118 Flares
118 Flares
×
“You SOOOO handsome!!!”
“Come here boy!”
“You SOOOO handsome!!!”
I was traumatized.
I’d been hit on by lady boys before – I *had* been in Thailand for over a year during my current world tour – but these guys….and I do mean “guys”, were different.
The Scene
Insomnia struck. I’d been awake since 2:45 AM, working from the bathroom of an upscale hotel room in Bangkok. We were upgraded. We liked, oh boy did we like.
Since Kelli was fast asleep I didn’t wish to wake her (i.e. incur her wrath) so I worked from the throne.
Joking; I worked on a chair placed beside the throne.
At 6 AM I’d had it. Time for a cardio break.
I cruised outside to soak in the scene. Imagine Bangkok at 6 AM? Bangkok at 6 AM is basically last night’s stragglers, drunkards and prostitutes making their way back home while the early risers among us get to work or do our cardio.
I’m walking at a brisk pace. Older Thai men and women are tending to their stalls. Large buses and garishly colored taxi cabs whiz by.
A few tuk tuk drivers ask if I need a ride, believing that I’m another drunk farong walking off last night’s cocktail of shots, beer and hellishly fattening food.
I politely decline.
And then…..
….hairy arms.
Hairy Arms
When I see hairy arms reach out to grab me I recoil. Something’s off. I feel like I’m being propositioned by a gorilla. Something really weird and horrifying about it.
If I were gay I know that no way in hell I’d be into bears.
But I digress……
….a pair of hairy arms snatched my arm.
I didn’t see a face yet. I felt my right arm being jerked about. Like a rag doll. I looked up and saw 2 masculine looking lady boys.
They were….umm….masculine, unlike the smoking hot, “could have fooled the straightest arrow of the lot” Thai lady boys who actually do fool most of the farang in Bangkok.
Video Time
Watch the 1080 HD video (change the settings) for a blogging lesson from the Twosome plus you’ll peep my ring.
These 2 prostitutes were heavy on the “dude”. Extra evidence; the ferocity of my jarring experience.
After yanking me around for a second or 2 I immediately smiled and yanked my arm away from the gruesome twosome.
I heard more than a few…..”Oh, You so handsome! Oh he so handsome! (to one another)”….as I briskly walked away.
OK who in the hell am I kidding?
As I sprinted away like Carl Lewis.
To add to the bizarre nature of the scene I observed a large, menacing soi (street) dog casually walking down the street at this time.
Said dog wore a cloth rag/chain attached to an oversized Tweety Bird doll whose feet almost dangled to the floor.
I chuckled at the thought of the dog; thought he was a bad ass but he was still wearing a Loony Tunes character.
My chuckle turned into a grimace when the thought hit me: one of the 2 prostitutes reach down toward my pocket when I was accosted.
Damn, did I have the wherewithal to pull away when being besieged by Old Hairy Arms?
Oh, the horror!! Oh, the Hair-A!
I reached into my pocket swiftly. Relief showed on my face.
Mutt and Jeff may have worked in an efficient pair around most drunk, bloated Farang looking for Thai tail but they weren’t stealing my Biddulph Baht.
So I cruise for a few minutes down the street/soi. I eventually had to turn around. I did so but with trepidation. I’d have to cross paths with the Gruesome Twosome again.
I gritted my teeth, held onto my Baht and made a beeline for the hotel.
“Hi, large, menacing soi dog with Tweety Bird doll.”
“Hi two lady boy prostitutes….whoa!”
Still There
They were still in the same spot! Damn. To make matters worse they saw me too. Not good.
I immediately put my head down to avoid being noticed. Too late.
“OOHHHHHH…you come back HEEEAAAAA…..You so handsome!”
I was walking down the other side of the street. Made no difference. I broke into a light jog. Gruesome Twosome high tailed it across the street.
I had no choice. I ran.
Mr. BFP, Mr. Ryan Biddulph, running from 2 Thai lady boy prostitutes in Bangkok at 6 AM makes for quite a visual.
I’ll give you 5 seconds to digest that one……
……………….OK, now that you’re back you knew I had to relate this colorful experience to blogging.
