Travelling across 100+ Countries on a Small Budget
What’s on your bucket list? Chances are, you want to travel the world, one day . . . when you have the money.
When you meet Johnny Ward, the globetrotting solopreneur of onestep4ward, you’ll be ready to get started today!
Johnny didn’t have the funds for his journey when it began 8 years ago. He had no life savings, no family money, no endowments -- just his own determination and resourcefulness. He sought opportunities to work by teaching English, and then started his own online business, so that he would never have to see the inside of an office again. Now he sustains his around-the-world adventure, totaling over 100 countries, from his laptop.
It doesn’t take a huge budget to live large.
Find out how Johnny does it in my interview with this world-traveling pro!
1. Johnny, what were your dreams when you were growing up? How much of your desire for world travel comes from these early experiences?
Growing up in my single parent family in Ireland, my family were pretty poor. No central heating, no car, on benefits etc so that I guess that’s now given me the drive to chase the cash online. I never wanna be broke again! I always dreamt of being free, and not having to answer to anyone - that combined with passport stamps and online revenue and there you have it!
2. Did you have a particular kind of job or career in mind as you were finishing your studies? Has any of this training served you along the way?
I did, I studied finance and economics at uni so my initial plan was to be an investment banker. I wanted to do one year teaching English in Asia for a bit of adventure before the long slog of a career took hold however I never returned.
3. When did you realize that you were creating a lifestyle out of traveling the world? What were the first steps that you took to make it sustainable?
I started traveling fulltime in 2006/2007, but I didn’t make any money online until 2010. Once i realised it was possible, my whole world lit up. Making it sustainable wasn’t so much a driver as making as much money as possible in order for me to travel indefinitely. I wanted to invest in property so I always had these targets to hit as opposed to concerning myself with the sustainability aspect i guess.
4. Have you met any stumbling blocks along the way? How did you overcome them, and what did you learn?
The models constantly change, one month I’m convinved I’m going to be a multi millionaire within 2 years, the next monty I’m terrified I’ll be back teaching english for $650 per month again. I should have learned to take the rough with the smooth but I’m still on that learning curve! I also made a lot of mistakes with hiring staff, I learned a lot about that too.
5. When did you realize that your experiences could be inspiring and helpful to others? How did people find and start following you?
I knew that I traveled to places that most people don’t, and I knew that I was from a poorer background that the vast majority of people who would ever come across my stuff. In that respect then, I was aware that my story is quite compelling in that if i can do it, it’s actually true than anyone can do it.
6. Is onestep4ward.com everything you envisaged it to be? Has the online community changed your life in any ways? Has the website evolved over the course of your journey?
The website was always a platform to allow me to live the life I dreamt about. As my other ventures took off, I blogged less and less however I always maintained my social media presence which keeps me visible. I plan to get back to my roots in 2014. The community has certainly changed my life, I’ve started little projects in Hong Kong, I’m colaunching something in Singapore this year - all because you hang around with cool, forward thinking, pro active people as opposed to generic office staff.
7. What are some of the secrets to making money while travelling?
Find ANY way to do it, then scale and outsource. Once you can make $100 a month, you can make $10k. You have to believe it.
8. What do think is unique about your approach to lifestyle design? How would you describe the person who can most benefit from onestep4ward?
I actually live it buddy. I’m not some dude on the net making money from telling people how to make money. And I’m not some middle-class white guy who has a safety net of a wealthy family and the knowledge of an inheritance. Anyone who really wants to risk their life to live their dreams can benefit, but there’s no half measures.
9. How do you manage your money as you work, travel, and tackle that bucket list?
I bought some property in Thailand and I’m buying some property in London at the moment, I also have an off shore wealth manager managing a high risk portfolio - that means all I have to worry about it generating new revenue. The rest is already invested away.
The bucket list - it’s something I work on and think about every day, it’s my whole motivation. And I’m knocking it down at a nice rate.
10. And finally, where will we find you next -- and why?
It’s my goal to visit every country in the world before 35. I’m 30 now and 2/3s through so I’m hopefully. I’m in Bangkok at the mo, London next week, US week after then I start an epic land journey from Mexico to Antarctica for the rest of 2014, can’t wait!
Thanks. Keep inspiring...
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Johnny Ward is an Irish guy who has been working, studying, volunteering and studying abroad for over 6 years now. 100+ countries in and with work experience in 5 countries he’s trying to spread the word about long-term travel, lifestyle design and the awesome opportunities associated with it!. You can find him at onestep4ward.com or on Twitter @onestep4ward
Chief Editor
Tal Gur is an author, founder, and impact-driven entrepreneur at heart. After trading his daily grind for a life of his own daring design, he spent a decade pursuing 100 major life goals around the globe. His journey and most recent book, The Art of Fully Living, has led him to found Elevate Society.
