Tag Archives: Regos Life

Musings Episode 5: Winning the Lottery – Not as bad as you think…

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Alright…so I’m not promoting any sort of gambling…but a few buddies and I had a discussion about what it’d be like to win the lottery. What we’d do with the money, how we’d feel, etc.

So the answers rolled in. One said they’d buy a big house, one said a Bugatti Veyron, another said both, and another said an estate with a golf course. While listening to all these answers, I was a little shocked and disappointed – until one of them said, “guys….what about after you buy all that stuff? What about maintenance costs? I know for a fact a million dollar beach unit can run about $30,000 in taxes alone – how much do you really think an estate would cost per annum?”

Alright sir, and your total annual costs come to....$1654649848465....and 63 cents.

Alright sir, and your total annual costs comes to….$1654649848465….and 63 cents.

She beat me to the chase…with a grin I agreed, and then asked her what she’d do with it. She then proceeded to list off business ventures and commodities she’d invest in, along with some other business ideas, and positive life experiences she’d like to have.

WOOOOO....!!!

WOOOOO….!!!

Usually, with the lottery there is a very negative stigma attached to it – there’s an actual statistic that states the majority of lottery winners lose all their money within the first couple of years and end up worse off than where they started.

But what I’ve found is noone really bothers to ask why such a negative stigma is attached to this gambling trend that is practiced by millions every day. They never ask, “why do these people lose all that money?” and never ask “how did they lose all that money?” Most people just accept the fact that, “it is what it is,” and feed into the stigma, never unearthing the real root of the problem.

The root of the problem is not foaming at the mouth from having millions of dollars, no…there was once a report of a man who was on public assistance for food and continued to receive benefits while still holding his lottery money.

The root of the problem is in fact much simpler than that – and it’s only four words – lack of financial education.

And I don’t mean the economic kind they teach you in school. The Keynesian economics taught is more of a joke than an actual way to rationalize how money works and why fiat currency operates the way it does.

The answer is many people have just learned to spend their money – never how to actually use it. They’re trained from kindergarten onward to do two things – buy “stuff” and work to buy stuff…then when they get to college (or sometimes earlier dependent upon circumstances) and go out on their own, they’re taught to “work to buy stuff and pay bills.”

The way the employment system is designed, the average person just meets the mark. They start out in school spending 7-8 hours learning – which conditions them for 7-8 hours of work when they reach adulthood. Aside from college where your lectures (or classes, in American terms) are staggered and you get more freedom of time, the average person is conditioned from age 4/5 to sit at a desk and build someone else’s dream…no wonder so many people are depressed or stressed out.

"When Cameron was in Egypt's land...let my Cameron goooo......"

“When Cameron was in Egypt’s land…let my Cameron goooo……”

So what happens many times when you spend 8 hours a day building someone else’s dream? You forget your own…but you still make money. The void one can feel is filled by consumerism, which thus begins the cycle. You work to pay bills, and whatever you have left over, you use to purchase “items” that give short term gratification.

They’re never taught about after purchase maintenance costs…matter of fact they’re discouraged to even think about it…and don’t even get me started on credit. Max out your card and then pay the minimum? Bull. Sh*t. The motto is “buy, buy, buy, and feel good…but don’t weep when the bills after the initial one comes”.

“Buy that BMW 5 series where they say you never have to change the oil except every 15,000 miles…but don’t weep when it gets engine sludge because we didn’t mention to only use a specific oil.”

“Buy that Ferrari Spyder, but don’t cry when repairs are needed.”

Those Ferrari’s are sweet rides, huh?

There is a belief in Europe. “Americans live to work, and Europeans work to live.” In my travels, I’ve realized this is partially true. No offense to any one nation.

So tying this all in with the lottery, we can understand to a degree now why people lose all the money they’ve won within the first two years and can be worse off than when they started. From childhood if their parents didn’t know any better, many have been steered in the wrong direction.

Instead of investing $40,000 in a string of automated businesses, they’re encouraged to go and spend $40,000 on a couple of Rolex watches and ridiculous looking rims.

This…this is how I get all the ladies…if I don’t run them over by accident first.

Instead of investing $1.1 million in solid commodities like gold and silver (no, not the kind you wear), they’re encouraged to go get that Ferrari Enzo they’ve been eyeing but thought they could never afford.

$15 million on a house by the beach? Or $15 million on something that could potentially bring you in an income of $30 million a year? Nope…still, some people will take the house over the business.

Why? It’s my theory that subconsciously we feel so starved from our real desires, the propaganda of the media and product focused companies/markets see this vulnerability and choose to exploit it…and they’re not wrong in it either – it’s nothing personal, just business.

So what do they do? They sell, sell, sell….through magazines, television, movies, music even, billboards, you name it they do it…and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with it….because people buy, buy, buy.

They buy because in my opinion when you are so starved from your dreams or desires because you’re constantly pursuing someone else’s through your job, you can pretty much be assimilated to a guy who hasn’t eaten in a week.

It doesn’t matter if this guy ate superfoods at $300 a month alone on just the powder, ate caviar as if it were brazilian nuts, or ate lox and drank an entire bottle of champagne on a daily as breakfast. If he hasn’t eaten in a week and in his mind he’s used to and wants to eat 6 meals a day of only rich (and sometimes unhealthy) foods, it’s irrelevant and he’ll take what he can get if it looks appetizing enough.

So my point is it’s the same thing with the lottery. If the average population is used to having roughly 50-80% of their income go towards bills, of course they’re going to look for an outlet, whether it’s spending $500 at the bar on a weekend to “blow off steam from work”, or spending $5 million on 3 luxury cars right after they’ve won the lottery.

Their vision is clouded because of their surpressed desires. This is what makes them forget about maintenance costs and indefinite taxes…and the way the education system is set up, you can’t really shove the blame on them, they’ve been misled.

Four-Hour-Work-Week-With-Timothy-Ferriss

Where they can be reprimanded however, is not making the conscious decision after they’ve realized this, to go and make change with their way of thinking. This is where financial education comes in. Robert Kiyosaki, though slightly old school in his methods compared to Tim Ferriss, believes that financial education is one of the single-most important educations a person should have – even surpassing your standard academic education.

