Building the Base of Your Location-Independent Business

At the heart of “Unretirement Planning” is developing a location-independent business that allows you to work and live anywhere in the world you want.

The toughest part of freelancing, consulting, or any other client services business is getting the clients. It’s not enough to excel at your craft; you have to market your services in a way that gets you the quality of clients your work deserves.

So, what is this approach that brings you high-quality clients, reveals ideas for productized services, and lets you expand your revenue streams?

As you learned last lesson, it’s called audience-first, and it allows you to build the base of your personal enterprise while also leading to advanced opportunities down the road.

Let’s explore that in more detail this week:

Building the Base of Your Personal Enterprise

Keep going-

Brian Clark

P.S. This is the fifth lesson in a series. If you missed the others, check them out here:

1. Is Generation X Facing a Retirement Crisis?
2. Here’s What “Unretirement Planning” Looks Like
3. It’s Time to Think Differently About Your Next Stage of Life
4. How a Personal Enterprise Fuels Your Location-Independent Lifestyle

New to Further? Join us here.

Pura Vida

If you’re ready to live the “pure life” on the “Rich Coast,” then you’re ready to consider relocating to Costa Rica. The country has been a favorite of retirees, expats, and digital nomads for decades. But it should still be on your list given that it’s got the infrastructure in place, and real estate deals can still be found.

Costa Rica: The Ultimate Paradise for the Location Independent Business Owner?

Hopping Around Europe

Traveling around Europe is no longer the realm of young backpackers during a gap year. In fact, having a location-independent income makes perpetually roaming around Europe that much more pleasurable. Here’s how to do it without committing to a special visa or residency permit.

The Schengen Strategy for Living in Europe Longer Without a Visa

The Switzerland of South America

If you haven’t heard about the expat excitement for Uruguay, you’re likely to start hearing more. Of course, you should start right here. I have a strange feeling that this may be where I end up in a couple of years after kicking around Mexico and Costa Rica for a bit.

Uruguay: The Lesser-Known Base for Your Location-Independent Life

We’re Bringing Sexy Back

By Trudi Roth

The news lately has been grim, so it’s my pleasure to share some good news: According to the New York Times, Gen X women are having the best sex. (Guys, don’t feel bad; you’re likely enjoying the fruits of us “grown-ass women leading their best lives” — not my description… Netflix’s.)

This isn’t actually news to Further readers. I’ve written about sex as self-care before and revealed this fun fact: our generation is more sexually adventurous and satisfied than our younger counterparts. Now, let’s go a little deeper into the age-related implications writer Mireille Silcoff uncovered in her NYT piece:

A whole new cultural type seems to have landed. It feels worlds away from the traditional view of older women’s sexuality — which, if you look at the lion’s share of studies, you would conclude is incredibly depressing.

Good thing traditional views have never been our generation’s forte. From the boardroom to the bedroom, we’ve been repeatedly told we’ll never get what we desire and deserve (ahem, retirement… another favorite Further topic).

Sex is just one more arena that reminds us of the importance of thinking outside the box.

The Pleasure Principle

How you perceive the world is integral to how you experience life. As Dr. Ruth Westheimer once said:

When it comes to sex, the most important six inches are those between the ears.

The old way of thinking about not just sexuality but all aspects of getting older was pretty negative, as Silcoff points out:

Until the late 20th century, academic studies of aging women were dominated by what sociologists call the “misery perspective,” which emphasizes how people’s lives get worse as they age, burdened by factors like chronic illness and financial distress.

Since then, there’s been a rise in something called “critical gerontology,” which bucks that outdated trend by focusing on all the good things that come with growing older. And that includes having no more you-know-what’s to give in all realms, including sex. Beyond the anecdotal and artistic evidence (films, books), studies show that middle-aged and older women are more open to experimenting and getting their needs met.

X-Rated Material

There are some simple and intuitive reasons why our generation is enjoying sexual dominance. Psychologist and author of Generations, Jean Twenge, notes that we may have “dodged a bullet” by having formed our sexual habits before the 21st century’s 24/7 screen culture sucked up our attention, connection, and libido. Her research backs up that assertion, revealing a much lesser dip in sexual frequency vs. other generations.

As Twenge told Silcoff:

“You can even make the statement,” Twenge said, “that Gen X is the last sexy generation.”

Provocative, sure. But the naked truth is that as latchkey kids, we learned from a young age that we hold the keys to our own lives. As Silcoff points out:

When life’s milestones are moved around, new opportunities are created.

And that’s the sexiest way I know to reframe where we are and what lays ahead.

Why Gen X Women Are Having the Best Sex (New York Times gift article)