Podcasts about for billy

Journalist Billy Baker didn't think of himself as a loser, but when he sat down to count the friends he still kept in touch with, he realised he couldn't think of a single one. For Billy, what began with him writing an article about lonely middle-aged men became a journey to drastically change his life course.

Our guest today is Billy Keels, an international real estate and real assets investor. In this episode, we talk about long distance investing strategies, the importance of your team, and how to get clear on the asset that works best for you. Whether you're investing in your backyard, or out of the country, this episode will help you gain more clarity on your strategy! Learn more about Billy and his journey at reiclarity.com! “You can invest wherever in the world in whatever type of assets make sense for you.”   04:44 Billy had a successful career as a high-level sales executive. After having his investments fluctuate on the stock market, he read Rich Dad, Poor Dad and decided to start real estate investing.    Billy was living in Spain and first thought he would buy an apartment in Barcelona to start his investing journey. However, he soon realized that he could invest in the United States as well.   Now, he has real estate and real asset investments all over the world because geographic freedom is very important for him. His diverse portfolio contains large multifamily syndications, mobile home parks, pieces of equipment in the energy space, and ATM machines. “Everything starts with - what is it that you want this asset to provide you?”   08:26 According to Billy, to become a successful long distance investor you need to: Invest the time to understand the location. Know the team and make sure they know the location as well. Make sure the operator is in town or physically close to the property.   In the episode, Billy talks about the similarities and differences between the syndicator, sponsor, general partner, and operator.  The syndicator, sponsor, or general partner are the ones who bring the capital together. The operator is the one who's operating the deal on a daily basis. “There's a lot of value in being able to understand who are the absolute best operators in a specific area, and then being able to connect them with investors who are interested in finding the best opportunity for their capital.”   34:24 Billy is a big advocate of diversifying your assets. As a syndicator, he connects operators and investors. Having diverse assets help him offer more diverse opportunities.   According to Billy, if you are offering different types of assets, you can find more investors and still be specific with your offer. “Teamwork makes the dream work”   39:40 At the end of the episode, Billy picks action steps from the REI Clarity Framework that are the most valuable for him. These are “Know Your Strategy”, “Build a Team”, “Establish Your Mentors,” and “Rise by Lifting Others”.   For Billy, building your team means everything because being a long distance investor would not be possible without it. Building lasting trust with the team is crucial for successful investing. Mentioned in the show: https://www.growyourmoneythesmartway.com/ billykeels.com energy@billykeels.com Going Long Podcast with Billy Keel‪s‬ His LinkedIn www.shineinsurance.com/reiclarity The REI Clarity Framework Learn how to grow your portfolio and reach incredible success the right way! Visit us here for everything you need to know: www.shineinsurance.com/reiclarity.    Special thanks to Billy Keels for taking the time to share so many great insights with us   If you enjoyed this podcast, there's a couple of things we need you to do right now:    SUBSCRIBE to REI Clarity on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts    While your there, please RATE & REVIEW the show    SHARE with friends   Finally, please, JOIN the REI Clarity Facebook Group Then, please share the show with whoever you think it will inspire. Until the next time, We truly appreciate you listening. Need the REI Insurance Guy? More great stories & information at: Youtube - Blog - Podcast Facebook - Twitter

Journalist Billy Baker didn't think of himself as a loser, but when he sat down to count the friends he still kept in touch with, he realised he couldn't think of a single one. For Billy, what began with him writing an article about lonely middle-aged men became a journey to drastically change his life course.