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And he’s right. Academia can get you to a point, but if you don’t know how to utilize all that knowledge, or even turn that knowledge into a financial river of cash flow, and you’re still working away on auto-pilot with no destination that aims towards YOUR financial success, spending $50,000 plus on a college education really wasn’t worth it in the first place…

….because for $5000 a person who’s never even been to college but invested in financial education, works the same job you do, somehow travels or has more experiences than you do, and somehow ends up with the lucky numbers of the lotto and takes off like a rocket in starting their new life and beats the negative stigma of the lotto, just by making choice decisions and knowing how to work the financial system…has developed more value than a piece of paper that shows you made good grades at an institution that is a business within itself.

4-hour-work-week1

Think about it….

Rego

Musings Episode 5: Winning the Lottery – Not as bad as you think… is a post from and appeared first on Rego’s Life

For The Weekenders: ATVs In The Desert, Helicopters By The Beach, Upscale Bowling In The City

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Alright, so a little late in posting this one, but I have a reason: the travel bug. So instead of the usual, strictly domestic spot-pick, I thought I’d throw some variety into the mix. Enjoy.

I remember when I was a teenager the thrill of racing ATV’s through acres of land with friends at the homestead in Virginia – saying it was thrilling was an understatement. It’s the kind of activity where you actually feel good being covered with mud and specks of dust and sand. This week I got the urge to go for the same thing – but on a bigger level. So I got to researching – and what I found, the epicness (yes, I know that’s not a word) cannot be described in mere speech alone.

There are three things in life that bring out the best in me – travel, adventure, and speed.  Lençóis Maranhenses was able to fulfill all three.

What is Lençóis Maranhenses you ask? Well, if one of Evel Knievel‘s sons married Gisele Bündchen, had a baby, and that baby somehow had Indiana Jones as its uncle, it would be named this exact go-to location. I’m talking an ATV tour of Brazil’s endless lagoons, including minimum one desert.

Insert Flight of The Phoenix soundtrack here.

It doesn’t stop there, continuing with scenic riverboat floating, kite surfing and dune buggying – yes, now is your time to relive Mario Kart in real life. You can check out the main website which also lists other insane adventures here, and a more in depth article from my favorite fun time activity bible, UD, here.

So let’s say after all that ATVing you’re pumped and don’t quite want the fun to end, what then? Well, if you’re feeling a little like getting in touch with your inner Nathan Drake, you can hit up a gun range with a woman’s touch, Sandy Springs Gun Club and Range.

Take your pick…

Keep in mind, this is not your average range.  Besides high powered firearms and the choice of a tactical shooting session, these two ladies who created the place also offer a cushy lounge area where you can relax post-target practice…and if you’re anything like me, this is what will win you over.

“Wow…For your first time, you were pretty good at that B27 target…all 6 shots dead center.”

I’m sure your date would be pleasantly surprised to know that power and style can come in one package.

But let’s say you wanna take things up a notch, and get a little adventurous in the city instead. What then? Well, there’s always helicopters and sushi.

‘Cause you know..that’s how we do it in Miami….if you’re here to stay, you’re here to play – and Helicopters Over Miami is just the place you want to book with.

…and if you look close enough, my house is juuuuuust over…..there.
No I’m totally joshing you…that’s my vacation home.

They have numerous tours that span over various areas such as Gables Estates, Coconut Grove, Brickell, Downtown Miami, Sunny Isles Beaches, and even Ft. Lauderdale Beaches when you feel like heading a little further up north. What’s even better is you can make it a quick, nice thing to do before dinner with one of their half hour to one hour tours, or if you feel like something more personal, go for a custom tailored tour.

What’s even better is, if you’re an HSBC card holder, you get perks such as discounts and additional features. How’s that for feeling like 007?

The name is Bond…James Bond.

After the helicopter ride, you may find you’re hungry from all the excitement….no, not for steak…or even something quick and oily. Since you’ve spent time in the sky, might as well make it feel like you flew to the Asia Pacific for something more…exotic. So what do you do? Well, you whip out your smartphone, load up Monacle on your Yelp app and tap your way…to where it says Bond Street Lounge can satisfy your palette.

And satisfy your palette it will. I’ve been a repeat customer at this place for some time now, and with dishes like Sake Steamed Clams, and Blue Fin Toro Carpaccio, there’s a reason why I am.

And the sushi? Well, hell yes is all I can say.

They have an extensive menu of sushi and other Japanese but fusion filled dishes. So if you’re looking for something a little more like beef, you’ve got it.

But let’s say you don’t feel quite like being so adventurous, and instead want something more low key…let’s say you wanna kick it old school, and bring back some high school memories.

Then it’s Splitsville Miami to the rescue. Other locations being available, imagine a bowling alley with an upscale entertainment approach – billiards tables, a full service (gourmet) dinner lounge, and multiple bars dotted throughout the place. If I could describe this place in two words, it’d have to be luxury bowling.

Table for two, reservation booked for 8 o’ clock…

After 8 p.m. there is a dress code – smart casual only. Dress to impress is the rule, and dependent upon location this could mean no sunglasses indoors (this isn’t Doucheville), no athletic wear, and no cut-off shorts. This is, after all, upscale bowling and pool. The best part is it’s a mix of innocence and adult life – you can choose to come here with your nephew or niece in the day, then make reservations for you and that special someone in the evening.

Another round fellas?

I think it’s the perfect spot for guys/girls night out, or when you want to show your date that aside from the power car, power suit, and power life, you know how to relax and just have some fun.

Stay classy. 😉

– Rego

Related articles

For The Weekenders: ATVs In The Desert, Helicopters By The Beach, Upscale Bowling In The City is a post from and appeared first on Rego’s Life

“Don’t forget to…

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Musings: Quote Wednesdays…

“Don’t forget to love yourself.” – Soren Kierkegaard

For the entrepreneur (or person in general) who’s hard on themselves….sometimes, I have to remember this one myself. No matter what the setback, no matter how long it takes, no matter how many mistakes you make…as long as the intention is good, never forget to do this. It pays, in more ways than one and helps in the long run. It doesn’t matter how slowly you go, as long as you don’t stop.

Happy Wednesday.

