Adam D

I'm Hungarian, thus Budapest seemed like an obvious choice for me. I can share you my idea, since execution is what matters anyway. I'm making a self-development magazine/authority site, where experts and contributors will write articles, and occasionally me as well (since I like to creatively express myself too) in exchange for exposure, a creative outlet or whatever there in it for that you get for being published. Initially I wanted to do a solo-blog, vlog, etc but in the end I decided to not do it alone since growth will be slower and I might not be consistent with it and fail. I was thinking about a magazine but was a bit turned off that "I couldn't write on it". I figured I'm disempowering myself by choosing to "A or B" instead of "A and B" this cocondrum. I figured why not both? Obviously I have a story to tell too and I will post my articles, but having contributors write for me will accelerate the traffic growth and provide a lot more value to many more people a lot sooner. Basically people win, the contributors win and I win. Win-win-win. There's really no such thing like this yet in the Hungarian market. It's a lot more motivating too. I can learn a lot and meet interesting people and position myself as an authority and later I'll have a lot more opportunities to do interesting and creative projects. Moneywise, I figured I can take this model and do joint ventures, be a co-author of books with experts, videocourses etc, which I can then sell on my own website. Be a marketplace for self-development products and services where I take a cut maybe (that's very long term)? Basically with my succesful magazine, I expect that I can try out any idea and see if it works or not. So that's it. If you're from a niche market or small country, I think this can really work. Hope it helps.

Bernie, I can wholeheartedly reccommend you start an ecommerce business and selling products you manufactur and import from China, from purely a financial standpoint. You can start to build from minimal cash if you start with white label products sent through air freight. I myself have quit a business like this, mainly because it didn't fulfill my passion and I didn't feel like I'm contributing. Couple that with living and working with people who are unaware, and working from home (isolatated from other people) and there you have it. I only reccommend it, because I've done it myself. It does require a few thousands quids though, but it's rather easy and cheap to do it in the UK, especially to try it out.

@Duco James Glad you find my comment helpful. I'm also glad to tell that since then I quit my "successful" business and started a new life in Budapest. It sure have a lot more peace and living "alone" (with my roommate) leaves lots of time and quiet allowing me to ponder and plan. I'm happy to say that I figured out my exact plan on how to actually carve out a business in the personal development market. I'm getting used to living on a budget. I'm currently looking for a job, which will be to pay the bills, have socialisation and motivation mainly, and then everything that aids me in my journey is an extra. I can't imagine I could find a job that would align with my purpose and adequately meet my financial needs at the moment, so it'll do, it's a conscious choice. In my freetime I'll build my creative outlet. Definitely was a good move and I'm glad I've done it.

Speaking from my own experience, somebody who choose the "let's become rich first, then we'll have all the freedom to pursue our wildest desires" path, I can wholeheartadly recommend AGAINST it. It's sound logical and and rational, and it might work if you're an android who likes to chip away at things or perhaps you have very good, supportive and understanding social support circle and the rest of your life is in a great shape (that way you might tolerate doing "tolerable work"), but overall what I learned is this: we think money will make us happy, that money is needed before all else, that it's a prequisite for our goals, because we're brainwashed to believe that going for money is ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL, even though generally we have more material abundance than the majority of the world and most likely our goals can be done without big stacks of savings anyway. I poured a year of my life into making an ecommerce company (selling China sourced goods, the new craze nowadays, not without merit) and it's currently grossing about 50k EUR/mo and I'm fairly secure it's going to be a multi millionaire grossing company in 2-3 years and perhaps multi 10-millions in 5-7. I'm currently in the process of leaving it all behind. I started it when I was 22. I sacrificed my friends, moved to a new country (where I feel I haven't made any real friends, even after a year which might be a residual effect of my dis-passion), I'm living with my family who I feel is limiting my growth and I feel we have no real respect for each other. We lived in a black, ground floor hole for 7 months until november. I really would like to strech my brain and come up with 10 more things to make this a better post, but you get the idea. I tried qutting 2-3 times since november, because I wasn't really feeling the magical improvement effects of money in my life. I saw logically how my goals made sense, but on a daily basis, I wasn't capable of doing it anymore. I didn't feel it. I was always waiting for the moment where I could outsource my daily (customer support) work to an employee and finally focus on doing my passion-purpose (which is similar to what Leo is doing, helping people become a better version of themselves). I was really working hard. But I just couldn't focus on teaching and growing while I wasn't really living what I was saying. Tolering negative people in your life, working for money (but no passion nor contribution), not being able to really work on myself (such as diet and health) because of living together with 2 other people who are perfect sleepwalkers. All in all, I could've come up with creative ideas to solve these problems, by isolating and solving them. I didn't achieve the success I imagined. I was hacking away at the branches. Our exteriors changed, such as a nice house and living conditions, but I was just not feeling my "success", and some problems persisted. I felt more and more like Andre Agassi, being successful at something I don't like. I figured that just making X money and then "outsourcing" it all will never actually work. I can slave away for big bucks for years, but in the end I will always have to manage the business in some fashion, especially if it grows to be a BIG company. So my conclusion was that I couldn't accept the consequences of being rich THIS WAY. I still desire to be wealthy and financially free. But I also discovered that I can make a sustainable business and the money I need by DOING MY CALLING/PURPOSE/MISSION directly. I don't need to take a detour. Why not choose the most direct path to my fullfilment? I figured if I would become rich what the hell would I do anyway? My money making business would always be a responsability and it would always occupy a mental space in my mind, be a mental thorn so to speak. I would be a hundred times more happy to lead a business I DON'T EVER WANT TO STOP DOING with less financial success instead. I did learn a lot of practical skills about how to manage a business, entrepreneurship, I realized I'm quite capable and smart, and I can get things done. So atleast I got something out of it. I do get a starting fund to start my new life and I expect I could ask for financial help if I would need to invest in my new business. I'll be making a living by freelancing and I will actively train my speaking (toastmasters) and writing skills. All is good now. I'm so happy just writing this. So Austin, I definitely recommend that you don't take the seemingly obvious "right" path, ok? I would imagine after taking Leo's course you would have a lot more ideas about what you're going to do anyway.