Podcasts about never run out

Welcome to SC Church Podcast! We're so glad you could join us. Today Pastor Sarah Duron shared with us her message:“Never Run Out"

Send us a textNow is the time to grow a healthy, thriving youth ministry...if you'd like to work with us, check out GrowYourYouthMinistry.com *** Ever felt that disconnect when speaking to your youth group? You know—that moment when despite carefully choosing your words, something just isn't clicking?  In this episode, we will dive into three game-changing approaches to immediately elevate your teaching effectiveness in youth ministry.  Get ready to accelerate your teaching and watch your student ministry thrive! This episode is the youth pastor's roadmap to making that happen!=========We love hearing from you all and we do our best to provide powerful and insightful youth ministry content on a weekly basis to be that coach and mentor you may not have, but desperately need.If you have an episode idea, please E-Mail us at MinistryCoachPodcast@gmail.com!If you have it on your heart to support this ministry, please consider going to our Patreon page at: www.patreon.com/ministrycoach=========You may also enjoy these episodes:(#163) These 5 Tips Will Help Your Youth Group Retain Your Sermons!(#089) How to Get Better Engagement During Sermons in Youth Ministry(#107) How to Deliver Better Sermons - 5 Youth Pastor Tips(#218) Steal These 5 Tips to Never Run Out of Sermon Ideas for Youth Ministry=======

Technology is evolving fast, and in this episode, Derek and Tim dive deep into how AI and tools like Plaud are transforming the way contractors handle sales, communication, and organization. Derek shares his firsthand experience with Plaud, a voice recording device that captures and organizes client conversations, and how it's helping him become more efficient and professional in every step of the sales process.In this episode, Tim and Derek discussHow falling behind on tech like AI can impact your contracting businessDerek's game-changing experience using Plaud to record and transcribe sales callsWhy accurate notes are crucial for Shinfu and mini-fu sales callsThe benefits of storing notes in a CRM for future reference and marketingHow using tools like Plaud and ChatGPT streamlines communication, follow-up, and professionalismReal examples of using AI tools to better understand client needs and close more dealsThe power of visual assignment selling and sending tailored project photos during sales callsCreating digital checklists and punch lists that improve team communication and job trackingEmbracing tech to stay ahead in the industry and better serve clientsLinks from the episode: Plaud: https://www.plaud.ai/Resources:

In this episode, Tom reveals the true MVP of your website—the pricing page. He breaks down why this often-overlooked section can make or break your business, and how using it correctly can help you pre-qualify leads, build trust, and eliminate tire kickers. If you want better, more serious prospects and fewer wasted appointments, you need to stop hiding behind vague pricing excuses and start educating your market.In this episode, Tom discusses:[00:13] – Why the pricing page is the most important page on your website[00:52] – How transparency builds trust and filters quality leads[01:20] – The problem with “contact us for pricing” and how it drives prospects away[01:59] – Common excuses contractors make for avoiding pricing pages[02:25] – How to frame your pricing to educate and build credibility[02:41] – Real-life example: SimplifyPainting.com and the SEO power of pricing blogs[03:24] – Using calculators, blogs, and pricing ranges to collect leads and educate[04:23] – How detailed pricing blogs helped Tom dominate Google search results[06:01] – Story of a client who guessed the price thanks to Tom's pricing transparency[06:34] – How prospects were nearly ready to buy before the first appointment[06:57] – Frustration consumers face when they can't find pricing info[07:31] – The real results of implementing a pricing page[08:13] – How to present pricing ranges effectively to avoid scope confusion[08:26] – Why this strategy reduces wasted time and boosts lead quality[09:21] – How sending pricing info before appointments can save time and weed out unqualified leads[10:11] – The mindset shift: Be the educator, not the contractor hiding behind vague answers[10:54] – Learn more about the Leads on Demand course to attract high-quality prospectsResources:

Send us a textTariff fears are shaking things up for Amazon sellers, but panic decisions rarely pay off. Before pulling back or pivoting, sellers should rethink their timing and strategy. Steven Pope shares how to stay steady when others rush to react.Rank faster! Grab our SEO Toolkit and fix what's holding you back: https://bit.ly/3EmiXdq#AmazonTariffs #TariffImpact #EcommerceTariffs #SupplyChainStress #ImportCostsWatch these videos on YouTube:Increasing Sign Sales Without Ads https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmkufTuvNVg&list=PLDkvNlz8yl_b9RMGmU9XeqkI9D7QDOAI8&index=7PPC Help Improve Keyword Rankings? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnTkd2Qhqmg&list=PLDkvNlz8yl_b9RMGmU9XeqkI9D7QDOAI8&index=12-------------------------------------------------Got questions about your Amazon listing? Ask now and get the answers you need: https://myamazonguy.com/contact/?utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=refferalNeed expert advice on your Amazon business? Book a free coaching call: https://bit.ly/4j3mVXnTimestamps00:00 – Tariff Jitters Hit Amazon Sellers00:10 – Agency Slowdown: No Contracts in 10 Days00:22 – Why Brands Are Putting Sales on Pause00:39 – Why You Should HODL Your Amazon Business01:04 – Never Run Out of Stock: The First Rule01:22 – Reduce SKUs to Handle Supply Stress01:41 – U.S. Manufacturing Isn't the Answer Yet02:10 – The Problem With Sourcing from Vietnam02:25 – Tariffs Could Be Gone Tomorrow... Or Not02:37 – Expect 2–3 Years of Trade Pain03:12 – Tariffs Impact All Businesses, Not Just Amazon03:50 – Staying in the Same Sector Pays Off04:17 – How to Minimize Risk in Orders04:38 – Negotiate With Chinese Manufacturers05:11 – Why China Isn't Backing Down-------------------------------------------------Follow us:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/28605816/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevenpopemag/Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/myamazonguys/Twitter: https://twitter.com/myamazonguySubscribe to the My Amazon Guy podcast: https://podcast.myamazonguy.comApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/my-amazon-guy/id1501974229Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4A5ASHGGfr6s4wWNQIqyVwSupport the show

In this episode, Tim and Derek dive into the power of training, practice, and patience when it comes to mastering the sales process. They share real-world experiences from their own sales calls, highlighting how training builds confidence, enables better communication, and leads to more successful outcomes. If you're a contractor who wants to win more jobs without feeling pushy or uncertain, this episode is packed with practical insights you can use right away.In this episode Tim and Derek discuss:How consistent training and role-playing builds autopilot-level confidence during sales callsWhy it's crucial to truly listen and let the customer talk before offering solutionsThe importance of offering preliminary estimates over the phone to qualify leadsHow to handle consultation fees based on the customer's buying signalsWhy asking the right questions can uncover hidden opportunities to save both you and your client moneyThe value of patience and how waiting can lead to better solutions and higher trustHow consistent follow-up and nurturing your pipeline can turn old leads into ready-to-buy customersThe long-term benefits of investing in your sales training and communication skillsResources:

In this powerful episode, Tom sits down with longtime friend and leadership coach Adam Mock. Adam shares a deeply personal story about overcoming a dark time in his life, how one simple request changed everything, and the profound ripple effect that followed. They also dive into leadership, identity, dreaming bigger, and Adam's brand-new book, Rescue Your Dreams. Plus, Tom and Adam wrap up with a hilarious story about the time Adam got mugged—and how he handled it in a very "Adam" way.If you or someone you know is struggling, this episode is a must-listen.In this episode, Tom and Adam discuss:[00:00] Introduction to Adam Mock and his impact on Tom's life[01:44] The backstory behind Tom's “MOTOR” tattoo and brand[04:50] How Adam's encouragement helped inspire the birth of The Contractor Fight[06:30] Adam's powerful and emotional story of almost ending his life[13:18] What Adam would say to someone feeling hopeless today[17:22] The loneliness epidemic among men and entrepreneurs[25:19] Building grit and resilience: What are you willing to do or go through?[31:03] Why most people struggle to dream—and how to rescue yours[38:23] The three life-changing questions to ask yourself[41:00] The problem with chasing versus rescuing your dreams[49:30] How Adam sets and achieves massive goals[57:03] Proof Wallets' incredible act of kindness and how to win a survivor wallet[01:03:48] A hilarious story about Adam getting mugged (and why speaking up matters)Links from the episode:Grab Adam Mock's new book Rescue Your DreamsProof Wallets: https://carryproof.comDM your survivor story or nominate someone:Tom: @fightwithtomAdam: @adammock.lcsResources:

In this episode, Tom reviews real marketing materials submitted by contractors in The Contractor Fight Facebook group. He provides a no-BS analysis of websites, vehicle wraps, door hangers, and social media posts, giving praise where it's due and tough love where it's needed. Tom emphasizes that while his opinions are subjective, results are what matter—and shares practical advice on making marketing materials more effective.In this episode, Tom discusses:00:00 – Introduction to reviewing marketing materials and the importance of results over opinions00:55 – First review: Randy's website — missing clear calls to action and the importance of showcasing finished work03:37 – Reviewing Becca's playful social media video and its impact on branding05:01 – Critiquing Austin's yard signs and the overuse of generic construction icons05:40 – Alan's door hangers: the problem with cluttered designs and hard-to-read fonts07:56 – Derek' vehicle wrap : bold but Tom's thoughts on using tools in logos08:25 – Kevin and Shatoia's marketing handout: the issue with overcrowded layouts and focusing more on client testimonials09:21 – Edward's vehicle wrap: extremely busy design and confusion over the company name10:40 – Steven's business card: clean and simple with minor suggestions for patriotic color accents10:51 – Connor's website: solid effort with advice on emphasizing calls to action and adding personality13:06 – Reviewing Legacy's website: good call-to-action placement but needs better color contrast for buttons14:58 – Key marketing takeaways: clear messaging, simplicity, showcasing finished products, and visible calls to action16:33 – Final thoughts: marketing is subjective but aim for clarity, simplicity, and emotional connection16:48 – Introduction to the new Leads on Demand marketing courseResources:

Price objections are one of the most common hurdles contractors face, but they don't have to be deal-breakers. In this episode, Tim and Derek dive into real-world strategies to handle price objections with confidence and professionalism. From setting proper expectations to educating clients early, they tell you how to keep your value clear and your profits protected.In this episode, Tim and Derek discuss:Why most price objections stem from clients simply not knowing what things costThe importance of educating clients before the sales call to minimize pushbackHow to qualify prospects using Shin-Fu techniques and realistic budget discussionsUsing photos and pricing examples to help clients visualize costsWhen it's appropriate to scale back a project scope instead of discountingThe danger of negotiating prices without knowing your numbersWhy having confidence in your pricing protects both your business and your peace of mindHow being a true professional helps you attract the right clients—and repel the wrong onesResources:

Marketing is the lifeblood of your business—without leads, you don't have sales, and without sales, you don't have a business. In this episode, Tom shares exactly how to market your brand-new contracting business without a big budget or fancy tools. Whether you're just getting started or trying to restart with the right foundation, these four actionable strategies will set you on the right path.In this episode, Tom discusses:[00:00] Why no leads = no business—and how that reality fuels your success[00:21] Tom's story as an “accidental contractor” and how that shaped his marketing mindset[01:16] The #1 focus for new contractors in their first 3 years[01:29] Strategy 1: Local networking – the power of building real-world relationships and referrals[03:10] Strategy 2: Social media – leveraging free platforms to create visibility and trust[04:45] Strategy 3: Neighborhood domination – boots-on-the-ground methods to stay top of mind[06:20] Strategy 4: Content and website – why your site is one of your most valuable tools[07:46] A reminder to invest wisely: equipment vs. a website[08:04] Marketing resource and how to take your strategy even furtherLinks from the episode:The Marketing System for Contractors – LEADS ON DEMANDResources:

In this episode of The Contractor Fight, hosts Tim and Derek dig deep into the concept of resistance—how it shows up in our lives and businesses, and how facing it head-on can lead to massive breakthroughs. Using relatable stories, tough love, and contractor-tested wisdom, they explore how resistance is often a sign that you're exactly where you need to be—and that it's time to act.Whether it's sending that quote, delegating tasks, or doing the hard but necessary things, Tim and Derek make a compelling case for why contractors need to stop resisting and start doing. This is your call to stop procrastinating and take ownership of your life and business.In this episode, Tim and Derek discuss:How resistance often signals the exact thing you need to do nextWhy contractors procrastinate and how to break the cycleLetting go of perfectionism and learning to delegate effectivelyThe emotional toll of holding onto tasks and how it impacts your time and energyCreating systems and teams so you can focus on what you do bestEmpowering others by letting go—and why that benefits everyoneA hilarious Chuck Norris analogy that perfectly sums up the power of pushing throughResources: ⚔️ WAR ROOMReady to scale your business to $5,000,000 or more? No theory. No fluff. Pure action. Join nine other battle-tested contracting companies from across the country to tackle your biggest challenges head-on.https://thecontractorfight.com/war-room

In this episode, Tim and Derek dive into the importance of standards and values in contracting and business. They discuss why following through on commitments, celebrating wins, and maintaining high expectations can make or break a contractor's success. Derek shares a personal experience about receiving an industry award and how it highlighted the difference between meaningful recognition and empty gestures. The conversation explores how setting and upholding standards impacts business relationships, team morale, and overall success.In this episode, Tim and Derek discuss:The frustration of contractors and vendors not following through on their commitmentsWhy so many business owners make things harder than they need to beDerek's experience winning a Contractor of the Year award—twice—and why recognition should be meaningfulThe impact of broken processes on job timelines, customer satisfaction, and profitabilityThe trickle-down effect of poor communication and lack of accountability in businessHow celebrating wins can create a positive, motivated company cultureWhy setting high standards and expectations for your team leads to better resultsThe importance of aligning with people and businesses that share your valuesResources:

If you want to grow your business and sharpen your mindset, you need to fill your brain with the right knowledge. In this episode, Tom shares his top business book recommendations for 2024, along with must-read picks from the Battleground community. These books will help you simplify your focus, set higher standards, avoid costly mistakes, and improve your business strategy.In this episode, Tom discusses:[00:00] The importance of reading to level up your business and mindset[00:46] The One Thing by Gary Keller – How to simplify your focus and maximize results[01:27] The Standard by Ben Newman – Winning every day by setting and honoring a high standard[01:55] Winning the Contractor Fight by Tom Reber – Mastering the mindset and strategy of success[02:36] The Magic of Thinking Big by David Schwartz – Setting bigger goals to achieve more[03:19] The Road Less Stupid by Keith Cunningham – Avoiding costly mistakes and implementing "thinking time"[04:57] Courage is Calling by Ryan Holiday – How embracing discomfort leads to growth[05:25] Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller – Crafting a compelling brand message to attract more clientsLinks from the episode:

In this episode, Tom sits down with Hunter Ballew, a Marine Corps veteran and roofing industry leader who built and sold a business for $48 million in just three years. Hunter shares his journey, key marketing and sales strategies, and hard-earned lessons in scaling a contracting business. Whether you're looking to improve lead generation, build strong relationships, or create a business that thrives, this episode is packed with valuable insights.In this episode, we discuss:[00:00] Introduction: Hunter's $48M exit and roofing success[00:29] Common ground: Marines, firefighting, and entrepreneurship[02:21] The power of authenticity in business[03:18] The importance of prioritizing yourself, your home, and then your business[04:43] Hunter's massive business growth and struggles with self-doubt[06:10] The impact of pressure and mindset in entrepreneurship[07:38] Using business challenges as opportunities for growth[09:04] The Great Recession and learning to reframe business hardships[10:53] Maintaining optimism and controlling what you can in tough economies[12:44] The power of going all-in on marketing and building your brand[13:13] Hunter's business journey: From firefighter to multi-million-dollar exit[17:32] Rapid scaling: How Hunter's company hit $10M+ in revenue[19:19] Lessons from selling a business: Doing due diligence on buyers[22:12] The impact of core values and leadership in business sales[24:29] Mental and financial challenges of exiting a business[26:25] The importance of having a strong personal foundation[27:20] The biggest marketing mistakes contractors make[29:14] Relationship-building as the key to long-term business success[30:36] Understanding customer acquisition cost (CAC) and lead tracking[32:53] Facebook Ads vs. Google Ads: Choosing the right marketing strategy[34:19] The power of follow-ups and customer engagement[36:09] Scaling quickly: Hiring sales reps and building a dream team[38:02] The importance of personal development for business owners[41:15] The roadmap to scaling from $3M to $10M+ in revenue[42:43] Hiring strategies for long-term business success[44:09] Final thoughts and where to connect with HunterLinks from this episode:Lead Tracking Spreadsheet: https://thecontractorfight.com/leadsHunter's Website: https://roofing.comHunter on Instagram: @redwhiteballewResources:⚔️ WAR ROOMReady to scale your business to $5,000,000 or more? No theory. No fluff. Pure action. Join nine other battle-tested contracting companies from across the country to tackle your biggest challenges head-on.https://thecontractorfight.com/war-room

Discounts don't solve bad service. In this episode, Tim and Derek share a real-life experience of poor customer service and why offering a discount doesn't fix the root problem. They break down why a strong business should never have to rely on discounts and why delivering on promises is the best way to build loyalty.In this episode, we discuss:Why a discount can't replace great serviceThe real cost of breaking a customer's trustHow to set clear expectations and communicate delaysWhy customers just want what they asked for—no more, no lessHow promotional offers differ from discountsThe importance of running a business that never needs discountsResources:⚔️ WAR ROOMReady to scale your business to $5,000,000 or more? No theory. No fluff. Pure action. Join nine other battle-tested contracting companies from across the country to tackle your biggest challenges head-on.https://thecontractorfight.com/war-room

If your phone isn't ringing, you're not marketing your business correctly. In this episode, Tom dives into the common excuses contractors use when struggling with lead generation and why relying on word of mouth alone is a dangerous game. If you're not treating marketing like a full-time job, you're setting yourself up for failure. Tom breaks down why lead generation should be a top priority and how to build a marketing system that consistently brings in work.In this episode, we discuss:[00:00] The frustration of contractors complaining about slow business[00:25] Why your job isn't just about the work—you need to sell[00:54] The feast-and-famine cycle and how to break free[01:19] Why lead generation should be an obsession[01:47] Word of mouth is not a marketing strategy[02:39] Why being a great craftsman isn't enough for business success[03:27] How the updated Marketing Bootcamp LEADS ON DEMAND can help contractors generate consistent leads[04:15] Why mindset and commitment determine whether your business thrives[04:44] Actionable steps to improve your marketing todayResources:

Are you running a business, or are you just repeating the same year over and over again? In this episode, Steve shares insights on how to stop winging it and start running a business that works for you. From letting go of micromanagement, to creating repeatable processes that lead to long-term success. This episode is a wake-up call for business owners stuck in a cycle of frustration. Learn how to build a thriving business without you having to be involved in every little detail.In this episode Steve discusses…The importance of developing repeatable processes for successWhy you need to stop micromanaging and trust your teamHow shifting from a money-centric to a people-centric approach changes everythingCreating a business that runs itself while giving employees ownershipHow Steve transformed his businesses by stepping back and letting things unfold naturallyResources:⚔️ WAR ROOMReady to scale your business to $5,000,000 or more? No theory. No fluff. Pure action. Join nine other battle-tested contracting companies from across the country to tackle your biggest challenges head-on.https://thecontractorfight.com/war-room

Do you ever struggle with what to say to women—either in person or when trying to craft the perfect text? Dating coach Connell Barrett gives you the 7 Best Banter Topics so you can keep conversations flirty and free-flowing. Whether you're talking to her in person or messaging on your phone, just reach for one of these foolproof topics for instant banter. And you don't need to be naturally witty. These simple tips will work for any guy! Plus, you'll learn the Playful Pivot, a powerful technique that takes your banter to a masterful level.Highlights of this Episode:03:20: The 7 Best Banter Topics to Never Run Out of Things to Say04:47: The Words She's Dying to Hear from You09:17: The “Desert Island” Question that Ignites Instant Attraction11:44: The Storytelling Trick that Makes You Charismatic16:47: The Topic That Sparks Playful, Engaging Conversations17:35: The “What If” Question that Makes You Different from Other Guys19:45: The Playful Pivot—How to Master Flirty Banter and Become IrresistibleGet ready to attract women effortlessly with great banter. Listen now.WANT TO TAKE YOUR FLIRTY BANTER TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL? BOOK A FREECALL WITH CONNELL TO LEARN ABOUT 1-1 COACHING:www.DatingTransformation.com

In this episode, Tim and Derek discuss the concept of "turd polishing" in contracting—finding creative, effective solutions that don't always require tearing everything out and starting from scratch. They share real-world examples of when a simple fix saved thousands of dollars and how contractors can apply this mindset to their businesses. Instead of assuming the only way forward is complete demolition and rebuild, they explore how innovative thinking and client-centered solutions can create more opportunities and boost profitability.In this episode, we discuss:The concept of "turd polishing" and why it's a valuable tool in a contractor's arsenalHow rigid thinking about tear-outs can limit both income and customer satisfactionA real-world example of a failing ceiling repair that saved thousands with a simple approachThe importance of balancing safety with cost-effective solutionsHow contractors can use creativity to provide value without reducing their profit marginsWhy small, efficient jobs can often be just as profitable as larger, more complex projectsThe role of trust-building in customer relationships and how smaller jobs can lead to long-term business growthResources:⚔️ WAR ROOM Ready to scale your business to $5,000,000 or more? No theory. No fluff. Pure action. Join nine other battle-tested contracting companies from across the country to tackle your biggest challenges head-on. https://thecontractorfight.com/war-room

In this episode of the Contractor Intervention, Tom sits down with Austin, a GC from Pennsylvania who has struggled with negative net profit for four years. Juggling multiple businesses, his construction company isn't making money. In this conversation, they break down the root cause of his financial struggles and uncover the number one thing that will immediately move the needle toward profitability. If you're stuck on a financial hamster wheel, this episode is for you.In this episode, we discuss:[00:00] Introduction to Austin and his contracting business[01:55] The various businesses Austin has been involved in over the years[03:22] Breaking down his construction revenue and financial struggles[04:51] The reality of bringing in revenue vs. actually making a profit[06:19] Job costing, inefficiencies, and how small improvements can boost margins[07:43] The importance of pre-job costing and estimating at a 50% gross profit[09:37] The key problem behind four years of unprofitable business[11:03] The dangers of chasing too many business ventures at once[12:32] Why Austin needs to go all-in on his highest-earning opportunity: Construction[13:59] The limiting belief around raising prices—and why contractors CAN charge more[15:56] How sales training can make the difference between profit and loss[17:54] Austin's struggle with pricing and how small adjustments can add up[19:15] The right way to approach pricing and bracketing in sales conversations[22:33] The role of pre-selling and setting expectations with homeowners[24:52] Austin's current bottlenecks: too much fieldwork, not enough sales focus[26:44] The impact of hiring a project manager or admin assistant[28:39] Building a strong subcontractor network to scale up[30:33] The common mistake of trying to serve too many low-dollar clients[33:02] Two key lessons: commit to 50% gross profit and invest in sales training[36:43] Why being emotionally unattached to sales outcomes is a game-changer[40:59] How a contractor can completely transform their financials within a year[44:53] The long-term benefits of sales mastery and strategic pricing[50:09] Wrapping up: Key takeaways and next steps for Austin[51:37] Where to find Austin and connect with his businessResources:⚔️ WAR ROOMReady to scale your business to $5,000,000 or more? No theory. No fluff. Pure action. Join nine other battle-tested contracting companies from across the country to tackle your biggest challenges head-on.https://thecontractorfight.com/war-room

In this episode, Steve breaks down his personal marketing journey—from starting his business in 2001 with Yellow Pages ads to building a highly profitable marketing machine through digital strategies. He shares the lessons he learned, the mistakes he made, and the investments that ultimately helped him generate millions in sales.If you've ever felt overwhelmed by marketing, Steve's insights will give you a no-BS roadmap for making it work in your contracting business.What You'll Learn in This Episode:The difference between push marketing (home shows, Yellow Pages) vs. pull marketing (SEO, Google Ads).Why home shows and traditional advertising were hit-or-miss.How Steve transitioned from throwing money at marketing to tracking ROI and making data-driven decisions.The power of video marketing and why simple, real-world content converts better than overly polished ads.How Steve scaled his business using content, SEO, and a strong online presence.Why hiring his son to manage marketing was his best decision—and how he leveraged in-house expertise to dominate his niche.The long-term mindset required to make marketing work and why you need to start TODAY.Resources:⚔️ WAR ROOM Ready to scale your business to $5,000,000 or more? No theory. No fluff. Pure action. Join nine other battle-tested contracting companies from across the country to tackle your biggest challenges head-on. https://thecontractorfight.com/war-room

Tim and Derek discuss when it makes sense to charge a consult fee and when it doesn't. They break down different scenarios, including emergencies, past clients, and referrals, to help contractors confidently navigate the decision.In this episode, Tim and Derek discuss:Why the decision to charge a consult fee depends on the situationWhen is it appropriate to waive a consult fee for long-term clientsHow to differentiate between a consult fee and a service feeThe importance of understanding client urgency and emotional anchoringHow proper pre-qualification can reduce unnecessary consultsThe role of past client relationships in pricing decisionsHow to frame design fees to add value instead of resistanceWhy inexperienced contractors may benefit from charging a small fee at firstHow automation and follow-up systems can help identify high-value leadsWhy contractors should focus on getting the right opportunity rather than just charging for timeResources:⚔️ WAR ROOM Ready to scale your business to $5,000,000 or more? No theory. No fluff. Pure action. Join nine other battle-tested contracting companies from across the country to tackle your biggest challenges head-on.https://thecontractorfight.com/war-room

Tom breaks down the essential mindsets that separate the top-performing contractors from the rest. Adopting these mindsets will set you apart and accelerate your success if you want to scale your business to $5 million and beyondEpisode Highlights:[00:00] - Introduction: What it takes to reach $5 million in revenue[00:26] - The small percentage of contractors who reach these levels[00:55] - The importance of having a visionary mindset and thinking long-term[01:20] - Reverse engineering your success by focusing on outcomes[01:50] - Delegation and trust: Why you can't scale if you don't let go[02:19] - Allowing your team to make mistakes and grow[02:48] - How to identify what you should delegate[03:16] - The obsession with numbers: Why knowing your financials is critical[03:45] - Understanding job costing, gross profit margins, and overhead[04:09] - Why revenue alone doesn't matter—it's about profitability[04:38] - The customer experience is everything[05:07] - Why top contractors stop competing on price[05:37] - The power of customer retention and repeat business[06:03] - The game-changing question: "How big would your business be if you never lost a customer?"[06:32] - Creating a culture of accountability[07:00] - The balance between delegation and responsibility[07:28] - Defining company culture based on expectations and tolerances[07:57] - Why the best employees hold themselves accountable[08:26] - The secret to successful hiring: Finding competitive, high-integrity team members[08:52] - How blocking and tackling the basics consistently leads to success[09:21] - The importance of surrounding yourself with high-performing people[09:49] - War Room applications for those serious about scaling beyond $1MResources:⚔️ WAR ROOM Ready to scale your business to $5,000,000 or more? No theory. No fluff. Pure action. Join nine other battle-tested contracting companies from across the country to tackle your biggest challenges head-on. https://thecontractorfight.com/war-room

In this episode, Steve discusses how we all experience chaos in life and business, and why self-awareness is key to breaking negative cycles. He shares personal insights on overcoming subconscious habits, building financial security, and creating a life that leads to long-term happiness.In this episode, Steve discusses:Why we continue to repeat negative habits and patternsThe impact of childhood experiences on decision-making and self-sabotageHow to transition from chaos, to a place of happiness and stabilityWhy "faking it until you make it" can be necessary for building confidence in businessThe psychological shift that happens when you save your first $100,000The importance of financial security and retirement savings for long-term peace of mindWhy fixing past emotional baggage is essential for sustaining successThe dangers of reverting to bad habits if you don't address past strugglesHow overcoming guilt around money and success allows for sustainable wealth-buildingHow hitting rock bottom can serve as a catalyst for growth and reinventionResources:⚔️ WAR ROOM Ready to scale your business to $5,000,000 or more? No theory. No fluff. Pure action. Join nine other battle-tested contracting companies from across the country to tackle your biggest challenges head-on. https://thecontractorfight.com/war-room

Tim and Derek dive into the power of emotional anchoring in sales and client relationships. Using a real-life situation where Derek experienced an emergency at home, they break down how contractors can use emotional connection to better serve clients, build trust, and close more deals.Episode Highlights:[00:00] - Introduction: Tim welcomes Derek back to the show[00:30] - Derek shares a personal emergency that tested his understanding of emotional anchoring[01:27] - The shocking moment when Derek's ceiling collapsed and how he reacted[03:21] - Reaching out to a trusted contractor in an urgent situation[03:51] - What emotional anchoring is and how it influences customer decision-making[04:45] - How Derek's contractor used emotional anchoring to reassure him[06:09] - The key emotional triggers that influence purchasing decisions[07:42] - Why trust and familiarity matter in high-stakes sales situations[08:34] - How contractors can recognize and leverage emotional cues in conversations[10:56] - The difference between emotional anchoring and mirroring[12:18] - Why every buying decision has an emotional component[14:41] - The role of storytelling in making emotional connections with clients[16:08] - How mastering emotional anchoring makes you the most likable and trusted contractorResources:⚔️ WAR ROOM Ready to scale your business to $5,000,000 or more? No theory. No fluff. Pure action. Join nine other battle-tested contracting companies from across the country to tackle your biggest challenges head-on.https://thecontractorfight.com/war-room

Tom discusses the undeniable truth that the growth of your business is directly tied to your ability to lead. If you're not seeing the results you want, it may be time to evaluate how you show up as a leader and make the necessary adjustments to push your business forward.Episode Highlights:[00:00] - Introduction: Leadership as the determining factor in business growth[00:25] - The need for personal development before business success[00:54] - How lack of leadership leads to stagnation[01:37] - Why blaming external factors is a failure in leadership[02:06] - The importance of consistently working on your leadership skills[02:46] - The difference between a business that thrives and one that stays stuck[03:25] - Final thoughts: Your business will never outgrow youResources:⚔️ WAR ROOMReady to scale your business to $5,000,000 or more? No theory. No fluff. Pure action. Join nine other battle-tested contracting companies from across the country to tackle your biggest challenges head-on.https://thecontractorfight.com/war-room

In this episode, Steve breaks down the reality that luck isn't something that just happens to you—it's something you create. He shares hard-hitting stories about friends who missed opportunities and the power of taking control of your own path. From making decisive career moves to surrounding yourself with the right people, Steve challenges contractors to stop making excuses and start putting themselves in the right place at the right time. He emphasizes the importance of time, intentional decision-making, and showing up for opportunities—because waiting for the perfect moment means missing out.Episode Highlights:[00:00] - The myth of bad luck and why you must create your own opportunities[00:29] - The importance of taking action instead of waiting for the "perfect" time[00:59] - How Steve's approach to Shin-Fu changed the way he does business[01:27] - Taking responsibility for your success or failures—it's all on you[02:26] - Real-life examples of people who missed out on life-changing opportunities[05:17] - Why Steve moved to a place that enhances his happiness and quality of life[06:15] - The truth about time—why you should treat it like a limited bank account[07:45] - How to find and get on your "train of success"[08:42] - Showing up to your train station: hard work meets opportunityResources:⚔️ WAR ROOMReady to scale your business to $5,000,000 or more? No theory. No fluff. Pure action. Join nine other battle-tested contracting companies from across the country to tackle your biggest challenges head-on.

