Yet another great PG event has ended.
I wanted to quickly share that a new related concept is under development, called PGx, and the first event may take place very soon in Thailand.
For more info sign-up at the PG website here:
Project Getaway Blog
But first, let me highlight that there is a small yet very important distinction between:
I once many years ago hired a person, who lied on his CV, told me he was great at X and had his friends do his home tests for him, and never did X after I hired him – so we’re talking about a real case :)
I realized the importance of doing and structuring better tests. Interviewing past employers. Having recommendations from friends. And having short workshops where people come to the office and we get to know the person as well, before fully hiring them.
Again, let me emphasize that it’s not to blame yourself, but to take full responsibility.
Take charge, and lead by changing things that does not work properly and needs to be changed.
Somehow everything always seem to come back to that one super important question, that’s always on the top of my mind.
Hi everyone,
This is just a quick heads up, to let you know that applications for PG2012 has opened.
Be sure you check out the fun videos and more information about the big event here:
Proejct Getaway 2012 Event
Just put together a short little video to show my latest little gimmick – the inspirationPad – which I’ve used for a few weeks now and it works really well.
FYI I use the cheapest iPad 1, 16GB, and the beautiful Vogel wall mount.
Often people set a lot of ambitious and inspiring goals around this time of the year.
I do it too :)
What I also do, is remind myself of all the things that makes us follow through on those goals.
And my best resource for doing that is a bunch of notes from the book “Unlimited Power” which I’m a big fan of :)
I’ve probably re-read those notes 6 times now, and each time I remind myself of important stuff I had forgotten.
I wanted to share the notes here, and hope that you might find it as useful as I did (Big thanks to Daniel Stefanac for sharing).
Some parts might require that you read the book to fully understand, but most of them are just great reminders of important common knowledge, for anyone to use.
Get the Unlimited Power notes here <- Manual for Your Brain
I especially like the “7 Lies of Success” (on page 6).
I hope you find it useful.
I think I did it. I think I found my spot in the Universe.
I’m now living and working from Gili Trawangan, a small 3×2 km island paradise off the northwest tip of Lombok, Indonesia. With exquisite beaches, a magical atmosphere and only about 500 inhabitants, it’s like being on the set of ‘Lost’ – except with modern amenities and none of the stress. Most everyone here is on vacation, so there’s no shortage of smiling, happy people. A small group have taken things a step further, though – they’re here on “workation”, and I’m one of them. What does that mean? Well, let’s backtrack a bit.
It all started with an incredible event called Project Getaway, in which 15 adventurous entrepreneurs from around the world came to beautiful Bali, Indonesia. We spent 6 weeks on “workation” – a working vacation – during which we lived and worked together in luxurious villas in an exotic, inspiring environment. This was reality – not a reality show – and suddenly a sustainable alternative to the rat race was no longer a dream. All it took was my laptop, a fast Internet connection and a strong entrepreneurial spirit – and of course the wonderful setting.
I was so bowled over by the experience that myself and three other participants – Mads Rode, Carolina Mera and Phil Suslow – decided to take it to an extreme. Could we live like this permanently? We were about to find out.
Armed with just a small bag of clothes and, of course, our trusty laptops, we hopped onto a boat from Bali and headed for a tiny island nearby, which turned out to be Gili Trawangan. Picture-postcard beaches, perfect temperatures, plenty of eateries and no motor vehicles: what more could anyone ask for?
We even found modern Scandinavian-style villas (hello, Ikea!) complete with bedroom, living room and air-conditioning for around USD 600 per month, and the local around the corner offered us “Laundry Service with Mechine” at just USD 2-3 for a week’s worth of sandy clothes. All in all, a very comfortable setup indeed.
Of course any entrepreneur worth their sea-salt knows that a reliable Internet connection is essential for business (and the occasional Facebook poke), so we made sure our 3G phones worked on Gili Trawangan (and found ways to boost 3G signals in remote areas, even though it is not really needed here). We even found our local “Lightning Fast” Internet guy who, through some satellite dish sorcery, ensures a zippy connection with his personal guarantee: “No Fast, No Pay.” Perfect.
