These high ROI's and Low Capital requirements to purchase seem to be righting the ship. However here in The Pacific Northwest, it seems that we still have a ways to fall. Take a look at these charts courtesy of Zillow.com, comparing the two areas. Despite the obvious things like trading 300 days of cluds for 300 days of sunshine, these numbers have gotten too far out of hand for me not to head down. It is clear that a shift has taken place and the Values have fallen more than necessary in the Phoenix area. That being said it also seems that things in the Seattle area may be heading in the opposite direction. I for one think heading south might be a good idea.

 First here is the Desert View Neighborhood where I've lived in the past and fell in love with a few years ago.

Desert View Recently Sold Homes

Desert View Recently Sold Homes

 And now for the Lynnwood area where I'm currently living

Lynnwood Recently Sold Homes

Lynnwood Recently Sold Homes

Today marks the first half year that LivingBueno.com has been in existence. I started this website in late October 2009, seeing the shift in the way things are being done in the world of business. It became clear that huge changes were taking place and the jobs that many young people are entering today have no hope of even existing in the future. 

It's also becoming clear that the old school ways businesses are run have become primitive and ineffective when compared to new practices that are gaining popularity.

This site was created in essence to open the eyes of my readers, showing them a new perspective and giving them new ideas on how to seek their happiness. In my personal life, this blog has kept me true to my own beliefs holding me accountable to practice what I preach. I have traveled through South America, enjoying my own Mini-retirement in Buenos Aires, Argentina for 2 and a hal months. This was the best experience of my life to date. I know however, even better things lie on the horizon.

Should you follow this site? Yes.

Why you ask?

While I love writing funny travel stories, making videos with chipmunk voices and providing lifestyle challenges, I'm placing a renewed focus on business and the Web 2.0 movement.

There is another gold rush currently taking place that many people are still ignorant too. The Web 2.0 movement is revolutionizing the way people communicate with each other and breaking down the borders of the world.

Here are some everyday aspects we now enjoy that just 15 years ago sounded absolutely crazy:

• We can now learn a language from native speakers living thousands of miles away who are available at the click of a button. We can make free video phone calls from any place on the globe with an internet connection to our homes. Yes, free!
• I won't go into all the capabilities of the Iphone and the apps that have made our lives easier, they are too plentiful. But here's a quick example. Using Foursquare or Gowalla, users can "check in" from different locations such as bars or restaurants in real time, letting their friends know how the place is on that night and if they should come out or not. Not only is this cool info is now at our fingertips, but also some of the new apps that utilize this technology are real game changers. Restaurant reviews, specials of the day, and even what the female to male ratio that is there (one of my favorite way in determining the bar we head too).
  
• Through new free blogging platforms such as Tumblr, Blogger, Wordpress, Posterous The blogosphere has exploded in recent years. The amount of people who read blogs daily and write their own continues to increase each year exponentially. Not to mention the mind blowing statistics found in the 2009 State of the blogosphere by Technorati.

Here are two of my favorite statistics from the post-

* More than 133,000,000 blogs have been indexed by Technorati since 2002
* 77% of Internet users read blogs according to Universal McCann

There is a clear shift taking place in the way that people are communicating and business is becoming virtual and international because of this. Reaching new potential customers is becoming much easier and expanding one's thinking is a must to survive in the future.

My point is this, a new message needs to be spread. Life is becoming easier for people to work from anywhere on the planet via the internet. We can now travel, enjoy our lives and work less. Learning to live with less, work more effectively, and transition our businesses from running  hectically to running seemlessly is the new model that must be followed. 

It's time that we stop making things so damn hard on ourselves everyday and simplify things. Life a better life through eliminating un productive busy work.

I'm starting a 5 part series next week that will show you exactly how to accomplish this. Mouse to your right and click the subscribe button and follow along. This just might make you life and business run a whole lot smoother.



It is amazing how this one thing can have such an effect on how we live our everyday lives. While it seems these days everyone is trying to figure out how to make quick money, very few people seem to actually have success in doing so.

So why can some people enjoy success in making lots of money in abstract ways, while others suffer to make any?

It seems to boil down to a few things:

• Passion- There is no question that a strong will and desire to succeed is the number one asset in building wealth. Loving what you do and putting all that you have into it provides much better results than simply slaving away and not enjoying yourself in your endeavor. Passion enables you to be more creative and helps you to always put out your best work, enjoying the sense of pride that comes with doing what you love.
• Knowledge- Clearly a never ending thirst for knowledge is a key component to being successful in any industry. If you plan on winning in your industry, you must know the ins and outs well and be able to create something that sets you apart from your competition. Today more than ever, business and how its being done is changing quicker than ever. being ahead of the curve and knowing what's coming is essential. It seems many of the most successful CEO's never stop learning and adapting to their industries. The quest for knowledge should be never ending for any entrepreneur, this is what keeps your business up with changing times.
• Action- More important that knowledge is action. There are millions of smart people out there who posess a passion and immense base of knowledge on a topic and yet will never take the nessesary action to pursue their dream. This is what seperates the dreamers from the doers. Everyone seems to have a great idea on hw to make money from home or make money on the internet and yet percentage wise, very few people are successful in making these things happen.