– Rego

Musings Episode 4: Dreams, Jobs, and Careers – Parallel yet Perpendicular

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Earlier on I mentioned to you guys about a new business venture I’ve delved into. Long story short it has very much to do with working with a CEO of a medium sized real estate company that solely focuses on vacation rentals and extended stays, with a few regular leases thrown in the mix.

Don’t forget the long island iced tea.

To put it simply the guy is a complete mess, and just by speaking to some of his managers I could immediately tell just how much of a mess he is. Yet he’s not the focus – no, because real estate was one of his dreams – so really, he’s a happy mess. It’s the employees, I felt compelled to write about. For legal purposes, I’m not going to disclose any names, and all names used, if any, will be ficticious.

My focus on this episodic musing is really more or less about how people have dreams, choose careers, and work jobs.

Usually the order in which those 3 things are executed are sometimes switched around, and very often, the dreams are lost by the jobs people take.

It’s been my observation, that the cycle goes a little like this:

Pre-K through 3rd grade – your teacher asks you what you want to be when you grow up. If you were like me, you had 2 answers – Spider-Man, or the CEO of an awesome, company. Usually, as all teachers do, you get giggled at and are told that’s “adorable”. Others in class, may say they want to be a fireman or police officer, ballet dancer or singer.

the-amazing-spider-man__span

….fear my wrath.

4th grade through 8th – Again, your teacher asks you the same question, though differently – this time, she asks what profession you’d like to take on. Again, if you’re like me, you come up with multiple answers – CEO of an awesome company, professional drifter, or Spider-Man. In respective descending order this time, mind you. Again, she chuckles slightly, and says that’s cute. Others in class may still say fireman, police officer…or professional skateboarder, world renowned painter.

Weeeee…..

9th grade through 12th – Once more, the same question is asked – though this time, it’s “now that you will be graduating soon, what career path is everyone considering? It is important to know this and hit the books, as it is critical to know what college is going to best aid you in your success”. Again, if you’re like me, you come up with again, multiple answers – awesome CEO of a company, professional drifter, CEO of an automatic business and world traveler. Again, your teacher laughs, saying that’s admirable, but it would be good to start considering an ACTUAL career path, such as doctor, teacher, lawyer, etc. Puzzled you look on fidgeting, slightly offended and annoyed, as the options you stated WERE serious answers.

tumblr_static_puppydogface

………

Fast forward to college, and you find that 50% of your friends and classmates are no longer stating the same answers they had when they were younger, but instead now find themselves developing a pattern of either two things: switching majors based on which pays the most MONEY, or sticking with their major and HATING IT, but sticking with it anyway, because society says it pays the most MONEY…or, simply switching their majors out of sheer boredom because they honestly can’t STAND any of the bullshit society has fed them about college and career paths in general.

van-wilder-horizontal-gallery

If you notice – as time progresses through the timelines I have just given example of, all of these boil down to 3-4 types of situations and people…no, actually, just 3. We have:

1. The people who have abandoned their DREAMS and genuine desires to invest labor into something they actually LIKE – and instead pursue what pays the most…or as I like to call it – the first signs of SLAVERY to a FIAT currency and CONSUMERISM. Though they may say they are career seekers…they are instead what I call the true JOB seekers…and years later those 50 something year old dudes who drive around in Corvettes with their secretaries they left their wife for 3 months ago…hardly a mid-life crisis, more a psychological break…or both.

mid-life-crisis-little-red-corvette1

2. The people who sort of stick to something that they find they like, a bit…just a bit, but have a tendency to switch up or feel indecisive in their decision because of the sheer fact none of what they’re really pursuing is something that they feel a BURNING PASSION for within them…the type of burning where it feels like the sun is at the top of your belly button (or solar-plexus , but not in a scorching way…more like a warm, fuzzy feeling type way. Or…as I like to call it, people who have over the years, or are now slowly developing a “blurred” vision of what their real dreams are, and have lost vision again, because of money. Sometimes, I like to call this “slurred,” as well, drunken by the pursuit of money. Dependent on circumstance, this shift could have arisen from true financial necessity or lack (i.e. where no one has had their back, so they fight to survive, learn to hustle, strategize, whatever you may call it). These people, have the potential, to pursue an alternative career TEMPORARILY, in order to work towards their real DREAMS, while sticking to taking ACTION that coincides with their dreams…and not lose focus.

mohom

And finally…

3. The people who are so bored with the bullshit they’ve been fed by society, they switch up from slight misdirection, or because they haven’t yet realized the reason for their actions in doing so is BECAUSE subconsciously, their very inner being is refusing to work with their psyche, and hold true to what they REALLY want out of life, and what they REALLY want to pursue doing, having, and experiencing. There are situations where, these people have the potential to ace whatever they put their mind to or study, and bored because of it…because they know that while they’re good at it, they still want to pursue their real dreams.

Dream-Job

I’m excellent with numbers and organizing but I’m pretty sure I’d stab my own hand with a pen if I had to be an accountant for the rest of my life (to all you accountants out there, I appreciate and admire you…no offense intended).

So basically, we see that the usual routine of society goes like this:

When we’re young, we have dreams – big dreams – and no matter how crazy they seem to “adults,” i.e. being Superman, Spider-Man, Green Lantern, or owner of a multi-billion dollar lemonade stand company, we don’t care. We don’t care if adults laugh, because somehow, when we’re younger, we don’t know FEAR. We don’t know LIMITS. We don’t know DOUBT…and we don’t know FAILURE. ALLLLLL of these things are TAUGHT behavior. We were never born with any of them. Now you can finally explain to your mother about that one time you thought it was “totally safe to jump from the roof line,” and somehow, you still landed just fine.

stupendous

Then, as we progress through standard schooling, we’re taught mistakes are bad, limits and rules are mandatory, failure is getting the wrong answer or thinking the wrong way, which then develops doubt, and doubt develops fear, and fear develops adulthood…or as I like to call it – battered childhood…yet still, we still hold partially onto our dreams, and think that “okay, well, I’m not that great at this, but I’m still pretty good at this, so getting this type of job would be cool..I guess.”

Finally, we find ourselves even further subjected to the vicious cycle of “there is one answer, one solid way of finding that answer, mistakes are death, doubt yourself to avoid making mistakes, fear and get it right the first time to avoid doubt,” and so on and so forth. SO…what do we do? We then sway and spiral between dreams, career paths, and jobs.