In this episode, Tom sits down with Brian Gottlieb, an industry leader who has built and sold multiple home improvement businesses for hundreds of millions of dollars. They discuss key performance indicators (KPIs), leadership strategies, and how to scale a business the right way. If you're serious about growing your company, this conversation is packed with actionable insights.Episode Highlights:[00:00] - Introduction to Brian Gottlieb and his incredible background in the home improvement industry[01:21] - The importance of forecasting and how it helps scale a business[03:31] - Why most contractors make the mistake of scaling too soon[04:31] - How to know when it's the right time to scale your business[06:48] - The power of team alignment and why your employees must perform well even in your absence[08:38] - Brian's journey: Starting with $3,000 and a folding table to building a multi-million dollar company[09:58] - The 7% rule: Setting aside money for marketing to ensure business growth[12:45] - The key signs that indicate it's time to hire a salesperson[13:43] - How training and company culture play a bigger role than raw talent[16:04] - The importance of specialization and eliminating complexity in your business[20:43] - Why giving employees a mission, not just a job, leads to long-term success[22:40] - The lowest level of acceptable behavior defines your company culture[27:53] - The critical role of leadership in empowering employees and removing bottlenecks[29:45] - How to align your business goals with your employees' personal growth[33:04] - Why Brian believes HVAC and pool maintenance are the best trades to enter today[37:50] - How to structure KPIs for every role in your business, including admin staff[40:46] - Brian's upcoming book Beyond the Hammer and why it's a must-read for contractors[47:17] - Where to find more about Brian and sign up for updates on his bookResources:⚔️WAR ROOM Ready to scale your business to $5,000,000 or more? No theory. No fluff. Pure action. Join nine other battle-tested contracting companies from across the country to tackle your biggest challenges head-on

In this episode of The Contractor Intervention, Tom sits down with Bryce, a Minnesota-based landscaper and Marine Corps veteran, to tackle a unique challenge: how to keep Bryce's business running during his year-long deployment. They explore options for leadership, subcontracting, and scaling down operations while maintaining momentum for the future.Episode Highlights:[00:00] - Introduction to Bryce and his unique situation[01:25] - Bryce's background: Marine Corps veteran, Army reservist, and landscaper[03:45] - The challenge of preparing for a deployment while running a business[04:18] - Financial goals and the limitations of a one-person operation[08:05] - Exploring the possibility of hiring a right-hand person to run the business[09:05] - Pros and cons of subcontracting to keep operations running[11:33] - How to decide whether to pause operations or keep going[15:28] - Leveraging subcontractors to minimize stress and keep income flowing[18:22] - Creating a niche within the landscaping industry for higher efficiency[23:05] - Planning for the future: building a sustainable business post-deployment[28:50] - The importance of unity with your spouse in making business decisions[30:17] - Strategies for building the brand while on deployment[37:15] - Final advice: weighing the options and ensuring family and business alignmentResources:

In this episode, Tim and Derek dive into what makes an ideal team member and how to hire for long-term success. They discuss why hiring for personality and attitude often outweighs skills and provide actionable strategies to build a team aligned with your company's standards and vision.In this episode, they discuss:Why personality and attitude are critical in hiring decisions and how they affect team dynamics.The importance of setting clear standards for employees and holding them accountable.Strategies for identifying red flags during the hiring process, such as attention to detail and cleanliness.How to foster a culture of recognition to motivate team members and reinforce positive behaviors.Real-life examples of creating a strong, accountable team that takes ownership of their work and contributes to a thriving business.Resources:

Tom shares the single most effective pricing strategy to transform your contracting business. By implementing this approach, you can significantly boost your profits and avoid the common mistakes that keep many contractors stuck in the financial gutter.Episode Highlights:[00:00] - Introduction and overview of today's topic: Pricing for profitability[00:27] - Tom's personal story of losing money on a project due to poor pricing[00:57] - Why every contractor should aim for at least a 50% gross profit margin[01:52] - How a broken money mindset impacts your ability to charge appropriately[02:22] - Stop selling in the way you buy: Overcoming limiting beliefs about value[03:17] - The T-BAR framework: How thoughts, beliefs, actions, and results shape your pricing strategy[03:47] - Practical steps to shift your money mindset and charge what you're worth[04:16] - Introduction to the 50% gross profit calculator and how it simplifies pricing[04:44] - The Contractor Business School: A comprehensive resource for contractors earning less than $500K annually[05:17] - Final thoughts: Building confidence in your pricing strategy and embracing your valueResources:

In this episode, Tim and Derek discuss the challenges and opportunities of growing a contracting business. They explore deciding when to scale, the importance of building strong foundations, and strategies for creating a sustainable, efficient operation. With candid insights from their own experiences, they share practical tips to help contractors determine their next steps.In this episode, they discuss:Deciding how big you want your company to grow and aligning your goals with your personal vision.Why having the right foundation—such as job management systems, employee handbooks, and processes—is crucial for sustainable growth.The importance of delegation and creating a team that allows your business to operate without being owner-dependent.Examples of contractors who scaled their businesses successfully by focusing on communication and efficiency.How to determine whether adding vehicles, employees, or services aligns with your long-term vision.The role of consistent communication as a differentiator in the contracting industry and how it builds trust with clients.Resources:

In this episode, Tom discusses practical strategies to maintain consistent income during the slower months of the year. Tom shares how contractors can overcome the seasonal slump and keep their cash flow steady by focusing on relationship-building, networking, and strategic service expansion.Episode Highlights:[00:00] - Introduction: Tackling the challenges of slow seasons[01:00] - Leveraging your past clients for repeat business and referrals[01:57] - Overcoming the fear of reaching out to past clients and why it's a goldmine for contractors[02:26] - The importance of networking groups and community involvement for long-term success[03:22] - How networking is like farming: patience and consistency pay off[03:48] - Adding adjacent services to your offerings during the off-season[04:18] - Examples of additional services, such as snow removal and Christmas light installation[04:48] - Introducing CONTRACTOR BUSINESS SCHOOL[05:17] - Final thoughts: Taking action on low-hanging fruit to boost cash flowResources:

Send us a textStruggling with high PPC costs? Here are 10 Amazon PPC tips to cut ad spend while keeping sales strong. Want a FREE Amazon PPC Guide for 2025? Grab here: https://bit.ly/4gwtOzi#AmazonPPC #EcommerceAds #AmazonSellerTips #AmazonAds Watch these videos on YouTube:Does PPC affect SEO? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnTkd2Qhqmg&list=PLDkvNlz8yl_a1PRDJWRoR4yIM8K5Ft569&index=6Optimize your ads with these tips https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0aTweEWSsM&list=PLDkvNlz8yl_a1PRDJWRoR4yIM8K5Ft569&index=2---------------------------------------------------------------Learn how to make your main image work http://bit.ly/3ZuylezGet strategies to increase your sales http://bit.ly/3Vbhtb6Use this form to tell us what's wrong in your account and we'll solve it http://bit.ly/3B4ig70Timestamps00:00 - Introduction: The Problem With PPC Costs00:51 - Tip 1: Never Run Out of Budget01:44 - Tip 2: Improve Your Main Image03:04 - Promo Code for Main Image!03:30 - Tip 3: Add Negative Keywords to Save Money05:10 - Tip 4: Use Dayparting for Better Budget Allocation06:45 - Tip 5: Free Traffic Through Social Posts07:17 - Tip 6: Broad Match Modifier Explained10:07 - Tip 7: Budget Campaigns for Large Catalogs11:10 - Tip 8: Calculate ACOS Expectations Accurately12:33 - Tip 9: Custom Headline Images for Sponsored Ads14:07 - Tip 10: Using Lifetime Metrics for Long-Term Insights---------------------------------------------------------------Follow us:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/28605816/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevenpopemag/Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/myamazonguys/Twitter: https://twitter.com/myamazonguySubscribe to the My Amazon Guy podcast: https://podcast.myamazonguy.comApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/my-amazon-guy/id1501974229Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4A5ASHGGfr6s4wWNQIqyVwSupport the show

Nick Broekema, a former agency owner and LinkedIn content design specialist, joined me for today's episode. Nick shares his transition from agency life to creating content on LinkedIn, leading to a successful and fulfilling career. He explains the importance of consistency, discipline, and targeting the right audience through relevant content and how he leverages LinkedIn to cherry-pick his clients. He offers actionable advice on content creation, leveraging client feedback, and staying disciplined in business. Tune in now to learn from Nick's experience in building a following of over 56,000, 20 million impressions, and how he 8x his income through LinkedIn.

Chances are, you struggle with flirting. You're not sure how to talk to women, and you run out of things to say. It hurts your confidence and your dating results. But what if you knew exactly how to talk to girls in a way they love, leading to great dates and deep connections? In part 2 of his 5-part series to help you get you a great girlfriend, dating coach Connell Barrett teaches you a new way to flirt. You're about to harness the power of Man-to-Woman Communication, a simple way to confidently talk to women with charm and authenticity.In this episode, dating coach and bestselling author Connell Barrett will discuss:(4:58) The “Aha!” Moment when he Realized the Power of Man-to-Woman Communication(13:08) The Reason You Get Stuck in the Friend Zone(14:28) The 3 Pillars of Man-to-Woman Communication(16:20) How to Never Run out of Things to Say(18:30) The “80-20 Rule” to Help You Flirt with Genuine Charm, Not Manipulative Tactics(20:21) 10 Tested Flirting Moves Connell and His Clients Use(22:40) How to Make Her Swoon: the Right Way to Give a Compliment(29:37) The Difference Between Flirting (Good!) and Fawning (Bad!)(34:00) The Flirty Text Message that Helped Connell Charm His Future Girlfriend(37:11) The Right Way to Touch a Woman on First Dates… and the WRONG Way(41:40) The Most Potent Weapon in Your Dating Arsenal(43:15) 5 Flirting Fails You Must Avoid(49:20) 3 Back-pocket Questions to Assure You'll Never Run Out of Things to SayAre you ready to stop struggling when talking to women and start flirting with charm and authenticity? Learn the art of Man-to-Woman Communication. Listen now!FOR A FREE STRATEGY CALL WITH CONNELL TO LEARN HOW TO CONFIDENTLY FLIRT WITH WOMEN BY BEING AUTHENTIC (NO SKETCHY PICKUP MOVES NEEDED):http://www.datingtransformation.com/contactTO GET FREE ACCESS TO “THE FLIRTY 30,” 30 CHARMING QUESTIONS TO ASK WOMEN ON DATES, ON THE APPS, AND WHEN YOU APPROACH:http://www.datingtransformation.com/FLIRTY30Quotes"Man-to-woman communication is like turbocharged flirting—it simplifies and authenticates romantic connections." - Connell Barnett"I think the most powerful tool you can bring to your dating life is playfulness." - Connell Barnett

What is the Portfolio Waterfall? With it, can you really get a SAFE 6% withdrawal rate in retirement? Is the 4% rule dead in light of this new, revolutionary, strategy? 00:00 - Intro 00:39 - Brainstorming with Bears, Honey, and Helicopters 06:12 - Portfolio Waterfall Explained 13:21 - Results of My Portfolio Waterfall Study - (20 years) 15:07 - What's the Tradeoff?? 17:17 - 30 Year Results 18:15 - 40 Year Results 18:55 - 50 Year Results 19:27 - Characterizing the Portfolio Waterfall 20:15 - 60 Year Results 21:03 - Ending Nest Egg Value Tradeoff Abated! 21:37 - My Thoughts on These Results 22:13 - Assumptions for My Proof of Concept Model 23:01 - Historical Data 27:40 - Simulated Data  35:41 - Portfolio Waterfall Website - https://portfoliowaterfall.com/ 36:27 - Closing Thoughts Today's episode covers a very new and revolutionary topic that applies some NEW ideas. For this reason, in today's story, Jay shares a how some seemingly silly brainstorming resulted in a real solution to power outages in Alaska. This story involves bears, honey, and helicopters. The lesson here in is how real solutions and progress can benefit from open-minded efforts to think critically even when an idea seems pretty out there. The main topic explains a revolutionary new retirement distribution strategy - the Portfolio Waterfall! This is the brain child of the financial adviser, Josh Curtis. These results are ASTOUNDING! Can this strategy actually DOUBLE your income in retirement? Is the 4% rule history? Be sure to listen all the way through to fully understand the assumptions of this model. The simulated results required a new method of modeling fully unique to our work here at HopeFilled Financial Coaching. We welcome your comments and questions on this topic. We are sincerely excited to share this exciting strategy with you. For more background on this strategy check out these videos: Mutual Funds Uncovered: https://youtu.be/TJGnWQMMtAA  New Retirement Study: https://youtu.be/I8TFUMUnG3E How to Never Run Out of Money: https://youtu.be/NDYPoIBeX0A Kicking the Bucket Retirement Strategy: https://youtu.be/JDfOsfrIhFs Viral 8% Dave Ramsey Call Episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BugfOEGzG0Y Note: I mentioned in this episode that the latest study I completed for comparison is from January. This study and the above episode on it were published in March of this year even though the work on the model started in January. Please don't forget to like, share, and subscribe! Doing so helps us grow and share HopeFilled financial wisdom. We release a new episode every Tuesday! Subscribe if you don't ever want to miss an episode! You can submit a question on our website (hopefilledfinancial.com) or message us on Facebook (@HopeFilledFinancial). Disclaimer: This podcast serves as educational entertainment only. Any and all opinions relating to real estate, law, taxes, insurance, and/or securities investing that may be contained within this podcast should not be interpreted or implemented as recommendations nor advice. The opinions related to these topics – especially those regulated by state and/or federal entities – should never be taken as replacement for advice from a competent, licensed professional. HopeFilled Financial Coaching is not liable for any individual acting on any understanding of topics directly or indirectly related to real estate, legal practice, taxes, insurance, or investing even if an individual in question changed their understanding after listening to this podcast. All listeners are entirely responsible for seeking advice from licensed professionals before taking any action of their own. Our Website: HopeFilledFinancial.com Music: "Take Me Higher" by Jahzzar Music Copyright License: This music is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA.

Curious about keeping your travel rewards game strong over the long haul? Today, we're diving deep into the world of travel rewards, sharing our top strategies for earning points and miles that keep on giving. We're Pam, Alex, and Jess, and we're here to uncover the methods that keep our points balances healthy year after year. Join us as we share our favorite approach: credit card welcome offers. It's the gold mine for anyone in the points game, providing the biggest returns with the least effort. Imagine turning everyday spending into free flights and luxury hotel stays—yes, it's entirely possible with the right signup bonuses! But it doesn't stop there. We know not everyone wants to juggle multiple cards. So, we're also breaking down how you can maximize points through daily spending without signing up for new cards every month. From shopping portals like Rakuten to maximizing category bonuses on existing cards, we've got the insider tips that make every dollar count. And for those who think they might run out of cards to open, we have some reassurance: with new cards hitting the market and old favorites making comebacks, there's always a way to refresh your wallet with lucrative opportunities. Ready to boost your travel rewards strategy and keep those points coming for years? Hit play to dive into this treasure trove of tips and tricks with us, the Travel Mom Squad. Your next dream vacation could be just a few points away! Links For This Episode:  Pam's Rakuten link: http://www.rakuten.com/r/PAMIOR?eeid=28187  Jess's Rakuten link: https://www.rakuten.com/r/PWRJES?eeid=28187 Alex's Rakuten link: http://www.rakuten.com/r/ALEXPA114?eeid=28187 Cardpointers affiliate link: https://cardpointers.com/travelmomsquad  ‌Cashback Monitor: https://www.cashbackmonitor.com ‌Chase My Bonus: http://Chase.com/mybonus   Links For All Things Travel Mom Squad: stan.store/travelmomsquad   Episode Minute By Minute: 0:02 How to Never Run Out of Points and Nearly Free Trips!   1:12 Unlocking the Power of Credit Card Welcome Offers (HUGE Tip!) 2:38 Alternative Methods for Earning Points Without New Cards 4:00 Why We Skip Low-Return Strategies Like Dining Rewards 5:23 Shopping Portals and Referral Points Explained 7:06 Strategies for Reapplying and Managing Credit Card Rules 11:22 Maximizing Bonus Categories for Everyday Spending 15:53 Strategic Use of Points for Travel and Upgrades 25:18 The Importance of Strategy in Points Accumulation 36:04 Leveraging Business Expenditures for More Points 44:31 Keeping Track of Points and Planning for Future Travel

Christian has two great conversations with musicians. First, he talks to Hall of Famer Rickey Medlocke of Lynyrd Skynyrd and Blackfoot about his new song "Never Run Out of Road" and the charitable aspect of the song's release. Then, Peter Argyropulus talks about putting together his band Sons of Silver, his appreciation for different styles of music, favorite concert-going memories and much more!

Welcome to THE SETH WILLIAMS SHOW! Join Seth and Chris as they chat with Rickey Medlocke, the legendary musician from Lynyrd Skynyrd and Blackfoot. Medlocke shares insights into his new charitable single "Never Run Out of Road" and the future of Lynyrd Skynyrd. Discover if retirement is on his horizon and more. Plus, they delve into the recent eclipse and Wrestlemania XL. Stay tuned for a fiery discussion on politics! Don't miss out! Hashtags: #SethWilliamsShow #RickeyMedlocke #LynyrdSkynyrd #Blackfoot #Musician #CharitySingle #WrestlemaniaXL #Eclipse #Entertainment #TalkShow #Politics #Discussion **NOTE: Everything said here, and on every episode of all of our shows are 100% the opinions of the hosts. Nothing is stated as fact. Do your own research to see if their opinions are true or not.** --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cmspn/message

Rickey Medlocke: Eclipse, Wrestlemania, and Rock ‘n’ Roll? Welcome to THE SETH WILLIAMS SHOW! Join Seth and Chris as they chat with Rickey Medlocke, the legendary musician from Lynyrd Skynyrd and Blackfoot. Medlocke shares insights into his new charitable single “Never Run Out of Road” and the future of Lynyrd Skynyrd. Discover if retirement is […]

In this episode Rickey Medlocke joins the podcast. Rickey talks about his new single “Never Run Out of Road”, working with the MMIW and what it means to him, writing and recording with Mark Woerpul, writing with Charlie Starr of Blackberry Smoke, more new RMB music, Rock the Cause records, performing Blackfoot songs, his deep brotherhood with Gary Rossington, his wife Stacy Michelle (Lynyrd Skynyrd / Kid Rock / Joe Walsh), why he felt Damon Johnson was the perfect choice to fill Gary's spot, Brother Cane, fishing, Ronnie Van Zant, Johnny Van Zant, Allen Collins, his love for animals, some old and new stories involving LS and Blackfoot, and a ton more! Thanks for listening, and please share! #podcast #rickeymedlocke #lynyrdskynyrd #blackfoot This episode is brought to you by DEB Concerts. Follow DEB on Facebook and Twitter to get updates on upcoming shows from Faster Pussycat, Rocklahoma's Roadhouse Stage, and more! This episode is also brought to you by Sunset Tattoo Tulsa. Sunset Tattoo has over 25 years of experience, and is located at 3146 E. 15th St. in Tulsa, OK. Native owned, and a female tattoo artist in house. The tattoos are "Done Good and Proper" so be sure to like their facebook page for more details. Stream us anytime everywhere podcasts are heard.