These three components are key in enjoying success in your entrepreneurial venture. If you want the money, the cars the clothes and the, well you get the idea... You must posses all three of these things and have a relentlessness in your pursuit.  

While money isn't everything, it isn't nothing either. We all grind it out each day to earn more money, not just to have bigger numbers on an ATM receipt, but because we know what having that money can provide us with. More time, more freedom and more happiness.

My message is this: Put in the time, Learn everything you can, Make sure your passionate about what your doing and take action as often as possible. Doing so will hugely improve your chances of seeing success!

There are over 100 people crowded around in a half circle in Plaza Armenia in the Palermo Viejo neighborhood of Buenos Aires. They are drinking beer and wine and grabbing slices of pizza, discussing their ascent too the ruins at Machu Picchu, the beauty of Igauzu falls and  the amazing Bolivian salt flats. It is an international melting pot, drunken 20 and 30 something’s from all around the world meeting at the corner of Armenia and Costa Rica street to head out to 4 different drinking venues as one massive group.

This isn’t just a random party that came together perfectly, in fact it is much the opposite. Every Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday you can find similar groups making their way through the streets on the way to their next watering hole. The drunken debauchery is kept in control by 10 or so Pub Crawl employees rounding the herds of travelers and locals up and making sure there is no pub crawler left behind.

As with many good business ideas, this intriguing business was born out of spotting a need and providing a solution. After traveling in Buenos Aires and falling in love with the city, two entrepreneurs and fraternity brothers from Georgia, came to the realization that there wasn’t a pub crawl yet in the city of Buenos Aires and yet there we’re thousands and travelers, expats and locals who would enjoy having one.“ We thought they need this, they don’t know they need it, but they do.” Roger explained.  After 2 months of preparation Dustin and Roger  held their first Pub Crawl in November of 2007.

Through necessity, they soon learned that business here in Buenos Aires was based on relationships, more than anything else. Building trust with local businesses have been one of their greatest assets. “Being on time, ethical, and forming great relationships with customers, bars, restaurants and clubs really set us apart” Roger said in our interview last month. This method has served them quite well as their business has blossomed into a mainstay in the Buenos Aires night scene.

The pub crawl is especially popular among tourists coming into town who are looking to party with fellow travelers from around the world, however they are looking to attract the local 'Porteno' crowd as well. “We want to be known for throwing the best parties in Buenos Aires. We are known for the pub crawls and having a strong contingent of travelers, but we want to provide the same awesome events for the locals as well.” Dustin told me.

More and more locals seem to be catching on and the pub crawls continue to expand in size. Utilizing Facebook as a means of promoting their events has brought them to the next level. During each pub crawl along with the employees, a photographer accompanies the group snapping hundreds of photos of the nights festivities. The following day the photos will be posted on facebook, enabling the crawlers to tag themselves in the photos and share their experiences with their friends. An awesome feature providing the customers memories and the company a nice way of marketing.

Clearly these two business savvy guys have a bright future ahead. Already up and running strong, is a second Pub Crawl in Santiago, Chile. When asked about their future plans they remained mum on the details, but hinted that further expansion was definitely in the cards. An excellent business model that can be replicated in other locations along the tourist trail in South America, things seem to be looking up in the near future.

The Annual St. Patrick's day Pub crawl, yes it was awesome.

Just launched was the all new pub crawl targeted toward the Gay community “out and about”. They are clearly not shy to put new ideas into action, something that has already paid big dividends for them. Wanting to make an impact and do something for the devastated residents in Haiti after the horrific earthquake in January, the BA Pub Crawl team sprang to action, pooling their resources and connections together to host “Kick it for Haiti” a soccer tournament to raise money for the effected victims. They had a successful event and drew hundresds of people to help support the cause.

Innovation, follow through, building strong business relationships and giving something back, these things have set this company apart and helped them build this improbable business. It is no wonder why these expat idealists have built a successful venture.

Personally I have been on the pub crawl a few times and it has never failed to impress. You can’t beat free beer for an hour and a free shot at each bar. The staff is awesome and friendly, like some guys I’d hang out with back home. I don’t usually talk people up without pointing out the negatives here, but the truth is these guys run a tight ship and do things right. With the Pub Crawl, your always a VIP and you always got friends in a foreign city. If you visit Buenos Aires or Santiago, it’s no doubt a must see. In fact, I’m leaving town this weekend and guess where I’m going tonight. Yup, the Palermo crawl, there just no better way to party.