Often, we freak out about jobs, because we want the right one, that will steer us on the right career path…and often, we’re so focused on the right career path, we lose focus of our dream…because really, in the first place, any “path” that we were to take…was supposed to lead us to our dreams. Society, however, through repetition  conditioning, and reinforcement, drilled into our head, that our dreams, are not what we think they are.

yikes

BUT….

With enough will power, some of us break this cycle, and KEEP OUR EYE ON THE BALL…and when we do, we avoid being hit in the metaphorical nuts. The pitcher we call life, can be paid to play dirty, after all. It’s whether or not we play by their rules…or our rules. Our rules, are simply keeping ourselves focused and knowing that the “normal system” of doing things, is far from perfect…because what is perfection anyway? It’s not perfection we need. But instead….

Discipline.
Will power.
Focus.
Drive.
Imagination.

These are the ingredients that make dreams come true.

These are the ingredients that make miracles happen.

Miracles do not happen by some haphazard drunken-universe chance.

Miracles happen when we stay FOCUSED on what we want, and can’t fathom it being any. Other. Fucking. Way.

This can range from the money you want to make.
To the things you want to experience.
To the girlfriend or boyfriend you want to have.
To the place you want to live.

It’s SETTLING for LESS, that fucks us over…and settling, expands far beyond the monetary sense.

So…we can have a job and a dream – as long as that job is a tool to work towards that dream…what I call parallel pairing.

We can have a career path, and a dream – as long as that career path is steered towards that dream…again, parallel pairing.

BUT….having a job, to steer us towards a career path…with no dream in the equation or at the finish line whatsoever? This is perpendicular thinking. It collides. You don’t get anywhere like that. It’s a bit like….well, it’s like riding the Yamanote line in Tokyo, and getting off at the last stop.

For those of you who have lived in Tokyo – you will know, that this is a cruel trick played on newcomers.

The Yamanote line is a neverending loop. There is no last stop. The last stop is the first stop. It is quite literally, a circle. So when someone says to you “just take the Yamanote line and get off at the last stop”…believe me…they are totally fucking with you.

Suckers…

The same way your boss fucks with you saying there’s great potential for you but shooting you down everytime you try to “climb that corporate ladder”…

Fuck the ladder.

Keep your eye on the ball, and take a goddamn helicopter.

Stay FOCUSED. The same way you stay focused at the gym. The same way way you stay focused when you try and aim for that 10-headshot streak trophy in C.O.D. Modern Warfare.

If you can do it there, you can do it in every aspect of life.

YOU have to believe in YOU.

Stay DISCIPLINED.

Even if you want to be built like Daniel Craig or look like Eva Mendes.

Stay DRIVEN.

Even if you want every person you date to be a 10.

Even if you want to be a professional race car driver.

Even if that dream is still wanting to be Spider-Man.

They have a technology for that now, too.

Stay awesome.

Iron-Man-Sunglasses

It’s what we were born for.

– Rego

Musings Episode 4: Dreams, Jobs, and Careers – Parallel yet Perpendicular is a post from and appeared first on Rego’s Life

For The Weekenders: Cigars, Vintage Lounge Bars, Cinemas on Steroids

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So this week has been crazy with the launch of one of my new business ventures, which has left me thinking of every possible way to kick back and celebrate the fruits of my labor this weekend.

Hence, I thought I’d stay local, and introduce you guys (and girls) to my top 3 for go-to spots this weekend – whether you’re a resident or a visitor of SoFlo. Enjoy.

Cigars.

When you think cigars, what’s the first thing that pops into your head? Your brother-in-law becoming a dad? Old Cuban guys playing cards? Gordon Gecko from Wall Street (1985)? Well, it’s time to think outside that box, and check out Wynwood Cigars, rightfully making their way onto UD, this isn’t your average cigar shop. The place is massive, spanning 5000 sq. ft., decked out in graffiti, rolling tables, cozy couches and live music to compliment the already epic setting.

’nuff said.

The aesthetic perfection of lighting…the feel of the couches when you slip onto them after a long day…the ultra aromatic smell of tobacco permeating even the most judgmental nose…the unique sounds of carefully selected live music…and the unique taste of a carefully crafted smoke that rolls off your tounge have earned this place more than just the title of originality and creativeness, but downright class.

Wanna get away from your standard smoking lounge? Starting to think those Camel cigarettes are getting old? This is the place to go. They keep the warehouse open late every second Saturday, bringing in tango dancers and supplying cocktails, all for your entertainment. Gotta love ’em.

Vintage Lounge Bars.

When I think of a nice drinking spot, I envision lounge tables surrounded by ultra comfy seating, a bartender who always remembers my name and top 5 favorite drinks, carefully strategized ambiance  and walls painted and outfitted with decor that makes me forget I’m even in a public drinking facility.

Then I stop envisioning and walk right into The Flat – a bar designed not to feel like a bar, yet not a lounge either…but instead a getaway spot you’d stick right on the side of your house if it weren’t 32 stories above ground level.

I also think of my fellow weekenders who were forced to play piano when they were younger, now realizing that the once geeky talent has huge payoff present day, when you usher your date over to the couch and casually begin to talk about music and musical talent while eyeing the piano next to you both.

The drinks here are unique and the owner old fashioned, only closing his doors when the last customer is ready to leave. That’s what I call service. The one place that I can say this establishment has come close to replicating, is a place Cocktail Factory in England I used to frequent during my uni days…and that, my friend, is a tall order to meet. So kudos, The Flat…I’d say you’ve earned yourself a name worth keeping.

Cinemas on Steroids.

If you’re an avid cinema goer, you will appreciate and love what I like to call a cinema on steroids – iPic Theaters in Boca Raton. Imagine your usual movie theater…and then take everything usual out of it. Insert cocktails, leather recliners, an on-call waiter, and blankets to cozy up under when the plot gets good.

Well I thought about hitting up AMC…but then realized that would be a little too conventional for dinner and a movie, don’t you think…?

