something similar, I like it.

Post: #17

(07-27-2016 11:58 PM)Spaniard88 Wrote:  

(07-27-2016 11:44 PM)stefpdt Wrote:  Oh, and I also started writing daily affirmations this week. I can already tell it's going to be life-changing. I highly recommend that you guys start writing out your affirmation 15x per day like Scott Adams explains in his book. Sounds kind of nutty to people who aren't really deep into psychology, but it's the real deal.

Great thread by the way. I'll be contributing to this weekly.

While on the topic of motivation, several months ago I ordered three custom large posters with quotes that I pinned on my walls. I forgot from what site, but the quotes I went with, in white print on a solid black background are:

"Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential." -- Winston Churchill

"Success is a few simple disciplines, practiced every day; while failure is simply a few errors in judgment, repeated every day." -- Jim Rohn

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act but a habit." -- Aristotle

Whenever I'm in my large, minimalist bedroom, the stark contrast of the white walls with the large black posters, and the messages within, are a gentle reminder of what it takes to accomplish things.

I'll try the 15x thing, or something similar, I like it.

Very nice. I like that those quotes aren't the bullshit cliche's that most people spit out, but they're actually important truths. I like the Churchill one the most. It's all about the grit.

Post: #18

Upwork is taking 20% now? Wow, that's crazy. Do they still only allow work to be done on a per hour basis?

Post: #19

I'm currently undergoing a mentorship with an established copywriter. I'm three months in and I'll hopefully be done in 3 months and start to apply for gigs.

I've also started an info-product biz with a partner a year ago, but, due to various circumstances (mostly my lack of control over that eBook), that business is only bringing in a couple of hundred bucks a month.

My plan is to learn copywriting, get clients, and then invest money gained by doing freelance work into a new eBook.

Also, funnily enough, while everyone here is eager to leave the US I'm going there next year for my master's degree. That will give me the understanding of the culture and language most non-native copywriters don't have.

If any copywriting newbie is reading this, I've compiled a list of different methods a new copywriter can use to get clients. I've scoured both the free resources online and the books I've purchased. After I get a few clients, I'll post a datasheet describing which methods worked for me and which are a waste of time.

Post: #20

(07-28-2016 12:12 AM)GlobalMan Wrote:  Upwork is taking 20% now? Wow, that's crazy. Do they still only allow work to be done on a per hour basis?

The 20% fee only applies to the first $500 billed on new client contracts.

Their new fee schedule actually operates on a sliding scale. The fee drops to 10% after you've billed a client more than $500, and it drops to 5% after you've billed a client $10,000+.

I feel retarded for paying those clowns thousands in fees to be a middleman with my money. They also get the benefit of SEO juice (instead of having clients go directly to a web property that you own), and they probably earn some extra interest on all of the payments that they float while "processing" for like 5 days...

"Ownership is the only thing that matters".

Post: #21

(07-28-2016 12:29 AM)stefpdt Wrote:  "Ownership is the only thing that matters".

It's the Golden Rule, man, "He who has the gold, makes the rules."

Post: #22

I am already a location independant (mostly by selling shits threw Amazon FBA). I have visited SE Asia and Latin America these last 4 years.
I will probably return in South America or visit South India in October. I am currently in Paris. Ready to have a drink with some digital nomads on the way or to Paris.

Post: #23

(07-29-2016 02:19 PM)Mat_hieu Wrote:  I am already a location independant (mostly by selling shits threw Amazon FBA). I have visited SE Asia and Latin America these last 4 years.
I will probably return in South America or visit South India in October. I am currently in Paris. Ready to have a drink with some digital nomads on the way or to Paris.

What's your favorite country (with good wifi) so far, Mat?

Post: #24

Wow, a lot of web developers on the making, awesome!
i just started a month ago and boyYY the learning curve is steep.
made a couple of static websites and joined github, but i'm still struggling with positioning and moving elements around the page.

To add some value to the topic i would suggest to check out some tutorials at teamtreehouse. they have courses on photoshop and illustrator tailored for web designers/developers, hundreds of hours of javascript videos and other courses that help you develop and grow your business.
anyway thanks for the odin project, it looks very interesting and a good learning plan is what i needed

Post: #25

Good post.

Just finished up a starter-kit for scaffolding node projects with mongodb and authentication. Now I'm building a light-weight responsive CSS framework to be used for prototyping.

Been coding in JS nearly every day for the last couple years, and am itching TGFO and go location independent. Web dev is a dense subject and it takes quite a long time to become proficient, especially if you're trying to go full stack. You've got to get a handle on the ins and outs of the language, the behavior of the environment, setup good tooling for the dev workflow (text editors, linting, transpiling, c.i.), and then you have to bring it all to bear on the scope/requirements of the problem you're trying to solve.

Bootcamps are hit or miss... all depends on the instructor and curriculum.