Conclusion: I sprinted to a safe spot (“safe” meaning away from 2 hungry whores who wanted to steal my money and steal other parts of me) watched a 5 foot long beastly-looking monitor lizard swim in one of the filthiest canals I’d ever seen and then I returned to the hotel room.
Another boring day in paradise.
Anyway, I learned a handful of blogging lessons from the 2 lady boy prostitutes.
If I ever return to Bangkok to see them again I’ll have to thank them with a “Sawadee Kap!” and then I’d run away.
Before we dive into the lessons sign up for my email list to get free blogging tips sent to your email. Free, colorful blogging tips for island hopping bloggers that is. Use the form at the top of this page.
1: Know What You Want
There was absolutely no mistaking what the Gruesome Twosome wanted.
They liked white meat. Or falang meat.
Evidence of their preference was painted all over my arms. Old Hairy Arms twisted my arm to the point I felt like Liam Neeson should be chasing after me. I felt Taken.
I had to appreciate the Thai 2. Prostitutes are generally pretty darn desperate and for good reason; even if you have the goods you better believe the competition is fierce.
The prosties weren’t none too meek in trying to grab me, or rob me, or in doing whatever then intended to do with me. I appreciated their directness in one way and was horrified by their directness in another way.
Blogger, yes you, how direct are you in stating your call to action? How direct are you in clearly explaining:
What your blog promises?
What your tag line promises?
What you promise your readers?
I didn’t arrive to paradise by being iffy. Hell no. I am in your face. In a nice, clear, direct way.
You need not be a nasty jerk to be in your face. You can do it nicely. The thing is if you aren’t getting what you want regularly your readers likely have no idea what you want.
Example; look around my blog. Click on the page links located at the top of the page. Do it now. Clickie, clickie, my little chickies. I’ll still be here when you return………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..OK now that you’re back do you find me beating around the bush?
Not really.
I know what I want. I want to free me and I want to free you. I built my blog on freeing both of us.
I clearly explain my domain name, my tag line, my products, my services, my posts, my benefits and my calls to action throughout my blog.
Are you doing the same thing? I believe that you are. I do. Not only because you’re a brilliant, regular reader of Blogging from Paradise but because you’re letting my clarity energy ooze into/onto your blog.
That sounds almost disgusting, right? “Oozing?”
I digress……The lady boys in Bangkok didn’t play around. No dancing around or shyness here.
Each was about as subtle as heart failure.
Bastard Bali Luggage Touts
I couldn’t believe it.
I’d had run ins with luggage touts at the airport in Denpasar.
These crafty little critters are skilled at snagging your luggage before you can turn down their offer. At least in the old airport set up when said shifty tout could beat you to the luggage belt.
Not so now with the new airport; I figured the touts went the way of the dinosaur when the old style luggage belt went bye-bye.
Boy was I wrong.
After Kelli and I walked out of the brand new, shiny, stunningly modern airport – compared to the old 3rd world terminal where I once was met with an immigration officer who was smoking a cigarette – we slowly traipsed over to our transport driver (taxi driver).
An aggressive tout walked up and grabbed my luggage. I was flabbergasted. Stunned. A bit pissed too but thank the lucky stars I laughed off the greediness right away and grabbed my bag from him while smiling like the Balinese Cheshire cat.
That’s a big smile.
I walked briskly to the car with knife in hand…joking…..with a firm grip on my luggage.
The lesson: work on your grip before visiting Bali AND this luggage tout knew what he wanted and went for it!
OK this is an extreme example and I don’t recommend going the rude and obnoxious route like this guy went but you get the point.
Note: remove desperation from the equation. Bali Billy was desperate to make a buck. So desperate that he grabbed the luggage of a 5 time visitor to Bali who knew all about his Jedi Mind tricks.
Been scammed done that pal.
Honest to goodness though, I’d rather some bloggers be at least close to this bold versus never stating what they want out of me.
What you probably want:
Readers
Email list subscribers (I know I do)
Ghostwriting clients (I ghostwrote a book for someone after I let them know I was a ghostwriter….duh right?….gotta love that clarity!)
Blog coaching clients
People sharing your posts
People buying your eBooks
People becoming part of your blogging community
People commenting on your posts.
Use this foolproof tip to get people to do what you want them to do: ask them to do it.