The pandemic has caused some unusual things. Social distancing? Conspiracy theorists? The uptick in “uncoupling”? We’ve found ourselves on different pages in two major parts of our lives. With the extra time, we each invested it in different ways. For Billy, it has been his career. For Ashley, it has been parenthood. Investing time in these areas has also left the other behind - hence, we are on different pages. Listen in as we replay the first conversation we had about this and how we are already working through this. What we talked about in this episode: What the extra time during the pandemic has looked like for us How Ashley brought up this conversation This method is NOT recommended! The areas of our life we are on the same page Why being on different pages doesn’t have to be an area of conflict How we plan to work through this and tips for you in your relationship

Tom Carnduff, Billy Lumsden and Aidan Smith are back discussing all things Sky Sports Fantasy Football. After a week in which we were in no doubt that Manchester City players would all earn loads of points, we're left to reflect on the next-to-nothing tally they returned. For Billy, his selection of Aston Villa's Frédéric Guilbert proved to be the correct one and saved his weekend, while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang secured over 50% of the points in Tom's team. Nicolas Otamendi may have gifted their third goal on Saturday, but it was still a decent weekend for the City centre-back and that left the bragging rights with Aidan. Who to pick for the next round of fixtures? We discuss the action on each day.

Tom Carnduff, Billy Lumsden and Aidan Smith are back discussing all things Sky Sports Fantasy Football. After a week in which we were in no doubt that Manchester City players would all earn loads of points, we're left to reflect on the next-to-nothing tally they returned. For Billy, his selection of Aston Villa's Frédéric Guilbert proved to be the correct one and saved his weekend, while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang secured over 50% of the points in Tom's team. Nicolas Otamendi may have gifted their third goal on Saturday, but it was still a decent weekend for the City centre-back and that left the bragging rights with Aidan. Who to pick for the next round of fixtures? We discuss the action on each day.

Tom Carnduff, Billy Lumsden and Aidan Smith are back discussing all things Sky Sports Fantasy Football. After a week in which we were in no doubt that Manchester City players would all earn loads of points, we're left to reflect on the next-to-nothing tally they returned. For Billy, his selection of Aston Villa's Frédéric Guilbert proved to be the correct one and saved his weekend, while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang secured over 50% of the points in Tom's team. Nicolas Otamendi may have gifted their third goal on Saturday, but it was still a decent weekend for the City centre-back and that left the bragging rights with Aidan. Who to pick for the next round of fixtures? We discuss the action on each day.

Tom Carnduff, Billy Lumsden and Aidan Smith are back discussing all things Sky Sports Fantasy Football. After a week in which we were in no doubt that Manchester City players would all earn loads of points, we're left to reflect on the next-to-nothing tally they returned. For Billy, his selection of Aston Villa's Frédéric Guilbert proved to be the correct one and saved his weekend, while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang secured over 50% of the points in Tom's team. Nicolas Otamendi may have gifted their third goal on Saturday, but it was still a decent weekend for the City centre-back and that left the bragging rights with Aidan. Who to pick for the next round of fixtures? We discuss the action on each day.