www.atravelpath.com We were so glad to be able to chat with Kyle and Renee Hanks from Happily Ever Hanks! They shared their inspiring story of how they uprooted their lives to pursue full time travel in order to get the most fulfillment out of life. In this episode you'll learn all about:   Getting Out Of Debt Kyle and Renee attribute much of their Freedom to the habits they developed to getting out of debt and not having to constantly pay large bills and debts every month. We learn some actionable steps they took to get themselves out of $230k in debt!   How to Seek Fulfillment Tired of the mundane 9-5 work life with only two weeks off out of they year, they wanted to pursue something different. They discussed how the loneliness of the road can be nerve-wracking at times, but it's also proved to be a great source of fulfillment, knowing they are out on their own and getting through everything. They discuss chasing the addiction of finally getting one whole month off from work, and how they turned it into a game so that they could find ways to take even more time off.   When Things Go Wrong Kyle and Renee shared a few things that cause them frustrations while they are on the road, and how they have learned to just laugh at times. They make a really good point about how when things go wrong, they have two choices: They can either get upset about it, or stay positive, share a laugh, and get through it.   Learn all this and much, much more during this inspiration-filled chat with Happily Ever Hanks!   Chapters ·        00:00 Introduction ·        04:30 What was some of the skepticism you faced when you started out in your RV? ·        06:15 How did you balance work and travel when you were travel nursing? ·        07:45 How long have you been out of travel nursing for? ·        09:30 How were you able to get out of $230k of debt? ·        11:45 When did travel become a priority for you? ·        12:45 What are the biggest frustrations you face currently while traveling? ·        15:45 Saying goodbye to family for the first time. ·        16:45 Any mistakes or embarrassing stories you'd like to share? ·        21:00 How do you handle it when things go wrong? ·        21:30 What do you love most about your RV lifestyle? ·        22:45 RV Techs ·        23:30 Do you have any advice for someone looking to buy an RV for the first time? ·        25:45 How do you get internet while traveling? ·        29:15 What does your budget look like while traveling? ·        32:30 What is it like traveling with a cat in your RV? ·        34:00 What has been your coolest travel experience? ·        36:15 What is one thing you need & don't need while traveling? ·        38:30 What tools should every RVer have? ·        41:00 Using the trucker lanes. ·        43:00 Who influenced you to travel?   Happily Ever Hanks on Social ·        Website: https://www.happilyeverhanks.com/ ·        YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HappilyEverHanks ·        Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/happilyeverhanks/ ·        Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/happilyeverhanks ·        TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@happilyeverhanks   Videos from Happily Ever Hanks ·        Financial Independence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlIOjC7eyl0&t=182s ·        Avoid These Mistakes When Buying an RV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VolVHbO1_L0   Past Episodes ·        Travel Nursing with Dakota and Courtney: https://atravelpath.com/travel-nursing/ ·        Part 1 with Laura and Jason: https://atravelpath.com/road-trip-with-kids/ ·        Part 2 with Laura and Jason: https://atravelpath.com/florid-keys/   Resources ·        Dave Ramsey Books: https://store.ramseysolutions.com/books/all-books/ ·        RV Dealer Mentioned: https://www.tomschaeffers.com/   Camping ·        Bahia Honda Campground: https://www.floridastateparks.org/BahiaHonda   Budgeting Tools ·        Tiller: https://www.tillerhq.com/ ·        Microsoft Excel/Google Sheets   RV Tools ·        VIAIR Air Compressor: https://amzn.to/3TBoIrn ·        Pole Buddy: https://amzn.to/3xjiRQ4 ·        (Commissions may be earned from purchases made on this page)   YouTube Channels Reference ·        Long Long Honeymoon: https://www.youtube.com/@LongLongHoneymoon ·        Keep Your Daydream: https://www.youtube.com/@KeepYourDaydream ·        Kara and Nate: https://www.youtube.com/@KaraandNate   Most Popular Blogs: • Most Popular Travel Hacks: https://atravelpath.com/money-saving-travel-tips/ • Travel Gear: https://atravelpath.com/travel-gear/ • How to Budget For Gas on a Road Trip: https://atravelpath.com/how-to-budget-for-gas-for-a-road-trip/ • Our Favorite RV Upgrades: https://atravelpath.com/rv-upgrades/ • How Much We Made Renting Our RV: https://atravelpath.com/renting-camper-van/ • Never Run Out of Gas on a Road Trip: https://atravelpath.com/road-trip-tip/     Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/abbynoise/rocky-mountains   *All content from atravelpath.com, including but not limited to The Travel Path Podcast and social media platforms, is designed to share general information. We are not experts and the information is not designed to serve as legal, financial, or tax advice. Always do your own research and due diligence before making a decision.       Transcript Host: Kyle and Renee, welcome to the Travel Path podcast.     Guest: Thank you for having us.     Host: So we know you on YouTube as Happily Ever Hanks. You built a very large community with your mission of both educating people in the RV life and inspiring your audience to break free from their comfort zone. Before we start, I do want to give a shout out to Laura, Jason, and Alexis. One episode of our podcast mentioned that they had watched so much of your content that their younger daughter, Alexis, has been inspired to become a travel nurse herself when she grows up. So here we are talking now full circle. But why don't we start by having you guys share a little about yourselves and then letting our audience know what your current travel lifestyle looks like?     Guest: Sure. Well, first of all, that's really inspiring to hear. Yeah, that's really cool. That's neat that we're bringing up the younger generation and inspiring them. That's like kind of why we started all this. We first started as your nurses back in Pennsylvania in around 2015. We just got tired of the mundane lifestyle and wanted to explore life on the road a little bit. So we started looking at travel nursing and in 2016, we started applying for our licenses. Actually, in late 2016, we started applying for a California license for our nursing. And from there, we just kind of hit the road. And then we had no really idea where we were going. We went to San Francisco for our first travel assignment and then thereafter is kind of up in the air. But basically, over the time being, I'm sure we'll get more into this later on in the podcast, but around 2019, something there, you'd say we were kind of hit a hiccup with nursing itself and we laid off for a little bit. And then that's what inspired us to start documenting our adventures and the RV lifestyle, sharing all the things. When we worked in the ER, man, how many times we were asked by our coworkers and other patients, they were so fascinated with us living in an RV or like, how does that work? It doesn't make sense. You're not living in a house. You're living in an RV. And yeah, we were just educating. We had people gathered around and we were talking about how they can get into like RVing with travel nursing.     Host: So I feel like that's probably maybe we've got the ball rolling for you guys starting your YouTube. Was it everyone asking you questions in your career as travel nurses that kind of got your head scratching? Well, maybe there's a void here we can make start a channel and actually inform a larger audience.     Guest: Yeah, pretty much. We just we learned that there's people who are RV and there's travel nursing. And, you know, when you think of an RV or you tend to focus more on people who are retired, so to have these travel nurses who were younger, just so interested, they're like, I've never even heard of this. I never even thought to get an RV. It's just it's like we were teaching others. But, you know, we didn't know it was a thing either until we found it on the Internet. We were just going to do housing, like apartment housing that the travel nurse company gives you until we stumbled upon some article that talked about, hey, you can live in an RV and do this. And we were like, no. And then here we are.     Host: Now, the purpose of the podcast is to help people, you know, get started traveling and ultimately reach their travel goals. So I do want to dial it back a little bit on your website. You had mentioned that when you made this transition, you fought some skepticism and then also you were, quote unquote, bucking the trend when you sold your house and went to travel full time. What was some of that skepticism and how are you able to overcome that?     Guest: Well, I guess the skepticism was jumping into a different way of life. See, when we were working as nurses back in Pennsylvania before we even started living in an RV, we were kind of just doing the mundane nine to five. And it just like one week flowed into another. And we were having to wait for those two week vacations. You know, you work all year to get those two weeks off. And it's like once you get those two weeks, it's just like, where do we go? What do we do? It seems so condensed into one time frame where we just didn't know we were kind of fumbling around. We're like, why don't we just kind of make a lifestyle out of this? And then through working in the ER, you know, we met a lot of other travelers there and it just blew my mind immediately that nurses could bounce around the country and live this different lifestyle filling in the gaps within schedules across the country, you know, other hospitals. So, you know, I think that's a really good question. So that's kind of like what inspired us, you know, to kind of get there. Is there anything I'm missing?   Guest: No, I pretty much we just also the trend of like you buy a house, you get married, you have kids, it's like life teaches you to follow these certain rules. We were like, what if we sell the house now and just kind of do whatever, travel around the country. So yeah, yeah, get out of debt, lose the mortgage and travel the country.     Host: You mentioned that mundane, like the two week vacation, right? That's kind of the ritual, the path that most people follow. And on our last episode with Wanda with Katie, she had mentioned that she had many nurses or many friends in the travel nurse field where what they kind of do is they'll get to a destination, an assignment. They'll be working like crazy hours for however many weeks. And then they'll take like an extended break, whether it's a couple of weeks or a month in that destination where they are and just explore it. Is that how you pretty much lived it when you were travel nursing?     Guest: That's exactly how we lived it. Yes. So we got a little taste of that. A typical travel nurse contract lasts about 13 weeks. And from that point, when you complete it, you can either ask to resign at the hospital if they still need you or you can move along to a different state, different hospital. It's also flexible. So we got a little taste of that when we finished our contract. We're like, well, now what? We have this money. We saved up a little money on the side and, you know, we could go work another job immediately and start making more money. Take a little time off, go explore some surrounding areas. And that's kind of what led us into becoming debt free. But yeah, just so much like just work your boat off for 13 weeks and then take like a month or two off and actually travel.   Guest: It was such a liberating feeling to be debt-free and have the flexibility to choose how we wanted to spend our time and money.     Host: Do you find it easier or harder, the fact that both of you are travel nurses?     Guest: Oh, easier, much easier. Yeah. Yeah. When we went to San Francisco, oh, my goodness. We were just... I'm not a city person. So I was kind of thrown in the middle of everything. It was very busy, very hectic, and just fast-paced. So having each other to rely on in the new location was kind of nice to kind of get through some of those hiccups.     Host: How long have you been out of the travel nurse space for?     Guest: Oh, man, it's... we took an assignment in 2019, and then that's when they were saying they couldn't resign us. So it's been... it's been a minute for sure. And then, you know, when we got laid off, you know, at that temporary time, we had tried to resign with the hospital, like, you know, we can't afford to rehire you guys. This is right during all the pandemic just to be completely transparent. You know, the hospital took such a hit with the money, you know, depleted and they kind of afford travel nurses. So they really had to hunker down with the budgeting and everything. So luckily we had set up enough of a almost like a safety net for ourselves to take some time off. And, you know, we were always wondering, well, this may be the opportunity to share and document all of our experiences with others. Yeah. And we didn't expect that it was going to replace travel nursing.     Host: I'm sure the travel nurse space has changed a little bit since you guys exited that area. And I'm just realizing now this is like the purpose. This is like a perfect follow up from our previous episode with Courtney and Dakota, who are actually just getting into the travel nurse space. So the episode that came out actually hasn't been released yet, but it's going to get released before this one. So if you listen to this now and you're looking to get into it, they provide details on actually like modern-day, currently what it's like transitioning into that. So that's perfect. Transitioning a little bit, I want to talk a little bit about how you went out of debt, because that's a... I forget the statistic I read, but I know there's a lot of consumer debt in this country. And you had a video a while back on how you went from two hundred and thirty thousand dollars in debt to financial independence. I want to know what your definition of F.I. is because I know that's been thrown around a lot with financial freedom. But how are you able to get or to get out of debt, essentially?     Guest: Well, getting out of debt was just mostly, I would say... I don't know what would what would the term be that I'm looking for? It's kind of just mostly discipline and just having a goal and following through with it. So we broke it down in as simple pieces as we could. We usually referred to Dave Ramsey at the time. We had utilized a lot of his teachings. I don't know how familiar most people are with Dave Ramsey out there. But it's a really simple way of just setting aside like baby steps of like setting some money over here for an emergency fund and then tackling all your lowest debt and then going forward from there to your bigger, bigger debts. So financial independence was a huge thing because, as I said before, once we got that taste of finishing a contract and then having that time off, well, we kind of became addicted to having more of that time off. Freedom. That freedom was like, oh, my gosh, I want more of that. A month was like only a month now that we get to travel. We want two months, three months. And so it became a game to us, to be honest. It turned into a game. We just went all in over time. All of our pennies and dollars went to paying off every single piece of debt that we had. So that to actually qualify, what would the financial independence? It was like the freedom side of it. That's what it meant to us is like not being tied to a loan or like having to work because you have to pay all these bills. It was like, what if we didn't have to pay all these bills and we can kind of just... you can live frugally if you want to not have to work as much or you can work your butt off and save. It's just like you had freedom to do whatever you want with your money.     Host: Yes, it's like once you learn it's that delayed gratification. Yeah, it's a sacrifice. You're giving up certain things now. But once you realize what you're able to do with that extra money and that extra time in the future, that's when it becomes, like you said, like a game and it gets addicting. And then you just try and find every nook and cranny you can start saving and and growing from there.     Guest: Absolutely. Yeah.     Host: Twenty seventeen is when we started travel nursing, right? And twenty nineteen is when we decided to start going full time. At what point did travel become the driving factor in that?     Guest: So, not the answer for Renee, but for most of my growing up, we traveled around as a family, maybe a couple of hours away here and there. We had done some flights across the country to go see some places, but nothing crazy. So jumping into the lifestyle was very new for us because we knew we would have to drive all the way from Pennsylvania to California for our first travel nursing assignment. And there is a lot of land in between to sightsee and just explore and take it all in. So as we proceeded from there, I think it just became a little bit of an addiction over time of like, wow, you know, we only do have one life to live. We live it responsibly. You know, we're not out here discriminating YOLO and blowing money like crazy and doing whatever. We're actually trying to be really responsible people, but get the most fulfillment out of this life as we can. So to kind of answer your question, I just say it gradually increased over time to where we are now of, you know, eventually one day, hopefully we can do some international travel. Yeah, it's a lot to see out there. Lots to see.     Host: Fast forward to where you are on the road now currently. What are some of the biggest frustrations you currently face traveling?     Guest: Probably the lack of consistency. You know, you might be in one area and the cell service is great and the resources are close by. But the campground is iffy or I don't know the weather is not good. So it's like and then you go to another place and the Internet's bad and then you go to this place. And the grocery store is like 20 miles away. So it's like you can never have consistency, but that's OK, because the best part is that you could just pick up and move and go somewhere new all the time.   Guest: Yeah, and it may seem just to piggyback on that, it may sound kind of like... I don't know where we're coming from. You know, if you're living at home, you're like, that doesn't really make sense. But try to uproot your life and all the routines that you have, the typical grocery store, you know, where everything's laid out all the time. You know, your favorite gas station that has all the best prices, friends, your family, everything you can rely on for. You know, you're kind of out here by yourself and it's a little nerve-racking. But in that, you kind of find some fulfillment within your life that you're pushing yourself, you're exploring new places, and it's just fun to be immersed in that kind of lifestyle.   Guest: Going to a grocery store and everything's backwards. Yeah. Walmart. Hey, got to learn it. We'll tackle it together. It's like every time stop and shop, they rearrange everything, except for you guys. It's every time you go to a grocery store. Yeah, it's like there's no learning the grocery store. Like you're just you're always walking around like you're clueless everywhere you go. And that's just the way it is. Roll with it.     Host: Do you guys ask for help in the grocery store? It's the first thing I do. Hope will never.     Guest: Yeah, I don't know. I thought she would be more, but I'm just like you, Tyler. I ask for a couple of times. She's like, where is this? And I immediately just find somebody. I'm like, listen, we don't want to. What's... I don't want to be defeated. It's like if I can't find the eggs, like what she likes, you know, can I even get by in life? It's like a personal scavenger hunt every time.     Host: Yeah, yeah, exactly. I wonder if that's like a man and a woman like personality thing, because it's the first thing I do when I go to a store, even if I know where it is, I'm still asking. But I know with you, like I just ask somebody, no. OK, fine. OK.     Guest: That's because we want to still look at everything. We want to meander around the store. We don't just want to get that one item. I do want to say that the thing I always forget about. I don't want to knock our friends and family like that. That's a big part of travel. That's hard is, you know, he has family in California. I have family in Pennsylvania. So they're spread out and they're all up north. So it doesn't make it like a snowbird situation where we could be in the south and visiting one of them. So that's another inconsistency or an issue with traveling that we don't like. Yeah. Yeah.     Host: So yeah, family. So that's one thing you probably expected, right? Obviously, if you're traveling full time, you're going to be saying goodbye to your family. Was that harder or easier than you expected it to be?     Guest: The first time, the very first time we said bye. Guest: Yeah. Yeah. That was hard. That was hard. It was difficult. I mean, like Renee said, you know, with us having family on the other side of the country, it was like saying bye to them and then being like, oh, I'm excited to see the other side of the family. But it's still kind of it hurts like that, that first time, because it's like, you know, your your mind is telling you, oh, my gosh, this is forever. But in reality, it's it's not it's just it's just a new step in life. That's what it is. Still hurts because we'll go back and visit for a month or two and then you say goodbye again. So it's like you're constantly reliving the like, well, you know, I'll see you next time. And it's always you're always trying to delay it because you don't want to say goodbye. But you think we'll be back.     Host: Like I said, you're mobile, so you can always pick up and go whenever you want to. Do you have any — and I know you guys do because I've watched your videos — but do you have any embarrassing stories or mistakes you want to share that could potentially save a future listener some trouble?     Guest: To keep it as short as possible, we were in Mississippi driving and we need to pull over for some fuel at a Flying J at the time. Now, Flying J is a truck stop out on the road that we had used quite frequently. And why we liked it so much is they also had these RV fuel lanes there. So if you can imagine where normal cars would fuel up, then there's RV fuel lanes. And then on top of that, they have the other section for all the truck drivers and 18-wheelers, so we pulled into the RV fuel lane. But we have been so used to filling up in the trucker lanes where everything was diesel over there. If you don't know where I'm going with this, eventually I got out of the truck, started pumping fuel, but quickly realized I pumped about a gallon, maybe two, two gallons of diesel and two or, excuse me, of gas into my diesel truck. So I stopped, panicked, received his panic. We likely didn't do anything. Didn't start the truck, but I I had no idea what to do. I didn't know what happened if I would fill it up with diesel and start running it. I just said, let's not do anything. We'll call for a tow truck and see what happens. So we end up calling for a tow truck, having to get the truck towed all the way to like a body shop or somewhere that can deal with dropping the tank, cleaning out the fuel injectors, everything. Meanwhile, our RV, our travel trailer sat there blocking the entire fuel lanes for three hours straight.   Guest: Yeah, I think Flying J didn't care. Yeah, they're like, I just let it sit there.   Guest: So we forgot we lock it up or anything.   Guest: I forgot.   Guest: So at the time we traveled with two vehicles.   Guest: Yeah. So I stayed back and just parked the car.   Guest: Oh, that's right. In front of it and just blocked it.   Guest: We need to see the trailer.     Host: Yeah, on guard.     Guest: So just be careful. The reason, just one last thing I want to add to that story, the black handles is what got me. So when you're over on the 18-wheeler side, it could be green handles for diesel or it could be black handles for diesel. But unfortunately, in the RV fuel lanes, it was only green for diesel. And I had picked up a black handle.     Host: Well, fortunately, you caught it and then you didn't end up starting it. Do you know what would have happened if I know it's only a gallon or so you said, but I can't imagine that being good.     Guest: My buddy said something with the combustion of like gasoline. They are nerding out on this stuff, but they said somehow the combustion rate of gasoline basically could really like do some internal damage on a diesel truck engine so that he made the best. A lot of people out there had commented on the video to like, hey, I've done that before, filled it up the rest of the way with diesel. I was fine, but I like to look at it with it being a truck that was at the time paid off. It was under warranty. I'm not sure. We just didn't want a chance that, you know, no dad. I called dad. I called my buddy. They're like, I'm not sure what what to do. So we just called again.     Host: Yeah, when in doubt, you're better off just calling someone. At least you're you're safe that way. Plus, when you're on the road, I mean, you couldn't go on to you. There's a good chance you're going to be in the middle of nowhere at some point. You know, that thing breaking down. There's no service. There's no one, nobody to help you.     Guest: Yeah, yeah. On that same trip, we did almost break down a mile in nowhere, Texas, with my car. Then it needed a new alternator. I don't know where. So we were just like, OK, this lifestyle is great. Yeah, you know, everything's breaking.   Host: You mentioned your previous video every time like you guys just you laugh when there's problems, you said something about that. We just can't get any worse. And is that is that a coping mechanism?     Guest: I think so by now. I got to laugh or cry. So we just figured, let's just laugh about it. We make it a duty to like pick up the camera to show it. So the camera is in your face. You know, you kind of pep up a little bit. You're not. Yeah. There are so many kinds of words around. So yeah, like when things go wrong at first, it's like you used to get so angry. Like, why me? You know, why is this happening to me? Everyone's out at home and joined in or we're all stuck on the side of the road dealing with this, but we quickly realize that's just the way life goes. You know, either live at home. You deal with life or you live in an RV and you deal with life still. So yeah, you can laugh or you cry, but you can't change it.     Host: Yeah, exactly. You got to get it done. On a more positive note, what's the thing you love most about this lifestyle?     Guest: Probably just being able to go somewhere new all the time. You know, we'll be we'll be in one area and we'll love that area. But after a month, we're like, all right, it's time to go see something new. So the flexibility, you just go anywhere. You know, if you want to spend a summer up north, sure. Or if you want to be in the south, we're chasing all the warm weather. It's like, yeah, we're meeting some new people. Yeah, like our faith in humanity was restored. You know, once again, it was like turn off the TV and just get out there and have some conversations with people. And you'll realize that like people are awesome out there. There's a lot of great people to meet. We've met some amazing, amazing people during our travels. And still to this day.     Host: No, that's 100 percent sure. I do want to comment to you on your latest video when you had your leaf spring repaired, you talked about how you had called the RV techs and you weren't sure how they were going to be. But in our experience and at the end of your video, too, you mentioned it. They've been phenomenal. I have not met. We've worked with plenty of them so far. We've only been, you know, about four months. But everyone we've worked with has been great. And we've only heard good things like secondhand about them. I don't know what it is about our RV techs, but they're important to be aware of.     Guest: Absolutely. Yeah, we kind of agree more with that because a lot of people are sitting out there looking on the dealers to fix their problems and they're just not getting any answers. They're waiting. They're saying, hey, you got to wait six months before we can squeeze you into the schedule. And, you know, the RV technicians have been come such a great intermediate between the dealership and the consumer who had bought the RV and is looking for some help. So they're kind of just like that guiding light that could get some of those quick fixes done. Some of them are just beyond what we could ever ask for and repairs and done so much. It'll be to not have to pack up your whole home to take it to a dealership and sit and wait. It's just like they'll come to you and you just hang out. It's so it's so nice. Very convenient.     Host: Yeah. Do you have any advice for someone looking to buy an RV for the first time?     Guest: Oh, we did a video on this recently. Kind of where we talked about making sure you're doing your price checking and comparing. And I would say in today's world, like have an RV inspection, have like a certified RV tech that can do inspections. Come and look at your RV, whether it's used or buying it new off the lot. And if the salespeople or the dealership won't allow external inspectors to come in like a third-party inspector, I would probably not. I would. That's a big red flag. Yeah. Yeah. Sometimes it's not going to be well received, but you always got to be your own advocate with these things and have as many, I don't know, people on your side looking out for your best interests because the dealership certainly isn't going to be that person for you. Unfortunately. Yeah. Yeah, we, the reason we bought at the dealer and the reason we bought new is because it was our first time ever buying an RV and we had no clue what to look for. And I didn't want to buy something new or something from a private person or a private dealer just because I had no idea what to look for. Yeah. Had I known I could have had the RV tech inspector available, I think we would have jumped on that and done that instead of buying new and going through all the loops and hurdles and the pain points of going through a dealer and warranties that aren't really warranties and all that fun stuff. For sure. For sure. We were through that too when we bought our first one. We didn't even know anything about tow ratings. I mean, we just showed up with our half-ton truck. And luckily, they were really good about not looking at any RVs. He said, well, before we look at any RVs, I need to know what your truck can tow. We were like, what do you mean? Like, so, yeah, we rolled the dice on a good one. Yeah. A lot of people out there said, well, we never got that. They just, they'll show us that, you know, yeah. I'll show you the rakes and that's that. So that was good.     Host: So there are good ones out there, but just are good.     Guest: Absolutely. Yes. Yes. Tom Shafers in Pennsylvania. That's where that was. Yeah. So, OK, we'll link down the show notes.     Host: Obviously, you guys need Internet when you're traveling, you're full-time content creators. How are you getting Internet?     Guest: Our main form of Internet is Starlink right now. Yeah. Do you guys have Starlink at all?     Host: We're getting it.     Host: Yeah, we've asked this question almost every episode. And so far, the consensus has been T-Mobile, the T-Mobile home Internet plan with this. So the Starlink has been the most popular, but more often than not. What they're saying is they're using it as backup. And then they're using T-Mobile for the most part for their Internet. And then if they're in an area where there's no service there, it's Starlink. That's really nice. Starlink, that's your go-to.     Guest: That's our go-to. Yeah, we always have that up and running. And it's been working out good. You know, it was a little touch and go when we first purchased it. It was very somewhat newish and not as many satellites up in the sky. But yeah, well, we are also in the eastern US. So like so much more heavily populated, more like we were in Florida during snowboard season, so everyone had Starlink. We were all fighting for the satellites. But last year, it is perfect. I mean, it's beautiful. And then when we go east, we're going to be complaining about it. But it's good to hear about the T-Mobile because we do have we have a basic cell phone plan with AT&T and we use the hotspot if we need Internet, if the Starlink is not doing well. So it's good to know about that T-Mobile because we'll have to look into this if we need to. Absolutely. Yes, Ben. So far, so good.     Host: And we have our phone plans with T-Mobile and then we have like a third when we transfer over, we got a third like bonus phone. So we have 150 gigs of hotspot before we ever have to do anything. And then we're using the T-Mobile for Internet. So we're kind of rolling the dice with T-Mobile, kind of putting all of our eggs in one basket. But we'll get Starlink too just to have that as a backup. Is that set up process? The reason people have mentioned they don't use it primarily is because of the set-up process. How long does it take to set that up?     Guest: We're less than five minutes. Yeah.   Guest: Less than. Yeah. It's just we've integrated it with our typical setting up routine. It's mostly just sneaking a wire through the side, through one of the slide-outs, and then connecting it to the modem, and then getting the actual Starlink mounted onto a pole.   Guest: A pole. We call it a pole, buddy. You can buy it off Amazon and it just gets it up above your roof of your RV to have better signal, better access to the sky.     Host: Does the boot-up time take a long time? Is that what it is or?     Guest: That is probably what it is, that they're mostly, you know, it's not as soon as you plug it in, it's up and going. It does take about three to five minutes, I would say. Yeah. But like you could like get that set up. And then while you're doing the outside, I'll plug in the router and then just finish setting up the inside. And by the time I even have a second to like go on the internet it's already running.   Guest: So yeah, I guess if you need it in a quick pinch, if you pull over on the side of the road, take a break, it probably would be a little inconvenient because you'd have to set it up and wait a few minutes. So something like that.   Guest: But I will say, like, I think boondocking is becoming a lot more popular because of Starlink. Before, when you were off-grid, you were truly off-grid. There was like no cell service in a lot of these cool places you see on Instagram, you know, like Utah, Arizona boondocking. Yeah. Now, everyone's out there streaming and gaming. It's like a whole new, no longer off-grid. So it's really nice to have that.     Host: So you guys have been traveling for part-time, full-time. And I know you're pretty tight with your budget. You post videos on your YouTube channel. Have you ever been able to break down what a monthly or weekly budget looks like? I know it probably fluctuates quite a bit.     Guest: It varies. It just depends. Like we just had a very expensive month in San Diego, and our budget looked way different when we were trying to get out of debt. We still budget and track every penny, but we're a little bit more lenient. And then Alaska was kind of like a moment where we were strict. Yeah, I guess the best way to think about it was when we were getting out of debt. What was our budget? Did we go out to eat at all? Like, do you remember? Did we go out to restaurants and treat ourselves to something?   Guest: Yeah, we would give ourselves like two hundred dollars a month. Wasn't it like to go out to try new restaurants or go out to eat? And that included if you wanted to get drinks somewhere. So that ended up really quickly. So that wasn't even nowadays, like nowadays, I would get you a couple of drinks, two hundred bucks. Yeah, like a drink. Here's a cup of water. Yeah, like, wow, great. Yeah. And then groceries were kind of like, I mean, that's hard to control. Groceries are our biggest downfall just as a married couple. I don't know. You know, you get old, you get happy and you just like, oh, let's, you know, have some good dinner tonight and have some snacks. So that's one we got to like always keep coming back to. Yeah. The grocery bill. But to give you the other numbers, I can't really remember what it's been strict in the past. When we were really strict with our budget, we would just look at what we were already spending and then we would just try to cut that like a quarter of that and just try to chop that out and be better about spending.     Host: Do you have any budget apps or tools that make keeping track of that easier?     Gues: Now we use a program called Tiller, but we used to just do pen and paper and Microsoft Excel. And that was to kind of keep track of everything. Watch a quick YouTube video on how to line up with your expenses, highlight it all, and make a running total. And then it was really cool because as you paid off your credit cards or whatever debt you had, you subtracted that and then it would take away from the bottom big number. That was nice to see that. It's kind of like a little encouragement to keep going. So that was fun. Yeah.     Host: The visual is important. I'm glad you mentioned you had that starting out small, but bucks a month. You have to celebrate the small victories. Otherwise, you're going to burnt out. So being able to set money aside to celebrate, you pay something off. You're paying things down slowly. You know, those mini victories.     Guest: No, no. Yeah, it's crazy how when you don't track how much it slips away, because when we first started travel nursing, we weren't budgeting and we weren't being strict about our budget. It wasn't until we decided to see what our three to six months of expenses were. So we kind of got into it by accident because I was like, well, let's see what we are currently spending on every month. And then I saw how much we spent in restaurants because we were travel nursing. We wanted to go eat all the good food. We want to enjoy ourselves. And there was one month that it was close to a thousand dollars and just going out to eat. And I was like, oh, my gosh, like there's that there's a problem. I never guessed. So we saw that and we were like, OK, no more. And that's how like the whole budgeting happens.     Host: You guys are traveling with your cat, Dexter. And I don't believe we've had a guest who's traveled with a cat so far on the show. I would assume most people would assume that there's not much involved in taking care of a cat. But anyone to add to that?     Guest: Oh, yeah. There's, I say, oh, go ahead. I was just going to say that he we had no idea when we got in this lifestyle if he would take well to actually living in an RV. That was kind of what pushes into RV life, to be honest, is having a consistent home for him. So we always joke that we buy these RVs for him, you know. And because the other option was when we were travel nursing is to bounce between apartments and, you know, there's all sorts of smells and you don't know what the rules are with pets and especially cats. So I don't like not having a consistent home. Yeah. So we did it. Exactly. So, you know, I would just say if you do own a cat and you're a little nervous about taking him or her out on the road, you know, just take some car rides, maybe just put them in a kennel and start off small. There's no need to bite off a huge chunk and travel across, you know, halfway across the United States to get an idea of how will they travel? Yeah. He did pretty well right away. We knew he didn't get nauseated or have anxiety or anything like that. He mostly just slept. So it was a good fit for him. I mean, if it's getting close to his dinner time, he'll speak up and he will not be quiet. So like it's yeah, he knows to tell us like, OK, I've been good this whole time, but it's time to pull over.   Host: Don't we all?     Guest: Yeah, don't we? Exactly. Well said.     Host: All right, guys, what has been the coolest experience you've had while traveling?     Guest: Oh, yeah. This question is great because there's, there's just been so many. Like sometimes we would be like, remember that time we just got first, the first time we ran the AC in Iowa, but we were so happy that the thing worked. Yeah, small things. I think there was one of our coolest times was when we were in the Florida Keys, we were at a state park Bahia Honda, and we managed to get a site that was right on the water. So we could literally snorkel like right off where our view was part every day. And that was just like such a cool thing to do. That was nice.     Host: Yeah, we have not been there, but we've seen videos and pictures of actually Alexis and Lauren Jason, the podcast I mentioned you guys, their part to travel tips was all about the Florida Keys, so very detailed on that. And they were sending us pictures. And yeah, that campsite, no joke, it's right on the water.     Guest: And you can snorkel, sit and pull up a long chair. And yeah, so cool. It's like being in the Caribbean, but you're in the States. So that's like what's so cool about it.     Host: And same thing for you, Kyle, Bahia Honda?.     Guest: Yeah, I really enjoyed that. And I guess this to kind of cover your story that you brought up at the AC. It was funny when I said we hit the road at the first time when we left for travel nursing, we left at two o'clock in the morning, left her parents' house, and just drove to WalMart, stayed the night in a random WalMart. And then we kept driving and it was about to where did you say it was Iowa? I remember we made it to Iowa. We made it to Iowa. It was just it was so hot and humid for whatever reason. It was right around four o'clock. We finally pulled in an RV park. But then we turn on the AC for the first time in the RV. I know crazy, right? We tried this out when we got the dealership before we drove off. Now we waited till we got to Iowa before we ran the AC. But I kid you not, it was just like when that cold air was blowing on you and then you could turn around and look out and it's just something completely new. It is just like, wow, we are doing it and we're actually we're going to live like this. And yeah, that was really cool. That was a neat moment.     Host: After spending just about seven years traveling now, has there been anything you've learned that you cannot live without outside of the internet?     Guest: I would have to say, I mean, this is going to sound like something a young person would say, but my smartphone. Think about when you're out to get anything or figure out anything directions. Where's the nearest grocery store? Like, what's the Google reviews on this restaurant? It's like you gotta have your cell phone, like that little mini computer, to tell you so much.     Host: On the contrary, has there been anything that you've learned that you don't need while traveling?     Guest: Yeah, I think living in the RV when we started watching YouTube videos way back when we were first getting into it, there was a lot of unrealistic expectations of like, do I need all that before I hit the road and, you know, something like a ten thousand dollar solar set up or the same thing like crazy like that. You don't really need it to get it out, include knocking and blowing time off grid. You know, you can survive a night or two. Yeah, kind of what what what comes with your RV, just a battery, a water tank, water heater, you have everything you need. So I guess I just would say don't keep up with the Joneses all that much. You know, try to keep it realistic for the lifestyle you're looking for. Yeah, there's a lot of pressure online, social media with all these products. You gotta have this before you own this. And it's like just take your RV. Like, don't buy anything and just go like buy your basic stuff, your hoses and all the stuff to get by. But you don't need all the fancy digits and gadgets. Like, we still don't have a backup camera. And that was on our list when we first hit the road. We were like, look at one eventually. And now it's seven years and we're like, we don't really need it. You don't have to have it like you'll get by.     Host: If you wait and wait and wait until you have everything you need, you'll never hit the road. Exactly. A good point is kind of air on the side, especially with those expensive things. Air on the side of don't buy it. And then once you hit the road and you're traveling, you'll either learn that you need it and then you can buy it then or you're going to learn you don't need it and save ten thousand bucks on a solar panel set.     Guest: Well said. Well said.   Guest: Yeah, that's exactly how we feel, too. You can always get one battery and then add batteries from there. Any tools that RVers should have on them? Why don't you tell them about your favorite one?   Guest: Oh, yeah. We have a thing called a VIAIR and we just love it. It's amazing. Basically, it's an on demand air compressor that you can hook up to your truck battery and then it just creates on demand compressed air. They can fill up your tires if they're running a little bit low. Man, that was a huge concern for us because we were thinking when we get out there, how are we going to be able to fit into gas stations to fill up the tires if they're running low? This just eliminates all those stressors and you just have that whenever you need it most. And we had this huge normal air compressor like I think it's still in a storage unit.   Guest: Oh, yeah, that thing is huge. Really? Do we bring that? How do we fill up our tires? But I think we use that almost every time. This thing is lightweight. It's small. It doesn't take up a lot of space and it can pump up tires to like 120 PSI. So our trailer tires are 100 PSI maximum at cold pressures. So it does more than enough to handle those loads. So if you're thinking, oh, I drive a big class, say that's not going to help me. Actually, probably will. Yeah. And we just told people you don't need to buy stuff, but you do need to buy that.     Host: That's a good point. That's actually something we have not heard in the podcast yet. That's not one of those. I know you said it's smaller, but it's not one of those 20 volt compress bigger than that for your rig, right? Or is that something you can actually use? I guess you can charge it. I guess.     Guest: Well, I'm thinking of one. I've seen like people have like handheld ones. I don't know if those that's what you're thinking of. But this one is probably. Yeah, it's all it runs off the volt battery. So, you know, and you don't really charge it. It just literally plugs into the positive and negative terminal on a truck battery.     Host: And I think it's something else. And because it's the point I want to make was you really can't rely on gas stations. Like you said, you can't you might not be able to fit your RV, but also the air doesn't always work. We've had tire issues where we've pulled in. I've gone back and forth. I went to one gas station. The air didn't work. The next gas station. The air worked, but it didn't have the pressure gauge. So I go back to the first one and it was just the crapshoot going back and forth. But yeah, one person in the gas station had one of those. I think it was VIAIR, but it was smaller. It was like a DeWalt size volt compressor. And we just pumped it up right there. So, yeah, that's a good thing to have for sure.     Guest: Absolutely.     Host: If you could listen to this podcast when you were first starting out, is there a question I did not ask tonight that you wished I would have? And how would you answer that now?     Guest: Oh, you know what? There's, going back to the trucker lanes. I remember when we first hit the road, we had the diesel truck, but we were towing a smaller RV, and we kept squeezing into small, normal-sized gas stations because we didn't know that we could use the trucker lanes. We were like, "We're not allowed in there for the truckers." But if you're starting out, and I mean, basically, you're allowed to use the truck lanes. You're allowed to park in rest areas where trucks park. Like, basically, there were a lot of moments where we felt very timid. And then, just as you go along, you start to be more like, "Yeah, we own this road," you know? Like, you start to be a little bit more like, "Come on in and move over." So, and the reason we say that is because, you know, these RVs, especially the one we're living in, it's the same kind of tractor-trailer. So we measure 13 foot six inches at our first AC over our bedroom. So you've got to be really considerate of where is able to accommodate you. You can't just pull into any random gas station because you can get into a pickle pretty quickly. So, after some time of traveling and sweating it out, those trucker lanes look real nice at the end of the day. And you're like, "No, partaking that. Yeah, go in there, stretch out."     Host: That's a good point. I could definitely see myself being more hesitant like you guys. And once you start seeing, "Oh, there's an RV over there. Okay, we can go over there." And then once you start seeing that, "Okay, we can do that too." But I would be a little more reluctant to get over there.     Guest: Exactly, yeah.     Host: I know, you guys. It seems like you were kind of trailblazers in the digital creation space with travel nursing and traveling full time. But were there other influences or YouTube channels that influenced you or books maybe to do this travel full-time life?     Guest: What got us into travel nursing was just meeting other travel nurses at work. You met actually a couple that would travel together. That's how you found out they do it together. Yeah. But then when we started looking into RV travel, you know, we got on YouTube like a lot of people do. And I remember watching a lot of Long Long Honeymoon and Keep Your Daydream as a lot of them just to help get us, you know, give you, like, not you're not just learning, but you're gaining that confidence to, like, travel on the road. Yeah. And Kara and Nate is another one that's really fun. If people like fast-paced adventures that are like across the world, they're some of our favorite, or my favorites. Yeah, because they do. Yeah, they're really good with their storytelling, things like that. And so they inspire us to be better storytellers too.     Host: Yeah, I feel like if we were starting out, we didn't discover your channel. We were starting out because we were in the van life space. We were watching a lot of Adventures of A and K and Kara and Nate. But if we were looking for fifth wheels or camp trailers, we would have been all over your channel. I feel like we were like relate a lot to you guys and you're very entertaining. But also you provide a lot of useful information. So, yeah, I'll link your channel as well as the other channels you mentioned in the show notes. One last question for audiences in a ton of suspense before the next episode. Where are we talking about for travel tips?     Guest: So our destination we want to talk about is San Diego. San Diego. Yeah, we got a lot to say about that.     Host: All right. San Diego. Tune in in two days, everybody. Kyle and Renee, thanks again.     Guest: Thank you so much.    