As the Hairy Armed Henry (or was it Henrietta?) grabbed me immediately you’ll grab your audience’s attention with clear, direct, focused calls to action.
Post ‘em prior to published posts and in post summation spots. Or, before and after posts if you prefer the human sounding alternative.
Clearly explain your chief blog benefit in your tagline. Pick a clear, easy to visualize blog domain name.
Be clear. Let me know what you want. I may be able to give it to ya.
I was hit with the good old Shock and Awe from the Gruesome Twosome because each guy/gal made it explicitly clear as to what they wanted.
Do the same.
Let me know as soon as I visit your blog: what do you want? Tell me.
A funny thing happens as you’ll:
Grow your email list
Increase your blogging sales
Increase your blogging traffic
Grow your blogging community
Retire to a life of island hopping
..through the miracle of clarity.
Or through the miracle of clearly asking what you want in order to get it from your audience.
The Verdict
Either have a sex change surgery – leave the hairy arms please – become a lady boy prostitute in Thailand and grab unsuspecting farang in Bangkok or clearly state your blog domain, tagline and calls to action to get what you want.
2: Be Different…..REALLY Different..by Being Authentic
Thai lady boy prostitutes are kinda different cats. Or birds.
Visit Bangkok once. You’ll see what I mean.
Now plenty of saucy street walkers work Bangkok but these 2 chick-men stood out like a sore thumb at 6 AM on a Saturday morning.
I saw old Thai men and women – and some younger folk – industriously setting up shop for the day on the mean streets of BKK.
Let the smell waft into your nostrils; fried fish, Thai sweet snacks powdered with sugar, more noxious-smelling sun-dried fish (I’m not kidding) and the malodorous canal bilge concoction greeted me this fine morning.
I was used to this.
I certainly wasn’t used to seeing lady boy street walkers up and at ‘em early in the morning.
Only Stevie Wonder, the Walking Dead and the Nazgul would have missed these guys. If you had your sight or if you were flat out human you’d have seen them.
I betcha Stevie would have sensed them anyway.
Wedding Vows and Silliness
As you may have seen during my wedding – did you tune in to the Live Hangout? 
– I added a bit of humor to my wedding vows. (note; we nixed the Hangout in the end; too busy fighting off those TMZ clowns)
I joke around. That’s who I am. Me being authentic.
The lovey dubby mushy stuff vibes with other folks but not with me.
Which is why I added a bit o’ humor to my vows.
This is the easiest way to be different. Without trying to be different.
Just by being the true you, you’ll stand out.
Blogging Authenticity
Check out Sabina’s blog at:
Girl vs. Globe
It is different. REALLY different. In a good way.
Her blog screams “Sabina from Girl vs. Globe” because it’s authentic.
She is not fitting in nor is she trying to fit in and she’s also not trying to be different.
She’s just being her.
Now I can sense you rolling your eyes. Right now. I feel it.
I know, I know, you’ve been offered this advice a gazillion times already.
It’s old hat crap here.
The question is: if you’re resisting this advice, why don’t you follow the advice?
I guaran-damn-tee ya that any reader out there in paradise, or in a semi-paradise, or in their personal version of Dante’s Inferno, who is struggling to stand out fears:
Criticism
Failure
Being authentic
Being honest
Being real
Hey welcome to the club guys! I fear all that crap too.
Yet I don rice paddy hats and pet tigers and use salty language and crack jokes and make fun of myself and crack some more jokes and tell strange travel stories and write run-on sentences and break every blogging rule then turn around and follow basic blogging rules and do everything in between to be authentic.
I am the guy you’re reading these days.
Please re-read that statement.
If you met me on the street in Siem Reap I’d be the guy you know through my blog. I’d probably even shoot a clear and definite call to action your way.
Me. In Fiji. With my virtual assistants.
I’d joke. I’d laugh. I’d be warm – I think at least – I’d smile.
Who I am here is who I am all of the time.
When I get pissed on BFP – rarely – I get pissed offline, rarely.
Sabina is a brilliant branding budding blogger. She’s young, she’s sassy, she’s smart and her blog is different, way different, in an awesome way.
