What an amazing week it’s been on the road. I uploaded a new podcast recording to my YouTube, failed miserably at a few things (but learned a lot), and had a major breakthrough with my book concept.

I’m starting to find more time to have fun in between working, writing, hitting the gym, and learning a ton of AI tools for my marketing work. This week, we got a group together and rode our scooters about an hour out of town to visit a coffee farm and enjoy some great coffee.

The social part is crucial. We sometimes forget how much we need downtime, friends, and laughter to keep going strong.

In today’s storyletter:

• Stop lying to yourself

• A rescue app to help you now

• Building in public

• From the web

  
  

  Let’s go!
  

THOUGHTS

Lying will get you nowhere

It’s been almost two years since I started traveling for my speaking gigs. It feels strange to think about how I spent months at a time on the road, delivering workshops based on a book that was still “upcoming.” Another workshop would spark an idea for the book, and I was constantly pushing like crazy to make it happen.

Often, I’d meet people who wouldn’t even ask—they’d just tell me, “You’re living the dream. Every man’s dream: traveling the world and getting paid to speak.” And sure, I enjoyed it—I still do—but they didn’t see the other side.

They didn’t see the hardships, the loneliness. The moments when I was packing up my own tech gear—cables and cameras—walking back in the middle of nowhere, only to return alone to a nice hotel room while everyone back home was celebrating something.

When I tried to share these thoughts, people didn’t want to hear it. To them, it sounded like whining, not winning.

Now, I meet more people—digital nomads or remote workers. Interestingly, most of them hate the term “nomad,” which implies having no home or perhaps still hoping to find one. Many chased freedom—financial, spiritual, physical—but found themselves tied to jobs they don’t like or struggling to get by, even in Southeast Asia. But hey, the Instagram pics look great.

A lot of them are freelancers, consultants, or people lying to themselves.

The truth? The grass is never greener. People need community, purpose, and grounding. People need something to believe in, something to aspire to. But more importantly, people need to be practical.

We need to plan for the future, know when it’s time to quit, and sometimes accept the reality that going home, getting a job, and working smart (and yes, maybe hard) is the right path. Remember, some of the wealthiest people in the world aren’t entrepreneurs—they’re the number 2s and 3s in companies.

Find a passion. Build a plan. Define your goals and timelines. But above all, stop lying to yourself.

Be honest. When someone asks how you’re doing, tell the truth. Seek help or companionship. Be accountable and responsible—not just for your current self, but for your future self. They deserve it.

Stop posting dumb stuff, or pretending your life is perfect. And please, no—you can’t be a life coach at 22. You haven’t lived long enough to have a life worth coaching about.

Live your life for yourself, not for them. Set a timeline, do your best, but know when reality is smacking you in the face—and it’s time to face the truth.

If we all stop lying, life will be a lot easier for everyone.

Shout-out

People and Ideas i’ve worked with and like

SOS app, from your phone, anywhere in the world

I often search the web, hoping to find cool apps and interesting people. It’s rare to discover both at the same time, but when I read about an app that can help you call for help from anywhere in the world, I had to check it out. That’s how I met Kozy, the incredible woman behind NauNauSOS (pronounced "now-now SOS").

NauNauSOS is a personal safety app that sends alerts, along with your GPS location, to up to 5 pre-selected contacts during an emergency.

Curious about the story behind the app, I reached out to Kozy. We jumped on a quick video call, and I was hooked. Here’s a little bit about her, the app, and how you can download it.

Please feel free to download the app and share it with as many people as possible. Together, we can make the world a safer place.

• Website: www.naunausosapp.com

• Instagram: www.instagram.com/naunausosapp

• Download the App: NauNauSOS App

And reach out if you want to see your company in a future shoutout

Building in public

The Good, The Bad, The Scalable

The concept of building in public means I share it all, right?

The Good – I’ve been hard at work: creating content, videos, posts, shorts, and crafting my new marketing plan. The basic idea was: What if I could create hundreds of pieces of content? What would it take? So, I started defining my topics—what am I going to talk about?

The Bad – While focusing on my three top priorities of the day, I completely missed the mark by choosing three massive tasks that should have taken days (or more). Instead, I convinced myself they’d take just a few hours to complete. Unsurprisingly, I failed, didn’t have much fun, but I learned a lot.

The Ugly – Apparently, being in Southeast Asia, especially where I’m currently based, isn’t great for social exposure. I haven’t started using a VPN yet, and while I knew TikTok would punish me, it feels like every platform is out to get me.

Numbers – I’ve posted over 50 times this week, with some days seeing six LinkedIn posts. While engagement was up, I kept seeing the same people and posts. What did change was being top of mind—more people reached out this week, and several projects are signing in the next few days.

Book Update – I had a major breakthrough with the structure and concept of my methodology. Hours of videos, books, and podcasts all converged when I heard the same idea in three different places, and suddenly, it clicked. A new chapter was born. I also took a few hours to go through all my notes—from my phone, audio recordings, and a WhatsApp group I have with myself. Some real gold nuggets in there.

By the way, do you have a WhatsApp group with yourself? You should.

My top three priorities are always available. Click here for my updates file

I’m happy to invite you back to myYouTube channel. subscribe and support.

Just for Fun

This Week’s Web Gems: Unique Finds and Nostalgia

Sometimes, I feel like sharing something from the web that caught my attention—this week, it’s a mix of the unexpected and the nostalgic:

1. This man bought a town, and now he lives alone
   Mark Manson, the author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fck,* goes to meet this guy who bought a town, chased a dream, and found himself—well, alone there.

   It’s a well-executed video that raises some interesting questions about purpose, loneliness, and life.
   

2. We all need some good music
   Groovy house music to start the week. I love these sets—I don’t know why, but I just do. I found this on Monday, and it kind of set the mood for the whole week.