https://atravelpath.com/   Hey Pathfinders! Today's episode felt like a 2-for-1since we got a dose of both Travel Nursing AND Van Conversions. Dakota and Courtney are a young couple who “chase big dreams trying to make it happen.” In this inspiring episode you'll hear all about: Travel Nursing How to get started, how long the process takes, how long you can work an assignment for, and so on. Courtney shares how travel nursing can be quite nerve-wracking at first, but as you become familiar with the process, things get easier. Where to Stay With travel nursing, there are several options available for places to stay. Dakota and Courtney share their experiences at many of them and tell us what they prefer. We also get into detail about why you need to have a paper trail and pay some sort of rent wherever you end up. Van Conversions Along with travel nursing, Dakota and Courtney have (nearly) completed two van builds. The beauty of this episode is that we got to ask them why they sold their first one, and what they are doing differently with this next built. Plus, hear about how it took them over 9 MONTHS to receive the first van they ordered. Costs Dakota and Courtney give us very detailed numbers on how much BOTH of their van builds cost as well as sharing tips on how you can start saving money. They also share their thoughts on how much someone might want to have saved up before traveling.   Chapters ·        00:00 Intro ·        02:30 What is the process of getting into Travel Nursing? ·        07:15 Travel Nure pay and stipends ·        12:30 How are you finding places to stay? ·        15:30 Working with Aya Healthcare ·        16:15 Can you negotiate your terms? ·        20:30 What was the process of acquiring your van? ·        28:30 How did you know what material to buy for your van? ·        29:30 Why did you sell your first van? ·        32:00 What are you doing differently with your current van build?         ·        34:45 What mistakes did you make with your van build? ·        38:15 How long did each van build take? ·        40:15 What has been your coolest travel experience? ·        43:00 How much money should you have saved up before traveling? ·        45:15 How much did your van builds cost? ·        46:45 How can someone get started? ·        49:45 What YouTube channels helped with your van build?   Dakota and Courtney on Social ·        Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kodaandcourt/ ·        YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kodaandcourt   Nursing: ·        Aya Healthcare: https://www.ayahealthcare.com/ ·        GSA.gov: https://www.gsa.gov/travel/plan-book/per-diem-rates ·        Regarding if your RV loan counts as a payment, I couldn't find much information besides this forum, so take it for what it is worth and do your own research: https://www.reddit.com/r/TravelNursing/comments/13rjt3n/rv_travel_nursing/   Stays ·        The hospital Courtney started at: https://www.evanhospital.com/ ·        Furnished Finders: https://www.furnishedfinder.com/ ·        Where they Stayed: https://www.facebook.com/TheDeLongVillage/   Van Build Resources ·        Explorist.life: https://explorist.life/ ·        Far Out Ride: https://faroutride.com/   Their Two Vans: ·        Ram ProMaster 136 ·        Ram ProMaster 159   Channels ·        Jimmy and Natalie: https://www.youtube.com/@JimmyandNatalie ·        Wild by the Mile: https://www.youtube.com/@WildbytheMile   Past Episodes Mentioned: Episode 1 with Dylan: https://atravelpath.com/how-to-be-a-digital-nomad/ Episode 13 with Jason and Laura: https://atravelpath.com/road-trip-with-kids/   Most Popular Blogs: ·        Most Popular Travel Hacks: https://atravelpath.com/money-saving-travel-tips/ ·        Travel Gear: https://atravelpath.com/travel-gear/ ·        How to Budget For Gas on a Road Trip: https://atravelpath.com/how-to-budget-for-gas-for-a-road-trip/ ·        Our Favorite RV Upgrades: https://atravelpath.com/rv-upgrades/ ·        How Much We Made Renting Our RV: https://atravelpath.com/renting-camper-van/ ·        Never Run Out of Gas on a Road Trip: https://atravelpath.com/road-trip-tip/   Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/abbynoise/rocky-mountains   *All content from atravelpath.com, including but not limited to The Travel Path Podcast and social media platforms, is designed to share general information. We are not experts and the information is not designed to serve as legal, financial, or tax advice. Always do your own research and due diligence before making a decision.   Transcript Host: Dakota and Courtney, welcome to the Travel Path Podcast!   Guest: Hey.   Host: So you're on Instagram as @KotaandCourt, documenting your travels across 25 states so far, and we're really excited to finally have a travel nurse on the show. You've completed one and are on your second van build, so I can already tell there's going to be a lot of information to uncover with this podcast. But why don't we first start by having you share a little about yourselves?   Guest: Well, we're just two kids from small towns in Missouri. I'm from a little town called Nevada, Missouri, and she's from Shell City, Missouri. She graduated with, like, 13 kids, so very small. Yeah, so not too much. I mean, had 35 cars and I'm 25 years old, so do a lot of that kind of stuff and just, you know, chase big dreams and try to make them happen. Yeah, that's it.   Host: And travel while you can. So I'm sure those 25 you've had are going to help or have helped out with your van conversion.  Um, so we'll definitely get into the van conversion later on in the show. I do want to get into travel nursing. If you've been paying attention to the podcast recently, we've had a few people mention travel nursing. So we're finally able to talk about it and bring it up here. So tell us about that. So obviously with travel nursing, you get your degree in nursing, you find a job with nursing somewhere, and then at some point, the idea of travel nursing comes to your mind. So what's that process of actually getting into nursing?   Guest: Oh gosh, um, it's honestly kind of difficult. It's not difficult, but it's a big process. You have to find, um, sometimes it's, for me especially, it was hard trying to find, like, the right company. Um, you hear good things and bad things, um, obviously with everybody. So I kind of just picked a popular one. I'm with a healthcare. You basically, like, sign yourself up, so it's kind of like a job, um, application. You sign yourself up, you get a recruiter, and then they kind of just, like, help guide you through the process. Um, you have to fill out a bunch of tax forms, go get, like, physicals and labs drawn, um, basically do a bunch of requirements, like a huge checklist they have. And then, you know, obviously, there's a shortage of nurses everywhere, so you can really pick wherever you want to go, which is really cool. You can go to, um, you know, Alaska, Florida. Um, there are even some nursing companies that will allow you to go to, like, Mexico and Canada, like over, like, international travel nursing. So the process is difficult, but once you actually, um, you know, talk to a recruiter and talk to your people, um, it's a fairly simple process. So, um, you know, definitely, if you're trying to be a travel nurse, you know, I'd suggest to anybody. It's really nerve-wracking though, but they need travel nurses pretty, I mean, they want to do anything they can to get you in there, so they work with you pretty well.   Host: Yeah, yeah, so difficult but simple is what it sounded like. In terms of the time frame, how long are we talking between actually getting approved for travel nursing?   Guest: Oh gosh, you have to have your experience first, yeah. You have to, so, technically, for travel nursing, they really recommend you to have one to two years of experience just because when you get assigned to a job, you really only have like one day of training. So, like, you're just expected to know, like, all of these things, and, you know, if you don't, if you just go kind of blind, you know, it can be a disaster. Um, sometimes still is, you know, just 'cause every hospital is different. But I would say probably, I don't know, I started looking, I'd say around April or May, so I'd say maybe two to three months. It kind of just depends on how, you know, it's kind of like a you-driven thing too, you know, and how bad you want it. We kind of were just like, I don't really know if we want to do this, but I'll just go ahead and, you know, sign up and get all my ducks in a row, and then if we become more interested, we can go from there. So I'd say probably two to three months. I had to put in my two weeks, um, my two weeks at my previous job, and then, you know, find a job there. Um, in Pennsylvania was my first assignment, but it's pretty easy afterwards, though, yeah. Super easy, you have connections, you have about four different people who help you get like an experience specialist, you get your recruiter who really just helps you with, um, finding a job. You just have all different kinds of help with, but afterwards, after you get like your first job, then it's a lot easier. So it's like you can pretty much line up a job right after the next one if you want, as long as you have time to get there. So like she quit her last job, we had a week off, and I think it was like two weeks until she started her next contract, so she already signed one while she was working. Yeah, so you can sign with, you know, whatever company or whoever after you kind of get in it, just basically getting, getting your foot in the door, getting a reputation, and then you're able to kind of move wherever you want to go.   Host: You mentioned one day of training. That sounds crazy to me because I've been in hospitals where it seems like it would take a week just to figure out where to go, and you can get lost in some of these places. So that means you're showing up at this job for the first time, you're like maybe like a mini orientation training, getting to know everybody, and then you're kind of fed to the wolves and you're travel nursing and you're doing nursing.   Guest: Yeah, yeah, it's, yeah, it's crazy. The knowledge has to be, um, you know, you just, you kind of just have to go in headfirst. Um, even now, I will say that I still, you know, sometimes don't know where everything's at or even like hospital policies, everything's different. So, you know, just don't be afraid to ask questions, definitely. Um, is my thing, but yeah, just one day of training and you are on your own.   Host: Wow. I would imagine that one day of training, obviously, it's a little bit more difficult to maneuver, and that comes with what we've heard is with travel nursing, there's higher pay rates, and there's the travel sties. Is that still the case today?   Guest: Yes, right, or they're not as high as they used to be. No, definitely not. During COVID, nurses were making a lot of money. Stipends are... I would say that, I mean, even for me, just going from just a low-paying nursing job in drop-in Missouri to now, I say that stipends are really good for me, but if you talk to the next person, they're like, "Oh, this sucks." You know, it's a pretty controversial space because some people will say it's good money, and other people say, "Oh, well, you shouldn't accept a job for lower than this rate," and people get kind of agitated. But the stipends are really what make it worth doing the travel nursing. Yeah, so I mean, the hourly rate has an effect, but the stipends really make it worth it. Yeah, so basically, like, travel nurses get paid, like, a really low hourly rate. Like, if you would know, you would just have to be mind blown. But they get paid a super low hourly rate so that way they can max out your stipends, which are tax-free. So in the end, like, you end up making more money. Sometimes you have to negotiate for those. You have to kind of watch out. And I mean, if you get a good recruiter, they'd be pretty good with you. But you can get on a website like gsa.gov, I think, and it'll tell you kind of what the stipends are in the area that you're at and stuff. We kind of dove into it head first, kind of like buying a car. It's kind of confusing when you first get into it. We didn't really know what we were doing. We dove head first and we didn't realize, you know, you have to do certain things to get, you know, the tax-free stipends. So it's for housing and what stipends are for. And you're supposed to duplicate expenses to get those stipends. So essentially, you're supposed to pay rent back where you are from, like your permanent tax home, right? So you have to have, like, a tax home. And you can look up the requirements for a tax home. And then you also are supposed to be paying rent somewhere else. So like where you're traveling to as a nurse. And those can be, like, shared housing. But you have to be paying, like, both at the same time. So like for us, now that we're getting ready to be in a van, whenever we're traveling somewhere, we have to stay at a campground because that'll be our rent.   Host: Okay, so there's no way around just boondocking the whole entire time. They want to see some sort of rent payment at the campsite.   Guest: Yeah, you have to have a paper trail to show. I mean, now there are people that don't do it, you know, and they say, "Oh, I've never been caught." But I mean, if you get audited by the IRS, you're gonna owe some big money back.   Host: Well, that's a really good tip you bring up, and I'm glad you bring that up about how you have to actually hunker down in a campsite and have proof of spending money on rent somewhere. 'Cause I have two sisters, one of them actually travel nurses. Both of them are nurses. We talked about before the podcast, one of them did travel nurse and the other one was, has been thinking about it. But I kind of told her, "Yeah, just get a van, get a dog, and just, you know, drive and boondock." But so they do want to see some source of income. So if you're listening to this, Jess or Chloe, make sure you're doing that.   Guest: Yeah, and we didn't have any idea. They just asked her where she worked at and where she was from, where we lived at, and they said, "Oh, well, you qualify for the stipends." And they kind of had a sign the paperwork and we had no idea. I think I found like a video, like on Facebook Reels or TikTok or something. I was like, "Hey, do you know about this?" And he's like, "What?" Yeah, so we had, so I had to do a lot of research on it and try to figure it out and, you know, it all worked and had to talk to an accountant, really confused. And this was the first time really we had even done anything like that. So we were like, "We don't even know what to do."   Host: Yeah, no, it's smart to do that. And I'm sure that might vary a little bit depending on your contracts. Do you know if, so I know you built out your van, so I don't think you owe anything on your van?   Guest: Yeah, we do. We financed the van. So we, for the, we, we financed the van.   Host: So I guess my next question was going to be if, if, like, you had a payment on your van or a camper, if that would count as rent. I'm not sure. Do you know if they would consider that?   Guest: I don't think so because, um, one of the people that we were, I mean, it is a good question. I'm not, I'm not for sure, so don't quote me. But, um, the person that we were kind of following off of, um, I believe they had theirs, uh, they had an RV, like a fifth wheel, and I believe, leased or not leased, but they had a lien on it or a loan, whatever you want to call it. I believe they still had to stay at a campground. Now, I mean, that is a good question. I'd have to look into that because I wonder about that.   Host: For sure. And if we can dig that up, I'll put a link in the show notes. So you talked about, I know your long-term play, you have your second van almost built and that's where you're going to be living in while you're travel nursing in the future moving forward. But right now you're signing these three to four-month kind of midterm leases, so they can be tricky to find, at least that's fully furnished. So how are you finding places to stay?   Guest: We go off, there's a lot of different places. But for my first one, we went off of Furnish Finders. So it's just like an Airbnb or like a Verbo for nurses or just any traveling professional. So it doesn't have to be a nurse, but they're marketed towards, you know, people that have, you know, like, I guess, could be like a welder or a nurse or, you know, anybody that works odd hours.   Guest: Yeah, we actually were on the other side of that coin. We have a couple rental properties, and we've rented two with Furnish Finders, travel nurses. We, we had like poets and authors who just come for like those shorter periods, yeah. But it is marketed towards travel nurses.   Host: Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's what that's what we use. Um, we looked at all avenues. We found Furnish Finders was cheaper than like Verbo, Airbnb, or even like we looked at hotels too, and it was just like thrown out of the picture because that's ridiculous. Um, from the time she decided she was going to do travel nursing, I think it was like two weeks before she signed her first contract, then we were like moving, yeah. And so we packed all our stuff in the back of a Jeep, and we hours away headed out to Pennsylvania. So it was a, was quite a ways. It seems like a lot of the travel nurses that she works with are just from around the area. So like right now, she's in, seems like a lot of people from Kansas. When she was in Pennsylvania, seemed like a lot, yeah. And they were like, "Oh my gosh, you're all the way from Missouri." And, you know, like I have an accent, and they're like, "Where are you from? We know you're from somewhere not around here."   Host: How far in advance have you found, so I would imagine you secure the contract many months in advance. But in terms of actually booking a place to stay, how far in advance are you planning that?   Guest: I mean, from your first one, it was like two weeks. We started looking, and it was like within two weeks, we were up there at a place.   Host: I would imagine does your travel agent help out with that at all in terms of finding places to go?   Guest: Yes, they offer, but I was already like halfway to finding a house before they were like, "Hey, you know, we'll help you if you need it." And I'm like, "That's great," but yeah, a lot of people do use, you know, their people assigned to help to do that. But I, I was so excited about my first assignment. I was just like, I had a house found, like, all these things before somebody even messaged me, and they were like, "Hey, do you need help finding a home?" I was like, "I already have one. I've already, you know, put a deposit down." They're like, "Oh, okay, well, never mind then." That first one we went, what was the population of that town? Like 80 people, something like that, in a very tiny Amish town.   Host: Get to see all sorts of places. And if you end up at a place you don't like that much, you're only there for like three, four months, so you can find another place. You mentioned you're working with Aya, and does that in terms of finding other places to go, are you limited to like hospitals that they own, or how does that work?   Guest: Nope, so every travel company is different. I just, A, is, I don't know, they're really popular, I guess you could say, like among travel nurses. So like, certain hospitals will have contracts with these travel companies, so A has a lot. But for say like, if you go to a different travel company, you know, they may be hiring at like these certain hospitals that don't have contracts with A. So it's different, but A holds a lot of contracts with a lot of hospitals. So I just went with them.   Host: And then how flexible in terms of how long do you want to stay somewhere for? If you want to stay there for like two months, four months, six months, are you able to kind of negotiate that? And then also like your actual hours, if you're working nights, days, how many hours a week, is that all negotiable?   Guest: Yep, so whenever you go to sign up for a job, it will tell you like whether it's a day shift or a night shift job. So I'm a day shift, so I work 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., usually 7:30 to 8:00 p.m. So I really am like a 13, 14-hour shifter. And then as far as like staying at that job for however long, you can actually stay up to a travel assignment for 364 days. You just can't work a full year because if you do, say like, I'm working in Topeka right now, I can stay there for 364 days. But if I stay there that 365th day, it's considered my tax home now, so it just kind of messes up a whole bunch of things. So you can extend at a job, you just let your recruiter know. Usually, they'll message you first and be like, "Hey, are you liking your assignment? Do you want to extend?" And I actually have accepted an extension in Topeka. So I'm there until April 27th. And then from there, if you decide to work the whole 364, all you have to do by law is take 30 days off, and then you can go right back to that same job for another year or 36. I think they cap it. Like, I think you can only do that for two years. There's, there's, I don't know exactly what it is. It's complicated, but there are a lot of like, logistical or maybe it's not logistical, but it's requirements. So you can only do things, I think, in certain states for so long, and every state is different, every state has different, yeah. I think that there's like, make it confusing. Yeah, yeah. But it seems to be that the most common are like 13-week contracts, and then there are some that are what, what's the other one, like eight? Yeah, they do, you can do four weeks if they're like a crisis job, which means that they just need you right away. You can go and sign for a four-week contract. And where you can go, usually the average is 13 to 26 weeks, so that's what I did on my first assignment. And now I'm at six weeks now on my second assignment.   Host: Yeah, I can definitely agree with that. A lot of options to extend. On the landlord side, we made it a point to ask our when we're hosting travel nurses if they're going to extend because we've had several times now where, like, we've gotten a booking after that lease is up but then they'll tell us, "Hey, can I extend?" And, like, oh, sorry, we just booked somebody else. So now we're actually actively asking like, hey, are you looking to extend? And then we'll do that because that does happen more often than not, when travel nurses in particular, they'll extend their stay.   Guest: Yeah, that, that's what our um, our landlord in Pennsylvania did. She like, about halfway through, she said, "Hey, you know, just going to post this up, you know, on Furnish Finders. So just wondering, you know, can I, can I show it to people and post it? Or are you guys planning to extend?" So yeah, that's, it is good that she asked.   Host: Yeah, for sure.   Guest: And your first assignment was a really good one for like, anybody that would want to try to get into it. I mean, if they were looking into like trying to just get their foot in the door and try it out and see if they liked it, I mean, she worked in a hospital in, um, what was it, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania? It's called Evangelical Community Hospital, a small little Community Hospital like 220 beds, pretty easy, tiny. And we stayed at a place called The Dong Village, and the landlords there were wonderful. I mean, and so like if you are looking into it and you're trying to just kind of find something that, you know, is good, know that, it's going to, not it's not going to be hard right off the bat, you're not going to be thrown to the wolves, like some of the other stuff. That's a good, you know, um, that's how we started or how she started, not me.   Host: Well, awesome guys. I think this was a really informative segment on getting into travel nursing. And I think it would be really cool to have you guys back on once you have your van up and mobile and you're actually travel nursing with your van to talk about how you guys are finding places to stay, how you've been acclimating to that lifestyle. But speaking of that, like I mentioned before, you guys have done not one but you're working on your second van conversion. So we can dig into that a little bit now. Before we talk about the actual build, I know you ran into a little bit of trouble actually acquiring the van. So what was that process like just getting your hands on the van?   Guest: Yeah, so I mean, we started the idea I think like four or five years ago that we wanted to do van life. And we were just, I mean, we're really, really young. I remember telling all my family at Christmas time that we wanted to live in a van. They all thought we were crazy. And so, so it took us a while after that to kind of, she had to graduate nursing school to be able to do that. We actually moved out, got an apartment because we lived with my parents until she was done with nursing school. We got an apartment, and we lived in an apartment for six months, and we decided we just were looking at the cost of what it was, you know, adding up to be. We didn't own the place, we kind of wanted to do something else. And I made a joke one night that we could move back in with my parents, and that we could save a ton of money and potentially do van life. And so, you know, it led into more serious conversation. We talked to my parents again, and of course, my parents, they're, you know, really chill, and they agreed, and they said, "Yeah, come on back." And so we moved back in with them, and we started working towards saving up to buy a van, which was kind of tough because she was a, she was a new nurse. I mean, anybody that works at a school tell you that the pay there is pretty low. So we moved back in with them, we started saving up, and we decided we were going to put a deposit down on one. It was, it was hard finding, oh my gosh, try to find, we, we decided we were going to try to get one, and we called, I don't know, probably 50 dealerships across the nation. We didn't really care where it was, we thought, well, we were going to drive anywhere, yeah, we would fly in or drive or do whatever it took. We called like 50 dealerships, you couldn't find them.   Host: Did you have like a specific van you wanted, or were you open to any type of?   Guest: So we wanted a ProMaster because of the cost. I mean, it's cheap. I think that there are better options if you have the budget for them, you know, that's just my personal opinion. A lot of people like, you know, there's Mercedes, there's Ford Transit, but we decided on ProMaster. And so anything that we found during that time, it was, you know, in the height of the pandemic, they had a called a market adjustment where they marked them up about 15 to 20,000. So it was crazy because you could order one, and we found a dealership in Arizona and they were going to order us one for MSRP. And we were initially told that it would take three or four months and we would have the van. And so we thought, well, that work. Ecstatic, we're like, oh yeah, that's great. And so I had just paid off my car the day before, and we didn't have any money. And the lady at the dealership said, "Orders will be closing any time now because they're going to start retooling for the next year." Luckily, I went to my mom for the second time in my life to borrow some money, and she loaned us a little bit of money to put a down payment on it. And that was stressful, and luckily, I got her paid back within two weeks. And so we put the down payment on, and we started buying stuff, trying to, yeah, accumulate all we would need for the van build. I sold the car that I had, that I paid off, and that kind of gave us the money to put towards the van. So we were going to finance the van and just use the money that I had from the car to buy all the stuff for it. We bought a lot of stuff. I think we bought like $10,000 worth of stuff before we even had the, yeah, and so we were waiting and waiting and waiting, and they were like, oh well, it's gonna come next month, oh, it's gonna come next month, it's gonna come next month. And it just started to get to the point where we were nine months in, and they kept saying it, and we didn't know, you know, we didn't know how long it was going to be um so we got really discouraged and I mean I'm really bad about it I I buy and sell vehicles all the time when I get bored and I think it's hard for me to kind of like stay on one thing so my mind was kind of racing on what else we could do and we just decided that we would sell all the stuff and any of the money that we made back from that we put towards you know another vehicle and we were just going to make it really fast so we bought another Mustang we canceled our order and um we had that Mustang for two months and we rolled across the dealership in town and they had a we had ordered a 159 ProMaster and um there was a 136 sitting on the lot of a local dealership and you couldn't hardly find them at the time so um we went and looked in the windows and I said we could really do this uh you know we can we can figure it out we could make this happen and so we looked in it the next day I went and test drove it and the next day after that I had a check in hand from the bank we purchased it the day after that I had contacted a dealership in Oklahoma that bought one of my friends cars and they said yeah we'll buy it so I took it down there and they bought it off of me and we started building our um our first van we had to buy it all over again so we bought all the stuff. Host: That's incredible. So sold your car, ordered a van, ordered all the parts and material for the van, waited 9 months, didn't come in, sold the material, bought another car, and then you found that exact van you wanted for sale two months later and picked and then swapped them out. That's crazy. And I'm glad you bring that up because that's something a lot of people probably won't even consider when they're going to do a van build is actually it might take upwards of a year to actually get the van itself. And you, I know you mentioned you're constantly doing different things but also another thing you guys were excited, you had all this stuff, these parts lying around, you probably had coming up with designs and things you wanted to do and that probably made it more painful having to continue to wait and get the update, another month, another month. So, wow, I can say it's definitely dedication, the fact that you guys stuck it out and ended up finally getting your van. But that's crazy. Is that something you've seen? I know that was during COVID, right? So that's when materials and supplies were crazy. Has that tamed and kind of slowed down? Can it be easier to get one of those vans now, I would imagine?   Guest: Yeah, we just drove by one on the way here, like, to this podcast. We were at a sister's house and just right down the road there's just, we're like, "Hey, look, there's one just sitting out front." And they actually had one in the back, too. So much easier. Yeah, I think the biggest struggle, though, with the whole thing was also watching, like, you know, I think that it's, you know, a lot of the people that do van life don't do it forever. I think that's like an important thing to know when you're getting into it, is that like most people don't do it forever and a lot of people get burnt out with it. There are some people that don't. Kind of got to know what you're wanting out of it. But like when we had all our stuff, I mean, we started buying stuff and looking into doing things, it was a little over a year before that. And so some of the people that we had met and made friends with and we were excited to do it, we watched them build their vans, they had already sold their stuff, too. But as far as like getting ahold of vans, uh, yeah, it's a lot easier now. I think that, I think that the wait times can still be somewhat long depending on where you order it from. On the second van, we just rolled into town, there was one on the lot. And it's kind of crazy because the car market has dropped tremendously. I mean, it fell on spas really. So we looked at our van, it was, uh, 30, 39,000. And when we came back just a few weeks later after she finished her assignment, it dropped all the way down to like 33. So I, it was, it was within a matter of like four to six weeks, the market's definitely changing.   Host: Those inflated prices are finally coming down. I was curious, you bought, so you bought parts and material for the van, how did you know what to buy? Are there like websites or kits you can buy that are custom for like specific van frames? Or how'd you go about doing that?   Guest: Yeah, so a lot of the stuff we bought, um, at the beginning was like electrical stuff, we knew we were going to need that. Um, there are websites. We follow a lot of um, schematics from uh, Far Out Ride is one of the websites. There's another one that does sell more of like kits, um, Explorist.life. I think is what it's called, his Nate Yarbrough. Um, and I mean, he's got a ton of information. You can buy schematics on there. Um, and I've referenced those. I haven't bought any from it. Um, but yeah, we just kind of started sizing up our electrical system, and we went with some of the more expensive components. On our first one, we bought a bunch of Victron stuff, and you know, the wiring, the wire itself can be expensive as well. And then just little stuff that we wanted in it. So we didn't buy any like wood, most of it was just, you know, things you would need to get started. Um, and I don't, I don't even know what all we spent. I mean, we spent a bunch of money on a lot of stuff. I think mostly it was electrical though.   Host: So obviously, so you ended up selling that first van that you converted. Why did you end up selling it?   Guest: Well, it was just really, we found out really fast that when we started it, it was just the two of us and we didn't really, I didn't want a dog, but we ended up with one. And so, and I love him to death. I was never an animal person. We went into a place, my sister was looking at a dog, and my parents wanted to go look at the dogs, and we went in there, and there was this little dog in there, and we just fell in love with him. And now I'm an animal person. So, but found out it was just, it got really tight, really fast with two people and a dog. And then the other thing was, is that we didn't put an air conditioner in it. And so, really hot, a lot of people say, you know, I've heard a lot of people say that they can get by with just two fans, you know, you don't need to spend the money on the air conditioner, and that's great if you can chase the weather and stuff. But we live in the Midwest, and it gets really hot, really hot. And so, by the time we had finished that van, I think we kind of knew we were in trouble because it was just really hot. I mean, we couldn't even barely finish it because we were so hot. It was, you know, it'd be like 80 degrees, 85 degrees outside, and it'd be over 100 degrees in the van. And, you know, you could have the fans on and it'd still be like 96. We just got to thinking, she wanted to do travel nursing and if she needed to take a job in like Arizona or something in the heat of the summer, we needed to be able to, you know, go there and live comfortably. We also needed something that would keep our dog safe as well. And so, we ultimately decided to sell it because we would have needed to upgrade our electrical system, we would have needed, you know, tear out a lot of the ceiling, and at that point, we were just kind of over it. We were just done with building, it took a long time and all of our friends that we had met were like done, so we were just like, we don't, you know, we just, we're done with it too, we were discouraged. So, we just decided to sell it, um we posted up because she wanted to do travel nursing um she had already signed a contract by the time that we posted it for sale and a couple uh flew in from South Carolina and bought it for what we had in it so we didn't make any money off of it it was almost I mean it was like 95% finished and um so they got a good deal on it but uh we just knew we needed something different than that.   Host: Well, at least despite the prices coming down, you didn't take a bath on it, so with the next van, you put the air conditioning in. Were there any other modifications you're doing with this one that you didn't do the first time?   Guest: Yeah, I mean, we're not going to put a shower in this one. Sounds gross, yeah, but we're counting on is we'll try to stay at RV parks that have showers while she's on her contract. We tried to put one like a hidden shower, like a shower and a bench in our last van, and by the time you got the shower pan and then you set the toilet on top of the shower pan, it was like an awkward height, so the bench in there was really uncomfortable to sit on. Really wasn't needed. I mean, you've got Planet Fitness, you've got truck stops, and my buddy is a trucker and he just, we pretty much have unlimited showers at truck stops when we need them, so that's nice. But we weighed out a lot of different options too on like whether we should go with a van. Crazy enough before we even bought this second van we thought we were gonna buy, we were gonna buy an Airstream. I bought a truck actually and I sold it within two days, it's crazy, but I bought a truck and sold it two days later because we decided we were gonna go do a van. So we weighed out the options and really for us a van was the most economical option. By the time you factor in like fuel mileage, so like, you know, there's the three big ones for us was like a class a camper, or RV I guess you call it, or like a pool behind. We looked into even doing like an ambulance, but we even looked at an ambulance New York or Pennsylvania somewhere, yeah, yeah. But by the time you spend fuel on those, it gets to be really expensive. I mean, a half-ton truck, it's like, you know, the older trucks like the one I had was gonna get like nine miles per gallon. A lot of the diesel stuff, it's just high maintenance costs, higher fuel costs, and I didn't know how to work on a diesel. That was a big one for us and so we didn't wanna terrify because if we break down on the road, you know, I'm at the mercy of a mechanic and diesel mechanics are very expensive. So the van just made sense for us, you know, you don't have to have insurance on two vehicles, you just have insurance on the van itself, you can drive wherever you need, now that, that can be a downfall, but we plan to get, like, it's like a dirt bike, a street legal dirt bike later on that we'll use, put a carrier on the back of the van as our secondary Transportation so we don't always have to take it.   Host: Were there any mistakes you made with the first or the second build that you want to share that could potentially save a future listener some trouble?   Guest: Oh gosh, don't overcomplicate it. Yeah, I mean, I was going to say, he knows more about that stuff, I'm kind of just, if you had anything to add, go ahead, but I mean, I think in our first one, we just tried to really pack everything in. We wanted a shower, we wanted, you know, a toilet, we wanted, you know, a kitchen area and stuff. I think that you really find out a lot of stuff when you take your first trip in it. I mean, if you have the money, I know that some people don't have a huge budget to do a van, somebody I'd mentioned this before and somebody said, well, I'd rather take the money that I would use to rent a van, van, and just put it towards my build. But if you have the money to rent a van, I would definitely recommend renting one out and kind of seeing what you use and what you don't, how you like the layout and how you don't, because I think from the first trip that we took, and ours was put together, we realized a lot of things, like our cabinets were really close to our bench and so it made it difficult underneath the sink because we had two cabinets that opened out where you have to be in between them because there wasn't enough room to get past so you were leaning over the cabinet or you had to, you know, wed yourself in there open them up. So there's just a lot of things that you don't think about. Another one was like the shower situation. We thought we were going to put a shower in this one too, our second conversion and we just ultimately decided that we wanted to open feel, we didn't want to feel like we were closed in like our first one, our first van was pretty small was a 136, we've got a 159 now and we just wanted to keep the open feel. Like I said, a lot of the campgrounds have showers, there's a lot of other options, I mean, it just depends on what's important to you. So you know, really think it out, look at other people, ask questions if you can, the best thing you can do is, you know, rent an in or even if you buy one, uh, just try to take a trip in it, you need a lot less than you really think you do.   Host: I think you're totally right about the fact that it's, it's your lifestyle, it's going to revolve around what you're doing, like for example, if you're working at your van, you're boondocking all over the place, you're going to want probably a shower and have those facilities, but if you're travel nursing and you're kind of forced to stay at campgrounds, you're going to be using those facilities anyways so you don't necessarily need those in your van so there's a lot to consider before actually getting started there.     Guest: Yeah, there's a lot of new tech too that is appealing to a lot of people. They're like, "Oh, I want to put this and this and this." So, like, I know, like, a hydronic floor is, like, I think it's hydronic heated floor is what they call it. A lot of people like to put those and they're... they're, to me, they're really complex and stuff. So, like, I don't... I don't need it, you know? It may be something for somebody else. But, you know, the simpler, in my opinion, the better, the less to go wrong, kind of figure it all out too. So, I feel like the heated floor is just one shake in the van away from that wire to come loose and then for it to just not work right.   Host: Well, great, guys. This was a really deep dive into, I guess, not just one but two van builds. I think this is definitely helpful for a lot of people, not just with the build process but also expectations in terms of ordering and the timeline, the overall timeline. So, once you had it, I just want to ask one last question before we wrap up and transition. But how long did that first and second van build take once you actually had the van?   Guest: So, our first one took us eight months. Um, we thought it would take us a lot less. We had originally planned on, like, three to four. Took us eight months. We did it in the middle of the winter too, so there were times we both had full-time jobs. Um, so, a lot of... I mean, we didn't work on it but a couple days on the weekends when I had off. It was kind of hard to get our schedules in line because there were sometimes where she would work on weekends and there's a lot of tasks that just require two people, you know, some of those long boards, trying to put them up on the ceiling or cut them. You know, I didn't have an outfeed table for a saw so I needed somebody to help me hold the boards up while I cut them. So, it was really kind of tough and we didn't work on it for like a month or two on our first one in the middle of winter just because it was so cold and the motivation was very low. Yeah, and you start... the end of it, I mean, towards the end of your first build can kind of be... I don't know, hard. I mean, you can kind of struggle just knowing how long it's taking you.   Host: I definitely don't think people can underestimate the... I guess determination. I can't think of the word but resilience, I guess, in terms of, you know, the mindset of building it, kind of getting demotivated, realizing it's not necessarily the van for you but then, you know, continuing and being resilient and getting another one and doing it the way you want it.   Guest: Yeah, it's... it was tough. Our second one's gone faster. We bought it in October. I don't... I didn't do the math off the top of my head but we're planning to have it done within the next, uh, nine weeks is the plan. Um, we're almost done. I mean, we're... we're on track to finish it. We got, you know, just a little bit stuff we got to make cabinets and, um, just, you know, little stuff add trim and and that kind of stuff.   Host: But like I said you've already taken a few trips in it so it's drivable it's livable just kind of the finishing touches. We'll jump ahead a little bit. Um, what has been the coolest travel experience you guys have had so far? It could be with your van or not with your van.   Guest: So, one of the coolest places we've taken our van, I think the one we enjoyed most was going to South Dakota, which... or, I... we took a couple, so that... I think that was like the first trip that we took when our van was almost completely finished and we met up actually with some friends through Instagram, which kind of sounds a little creepy but they ended up being really good friends. And we actually got to stay, like, on our first, I guess, like, BLM land I guess you say. Actually, we were in a forest. We stayed on BLM land though, so we got to, you know, like, actually, yeah, we did. We got to actually experience that versus, you know, just staying, you know, in a campground or like on the side of a street or something. It was like the full like van life experience. We stayed right on the edge of the badlands, so they have Wall Wall, South Dakota, I think is what it's called where Wall Drug is. A lot of people know what that is. It's like a big General Store. It's really popular, really cool. I mean, there's not, to me, there's not a bunch in South Dakota but the Badlands is kind of the biggest, you know, and that and Mount Rushmore. So, we went up there and that was... that was about the coolest that we got the experience in that and we stayed right on the edge. They had some BLM land. We woke up to cows scratching our head on the back of the van, go... I was breaking in our van, it was rocking back and forth, we weren't sure what was going on but it was awesome. Yeah, it was... it was a neat experience. I mean, we just got to hang out and it just makes you feel like you're living life really freely, like.   Host: That's something I wanted to wake up to, like, just seeing bison or cows or something like brushing up against the van. I would open up and look out and like they're not there yet but that's really cool. So, your van was like shaking cuz there was a cow brushing up against it?   Guest: Yeah, the door hinges on the back, they kind of stick out on and it, they were doing it to like all like we were with, I don't know how many people were there but they were just going down the line like everybody there, I guess it was like a natural alarm, guess? Yeah, which it was wild. We were there for a couple nights and then we didn't see cows, we didn't even know there were cows there and all of a sudden, hundreds, and they were all around, we were surrounded by them. So, that's funny.   Host: That's cool, that's a good experience, yeah. Alright guys, if you could have listened to this podcast when you were first starting out on your van life, your travel nurse journey, and there was a question that you wish I would have asked tonight that I didn't, what would that question be and how would you answer that now?   Guest: Oh, that's a good one, the question. I don't know the answer to that one. Um, I think it... I think I would just be more interested in like, um, like budget, really. I mean, it's so... it's so hard because how much money do you need to have saved up for this? And, yeah, so like, really what people spend on gas, um, you know, that's a big one for me because it's so hard to know kind of what that is. Um, you know, how much you spend. And I know that's different for everyone but um, it's really tough to get like an understanding of what the budget will be like. Even now, we're not really sure what we're going to spend. We're planning to take four months off but we have really no idea what it's going to cost. We try to do some calculations on like how much we're going to drive and the gas prices in those areas and what it's going to be but really like, I think the budget is just the hardest part to know what it's like for somebody that's going to actually travel, not just sit in one place but like, really travels.   Host: In terms of the budget, that's something that completely like blew our socks off was going cross country. We spent way more on fuel than we expected to. And one tip we learned, talking with Dylan in episode one, we actually have a blog post about this I'll link in the show notes, but you take your mileage and you add like a 50% buffer. So, you do your entire trip and add 50% to that because you'll be shocked at how much time and miles you spend driving back and forth, whether National Park Loops or, you know, back and forth of destinations. It was almost like for both of us 50% more than what that Google Maps itinerary told us. That was one good way and then of course, the price of gas varies. I think either way it's going to be more than you expect but if you can, you know, put as much of a buffer on that as you can. We actually had, uh, on episode 13 with, um, Lur and Jason, they were the only guest so far that paid that had money left over after the trip because they... they just anticipated out west to be super expensive, California and just really, really saved up for it and it ended up not being as much as they expected. But there are a few ways you can prepare but it is tough to nail down a price point in terms of budgeting for the van build. Did you have like a number, rough number on how much that cost to build out that you wanted to share?   Guest: Yeah, so our first one, we bought our first van, um, it was a 136 ProMaster. It had about 60,000 miles on it and we bought that for $38,000 and we spent around $17,000 on the conversion. And I think that was more on the high side. We didn't really skimp on anything. I wanted, you know, nice materials. I wanted the cabinets to be made out of like, um, birch. Um, and so we probably spent more than I guess the average person. And then I think on the second one, we bought our van for $34,500. There was some kind of weird markups on there. I know that I said that it was marked down to like $33,000 but it was, it's kind of confusing, I guess you have to have like a trade-in and finance through them. It's, to me, it's like a dealership scam but we end up paying $34,500 for our van and I think we're going to have right around 20 grand in it and that's with an air conditioner, inverter, and two extra batteries. Yeah, we beefed up our electrical system a lot on this one so, you know, you may give or take a little bit. I would probably say anywhere from like 20 to 22. We haven't added it up yet but I think we're right in that range.   Host: Nice, well thank you for sharing that. And then for someone who's listening to this podcast who wants to get into this kind of travel nursing, van life lifestyle but aren't quite there yet, what is one thing they can do today to get started?   Guest: I mean really just cut out all the unnecessary stuff. Like that's the biggest way that we started saving for it was, you know, you can look at your expenses and cut out a lot. I mean, you... you list it all out, um, get rid of unnecessary subscriptions. I mean, heck, even like, um, your vehicle insurance, I mean a lot of people overpay for vehicle insurance and so, you know, you can go through many agencies and get free quotes. I mean, it doesn't do anything, you know, it's just literally a free quote, um, to see if you can save money on that and just really kind of skimping on everything. So, we cut down like our phone bills, we went to straight talk. I mean, it was far less. We just paid for our phones out of pocket. Um, we have less expenses there and just cut out everything we didn't need. What were you saying about the travel nursing part, just how to get into it?   Host: I guess just a lifestyle and obviously with that you would need to, um, have the degree and everything else but I guess the first step probably be just pursuing it.   Guest: Getting in touch with the travel agency or going through the application process. Otherwise, I would say, you know, just do it. I just don't even really think about it, don't overthink about it, just put in your application and get connected with somebody. Just do it. Yeah, it's... it's not a bad... I mean, Courtney was really nervous about getting into it, she wasn't really sure what to think, of course you like we mentioned earlier there's only one day of orientation, you know, she... whether she didn't know enough but and I'm really, I get really nervous, um, like with change so I was, "Oh my gosh, I don't know how I'm going to function like talking to people, like, questions," like, "I'm just going to have to get over that fear," you know, and just... and just do it. So, it's got much better. I still get a little nervous um, before my assignments start but um, it's even compared to the first one, it's gotten much better but it seems like with nursing a lot of it is like that, everybody's still learning all the time. I mean, like, yeah, there's... there's always going to be something that you can learn better with so it, for the most part, iht's from her experience and maybe I'm wrong here, you'll have to correct me, but it seems like they're all willing to help out and you know, help you with things that you might not know if it's something that you've never done before. There's usually somebody there that has, and just don't be scared, you know? Try it. If it's not for you, you know it's not permanent.   Host: Yeah, at least you tried, and you got out of your comfort zone, which a lot of people don't do, so yeah, and you're enjoying it so far. And then yeah, like cutting expenses is never a bad place to start like you said there Dakota. Well, great. Have there been any YouTube channels, books, or other influences that inspired you guys to get on the road and travel?   Guest: Yeah, um, you want me to talk about it or you want to? Okay, you can. Okay, so the second van build we were really inspired by Jimmy and Natalie. Um, I don't know if you know who they are. They have a YouTube channel, I think they have like 45,000 subscribers. Actually, copying their layout exactly because it just seems like it's simple enough, it's not overcomplicated. Yeah, yeah. So, we just thought the functionality worked for us. It had everything we needed. But as far as like first getting started with Van life, there was a lady named Liz Bryant. She has a YouTube, I don't think she really uploads to it anymore, called "Wild by the Mile". She was a solo, like the OG solo female vanlifer, and um, that was the first time I'd ever really seen anybody do van life and that was what really inspired me because it just seemed so awesome, you know? It's wake up by the beach every day and just kind of live life on your own terms and have your own freedom. So seeing that, seeing what she did, it was really inspiring to us. I mean, I think there's good and bad that come with it, but I think the good far outweighs any of the complications that, you know, you have in Van life.   Host: Otherwise, you wouldn't be doing a second van build, right? Thank you guys. I'll put a link in the show notes for those two channels you mentioned there and while our audience is checking out those channels, one more time, where can they find out more about you?   Guest: We have an Instagram, it's @kodaandcourt. And that's really all we have right at the moment. I mean, we have a YouTube channel, but we're a little camera shy, so just getting over the fear of hearing your own voice and you know, that. So, we might, you know, eventually do something with that, but right now we're just kind of not. We're not, we're not like keeping up with Instagram. We post stories and stuff, but I think we're going to post more when, you know, she's not working. So we're trying to work on being better about it. But yeah, any questions, you know, anybody can reach out. I'd love to help people whether it's, you know, car-related stuff, if somebody's having trouble with their vehicle or, you know, travel nursing, or build, you know, van build questions, you know, we're just, we love to answer questions and help people out.   Host: Great, yeah, we'll put a link in the description for your channel as well and camera shy but we could definitely not tell and you guys rock this interview. There's a ton of valuable information here. We're excited to get out and share. Um, last question so our audience doesn't stay in suspense. What are we talking about for part two in travel tips?   Guest: We're going to talk about Juniper Springs, I guess it's in the Okala National Forest, so in Florida.   Host: Alright everybody, keep an eye out for that episode airing in 2 days. Dakota and Courtney, thanks again.   Guest: Thank you.    