Today’s guest is Billy Alvaro, an investor based out of Long Island, NY.  In his career, he’s experienced the highest of highs, the lowest of lows, and is now back at the height of real estate. He joins Brian on the show today to share his real story about success, failure, and how he grew and prospered from his trials.   Key Takeaways: [1:15] Billy is based out of Long Island, NY. He started investing about 30 years ago but has been doing real estate full-time for about 10 years. He currently has a 12-person operation and is planning to scale that up to 24. They do renovations, fix and flips, wholesale, some commercial, and some single-family. Billy talks about how he built up his current business to what it is today. [4:05] He has systematized 95% of his business, by recording what he did so he could teach others when they were brought on board. This has been one of the keys to the success of his new business. [7:45] Billy had a billion-dollar business that he was running, that started from scratch with $5,000 on a credit card. As a young entrepreneur, he believed he could build a $500 million bank. He and a partner decided to start their own company with big dreams, big vision, and no fear. Looking back, Billy wouldn’t go down that road again, but the lessons he learned have shaped him to be the investor he is today. [10:45] It started out with him and his business partner doing loans, and they quickly grew from a four-person team to a 450-person team, generating over $200K in revenue a month. They were able to do this through strong and consistent marketing, as well as a strong sales force. Where they fell short was operations. Everything else was growing so fast that the operations couldn’t handle it. [13:25] There were many aspects of the business that weren’t systematized, which led to no consistent flow in the operations center. Things eventually became very top-heavy, and at that point, Billy didn’t have a coach or mentor he could turn to for help. [18:45] Essentially overnight, they had to close the whole operation down. Billy faced the aftermath for about three years after it all went down. The challenges he had to face taught him a lot about what he can handle. [20:55] Our mind is a really powerful thing, especially in the face of adversity. 80% of everything that goes on in our lives starts with our minds first. Billy went through some really dark times, and he shares the story of how he chose to fight instead. [25:25] Billy went to court to fight his case, and he took his lawsuits down from $14 million to $2 million. When he started having these wins, the confidence he gained let him know that he could do this. [28:50] People that are tenacious are successful because of their mindset, their ability to see where they want to go, and their commitment to working hard every single day. For Billy, one thing that separates the people who are willing to go to the next level is not being afraid to take a risk. [32:25] Some people are just born with the “it factor” but most people aren’t. It is a skill you can learn though. The formula Billy laid out is 1. Mindset 2. A clear path and vision 3. Work hard to implement and 4. Take risk. [35:40] Success comes down to confidence. Once you accomplish something you set out to do, your confidence goes through the roof. How do we build confidence? You have to start with courage, and that will create momentum. Follow through with your capabilities, and you will be unstoppable. [39:35] Billy shares some tips for new people who are trying to build a business. Once you find a process that works, document it, whether that’s written down or in a video. Now you have a blueprint so you can share that with anyone you bring on. It’s also smart to make one of your first hires an assistant. Invest in yourself and you will start to reap the rewards. [45:10] Reading has been important to Billy’s success, but so as going to masterminds, reading blogs, and listening to podcasts. If you’re brand new and not reading much, start by reading about 10 pages a day. There’s so much to learn from the real content that’s out there.   Mentioned in This Episode:   Meetings Daily REIA Show REI Facebook Page Brian’s Book The E-Myth, by Michael E. Gerber As a Man Thinketh, by James Allen Millionaire Success Habits: The Gateway to Wealth & Prosperity, by Dean Graziosi

Turn-down. Brush off. Nix. No matter how you say it, rejection is never a fun thing to experience. Sometimes you can control it and other times you cannot. In this episode, we share some of our first experiences with rejection, some recent ones and our ways to try and overcome it. Music “Sunny” by Bensound.com. What We Talked About in this Episode: Our early experiences with rejection For Billy, being rejected from his top choice college For Ashley, it was being rejected (and rejecting) new classmates after moving More recent rejections Our first proposal under our business Bashley Collaborative Difficulty reaching out to a sibling due to fear of rejection Job and board applications Tips for overcoming rejection Let yourself feel those initial emotions (anger, sadness, etc,), but recognize that you have to pull yourself out of it Remember that some situations you can control and others you cannot Don't let the fear of rejection paralyze you from taking action

Ego is a dirty little word and we are dedicating an entire episode to it. We recently noticed others disguising their self-serving actions as the acts of a servant leader. We then challenged ourselves to look inward and determine how our egos affect us. In this episode, we discuss the dirty side of our egos, what our ugly egos look like, the ways it affects our relationship, and how it impacts others and our leadership. Plus for some reason, Billy snorts in the middle of this episode. Music “Sunny” by Bensound.com. What We Talked About in this Episode: Examples of ego and self-serving leadership The ways ego interferes with our relationship For Billy, its putting himself into every situation and giving advice or a coaching session when Ashley shares a struggle or issue For Ashley, it's an inability to apologize when in the wrong out of fear of looking like the lesser person Why Billy snorts in the middle of a podcast episode How ego disables us as leaders Our shared “my way or the highway” mentality that possible stems from an egotistical view of being the smartest person in the room Reminding ourselves why we are doing what we do For Ashley, is it for praise? For Billy, is it for power? What reality star reminds Ashley of Billy Hint: They have a massive ego