By- Rick Griffith

Question 1 (Rick Griffith)
Derek, you started off as a skinny kid and have built yourself into a "Beast". What kind of discipline and sacrifices have you had to make in order to accomplish this?

Derek Charlebois: I really don’t think I have made many sacrifices, but have definitely had to be disciplined over the years. All throughout college I carried a small cooler with all my meals in it with me every day. I usually cooked about three days worth of food at one time then packed up my meals for those three days. During this time, I was also waking up at 5 AM to head to the gym before my classes. I woke up early to go to the gym because it ensured I would not miss my workout due to other responsibilities and it also allowed me to have the entire evening to do my homework and study.  Having a set schedule allowed me to not only get all my workouts in but also have enough time to study, work, and have some fun.

Question 2 (RG)
You work for Scivation a supplement company run by Marc Lobliner and one that is very respected as a company who practices what it preaches. How hard has it been to balance working long hours while still training so hard and maintaining a champion caliber physique?

DC: Honestly not hard at all. I have never viewed working out as a chore and actually look forward to hitting the gym. For me, my workouts have always been a time where I did not have to stress about anything. If I was mad when I entered the gym, by the time I left the gym I felt great. If I was stressed out due to studying I could put my headphones on, get into the zone and all that stress disappeared. I workout because I enjoy the challenge of pushing myself each and every workout and look forward to my time in the gym each day. Working for Scivation makes it easy to get all my workouts in because if I was missing workouts Marc would start ordering me to do them!

Question 3 (RG)
When was it that you realized that this was what you were passionate about and decided to follow your dream?

DC: I really got into bodybuilding when I was 16 years old. At that time I was doing self-study of exercise physiology, biochemistry, nutrition, and reading anything I could about weight training. I have always been intrigued with how the human body works and when I learned that you could study exercise science in college I knew that is what I wanted to study. Things worked out well for me because I started working part time for Scivation while I was still in college and would begin working full time for Scivation when I graduated college.

Question 4 (RG)
Now I'm sure like all other companies you guys have felt some effect from the economy being in the tank. Yet I've seen you reaching out to thousands of people online in the forums, founding ideas like Team Scivation. You seem to understand the need to expand your business through social networking online and creating a real connection with your customers. Has this had a positive effect on your business?

DC: Our number one goal at Scivation is to help our consumers reach their goals. As you know, nutritional supplements are only one piece of the fitness puzzle. So instead of simply offering consumers awesome supplements we also offer them free diet and training programs through Team Scivation. In addition anytime one of our consumers has an issue, we work to correct the issue as soon as possible. Scivation’s consumer service and what we give back to people separates us from other companies and the consumers respect this and support us.

Question 5 (RG)
Who is someone who has been a role model to you growing up and what was one important lesson they helped teach you?

DC: Growing up as a kid my older sister was an academic role model for me. She always got straight A’s and was the Valedictorian of her high school class. She showed me the importance of taking school seriously and doing well. I followed her lead and graduated high school as the Valedictorian of my class with a 4.0 career grade point average (Yes I was a bit of a nerd, but I was a cool nerd!). I was able to get in my first choice college and study exercise science.

Question 6 (RG)
Any Shows in the near future for you?

DC: As of right now I am not sure. I have been battling a lower back injury for three years now, which has hindered my progress. My lower back is finally getting to the point where it is not an issue, but I still have to be very careful during my workouts and prioritize stretching to stay injury free. I do not feel like I am at my best right now and really would like a SOLID year of injury free training before I compete again. On the other hand I have not done a contest prep in a long time and kind of have the urge to get shredded. When I make up my mind I will let you know.

Question 7 (RG)
Could you take Lando in a fight?

DC: We actually have a company cage fighting championship set up for later this year, so I guess we will wait and see!



This company cage match could get pretty ugly, these guys are huge!

I apoligize in advance for the scratchyness, I lost the original version when my laptop crashed and this is from my back up audio recorder. The message is the same and is worth the listen!

Here are the links to follow Ross on facebook and twitter!

Frank Almeida is the owner of Sugar and Spice and an avid blogger. He is an American expatriate business owner living in Buenos Aires, Argentina. You can find his business online, Suger and Spice and follow his blog here.

Rick Griffith (RG)
You came to Buenos Aires from the Unites States and have built your own business here. Why did you choose to do this and what challenges did you face in making this move?
 
Frank Almeida (FA)
Well, I actually came for love and not for business. I followed my then girlfriend—now wife, down to Argentina. She had been living in the States for several years and completed her MBA in Chicago, then managed to get a job after she graduated. She finally could not stand being homesick anymore and asked me if I would be willing to go to Argentina with her. I have always been curious as to what it would be like living somewhere else and my curiosity, paired with my inability to just let her go, got the better of me.