What a great conversation we had with Chad and Eileen Miles from “The Miles Van Life.” The couple have been traveling in their self-converted van for 18 months, along with their Australian Shepard, Sadie. They run several businesses and share the both the struggles and joys that van life brings them. Cost Did you know living in a van could actually be more expensive than a typically home? We take a deep dive into some of the expenses Chad and Eileen face while on the road. Routine Often, what's not thought about before someone makes this type of a commitment is how their routine will be affected. If you are currently working from home, you have probably set up a morning routine that allows you to get an early start and stay productive. We discussed that although you don't necessarily have to say “goodbye” to your routine, you have to be prepared for some changes. Setting  up and taking down your office everyday takes time, and you may find yourself having to pump out your tanks midway through the day. Places to Stay We discussed how at first, finding places to stay was difficult and how they were frequently paying for campsites. Tune in to see how they have learned to not stress out so much over where they are staying, and how nowadays they mostly stay for free. Chapters 00:00 Introduction 02:00 What do you do for work? 06:00 What is a typical day or week look like? 08:00 How is your work routine affected by working out of a van? 11:30 How has Starlink worked for you? 14:15 How long did it take you to travel once you got the idea? 17:00 Was van life always the plan? 18:30 What was the van build process like? 23:30 What are your biggest travel frustrations? 27:15 What do you love most about your travel lifestyle? 29:15 What does a weekly or monthly budget look like? 32:00 How much does Starlink cost? 33:15 What is it like traveling with a dog?  34:45 Is van life sustainable and how long do you plan on continuing? 36:00 What has been your coolest travel experience? 37:30 What have you learned you need and don't need while traveling? 41:00 How do you find places to sleep? 43:30 What is an actionable step someone could start doing now? Chad and Eileen on Social: ·        Miles Van Life: https://www.instagram.com/themilesvanlife/ ·        Eileen's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eileenrosemiles/ ·        Eileen's Website: https://www.eileenrose.me/ ·        Eileen's Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-inward-journey/id1666397129 ·        Chad's IG: https://www.instagram.com/chadmmiles/ ·        Chad's Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2228949/share Links ·        Insight Timer Meditation: https://insighttimer.com/ ·        Kindle: https://amzn.to/49RxkAV ·        National Park Pet Policies: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/pets/visit.htm We may earn commission from products purchases on this page   Sleeping ·        iOverlander: https://www.ioverlander.com/ ·        Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps   Past Episode ·        Linneas Episode #9: https://atravelpath.com/solo-female-van-life/   YouTube Channels Referenced: ·        Living Big in a Tiny House: https://www.youtube.com/@livingbig ·        Chris and Sarah: https://www.youtube.com/@chrisandsara ·        Sarah and Alex James: https://www.youtube.com/@SaraandAlexJames ·        Mathers on the Map: https://www.youtube.com/@MathersOnTheMap ·        Linnea and Akela: https://www.youtube.com/@Linneaandakela     Most Popular Blogs: ·        Most Popular Travel Hacks: https://atravelpath.com/money-saving-travel-tips/ ·        Travel Gear: https://atravelpath.com/travel-gear/ ·        How to Budget For Gas on a Road Trip: https://atravelpath.com/how-to-budget-for-gas-for-a-road-trip/ ·        Our Favorite RV Upgrades: https://atravelpath.com/rv-upgrades/ ·        How Much We Made Renting Our RV: https://atravelpath.com/renting-camper-van/ ·        Never Run Out of Gas on a Road Trip: https://atravelpath.com/road-trip-tip/   *All content from atravelpath.com, including but not limited to The Travel Path Podcast and social media platforms, is designed to share general information. We are not experts and the information is not designed to serve as legal, financial, or tax advice. Always do your own research and due diligence before making a decision.   Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/sky-toes/gently-comes-tomorrow License code: JNNG98EA42W634JP Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/abbynoise/rocky-mountains     Transcript Host: Chad and Eileen, welcome to the Travel Path Podcast.   Guest: Hey, thanks for having us. Hi, so happy to be here.   Host: Yeah, so we know you on Instagram as the MilesVanLife. You travel with your dog Sadie. You've been to 47 states, which is a heck of a lot more than Hope and I have been to. Got a few businesses between teaching meditation, marketing consulting, and hosting a podcast, which I know is no small feat. So, a lot to uncover here. Why don't we first just start by having you share a little about yourselves?   Guest: Yeah, so we're Eileen and Chad. We have been living in our van on the road for about 18 months full-time. We completed our van about two years ago, and so we've spent about 18 months traveling, and now we've spent five months back here in Michigan. As you said, we have a 50-pound Australian Shepherd, her name is Sadie, and she lives in the van with us as we travel. And yeah, we're just very passionate about this lifestyle, so we're excited to dig into it more with both of you.   Host: Currently, you're working as you have your own businesses, right? Marketing consulting and then teaching meditation. How did you get started in that?   Guest: I started leading meditations when the pandemic hit, and before we hit the road, I got into teaching meditation on Insight Timer. And then from there, I did actually, before we hit the road, I did take on a part-time job because we needed some consistent income. And then it wasn't until about, actually, I was just looking at this, it wasn't until about September last year, I decided to, well, the year before that, I forget that it's a new year. It wasn't until about September 2022 when I decided to dive in fully and lead meditation from the road and lead meditation teacher trainings from the road too. And yeah, it's been super fulfilling and really hard at some points, but it's been really, really exciting and something that Chad and I work on together too. And for me, I do marketing consulting work. I had a full-time job leading a small marketing team at a financial firm in the Metro Detroit area before we were living in the van. And so part of the process of transitioning into van life was me leaving that job, going and starting my own business, and that's what I run today.   Host: Very cool. So between the travel and the remote work, which came first? Did you have this dream and this desire to hit the road and then work towards finding remote jobs? Or were you stuck with remote jobs and realized you could travel?   Guest: It was more so we had full-time jobs that required us to be in a certain location, and it was during the pandemic that it really opened up our eyes to the idea of remote work. When the pandemic hit, we went and we did some traveling, and we spent some time up in Northern Michigan, and we were working remotely for three or four months. And I think that's really when it got our gears turning, and we started thinking, could we make this more of a permanent lifestyle? So then that started our gears in the whole process of starting to make decisions and think about all right, well, both of our jobs required us to be in the office and were likely going to require us to go back into the office. And so we had to start thinking about how we were going to create work that was going to allow us to live this remote lifestyle. So we had to adapt and make some changes in order to make this a reality.   Host: Nice. And Eileen, you had mentioned when you first started out, you had picked up a side job remotely to help fund your travels. How were you able to get that job?   Guest: That was just something I looked for. I spent quite a few months kind of looking online and figuring out what felt in alignment. And they were open to me working remotely. And then it just didn't work out, unfortunately. And I also see it as a sign of, okay, you need to dive in fully and lead meditations and do what you really, really love. So it's all worked out.   Host: Was that like a meditation-related job, or did you find it through Upwork doing like blogging, that type of stuff?   Guest: No, it was a totally different job, just working for a mental health company, which I did love because I was able to work remote, of course. And then I was a part of a community and a team, which felt really good because I loved going to work. It was almost social for me too. And so then when the pandemic hit, it was hard. And even now, entrepreneurship is lonely, but I find ways to feel a part of a team. But yeah, it ended up working out.   Host: That's great. So between the three businesses you have going on right now, right? So between those three hats you're wearing, what does your typical day-to-day or week look like?   Guest: Yeah, I mean, I think a week like ours, although it can vary, a lot of times we have evening meetings that we have, or we will be leading a meditation in the evening. We also do a meditation teacher training. A lot of times, those are in the evening. So aside from those things, I would say we still work a relatively normal 9-to-5 type schedule with the clients that we work with and some of the different projects that we're on or meetings that we have are typically scheduled during the workday. So a lot of times, Monday to Friday, we are a little bit less mobile. We're camped out somewhere, whether that's by a city or if we're positioned somewhere and we've got our Starlink. We're not really moving as much during the week. We are, for the most part, working in a fairly typical schedule. And then the weekends are a time where we really go unplug and explore and take advantage of the fact that we don't have people maybe calling or emailing us. So it looks different in the van, of course. There's always unique elements to the work. There's always things that you don't necessarily plan for. And as we like to say, things tend to just kind of go slower or take longer than you think. But for the most part, our weeks resemble a typical workweek.   Host: I feel like that's the big distinction between people who are van-lifing like vacationing for extended road trips versus people who are working full-time. Like when we did our trip a couple of years ago, it was a two-month vacation. We went, we saw, we were driving like 500 miles a day, going to different destinations. But now this next trip we're going to be taking is going to be much similar to what you guys were explaining, where we're going to be working probably in the same location for like six, seven days and just working all day and then making those smaller movements. You know, perfectly down south, it's freezing right now in Connecticut. But one question I wanted to ask was, and this is probably getting a little bit selfish because this is what we're going to be doing, but how much time would you say, if you're working remotely at home, a physical Sticks and Bricks house, versus working remotely in your van, but the van's stationary? How much time does it add to your day between setup and take down and all that?   Guest: Yeah, I mean, it's hard to say, but the one thing I would say for sure is that if you picture being in your home office and if you work remotely and for the most part, let's say between the hours of 8 to 5, you could be sitting at your office getting work done for a majority of that time pretty consistently, you might have small breaks, you might stop for lunch. I have found, we have found that it's when you're traveling full-time in the van, it's hard to get that same, I guess, productivity of work done on a consistent basis because there's constantly things that are going on throughout the day that might need your attention, or you've got to drive somewhere, you've got to move, or you've got to go dump your toilet or fill up on water. There's all these different things that you have to think about and plan for. So I would just say, in general, it is a little bit more challenging to have those long, sort of productive days when you're working in the van because there's just a lot more variables.   Host: Yeah, so it sounds like that routine is something you're giving up.   Guest: Yeah, for sure. Every day is different. And I mean, it is distracting when you're working and it's a beautiful view, and okay, I'm going to go do a workout and then cold plunge and then, oops, it's been a couple of hours, you know? But what's great too is that we can choose when we want to work as well unless we have meetings or calls or trainings to lead. But we can choose that, and then the evening can look like a hike or something. Or we can start our day earlier, and there's just that flexibility that's so, so great.   Host: Yeah, I think it's important to just talk about that too because a lot of people might not realize that. But like right now, we've been working remotely in this house for a couple of months now, and we've developed this routine. And it's, you know, get up, get some work done, go to the gym. And then I'm in here, and I know you have the same routine. So that is something that people might not expect or anticipate if they're working from home now and they want to plan, you know, full-time travel and working in their van, something to definitely consider.   Guest: Yeah, I mean, if you want to live a lifestyle like this where you are traveling full-time, if you live in a van, I don't think it's fair to say you have to completely say goodbye to routine. But you definitely have to become a lot more comfortable living without it because there are so many things that happen, there are so many changes that you're constantly having to navigate that you can bring a little bit of structure into your day, but it's difficult to maintain consistent routine.   Host: Are you taking down and setting up your office every evening?   Guest: Yeah, well, our layout, which we're sitting at right now, has our table and seating area, which we love, and then we convert it into our bed. And so we do that every day in order to enjoy our food here, unless we want to eat outside and everything. And then work at this table. Chad's really excited because he got a table up front with our swivel seat up there. But yeah, and then if we're in the middle of nowhere, we have to set up our Starlink. And so it's definitely a process.   Host: Have you had luck with the Starlink?   Guest: So far, the Starlink has been amazing. We went over a year without it, and, um, I mean, we did just fine. We had one of the little Verizon hotspots, so that was dependent on our cell phone service. When we knew we were going to go to Alaska, it was actually funny. I mean, we were up in the Seattle area and we were about to start the trip to Alaska, and we were panicking because we didn't have one. So, I ended up finding someone in Seattle and buying a used one online. Anyway, we could not have done the trip to Alaska and back without it, so we've really enjoyed having the Starlink. It just gives you the opportunity to go to much more remote areas, and so that's made us, uh, it's allowed us to go off-grid a lot more and stay away from some of the bigger cities like we used to have to hang around. So, it's been really nice.   Host: Have you had luck with it, with Starlink in, like, National Forest areas?   Guest: Well, you might answer this better, but I will. That brings me back to a really frustrating moment when we tried to use it for one of my virtual events and it just wasn't working because, yeah, we were in, yeah, it was a heavily wooded area and I think there was a couple I don't even remember exactly where we were. All I remember is it was very frustrating. Yeah, it wasn't working, but that was probably the one to two times where it didn't work. Otherwise, what would you say? It's definitely not perfect. Yeah, you've got to be set up in a good position. If you're in a heavily wooded area, you're going to have a lot of problems. Typically, you can get really fast internet, but you're probably going to have a lot of outages. And even as we've traveled with it, we have noticed, like, for video calls like this, um, it's pretty common that it's going to drop for a couple of seconds every, like, 5 to 10 minutes. So, it's not perfect for video calls, so you've got to kind of feel out how it works and in what situations it doesn't work as well. So, it's not perfect, but it does unlock a lot of unique opportunities that you couldn't have without it.   Host: Yeah, yeah, we're kind of rolling the dice on this next trip. We're not going to get it quite yet. We're going to see because we've heard the consensus on the podcast so far has been the T-Mobile HotSpot, but we are planning on going a little bit more remotely and, I've been asking, I haven't gotten an answer. I think yours is the best answer so far about how it works in the National Forest because the national forests are where they're remote, they're usually free camping, but there's forest and that's when the Starling tends to not work when it's shaded although there are areas where it's a little bit more thin you can get away with it, but yeah, we're thinking of just starting with T-Mobile and then seeing if we need to invest in Starlink. I think it's more East Coast from what we've heard is better service where we're going to be and then out west is where you can really start losing your data in your service.   Guest: For sure.   Host: So, from, I guess backtracking a little bit from when you guys thought about taking this trip when it first became, when it first came to your minds and you wanted to take whether an 18-month or just start full-time travel until the day you were actually able to do it, how long was that time frame?   Guest: I was kind of the first one who was interested in this whole van life thing, and that probably, that interest started like 5 years before we ever decided to actually hit the road. And it was one of those things where I followed some people on Instagram, I just thought it was really cool, I liked traveling, I had been on some road trips with my family and with some of my friends, and you know just kind of got the gears turning and made me think like I feel like this would be really fun. And then life happens, you know, we're young, we're graduating college, we're starting our careers, and so it just never really felt like there was a good time to pursue a lifestyle like this. And so then as we said when the pandemic happened we started working remotely, I think that really got us interested again in this lifestyle, and throughout the whole entire process it was probably, I would say 18 months to two years before we actually hit the road that we started to get really serious about it and eventually had to just essentially plant the flag in the calendar and say our goal was by January of 2022 we were going to hit the road and we missed that by a few months, we hit the road in April but it's one of those things where there's never a convenient time to uproot your entire life and go live in a van and travel full-time so I think eventually just came down to the point where we had to just pick a date and figure it out.   Host: I think it's smart and it's there's power in setting a date to April 2022 we had the same thing we wanted to take this trip before my 30th birthday and there's definitely power in whether you're writing it down or just you make a deal and make this goal together it just makes you want to work towards it that much more. How about you Eileen, did you have that same vision for that long or did you take a little bit of convincing?   Guest: I'm easily convinced, I mean, you know, as cheesy as it sounds I'm in love with Chad so wherever he goes I go. But I mean we started doing some traveling to tiny houses and we're like oh yeah we could do this we can live in a small space and it was super fun and my family growing up we didn't travel a ton and his did and so yeah I think he sparked within me something that was within me, the travel bug and I was easily convinced honestly.   Host: Very cool. So over those 18 months, did you have any other means like were you thinking of doing a travel trailer, buying a different vehicle or was it always van life?   Guest: Well, it actually started as, like, originally we were just kind of interested in the idea of living small and so at first we thought we were going to do a tiny house of some sort and maybe it was going to be more stationary and then we're like well but I think we actually want to have the mobility and we want to be able to travel and so then we started thinking about a tiny house maybe that was on a trailer. And as we went through the whole process there was a period in time where we were looking at buying an RV something that was a little bit bigger we just kind of kept going through the process and going to the process and factoring in all the costs that were involved with all those routes and all those options and eventually I think the both the cost and some of the flexibility in ability of the van is what ended up appealing to us most but yeah it went through a lot of iterations of what we thought this lifestyle might look like.   Host: Yeah, yeah, sounds like a way a similar path we considered a few different things we looked at like those little small tab trailers, which I was not going to be able to fit in, and then yeah the van, the mobility that's kind of what sold us. We had a 20-year-old 30-foot Wildwood which we thought about briefly taking cross country which I'm glad we did not. I think I'm convinced van life for couples is just the best way to travel, it's mobile, it's really all the space you need and yeah we had a blast doing it.   Guest: That's awesome. I agree, I think I'm glad we chose this van and chose to build it too we were looking at already built out ones and looking at RVs and it just didn't feel right I think we also were up for the challenge of building it out too.   Host: Very cool. So, speaking of that, so over those 18 months, you obviously had a few challenges getting into and transitioning to Van life. What was the build process like?   Guest: That was fun. I actually really liked it. I think he did a lot of it. I chose, you know, a lot of the paint colors and things like that and I learned how to use a drill and all of that. But I mean if there's one thing that any anyone listening needs to hear I feel like it's this, you don't have to be in construction or know what you're doing because I sure didn't when I started building the van. But I think it was a really difficult process but really rewarding. And now, kind of like I said a moment ago, you know, we're up for the challenge of building it and now looking around and feeling proud that we built it and we made it our own it's really rewarding, but I'm sure you have more to say on that. So, we bought our van as an empty cargo van in December of 2021 and it just kind of sat until January and it wasn't until January where we really got serious about our build. So, all in all, the build took us about four, four and a half months which I feel like compared to some other builds was pretty quick and it was because we were working on it almost full-time. I mean I would spend almost the entire day while it was bright out working on the van doing as much as I could and then I would go do some of my work for my clients in the evening or in the morning. And then, I mean Eileen was with me often so we put a lot of time into our build which I think allowed us to get it done a little bit maybe sooner than most but it was a very intensive roller coaster of an experience. Yeah, it was hard.   Host: Yeah, I think that is the record, that's a record on the podcast. I know we've had between like 9 and 13 months I think it's been. We've had three van builds so far. Was so four and a half months was that what you expected how long it would take?   Guest: That's a good question. I guess I think it was about what we had planned for or expected, you know, it's one of those things where you when you start a project like this you just have no idea what it's going to entail if you've never done something similar it's just so hard to imagine all of the pieces and components that go into building a van and all of the unique challenges. So, I think in our minds we were thinking we could probably complete it in less than six months and that was the timeline that we had set and so it also towards the end especially became one of those things where we just started putting more time toward it to try to hit the timeline that we had established it was a lot of work.   Host: So, about four and a half months working basically full-time on it, were there any mistakes you made along the way that could potentially save a listener from some future troubles?   Guest: That's a good question. You know what I would actually say, which is probably not even what you're looking for, is it's okay if your van's not done, you can still go. Like, I think that's actually, in a roundabout way, like a mistake a lot of people do make is they really want it to be perfect and done before they leave, but I'm looking, we still have a little bit of reflection on our door and it's fine and it hasn't ruined our experience, you know? And your van is still... you're able to sleep in it and go see the world. So, um, but I don't know, can you actually think of one? I wish I had something more specific or tactical of, you know, make sure you don't do this. I think Eileen would often give me a hard time because there'd be many days where she would come and I'd be out in the van and I would just be sitting staring at something, and then she'd come back out about two hours later and I would still just be sitting and staring at the same thing. It's true. So, I do think there's taking the time to plan and to think about your layout in general and to think about the systems and the subcomponents, and I spent a lot of time designing things on paper before I actually started building. I think all of that planning and a lot of the strategy work of how the whole thing was going to work, I think that probably lent a hand in allowing us to build more efficiently. All that time spent just kind of sitting and staring at things made it so that there really weren't any major mistakes that we made that really slowed us down. And so I think that was probably a big factor into the timeline that we achieved.   Host: Yeah, no, it sounds like just taking the time to prepare, you've avoided some of those mistakes you might have fallen into. And to your point, Eileen, you guys... it wasn't quite finished, but you guys have been able to, you know, here you are 47 States later versus somebody who was waiting until it was complete and ready to go, they're probably still working on it, right?   Guest: Yeah, there you go.   Host: Um, I guess fast forwarding a little bit to your current travel lifestyle, what are some of the big frustrations you currently face?   Guest: It's hard, especially being two entrepreneurs, it's hard to coordinate our schedules, that's the number one thing for us because sometimes we're in trainings or on calls that need to be really quiet. Um, and coordinating that can be difficult. So, um, I would say that's the number one frustration. I think the other sort of consistent frustration, and it's the thing that took us time to adjust to, and I don't know if you ever fully adjust to it, but when you live in a van like this, you have to get used to the fact that everything that used to be infinite becomes finite. So you have finite amounts of power, you have finite amounts of water, you have finite amounts of internet, all these different things that you never used to have to think about, now you have to think about every single day, multiple times a day. So wait, can I share my favorite stat? My favorite stat is that the average American uses, I think it's 133 gallons of water a day, I think 33 a day, and we only... how many gallons? I already forgot, we have a 30-gallon water intake to use for four days at least, you know? So, yeah, to your point, that's one... my favorite stats to tell my friends, and they're like, "What?"   Host: So precious water. One tip we learned, we actually put... I'm not sure, do you have a shower in yours?   Guest: We do.   Host: We had the shower kitchen, but one thing we did is we put in a 5-gallon water jug with a pump on it so that we just, that's what we consumed. So, we never consumed any water from like our sink, so we basically had an extra 5 gallons, which again, you're using 133 gallons a day, but yeah, how long were you guys going between when you had to refill and pump out?   Guest: Typically, we would need to refill our water every four to five days. There's a lot of factors involved in that, but I would say with our sort of normal usage, a lot of eating in the van, a lot of doing dishes, we do drink water out of it, we have a water filter for drinking water, and then showering, we're typically not showering every day, we're certainly not taking long showers when we do, but usually we can get through probably about four to five days at a time.   Host: Yeah, they are lightning-fast showers. Yeah, you guys... we would typically... we have a 27-gallon freshwater, I think 14-gallon black and gray, and we would go between like 2 and 4 days before we had to refill, so depending on how conservative we're being with our resources. So just to note, you're not in a camper that has, you know, 50 or 100-gallon tanks, you're... it's really limited.   Guest: And sometimes you have to plan for the situation, you know? If you know you're going to be going sort of off-grid for a week, then you've got to plan accordingly. And then you've got to plan and think about all of your meals or maybe you're not showering as much, and so these are just all the things that are part of the lifestyle that you have to be aware of on a consistent basis. Maybe have to shower in the lakes, which we do a lot. Yeah, which is actually nice.   Host: It is freeing.   Guest: And I want people to know that we do shower, just maybe not as often, or we do use, you know, wipes or something to help freshen us up, and we do wash our face.   Host: You are clean people. Yeah, and this time of year, those, uh, baths in the lake, those are now cold plunges like you talked about earlier.   Guest: They are, but yeah, it's refreshing, it's good for you.   Host: Yeah. Now we talked about some of the frustrations. Now we'll transition a little bit. What is the one thing you love most about this travel lifestyle?   Guest: The thing that comes to mind first for me is... is the freedom of it. So, uh, one of my favorite stories is we were traveling on the west coast, and we were in Malibu, California, and, um, we were planning on continuing to go up the west coast, and we looked at the weather. It was... it was a Friday, it was about 10 a.m., and it was pouring rain. We looked at the weather, it was going to be in, like, the 40s and 50s for the next 10 days, it was rainy, and then we texted some of our friends who also live in a van, and they were in Phoenix, and they were by the pool, and it was 75 degrees. And so they were like, "Hey, why don't you come to Phoenix?" And so 10 a.m., we were in Malibu, and by like 6:00 or 7:00 p.m. that night, we were in Phoenix with our friends, sitting by the pool. So, that freedom, where you could really go anywhere that you want to go... there's always certain restrictions or limitations that might apply to what you can do and where you can go, but for the most part, you have the freedom to choose where you want to go and when you want to go there, and that's a really freeing feeling. I just love seeing the world, or the country, rather. Um, it's just the coolest thing, you know? What I miss the most when, you know, we're in Michigan right now, but what I miss the most about being out on the road is we wake up and you open the door and you go right outside, for the most part. So, I just love that, being immersed in nature and getting outside every day and having those beautiful views to look at while you do work or relax. Now, it's not always a beautiful view, I want that to be made clear as well, as sometimes it's a parking lot view, but, um, I just... that's my favorite part, is seeing the country with my favorite person and meeting people along the way. That has been really special too.   Host: Yeah, the freedom, the beautiful places, and meeting all sorts of people, yeah. Um, we'll transition a little bit to some of the finances with life on the road. Can you break down what a monthly or weekly budget would look like?   Guest: So, I think one of the misconceptions about living in the van is that sometimes we'll tell people like, "Oh yeah, we live in a van and we travel," and they'll say, "Oh my gosh, you must save so much money, that must be such a cheap lifestyle," and it's really not. I mean, we've been home for the last five months in Michigan, and our expenses as we've been home, we're still mostly living in the van, but we spend a lot less money than we do when we are traveling full-time. So, to give an idea of some of the big things, you know, we do have loans and insurance for our van and so on. On a monthly basis, that costs us like $750 a month. Our two biggest expenses when we're on the road are our gas and our food, and between the two of those, we can easily be spending $2,000 a month, especially on gas. We drive a lot, so um, $800 to $1,000 a month is pretty typical for us as we're on the road. And then we're both self-employed, so we have to pay for our own health insurance as well, um, which is expensive. That costs us between five and $600 a month. So, when you start to add some of those, you know, foundational things together, and that's before we get into some of the more discretionary spending, that's a typical month for us. And so, yeah, it just, people tend to think it's a very, very cheap lifestyle, and some people do, that could be the case, I guess, for us, that hasn't been our experience.   Host: Yeah, no, yeah, you're right. And thank you for breaking it down so accurately, and it's a good point. I mean, when you're driving a lot like you guys are, you're spending a ton of money on fuel. But the alternative is if you're not driving a whole lot, you're probably staying in places longer. It doesn't necessarily balance out. I found it's more affordable to be a little more stationary. Um, but it all depends on how much you're driving, what state you're in, and yeah, there's a lot that goes into it. And groceries too, you're buying groceries more often because you have a smaller fridge, you're not buying in bulk. Um, and yeah, there's a lot to consider for sure. Are you guys typically looking for free spots to sleep for the night, or do you like the campgrounds? How are you finding spots?   Guest: We started with using campgrounds in the beginning, just because we weren't as comfortable with stealth camping, and we also had, like, an electrical power situation that wasn't working out, so we wanted to plug in more often. But now, I don't know, I think that was like the first six months of our travel. Now, we 100% try to stay in BLM spots out west for sure, or, you know, we'll find different areas near apartment complexes or parking rides even, you know, we, yeah. So, I don't even remember the last time we stayed at a campground.   Host: Nice, that's good. And as far as, so you're using the Starlink all day, and that's something you pay for per usage. So, how much is that costing you, being your sole internet source?   Guest: The way that the Starlink works is that, first, you have to buy the actual piece of equipment itself. That is $600, it's a one-time fee. And then, if you want to have their Roam service, which allows you to get internet from anywhere, you're not tied to one location, it's $150 a month. So, it does come with unlimited speeds and unlimited data, that part of it is very nice. But that's what it costs, $150 a month for the ongoing service. The other nice thing about it is that you can stop and start your service as you'd like. So, since we've been home back in Michigan and our Starlink has been stowed away the whole time, we've been using our hotspot. We just paused our Starlink service, so we haven't had that fee on a monthly basis. And then, when we hit the road again in a couple of weeks, we'll start it back up.   Host: Nice, cool. You travel with your dog Sadie. What would you say to somebody who says they cannot live this type of lifestyle because they have a dog?   Guest: I would say that bringing your dog in a van with you is the most joyful thing in the world because I can tell she loves to see all the views as well. And I mean, yes, the beginning is a little bit difficult to get your dog, or I've seen people have cats too, um, to get them kind of adapted to the lifestyle. But it's doable and it's just, it... I don't know what our van life experience would be without Sadie. So, I think I would say, yeah, don't let that hold you back. Um, I believe that we're giving our pets the best life ever, um, and ourselves. And it's just so much sweeter with them.   Host: Yeah, on your Instagram videos, it looks like she's having a blast everywhere you guys go.   Guest: So, yeah, the only thing I will say is, number one, is that, um, National Parks do not allow pets for the most part.   Host: That is mostly true. There are a few national parks that are more dog-friendly than others. I'll put a link in the show notes so you can check that out.   Guest: So, that can be the part that's tricky. But if you want to stay outside of the national parks or go into the national parks and we've, you know, left Sadie at a Rover, which is someone who personally watches the dog, and she has a field day. She loves it there too. So then we can go into longer hikes in the national parks. You know, you can make it all work out.   Host: Yeah, sure. Is this sort of thing sustainable? I know you said it costs you, if not the same, a little more living on the road. Is it sustainable, and how long do you plan on continuing van life for?   Guest: Yeah, I mean, I definitely think you can make it sustainable. And I think you can look online and see many examples of people who also make it sustainable. We've made it work for 18 months. And our intention as of right now is to, when we hit the road, travel for another year full-time. We're planning on going back to Alaska again this summer. So, does that mean it's easy all the time? Absolutely not, especially when you run your own business. Does that mean that our income doesn't fluctuate sometimes, and sometimes we can relax about money, and sometimes it's a little bit tighter? We experience all of those things. So, you know, if you apply all of that into your definition of sustainable, you can definitely do it for a long period of time. And there's plenty of people who have lived in their van or something similar and traveled for a lot longer than we have. So, I definitely think it can be... You've got to get creative, takes a lot of problem-solving, but you can definitely do it.   Host: Cool. A couple more questions before we wrap this thing up. What has been the coolest experience you have had while traveling?   Guest: There was this moment where, um, or weekend rather, we met up with a couple van life friends that were from Michigan too, shout out to Dave and Ally, we love you. Um, that's what's so cool is you meet these van life people and you're like, "I already love you, you're awesome." Um, but we went out to dinner with them, and then the next day, we went rock climbing with them. They let us borrow their gear and guided us through one of my scariest things I've ever done. But that was just such a cool experience and memory, um, because, yeah, just shows you how quickly we can make these friendships and trust these people and have a really, really good time. Well, the other one that I think is just a cool moment that we treasure is a similar group of people. We were... We had met people at a couple of different events on the road, and we all got together out in some State Trust land out in Arizona, outside of the Phoenix area, and we spent a week together, camped out there, and just being with people. There were like five vans that were all circled around for the week, and during the day, everyone would get their work done, but you get to hang out with your friends at certain points, and then at night, we'd all cook meals together and sharing different things, then we'd have bonfires, and one time we had a someone had a projector, and we watched some sports and some TV on the side of the van and sat outside. So, you just... You have these really unique moments that I don't know, normal life just doesn't quite afford you in the same way.   Host: Yeah, it is. Yeah, it's a community. And here we are talking to you guys. Has there been anything outside of internet that you've learned you can't live without, Starlink?   Guest: Yeah, I say that just because, as I mentioned earlier, if you want to be able to travel to some of the more remote locations, if you want to stay off-grid longer, if you want to stay in BLM or National Forest Service, if you want to go up to places like Alaska, if you want to be in the more remote places away from the city, I do think it has made that a lot easier and it just made it possible for us to do that. That wasn't really a part of our lifestyle before we got it. So, that is something that I've definitely enjoyed. I would say my Kindle, if you like to read, definitely have a Kindle because there's only so many places you can stuff your books in a van. So, that's been a lifesaver for me.   Host: Yeah, the Kindle, that is a new answer. Starlink, we've heard a few times, but the Kindle, that's a good point. Yeah, because if you're an avid reader and you're in a van, there's not a lot of room. If you're in the middle of nowhere and you finish a book and you want a new one, you have to wait till you get to a city or you have to figure out how to get it to you. So, that's what's great is that you can pick up and read another one right away. Has there been anything you've learned that you don't need while traveling?   Guest: I would say a full wardrobe. I'll shout out to another one of our great van life friends, Dedra and Garen. We went to Alaska with them, and Dee and I wore the same crew neck, Denali yellow hoodie or crew neck together, like, probably five or six days straight. You know, it's just... You don't need all these different options. And less is really more. And when you're out traveling, seeing the country and seeing beautiful things, it doesn't really matter what you look like. And re-wearing stuff as long as it's not filthy is totally fine. So, I would say you don't need a full wardrobe and tons of different shoes and all those things. Definitely get rid of stuff that you don't need and only take what you love. For me, I would say... I know it's not a super specific answer, but there's a lot of things that you don't need. I was... I was one of the people who, before we left, I wanted to have a plan for everything, for every random little thing that could happen or occur while we were on the road. I wanted to make sure that I had the right thing and I had a plan for it. And we traveled for like two or three months, and then we stopped back at home in Michigan, and we... We ended up just dumping so many things that we brought with us. And so, it's just a reminder that you can figure things out on the road, and if you need to go pick something up at the store, you can do that. If you need to make a plan for something or you need to solve some kind of problem, if you need to borrow tools from someone, you can find ways to solve any problem that you run into while you're on the road. And so, you don't have to plan for everything beforehand because you can never predict what's going to happen once you hit the road.     Host: Yeah, no, good points. If you could have listened to this podcast when you were first starting out, what is one question I didn't ask tonight that you wished I would have, and how would you answer that now?   Guest: I think for me, the biggest question that I had when we were thinking about living in the van was so unsure about what sleeping would look like, where we would sleep, and how we would find sleeping spots. So, I guess maybe the question would be, how do you go about finding places to sleep? So, to give a couple of thoughts on that, you know, the first thing that I would say is whenever you're going to a new area, I would suggest doing a little bit of research and having a general idea of what options might look like for you to stay. For example, if you're heading into an area like... I'm gonna use Sedona, Arizona, because we're going to be heading there once we hit the road, learning a little bit about, okay, it's difficult to stay in Sedona, Arizona, so when you get there, you're probably going to have to plan for the fact that you're going to have to stay 30 to 40 minutes outside of there. That's an example of just being familiar with some of the restrictions that might exist. And so, then you need to plan for that. Whatever you're doing that day, you need to allow time to go drive away and find somewhere else to sleep. So, that's kind of step one. And then using apps like iOverlander have been huge for us. They give you some good ideas of places that you could stay, very specific locations that might work. And so, I would recommend going and checking out apps like iOverlander. And then the last thing is, some of this is you kind of learn it through experience, but we've started doing a lot of stealth camping. Essentially, camping within cities and just trying to blend in with other cars at night. And, you know, you can develop a little bit of comfort with when you get to an area, feeling out what the situation might be like, do you feel comfortable there? I tend to go on Google Maps a lot, and I'll look at the satellite view overhead and I'll look for apartment complexes or streets that seem to have a lot of overnight parking. And then, we'll just go try to blend in. And if you're going to go that route, arrive late, leave early, and stay very low profile. But I think that was one of the biggest mysteries for me before getting in the van, was where the heck are we going to sleep? And maybe that's helpful. Yeah, I was definitely anxious about that too, and I felt like I would start the day already worrying about where are we going to sleep at night, right? But you really figure out where we're going to go every night, which is helpful.   Host: Yeah, those are both great answers, and I think we share your frustration or the troubles we had in Sedona with trying to find a place. We looked a long time for a place to sleep there. It's a good tip you bring up about pulling up Google Maps in the satellite and just looking where there is overnight parking, big parking lots, just finding out where that is and hunkering down there. In most cases, the worst thing that will happen is you'll get a knock and you have to leave. But when you don't have any other options, it's something. Yeah, for someone listening to this podcast right now who wants to set up a lifestyle similar to yours but isn't quite there yet, what would be one thing they could start doing today?   Guest: I think get clear on what is important to you and what would excite you the most. Do you want to live in a van or an RV, or do you want to travel in Airbnbs? Or, if you had a van, what would be important to you as well? So, I think just getting clear on that. And I mean, we did a lot of journaling before, too, and just kind of writing down, "Okay, what would be the top three most important things in the van for you?" And really discussing that. So, that's what I would say. And then, go try to experience things in some way. You don't have to buy a van or build a van in order to go try. Maybe traveling in a van, like Eileen said, we started going and traveling and staying in tiny houses just to get a feel for what that experience would be like. Are we okay existing in this smaller space? So, I think you can do some of that planning. If this is something that you're thinking about, and then ultimately, I think you just have to make a commitment and say, "We are going to commit to this lifestyle and pick a date, plan for it, and say, 'You know what? This is when we commit to living this lifestyle by.'" And you'll be amazed that if you do that, you'll be amazed at how you can solve problems and how you can figure out how to get to that point because you can figure out a lot of things. I was just going to say, too, we also set a date to have a little van life going-away party. So, when you have over a hundred people that are showing up to this event to give you hugs and see you later, that's also a really great motivator too because one of my favorite things Chad has said and really helped us start this whole journey is that going for your dreams or going after your dreams and creating the reality of your dreams is inconvenient. There really is never going to be a perfect time. So, just committing to a date, going for it, yeah, it's the best route.   Host: Yeah, that's a great point. Yeah, there is no better time than right now. And when you have that party and a hundred people showing up, that's a lot of pressure to make sure you get going. Otherwise, it's anticlimactic if they all celebrate and you aren't leaving.   Guest: Yeah, totally.   Host: Have there been any other... I know you mentioned one previously, any other YouTube channels or books or other influences that helped motivate you and inspire you to travel?   Guest: Yeah, you know, I also, during this conversation, I totally forgot about our guy. We have a couple that we're going to share, but who's that Australian guy that we used to watch all the time? Oh, Bryce on Living Big in a Tiny House. He's great. We watched those a ton. He just would interview people, and there'd be tours of their tiny houses. So, that was really inspiring and exciting. And then Chris and Sarah, they are on Instagram and YouTube, and they really showcased what living in a van would be like. We loved watching their YouTube channel. And then Sarah and Alex James, they are the ones that we purchased the van life build guide off of, and so they were really, really helpful as well. Yeah, and then once we started our build, Mathers on the Map was a channel that we watched a lot of, and so they helped us a lot of the build process. And then, I know you had her on the podcast, but Linea and Akela, that was a channel that I spent a lot of time... I remember specifically on some of the wiring and some of the electrical components, I watched a few of her videos and found her to be really helpful during the build process.   Host: Nice, yeah. She has a great channel, and she talked a lot about, like you said, not only all the benefits and all, like, kind of the sunshine and rainbow, she went deep into kind of the downsides and everything that's involved with building in van life. So, yeah, she has a great channel. Check out. We'll link all those channels you mentioned in the show notes below. And one more time, guys, while my audience is checking those out, where can they find out more about you?   Host: We are @TheMilesVanLife on Instagram. And then my personal Instagram is @EileenRoseMiles. That's where you can find my meditation podcast called The Inward Journey. And then I'm on Instagram as well. I am @ChadMMiles. And my podcast is called A Level Deeper.   Host: All right, perfect. We'll link everything below. Chad and Eileen, thanks again.   Guest: Thanks for having us.   Host: Thanks, friends.

