Money versus freedom
Escape the rat race & let go of the golden handcuffs
I’ll never forget the day I showed up a few minutes late to my first “real” job.
My boss was Craig, a big burly man with a thick beard. He was intimidating and never in a good mood, neutral at best. I can’t recall him ever cracking a smile.
A few weeks into the job, I realized I wanted out.
There had to be more to life. I dreaded the commute every single morning.
Driving home from work one day, I called my Dad and told him how much I didn’t like it. He asked me - “Would you be happy if you had your boss's job?”
My father was foreshadowing my future. I thought about what Craig’s role would be like. The salary would have increased, and I would have had more responsibilities.
But would I be happier?
It was a clear NO. I knew that more money was not the answer.
Even if my salary had doubled or tripled I still would have yearned for more flexibility.
I started to explore my options.
That’s when I stumbled across the 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss. This book became my bible. I went down the rabbit hole and listened to Tim’s podcast daily on my commute. I could see the light at the end of the tunnel.
It took me 3 years to finally quit that job and move on to the next chapter of my life.
I planned to leave after 1 year, but it was hard to break out of the Golden Handcuffs, they had a solid grip on me. The salary was decent, I had a company truck with meal per diem, and the yearly bonus was enough to make me stick it out.
Yet every day that passed by, I could not get Barcelona off my mind. I visited just before starting the job and told myself I would move here one day.
At last, in June 2018, I threw my work boots away for good and bought a one-way ticket to Europe.
The goal was to figure out how to make money online so that I could work from anywhere and have control over my time.
Never again would I have to ask someone whether or not I could take a vacation.
14 days a year… LOL. No thanks…
It still took me another 2 years before I made my first dollar online, but once I got a taste of it, there was no going back.
In the words of Naval Ravikant - “A taste of freedom can make you unemployable”.
Build your skillset
I spent years trying to “find my passion”.
Instead, I should have been working harder to build my skills. But not just any skills.
Focus on the skills that make you more valuable in today’s marketplace.
Dan Koe talks about the Four Evergreen Skills:
Sales
Marketing
Writing
Speaking
Notice the common denominator is communication.
A basic understanding of these skills makes opportunities abundant.
You will no longer have to settle for a job you’re not aligned with. So many online businesses are searching for people with these skills.
A few weeks ago I heard an expression that I love: “Earning while learning”
My first remote job was a sales position for an online coaching offer where we helped entrepreneurs scale their businesses.
Sales was new to me at the time, hence I was earning while learning.
I didn’t know the difference between an outbound lead and an inbound lead. It was a commission-only role, so I pushed myself to learn as quickly as possible. I’ll never forget that moment when I made my first sale, I finally achieved my goal of making money online.
Over the years, I mastered the art of sales, while also having the freedom of working remotely and traveling the world.
Eventually, I worked my way into an Account Manager role. I got the opportunity to work directly with clients helping them set up Marketing channels inside of their businesses.
After I left that company, it was easy to find a new position because I had a good understanding of two of the four evergreen skills.
My goal now is to get better at writing, which is why I started publishing here on Substack.
Once I improve my writing skills, I want to dive into speaking.
By mastering these four evergreen skills, I will become irreplaceable.
Never again will I have to worry about showing up late to a job that I don’t even like.
Take that Craig.
Put it into action
If you’re feeling stuck in a corporate role or just not sure how to break free from the golden handcuffs, then start by learning one of these four skills.
There’s no shortage of courses and online communities where you can learn these skills and network with others who are already a few steps ahead.
Don’t overcomplicate it, find a mentor who’s already doing what you want to be doing.
They more than likely have some sort of digital product or community where they break down the steps they took to get there.
Try not to be cheap when investing in your future.
It amazes me how people can go out and spend $100 on a dinner, but then hesitate to buy a $97 course that could completely change their lives.
I’ve invested in dozens of online courses and masterminds, some of them great, some of them not.
I try to do my due diligence by checking out their free resources, then I commit.
Advice is worthless unless you take action.
We all invest in ourselves every day. Are you buying shit you don’t need or are you developing your skills to live a beautiful life.
Stop buying more things and start investing in yourself and your skill set.
Your future self will thank you.
Closing thoughts
Our work takes up a good portion of our lives.
Why settle for something mediocre?
“Never permit a dichotomy to rule your life, a dichotomy in which you hate what you do so you can have pleasure in your spare time. Look for a situation in which your work will give you as much happiness as your spare time.” - Pablo Picasso
In the corporate world, I reached a point where I realized that more money is not always the answer to fulfillment and happiness.
Yes, money helps to a degree, but once I crossed a certain threshold, I instead wanted to optimize for more freedom and flexibility.
After all, what’s the point of being rich if you don’t have control over your time?
Until next time my friends.
<3 B
P.S. - If you’re looking for more tips on how to find remote work and build a life of freedom, let me know in the comments down below. I will help in any way I can.
This is awesome Brian, so much of it resonated! I also loved the symbolism of you throwing your boots away and then in the next photo your barefoot haha. The idea of "earning why learning" makes so much sense to me as well now. I feel these days my "work" opportunities are really ways I can improve the skills I want to improve. There's something so satisfying about that. Great piece!
Hey Brian, I’d love to learn more about how you got into the online sales roles.
I used to work in experimental marketing, selling or promoting everything from organic ghee butter to Dyson vacuum cleaners to TD Bank promotions to Jeeps.
For the past seven years, I’ve had my own business as an online English teacher with a mix of cultural consultancy, but I’m hoping to diversify and get back into sales.