We talk a lot about goals, action, and achievement on this podcast. But we are human. There are things that hold us back from being our best selves. Rather than pointing the finger at external obstacles, we are looking inwards and sharing the ways we hold ourselves back. There is lots of vulnerability in this episode. Music “Sunny” by Bensound.com. What We Talked About in this Episode: Looking at external factors that gold you back is easy, but it’s hard to look internally The biggest obstacle to every goal is yourself The ways we hold ourselves back For Billy, it is thinking too far in the past He overanalyzes his past actions and their impact on the present For Ashley, it is being too concerned with what others perceive There is an interesting balance of managing credibility and maintaining humility For or us together, it is being too comfortable with one another We fall into our roles and do not challenge ourselves

Camping used to be called 'living' before we gave up our nomadic ways. For Billy and his boys, it's called 'dying'. Camp Nightmoon is a terrible camp which makes for a terrible plot. RLS crafts a beautiful outdoor experience and hangs it on a meatless plot full of dead children, guns, and snake bites. Don't miss this one!

Coincidence this episode is the latest we’ve ever published a podcast? Doubtful. It’s because we love to procrastinate. In this episode of I Do, We Do, we are talking all about dragging our heels, putting things off, delegating to our future selves, … all nice ways to say we have a tendency to procrastinate. You’ll hear all about our what procrastination looks like to each of us, our key triggers, and our methods for overcoming. Music “Sunny” by Bensound.com. What We Talked About in this Episode: Why each of us has a tendency to procrastinate For Billy, it's because he does his best work under pressure and possibly has undiagnosed ADD For Ashley, its because she is and efficient worker but always says “Oh, that only takes me 15 minutes to do. I can always do it later.” Our biggest triggers for procrastination Our schedules - Ashley procrastinates when her schedule is too open. Billy is the opposite and procrastinates when he has a busy schedule and too much is on his plate No deadlines - if it isn’t urgent or have a clear deadline, Billy will continue to put it off No vision for final result - Ashley won’t spend time on a project without knowing the final result because she views it as a possible waste of her time Our methods for overcoming procrastination Accountability partners - We have both given each other permission to hold ourselves accountable David Allen’s Getting Things Done method & bullet journaling Breaking tasks down into smaller ones Scheduling time to work on projects & tasks  

We’ve spent the last three episodes talking about our goal setting process and now it’s time to get to the most important part -- ACTION. We’ve given each other permission to hold us accountable to our goals. But to make sure this doesn’t turn into nagging, we have built some structure around how we will hold ourselves & each other accountable to our 2019 goals. We share more about our Action + Accountability plan, our regular check-ins, and structured work sessions. You can grab your own copy of our Action + Accountability Plan at bashleymoyer.com/action.  Music “Sunny” by Bensound.com. What We Talked About in this Episode: The key document we created to hold ourselves accountable to our goals In a spreadsheet, we track our goals, start/end dates, who is responsible, and important notes Grab yours at bashleymoyer.com/action How goals and action go hand in hand Action is what makes goals different than resolutions The importance of giving your partner permission to hold you accountable to your goals This isn’t permission to nag! Our two methods for getting stuff done - regular check ins & scheduled work sessions What we talk about in our regular check ins Daily - where we discuss immediate needs & actions, allows us to make sure we working on our goals every single day Weekly - scheduled on calendar, a time to regroup & revisit our Action + Accountability plan (link) and figure out who is working on what for the next week Monthly- where we get a bit more strategical, determine what tweaks (or pivot) we need Quarterly- more of a retreat like (link) check in, a time to hit the reset button Each check-in we zoom out a bit more and take a look at the big picture Giving you all permission to hold us accountable to our goals Once a quarter, we will come back on the podcast and give you all an update on our progress to our goals Some of our personal tactics to hold ourselves accountable as individuals For Billy, this is a habit tracker or 1-31 tracking list For Ashley, this is worksheets that are personally designed with key questions and reminders