Hosts Laurie Fitz and Rick Bernardo visit again with Mark Woerpel, who co-arranged and co-produced the Rickey Medlocke Band’s new release, “Never Run Out of Road”—c/o Rock the Cause Records in support of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) Movement. That song’s proceeds benefit the National Indigenous Women's Resource Center – www.niwrc.org – We’ll…

www.atravelpath.com   00:00 Introduction 03:45 How Were You Originally Funding Your Full Time Travels? 05:45 How Long Have You Been Traveling Full Time? 06:45 How Long Was Full Time Travel a Goal for You? 08:15 What Was the Biggest Obstacle Before Going Full Time? 09:45 What Are Your Purging and Downsizing Tactics? 13:15 What Are the Biggest Travel Frustrations You Currently Face? 15:45 RV Maintenance and Repairs 19:45 What Tools Should Every RV Owner Have? 21:45 What Do You Love Most About Your Travel Lifestyle? 23:15 Checklists 29:15 How Do You Get Internet While Traveling? 29:45 Past Mistakes 35:45 Charity 38:45 Coolest Travel Experience 40:15 What is One Thing You've Learned You Can't Live Without? 49:45 Knowing Each Other's Roles   It was so great having Phil and Stacy from Today is Someday on our show! Phil and Stacy have been going full time in their Class A motorhome for about 6 years. We asked them how they were able to do it and what life is like for them on the road. They shared all about the importance of checklists and maintenance, and weren't afraid to share the fact that they are spending more time maintaining their RV than they did on their home. When I asked them if they were using the funds of their home sale to pay for their travels, they mentioned they hadn't touched that. They have the foresight to know that one day they will want to hunker down in a stationary home again, so they are keeping money saved up for that. Tune in to learn about even more!   Find Phil and Stacy At: ·        https://todayissomeday.net/ ·        https://www.youtube.com/c/YouMetheRV ·        https://www.instagram.com/todayissomeday_travel/ ·        https://www.facebook.com/todayissomeday   Charity: ·        https://todayissomeday.net/military-charities ·        https://give.ourhfotusa.org/fundraiser/3882334   Phil and Stacy's Videos Referenced: ·        Slap Wrist Checklists: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bArIvXHtDCc ·        Setup and Break Down Checklist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUaxI5X4qHg ·        15 Purging Tips: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCVixKTokr8&t=356s   Other YouTube Channels Referenced: ·        https://www.youtube.com/@KeepYourDaydream ·        https://www.youtube.com/@LessJunkMoreJourney ·        https://www.youtube.com/@gonewiththewynns ·        https://www.youtube.com/@Rvlove/videos   Show #6 With Jim and Michelle from Airstreamer: ·        https://atravelpath.com/retired-full-time-rv-living/   Applicable Episodes: ·        All About the Banks: https://atravelpath.com/retire-in-an-rv/   Most Popular Blogs: ·        Most Popular Travel Hacks: https://atravelpath.com/money-saving-travel-tips/ ·        Travel Gear: https://atravelpath.com/travel-gear/ ·        How to Budget For Gas on a Road Trip: https://atravelpath.com/how-to-budget-for-gas-for-a-road-trip/ ·        Our Favorite RV Upgrades: https://atravelpath.com/rv-upgrades/ ·        How Much We Made Renting Our RV: https://atravelpath.com/renting-camper-van/ ·        Never Run Out of Gas on a Road Trip: https://atravelpath.com/road-trip-tip/   Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/abbynoise/rocky-mountains   #fulltimerv #rvlife    *All content from atravelpath.com, including but not limited to The Travel Path Podcast and social media platforms, is designed to share general information. We are not experts and the information is not designed to serve as legal, financial, or tax advice. Always do your own research and due diligence before making a decision.   Transcript:   Tyler: Phil and Stacy, welcome to the Travel Path Podcast.   Phil and Stacy: Thanks so much for being here. Thank you for having us.   Tyler: So, we know you from YouTube as Today is Someday, where you post videos on everything from RV adventures, tutorials gears, gadget reviews. You post a lot of destination reviews, which you're not afraid to share your opinion on certain destinations. On your website, you have raised over $170,000 towards your charity, which is amazing. We're excited to dive into that later on. I do want to give a quick shout out to Jim and Michelle from Airstreamer on episode 6; they mentioned they binged your content while they were learning and leading up to their full-time travel life. But why don't we start by having you share a little about yourselves?   Phil and Stacy: Sure, you want to start? Go ahead. Okay. Honestly, our story is very similar to a lot of full-time RVers. We love to travel, and at some point, we decided to sell everything we own: our house, all of our stuff, and buy an RV to travel the country. Phil's retired Navy, and we quickly discovered when he retired that I actually saw him more when he was deployed via FaceTime than when he got home. I was working full-time as a nurse practitioner, and I was working a lot of hours. So, RVing was our way to make a change and try to get some of that time back. Yeah, and for me, that was the biggest thing. I had toured other countries, I had been on many deployments, I missed a lot of the kids growing up. So for me, jumping into this lifestyle, and we had never camped, never done any of that. So for us, it was getting that time back and taking a leap of faith at the same time.   Tyler: Okay, very cool. That answers one of my questions later on about how much experience did you have before you went full-time. So when you had sold your home to take on this full-time travel lifestyle, I imagine you had the proceeds from the sale of your home, I imagine a military pension, any other forms of income that helped support that when you started out?   Phil and Stacy: It was really just my retirement. Well, you were also a Navy contractor when we first hit the road, so he was working remotely. Now, we did not use the sale of our house to fund any of this because, one, if we hated it, we wanted an out. So, all of that we invested to buy another house in the future, and two, we knew someday that we wouldn't be living this lifestyle. So eventually, you know if it going to break enough to where we're going to have to hit a sticks and bricks. So we wanted that money there just in case. So, we used the income we had saved. We are big on not having any debt, so we didn't have any debt except for our house when we came up with this idea. So we didn't have to work really hard like some people do to get out of debt; we were already a step ahead of that. So, really, we just lived off his pension once his job or his Navy retirement once his job ended. Yeah, and we started saving and planning and prepping, you know, probably a good few years before. We didn't know what we were planning or prepping for, but we knew we wanted to do something. So, we had already been on that track to have enough money saved to do whatever we wanted to do. And then it just kind of came to a front, and we sold it and jumped. But I definitely recommend if somebody's thinking about doing something like this, people don't realize how expensive it can be, and being out of debt and not having that pulling you down really enables you to do all the things that you want to do when you travel to new locations.   Tyler: Yeah, well, I think it's really smart of you guys to sell that and not use the proceeds, having the foresight to know that eventually, you know, this is sustainable but at some point if you want to transition back into sticks and bricks, you have that lump sum there you can put a down payment down. And you started about five years ago, right, full-time?   Phil and Stacy: Almost six. This May will be six years since we've been on the road.   Tyler: Yeah, so you're doing the remote work before co, before it was cool.   Phil and Stacy: Yeah, before it was, yeah, yeah.   Tyler: Great. So, what did your kind of day-to-day look like while you were working, and are you still working remotely full-time or part-time?   Phil and Stacy: Well, I do consider "Today is Sunday" to be full-time now. I actually spend more time on that than I did as a nurse practitioner. But the difference is I get to do it on my own time, you know, when and how much I want. So, we definitely, that's definitely a full-time job for us now. But when we first started, really, it was his Navy retirement, and we, I mean, we really had to live on a budget to make sure that we could survive out on the road. And thankfully, there are so many ways to RV; you really can RV on a tight budget, which is what we did. Yeah, and we were used to having a budget, which is key, I think. And if you can live within your existing budget when you first start, that also helps kind of jump you.   Tyler: Yeah, that's great. You had mentioned you were kind of saving up and planning preparing for something but you weren't sure exactly what it was for a number of years. How long was the time frame between when you learned that you wanted to hit the road and travel full-time and till the point that you actually started doing it?   Phil and Stacy: Initially, it was going to be four years. So, our son was graduating from high school, he was starting college, so we gave ourselves four years to really figure out what we wanted to do, what RV we wanted. Phil had just started researching RVs, and then our son decided that college was not for him. So, he quit school and he joined the Navy. And when he joined the Navy, that just boosted up our timeline. We went from four years to just over a year and a half, not quite two years, for us to really research, find an RV, and which really became Phil's full-time job for a while, and sell everything, and move in, including our house, and move into the RV.   Tyler: Great. Well, I think it helped that you were able to propel that because you were planning, preparing in advance, you already saving up and doing like I said, you were saving for something just weren't sure what it was. So during that process, the year and a half it took you to make the decision we want to go full-time, what was the biggest obstacle you had to face to get there?   Phil and Stacy: I'll let you take this, Phil. For me, I was my own obstacle because we had built, there was actually, we had built our retirement home, and you know, we were able to put in the features and design it the way we wanted to. So I was happy, I had my three-car garage, I had my man cave. But Stacy kept telling me, "It's just stuff, we can get more stuff later." So, for me, purging and getting rid of all of the things that wouldn't fit in a 300-foot box was really hard for me. The flip side of that though is we did travel and move quite a bit in the military. So, we were used to having to purge and you know, get rid of things, pack up, move to the next place. So that was, I guess, my biggest obstacle. Stacy didn't have one other than me. I was just ready to go, let's just go. She started this whole room by room purge, and it made it a lot easier for her. And I'm sure I'm speaking out of line, but it made it easier for her to purge and get to where she needed to be because she started doing it one room, you know, a closet at a time, and just built on it.   Tyler: Yeah, I think it definitely helps when you're, when you have moved around quite a bit. We're not in the military, but we move around with our rental properties pretty frequently. So when people tell us they're moving, like, it's, we've moved so many times in the past like five years, it's just, it's just easy to us for some reason. We accumulate less things. So, that's good. So, having that experience of doing that. I know you've posted videos in the past on some of your purging and downsizing tactics. Do you want to share any of those?   Phil and Stacy: I should probably take this one. Yes. So, I think some of the hardest things for people to get rid of, and Phil was this way too, are the things that you connect to people, and we connect those items to people and think that's the memory or that's a part of them. So, whether it's Grandma's antique furniture or photos that have been in a box for the last 20 years, I think some of the easiest ways to go through those and get rid of them is to actually take a picture of the item. You can create your own memory book with these items and actually talk about the memory that you have attached to that item and keep the photo and get rid of the stuff. So, you know, Grandma is not a part of that dresser, but she might be a part of the memory that you attach to the dresser, sure.   Tyler: That was a great tip. And we were watching some videos to prepare for this; you had another tip, I think, didn't you, like take your clothes and put them reverse on a coat hanger, and then like after a couple of weeks?   Phil and Stacy: Yeah, so I did that with Phil because he had like 400 t-shirts, and he kept saying, "I wear every t-shirt." And I'm like, "No, you don't." So, we take all the hangers, hang them backwards on the rod, and then as you wear them, you hang them up correctly. And then in three months or six months, you'll see exactly what shirt you're wearing, and it makes it really easy to purge. And you can do this really anytime; you'll be surprised how few items in your closet you actually wear on a daily, weekly basis. Yeah, and come to find out, I only wore like 14 to 20 of them at any one given time. I was like, "Wow, that I mean it was kind of eye-opening for me." And then what she did, she didn't just say, "Okay, the rest have to go," she said, "Pick the ones that mean the most to you." And I had a lot of work T-shirts from being in the military; we had T-shirts that were designed by students at my last command, so I had quite a few of those. So, I took the ones that I really liked, and that meant something to me, and Stacy turned them into a quilt that we now carry with us on the RV. Yeah, so we still have it.   Hope: Oh, that's really cool. And it's a great tip. Not even if you're not traveling, it's something you can do seasonally, every, you know, spring, fall. Tyler: Yeah, even start a season with them facing the same way, and then at the end of the season, you'll know which ones you didn't wear.   Phil and Stacy: Yeah, we try and do that, but we're not very good at it. I mean, I just, I don't know, I get attached to things. I mean, I like my stuff. I spent good money on my stuff. And then she's over here, like, just get rid of it, we can get something else later. Like, so, but it has gotten a lot easier. We're, we're the opposite, we'll throw, I'll try and throw everything I can out as possible, and then she'll like, save some of it, and then I'll, I'll find it, and then I'll be wondering where something I threw out is, and she's like, you threw it out. I do over purge. Yeah, that's what we call, I'm an over purger. I'm like, oh, that one thing, man, I think I got rid of it. She also was a little sneaky, and she would get rid of my stuff that she didn't like, and she would do it, you know, a little bit here, a little bit there, and I, you know, I had so many shirts and so many different things that I never even missed it. And it wasn't until she told me, you know, we were arguing about keeping something, and she, you know, would bring up, I've thrown away three things that you haven't even missed, like, I would never do that.   Hope: That's funny, good teammates then, exactly, good balance over there.   Tyler: Yeah, yeah, as we can fast forward a little bit to your current life on the road now, what are some of the biggest frustrations you currently face while traveling?   Phil and Stacy: Well, what's your biggest frustration? I think maybe everybody's frustration as RVers, I think the only thing really is just the repetitiveness of RV repair and maintenance. So when we sold our house, we really thought, okay, well, no more lawn, no more maintenance, no more repairs. And little did we know, we actually do. I say we, but I really mean Phil, does more RV repair and maintenance than he ever did on the house. So, I think really that's everybody's frustration and everyone's surprised when they move into their RV. Yeah, it's, I mean, you have to have some kind of knowledge in being a handyman to kind of stay on top of it. I mean, these things are rolling, you know, hurricanes going down the interstate, so they're constantly shimmying, shaking, and, you know, you're hitting things on the road that jar things loose. And I'm not talking just nuts and bolts, I'm talking wiring, you know, electrical connections, things like that. So, I mean, it's a little different for every type of RV, but for us, you know, we will stay on top of it, and as long as we do that, she'll continue to take care of us. Along with that, I think our other biggest issue would be just agreeing on where to stay sometimes. Well, the easiest way is just not to let him look, because, yeah, Phil is the spender, I'm the saver. So, I like to balance the budget, so sometimes we'll stay at expensive places, but then we have to cut back and balance it all out. So, we'll stay at somewhere inexpensive. Phil would be okay staying at the expensive places all the time. Well, not the, like, super expensive, but just nicer.   Tyler: Yeah, yeah, that's funny. I've learned to kind of just take the back seat with planning and just drive the car, drive the van, that's it.   Phil and Stacy: Well, I do, I agree with you, I'm just the driver. And it's not until we get there that I'm like, really? She's like, yeah. And I'm like, okay.   Tyler: So, you bring up a good point about the maintenance with RVs, and it doesn't really, it doesn't matter if it's brand new or used. We bought a brand new RV, and like you said, it's bumping down the road. We have a wire that came loose that's tripping an outlet, and we've tried, we've hired RV techs trying to find where that short is, and you can't find it. So, there's all sorts of, just be prepared for the maintenance and, you know, all that that comes along with the one RV. Have you found, like, a certain number of days or even, like, a price point that you're spending per month or so on repairs and maintenance?   Phil and Stacy: Oh, um, I don't know if we've looked at it that way because it definitely goes, it ebs and flows. I think our other, other than regular diesel maintenance, which is according to the miles, we had one huge cost recently. Um, as we left, um, Newland, you want to tell them about that? Most of our, our maintenance is or repair work is, is usually done annually. So, little things I stay on top of, and they're not, you know, it's not a huge out-of-pocket card because I already have some of the equipment or I have parts on hand if I need to replace something. So, that, to put a dollar amount to it, I really can't say. Um, it's just like, you know, at your house, you have things in the garage, and, you know, you have extra filters and extra whatever, so you just swap them out. But our annual maintenance, I would say, for our diesel pusher that we have, um, anywhere from 2,000 to 2,500 for the year. And that's the engine, the chassis, the generator, all the big-ticket items that are required, um, to be done annually. And then, our big, um, oh, and then the issue that we had coming out of Maine. So, um, I don't know if it was the roads we were on or what, but we had a, a super expensive manifold exhaust leak on our engine, and we were, we were losing boost pressure, you know, we were almost rolling backwards going up the mountainside in Newland. Pretty scary when you don't really know what it is, and I'm not an engine guy. So, we, we limped into the Freightliner of Maine once we got back to the US, and they discovered what it was, they got us in and out in like five days, which was pretty good, they did amazing. Um, and that one was dang near a $7,000 repair. Um, however, we were prepared for any kind of major event, so we had a specific, uh, repair fund set aside, and that we just, you know, ever since we, even before we started, we just, we started putting money into this, this fund. So, we called it either the repair, the emergency fund, yeah, it's the repair fund, um, so that we have it in case something like this came up, and it did. And a retire fund, yeah, because tires cost so much for these things, so we just, that's what we use, we, we, we started with different, you know, funds that we started doing, putting a little bit of money into all these different places because we knew eventually we would need to, you know, something is going to jump up and bite us, and that was our big one, and that's, and that's pretty much it in six years. I mean, other, other than that, it's been just normal and normal things that that Stacy can tackle up on the roof herself, sometimes.   Tyler: That's interesting. So, you guys not only have like a repair fund set aside, which is smart in the first place, but you also, you go one step further and have like a tire fund or an emergency fund on top of that. So, you even, you kind of further layer that. That's brilliant.   Phil and Stacy: Yeah, well, and it's because, you know, we could have just one emergency repair fund or one emergency fund, right? But then you take for granted, oh, I've got enough in that one, right? So, then now we started another one, so we make sure that we have enough in that one.   Tyler: Yeah, no, it's great. Everything with you guys is calculated, and there's a reason for everything. I like that.   Phil and Stacy: It was by accident.   Tyler: So, we talked about some of the, you know, the frustrations, the downsides of full-time RV travel. Let's transition a little bit to some of the positive. So, what do you love most about this lifestyle?   Phil and Stacy: The freedom. There's so much, yeah, it's the freedom to, to go and do what you want to do when you want to do it, on our time. Um, for me, that's, that's the most rewarding because for almost 30 years, I was told what to where, I was told where to go, I was told when I could go home. So, you know, flipping that, that switch to now being free to move about the country whenever we want, or I should say the world, it's amazing. And I think for me, what we've discovered, and we used to hear people say this, and we didn't get it until we went full-time, and that's the community. I think once you start meeting the people, and you really make connections with RVers, other RVers on the road, you'll realize that the RV community is pretty darn amazing. Yeah, so I think for, for us, finding that and, you know, meeting our people out on the road, it's so different than any community we've ever been a part of. So, I, I think for, for me, that's pretty high on the list. And you get to meet them and run into them all over the country, you know, so you may meet them at one specific place, and then everybody goes their own way, but you're all crossing paths, even those that are not full-timers like us, they still get out, they still, you know, we're in their neck of the woods, and they're like, hey, you got to come over, we've got this great ice cream spot we want to take you to. Tyler: Yeah, no, it has been great. And like, even like, every person we talked to on the podcast, like now we have people, every episode, there's some other place when we're traveling, they're like, oh, next time you're out, you know, give us a shout, we'll grab lunch or something. Yeah, it's been great. Um, yeah, you, you talk about on your channel quite a bit about preparation and checklists. Not just your channel, you talked about it a lot in this podcast as well. What are some things every RVer should do before they hit the road?   Phil and Stacy: Definitely have a checklist, yeah, um, and your checklist is going to be everything you do when you go to break down and pack up to hit the road. Um, most accidents and injury can happen at set up and breakdown if people aren't paying attention if they miss something. So, having that list and not getting distracted when you're going down the list, um, talking to your neighbor is really important, and I think it keeps you on track, and you know, it keeps you from busting your satellite or, um, the awning being out, which we just saw, we just saw nobody leaving the campground with their awning open. Or even a big mistake that we made early on is, well, we've made a few, but Phil forgot to put the pen in our dolly, so we're driving down the road, and the dolly's like dragging. Yeah, so I mean, you can make so many mistakes, and you just, one little blip where you lose track of what you're doing, you can, you can make a major mistake. And you know what, I tell people all the time is, with having a checklist, the minute you get interrupted, whether it's on, you know, your spouse or your significant other calls you in for something, or somebody outside comes over and wants to say, hey, and, and talk to you, soon as you're done with whatever that interaction is, go back to step one, because inevitably, you know, we're all human, we figured, oh, I've already done that, or I think I'm here, and then you'll miss a step or two, and then that's when catastrophe strikes. So, for us, is have that, go back to it, um, and if you're in doubt, just start all over, you know. But having that checklist before you hit the road is, for us, is it's been huge, and we've been doing almost six years, and we still pull out that checklist, and we use it every time before we drive away.   Tyler: Yeah, and we, and it sounds like you guys are, you're physically getting out, you're walking around your RV. We know people that do that as well, um, but what are some of the big ones, people, like, are you checking your tires, you're making sure everything's retracted?   Phil and Stacy: The big thing is, is our tires are, um, TPMS, TPMS, and make sure we're aired up properly, um, and that's not only for safety, but it's for, for fuel consumption. Um, we always do a final, one of us will always do a final walk around, and we always check our lights. I don't know how many people, if they check their lights to make sure, because we have a toad, we want to make sure the lights are hooked up properly, we have brakes, we have blinkers, so the people behind us, um, can, you know, see where we're going and what we're doing. So, we've, we've gone and stepped completely behind the Jeep as it's attached to the RV, and we've gone further back from it to physically, physically see that, or make sure that we can see our brake lights right from cars behind us coming up on us, um, and I use the checklist for unhooking and hooking up the Jeep, we both do. We pull it out of the console, and we go by it step by step. We've been doing this for five years, and there's only, you know, a handful of steps to do on that Jeep. But if you miss one of them on your Jeep, you're going to drag your tires, you're going to have, you're going to have the parking brake on, whatever it is. So, we go through that checklist, and the last thing we do is we make sure that all four of the Jeep tires are rolling freely. So, we don't just check one side of the Jeep to see that the tires are rolling, we check both sides, um, to make sure. And that's just kind of our final check before we get in, put the seat belts on, and, and hit the road.   Tyler: Can you explain the slap wrist bracelets?   Phil and Stacy: So, we didn't actually invent this, we, there's another couple we saw using them, and it's really great for all dribbles. Um, instead of having a physical paper or a physical list, we just take those '80s old-school slap wrist bracelets, we got a Sharpie, and we put all of our checklist on the bracelets, and then we just smack them onto our steering wheels so we know all the things that we need to do before we hit the road. And you can just pull them off your steering wheel one by one as you complete it, and that way you know if you go to drive away and something's still in that steering wheel that you forgot to do something on your checklist.   Tyler: Yeah, that's brilliant. It's something so simple.   Phil and Stacy: And so many people have said, "That's brilliant." We can't take, you know, credit for it, but we love it because it's, you know, you could take them while you're walking around outside, doing your, if you're by yourself. So you have a handful of them and as you're doing whatever outside, just smack it on your arm and you're good to go. You know you've done it.   Tyler: Yeah, yeah. No, it's simple, it's effective, and unlike an iPad, if you have a list on an iPad, the battery's not going to die. You're always going to have that there.   Phil and Stacy And we've marked through them, we've added new stuff as our situations changed, as we've gotten, you know, upgrades and done different things to the RV. So, you know, your checklist is not going to be set in stone once you start. You will evolve and change and add stuff on like, you know, you forget something a couple of times in a row, and you're like, "Oh, I better add this to the checklist," or you, you know, like we changed our satellite or whatever. So just remember you can change it as you go along and definitely keep it up to date as your RV Life Changes.   Tyler: Yeah, no, it's important. And like you said, you guys are still doing it now, but I think it's even more important starting out because when everything is new to you, you can get nervous. Once you get nervous, it's hard to think, and that's when you can easily forget something.   Phil and Stacy:  And another great benefit of having that is Stacy's had to do everything by herself. So, like, normally I will do everything outside, she'll do everything inside. So the one time that I couldn't do anything, she had to do it, the entire checklist was right there. All those slappers' bracelets were there for her to use and to go through, and she knocked it out of the park with that.   Tyler: Yeah, that's great. How are you getting internet when you're traveling?   Phil and Stacy: We have a Peplink modem router, and we use a T-Mobile SIM card for that. And that's our main internet means of getting internet into the RV. And of course, like many RVers, we have Starlink as our backup.   Tyler: Great. Do you want to share any mistakes that you or anybody you know have made in the past that could potentially help a listener?   Phil and Stacy: Plenty of mistakes in the very beginning. Our biggest one that still, to this day, I don't know how we didn't damage something. We actually moved the RV while we were still plugged into the pedestal. Oh, wow. So, yes, we got really lucky. We were, and of course, it seemed like every time we got underway in the beginning or loaded the car on the dolly, it was raining. So I was in a hurry to get the dolly connected to the RV, and it was pouring down rain. So I'm out there soaking wet, and I finally got the dolly to where I could hook it up, and I told Stacy to move the rig forward, not realizing that now I'd already tripped the breaker, and why, I don't know. Normally, when I trip the breaker, I pull the power cord. It's two steps, trip, pull it. That day, I tripped it, and I didn't pull it. So, in my mind, we're good, and I told Stacy to go ahead and move forward. I came around from the passenger side to the driver's side, and there's my entire power cord laying out with our surge protector still connected to it, laying... I mean, just straight as it could be on the ground. And I quickly looked over at the pedestal to make sure it was still upright, and it was fine, the cord was fine, the pedestal was fine, both of our hearts were in our throats. I mean, it really scared us. Yeah, I mean, we could have ripped out the pedestal. That would have been major money to repair. We've seen instances where people have actually ripped the plug off their power cord, so then they have to get that repaired. So we really dodged a bullet on that one. But then again, that's how mistakes happen when you're in a hurry, you're not following your normal routine. And that's why those checklists are so important. If he had the checklist out there that day, he would have known that he didn't follow through on what he normally does. And the slap wrist is waterproof, so there's no excuse. I should have had it with me.   Tyler: That is true, very true. I was going to say, was that the day that your checklist was born when that happened, or was that just not on there?   Phil and Stacy: Yeah, we already had it, but I think we added to it that. Yeah, really. And this was like really early. We weren't even full-time yet. We still had a house we were just visiting. We were doing some shakedown trips. So it really honed in and made us realize how important those checklists were.   Tyler: Yeah, it is, yeah. Oh, it is, yeah. Um, well, thank you for sharing that. Appreciate that.   Phil and Stacy: And yeah, you can find all kinds of mistakes on our Channel. We're not scared. Well, we did the dolly. Um, let's see, what else did we do? What other big mistakes did we make? We're happy to have other people learn from us because, honestly, that's the whole point in sharing some of our content is because when we discover new things that either we've been doing wrong or new ways to do things, that's what we like to share, because, you know, that's the stuff that's of most benefit to our community here. Here's something that we do because we got burned by it one time, not literally burned, but it was a bad deal, and nobody had ever mentioned this when we were doing our research, and that's getting into a site and before you do anything in your site, check the pedestal, make sure you have good power. So normally, we had been doing it that way, and we had been boondocking for a while, so we hadn't been plugging into anything. So we get into this nice State Park, we get level, we open everything up, I go to plug in to the pedestal, and the pedestal is bad, no power. And we had already, we're all open, we had everything open, and normally, I would plug in my surge protector and let it do a diagnostic check on the pedestal. And that day, we didn't do it, you know, so that was another one of our mistakes. It was like, okay, from now on, doesn't matter. This is what we're doing first. And it didn't cost us anything, it didn't hurt anything other than time. So we just had to close back up, we had to readjust the rig, we actually stole power from a pedestal next door empty pedestal until the state park could come out and repair. But you know, it's just one of those steps that it just reinforces, is following through.   Tyler: And of course, of course, it was the one time where you didn't do it first. That's how it always works.   Phil and Stacy: Always. That's when it's not gonna work. It's, it's like it's like pulling when you hook up your sewer hose. You don't just open up your black tank and let it flow, you open up the gray tank to make sure you have a good connection. Ask us how we know. You know, I mean, it's those kind of mistakes that people don't think about, um, that jump out and they, they bite you right in the tail. I forgot, I fell out of the RV. A lot of people fall out of the RV. I fell out of the RV because when the rig is running, you open when the rig is running, the steps are retracted. So when you open the door, the steps come out. Well, you have to wait a few seconds for the steps to come out. Well, I got impatient. I, well, I didn't get impatient, I just opened the door and did not stick The Landing, I can tell you that learning experience, right?   Hope: Yeah, Tyler did something similar.   Tyler: I did?   Hope: yeah, when you fell, when we were winterizing.   Tyler: Oh, yeah.   Hope: Ours were old school, so they didn't Auto, oh my gosh, because we were winterizing, and he forgot the step was half retracted and it slid out and I went down.   Tyler: And it was one of those and knocked the wind out of me. I was trying to say I was okay, but I was like, I couldn't even talk,   Phil and Stacy: Oh my gosh, yeah, you just never know for sure. No. And we've, in fact, somebody in our community, our crew, he just broke his leg. He's a solo guy, and he fell out of his rig, and we've heard that from a lot of people and broke his leg. So now he's sitting for six months. Well, the one, our one crew, she had to have surgery after she fell. It's crazy. You just never know.   Tyler: That's true. That's true. That's why you need to just take your time and not be in a hurry. Yep, easier said than done. It is, yes, it is very true. Do you want to share a little bit about your charity?   Phil and Stacy: Oh, sure. So we actually don't have our own personal charity, but there are several veterans charities that we've rallied around. The biggest one is homes for our troops, and they actually build custom homes for service members with severe injuries. These homes are amazing. So it is totally free for the veteran, and it's one of the biggest charities that we've rallied around and where we've raised the most money. But we're up to over $170,000 now. We're working on 200,000. But we've done all kinds of crazy things to raise money, from dunk Booth to we did a pie in the face, we did auctions and raffles and all kinds of stuff. So it's been really amazing to see the RV community rally around us and really dig deep to donate to these veteran charities. So it means the world to us, and it's not us that's doing it. It's the RV community that's doing it. That's the important thing. We're just two people with a voice using our platform to help, you know, help veterans. And being that we were in the military for so long and connected to it, it hits home with us. So we, you know, if the channel dissolved tomorrow, we would still do whatever we could to help, that's how, that's how much it means to us.   Tyler: Yeah, no, it's great you guys are doing that. And I know people can help by purchasing t-shirts, right? And I guess this is, if you're watching on YouTube, we'll do our big reveal. We're wearing our, uh, today is someday t-shirts right here. How does that work?   Phil and Stacy: So if somebody orders a shirt, there's proceeds that go towards your charity, right, or the charities, right? Anything from our veteran line, we have veteran cups and t-shirts and hats. Anything from the veteran line, all the proceeds will go toward homes for our troops. So about every quarter, we get a statement from our, um, the company who runs our store, and we just go straight off the list, and we donate it over to homes for our troops. So it's been, it's been really great, a nice easy way for us to raise money. The other really simple way is our crew. We have a membership and a big portion of our membership funds that we raise also go over to homes for our troops. So it's, it's really rewarding.   Tyler: That's great. And it's amazing you're were able to raise that much money in just this, you know, five to six-year period. That's incredible.   Phil and Stacy: Yeah, it is. It's very incredible. We are loving it, and   Tyler: We'll put a link in the show notes for the links to the charities, your website, everything people need to know to, um, to donate there.   Hope: Um, what has been your coolest travel experience so far?   Phil and Stacy: Oh, the coolest. It's always hard when people ask those questions because, you know, you go to so many different locations, and you like different locations for different reasons. So I do have to say, Yosemite is one of our favorite places. We were at a National Forest campground just outside Yosemite, and that's where our jeep was broken into by a bear. So it was the most very first night momentous, and the one of the most beautiful places we've stayed, yeah, that one was really cool. It's the bear break game, but my one, my other one would be Creed, Colorado. We Boondock on top of a mountain U there in Creed for a week, uh, with a couple of our friends, and it was absolutely breathtaking up there and so peaceful, yeah, unhooked all of us on our own power, everything. I mean, it was just to wake up and see the sun peeking over the mountains every morning. I mean, if you haven't experienced that, you got to get out, go find the mountains and check it out. It's amazing. It's, yeah, the, and the towns around there are just, you know, very nice, quaint, quiet little, just, yeah. And I grew up in Colorado, my, in my teen years, and I didn't, um, I didn't appreciate what Colorado had to offer as a teenager. And now that I've gone back home, it's like, man, this is, I mean, it truly is a gorgeous place to visit.   Tyler: Yeah, wow. So after spending just about 5 years traveling, what's one thing you learned you can't live without?   Phil and Stacy: Oh, wow, that'd be for you, because I could probably live without everything. No internet, I would say internet. I think this day and age, it's got to be internet. Um, because, um, you know, you hear the stories where you pull into a campground and they have camp Wi-Fi or park Wi-Fi, we would, we would, we would be kicked out because of the amount of bandwidth that we use. Um, but we have having our own internet, um, system with us. So we could pull in anywhere, for the most part, and our internet works perfectly fine for us. And it's not just for our channel, it's also for our family staying connected to our kids and our grandkids. That's how, I mean, that's how we communicate with them. And even though we're far apart, we always feel connected because, I mean, I talk to my daughter several times a day, even when, even when I don't want to, she's always FaceTiming me, um, and then my son too. So I think staying connected, um, that's the number one way. Yeah, everything else, I mean, the, you know, we have a lot of safety features that um, that we've added to the rig that, you know, we absolutely stand behind and it would not drive down the road without them. Our TPMS being one of them, um, but yeah, other than that, I think, you know, most rvers have the same type of stuff, um, you know, they got into this lifestyle because they wanted less stuff and more freedom, yeah. So for us, we don't have a lot of stuff, but we have everything we need. Like if we were in our house, just on a smaller scale, sure.   Tyler: So the internet, and then maybe the TPM, TPMS that reads the tire pressure when you're driving, right?   Phil and Stacy: Yep, okay, pressure and temperature, yeah.   Tyler: We might end up changing that question to besides internet, what can't you live without. I think like the past four episodes, it's been internet, which we agree with.   Phil and Stacy: Yeah, especially if you're doing this full-time vlogging, doing a blog and a website, you, you inter, we started out with all the things we thought we needed, you know, an outdoor carpet, you know, big comfortable chairs to sit outside, but we found those things just took up space and we weren't utilizing them, yeah, everywhere we went to. Um, so we, you know, we purged again. And so we went to smaller chairs, a little more compact, um, we have a barbecue, or we have a Blackstone, wait, we don't, we, it's not seen the sunlight in almost two years, I think. It's, it's funny how you think you need stuff and then you shortly find out that not there's very few things that you truly need, yeah, we we did a video a couple years ago. We were camping with my mom in Upstate New York. And we were in the site right next to hers. And they have a, you know, bumper pool, uh, travel trailer, and it took them two days to set up their camp. They're not full-time, they're part-time, they're just weekenders. Took them two days to set up camp, and we were right next to them and we showed, you know, a shot of our campsite had two chairs outside and that we drug them over to her campsite. We go over to her campsite, and she's got everything out, you name it, she had it out, um, so I mean, you could walk through a campground and you can really spot full-timers and weekenders, you know, because they're coming out play, you know, they're coming out to play for the weekend and pack it all in with the kids or whatnot, and full-timers are just kind of there, you know, they're, they're out in town, they're hiking, they're seeing thing, um, so it's just, it's for us, that's, you know, we thought we needed that stuff, and come to find out we didn't need it after all, yeah.   Tyler: It is interesting we had one neighbor, they took like a week to set up, it was the most insane, and then they were gone, they took like seven days to set up, and they left, it was like the craziest thing, they get it just right and then it's Sunday, yep, and then time to go. They didn't even enjoy it.   Phil and Stacy: I never saw them sit down outside on the chairs they put out. They were setting up all day and next thing you know, we've seen that where people have come in and, you know, they've got the kids are running around riding bikes and doing kid things, which is cool, and mom and dad never got to relax because it was setting up the whole time, yep, yeah, you can make it very simple as long as you try to don't over complicate it, I think is the biggest thing.   Tyler: I know I mentioned before like the most popular answer has been internet and I think the connection I just made was it's been internet for people who are traveling in larger class A's or fifth wheels where they have more things but when we talk to like van lifers or people who aren't traveling in a larger motor home they tend to have more because they're they're getting rid of more things to make room for their smaller living space so maybe that's the connection um and like I said too yeah we definitely could not get away with doing this on campground Wi-Fi there's no chance.   Phil and Stacy: No, and you know for us, most things that come in the RV have to have a dual purpose whenever possible. Yeah, you have to have so we can see van lifers have to have, you know, if they have a slotted spoon, that thing is for 18 different things, not just, you know, you know what I mean. So, for us, when we were thinking of things to bring into the rig, a lot of them had to have multiple uses because you didn't need for the same thing to do the same thing, yeah.   Tyler: If you could have listened to this podcast when you first started out, what is one question we didn't ask tonight that you wished we had, and how would you answer that now?   Phil and Stacy: It's really hard because we're looking back over six years and this is honestly, we've been doing it so long, it's just a way of life now. It's all we know and it's hard to remember the beginning. Um, I think a couple of those things that I mentioned earlier, checking the pedestal, checking the sewer hose connection because, you know, those could be maybe just the safety, more safy... Well, I knew even before we had our RV, I knew I needed a TPMS system, I knew I needed a surge protector, so I had those two things before I even had my RV, before I even knew what RV I was going to get, I knew I had to have those because, you know, being in the military for so long, safety on a ship was in the front of your face every single day, so we were prepared, safety-wise, yeah. I don't know. I don't, that's a really hard question because there's so much to learn when you first hit the road, like you're being fed to a fire hose, yeah. And the biggest thing though is, is, you know, we were just talking about it how people, you know, they get to a campground and they're setting everything up and they, you know, they're packing everything in in three hours. For us, we were trying to do a little bit of that in the beginning, we were move, move, move, trying to go, go, go and we didn't need to, you know, because we're full-time, we were doing this on our own terms. In fact, every single time we were to leave one spot and go to another spot, whether it was three hours down the road or six hours, which we don't do anymore, I told Stacy we got to go to the grocery store, you know, we, we got to pack up, we're going camping, we have to go to the store and she was like, we don't have to, we can go get it when we're there. So, it was a mindset change that we had to go through, um, and the first six months, we, we called it the RV and then shortly around the six month mark, we, we stopped calling it the RV and started calling it home.   Hope: But I think those are some really good points that you brought up, especially the if you're going to go full-time, it's no longer your RV, it's your home.   Phil and Stacy: Yeah, yeah, for sure. I think just the mindset shift is something you have to work towards as you start and you don't have to, you don't have to go, go, go, you know, you can go to a spot, our sweet spots around seven to ten days, um, in one spot and that's enough time to get out, see it, see, you know, make sure we've, you know, punched the right boxes, um, but it's enough that we say, you know what, we liked it so much we can come back, we don't need to cram everything in because we're free to move about the country, sure.   Tyler: And for somebody listening to this podcast right now who wants to set up a lifestyle similar to yours but isn't there yet, what is one thing they can start doing today?   Phil and Stacy: Um, I think there are a couple things they can start doing today, um, it to work toward the goal of full-time RV life and first is, you know, do your homework, do your research, you know, what's your goals, what kind of RV are you going to need based on your needs, are you going to work from home, do you have kids, you know, kind of start your research for that and then the next thing I would suggest is, um, get out of debt. If you're in debt, that is the best way to enable you to have the experiences you want to have on the road, so, um, obviously the less money you're spending on bills, the more money you have to go play for tickets or whatever activities, so experiences, yeah. Um, I know not everybody has the same opinion of me as far as being debt-free but that is definitely my number one and then probably the last thing and we actually have a video on this and that is before you sell everything you own and your house, make sure you have an Exit Plan so if something happened to you tomorrow and your health failed, what are you going to do if you can no longer RV, do you have an Escape Route, you need to be able to know what you're going to do, are you going to move into an apartment, are you going to get a house, are you moving in with family because emergencies happen on the road all the time, we've seen it, we've seen the death of a partner, we've seen where people physically have an injury or a stroke or so many things and they cannot RV so make sure you are prepared for that next step and you don't trap yourself to where you don't know what you're going to do, yeah, yeah, very good point.   Hope: Now speaking of what you just said, like the death of your partner, right, so does that mean both of you should equally know how to hook up that camper and drive away?   Phil and Stacy: Yes, 100% because, you know, I something could happen to me, I'm, I drive this thing 24/7, um, Stacy knows how to, I have driven it, yeah, in the event that she had to for whatever reason, um, but it is good to know each other's roles, she can do, Stacy can do everything on this RV by herself and she's done it, had to do it, um, she's done it on video so there's proof, it was actually in the hospital, um, a couple years ago, um, he had surgery and we had to move SES, um, so he, it was during covid, I couldn't even be at the hospital so I literally packed up the RV, got in it, moved to the next site, um, it's got us all set up, um, I mean I didn't have to drive it that far but I was able to close everything up, shut it down, move it, and then open everything back up again to include hooking up the Jeep, I mean she knows how to do all of that, it's our setup for the Jeep is super easy, it's five minutes each way, yeah, um, but that, you know, and we've been in places and we've known people or met people on the road that, you know, the husband did all the work, did everything and when he wasn't there, they were stranded, yeah, she did not know what to do, no means to get anywhere, um, but the good thing about the community is they rallied around her and they got her the help she needed but um, it is imperative that you know each other's roles and we've practiced like we switch jobs where I'll do all the outside, we do it as a refresher, um, I, I actually put on video where I was hooking up the Jeep and those stupid toe arms were kicking my tail because they were so tight but um, but we do know how to do it, we do switch off, um, every quarter every six months or so.   Tyler: Yeah, really good advice, yeah, you guys could teach a course like it's been, there's been so much new material and new ideas, New Concepts in this podcast our audience is going to find it really valuable thank you for sharing everything and um, were there any when you were starting out and even to the state were there any YouTube channels that helped inspire you or either even books or other influences that helped inspire you to travel?   Phil and Stacy: Well there were quite a few out when we started there were like four main ones cuz um um we we've been around for a minute but our main ones that we watched was um kyd less jum more Journey the wind gone with the winds and they were when they were still rving not in their boat and then the biggest influence on us is RV love and the reason is because I was trying to convince Phil that we could do it and he was working remotely for the Navy and he was like no I have this job how am I going to work on the road and at the time Mark was working in his office was this closet he turned into his office in his RV took the bunks out and turned it into like look Mark is doing it they're traveling and they're going all over the country and he works a nin to5 he has to clock in and literally clock out and if he can do it you can do it remotely where you know he Phil's job enabled him as long as he put in his eight hours he could do it how and whenever he wanted to do it so um they really proved to him thanks to Mark um they proved that we could could actually do it and that was really what launched us. Tyler: Yeah that's great yeah YouTube University can be quite convincing.   Phil and Stacy: Yeah it I made it my my part-time part-time job um because I was working from home I had the time to you know scour the interwebs looking for different RVs because we didn't know what we didn't know about rving um so we would start you know we started doing our homework then and and then it got to a point where we weren't allowed to watch those YouTube channels unless we are both there to watch them together because we got that you know ingrained into what you know their videos what they were saying how they were doing things um so they they are the ones that really you know indoctrinated.   Tyler: We'll put a link in the show notes for all the channels and links we talked about in today's show uh one last question for travel tips part two you guys are coming back on just so we don't leave our audience in too much suspense where are we talking about next time?   Phil and Stacy: We are talking about Newfoundland. Tyler: All right perfect and one last question Phil and Stacy where can our audience find out more about you guys? Phil and Stacy: You can find us at uh todayissomeday.net with our website and our blogs and then of course our YouTube channel Todayissomeday. Tyler: Awesome thanks again guys Phil and Stacy: Thank you, thanks.