Feel less like a run of the mill movie goer, and more like a movie critic while sitting back sipping Kamikazes, commenting on what’s going to happen next with your fellow buddies while nibbling on sliders – or cozying up to your significant other when she flinches at the slightly frightening scene of a good thriller flick….and here she was thinking it was just going to be regular movie night…

Stay awesome. 😉

– Rego

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For The Weekenders: Cigars, Vintage Lounge Bars, Cinemas on Steroids is a post from and appeared first on Rego’s Life

Musings Episode 3: Mobile vs. Immobile – The Joys of a Mobile Business

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Departing Manchester Airport aimed for Seoul, South Korea. Connecting flight in Zurich with a 3 hour layover. With lines plus security check, 30 minutes to an hour of net layover time. Met a nice old Korean couple and was offered Vitamin C while we wait. Perfect.

Charlotte, NC to Porto, Portugal, connecting flight in New Jersey. On the way to Jersey pilot announces over P.A. he’s been flying around in the sky for 3 hours, due to weather conditions trying to route a temporary landing strip, and we’re now running on fumes – “but don’t worry folks; I’ve been doing this for 16 years and will get us landed safely.” Thinking I should head to the cockpit and give pilot my business card for classes on “tactful speech.”
Two hour layover from Jersey to Porto – minus 3 hours of flying on fumes – flight missed. 16 hour stay in airport until morning flight and fuming argument with bag check guy. Horrible.

Miami International Airport to Nagoya Airport Japan, 24 hour flight with 2 connecting flights, first one in London, second one at Charles de Gaulle. 3 hour and 5 hour layover times respectively. Long but reasonable. From Charles de Gaulle to Nagoya, met an interesting business man from Hitachi Corporate on his way back from a business pitch in Europe. Exchanged business cards and went our seperate ways. Business opening – perfect.

In cleaning out one of my suitcases and re-sorting travel documents, I take a brief moment to skim through my passport book pages. Each one is filled with a memory. Some funny, some frustrating, some quirky….but every single stamp worth it.

Until recently, this has been my average work year. Now, it’s 90% leisure. What are the joys of a mobile business, really? Well…for one, it’s constantly an adventure, and an education. It’s still work – just on a different level.

A buddy of mine works in stocks and we were having this discussion over the weekend. He was explaining to me how he’d love to have a business where he doesn’t have to get up and sport the typical suit and tie look, and would sometimes even be content with a t-shirt, shorts, and sandals.

Then he goes onto say how he’d also like to not go to work the same time, same place, same road everyday. He likes what he does; hates the routine. He goes on to vent for another 15-20 minutes while we polish off a bottle of Fris vodka.

So I ask him, “well, what is it you really want to do?”

Pausing for a while, he responds. “Just…something where it’s not so predictable and I have freedom to sleep in if I want or, if I feel like getting up and going I can.”

I push further – “that’s telling me how you want your days to go, not what you want to do. What’s something you want to do?”

Again, he responds, “I don’t know, I like finance, and I like what I do now, but I just want to do it differently.”

“So you want to do what you’re doing now but without being told when to do it?”

“Yeah,” he responds, as if a light bulb slowly lit in his little head.

*Ding*

*Ding*

“So you want it to be mobile?”

“Yeah exactly,” he again responds now starting to really think on what he’s been saying.

“Then do it.”

“Do it?” he asks inquisitively.

“Yes…start doing it.”

“But, how…?” He asks again.

We then go about picking apart his thoughts and getting to the key points of what he really wants, utilizing “backwards goal setting,” as found in the book “The New Psycho-Cybernetics“. You can check out the audio version on youtube:

Backwards goal-setting pretty much works like this:

You mentally prepare a list of things you do not want to do at all, and call it the “I Never Want to do These Things Again” List. This could range from not wanting to wear a tie, to not wanting to drive more than 5 minutes to work; not wanting to deal with stressful customers, not wanting to have a supervisor.
You then begin to use your imagination (yes, if a 5 year old can do it you can too), to shop around for ideas about other businesses or careers you may have a liking for, but would NEVER require you to do the things you don’t want to on your previously mentioned list.

A lot of people don’t realize there are ways to make immobile business or careers mobile – or, “time-freeing,” especially in today’s technological day and age.

There’s so much time wasted in an office setting where most “look busy” just in order to please their supervisor.

This guy I know is good at what he does, smart, quick thinker on his feet, an innovator, mathematician, and forward thinker. Often he finishes his work and work projects well before deadline, then has to busy himself with other things so his boss doesn’t ridicule him for “just sitting around”…and it drives him mad.

Maybe if I break this pencil, it’ll turn into a make-shift dagger…and then stab someone with it.

Let me repeat that: he gets all of his work done, in 50% of the time his average co-worker does. Meaning his value is 50% more. In an ideal world, he could make 50% more than what he’s making, just by his work efficiency.

This is what he wants – he wants his work efficiency to be valued. He knows he’s good at what he does, and wants to condense his hours worked to enjoy life while being good at what he does – compared to wasting away 4 extra hours a day twiddling his thumbs and listening to people talk about their monotonous home lives.

 

Mention your kids again Tracy…I dare you…

 

He wants to turn his 40 hour work week into a 20 hour one – maybe even a 15 hour one…and you know what? He can do it. Easily – there are many ways to work remotely, in the finance industry’s subsector of stocks and commodities. Just as there are many ways to work your business the same way.

What is it I like about mobile businesses? If I had to sum it up in 3 main points, I could easily say:

Freedom of time.
Freedom of money.
Freedom of hybrid thinking and doing.

First and foremost – freedom of time. I’m not a morning person – I work better in the wee hours of the night, often cranking out my best work with Bossanova and crickets singing to me sweetly in perfect harmony with that one old tree frog and the sound of water right outside my window.

Because it really is easy being green.

Second – freedom of money. You probably think I’m talking about income, right? Well, try again…I’m talking about what you can do with the income not allocated towards (non)reimbursed business expenses (non- if you’re working a J.O.B.).

Think about it – let’s just say you commute 15 miles to work everyday, and take a toll road. That’s 30 miles round trip, 5 days a week. That’s 150 miles a week, roughly 600 miles a month, 7800 miles a year. Just for work. Throw in about half of that per annum and you’ve got 11,700 miles a year, 975 a month, roughly 245 a week.

Holy shit snacks.

What’s that, a tank of gas? $50, $60, $70? If you drive that Lincoln Navigator, keep adding. At $70 a week, we’re talking $3640 a year of non-reimbursed gas expenses – across the board, because let’s not forget – you can’t get a tax return on traveling to and from a JOB.