(RG)
You are currently raising a family in Buenos Aires. What obstacles have you faced and what are the differences you have seen in relation to your upbringing in Chicago?

(FA)
It actually seems like it would be more difficult to do what we are doing here in the States. We all live so close to each other here. My wife’s family helps out and having a maid is not an unattainable luxury here, so we don't have to worry about child care. This city is very child friendly, not so much in infrastructure, but in attitude and philosophically.

I also don't feel the heavy hand of racism. I am not saying it does not exist here, it's just different and mostly directed at a different group of people than I was used to seeing back home. I find that I have to introduce the concept to my kids and explain to them that some people look down on others because of silly things like the color of their skin, or because they were born in a different country. What is happening now with President Obama and the far right wing of US politics is a perfect example of American racial tension.

But, living here also introduced them to theft pretty early in their lives. Petty theft is very common here and they are aware that people have taken things from us several times. I have had my car broken into and this last time they took the car stereo, so they are not very happy about that especially since I refuse to get another one.

(RG)
What is your favorite tasty treat you make and can it be mailed to me?

(FA)
My personal favorite is the chocolate chip cookies. I also love the almond biscotti as they are so light that you can’t stop eating them. The savory cheese cookies are also fantastic and when you pair them with either beer or wine you will again have a hard time stopping.

Currently I can't mail them to you, but who knows down the line if that will eventually be a possibility. I am currently talking to importers in various countries including the US. If you come down to the shop I will most certainly share some cookies with you.

(RG)Well that sounds like enough of a reason to come down in and of itself, I will definitely be by the shop on my next trip down.
Who has been the biggest inspiration to pursue your passion or calling, maybe name a few if you can?

(FA)
My calling in life was so unexpected. What was more important was my being open to being totally flexible. I met a girl who one day asked me to live in a foreign country. Obviously, the easy thing for me to do would have been to stay with what I know and stay put. But, besides being in love, I was very curious. I had before me a chance to not only see a different part of the world, but to live there. I found myself not being able to say no. I was as mesmerized by the idea of living somewhere else with the woman who led me there by the hand.

(RG)
You seem to understand that technology is changing the way that business is done, social networking sites in particular like Facebook and Twitter. How has this revolution changed the way that you market your business?

(FA)
I was hesitant at first. I jumped into blogging, then followed that up with Facebook and then Twitter. I realized that I could actually have a conversation with people that I have never met, but that have some idea of me and my company. This was actually pretty exciting. For the most part it has been a very rich and rewarding experience. There was one unfortunate incident, but I won't name that site. If anyone is living in Argentina, or are planning to move down here, you can ask me about what site to stay away from and I will let you know all about it; hint, I wrote about it in my blog. But anyway, even that turned out to be a positive experience because I got to actually meet some people face to face that I would otherwise not have gotten a chance to meet.

I feel even more exposed than ever before. I try to hold back and like most people I would imagine do, but then I can't help myself and my personality just jumps out. I have been told by my own family to reign in the controversial topics and I mostly do, but sometimes I just can't help myself. Since my business started in 2002, it has basically grown along side the virtual social revolution. So basically there has been no change, just growing right along side technology.

(RG)
We plan on coming down to BA in January or February, would you be willing to let us shadow you for a day and show our audience a day in the life of Frank?

(FA)
I think that would be a great idea, except that it is the most hectic time of the year for me. Let me run down this week for you as an example.

Monday: Early morning meeting with a potential distributor for our new line of cookies for the Kiosco market. I then get an hour before I have to go to my daughter's parent-teacher conference. After that is over I have some lunch and then try to get all the phone calls I can get to between 3pm and 6pm. I have to call some small independent retailers as well as some large chains. For example, I have to call Jumbo to find out when they will finally buy the new Barbie line of cookies; I have to call Carrefour to find out when they will increase the amount of stock each store can carry of our products to avoid stock outs (stores running out of products), which happens quite frequently. I also have to chase down the buyer at Wal-Mart; coordinate delivery of samples to some clients in the interior of the country and ditto for a couple in other countries, etc.

Tuesday: I have a post grad class I am taking at the Instituto Madero (www.madero.org) that takes up all my morning and I don't get to eat lunch until 2:30pm. Later I go visit a client who has purchased quite a bit of pan dulces and I chase Jumbo to see if I get to meet their buyers from other countries who are visiting—I find out (at 8pm) that yes I do and I get to meet all of them this Thursday! I am also getting the feel for the FDA site that I have to go into to prepare a shipment of samples to the US (huge pain in the ass). Meanwhile, I start receiving some purchase orders of the new Barbie line. I rush home by 6pm and by 8pm I have to meet my family for dinner at a local restaurant. They were out doing stuff of their own this day. Now it's 11pm and I am typing this interview.

(RG)

That sounds crazy, maybe we'll set something up for summer! Anyways, who is someone, maybe a popular figure in the media who you think would be a good role model for young people looking for someone to look up too?