Another year come and gone! Last week (EP #24) we reflected back on 2018, the highs and lows. In this week’s episode, we are focusing on the goals we are setting for ourselves in 2019. We’re sharing what we plan to do in our 9-5s, our work together, individually and even some other goals we have together. Let us know how we can help you with all your goals for the new year! Music “Sunny” by Bensound.com. What We Talked about in this Episode: The thing we are most looking forward to in 2019 For Ashley, this is her sister’s wedding For Billy, it's all of the travel we have scheduled for 2019 including… a bachelorette/bachelor party for Ashley’s sister and future husband Ashley’s goal to work more efficiently especially, turning off the TV when working from home Our individual goals to be a better spouse to one another For Billy, this is getting more vulnerable and opening up about his feelings For Ashley, this is being a better listener and speaking to Billy in his love language How learning is always a goal of ours Billy is challenging himself to read a book a week, Ashley is a book a month Ashley constantly listening to podcasts, but Billy’s goal is to listen to at least one a week Our desire to attend conferences in areas we can still learn in Billy’s desire to take a finance course and Ashley's want to journal more Our work goals How we are prioritizing our involvement in the community Embracing the learning opportunities and the opportunities to mentor others Being the board member our commitments need and deserve The relationships Billy is working on repairing and the one he is letting go Our desire to keep improving our health and wellness Our financial goals How we plan to go all in on our online community Our goal to build an online course How we want to connect with more couples working together Our desire to write a book together How we plan to deliver constant and consistent content to you every week Our process for setting annual goals together

2018 quite literally started off with a bang. And not in a good way. In this episode, we discuss our best moments in 2018 and those not so great moments. Rather than just giving the Instagram highlight reel, we dig a bit deeper and share the lessons we learned throughout the year. We’ve had so many great and challenging experiences this year and are so grateful for each one for everything we have learned. Stay tuned for Part II, where we will Look Forward to 2019. Music “Sunny” by Bensound.com. What We Talked about in this Episode: Carrying too many distractions into 2018 and the result managing a car accident at a terrible time resetting financial goals Our accomplishments in the community For Billy, this was serving as the Chair of a board of directors For Ashley, this was a special recognition she received Our travels and our favorite trip of the year -- Rome! Ashley’s first intercontinental trip Experiencing a different culture Our health journey What caused it How we kick-started healthier eating habits The need for more of a challenge Ashley operated in cruise control throughout most of the year Procrastinating on several committees out of familiarity How our work together has satisfied our need for a challenge Facilitated programs & hosting corporate workshops   We learned so much about each other and ourselves We’ve learned to meet each other where we are

As Gandhi once said “The best way to lose yourself is in service to others.” Service & community involvement was a way we initially connected in our relationship and continues to be a value we share together. In this episode, we share where our passion for service comes from, what issues we care most about, and how we continue to lean in to leadership roles in our community. Music “Sunny” by Bensound.com. What We Talked about in this Episode: Where our passion for service comes from For Ashley, volunteer and philanthropy weren't words that were used regularly by her parents but everything was about gratitude Thank you cards for the holidays were written on Christmas Day Her parents helped her understand that there are people who are less fortunate Excess wasn’t a thing, toys & games that were still very loved would be donated In high school, volunteering was a way to get out of the house but she slowly learned in importance For Billy, service was important at an early age came from his mother’s work as a social worker He would work at senior centers with her or deliver Meals on Wheels with parents His Catholic education plays a role in this because the faith is rooted in social justice What issues we are most passionate about We don’t volunteer to just volunteer, we want to make an impact Education & learning is at the center of many of our commitments We love seeing others grow and develop into leaders How service continues to be a way we come together How service initially brought us together How we know when the other person’s skill set is more needed for each of our commitments Our desire to serve on a board together How you should always gain something some service You should be gaining a new relationship, a new perspective, or a positive feeling How we have learned to lean in to leadership roles The key for both of us has been to identifying gaps and filling them Simply showing up shows commitment Being out in the community and understanding other people’s problems