As you may imagine being a different blogger opens many prospering doors like:
Increased blog traffic
Increased social sharing
Increased blogging revenue
Increased interview requests
Increased podcast requests
I know that when I was Plain Jane, things didn’t go so swimmingly. Life was a struggle.
Since I decided to be different by being authentic things turned quickly for me.
Blogging from Paradise was hatched near the beginning of my different-ness campaign. That was fun.
But I REALLY put things into overdrive over the last few months.
How?
Serious personal development guys. I spent 30 to 60 minutes daily meditating, visualizing and affirming my way to being my true, authentic, genuine self.
What you see is what you get. Online and offline.
I’m happy and smiling with a bit o’ sarcasm here and there.
Online and offline.
Which makes me different.
Here’s how it goes: every human being is different in a good way.
So different in fact that every human being can easily stand out from the billions of other human beings if they choose to be their authentic selves.
Same deal for bloggers.
Be different by:
Working on your mindset
Writing 1,000 to 2,000 words daily to find your writing voice (the different, inspired voice)
Being online how you are offline
Surrounding yourself with authentic people
Stand out. Build a profitable blog. Build a full-time, professional blogging, globe-trotting lifestyle.
Become a full time digital nomad.
Now that you’re different…..let’s learn more blogging lessons from the Thai Dynamic Duo.
3: Don’t Be Afraid to Get Personal
The touch was not too intimate but damn was it personal.
I was grabbed. I was prodded, and just short of being poked, I did feel a bit like cattle or in SE Asia parlance, a water buffalo.
The thing is though even though their invasion of space they did make a personal touch.
Lazy Ass Tuk Tuk Drivers
Many tuk tuk drivers in Thailand are lazy. Fat and lazy. I mean some are portly in Phuket and I’ve seen a few tuk tuk guys and gals who are chubby in Chiang Mai I’m talking more about being kinda fat in the pockets.
These tuk tuks often yell at you from across the road. No real effort other than asking if you need a ride. If you don’t answer it’s on to the next tourist or expat or farang.
Lazy. No personalization either.
No personalization = No emotional connection.
The Gruesome Twosome did go overboard but at least they personalized their approach.
I was told that I was handsome. Many times.
Follow up with an arm grab and there was positively no confusion about whom they were interested in.
Perhaps a light touch would have sufficed versus the heavy-handed, hairy arm approach but you get the drill.
Blogging Tips and Personalization
You may not dress up like a woman of the night to assault young foreigners but I will tell you this: personalizing is the great secret of blog community building success.
After finishing this post you’ll leave me a comment. (Jedi Mind Trick)
You’ll see my responses. Virtually every time I address my readers by name because hey; do you know of any sweeter sounding name in your native tongue?
I don’t.
Ditto on twitter and Facebook. I address my friends by name because we love hearing the sound of our name.
You love someone who cares enough to address you by name. Makes you feel special.
My next home office. Blogging from Paradise goes to Jimbaran, Bali in February of 2015.
Personalizing through “name calling” helped me grow Blogging from Paradise into a community quickly. I went from zero to 60 by being personal.
It’s personal not business. Ha. Mob movie fans know what I’m blogging ‘bout.
The Great Enemies of Personalization
I have nailed down a few enemies of personalization:
Mental hurry
Rushing
Attachment to outcomes
Greed
Lack of compassion
Envy
Jealousy
People who don’t personalize are in a rush. No time for name calling. No time to personalize. Some non-personalizers are worried about making money or getting shares or getting email list subscribers or generating sales.
In their idiocy the non personalization crowd ignores the very step, the very secret, which would help them manifest their outcomes.
Take my friend Matthew Capala at Search Decoder.
Personalization bleeds through all that Matt does. He’s the gem that he is because Matt makes you feel special.
He:
Uses email to build intimate, personal bonds with power broker bloggers
Strengthens bonds across a variety of social networks like G Plus, Twitter and Facebook
Addresses you by your name to make you feel special
Matt gets it. Which is why Matt rocks it out online.
Part of personalizing includes calling folks out. In a good way.
Craig Emerson totally gets it and wrote a super smart post about paying it forward and linking in to other bloggers here. Click it. Read it. Leave him a comment.