(FA)
I am currently fascinated right now with the US political arena. Lots of bad examples to look at, but one that I really like is Rachel Maddow. She is intelligent and will not let people get away with saying anything without being challenged. I think she is an excellent role model. I also really like Ira Glass and his American Life radio show. This is fantastic stuff that often shows the unexpected side of people and reminds me that there is a potential rewarding story in just about anyone and any situation.


Thank you very much for agreeing to talk with us today. The life you live is an inspiration to many of us who are still finding our way to doing what we love. In closing, is there any one piece of valuable advice you would give to a young person who might be confused and trying to find their calling in life?

It's okay to be confused. Everyone goes through that. It may sound like a cliché, but it is true about failing and not knowing what you want, just be prepared to fail. You should look forward to messing up as those are the moments that are the most filled with educational possibilities. You really don't know yourself unless you have failed. That's when you really get to know what you are made-of. So take those clichés and run with them. It's not how you fall, or if you fall (because surely you will), it's how you get up that matters most. Once you get that fear out of the way, hold on to your curiosity for dear life and if you don't have any try and develop some. Always ask questions and try not to assume anything. But also, remember that all these things you are warned about not to do you will do anyway. Just keep them in mind and try to develop habits that will help you. For example, a habit to help you fail would be to try to do things that you know little about. You will most certainly fail, but your curiosity should drive you, your perseverance should help you pick yourself back up and always try to find what you can take away from your failures.

Recently I had the pleasure of speaking with Maya Frost, Author of "The New Global Student" and expat living in Buenos Aires, Argentina with her Husband Tom and daughters Taeko, Tara,Teal and Talya. I thought asking her some questions about her life and her passion would be a great way to show our audience a different perspective on things. What unfolded was an amazing story of someone who we all can admire and the trials and triumphs that led her to happiness. I tried to edit down this interview and simply couldn't find a way to get the same message across without telling the full story. I decided to post a previewed version of the interview on the main page and the full version here in the "Best in the Biz" section. Here is our Q n A with Maya Frost, enjoy!

(Rick Griffith)
Can you tell us a little bit about your background and what molded you into the person that you are today?

(Maya Frost)
I didn’t grow up with money or a traditional home life.  My parents were divorced when I was five—my father announced to my mother that he was homosexual, which was pretty unusual back in 1964!  We went to live with my grandparents, but within a year, my grandfather had a heart attack while mowing the lawn and died.  My mom and grandma really had to scramble to support my two brothers and me.  When I was ten, my mom remarried, and we moved into a tarpaper- covered garage in the country for five years while saving money to build a house.  My town (three miles away) had a population of 350 people, and my high school graduating class had 36.  But I got some scholarships, and I went to the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington.

I had never left the country before, but during my senior year in college, I went on a year-long Pacific Rim trip that took us through nine Asian countries.  It was a phenomenal experience, especially back then (before email, faxes, Facebook, etc) as we were out of touch with our families and friends for months at a time.  When I graduated (I had my own ceremony on Sigmund Freud’s couch in Vienna!) I returned to the U.S. during the height of a terrible recession (1982) and couldn’t find a job.  Eventually, I was hired to teach English in rural Japan.  I ended up marrying my teaching partner. He’d grown up in Oregon in a small town just ten miles from me!  We got married and had our first two kids in Japan.

After five years in Japan, we returned to the States, had two more kids and started several businesses, including an export company, a vintage/resale clothing store and a snowboard/skateboard store in a small college town.  Those were great years—our kids literally grew up on Main Street knowing all the business owners in town—but when the Japanese economy tanked, we put the export company in a coma, yanked the girls out of school (ages 7, 8, 10 and 11) and took off to spend three months in Nepal and India, (where my husband had been a high school exchange student for a year). It was a fantastic experience for our family, and really planted the seed for living internationally.

After that, we got sucked into the vortex for a few years!  We had sold our house and moved to the suburbs, thinking it would be a safe and convenient place for our kids in middle school and high school, but we were just languishing there, performing well but really not satisfied.   We sent our three oldest daughters on their own year-long high school exchange when they were juniors—two to Brazil, one to Chile.  Once we realized there were ways to finish high school without actually being there (online, dual enrollment, etc.) and recognized that tech tools were making it possible for my husband to run his business virtually, we decided it was time to make a bold move.

We decided during a family 4th of July barbecue in 2005 that we wanted to move to Mexico, and told everyone that day, partly to make sure we’d actually follow through! Within six weeks, we’d sold a home, three cars, all of our furniture,(thank you, Craigslist!) and put few things that fit into a five-by-five foot storage unit.  It took about a week to turn mine and my husband’s company  into virtual ones!  By late August, we were settled in a rented apartment in Mexico and our youngest was enrolled in school there.