Coming together in our marriage meant a shift in priorities. We became more intentional with how we spent our time and WHO we spend our time with. It isn’t fun, but many friendships shifted or even ended. In this episode, we talk about the different types of friendships that changed as we came together in our relationship and the reminder we give ourselves when we notice our friends’ shifting priorities.  Music “Sunny” by Bensound.com. What We Talked about in this Episode: The conversation that inspired this episode Ashley’s intern sought advice for managing current friendships that she feels will not last after college What type of friend’s we are in friendships Ashley is the instant BFF - makes good friends quickly, but fizzles Billy struggles to know the difference between friend and acquaintance, but keeps friends for a long period of time Friendships that changed as our relationship together grew The friend out of convenience - For Billy this was the single buddy. Once they met their significant others, the relationship came to a natural end The toxic friend - For Ashley, this was a close friend that was always difficult to manage. the time and energy was no longer worth it when also balancing a relationship The longtime friend - For Billy, this was his childhood best friend. Values were so far off after nearly 25 years that it just became difficult. The book that provided clarity on some of these friendships How conflict in friendships comes down to unclear expectations The reminder we give ourselves when we notice friends shifting priorities

In this episode of I Do, We Do, we discuss lifelong learning. Learning didn’t stop for us when we walked across the stage for our high school diplomas, bachelor’s degree, or master’s degree. Learning is a key value of ours as a couple. To grow together, we constantly challenge ourselves, to grow more, and to learn more. It takes an investment in time and financial resources. In this episode, we discuss our favorite ways to learn including  conferences, seminars, books, podcast, blogs, coaches, mentors, and self-reflection. Music “Sunny” by Bensound.com. What We Talked About in this Episode: We discuss our shared value for lifelong learning Learning doesn't end with formal education (like school) Lifelong learning can look like: formal education courses, conferences, seminars books, podcasts, blogs coaches, mentors, self-reflection Billy’s best learning has come from the things he has chosen to learn, not from things he was told he needed to learn We discuss how you can learn from books Every year, Billy sets a goal to read a book a week (only achieves some years) Billy believes in reading things that make you more of an expert, for him that is leadership development books Billy repeats some books because “repetition is the motor of learning” Some of those books are As a Man Thinketh, James Allen Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Patrick Lencioni Mindset, Carol Dweck We discuss how you can learn from other people “You’ll be successful because of the books your read and the people you meet.” Billy’s greatest mentor and coach has been his Dad You can learn about people through observations Billy has learned a lot through Ashley as well, in particular, empathy We’re better together because we teach other how to be better through the things we are individually passionate about We discuss our experiences learning through conferences & trainings In our most recent trip to Boston, we were in a training for facilitators of the New Politics Answering the Call We learned new thoughts on facilitating We are excited to learn more through the participants Billy recently attending the National Speakers Association Conference Billy learned best practices from other speakers Billy was inspired by the other 2,000 attendees Ashley is attending a conference this week Ashley walks away with entire notebooks of notes Ashley learns from the presenters, and alongside the other attendees and Ashley is excited to present this year! We discuss how learning is a commitment Every organization should invest in their people, because that is how the organization grows If your organization isn’t investing you, that doesn't mean you cannot invest in yourself you should always be investing in yourself It is the only invest in your life that you are guaranteed a return Ashley earned her MBA as an employee of the school, but continued to make the financial investment when she changed jobs even without her employer’s support We discuss how Ashley chooses to learn through podcasts Ashley plays podcast at her office nearly all day Ashley has learned alot from Jenna Kutcher’s Goal Digger podcast It’s a great way to get more intimate with the content Can learn in a more passive way to learn than reading You can learn from people who may never be able to meet and it is affordable!! We discuss how you can learn through reflection Reflection is taking the time to think back on past experiences and past activities If you didn’t learn in the moment, you can Ashley uses her bullet journal for reflection Journal prompts can be immensely helpful for guiding this Billy encourages clients to ask: What is right in my life? What is wrong in my life? What is missing in my life Reflection needs to be done in a quiet time We discuss our favorite ways to learn For Ashley it is conferences, podcasts, and reflection For Billy it is conferences, coaching, and books  