Well Timmy, it was good knowing you son.

Then let’s factor in oil changes, tires, air filters, etc, etc. All accelerated replacements because of that 30 mile round trip commute. Switch to making your career or business mobile and you can easily cut all that down by 50-75%.

Third – Freedom of hybrid thinking and doing. Your 8 hour day, is not an 8 hour day. Let’s take that commute example a step further – let’s say you go by car…or cab…or subway. Let’s think about traffic, people traffic, car traffic, coffee line traffic. You get the idea – traffic.

That 20 minute commute now becomes 40, maybe even 50 minutes. Add that to your 8 hour day – at 50 minutes extra, you’re really working an almost 10 hour day. Change that to a remote or mobile business, and commute time can be cut to 50 seconds – a walk from your kitchen to your in-home office.

Or your den’s couch.

Using my buddy as an example again, this is exactly what he wanted. He wanted to take every non-reimbursed career expense ever spent and put it into something he wanted to do or experience.

He wanted to analyze his trades when his brain was fully turned on, tuned in, and locked on…allowing what he considered the easy stuff to mentally be on auto-pilot during the best times he deemed fit.

He wanted to take the almost $4000 he was spending a year in gas alone and travel to Singapore – for a little business and pleasure.

He wanted to cut his 9-11 hour day into a 4-5 hour day, taking the rest of the time to hit the gym more, and finally map out and set off for that mini road trip to St. Augustine.

Mobile or remote businesses and careers aren’t about just being mobile, they’re about taking the dictation from another human being out of the equation and utilizing a more flexible, efficient path. Making the stress less, so you can focus and innovate more.

In my early days of being mobile, where my income if I wanted to travel relied heavily on photography and internet marketing, – I loved every moment of it. I would explore in the early afternoons and evenings, and do all my editing at night. It was effortless. Aside from the jet lag, check-in and check-out times, new locations, new languages, new maps, orienting and re-orienting myself with areas, I loved every minute of it. I was the ruler of my own time, my own money, and my own pace…I could learn more in months what anyone with a PhD learned in years….and I loved it.

There is a rapid shift that is occurring and has been occurring for many years now, and it’s one of many exciting things I have the opportunity to witness.
It’s my belief that eventually, the standard run-of-the-mill office setting will become obsolete. The reign of left-brained cubicle thinking will – and is – disappearing.

Mankind needs it, and Generation Y is beginning to realize it. We’ve had so many technological advances the mass majority has been put on auto-pilot themselves. Yet this is the perfect day and age to keep creating. Innovative people know this, and they’re seizing the opportunities.

It’s what Tim Ferriss calls “The New Rich.”

Mobile and remote businesses and careers are the way to go – to eliminate stress, improve productivity, and alter lifestyles.

– Rego

Musings Episode 3: Mobile vs. Immobile – The Joys of a Mobile Business is a post from and appeared first on Rego’s Life

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For The Weekenders: Bonfire Fridays, Sugar Rush Saturdays, Kite Flying Sundays

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It’s Thursday again…meaning the weekend is right around the corner.

Due to my disdain for being predictable, I thought I’d switch things up a bit, and give you a  different kind of top 3 list to fill your weekend with. So we’re hitting it low key, meaning you guys get to see some things I prefer to do whenever I feel like keeping my wallet nice and fat.

So here’s 3 things to do that are all under $100. Enjoy.

Bonfire Fridays – Okay, so how many of you like the beach? Alright…how about beer? S’mores? Great. Now that I’ve got your attention – Bonfires are a great way to kick off the weekend – and the best part is – they’re a (relatively) free activity.

True story.

Beaches often facilitate bonfires by providing fire pits. Just keep in mind, these are usually on a first come first serve basis, but if you do get a chance to stake claim to one, you’re in for a fun night with many of your closest friends and acquaintances alike.
Don’t live near a beach? Well, you could always build your own backyard fire pit, and do it for damn cheap too. I’m talking $28, with minimal shopping around. This is probably your better option, because really, when it comes to safety standards and regulations, all you really have to concern yourself with is making sure you don’t build it near anything that can catch fire.

Like…trees, for instance.

Meaning you can focus on the more important things….like where you’re gonna put those 5 kegs you ordered and if you have enough mixers and liquor stocked in the mini bar. Which makes me think of another benefit – no drunk driving. Safety first, kids.

Sugar Rush Saturdays – It was Saturday afternoon. Not being able to see each other all week due to our busy schedules, my (ex)girlfriend drove up to my place to spend the day. “I’ve got a surprise for you.” I say to her over the phone. “A surprise? What is it? Tell me!” she replies back, I can hear the curiosity in her voice now. “Negative, no can do. You’re gonna have to wait until you get here. All I can say is this – take cover.” I respond, eyeing the two items I purchased sitting in the corner of my living room. “Take cover?” she asks, “Yes…take cover“.

This one is for the kid in all of us. So you had the bonfire on Friday night, now besides empty liquor bottles and snacks cleaned out from your pantry, you’re wondering what to do with the 3 extra bags of marshmallows you have leftover from making S’mores.
Well, you are in for a treat my friend. Whenever I find myself in this position, a slow, sly grin spreads across my face with one eyebrow raised. I can feel my inner 10 year old self welling up with excitement and adrenaline at the mere thought of it…and “it” is not Rice Krispie treats.
I’m talking about taking those white puffs of sugar, and stuffing them into an air pressure fueled blaster. To put it simply, Call of Duty and Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory‘s illegitimate love child.

Pretty sure the 10 year old version of Tony Montana would’ve been jealous of this.

These things can shoot mini marshmallows over a good 30 feet into the air, and hold up to or over 20 rounds of “ammo.” The coolest thing about it? It’s something that can be done indoors or out. So you can say “Take that” to days when it’s overcast and rainy and you don’t feel like going anywhere. The best part about the whole activity? The reload time. Try it out for yourself and you’ll know exactly what I mean.

It’s Sunday? Go Fly a Kite – and no, I’m not telling you to bugger off. When you’ve got breezy Sundays and perfect weather, this novelty activity is the perfect thing to add to an already great day. Though it may take some skill, once you’re up and running kite flying can be quite fun.
I remember my days of living in Bermuda, Good Friday was probably the most interesting and entertaining holiday I’d ever encountered at the time…and honestly? I still fly kites today.