Keep in mind that we had a combined income firmly planted in the mid-five figures—we were not wealthy at all but knew how to live simply.  We had no connections in Mexico, no Spanish skills, no jobs with benefits, no support system or anyone who was really in favor of our departure.  Our youngest daughters were about to be in their freshman, junior and senior years in high school.  Despite these obstacles, we went for it.  It was the smartest decision we have ever made.

So, if you’re single and hesitating to make a move abroad because you think it’s just too complicated, I can only say you’re totally wrong about that!  It can be done—and faster and more easily than you think.  If we could do it in six weeks with a suburban home and four teenagers and two companies, what’s stopping you from packing your bags and leaving within the next month?    ;-) 

(RG)
When did you know that you were meant to be a writer and what brought you to this conclusion?

(MF)
I’ve always loved to write, even as a child, and did the usual high school newspaper gig.  I didn’t take any writing courses in college other than what was required.  I did some writing for my work as an ESL teacher and later as a nonprofit executive director, though not really the fun kind!

In 2001, I started writing an ezine (online newsletter) related to the mindfulness work I was doing (teaching people how to pay attention).   This was back before blogging was popular.  My intention was to simply write something each week and then force myself to show it to someone.  The trick with writing is that you can just keep tweaking the same piece forever and nobody ever sees it, so you never finish it.  I wanted to get something that was “view-worthy” each week.  I started with five friends on my list, and told them that every Friday, I would send them something but that they didn’t even have to read it—it was more about me sending it out there.  Within five years, I had thousands of subscribers in over 100 countries! The Friday Mind Massage helped me establish credibility and sell a lot of online courses in mindfulness. It also gave me a wonderful opportunity to develop my voice, become more confident, and receive a lot of feedback from readers allowing me to continue to improve.

I never planned on becoming a writer in Argentina.  One day, while my family was snow boarding, but I decided to stay inside by the fire, admire the view, and sort of play with some ideas.  I wrote out a list of things I could write a book about, and then zeroed in on what they always say:  “Write what you know.”  Well, what I knew and was asked about as a result of my own personal experience, was how to give kids an outrageously relevant global education without spending a lot of money.  I sketched out a few ideas of what I would cover.  Then, I sent a three-paragraph email query to ten agents I had researched online.  I didn’t expect to hear from any of them for weeks or months, if at all.  However, within 24 hours, I had requests for a full proposal from five of them!


Things happened quickly:  within a few short weeks, I had an agent, an editor, and a nice advance from Random House.  I wrote the entire book while living in Argentina and didn’t meet my editor and agent until my book was already in stores!   You can learn more (and meet some of the students profiled, including my daughters) at http://www.NewGlobalStudent.com

(RG)
How do you like living in Buenos Aires and what motivated you to move there in the first place?

(MF)
I love the creativity and passion of the people here, both the locals and the expats, and I just feel a lot of affection for the Argentines and their culture.  Buenos Aires is called “The Paris of South America” and though there is certainly a lot of European influence here, it’s also gritty and edgy.  I happen to like that—to me, it’s more about the energy of a place rather than having things look perfect or run smoothly.  Its not without its problems and it can be very frustrating at times, but to be honest, I prefer these challenges to the ones I experienced in the States—namely, a culture of fear and mindless competition that is detrimental to both individuals and the nation in general.

Our youngest daughter chose Buenos Aires.  When we first left the U.S. in 2005, we moved to Mexico.  Mexico was a great “starter country” because it’s a cheerful, warm place that’s close to the U.S. easy for Americans to get used to.  My husband was shifting from a bricks-and-mortar business to a virtual one, so we felt we needed to be close in case things didn’t go smoothly.  (His business doubled within two months of our arrival in Mexico, thanks to the use of a fulfillment company and online tools—he could focus on marketing instead of everything else!)

We stayed in Mexico a year to figure out what was important to us, and decided that we wanted to live in a cosmopolitan city that had expats from all over the world as well as lot of cultural and educational opportunities for our girls.  Our youngest daughter was 15 and had just spent a year as the only foreigner in her all-Spanish high school.  Since she had the most schooling ahead of her, we told her to do some research and pick our next destination!  She looked at a number of options and picked Buenos Aires.  We flew down on the 4th of July, 2006 with our two suitcases each and planned to rent a place and get used to things.  Immediatly, we fell in love with it and bought a small apartment within two months!

We’ve been here three years now and plan to keep it as a base for our family for many years.  One of our daughters—she’s 22, graduated from college and worked in New York for a year—is now living across the street from us and loving her life here as a private English tutor for doctors and other professionals.  Our youngest daughter, who is 18 and will graduate from college in December, will move here as well.  And Daughter #3, who is 20, has spent the last year working for Norwegian Cruise Lines as a multilingual events coordinator.  After doing the Bahamas/Bermuda routes and spending the summer on the European route, she is currently spending her six weeks of vacation here in BA and will be working the Buenos Aires/Santiago route from December.  So, after scattering around the world, they are sort of coming home to BA to roost!  We couldn’t be happier about that.  (Our oldest daughter, who is 23, is pretty firmly planted in New York and is passionate about her work there, but she loves BA as well and will be here for two weeks at Christmas.  It’s great to have a place to stay when we visit New York!)

