Some cool insights to career approaches...

I did Economics at uni but all I ever wanted to do was be an 'entrepreneur', run my own business etc. I think it is that whole being more in control of your own destiny thing. So I did work experience with start-up tech companies and so forth at uni. I learnt a lot about what makes a start-up succeed/fail. I started a music festival and went 15k in the hole after the local council pulled my permit at the last minute (that is a very long story). Learnt a lot about life/business through that. In retrospect I was lucky that I got burnt young when I didn't have as much money to throw at a business.

At the time we had no money to spend on promotion for our music festivals, so we used Facebook and Myspace to really reach out, it was super effective. The older generation of music promoters had no idea how to use Facebook/Myspace. So I went to them and sold my skills at a serious profit. Managed to make about half the money back doing this.

Should have stuck with it, a young guy who did a similar thing is now making millions through this. But I felt the need to move overseas to get away from a bad break up. So I worked in sales, sharpened my teeth in Advertising sales and Recruitment working in the boiler rooms of Dublin. Not my cup of tea though. Burn and churn sales is not for me.

Moved back to Australia when the GFC hit and Irish unemployment went to 15%. I knew then that I had to get into whatever Industry was booming. Took a pay cut to get into a sales job trading chemicals into the Mining Industry. Worked hard and got promoted very quickly and was well ahead of where I was in Ireland after only a year. Most importantly though I was networking like a madman and making as many contacts as I could in the mining and chemical industries. Also saved like crazy and finally quit my job after 3 years to do the trip I am on now.

However the whole year before I left I was setting up opportunities (the numbers game) for when I get back from my trip. I visited all my key customers before I left and explained to them what I was doing, half a dozen gave me their card and told me to call them when I get back.

Almost a year on the road now but the whole time I have been remaining in contact with my old customers, sending them emails every now and again to say hi, a few of them follow my blog.

I now have an offer in hand to join an old contact from an old customer who is starting up a company selling chemical products into the mining industry. I have the overseas contacts that he needs to source the ingredients. He knows how to make the products. He already has an investor who has fronted the cash and I will get a small share in the company which has so much more potential than anything I could have dreamt of starting on my own.

So that's my short career so far. I love what I do... seeking out deals and opportunities and I get a real sense of satisfaction when a deal comes together.

What have I learnt -

It's more important that you make smart career decisions, then it is important that you value and work on every business relationship you have, as said, its who you know, not what you know. Third comes hard work, which will bolster the first two IMO.

Attitude is key, if you don't like doing something I don't think you will ever be great at it.

That nobody 'is their own boss', because you either answer to your boss, your customers, regulators, or your investors... or your spouse. Everybody is accountable to somebody. Having said that, anybody can take control of their own destiny, whether they work for themselves or somebody else.

As someone said in another thread, seeking out opportunities is a numbers game.

That because of my skill set, I am not ever going to be able to make money on the road. My ability is to build business relationships and that is by it's nature going to be tied to a location in general. So my strategy is to put in 3-5 year stints and then take big trips in between these.

Sorry for going a bit outside of the original question but I think this is about more about the whole career satisfaction/juggling work and travel too. As per the other thread.

I also wanted to tie in something someone else was talking about, how some people really like life on the road and fit in with the nomad lifestyle very well, others find after 3-12 months they are ready to get back to a bit more routine and the same postcode. The former, nomads, tend to find it harder to ease back into 'normal' life after an extended trip, where as the latter find it a bit easier. On my trip I have learnt I am definitely the latter, so I think my approach of, travel, career, travel is suited to me. However it obviously wouldn't fit anyone.

Ted, you sound like a bit more like the former, loving the Nomadic life? So a job that you can travel with sounds ideal for the lifestyle you want to lead.

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www.thegreatgallivant.com - video blog of my current year long trip around Europe on the F650GS Twin