Bloggers It’s Time to Pay it Forward
Vincent and French Fries in Malaysia
I met a chef named Vincent in Malaysia at the apartment/condo complex where we lived a few years ago.
He hooked me up with French fries and other fine fare. Yes, dingbat me traveled all the way to Penang, Malaysia to eat fries. We also ate pancakes at the mall and other Western fare because we’re lame like that sometimes.
Anyway, Vincent really cared about me and my friendship. He added a personalized touch including getting my cell number so he could call me when my fries were ready and he even gave me one or 2 on the house in good old Penang.
I do reckon some interest was periphery as Vincent came off as being someone who preferred men over women BUT he was kind, sweet, warm-hearted and hey, he also treated Kelli with the same kindness so I’m guessing either he played both sides of the ball or he was just a good guy.
After meeting 2,445 people around the world over the past 45 months – give or take 465 people (I just pluck numbers out of the air) – I can assure you that he stands out in my mind like few other folks.
Why?
He made me feel special. He made things personal.
Sure I still recall the swaying, monstrously broad-leafed palm trees by the pool in Penang. Look at my sidebar. That shot’s by the pool, beside Vincent’s restaurant in Malaysia. Palm trees look distinctive in this country. I’ve no clue why.
I recall seeing a 3 and a half inch cockroach helicoptering around our spacious apartment.
Yep, 3 bedrooms, flat screen TV, big kitchen, quiet, with stunning views of the Strait of Malacca. Hell yeah I remember our damn sweet pad too.
Vincent stood out though. He made me feel special.
Bloggers, make your readers feel special by:
Responding to your comments
Addressing your commentators by name
Addressing social engagers by name
Using email to ask friends – by name – how you can help them
Personalizing builds communities. Communities build profitable blogs. Profitable blogs help you…..
…..Retire to a Life of Island Hopping…..
Isn’t that what you’re here to do?
4: Persist
The Gruesome Twosome were hell bent on getting in my pocket or on getting in other places.
After our initial somewhat outright awkward meeting I felt the urge to do 2 things:
Take a shower
Get the hell away from the Thai Ho-Hos
I chose 2. I’d have been sweating like a pig if I showered that early in the morning in Bangkok anyway.
After jogging/moving quickly/sprinting away from the Thai Tag Team I had to eventually turn around unless I wanted to tour Bangkok. My hotel was in the opposite direction.
After I turned, I had to turn tail. Prosty 1 and 2 sniffed my white meat out from the crowd.
Sure I crossed the street, looked down at the ground and did everything but don a hat, glasses and fake beard to appear incognito but these persistent SOB’s found me. They found farang and they wasn’t taking “No” or a light trot turned jog turned sprint, for an answer!
The duo crossed the street. Said duo almost tried to run me down. They gave up when a Scottish tourist with a large gut walked by. Fresh farang meat. Mmmmm….tasty. But you get the drill. Persistence either wins or it puts you in the running to win.
I owe my freedom to persistence. I persisted like hell through thick, through thin and through everything in between.
I persisted through failed blogs, failed book launches and through all types of struggle.
I persisted through wins too because wow is it easy to get fat and happy when one of the world’s greatest business minds calls you a “smart guy”.
I always wanted to free me and to take you with me so that crystal clear, pulsating, overpowering reason why led me through the sometimes rollercoaster like ride we entrepreneurs take.
How Can You Persist?
I heard recently of a blogger who struggled like hell to grow their list past the century mark over the course of years.
I can help you grow your email list quickly.
I can help you create your dream life through blogging.
I can teach you how to persist.
Pull up a chair. Grab a coconut water. Visualize yourself in your paradise of choice.
Is it Fiji? Bali (Jimbaran here we come on February 1!)? Costa Rica? Malaysia?
Pick a tropical hot spot. Let’s proceed.
You will persist through thick and thin to:
Create your dream life through blogging
Become a full time digital nomad
Become a time professional blogger
…..IF…..you blog to free yourself and to free your audience.
Because If you blog to free yourself and to free your audience your love of freedom will overpower your fear of doing uncomfortable things and this fear of doing uncomfortable things will die and when that fear dies you’ll be the most persistent, machine-like, cyborg-like, blogger.
You’ll not be Ahhhnold – The Terminator – but you’ll be a cyborg with a heart.