For Sue. For Billy. For Eve. For Aunt Naomi. For Grandpa and Gramdma For Uncle Eddie For Grandma Maise For Aunt Pam For everyone we loved and lost. For the ones we haven't, give them their flowers while they're here. I love you all. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/helpyouhelpmepodcast/support

In today's episode, Tegan shares the stories of her three births of Bridget, Charlotte, and her newest addition Billy. Tegan married her high school sweetheart and got pregnant with Bridget at 20. Tegan's pregnancy with Bridget was smooth and she had midwifery care through her local public hospital. Bridget's labour went for over 30 hours as she was in a posterior position. Bridget was eventually delivered with the assistance of an episiotomy and the vacuum and after over two hours of pushing, she was delivered. Charlotte's pregnancy gave Tegan quite a lot of back ache which she saw a chiropractor for regular treatment. Charlotte was a very unsettled baby and it wasn't until she was 11 months old that she was finally diagnosed with a dairy allergy. After falling pregnant very quickly with both Bridget and Charlotte, Tegan was surprised to find that she was struggling to conceive for the third time. After trying for12months, Tegan was diagnosed for the first time with PCOS Polly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome. After being diagnosed with PCOS and after trying for a year Tegan was about to start Metformin to try and help her ovulate more regularly when she conceived naturally. For Billy's pregnancy, Tegan had a student midwife who was a friend follow her through the pregnancy and she also had a birth photographer booked for the birth. Billy was delivered in the local hospital with the assistance of midwives. Billy's head presented in the amniotic sac otherwise know as en caul. The midwives cut the sac as he was delivered with the assistance of gas and air.  

Podcast #28 of the bi-weekly Trackhunter podcast, this episode is mixed by Billy Fu. Born on a beach in Thailand circa 2005, Billy comes from a rich background of sonic influence. From early house and rave days (having hands in, on and up at illegal parties on beaches and in forests on the north east coast of the UK) thru to drum and bass, prog house etc the list goes on and gets tiresome to read just like many, many other bio's. For Billy though, theres a twist. No ego, no airs or graces. It’s just about the music and always has been. Having recently returned to the U.K after plying his trade across South East Asia for 10 years (more beach parties, clubs and coconuts) he finds himself as the other half of SO/FU. Exciting times indeed for the newly formed duo. Featuring tracks found exclusively using the Trackhunter music discovery app. Check it out at http://www.trackhunter.co.uk

Travel can be tough if you go against the norms of society. You left the career path you had lined up to do what? You’re travelling the world with two kids under 5…are you nuts?? You could listen to others…or you could do what you knew was right for you. For Billy and Scarlett Thomas the standard well-worn path of get career, have kids just didn’t feel right. There motto is “have kids, will travel” and indeed they do! Since leaving the United States 3 years ago their young family have journeyed through much of Europe, and Central and South America discovering what people and life has to offer along the way. Today we talk with the Thomas’s during a break catching up with family in Utah (they are about to head to Japan for six months). During our talk they discuss the expectations that society can put on you as a graduate and as parents, and how what they have done have helped both them and their children grow. They also discuss education options for children when travelling and how you can combine travel with running a bricks and mortar business back home. You can follow their travels on Scarlett’s blog http://dancingontheground.weebly.com and talk with Billy about running a bricks and mortar business remotely at www.highergroundlearning.com What I learned from speaking with Billy and Scarlett: Children are not a barrier to doing this. Their children have embraced international travel and the experience of learning in foreign schools. They are happier and healthier for the experience and have to learn to interact with others more freely than what they may have done in a conventional environment. You can’t (and shouldn’t) protect your children from the realities of life. Their kids have seen drunks in the street and know that the world is not always a perfect place. That’s life – protecting them from it may make you feel better but it doesn’t necessarily serve them in the long run You can run a bricks and mortar business from the other side of the world. The Thomas’s have not let their business hold them back and have discovered the advantages of earning $US while living in pesos elsewhere. If you’re willing to empower others then your business needn’t hold you back.