For our ideal working environment, we ended up choosing Scallywags, a local café just 2 meters from the beach. Internet? Power sockets? Comfortable seating? Check, check and check. We also get stunning views of the sun, surrounding islands and, ahem, bikini-clad beauties (who pass by frequently enough to inspire, but not so often as to distract). For as little as the price of a fresh juice each day, we had the ultimate office space.
A typical day could look like this: Wake up around 8 a.m. (no alarm clock needed!). Dig into a healthy breakfast at one of the many eateries on the island (Coco’s by the water does a superb fruit-and-muesli with yogurt). Go for a morning constitutional in the “big pool,” as the locals call it, and muse on how life got so good. Towel off, get to your “office” and work for a few hours, with regular plunges into the sea or a quick wake-boarding session to cool down and give your brain a rest.
Grab lunch at your favorite café, work a few more hours and perhaps go for an evening run around the island (we even track our runs here) in time to catch the breathtaking sunset on the west side. Hang out with friends or wax poetic before winding down for the night, relaxed, happy and fulfilled.
Most people think that being productive in paradise is an impossibility. Truth is, I’ve found myself more productive here than ever. I even track my productivity with a cool tool called Rescue Time –which shows me that I’m working about 55 hours in a week, definitely productive in my books. The best part is that I don’t feel like I’ve worked that much or that hard, because taking breaks, staying relaxed, being outdoors and having a pleasant working environment makes the work itself a pleasure.
This is my life every day, and it can be yours, too.
If you’re not an entrepreneur yet, give it a shot, like my friends Andreas and Tobias did: ask your employer if you can “telecommute” for 3-4 weeks, claiming ultra-productivity thanks to a better working environment. With just a little bit of prep and convincing, you too could be part of Project Getaway, working from an exotic locale with your colleagues back home via email and Skype. You can even share my story with your employer if it helps!
If you’re already an entrepreneur with a business online, what are you waiting for?! Pack a few things and get on the next plane to the destination of your dreams. There is a world beyond your desk to explore, and you don’t have to wait for those few vacation days each year to explore it.
Following my dream to travel, live and work in exotic places has definitely been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. To be honest, I don’t know that I’m going home anytime soon. In fact, I’m already thinking about the next exotic beach I’d like to work from – if you have any recommendations, I’m all ears.
Thinking about following suit? Have experiences you’d like to share? Comments welcome below!
I often speak with very bright people who dream about becoming entrepreneurs.
They explain how they feel trapped in their current 9-5 jobs but are afraid to make the “dangerous” jump into unknown world, where fixed monthly salaries are a thing of the past.
In this great guest blog post, a dear friend of mine, Kristian Holte, shares his story, on how he quit his job at a law firm 3 months ago, and already today has a profitable business!
Very inspirational and informative 3 minutes read.
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Yes, you got it right. It is actually possible to start your own law firm and earn more than enough to survive. Is it easy? No. Possible? Definitely. I did it. And you can do it too.
In this post I’ll outline 5 key principles that made me go from dissatisfied employee to legal entrepreneur in just 3 months.
I quit my job on 1 May 2010 and as of today 10 August 2010 my company Simply Law is thriving and attracting more and more qualified and interesting clients each day.
As you probably know most of the legal industry bills by the hour. There’s really no point since the interests of the attorney and the client often aren’t aligned using this model. The client is interested in getting the job done well swiftly and the attorney is interested in spending as many hours as possible.
So let’s reverse that.
It is so easy to differentiate yourself here by offering value-based pricing. Maybe you think this means that you can’t charge as much. Not at all. It only means that you have to consider the value of each case and price accordingly.
Value can be many things. Urgency, mental pain, accessibility, monetary value and strategic advantages are factors to consider when pricing your services. The pricing of your competitors as well. When you’re starting out your costs are low and you don’t need to price as high to break even. Use this to your advantage by comparining your pricing to your competitors’ when making an offer.