Persistent as hell, inspired, positive and prolific too. You’ll embody each quality and you’ll keep at it until you get it.
Look below.
That’s persistence my friends. I have 10 eBooks and 4 paperbacks in my Blogging from Paradise library on Amazon.
Buy one today to learn how to run a profitable blog AND to create your dream life.
Like I have.
I persisted because I knew why. I wanted to free me and free you. Your reasons may be very different but as a blogger you need to get crystal clear on your WHY reason and if you want to persist like heck through the peaks and valleys, and through all of the boring moments, and through the elation of success, and through the dregs of failure, and through the doldrums then you need that freeing element to your driver.
Examples of Freedom
Maybe you’re disgusted with your job and want to free yourself from the bondage of employment. You want to be free to work at home.
Perhaps you love your job but feel the crunch of paying your bills each moment. As the pressure mounts you’re desperate to open a part time income stream away from the office. You want to free yourself financially.
Maybe you received an inspirational idea today: you’re a travel blogger who’s excited to become a *full time travel blogger* yet you are quite unsure what to do next. Think freedom. Visualize yourself being free to travel the world indefinitely. You want to be free to travel.
I go topless much of the time. In my home of course. In the tropics. Because the heat index hits like 120 F in some spots. 110 F in others.
That’s kinda freeing. No shirt and tie. My morning breaks consist of heading to some of the most gorgeous, mind-blowing beaches on earth. That’s kinda freeing.
I earn a full-time living online. The world is my office. That’s freeing, my kiddies.
To be as persistent and dogged as those 2 Thai lady boys you have to be in love with being free MORE than you fear doing uncomfortable stuff. That’s the great tipping point. That’s the great shift.
Fall in love with being free whatever your version of freedom is. You need not set bold blogging goals; just focus your attention, energy and essence of freeing you and on freeing your audience and you’ll understand how to be persistent.
Persistent people have that extra gear; ya know, that extra gear that most folks never find.
My Painful Lack of Persistence
Goddamn it!
I was disgusted.
After posting (insert astronomical number) of comments on authority blogs I saw few returns.
Screw it. I’m done.
Bail out time. Bail, bail, bail out time.
I was about as aggressive as a glass of warm milk.
I was a milquetoast.
A quitter.
I tortured myself by not persisting. I made myself go through pain.
Almost like I was struggling like hell to survive in an arid, desolate desert. I’d walk 140 miles to reach a life-saving, cool, fresh desert well. Then when I was 10 feet away from the well I’d say, “Eff it this is too much effort,” then I’d turn back into misery and suffering.
But one day, I finally began to live my dreams. I reached the water. I saved my life. I walked those last 10 feet.
How in the heck did I go from A Bail Guy to a Bali Guy?
I knew my motivator.
I knew why.
I wanted to be free. I wanted to free you.
Being persistent is no problem for me.
Being persistent in:
Creating new blog posts
Building new connections through blog commenting
Strengthening old connections through blog commenting
Persistently taking time off (even when your monkey mind fights you on it)
…well, you’ll be as persistent as crab grass in that you will never, ever go away.
I feel crab grass gets a bad rap by the way.
5: Take Risks
Ok I am putting a twist on this one.
I’m not into risk-taking. I give myself opportunities.
BUT…for the risk-taking crowd understand this: inspired bloggers simply took more chances than the average bloggers. Many of the chances/risks were asinine, bold and uncalculated. Yeah, stupid moves, bold moves, risky moves.
The Thai Lady Boys took risks on many levels.
#1 – Lady Boys are still highly marginalized in Thailand. Some see them as freaks. Many Thai dislike lady boys. So being a lady boy is a risk in some ways because you’re bound to run into trouble by being different, by being flamboyant and by not following the herd. Kudos, lady boys. Except when you’re prostitutes trying to steal my money.
#2 – Lady Boy #1 and #2 stalked me not 40 meters from a police station.
This police station (well across of the street from the police station it’s more than a statue).
RB in Bangkok with The Law.
That’s pretty ballsy. Pun intended.