There are actually businesses that run off this classic past-time, like the popular Skyward Kites in Bal Harbor. They have their business located and set up where you can buy and fly your kites all at one time, meaning no waiting around to start the fun.
The great thing about this activity is it’s reasonably priced, and a pretty flexible past time where you can bring friends, family, a date (to show your more relaxed, simple, fun loving side), or just yourself and spend a Sunday morning in a zen like state.

And there you have it. When you feel like keeping some cash in the bank or just want to get back to enjoying the simpler things in life, all of these activities can get you going in the right direction.

Have a great weekend. 😉

– Rego

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For The Weekenders: Bonfire Fridays, Sugar Rush Saturdays, Kite Flying Sundays is a post from and appeared first on Rego’s Life

“Effort only fully…

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Musings: Quote Wednesdays….

“Effort only fully releases its reward after a person refuses to quit.” – Napoleon Hill

I find this pretty much speaks for itself. No matter what it is you go after, no matter how many times you’ve tried, and no matter how long you’ve been pursuing it…if it’s in your very gut that you still desire it and quitting seems “O.K.” but not “right,” and you feel you should keep pushing forward – do it. Eliminate every “what-if” you can fathom.

You never know how deep the water is unless you keep wading into it.

– Rego

“Sometimes the …

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Musings: Quote Wednesdays…

“Sometimes the heart sees what is invisible to the eye.” – H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

There are times when we think with our heads, times when we think with our gut, and times when we think with our heart. The first deals with rationale, logic, and reasoning. The latter two develop strictly from instinct and feeling. There are times when the latter two, without the logic, without the reasoning, and without the analyzing…can make the most sense and produce the best results.

Happy Wednesday.

– Rego

Musings: Episode 1 – Job Hunting and the Unemployment Epidemic

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I just finished watching Transformers: Dark of The Moon.
Mostly at the beginning of the film it starts out with the main character, Sam Witwicky, freshly out of college and job hunting for what’s implied 3 months or so. He’s living with his girlfriend, frustrated and feeling low because she has a job and he doesn’t, and as the man in the relationship believes he should be doing better.

There’s a line in this film that really stood out. Right after he goes from interview to interview, he winds up at a company, and finally retorts something back to the interviewer, who’s denying him the job he applied for and trying to steer him towards a menial, low paying mail room job: “Mister, I saved your life twice. I can’t tell you how, or when, or why, but I have done shit that matters and I’d just kinda like a job where I matter again.”

Such is the epidemic Generation Y is facing today.

A buddy of mine was at my place, and I hear a loud “BANG” against the wall, after she calls up HR to the county she lives in earlier on this week. I walk into the adjacent room and see her sitting there. Frustrated, she starts venting:

“Well that went well…”

“What did?” I ask slightly concerned by the tone in her voice – and the fact that a large smack on the side of the wall just happened.

“HR. I called HR and…”

“and…?” I say pressing her to speak further, walking closer to her realizing she’s now almost in tears.

“and I thought I would call and ask some simple questions right? You know, because HR gives their number to people so they can help right? But no…I call, and I explain my situation, and the woman on the phone was just so…ugh. The audacity of her!”

Suddenly she starts crying more. Worried, I sit down next to her pulling her into a half hug. By sitting down I realize she’s thrown the notepad I lent her full clean into the wall in front of us, explaining the loud noise heard earlier.

“Oh no….tell me – what happened? What did she say?” I look at her trying to get eye contact.

She explains the situation to me and apparently it’s been going a little like this – a month and a half ago, this girl was laid off of her job. Come to find out a week later, she discovers she wasn’t laid off, but fired and replaced with another current employee. The reason? Retaliation by her supervisor, because one day, she decided to stand up for herself and bring it up to him that she didn’t appreciate him mentally and psychologically abusing her.

Now I’ve met the guy, once or twice, when I’ve had business to tend to at the location. Initially, he seems like a nice guy, but when you pay attention to the way he switches up characteristics depending on the situation, I understand how him exuding that type of treatment is highly probable.

Back to the story, a month and a half ago, my friend here was fired – because she stood up for herself. Since then, she’s been applying for and following up on job applications like crazy.
She’s not at all unintelligent, and has at least 6 plus years of college work and street smarts under her belt. Basically – the girl can learn, and learn quickly…and she’s not lacking in the looks department. She’s frustrated because she is on her own, with no safety net, meaning nobody to really help her if times get very rough – an example losing her job.

One of the places she had been applying to, the county, i.e. civil servant jobs, she had applied to over 15 times.

Let me repeat that again – 15 times.

She only made it to one interview – a position which merely required a high school diploma – and 2 weeks later was sent a rejection letter, stating she did not meet the necessary requirements.

Honestly, after I read the position details – in my opinion, they could’ve interviewed monkeys, the job was so simple.

Every time she applied, they were all positions she was qualified, and often overqualified for. So, being the initiative kind of person she is, she decided to ring them up one day, asking for the person(s) in charge who sort through the applications.

She (understandably) finds out there are multiple people who sort through the applications, but would just like to know if there is a supervisor over those people who monitor them.

This, I find out, is where the conversation goes downhill.

“The secretary on the phone pulls up my information, and says I’ve applied for practically everything. I explain to her I’ve been applying for a while,” she says only to continue,

“Then, in a sort of snide voice”

Side note from me: (you’ve gotta check out Transformers Dark Side, it gives the perfect example of this)

“she says : ‘Well honey, you can’t just apply for everything, you’ve gotta be QUALIFIED at LEAST. Like right here – it says automotive technician – you have to know about CARS honey.” she finishes, just staring at the wall blankly.

“Uh-oh” I think to myself. “Oh, shit”. It hit me – this is what pissed her off. Why?

The thing about my friend is, she’s very well versed. Raised in a family of automotive enthusiasts being one major factor in her life. She has knowledge of many “guy related” industries, something you wouldn’t believe just by looking at her. Engage her in conversation though, and sometimes it can be like talking to an encyclopedia.

“and I told her,” she continues “I DO know about cars. It’s right THERE on my resume, if someone would just read it. Every position I’ve applied for I have knowledge of. Does anyone read over there???”