(RG)
With the progression of technology in recent years how has business changed and what opportunities do you see coming available for young entrepreneurs?

(MF)
It’s a very exciting time to be a creative person with energy and enthusiasm as the opportunities are absolutely unlimited.   In addition to the technology tools that have made it possible to work virtually as well as the free applications that can be used as a foundation for a new business, there are all kinds of options for those who want to start their own thing, whether in their own country or abroad.

One of the things I love most about being an expat is meeting so many cool people here who are creating new lives—and work—in all kinds of fascinating ways.  I think there is a lot of collaboration and encouragement in the expat community here and it’s a fantastic place to launch something.  Not every city or country is as welcoming to young entrepreneurs, but there are many places all over the world where anyone with an idea, energy and a little money can start something new that can support them.

I think that young entrepreneurs who choose countries with a lower cost of living are particularly savvy.  I know some young expats here in Buenos Aires who live on less than $1,000 a month and they have a new business they are passionate about, great friends and support, a decent apartment in an amazing city, new language skills, knowledge of another culture, and a huge amount of excitement about the future.   It’s hard to compare that to anything in the U.S.–especially in this economy!  Whether they stay here for a year or a decade, they are getting great experience without going into debt, and they’ll be way ahead of their peers in terms of business skills, self-confidence, and the development of their own global perspective if/when they do return to the States.

(RG)
What motivates you more than anything else to succeed in what you do?

(MF)
I think that all young people have a certain amount of ego around what they are doing and it can be a powerful motivator—or a source of despair!  Whether we are hoping to impress people with our skills or a great business concept or our compassion, we’re still looking for validation.

I think what motivated me in my twenties and thirties was the idea of living an interesting life and giving my kids a sense that they could do the same. They grew up in an entrepreneurial household, and they all have the ability to look at a new idea and assess its strengths and weaknesses.  They saw that we loved our work and created flexibility in our schedules.  In my forties,  what motivated me was giving my girls great opportunities to discover the world, learn languages, and figure out their strengths.  Doing this as a family became our priority.

Now, at 49, what motivates me is simply the opportunity to help others live more creative and independent lives.  I wrote my book to help parents become bold enough to make nontraditional choices that allow their kids to get a great global education that prepares them for their most thrilling and fulfilling opportunities in the future.   There are chapters about the benefits of high school exchanges, designing your own inexpensive study abroad year in college, family sabbaticals,  moving abroad with a family and a section about those who find work abroad after graduation.

I think more people would choose this lifestyle if they knew about the advantages—and that it’s doable!  We didn’t know anyone who had done this with a family of teenagers when we started out, and it’s still quite unusual.  The point is that if it’s doable with teenagers, it’s also doable with tweens or toddlers or as a couple or single person.

My next project is focused on helping those who are interested in the expat lifestyle and/or becoming a solopreneur.  I’m excited about that!

(RG)
Your family is featured in your book "The New Global Student". Your daughters who have amazing stories of they're own, have already made great accomplishments without taking the usual paths that students in America take to reach success. What is it that you did to guide them in the right direction and pursue their dreams and were there times when you were unsure or scared of what the possible outcomes could have been by taking a different approach?

(MF)
Oh, we had many times when we wondered what the hell we were doing, I assure you!  And there were those who pointed out (repeatedly) that we might be sabotaging our girls’ chances of getting a decent education, so we had to overcome not just our own fear but also the very clear sense that we were being judged as bad parents.

Fortunately, as serial entrepreneurs, we’re used to blowing off negative comments from naysayers!  We had learned how to trust our ideas about things even when others didn’t “get” what we were doing.

We trusted our instincts, and one of the things we’ve done is give our girls a chance to learn how to trust theirs.   The funny thing is that we’re not really the kind of parents who “guide” their kids to do anything.  All we do is give them opportunities to learn more about themselves and their interests so that they have the skills and confidence to step forward in whatever direction they choose.
If you raise independent kids, they tend to grow up as pretty independent young adults! I believe that if you put kids in situations that challenge them in meaningful ways (learning a language/culture rather than getting a top SAT score) , they will learn how to thrive wherever they go.  We are a very close-knit and supportive family but everyone does their own thing and chooses their own best path.

Question 7 (RG)
Now you have been to many destinations around the world. What are your favorite travel destinations and why?