In a split second I could have turned around, marched to the station and reported the incident. Sure it was farang versus Thai but there’s a good chance the Twosome would have wound up in jail. Methinks the prosty’s would be in lockdown based on my angelic nature (yeah right), my Megawatt smile and my record for releasing persistent resistance into the ethers.
Or releasing lady boys into jail.
Anyway the cops patrol this are heavily like 24-7. Like Robocop almost. Or like Superman. Hell even Superman sleeps. The Thai Royal Police do not.
So these guys/gals ran the risk of getting cuffed by the police.
Or they ran the risk of getting socked in the face after grabbing me. I’d never do it but you better believe more than a few guys in the same scenario let the prostitutes have it – which is terribly wrong of course – after being violently grabbed without warning on the street.
More than being a flipped out reaction it’s simply self-defense.
Bob and Robert could have been popped in the grill. Not a good look for a street walker.
Blogging Risks/Opportunities
6 years ago I had no clue in hell what a blog was.
Kelli told me about this thing called blogging.
I was conditioned with the erroneous idea that all entrepreneurs were dishonest crooks. Or was it, that all entrepreneurs are lucky? Or were they blessed? I’ve no clue in hell. I do know though that attempting to build a sustainable, profitable blog was a HUGE risk at the time because:
I had no idea where to start
I was choking – then vomiting – on information overload
I was scared
I was desperate
I was like a cornered, rabid, savage dog
Point blank whatever you see today – the smile the selfies and yeah RB cold maxing in places like Fiji – was the result of me traveling down an entrepreneurial rode paved with countless risks taken.
At the time I had no choice so I had to move forward, taking risks.
Venomous Snakes in Bali
I was fascinated by how meticulously the lady hacked away at the stalks.
She patiently – and cautiously – took down stalk after stalk with a machete. Damn was she ever careful. For good reason. The rice fields of Bali are home to:
Cobras
Kraits
Pythons
Big old dinosaur-look-alike monitor lizards
You could either film a cheap, campy B-movie with this cast of characters (I can envision the not too special effects in King Kong versus Godzilla) or you could flat die or perhaps be maimed for life if you came across these critters.
The rice field lady in Bali had to take the risk of working where dangerous snakes laid their scaled heads; she had no choice.
Children needed to be fed. She needed to be fed. So she cautiously, carefully and deliberately worked the rice fields daily even though she knew that dangerous, deadly creatures made their home in the fields.
You need that same type of “I don’t give a crap about the risks I’m gonna do this anyway” attitude to become a full time digital nomad.
You need to have the same mindset to become a professional, full-time blogger who retires to a life of island hopping.
Then, you need to take it one level higher.
You need to see opportunities instead of risks.
Since I don’t envision any readers of Blogging from Paradise blogging from the rice fields of Bali – light bulb on!….branding idea – I figure your risks won’t be life and death.
Your risks may be financial:
Do I have enough money to retire to a life of island hopping?
Do I have enough money saved to become a full time pro blogger?
Do I have the dough to invest in what I need to invest in to grow my online business?
You also have other risks, like exposing yourself to criticism, to ridicule, to failure and all that good stuff.
I see opportunities though. I never gave much thought to risks.
Risks are opportunities misread.
Feel free to quote me on that.
Sometimes when I puss out a little bit and fear doing something on the blogging side of things – some imagined “risk” – I tell myself:
“Ryan, nut up! Are you working the rice fields of Bali, with kraits and spitting cobras preparing to sink their imposing fangs into your pale feet? No. Get the job done!”
Actually I have never told myself that but it makes for good writing.
I DO however dive into opportunities head first. At least most of the time.
Take blogging risks.
Examples of Blogging Risks You Should Take
Here are risks you should/could take to become full time, fully retired from the 9-5, professional bloggers:
Buy a self-hosted domain and hosting
Purchase eBooks and other products to further your blogging education
Publish your first blog post
Publish your first comment on an authority blog (hey Blogging from Paradise lurkers that means you!)
When you could live off of your savings for 6 months to a year AND you’re making a full time income with your blogging exploits leave your 9-5 to retire to a life of island hopping through smart blogging
I can hear some of you shuddering in your cyber boots.
This is exciting right? It’s freeing right? Don’t worry about your fears; embracing your fears is part of your online tuition.
