Hugh Whalan l Destination Entrepreneurs: Recent Episodes
Hugh Whalan: having fun building businesses in developing countries
I love a good bottle of wine as much as the next guy, so I was thrilled to finally find someone like Peter Toot, an American who has started boutique vineyards in Argentina and Uruguay. Peter arrived in Latin America with passable Spanish, and a certificate from a beginner's course in winemaking. Ten years later, he can safely say he has become a pro at making money from boutique wine.
Doing research on your business idea sounds kind of boring, but it can save you years of your life and maybe even hundreds of thousands of dollars. It’s something that almost everybody overlooks when they start their first business, yet it is the simplest, cheapest insurance policy you can take out on your own success.
Maryanne paid for her backpacking trip around 18 countries by selling small collections of clothing she made with local fabrics in each of those countries. She used that experience to start a fashion label in Ghana.
Zoe Cohen produces her Zoko Bags in Kenya. She got her start as a destination entrepreneur while she was getting a guaranteed weekly pay check. Here's how.
What do dating and starting a business have in common? Fear and unrealistic expectations. Thankfully, some techniques used in the dating world can help you take your first steps towards starting a business.
You can live overseas for less than you currently pay in rent. But only if you make some smart decisions early on.
You don't have to be stuck at that desk all summer. Here's how Bianca Forzano left her office and ended up with a thriving company that she operates from the beach.
China and punk rock vinyl are not two things you typically associate with each other. Despite this, Nevin has figured out how to combine his passion for both into a viable business. His story is a fantastic example that whatever niche idea you are thinking of pursuing, it is absolutely possible if you approach it in the right way.
We all do it, and we know we do it. The big, life changing decisions are the ones you often leave until the absolute last minute... after you have done the dishes, cleaned up the house, done your taxes and paired all those uneven socks. It's important to remind yourself occasionally why they are a load to cr*p.
Feel there is no hope in the job market? Starting a business in a developing country may be the perfect answer for you.
Sometimes, success does not equal happiness. In this episode we explore what happens when the career and life you always thought you wanted, is something you realize is not for you. Edmund Lowman's story of being a guitarist in a wildly successful rock band, only to find out it was making him miserable, is a great example of this.
A perceived barrier to entry for aspiring destination entrepreneurs is money. This podcast, featuring Jodi Wu of Global Cycle Solutions in Tanzania, is focused on ways you can get other people to pay for the costs of pursuing your dream business overseas.
Moving to a developing country can seem a little scary. You've all seen the movies, and heard the anecdotes from friends. So what should you believe, and how do you mitigate the risk of something bad happening?
Bradley has built a brand name for himself as ‘the guy’ who helps governments figure out bike sharing programs in developing countries and has mastered the art of using a consulting business to pay for his life abroad. He currently lives in Laos, doing it tough in a french era cabin overlooking the Mekong.
In need of big changes in her life, Bonnie decided to move to Costa Rica and buy a small bar– undeterred by the fact she didn’t speak Spanish, had never run a business and had never lived abroad!
The safe path can be tempting. School, university and parents all tell you to take it. The thing is, the safe path is not really all that safe anymore... and it will never get you to awesome.
At the tender age of 26, with only £3500 in her pocket, Kristie managed to start a newspaper in Argentina ... and have it acquired less than 3 years later by an Argentine media conglomerate.
It's obvious right? Build, make and sell stuff to people who are willing to pay for it, and profits will be so plentiful they will clog your mattresses, bank accounts and wherever else you hide your money. But how do you find the killer idea?
Pursuing destination entrepreneurship can sometimes seem expensive and risky... but what if there was a bulletproof way to test your business idea while receiving a guaranteed weekly paycheck?
Ever wondered what it would be like to run with elephants, to manage a safari company, or set up a private island? Malcolm Ryen can tell you all about it...
For this episode I spoke with Bianca Forzano, an Italian living in the Dominican Republic who loved kite surfing so much that she figured out how to start two businesses around it. She now loves her life, spends a lot of time on the beach, and is buddies with Richard Branson.
I have seen some pretty crazy stuff in my travels around Africa. I have seen 2 people beaten to death by angry mobs, had a close friend pistol whipped and robbed at gunpoint...
The process of incorporating in a foreign country can be a little daunting, especially if you have just landed and done no homework. So, let’s make sure you know what you are getting into.
If you set your sights on being a destination entrepreneur, one thing is virtually guaranteed. You will eventually be asked for a bribe... and probably lots of them. Bribes come in all shapes and sizes, but the way you handle them could be the difference between success and failure.