This is a problem she’s been dealing with for years – the age-old adage of “never judge a book by its cover.”

But people do.

And people can.

Because no one’s there to monitor them.

They automatically look at this girl, who I think is brilliant at being able to know so many things (often, more than me), and put her into a tiny little box of whatever pops into their head.

But she’s not the only one.

This happens everyday, every hour, to more and more Generation Y people. They graduate high school, are told if they go to college, bust their ass and study hard, they’ll get a “great, better paying job than the average high school graduate.”

But what are we finding?

No such thing.

I myself went to college and find that the best jobs I’ve gotten were better paying and less of a bullshit process than the ones that “required” a Bachelor’s Degree.

“Can’t find a job after graduation?” They ask,

“Oh, well you know, it’s the economy and all,” the media states, providing an excuse. Even Bloomberg chipped in their two cents regarding the issue we’re facing today.

Well, while gas prices continue to rise and hold steady to the same prices we were paying back in 2008 after the crash, prices for oil per barrel stay roughly the same.

How do you explain that shit?

I’m not going on a rant here. I just see a pattern going on.

My friend’s going through it.

I’ve been through it.

People I’ve met in cafes, bars, lounges etc… have all at some point vented about it.

They say it’s the faltering economy. They blame it on the president (and don’t get me wrong here, I’m not one to show favoritism to any political figure. Not anti-republican. Not anti-democratic. I AM however, anti-bullshit.), they say it’s the war, it’s the global chain reaction of other countries, they blame it on China and pollution, China and “cut throat prices,” this and that, this and that, that and this….but quite honestly, where’s the part where the media talks about a little self-responsibility?

I’m not talking about lecturing anyone, saying they should try harder. Many of these job hunters and people in such dispositions do, and I’m sure numerous have busted their ass daily in their previous endeavors.

My theory on the whole thing?

Though I love, and I do mean LOVE technology (the year I lived in Tokyo was paradise – a city that never sleeps) frankly I think it’s made bits of the human race who’ve been exposed to it lazy, and unimaginative.

More specifically the top half of the what I call the  “business equator,” to pinpoint the countries in the west.

Think about it. We all have what most would consider a comfortable lifestyle.

A good friend of mine who was often a study buddy back in university days would always have this discussion with me. Not in a resentful manner at all, but just for the purpose of analyzing and questioning.
The guy was from Shanghai, and agreed with other British students surrounding me that having a car while being 19 at the time was considered being “rich” or “well off,” and that living in America, most automatically thought I was spoiled and unappreciative.

I couldn’t take offense to the guy, as he had a point. Not a point in that I was undeserving, no…but the attitude attached to it that is sometimes seen and exuded by others.

I was raised and have lived in multiple countries throughout my life, the USA being one of them and for a substantial amount of time. But it was my upbringing that didn’t make me conform to the stereotype of arrogance or justified privilege. I always learned to appreciate what I have, never taking it for granted. That’s how I was raised, amongst all the technological advantages and opportunities.

So back to my point, if the mass majority takes these privileges for granted, and technology has enabled most of our work to be automated for us nowadays, right down to the processing and picking of an application or resume, this is the core of the epidemic we face today. No one’s looking out for their fellow-man. Slowly, things are being left to the technology of our world, the “computers,”  to make the decisions, because it’s easier.
It’s easier to set up algorithms and create systems that are point based, making a yes or no decision on whether or not someone’s hired because they were “1 point away from the total points needed,” and because of this the computer putting them into the “reject pile.”

But humans aren’t comprised of binary – and humanity is losing its human touch. Technology was originally intended to make our work easier, which it did at some point – but every point has its peak.
A good example of this was in Tron: Legacy, when Kevin Flynn, the creator of the game Tron was battling it out with CLU (pronounced ‘Clue’), an A.I. version of himself who in the beginning aided Kevin in building a new system he was working on, key aspects which cured human sickness and world poverty:

CLU cries out to Kevin: “I took the system to its maximum potential. I created the perfect system!”

Kevin Flynn: “The thing about perfection is that it’s unknowable. It’s impossible, but it’s also right in front of us, all the time. You wouldn’t know that because I didn’t, when I created you… I’m sorry, CLU… I’m sorry.”

It’s my belief we’ve reached a point where the majority of man believes they’ve perfected an automated system, leaving everything to the programs they’ve created and letting imagination sit in the corner to dust over.
But that’s the thing about perfection – it’s impossible to pinpoint exactly what it is…and sometimes, by trying to perfect something, it ruins it. Like an artist who messes with the ink sometimes in a piece of work, play with it too much makes it worse than before.

The standard job market has been put on autopilot, from the application process right down to the selection for interview process…hell, even the interview process itself. So for those who still believe in taking initiative, they’re knocked back by the people who control this system or the “gatekeepers” to the people who control the system…because these people rely on the system to tell them what’s right – forgetting completely about common sense and basic human judgment calls.

This is the epidemic we’re facing today.
Not the economy suffering.
Not there not being a teachable or knowledgable work force.

We are dealing with an older, post 40s generation, a younger, pre 30s generation, and technology has met in the middle.

There are greater minds today than there were 50 years ago, people are learning faster, doing more, gender roles and classifications are being dissolved, and people are creating different, hybrid viewpoints.
While some from both the younger and older generation lack ambition and meet it with resistance, many are embracing this shift.

We can’t escape it. It’s not meant to be rejected. There is no problem with the generation of today – but a resistance in mental shift, amongst the human population, and a gap in thinking.

R. Buckminster Fuller said it himself, “We are not going to be able to operate our Spaceship Earth successfully nor for much longer unless we see it as a whole spaceship and our fate as common. It has to be everybody or nobody.”

Technology is great, but it’s been left to its own devices.

This is the pain my friend was feeling when she called HR.

This is the pain Sam Witwicky felt when after everything he’d done, learning about the autobots and different worlds that existed, felt when he said to the interviewer, and his girlfriend Carly, “I just want to matter.”

“I just want to matter.” I’ve heard it many times before.

We’ve gotta bring back that human touch. It’s happening, but it has to happen faster. I believe both can coexist.

Musings: Episode 1 – Job Hunting and the Unemployment Epidemic is a post from and appeared first on Rego’s Life