www.atravelpath.com   00:00 Introduction 03:30 How to you Balance Teaching with Travel? 04:30 What Sort of Commitments Outside of School do You Have with Teaching? 06:00 What Has Been the Longest Trip You Have Taken While Teaching? 07:00 Where Are You Staying When You Travel? 08:30 What Have Been Your Biggest Struggles to Get on the Road? 10:00 What Are Your Biggest Frustrations While You Travel? 14:00 What do You Love Most About Your Travel Lifestyle? 16:00 What Tips Have You Found Help 9-5ers Travel More? 18:15 Why do You Think People Are So Reluctant to Plan? 21:30 What Are Itinerary Creation Guides? 25:15 Are There Other Careers Where People Have a Long Gap From Work? 26:45 How Can People Save or Make Money for Travel? 29:45 What Has Been Your Coolest Travel Experience? 31:15 What Is One Thing You Can't Live Without While Traveling? 34:00 What Have You Learned You Don't Need While Traveling? 36:00 How Do I Start Planning my Trip? 37:30 How Would Someone Transition to a Career in Teaching? 40:00 Where There Any Influencers that Inspired You to Travel?   Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/abbynoise/rocky-mountains   We had the pleasure of hosting Kati on our show who provided some valuable insight on how to balance a busy teaching and coaching career with travel. In this episode you'll learn all about: ✅A few simple steps to get you started planning your next trip

www.atravelpath.com   00:00 Introduction 01:42 Overview of Skyline Drive 07:40 How Long Should Someone Spend in Shenandoah National Park? 09:00 When is the Best Time of Year to Visit Shenandoah National Park? 10:54 Is Shenandoah National Park Dog and Kid Friendly? 11:00 Can You Bring a Large RV to Shenandoah National Park? 12:45 Where is a Good Sunset Spot along Skyline Drive? 15:00 What Are Your Favorite Places to Eat in Shenandoah National Park? 16:00 Other Attraction in and Near Shenandoah National Park 17:30 What Are 3 Things Someone Should Pack to Shenandoah National Park? 18:00 What Should People be Aware of Before Visting Shenandoah National Park? 19:00 What is One Thing You Can't Leave Shenandoah National Park without Doing?   We were so glad to have the Banks back on to talk about this great destination. Lear some of the best sunset places, places to dine, and fun things to do nearby Shenandoah National Park and Skyline Drive!   Links The Banks' Video on Shenandoah National Park: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2qpXxuJW7k   Big Meadows: https://www.nps.gov/places/big-meadows.htm Spottswood Dining Room: https://www.goshenandoah.com/dining/big-meadows-lodge?utm_source=google&utm_medium=yext   Luray Caverns: https://luraycaverns.com/   Heritage Village: https://luraycaverns.com/explore/shenandoah-heritage-village/ Massanutten Water Park: https://www.massresort.com/play/waterpark/ Harrisonburg KOA: https://koa.com/campgrounds/harrisonburg/ Endless Caverns Camping: https://endlesscaverns.com/   Shenandoah National Park Pet Policy   America the Beautiful Pass: https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm   Relatable Blog: 9 Scenic Places in the US: https://atravelpath.com/america-the-beautiful-9-of-the-most-photo-worthy-places-we-have-been/ Thinking of retiring in an RV? https://atravelpath.com/retire-in-an-rv/   Most Popular Blogs: Most Popular Travel Hacks: https://atravelpath.com/money-saving-travel-tips/ Travel Gear: https://atravelpath.com/travel-gear/ How to Budget For Gas on a Road Trip: https://atravelpath.com/how-to-budget-for-gas-for-a-road-trip/ Our Favorite RV Upgrades: https://atravelpath.com/rv-upgrades/ How Much We Made Renting Our RV: https://atravelpath.com/renting-camper-van/ Never Run Out of Gas on a Road Trip: https://atravelpath.com/road-trip-tip/     *All content from atravelpath.com, including but not limited to The Travel Path Podcast and social media platforms, is designed to share general information. We are not experts and the information is not designed to serve as legal, financial, or tax advice. Always do your own research and due diligence before making a decision.  

www.atravelpath.com   04:45 How Long Was Full Time Travel a Goal For? 10:20 What Were Your Biggest Challenges to Get to Full Time Travel? 17:50 Is Full Time Travel Sustainable? 19:20 What Does Your Budget Look Like? 22:10 Why Did You Buy Brand New Before You Hit the Road? 21:57 What do You Like to Cook in Your RV? 26:15 How Has Your Experience Been Owning Brand New? 27:30 What is Your Advice on Backing in an RV? 33:00 What is Mooch Docking? 35:05 How Much is Internet Costing You? 36:20 What Has Been Your Coolest Travel Experience? 37:50 Has There Been Anything You Learned You DON'T Need While Traveling? 39:30 How Did You Downsize?   What a great show we had with Duane and Belinda Banks! The show was filled with a lot of laughs and valuable insight as they shared their story of going full time in their fifth wheel RV. Learn all about:  

In this episode, Sean chats with Jon Gordon about what to do when you feel discouraged and want to give up on YouTube!****** Join to Get Your First 1K Subs & Earn Your First $1K on YouTube with this FREE Challenge here!

In episode 248, Sean chats with Jon Gordon about how to Never Run Out of Content Ideas Again!****** Join to Get Your First 1K Subs & Earn Your First $1K on YouTube with this FREE Challenge here!

Need more money? Learn About the five Streams of Revenue. Join us on Women Lead Radio as Kimberley Ausgood, your host of Smart Money Moves, has a conversation with Denise Pines, Co-founder & CEO of Tea Botanics (www.teabotanics.com), as they discuss How to Never Run Out of Money!   Sponsor Appreciation! Thank you to our partner and show sponsor,  National University (www.nu.edu)!   Interested in Learning More About Connected Women of Influence? Click Here (https://connectedwomenofinfluence.com/attend-an-event-as-our-guest/) to Be Invited as Our Special VIP & Guest to a Future Event!   Interested in Becoming a Member of Our Professional Community!? Click Here (https://connectedwomenofinfluence.com/membership-application/) to Apply for Membership!  

By automating your prospecting and leads generation, you will NEVER RUN OUT of people to talk to again. Automation in customer service is a great way to optimize your efficiency by saving hours of your time and responding faster to your customers without losing the personal touch. I personally use Groove.cm a CRM software to do my all automations (GroovePages & GrooveMail & more) I personally use LeadsLeap.com to generate leads for my MLM business https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mlmtrigger/episodes/Automate-Your-Business-For-Growth-e25ba2c

How to Retire and Never Run Out of Money with Kregg Walisiak Join Kregg and Katana as they discuss:How to optimize your Social Security benefits and maximize your legacy.Strategies to create additional income streams that will never be outlived.Ways to preserve and grow your wealth without keeping it in harm's way.Kregg Walisiak is a seasoned Retirement Income Consultant with over 15 years of experience in the safe money industry. Kregg provides retirement income solutions to take the guesswork out of the equation so his clients can retire with confidence knowing their retirement income goals, as well as their legacy, will become a reality.To learn more about Kregg, visit https://capitalindemnitygroup.com/ NOTE: This discussion is intended to provide general information. Please consult your financial professional for guidance on your unique situation before implementing any of the ideas presented.

How to Never Run Out of Internet Marketing Topics, Copy, and Media Ideas. Problem: We need internet content - but what to write or produce? Solution- a three stage process that generates a never-ending flow of content topics with meaning and power.. This podcast episode includes a couple case studies serving as specific examples of this process, including Tesla. Please visit the episode page for more information on the process as well as extra resources and the free offers mentioned in the podcast : https://www.thoughtleadershipstudio.com/b/podcast/Endless-Content-Marketing-Ideas-in-Three-Stages

If you've not heard of it before, the Zettelkasten Method is a way that will help you collect and organize your research, thoughts, and ideas, and any information you come across in a structured manner or a single system.It has its origins in the mid part of the 20th century. The German scholar Niklas Luhmann is the man behind it, and he used the Zettelkasten Method to write over 70 books and more than 400 different articles.His Zettelkasten method was a paper-based system. When Niklas read or came across an interesting piece of research, he wrote a single idea down on an index card and filed it in a cabinet. He also referenced where he found the idea on the index card and interlinked each index card using a numbering system.Today, you can replicate much of what Niklas Luhmann did using digital tools and software. But you don't necessarily need to have fancy software to build your version of the Zettelkasten Method.Resources:Digital Zettelkasten by David KadavyThe Zettelkasten Method Means You'll Never Run Out of Ideas Again - Sascha FastSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/becomeawritertoday)

Creating content for your audience shouldn't be draining, stressful and difficult. It's all about having the right mindset to do it and the systems to support you along the way. In this episode, Fab Giovanetti, a marketing expert, will be sharing her expertise on shifting your mindset and processes so that you can create content to grow your audience using the three core steps of simplifying, delegating, and automating.    In this episode you'll learn: Fab's background and what she currently does. The reason behind choosing to work with health and wellness businesses. The biggest challenge coaches have in starting to build content and audiences online. Tips for shifting our mindset to have or make time for content creation in our business. Decluttering our brains and spaces to function efficiently and reclaim your time. Helping reluctant people to be open to delegating work. Practical steps to take when creating content as a health coach. Top tip for delegating content creation. Automation tools you can use as a podcaster. Do's and don'ts for implementing automation. 3 tips every entrepreneur who wants to reclaim time when creating content for their audience.   Links: Fab Giovanetti Website Fab Giovanetti Instagram Fab Giovanetti LinkedIn Fab Giovanetti Twitter Book: Reclaim Your Time Off   Recommended Apps / Websites: Headliner Zapier ShareThis Audry   Related episodes: 3 Tips to achieve consistency with your content creation The Best Strategy to Never Run Out of Content Ideas for Your Podcast Best Tools and Platforms to Build an Audience as a New Health Coach with Karen Pattock   Get access to our FREE Course: Podcast Mindset for Health and Wellness Coaches. Learn how to get the right mindset to start your own podcast now! Click here to enroll right away! Check all the FREE and paid resources we have for every new podcaster in our Resources page.

I recently read  Mind Management, Not Time Management by  David Kadvy.It made a big impact on me because David has thought a lot about popular productivity methods like Getting Things Done and considered how they can apply to writers and creatives. He breaks down how creatives can organize their day so they're at their best when it's time to write or work on a project and how they can also find time for all the administrative stuff that could come with running a writing business. I was interested to know more about his writing process. He also has a very specific early morning writing routine he describes in this week's interview. I started by asking David about the key ideas in his book and how he came to write it in the first place. In this episode, we discuss:Getting your mind ready to writeReview what you're going to write the next dayDavid's morning routineUsing The Zettelkasten MethodHow many hours a day David spends in a creative state Deciding how many books to write each yearResources:David's Amazon storeDavid KadvyThe Zettelkasten MethodThe Zettelkasten Method Means You'll Never Run Out of Ideas Again with Sascha FastSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/becomeawritertoday)

I think we've talked about this so much on the podcast now: you need to be consistent in content creation for your audience. You have to show up regularly. There are so many podcasters out there who just give up after a few episodes without a proper send-off. They go completely off air without explanation and, sometimes, just come back after a few missed episodes. This is called podfading. In this episode, we discuss what it is in detail, why it happens, why we should avoid it, and how to win against it with strategies we can equip you with today. You'll learn: What is Podfading? 5 Reasons why podcasters podfade.  Why you should avoid it. Avoid podfading with these strategies. Related episodes: 3 Tips to Achieve Consistency With Your Content Creation The 3 Best Ways to Build an Audience With Content, with Joe Pulizzi The Best Strategy to Never Run Out of Content Ideas for Your Podcast Get access to our FREE Course: Podcast Mindset for Health and Wellness Coaches. Learn how to get the right mindset to start your own podcast now! Click here to enroll right away! Check all the FREE and paid resources we have for every new podcaster in our Resources page.

In this 9 part training series, you'll learn how to ATTRACT LEADS & the best places to FIND COLD leads.​The DMO of the successful: Discover a NEW Daily Method of Operation that will INCREASE lead generation.Never Run Out of Contacts: My exact formula on how I became the #1 recruiter out of a million distributors.MORE RECRUITS: How these 7 strategies will increase RECRUITING by 3x. As usual no HYPE. You will need to follow this method exactly.​The ATTRACTION marketing post strategy: You will DISCOVER what to post on social media to generate TARGETED leads.​​FINDING YOUR BRAND in a non-complicated way: The method to finding your brand on social media to ATTRACT more prospects!This COLD MARKET BLUEPRINT will re-energize YOU. You will have the exact blueprint to find more leads and convert more sales. None of this is taught in an annoying salesy style. You will love how this BLUEPRINT teaches you how to find and close cold contacts in a genuine way that people respect.Do you struggle with using social media to generate DAILY leads?This one Strategy Session could very well be the adjustment you NEED!!AND IT'S FREE: www.strategy.robsperry.com

In this 9 part training series, you'll learn how to ATTRACT LEADS & the best places to FIND COLD leads.​The DMO of the successful: Discover a NEW Daily Method of Operation that will INCREASE lead generation.Never Run Out of Contacts: My exact formula on how I became the #1 recruiter out of a million distributors.MORE RECRUITS: How these 7 strategies will increase RECRUITING by 3x. As usual no HYPE. You will need to follow this method exactly.​The ATTRACTION marketing post strategy: You will DISCOVER what to post on social media to generate TARGETED leads.​​FINDING YOUR BRAND in a non-complicated way: The method to finding your brand on social media to ATTRACT more prospects!This COLD MARKET BLUEPRINT will re-energize YOU. You will have the exact blueprint to find more leads and convert more sales. None of this is taught in an annoying salesy style. You will love how this BLUEPRINT teaches you how to find and close cold contacts in a genuine way that people respect.Do you struggle with using social media to generate DAILY leads?This one Strategy Session could very well be the adjustment you NEED!!AND IT'S FREE: www.strategy.robsperry.com

In this 9 part training series, you'll learn how to ATTRACT LEADS & the best places to FIND COLD leads.​The DMO of the successful: Discover a NEW Daily Method of Operation that will INCREASE lead generation.Never Run Out of Contacts: My exact formula on how I became the #1 recruiter out of a million distributors.MORE RECRUITS: How these 7 strategies will increase RECRUITING by 3x. As usual no HYPE. You will need to follow this method exactly.​The ATTRACTION marketing post strategy: You will DISCOVER what to post on social media to generate TARGETED leads.​​FINDING YOUR BRAND in a non-complicated way: The method to finding your brand on social media to ATTRACT more prospects!This COLD MARKET BLUEPRINT will re-energize YOU. You will have the exact blueprint to find more leads and convert more sales. None of this is taught in an annoying salesy style. You will love how this BLUEPRINT teaches you how to find and close cold contacts in a genuine way that people respect.Do you struggle with using social media to generate DAILY leads?This one Strategy Session could very well be the adjustment you NEED!!AND IT'S FREE: www.strategy.robsperry.com

In this 10 part training series, you'll learn how to ATTRACT LEADS & the best places to FIND COLD leads.​The DMO of the successful: Discover a NEW Daily Method of Operation that will INCREASE lead generation.Never Run Out of Contacts: My exact formula on how I became the #1 recruiter out of a million distributors.MORE RECRUITS: How these 7 strategies will increase RECRUITING by 3x. As usual no HYPE. You will need to follow this method exactly.​The ATTRACTION marketing post strategy: You will DISCOVER what to post on social media to generate TARGETED leads.​​FINDING YOUR BRAND in a non-complicated way: The method to finding your brand on social media to ATTRACT more prospects!This COLD MARKET BLUEPRINT will re-energize YOU. You will have the exact blueprint to find more leads and convert more sales. None of this is taught in an annoying salesy style. You will love how this BLUEPRINT teaches you how to find and close cold contacts in a genuine way that people respect.Do you struggle with using social media to generate DAILY leads?This one Strategy Session could very well be the adjustment you NEED!!AND IT'S FREE: www.strategy.robsperry.com

In this 10 part training series, you'll learn how to ATTRACT LEADS & the best places to FIND COLD leads.​The DMO of the successful: Discover a NEW Daily Method of Operation that will INCREASE lead generation.Never Run Out of Contacts: My exact formula on how I became the #1 recruiter out of a million distributors.MORE RECRUITS: How these 7 strategies will increase RECRUITING by 3x. As usual no HYPE. You will need to follow this method exactly.​The ATTRACTION marketing post strategy: You will DISCOVER what to post on social media to generate TARGETED leads.​​FINDING YOUR BRAND in a non-complicated way: The method to finding your brand on social media to ATTRACT more prospects!This COLD MARKET BLUEPRINT will re-energize YOU. You will have the exact blueprint to find more leads and convert more sales. None of this is taught in an annoying salesy style. You will love how this BLUEPRINT teaches you how to find and close cold contacts in a genuine way that people respect.Do you struggle with using social media to generate DAILY leads?This one Strategy Session could very well be the adjustment you NEED!!AND IT'S FREE: www.strategy.robsperry.com

In this 10 part training series, you'll learn how to ATTRACT LEADS & the best places to FIND COLD leads.​The DMO of the successful: Discover a NEW Daily Method of Operation that will INCREASE lead generation.Never Run Out of Contacts: My exact formula on how I became the #1 recruiter out of a million distributors.MORE RECRUITS: How these 7 strategies will increase RECRUITING by 3x. As usual no HYPE. You will need to follow this method exactly.​The ATTRACTION marketing post strategy: You will DISCOVER what to post on social media to generate TARGETED leads.​​FINDING YOUR BRAND in a non-complicated way: The method to finding your brand on social media to ATTRACT more prospects!This COLD MARKET BLUEPRINT will re-energize YOU. You will have the exact blueprint to find more leads and convert more sales. None of this is taught in an annoying salesy style. You will love how this BLUEPRINT teaches you how to find and close cold contacts in a genuine way that people respect.Do you struggle with using social media to generate DAILY leads?This one Strategy Session could very well be the adjustment you NEED!!AND IT'S FREE: www.strategy.robsperry.com

In this 10 part training series, you'll learn how to ATTRACT LEADS & the best places to FIND COLD leads.​The DMO of the successful: Discover a NEW Daily Method of Operation that will INCREASE lead generation.Never Run Out of Contacts: My exact formula on how I became the #1 recruiter out of a million distributors.MORE RECRUITS: How these 7 strategies will increase RECRUITING by 3x. As usual no HYPE. You will need to follow this method exactly.​The ATTRACTION marketing post strategy: You will DISCOVER what to post on social media to generate TARGETED leads.​​FINDING YOUR BRAND in a non-complicated way: The method to finding your brand on social media to ATTRACT more prospects!This COLD MARKET BLUEPRINT will re-energize YOU. You will have the exact blueprint to find more leads and convert more sales. None of this is taught in an annoying salesy style. You will love how this BLUEPRINT teaches you how to find and close cold contacts in a genuine way that people respect.Do you struggle with using social media to generate DAILY leads?This one Strategy Session could very well be the adjustment you NEED!!AND IT'S FREE: www.strategy.robsperry.com

In this 10 part training series, you'll learn how to ATTRACT LEADS & the best places to FIND COLD leads.​The DMO of the successful: Discover a NEW Daily Method of Operation that will INCREASE lead generation.Never Run Out of Contacts: My exact formula on how I became the #1 recruiter out of a million distributors.MORE RECRUITS: How these 7 strategies will increase RECRUITING by 3x. As usual no HYPE. You will need to follow this method exactly.​The ATTRACTION marketing post strategy: You will DISCOVER what to post on social media to generate TARGETED leads.​​FINDING YOUR BRAND in a non-complicated way: The method to finding your brand on social media to ATTRACT more prospects!This COLD MARKET BLUEPRINT will re-energize YOU. You will have the exact blueprint to find more leads and convert more sales. None of this is taught in an annoying salesy style. You will love how this BLUEPRINT teaches you how to find and close cold contacts in a genuine way that people respect.Do you struggle with using social media to generate DAILY leads?This one Strategy Session could very well be the adjustment you NEED!! AND IT'S FREE: www.strategy.robsperry.com

In this 10 part training series, you'll learn how to ATTRACT LEADS & the best places to FIND COLD leads.​The DMO of the successful: Discover a NEW Daily Method of Operation that will INCREASE lead generation.Never Run Out of Contacts: My exact formula on how I became the #1 recruiter out of a million distributors.MORE RECRUITS: How these 7 strategies will increase RECRUITING by 3x. As usual no HYPE. You will need to follow this method exactly.​The ATTRACTION marketing post strategy: You will DISCOVER what to post on social media to generate TARGETED leads.​​FINDING YOUR BRAND in a non-complicated way: The method to finding your brand on social media to ATTRACT more prospects!This COLD MARKET BLUEPRINT will re-energize YOU. You will have the exact blueprint to find more leads and convert more sales. None of this is taught in an annoying salesy style. You will love how this BLUEPRINT teaches you how to find and close cold contacts in a genuine way that people respect.Love today's training?? Feeling like you're ready for MORE?? Check out Run With Rob, Rob Sperry's 1-on-1 coaching program: www.runwithrob.robsperry.com

We will Never Run Out of Land to Buy and Sell. Here are the Numbers (LA 1284) ---------------------------------------- If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to email me directly at steven@BuWit.com. The BuWit Family of Companies include: https://BuWit.com https://offers2owners.com https://landinvestors.com https://landacademy.com https://landpin.com https://parcelfact.com https://countywise.com https://deedperfect.com https://ownersdata.com https://houseacademy.com I would like to think it's entertaining and informative and in the end profitable. And finally, don't forget to subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts.

We will Never Run Out of Land to Buy and Sell. Here are the Numbers (LA 1124) Transcript: ---------------------------------------- If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to email me directly at steven@BuWit.com. The BuWit Family of Companies include: https://BuWit.com https://offers2owners.com https://landinvestors.com https://landacademy.com https://landpin.com https://parcelfact.com https://countywise.com https://deedperfect.com https://ownersdata.com https://houseacademy.com I would like to think it’s entertaining and informative and in the end profitable. And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts.

It is the first week of November, and all of the holiday hosting is about to hit hard so I want to give you some tools to enjoy this time, not dread it.  Helpful Companion Links Get this month’s Latest Lazy Letter by joining the Lazy Genius VIP list here. I share ten Thanksgiving hosting tips along with three keys to hosting success in The Lazy Genius Hosts Thanksgiving. If you’re already bracing yourself for the grating conversations you’ll have with family members you can’t not invite to things, listen to The Lazy Genius Navigates Family Tension. Did your hears perk up at my description of my sister’s magical playlist making abilities? We share some of her beautiful playlists as an extra for our Lazy Sisters Podcast listeners. No matter what you’re hosting, creating an environment that matches your purpose is such a gift to the people entering your home. I say more words about that in The Lazy Genius Hosts a Holiday Party. The best podcast episodes though to go along with this are The Lazy Genius Feeds a Crowd and The Lazy Genius Guide to Flexibility. If you need a tutor for food math, check out How to Never Run Out of Food at Your Party. It’s a proven method. By me. The Lazy Genius. Download a transcript of this episode.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Let's preview today's show... Being in financial services for almost 20 years now, I've found that most people worry about their money in retirement. So I build investment plans that help reduce taxes and can provide a retirement paycheck that's predictable, consistent, safe and can even increase every year, no matter what the market does. Ultimately giving you peace of mind and the freedom to enjoy your dream retirement. The title of the show today is "How to Never Run Out of Income in Retirement". When it comes to planning your retirement, income is the number one thing to think about, so how do you generate enough income from your investments to pay for the lifestyle that you want? Do you have a plan to follow that will get you to your goals? We'll talk about how income with a guarantee may be a good fit for you.. Later on we'll have our weekly fitness tip from Sun Oaks, a market update from Ric, and then we'll continue our a discussion on long term care and the best way to fund it. As always we got a loaded show for you... Enjoy! Want to make sure your retirement plan is on track?  CLAIM YOUR FREE RETIREMENT SURVIVAL KIT visit www.RLAKit.com   Schedule a FREE Consultation phone call with me TODAY..! CLICK HERE or visit   www.TalkToPatrick.com   You can also find lots of resources at www.RLAPlan.com  Connect with me online through all of the social media links below: Facebook: www.facebook.com/RetirementLifestylesAdvisors/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/retirement_lifestyles_advisors/ Twitter: www.twitter.com/thepmcnally   Disclosures Information presented is believed to be factual and up to date, but we do not guarantee its accuracy, and it should not be regarded as a complete analysis of the subjects discussed. All expressions of opinion reflect the judgment of the host on the date of publication and are subject to change. All information is based on sources deemed to be reliable, but no warranty or guarantee is made as to its accuracy or completeness. Financial calculations are based on various assumptions that may never come to pass. All examples are hypothetical and are for illustrative purposes only. Charts, graphs, and references to market returns do not represent the performance achieved by Retirement Lifestyles Advisory Group or any of its advisory clients. Content should not be construed as personalized investment advice, nor should it be interpreted as an offer to buy or sell any securities mentioned. A professional advisor should be consulted before implementing any of the strategies presented. Past performance may not be indicative of future results. All investment strategies have the potential for profit or loss. Different types of investments involve varying degrees of risk, and there can be no assurance that any specific investment or strategy will be suitable or profitable for an investor. In addition, there can be no assurances that an investor’s portfolio will match or outperform any particular benchmark. Asset allocation and diversification do not assure or guarantee better performance and cannot eliminate the risk of investment losses. The social security, tax, legal, and estate planning information provided is general in nature. It should not be construed as legal or tax advice. Always consult an attorney or tax professional regarding your specific legal or tax situation. Retirement Lifestyles Advisory Group is not affiliated or endorsed by the Social Security Administration of the United States. Case studies are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as testimonials. Every investor’s situation is different, and goals may not always be achieved. Retirement Lifestyles Advisory Group is registered as an investment advisor and only transacts business in states where it is properly registered or is excluded or exempted from registration requirements. Registration as an investment advisor does not constitute an endorsement of the firm by securities regulators, nor does it indicate that the advisor has attained a particular level of skill or ability.