(MF)
My favorites are usually the places I’ve just visited or am currently visiting!  Honestly, I don’t think of myself as a traveler anymore. Contrary to popular belief, the expat life isn’t about traveling—it’s about living in a place abroad.  We are trying to focus on exploring more of Argentina rather than going to other countries.  That being said, I’m interested in visiting Suriname next.  At this point, we don’t travel anywhere unless we can stay for at least a month.

(RG)
There are rumors of a new book on the horizon, can you tell us anything about this and what the focus will be?

(MF)
Yes, I’ve just submitted the completed manuscript for my second book.  It’s about a group of expats from around the world who create new lives for themselves here in BA.  It’s an interesting hybrid—it’s fiction, but it has some great tips for those who are interested in moving abroad and/or starting a business.  I think of it as sort of a “Who Moved My Cheese—all the way to Argentina?”   We’ll see what my agents think—and if publishers will go for it!  I think there’s room for a book on this topic that is authentic, inspiring and fun to read.  My characters are a blend of some of the most interesting expats I’ve met and the work they’re doing, so it’s very real even though it’s a fictionalized account.  I think anyone wondering how they could support themselves abroad will find it very helpful and motivational!

(RG)
Maya you have shared some outstanding advice with us here and I thank you again for agreeing to share this with our audience. Finally I would like to ask, if there is one important piece of advice that you could share with our audience, maybe a young person looking to find their way in this depressed economy, what would it be?

(MF)
I think it’s important to keep in mind that while things may suck in your town, your state or your country right now, it doesn’t mean you don’t have options elsewhere!  You can stay and compete for the same jobs with tons of others who have the same degree and experience you do, or you can get out and make yourself more valuable to employers and the world.

My advice to ANYONE is that if you are not thriving, then do something else.  There is no reason to stick with a job that bores you to tears or in a work place that makes you dread each day.  This is especially true for young people!  When you are young, you should be getting out there and learning in a range of settings that truly challenge you.  It’s been shown that those who have lived abroad have more creativity and improved problem-solving skills.  Well, obviously—when you have to figure out what’s going on, how to make things work, and how to make your way in an unfamiliar place, you have to get creative!  Being adaptable and innovative is absolutely the key to success for those in the 21st-century global economy.  

If you’re not actively increasing your ability to be flexible and creative and you’re not learning more about yourself and the world around you, quit what you’re doing and dive into something that allows you to come alive!  Do not waste another minute doing the “right thing”—there’s plenty of time for that later, if you’re still interested in it.  Instead, focus on your natural interests and talents.  You won’t go wrong if you do what you love to do and you’re creative about finding new ways and places to use your skills.

Of course, if you have student loans, it’s a much bigger challenge.  That’s one of the reasons I wrote The New Global Student—to help young people avoid college debt so that they are free to pursue their interests after graduation! 

And to those who think that taking out more loans to get a master’s degree is the key to success in a down economy, I encourage you to consider this very carefully.  Plenty of people of all ages are biding their time in grad school during this economy, but most employers are not necessarily looking for workers with more education—they are looking for workers who are more innovative, experienced, energized and have some skills (like foreign language fluency) that can be used to help the company grow.   With very few exceptions, spending a year or two abroad is a better option than getting a master’s degree—and it’s a whole lot cheaper, too! 

BONUS:  consider getting a master’s degree abroad!  A lot of expats are doing this for less than $10,000 total, including living expenses.  Employers are more likely to be impressed by this than another year or two spent going to school in the U.S. with other twentysomethings partying until the recession goes away! 

Listen, I’m not against getting a master’s—but it can be a mistake to get one without spending some time working/interning in that field to make sure it’s really what excites you.  My oldest daughter earned her master’s in urban public health in New York at 23—after she’d worked at a family health clinic in Harlem for a year.  She knew it was what she wanted to do, and that the degree would help her.  She took classes at night and worked full time during the day, which allowed her to apply what she was learning in class to her workplace and vice versa.  Her employer even paid her tuition!  My younger daughters are considering master’s degrees as well—but want to spend time working first so they are sure about what they want and need.

Remember:  the key is to challenge yourself in new ways.  You’ve done the classroom thing already.  Think about how to leverage what you know and layer more knowledge and skills on top of it.  In what non-classroom ways can you expand and deepen your experiences and options?  Keep in mind that your life doesn’t have to follow a straight and predictable line.   Often, your best opportunities are those that might seem to take you off on a tangent.  The most interesting and successful people I know are the ones who have learned to trust their instincts and go where their interests lead them rather than follow a prescribed path.   Don’t be afraid to do something that excites you even if it sounds kind of crazy.  Follow the spark—you won’t regret it.
 

Every Sunday we will post a new interview with one of these influential success stories to inspire us all. We will show you how these people chose to follow their calling and how they dealt with and overcame challenges along the way. Helpful advice and hard hitting questions that help paint a true, authentic story of these inspiring individuals. I hope you all are excited as I am for this series!