Don’t compete on price. This is an endless spiral which drags you downwards and which does nothing but attract the wrong type of clients. It makes you earn less and less money over time as well. You don’t want that. Instead, position yourself as a speciliast within some or a couple of fields, obtain cutting-edge knowledge and market yourself by sharing this knowledge with current and prospective clients.
Keep your costs low. I don’t even have a real office. I work from home. Or from the coffee shop. I decide myself. I rarely have physical meetings, because I find they often aren’t necessary. Clients don’t find them necessary either, apparently.
I use a range of free or low-cost online tools, I’ve outsourced the secretary function so I don’t have to answer the phone all day. I get e-mailed once my “secretary” has received a call from a current or prospective client.
In short: It isnt’ necessary to reside in a castle and to have chocolate with the firm’s name on it. Focus
on being excellent and communicating this to the right people. Then, you can have the chocolate later. And the impressive marble office.
Have an idea of which niche you want to focus on. But don’t start out too narrow. I have chosen intellectual property law as my area of specialty and 75 % of my revenue is generated by IP-work. However, I also have a client base within the restaurant business. Now, I hadn’t anticipated that, but along the line I noticed an opening here.
So: Pick a main niche, but don’t be too specific and picky to start out with. There is plenty of time to specialize narrowly as you go along. Someday you’ll be THE expert in your niche.
A lot of attorneys don’t like to market themselves. But this part of being a legal entrepreneur is crucial.
I enjoy marketing myself as much as I enjoy pracitising IP-law. Sometimes more.
Set up your own marketing system which you execute on a daily basis. I spend about 50 % of my time marketing Simply Law. If you do this well, you don’t have to worry about attracting the right clients.
This was a quick overview of some of the principles I’ve found to be useful. If you have any questions or
comments please feel free to e-mail me at holte@simplylaw.dk or simply post a comment below.
Kristian Holte, legal counsel
Simply Law
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Do you have a similar story? Please share it below in the comments! I love to hear these success stories!
I first got to know about Prezi a few weeks ago, and I was immediately impressed by how easy and amazingly cool interactive presentations you can create with nearly no effort!
So when I shortly after was invited to present at DTU in Copenhagen (Denmark’s very own MIT :), I naturally decided to test out this cool tool and see what it could really do when pushed to the limits.
Having worked with interactive and animated online solutions for many years, I naturally felt at home right away. My past experiences is by no means a precondition for you to be able to use Prezi though. Its easy and intuitive interface is truly amazing, and there is a bunch of great videos that will get you started in minutes.
The result? The audience was super impressed, and Prezi surely helped in keeping the audience “glued” and engaged while adding a great touch and wow effect to the whole presentation :)
Below is a slightly shorter version with minor modifications, to make it more “online-friendly”. Keep in mind that it is intended as an aid for a speaking presentation – not a presentation in itself. So you’ll miss out on all the goodies and jokes in between the lines ;)
The best of the whole thing? It’s free!
Just go to www.prezi.com and create your own presentations right away.
You can even import your old PowerPoint presentations, and give them some cool transitioning effects.
A lot of people asked for the presentation afterwards (surely for the wonderful animations ;), so I put it up for you here.
Feel free to share it with your friends.
Thanks everyone and Stardust especially for setting up and arranging everything so well!
Note: It is quite heavy on graphics and video, so you might have to let it load for a short time.
I love to reduce unnecessary work and clutter, and always seek to eliminate such things quickly.
As a result, I decided to go paperless 5 months ago, and now wanted to share with you my experiences from running a paperless startup office. So here is a brief post, to help you go paperless today and even protect the environment at the same time.
Here are some usual scenarios, and how I use the above to handle them effectively.
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I hope this gave you some inspiration as to how you can reduce paper and clutter in your daily life and work.
I can warmly recommend going paperless – the technology is now ready to make it easy and convenient!