How to Combine the ‘RAS’ and Little Black Book Technique to Never Run Out of Content Ideas. I was talking to a buddy the other day about how the internet is like a thirsty man in the desert – (it has an unquenchable thirst for content). You see, he was feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the content his competitors were putting out. So I explained my secret for coming up with dozens of ideas for content in just minutes.

The companion blog post - Never Run Out of Content Again

Never Run Out of Ideas For Content -------------------------------------------- In this episode I'm going to share with you 6 areas you can focus on which you can use to build a never ending flow of ideas for new content. And one the easiest ways is to always create content around things which you really care about and that you’re interested in.   My Podcast Sponsor: ------------------------------ www.stanagewatches.com   Stanage Watches   Corre Energy https://www.corre.energy     Gemma Went https://www.gemmawent.co.uk      *********************** Ways to connect with me: I’ve recorded a video especially for you here: www.dickiespodcast.com      ► Subscribe to my YouTube Channel http://www.bit.ly/dickiesubscribe    Website: www.armour.marketing  Corre Energy: www.corre.energy    Twitter: www.twitter.com/dickiearmour  LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/dickiearmour  Instagram: www.instagram.com/dickiearmour  My Books ======= My crime thriller “The Habit” https://www.amazon.co.uk/Habit-Richard-Armour-ebook/dp/B009HC4U08  My business book “31 Mistakes Every Online Business Makes” http://www.31mistakes.co.uk   My new sales book “Where’s The Buffalo?” http://www.wheresthebuffalo.com    

Hosting a book swap is a low-key way to meet new people and get some great books in the process. In this episode, we chart the path of a book at a book swap plus talk about food, music, and everything else to have a great party.  Curious about how many friends to invite? How to set up the books? How to collect the books in the first place? We cover it all here. Enjoy listening, and if you host your own, don't forget to tag me on Instagram and use the hashtag #lazygeniusbookswap! Stuff Mentioned: Want to get detailed reviews of every book I read? Join the mailing list here! Annie B. Jones is a favorite IG account for books, and she's a real life bookstore owner! Want a behind-the-scenes look into her life? She was on one of my favorite episodes of Simple if you want another podcast to add to your queue. How to Never Run Out of Food at Your Party Fun music ideas for a chill book swap: Kate Rusby, Gregory Alan Isakov, and the Your Favorite Coffeehouse playlist on Spotify   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

#29: How to Never Run Out of Blog Post Ideas Again...  Ever sat at the computer, fingers on the keyboard, ready to write that next blog post, but have no idea what to write about? It happens to the best of us. That blank screen can feel daunting. If you’ve struggled to come up with blog post topics and ideas, then you should enjoy this episode... Remember to subscribe to this podcast and check out the [FREE] AdWords Video Training Series. Get Instant Access Here >> 7 Absolutely Killer Tips For Google AdWords & Why They Crush The Competition     How to Build an Email List FAST - 7 Simple Methods You Can Use for FREE Download The eBook Now:   Download here >> Phil Adair Hot Clicks Pay-Per-Click Online Marketing Suite 12, 5th Floor, Dymocks Building 428 George Street, Sydney 2000, NSW, Australia   W: hotclicks.com.au I’m a huge fan of connecting on social media. If you’re on these social networks, then let’s follow each other:  Twitter  Google+  Facebook YouTube Pinterest Instagram

Don't be afraid. It can be really fun to host a party, so if you're thinking of sliding one into your December calendar, I've got you covered. Stuff Mentioned: How to Never Run Out of Food at a Party Quit Throwing Fancy Bridal Showers (some food philosophy hangs out here) Favorite recipe sources: The Kitchn (great for beginners), Smitten Kitchen (better for folks with some cooking chops), Amanda Frederickson (smack dab in the middle), Mad Hungry (simple and accessible... this book and this book get a lot of play around here), and Mark Bittman (not for newbies or people who need photos... I don't use his site but do use How to Cook Everything and How to Cook Everything Fast on an almost weekly basis) Holiday Mixtape by Nick Flora and Stacy Lantz See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Get stumped what to write, talk, or record about next? "Writer's block" is real! How about podcasting? Have you thought about starting your own show or getting interviewed on others? Look no further than this week’s episode with a bona fide podcast pro and consultant who has not one, not two, but FOUR podcasts of his own! But even if you don't care to start your own podcast, Yann Ilunga's tips on never running out of content ideas, repurposing, and becoming a better communicator are invaluable. A few exciting highlights include: - How Yann first got into podcasting (and where that intersected with his passion for music) - Where Yann is from, and where he is currently living! Neither place is in North America. - How to use your podcast (or one that you are a guest on!) as a business asset! - Find out ways to NEVER run out of content ideas! - Repurposing your content and expanding your reach - How to become a better communicator - What is the Podcast Success Summit and how to attend for free.  Read more: Shownotes for How to NEVER Run Out of Content Ideas with Yann Ilunga

After you listen... I've collected a few easy party options that won't make you crazy but are still super cute. tiny cookie cutters for cute touches if you have the mental bandwidth stupid easy chocolate-dipped pretzels the Saturday Night Live candle video How to Throw a Little Kid Party Without Requiring Alcohol How to Never Run Out of Food At Your Party Again An Ode to Being Super Mom You Don't Have to Make Your Little Kids' Halloween Costumes Confessions of a Guilty Mom: PTA Edition Follow Kendra on Instagram: @thelazygenius See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On location from MozCon 2014, Ross speaks with Dr. Pete Meyers, the Marketing Scientist at Moz, who spoke about Content Marketing and How to Never Run Out of Great Ideas.Ross also talks to Mark Traphagen, the Senior Director of Online Marketing for Stone Temple Consulting who spoke on Claiming Your Kingdom for Brand Dominance.

On location from MozCon 2014, Ross speaks with Dr. Pete Meyers, the Marketing Scientist at Moz, who spoke about Content Marketing and How to Never Run Out of Great Ideas.Ross also talks to Mark Traphagen, the Senior Director of Online Marketing for Stone Temple Consulting who spoke on Claiming Your Kingdom for Brand Dominance.

On location from MozCon 2014, Ross speaks with Dr. Pete Meyers, the Marketing Scientist at Moz, who spoke about Content Marketing and How to Never Run Out of Great Ideas.Ross also talks to Mark Traphagen, the Senior Director of Online Marketing for Stone Temple Consulting who spoke on Claiming Your Kingdom for Brand Dominance.

sermon transcript Introduction: What is Epiphany? Traditional Date: January 6th Recently, I was reading an article in National Geographic on some of the new-fangled telescopes that they're making that are apparently going to be multiple times stronger than the Hubble Space Telescope, and yet here on Earth. They will be in Chile, in other places, and they are just huge. But I was really arrested by the opening paragraph as the author writes, he said this, “When you start stargazing with a telescope, two experiences typically ensue. First, you are astonished by the view—Saturn's golden rings, star clusters glittering like jewelry on black velvet, galaxies aglow with gentle ancient starlight. Second, you soon want a bigger telescope” Later in the article, he said this, "A telescope doesn't just show you what's out there, it impresses upon you how little you know," and that kind of awareness is sometimes called an epiphany, an awareness of just how little you know. That word was on my mind as I was writing this sermon, epiphany, is a date on the church calendar, not our church, generally, we don't follow the liturgy in the church calendar, but genuinely, January 6 is Epiphany. I was raised Roman Catholic - don't be afraid, dear Baptist friends - I'm not bringing us back to Rome or back to the church calendar, but I was thinking about this word epiphany, the Feast of Epiphany follows the 12-day feast of Christmas, it's generally associated with the visit of the Magi. That is a Biblical focal event. Definition Now, what does the word means? It's really a transliteration of a Greek word, which means to manifest or to show or to display. In the Greek religion, in the Greek religious world, there would sometimes be a sudden unveiling or manifestation of a divine being, sometimes the Pantheon, the Gods would come down in human form, and suddenly you'd realize you're in Zeus' presence. The word is actually used in multiple ways in other fields, for example, there are books that have Epiphanies, authors that write them in, sudden awakening or perception about the true nature of something, an illuminating discovery, that kind of thing, realization or disclosure. Short story writer, O Henry, delighted in these kinds of things, and every Christmas we read The Gift of the Magi, I don't know if you've ever read that one, but it's a pleasant little story, a short story, and epiphany is right in the center of that one. It's a story about two young newlyweds who are living in a 19th century tenement, some poor dwelling. They have almost no money, but they want to give precious gifts to each other, and so, the young woman sells her hair, she cuts off her hair to a wig maker, so that she can buy a chain for her husband's precious inheritance, his pocket watch, which he sells to buy some combs for her hair. And so, they have an epiphany, really of not just what each had done, but of the love they have for each other. He called it The Gift of the Magi, because he centers it on the idea of that kind of a sacrificial gift, and the gift ultimately of Christ to us. It happens in other fields too, not just literature, but science. Perhaps you've heard the story of Archimedes who was hired by a local Greek tyrant to pursue a jeweler, who he thinks had cheated him. This King thought that the jeweler had made a crown that was supposed to be pure gold out of partly silver, partly gold, and he wanted Archimedes to find out whether it was so without destroying the crown. Hard to do. But he was there at the local bath, and as he got into the bath and saw the water spill out, he had an idea concerning what we know as specific gravity, how some things are -you know, displace more weight, and he said, “Eureka,” which means, I found it. He had an epiphany, he figured out how to do it. And so, science throughout time has had those kind of moments, Isaac Newton with the apple falling, and he thinks about gravity. Albert Einstein's father gave him when he was five years old a compass, and he kept trying to get the needle to end up somewhere other than true north, and he couldn't do it. And he started thinking about this mystical force, this magnetic force, and it got him thinking ultimately toward Physics. Basic Concept So, these kind of moments of epiphany are around us all the time, but I want to focus on the true epiphany that there is in the world, and that is not anything that we discover about ourselves, some new insight about yourself, good or bad, I don't mean that. Anything we discover about the physical nature or scientific world around us, however valuable that might be. Or something you discover in history, or a surprise ending in literature, none of that. The true epiphany is Christ Himself. That Christ would manifest Himself to you. That's my desire this morning. If that happens, I will have succeeded today. That Christ would in some way reveal Himself to you, manifest Himself to you. Christ is an infinite being, the second person of the trinity, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, light from light, very God from very God begotten, not made. Being of one substance with the Father through whom all things were made. He is the ancient of days, living in eternal union with the Father, eternal relationship, good fellowship with the Father. Through Christ, God the Father created all things. Everything that was created was created through Christ, and there's not a person in this room here today that fully and perfectly and completely knows Christ. You all have more learning to do as do I, and it will take an eternity of epiphanies, of new moments of insight, of new flashes of inspiration. And I contend, I'm going to end up the sermon there, I'm just telling you where I'm going, that's what we're going to spend eternity doing. Having more and more manifestations of Jesus, more and more insights into the greatness of Christ. We're going to spend eternity that way. This is the central business of our lives that we might know God, the only true God, and that we might know Christ whom God the Father has sent. That is eternal life. Christ Manifested to the Magi Account Given in Matthew 2:1-12 So let's focus on this first epiphany, the one that they do in the church calendar is this one to the Magi in Matthew Chapter 2. You can look there in your Bibles, if you like, at the account, Matthew 2:1-12. Keith read it for us, I'm going to go over it again, just to have the words in your mind. Matthew Chapter 2, "After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, 'Where is the one born King of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship Him.' When King Herod heard this, he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. 'In Bethlehem, in Judea,' they replied. For this is what the prophet has written. But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah, for out of you will come a ruler, who will be the shepherd of my people, Israel. Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, 'Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report back to me, so that I too may go and worship him.' After they had heard the king, they went on their way and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route." Who Were the Magi? Now, who were these Magi? There are lots of popular considerations of them, they have grasped the imagination of people reading these accounts for 2000 years. You've sung the hymn “We Three Kings of Orient Are.” Eric told me he bumped it from the worship service after reading my sermon manuscript, so it's alright to sing “We Three Kings of Orient Are.” We don't know for sure if there were three, and we don't know for sure that they were kings. Maybe, maybe not. So go ahead and sing it, but just know, maybe, maybe not, as you sing, “We Three Kings of Orient Are.” Marvin Vincent in Word Studies in the New Testament said this, "Many absurd traditions and guesses respecting these visitors to our Lord's cradle have found their way into popular belief and into Christian art. They were said to be kings and three in number, they were said to be representatives of the three families of Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and therefore one of them is pictured as an Ethiopian. Their names are given as Gaspar, and Balthasar, and Melchior and their three skulls said to have been discovered in the 12th century by Bishop Rainald of Cologne are exhibited in a priceless casket in the great cathedral of that city. So during the Middle Ages and Medieval Roman Catholic times, when Pilgrims were going all over Europe to seek out relics and to worship based on those relics, they would go to Cologne and there would be these three skulls with three golden crowns, one on each skull. How weird is that? And there's this huge gold and silver box with Crystal, and you're looking through these skulls and you kneel down and worship something. I'm not sure what you're worshipping at that reliquary, but there they were, and they would look at these skulls. It’s hard to prove or disprove concerning the skulls, but that's the way it was with relics in the Middle Ages, but who were the Magi? Well, in the Old Testament world, the Greek historian Herodotus said the Magi were a priestly caste from the Medes. The Medes live in the land we now know as Iran, modern Iran, Persia. They were very active throughout the fertile crescent of Mesopotamia, especially in Babylon during the Old Testament era. They were originally priests in the early form of that religion that came to be known as Zoroastrianism. They had an altar on which they claimed there was a perpetual flame that had come down from heaven. They kept it burning forever, and they offered on it blood sacrifices. Zoroastrianism had become the official religion of Persia by the 6th century BC. It's still practiced today in India by the Parsis who were refugees, who fled from the Muslims in the 7th century AD. So the Parsis still practice Zoroastrianism and are probably the descendants of the Magi. The Magi religion is monotheistic and bears some resemblance outwardly to Judaism, but it has deep roots in the occult. Magi used demonic practices such as sorcery and astrology and wizardry and divination of dreams and communication with the dead, and other occultic practices that are strictly forbidden in scripture. The words magic and magician come from the Magi. In the Babylonian kingdom, Magis were extremely influential in Nebuchadnezzar's court. They figure prominently in the Book of Daniel. So they were counselors and advisors. They looked at the stars or they interpreted dreams, and in this way, they could give information to Kings. And thus the word magistrate also comes from the Magi. Magis had a special skill in interpreting dreams, but Nebuchadnezzar apparently didn't trust it as you remember in Daniel Chapter 2, he wanted the Magi to tell him what his dream was and then to interpret. They needed to clear their supernatural credentials with him first, and no one could do that, except that God revealed it to Daniel in a dream. "'And you remember the substance of that dream, and the substance of it was of a statue with a head of gold and chest and arms of silver and belly and thighs of bronze and legs of iron and feet, partly iron and partly clay that represented the flow of human history and how a rock was cut out, but not by human hands, and it struck that statue and turned it into chaff and a wind blew all the chaff away, but the rock that was cut out, that supernatural rock became a huge mountain that filled the whole earth."' And Daniel interpreted and said, 'In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all of those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever.'" Now, you know what happened, Daniel became basically the chief of the Magi, at that point. He was promoted and was in charge of all the Magi. Do you think it's possible he might have more fully instructed the Magi in that kingdom, in the prophecies that Isaiah and Jeremiah and others had given concerning that coming king? I don't think it's a stretch to think that Daniel would have trained them, the Magi concerning this. Well, if you fast forward ahead to the time of Christ, the Magi suddenly appear in the court of King Herod. Verse 1 and 2, "After Jesus was born in Bethlehem and Judea, during the time of King Herod, here come these Magi from the east. And where is the one who has been born King of the Jews? We saw a star in the east and have come to worship Him." At this time, Magi would still have had tremendous influence in the Middle East. Of course, the power of the West was Rome, but they were centered around the Mediterranean Sea. All the other empires up to that point had been mostly eastward-type empires, heading toward India, going that direction. The Babylonian, the Medes, and the Persians, the Greeks, Alexander went right to the Indus River, going east, going east. Rome was West, and Rome basically face west and went up north toward France and Britain. And East and West kind of met in the Middle East, right around Palestine. There was at that time a mighty kingdom called the Parthian Empire. And the Romans and the Parthians had numbers of battles and a struggle for supremacy. The Magi were instrumental as pretty much king makers in the Parthian Empire, and so, they would identify who the coming kings were at the Parthian Empire. So the Magi show up in the court of King Herod. Now, Herod is a Roman puppet, he's a puppet king in a buffer state between the Roman Empire and the Parthian Empire. So you can imagine why Herod would have been so disturbed by the Magi showing up. More than anything, I think Herod feared that some usurper, some king would come and take his place, he was utterly paranoid about that, so he would have been disturbed anyway by anyone coming to see a King born. But the Magi would have arrived with some pomp and circumstance, they would have shown up perhaps with a small army. John MacArthur says it's likely that they were wearing conical-shaped hats, like we associate with wizards. Probably not riding camels, but most likely riding Arabian steeds. And so, they would have been quite a forceful show. Meanwhile, Herod's army is out there helping with the census, so he would have felt threatened in every way by these Magi. King Herod heard the news about what the Magi were asking. "He was disturbed," it says, "and all Jerusalem with him." The word troubled, it means troubled, they're greatly agitated, shaken to the roots. Isn't it amazing how much earthly leaders seek selfishly to hold on to their power and they're willing to do anything to do it? So Herod starts an investigation. He starts interestingly with a Biblical investigation. Calls in his Bible experts. All the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born? "'In Bethlehem, in Judea,' they replied, 'for this is what the prophet has written: 'But you Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah, for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people, Israel,''" quoting Micah Chapter 5. So he does a little Biblical investigation. Secondly, he investigates with the Magi themselves. He calls them in secretly, and he finds out from the Magi the exact time that the star had appeared in the East. And then we see his false motives. "King Herod sent them to Bethlehem and said, 'Go and make a careful search for the child. And as soon as you find him, report back to me, so I too may go and worship him.'" So he's trying to find out now an actual literal location of where this baby is. Now, Herod was one of the most murderous kings in that region's history. He was a thoroughly evil man. He was successful in politics, but he was bitterly unhappy in his private life. He married 10 wives, seeking to find happiness one after the other, including the beautiful Hasmonean Princess Mariamne who he loved passionately, but then had murdered. Later in 7 BC, he had her two sons killed as well. His favorite son, Antipater, he found conspiring against him and had him killed as well four days before his own death. And yet for all of that, he fanatically kept the Mosaic dietary regulations. He wouldn't eat any pork. And so therefore, Roman emperor Augustus said about Herod, "I would rather be Herod's pig than Herod's son." And so, it's not a stretch to imagine why he would, at the end of Matthew 2, slaughter all of the infants in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under. Clearly not worried about collateral damage, but he wanted to be sure that this infant was killed. So that was Herod. Herod's offer of worship was clearly false. Oh may it not be that way with us. "'These people honor me with their lips,' said the Lord, 'but their hearts are far from me.'" What is the nature of our worship toward Christ? Herod was a hypocrite, a liar. He didn't have any intention of worshipping Christ, but the Magi were different. The Worship of the Magi The Lord had done, I believe, a supernatural work in the Magi's heart. The worship of the Magi, I believe, was sincere. Look at Verses 9-11, "After they heard the king, they went on their way and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. And when they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh." So now we come to the epiphany, Christ disclosing himself, or God the Father, disclosing Christ to these Magi. Christ disclosed himself to the Magi in multiple ways. Let's start with Scripture. I believe that that's probably where they first heard about the King of the Jews, not from the star, but from the prophecies, maybe as early as the time of Daniel, but certainly through multiple interactions with the Jews who were scattered throughout that region, and so they are aware of the prophetic word, the Jews were conquered people. It did not seem like anything would come from the stump of Jesse, but God had planned that a shoot would come up from the stump of Jesse, he had said it through Isaiah the prophet. And like the thief on the cross who looked over to a dying Jesus and said, "Remember me Lord, when you come in your kingdom," so also these believers in the prophecies were able to look not at the present circumstances of Israel, but at the prophecies and the power of God behind them, that some day there would be a glorious king of the Jews who would rule over all the earth. And so the Magi were not in fact king makers in this case, they were just king recognizers; they recognized that Jesus was born King of the Jews. And so the epiphany came first through Scripture, through the prophecies. Secondly, it came through the star, the supernatural star, never has there ever been a star like this star, and never will be again, I would imagine. It was a remarkable star, it was a star that led them on a journey, it moved. It was a moving star, movable star. I don't know what it is, and it's always humorous to go over to the UNC planetarium and they suppose what it was, or aligning up. Look, I'm telling you what, planets don't line up and move over a specific house in Bethlehem, amen, they don't do that. And so this was a moving star, so it was high up in the sky enough that it was seen to be a star, but it was moving. It was traveling. They had never seen anything like this, and it caused them to get their entourage together and move out. I don't know what it was. Some believers think it might have been somewhat like the Shekinah Glory of God, you know how God moved in a pillar of fire and led the Jews through the promised land in that way, and maybe he just kind of shortened it down to a star up in the sky, or maybe it was an angel. Sometimes angels are called stars. An angel who just shone with a certain radiance it looked like a star and moved, and when they saw the star stop in Bethlehem, right over the house where Jesus was, they're overjoyed. And I don't think it's a stretch to think that there was some kind of light that then shone down on the specific house. Bethlehem was a town, a village, maybe even a little city, and a specific place was identified by the light of the star, and so I don't think that the Christmas card artists are too far off when they show a star up in the sky and a light coming down right onto the house where Jesus was. But now comes the true epiphany, and that is that this little baby should be worshipped, worshipped. "On coming to the house, they saw the child at last, with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him." The epiphany was not complete without seeing the face of the baby, and perhaps their motives would have been mixed maybe somewhat political, I don't know what all their motives were in moving out and making that journey, but their motives and falling on their face and worshipping the baby were simple. This baby was God. And I believe that God the Father had revealed his son to them. This was the epiphany. Jesus said this in John 6:44, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him and I will raise him up at the last day." So the epiphany of Jesus was a direct revelation to their hearts of the true identity of this baby, not merely King of the Jews, but Son of God, that's why they worshipped. What is the Significance of their Visit? Now, what was the significance of their visit? I think their visit itself was a sort of acted out prophecy of the future success of the kingdom of Christ. These Magi were Gentiles, and they were coming to open up their hearts and their treasuries and pour out blessing on the Christ. It's a picture, I think, of the success of the Gospel among the Gentiles worldwide. Certainly the gold and the incense and the myrrh, pre-figure certain aspects of Christ's ministry, gold, Kings, a treasure and incense somewhat the priestly aspect used in the Levitical priestly ministry, and then myrrh was used to wrap up dead bodies and used to wrap up Jesus' body as well, a prediction of the death of Christ as well. But I think even more, there's a sense that these Gentiles, these significant Gentiles have traveled a distance to come and worship Jesus and give gifts of worship to Him. And so it says in Isaiah 60 and Verse 11, speaking of the New Jerusalem, where Jesus will sit on His throne and He will receive worship for all eternity. And it says in Isaiah 60 and Verse 11, speaking of the New Jerusalem, "Your gates will always stand open. They will never be shut day or night, so that men may bring you the wealth of the nations-- their kings led in triumphal procession." Picking up on the same idea of the Lord, moved, John in the Book of Revelation, to describe that Holy City, the new Jerusalem. In Revelation 21, "The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. And the nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and the honor of the nations will be brought into it. Glory in the honor of the nations will be brought into the New Jerusalem. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life". So this is the epiphany, the revelation of the identity of Christ to these wandering Magi, but the epiphanies, dear friends, were just beginning at that point. Christ Manifested to the Jews by His Life The Apostle John’s Statement Christ's physical life on earth was an epiphany, a revelation of God the Father. The Apostle John said this in John 1:14, "The word became flesh and made His dwelling among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory of the only begotten, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." Jesus' life in the body was an epiphany of God's nature. Anyone who sees him has seen the Father. And so John also writes in 1 John 1:2, "The life appeared; we have seen it, and we testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared" - same Greek word, epiphany – "has appeared to us." So Jesus' life in the body was an epiphany of the nature of God. John the Baptist’s Testimony So also at the moment of John the Baptist testimony concerning him, Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, He's revealing His mission. But he did more than that. John the Baptist said this to huge numbers of people who were standing around, and a huge entourage, every day, people went out to be baptized by John, and John proclaimed this, "'I myself did not know Him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was so that he might be revealed'" -that's a word, epiphany – "'revealed to Israel.' Then John gave this testimony, 'I saw the spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on Him. I myself would not have known Him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me the man on whom you see the spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit. I have seen and I testify that He is the Son of God.'" So even John wouldn't have known Him except that God revealed it to him. The Miracles of Jesus The miracles of Jesus were each one of them epiphanies. Each one of them, a revelation of the nature of God and of the power of Christ, the identity of Christ. For example, the first one, after changing water into wine at the wedding at Cana in Galilee, John made the statement in John 2:11, "This the first of His miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed" –epiphany – "he thus revealed His glory and His disciples put their trust in him." So Jesus' miracles were displays of Christ, displays of his compassion, displays of his knowledge and of His power, and displays of His love and His nature. At the end of that gospel of John, John wrote this, "Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples which are not recorded in this book, but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. And that by believing you may have life in His name." Has that happened to you? Has God revealed - God the Father - revealed the Son to you in such a way that you have life in His name? Have you trusted in Him? Have you known His power to transform a sinful heart? I plead with you, come to Christ. I plead with you to believe in Jesus, you are hearing the gospel this morning that God became man, that He suffered and died on a cross, his blood was shed for the sins of the world. That if you simply trust in Him, your sins can be forgiven. My desire is that as I speak these words, the Holy Spirit will be revealing Christ in some heart today who's never seen him before like he or she should. That today would be for you, the day of salvation. Trust in Him, that's why the miracles were done originally, and that's why they were written in the book, so that we might know that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Oh, may God reveal it to you. Peter’s Confession Remember Peter's confession, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Do you remember what Jesus said? "Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in Heaven." If the Father will reveal Christ to you you'll be saved. You will see the light of the glory of Christ and you will be saved. Revealed by His Resurrection from the Dead It's an epiphany. And it happened when Christ was raised from the dead as well. It says in Romans 1:4, "who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by His resurrection from the dead." A display of the glory of God and the resurrection of Christ. Now, that's why we're here today. When I was growing up, you always went to church on Christmas Day. And I was talking to my sister out about it. “You don't have a service on Christmas Day,” I said we do if it lands on Sunday. We celebrate the Lord's day because he rose from the dead. And there's an intimate connection between the birth of Christ and the resurrection of Christ from the dead. It's why he came to defeat death, took on a human body for that reason, and what an epiphany that was. Christ Manifested to Individuals by the Gospel As the Gospel is Preached, Christ is Revealed And so even now, dear friends, around the world, there are more epiphanies than we can count. Hundreds of thousands of them every day, just like the one that happened to Simon Peter, an epiphany of Jesus, when the gospel is preached, the gospel is the power of God for salvation. And while the gospel is being preached, the Holy Spirit then does something in the human heart, takes out that heart of stone and puts in that heart of flesh, opens eyes of the heart, that were blind to Jesus, and suddenly the light shines in, and it's an epiphany of Christ. As the gospel is proclaimed, very, very plainly, Christ is manifested and he appears. Christ is publicly portrayed in Galatians 3, as crucified. That Vision Saves Souls! Epiphanies All Over the Earth We proclaim Christ, we portray Christ, and then the Holy Spirit reveals Christ in the heart and people are saved. Christ is manifested every moment also, moment by moment in the hearts of believers too. Are you done with epiphanies? You done with manifestations of Christ? Do you have enough Jesus? Thank you very much. Oh, no Christian would ever say that. The apostle Paul put it this way, in Philippians 3:10, "I want to know Christ." If you want to ask me what I want, "I want to know Christ, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing, the sufferings," I want more of Jesus. This is an apostle who had written the book of Romans, who had done all these magnificent things, he had been caught up to paradise, and all it did is make him want more of Jesus. Christ Manifested to Believers by the Spirit The More You Obey Christ, the More of Himself He Will Disclose to You Do you have enough Jesus or Christian friend? Or would you like some more epiphany? Would you like some more revelation? Well, turn in your Bibles to John chapter 14, and verse 21. I want to give you the secret for a lifetime of epiphanies. Here's the secret right here in John's gospel. It's not much of a secret because I've told you probably 40 times before, but I'm going to show it to you again. John 14, and verse 21. You want to know more of Jesus? You're feeling distant from him? You're feeling cold toward Christ? Is your heart a little hardened? You don't feel His presence in your life? John 14:21 is the answer for you. "Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me, and whoever loves me will be loved by My Father, and I too will love him and will…" What do you have? "…manifest," disclose, reveal "myself to him." Same Greek root, not epiphany, but related to it, He will show, he will display Himself to you continually, if you meet the criteria. Daily Life a Series of Epiphanies for the Obedient Christian Look at it again. Whoever has my commandments. What does it mean? You have to know what they are. What are the commandments of Christ? Where are they found? They're found in the written Word of God. Saturate your mind with the commands of Christ, find out what he wants you to do. Know the Word of God, re-dedicate yourself in 2010 to taking in the Word of God. Let Him speak to you what His commands are for you, and every day those commandments stand over you and beckon you upward in terms of epiphany, beckon you upward to more and more revelation of Christ, those commands do. Suppose he commands you by the Spirit and by the Word to give some money away to missions, and if you obey, He will manifest himself to you in some new way, he will reveal Himself, His heart for the nations, he will soften your heart a little bit more toward the work of God. If you don't, he won't. It's a conditional promise here. If he commands you to share your faith with a co-worker at the workplace, and if you overcome your fear and your self-focus and all of those things, oh, how sweet it would be to be free from the fear of man. Amen? To just not even care what people think about you, to not even care, but just if you overcome that fear and you just witness faithfully and you share the gospel and show your heart, your love for souls, he will disclose Himself to you. He may not disclose it to the person you're witnessing to, but he'll disclose himself to you, and if you don't, he won't - not in that way. You'll have missed a blessing. If he commands you to seek his face in prayer, to give a little more time in prayer, perhaps even fasting - when was the last time you fasted? Maybe God will call on you to fast and pray just for a simple purpose, I want to see Christ more clearly. I want to focus a little more on Christ, than I have recently. I feel a deadness, a dullness in my heart, and if you obey that command and go seek his face in prayer and put everything aside and seek for Him with all of your heart, you will find Him and He will display or manifest himself to you, He'd be a new epiphany of Christ to you, and if you don't, he won't. And so the reward standing over our daily moment-by-moment obedience is greater and greater revelation of Christ to you, you'll just get to know Jesus better, and if you choose not to, you won't. Jesus said in Matthew 11:29, "Take My yoke upon you and learn from me." The yoke represents submission to His kingly authority. Bow your neck, bow your knees to his kingly authority, do what He commands, and He will teach you. And what do you think the topic of his teaching will be? He says, learn from me. Or literally in the Greek, learn of me. How about just learn me. I'll teach you me, I'll teach you who I am, I'll teach you what my heart is, I'll teach you the way I obeyed my father, I'll teach you myself, if you just submit to me, and so I would urge that you re-dedicate yourself to the Word of God, to the hearing of the word of God, not just in this context. Hear sermons, hear good preaching, but preach to yourselves through the word of God, find out what He's commanding, if you have his commands and if you obey them, secondly, I would suggest that you go after some commands that you need to obey in your quiet time, seriously, every day, just go after the Word of God and say, "God, show me at least one thing I need to obey today, something I need to do, show me something in your word that I need to go and obey." And he will, he will. And in that way, it will be a lifetime of epiphanies of Christ. Christ Manifested to the World by His Return “Epiphany” Used to Refer to His Second Coming in Glory – The Ultimate Epiphany of Christ Two more, dear friends, Christ is going to be revealed, the epiphany will come to the whole world, when he comes back in power and glory. He will be manifested by His appearing, the Greek word is epiphany, he is coming back some day, dear friends. Titus 2:13, "waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing, epiphany, of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ". And you will not need any faith for that moment. For it says in Revelation 1:7, "Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced him. And all tribes of the Earth will wail on account of him." So shall it be, Amen. Revelation 1:7, he's coming back dear friends. And the Apostle Paul said at the end of his life, "I have fought the good fight, I've finished the race, I've kept the faith, henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge will award to me on that day." Listen to this, "And not only to me, but all who have longed for his epiphany, longed for that day when Jesus comes back and shows Himself to the world." Do you long for that? Are you saying, "Maranatha, come Lord Jesus! I want to see you come back, I want to see you in the clouds, I want to see you up in glory. I long for that day." Well, then He'll reward you a crown of righteousness, says Paul. Christ Manifested in Eternity One Final Word: Christ will Never Run Out of Ways to Disclose Himself to Us And after that is that it? Are we done with epiphanies? No, it's just beginning. When we've been there 10,000 years, bright shining as a sun, we've got another infinitude of epiphanies yet to go. Have you ever wondered what you're going to do for eternity? Oh, eternity, eternity. What shall I do for eternity? I just want to do my favorite things for eternity. Oh really? Is there any favorite thing that would really have such an infinite hold over your heart that you would want to spend eternity doing it? I can't imagine anything except this one thing, to learn Jesus, I want to know Christ, that's the only topic that can hold my attention for eternity. Is there enough of Christ for eternity? What do you think? Someone say, yes. Alright, thank you Hubert. There is enough in Jesus for all eternity. And we're going to have eternity to study him. Isaiah 9:6, "Of the increase of His kingdom, there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne forever and ever and his kingdom will never end. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this." So here's this burning zeal like the sun, it never burns out, and so it just pulses that we would know Jesus. The father wants us to know Jesus. And you say, "Why would the father want us to know Jesus?" Because it's in knowing Jesus that we know him. He is the perfect revelation, so it will be in Heaven, and so there you will be in the new heaven and new earth, learning Jesus every day. This morning, I was in my bedroom and Jenny and I were marveling at a little rainbow up on the wall, and Jenny, I found where it came from. It's from the mirror on the side. Okay. She was trying to block it, couldn't find where it was, and then duties carried her away, it's coming from the beveled cut of the mirror, and I was looking at the beauty of it, it was really beautiful. You're wondering why I had time to do it, and she didn't well, that's another topic, but I was standing there, putting my hand there and there it was. There it was. This beautiful rainbow on the side, I think the new heaven and new earth is going to be like that. It's going to be just this magnificent display of glory and we're like, "Where did it come from?" It came from Jesus. Look at that, the greatness of Jesus, an epiphany for all eternity. Close with me in prayer.