I’m going to Bali soon to live in paradise, with papaya trees above me, with a beautiful in ground pool in the backyard and heck, I’ll be 30 minute away from the exotic beach known as Padung Padung (sounds so cool right?) all because I paid my tuition.
I felt the fear. I did it anyway. I dove into risks until I decided to see opportunities instead of risks.
So if you’re scared fall more in love with your pro, full-time blogging gig instead of being terrified about leaving your full time office gig.
Focus on where you’re headed to leave where you came from, behind.
Does any part of me look like a security officer? Other than the square-jawed, stern look you may see me flash from time to time?
Hell no!
I am a globe-trotting, full time blogger all the way because I focused on being a full time, globe-trotting blogger and I moved my attention towards the opportunities I wanted to seize versus any perceived risk I may have been taking.
Seize opportunities.
Retire to paradise.
6: Desperation Is Repelling
I smelled fear, desperation and cheap perfume on the lady boys.
I was repelled. Really repelled.
As you may have guessed by now the Prosty duo didn’t exactly attract me with their pheromones.
Nor was I seduced by this sicko tag team.
I headed for the hills before the two could pull me into their…..well….possession.
Shocked I didn’t reach Chiang Mai before I stopped my sprint.
Apex Predators in Bali
We will be in Jimbaran, Bali in early February. What a sensational Birthday Gift for me as my day of entering my meat suit falls on Feb 8th.
Anyway I remember 45 months ago after my 1st day in Bali. It marked the first day of my world travels.
Kelli and I spent Day 1 of Blogging from Paradise in Sanur.
Picture a calm, peaceful bay, with the requisite coconut trees swaying in the breeze and all that jazz.
We were staying by a few luxury hotels nestled by the bay.
Which meant that even amidst the scene of peace and tranquility we were being stalked by an apex predator. I was terrified frankly. Never dreamed in 1,001 years I’d be in their crosshairs.
A persistent, dogged stalker had identified me as prey.
Each day I felt lucky to escape without being persistently stalked.
I felt like one of those poor sea lion pups being sized up by the monstrously large killer whales on those nature shows.
I felt like any day now I was finally going to fall victim to this apex predator.
The predator took a different shape than you may imagine. Height: about 5 foot tall. Weight: about 105 pounds.
Chief hunting method: brutal persistence along with……the power of speech.
The apex predator I speak of is the Balinese massage tout. Their pray? Tourists. These folks *never give up* which IS good in one way but the reason why I call them apex predators is because they would:
Stalk tourists
Never take “No” for an answer
Chase tourists for minutes
Stalk the same tourists every day
Lie in wait to pounce on tourists
….ok enough already. I actually admire the persistence angle. I really do
I admire their tenacity but the overwhelming energy present was that of desperation. I felt repelled by the touts. Not in a nasty way. I smiled at them. I was polite in declining. I had no issues with them. But said massage touts stalked me daily. Said touts were so desperate and so attached to any one person that they’d waste *minutes* (yes a few massage touts followed me for minutes, asking me incessantly if I needed a massage) while ten other possible customers walked by us.
The desperation made me want to get a massage less and less. I felt guilty at first to say “No” then a little agitated then I simply ignored them, not saying a word, but smiling politely.
Whatever you chase, flees. Thai lady boy hookers chased me, as did Bali massage touts. I ran. Desperation repels.
Blogging and Desperation
Desperate bloggers chase:
Money
Subscribers
Readers
Community members
Stats
Social media shares
Any one of 400 metrics (drilling the stat point home here)
….and naturally what is chased, flees. Because desperation repels. If you chase money it’ll flee. If you chase blogging readers by:
Tagging strangers on Facebook or Google Plus to read your post
Message strangers on twitter to read your post
Chasing
Begging
Cajoling
Grabbing
……or doing anything that displays the posture of an earthworm (or jellyfish) you my friend will struggle like hell to retire to a life of island hopping because doing so requires you to act like a professional.
The Solution
Attract. Don’t chase. Create thorough, in-depth blog posts – by writing a bunch of words daily – to attract readers to your work.
Branch out by promoting successful, inspired bloggers and by commenting on their blog posts. Attract successful bloggers by helping them out.
Blog to free you and your audience NOT to make money blogging. Money flows to you in response to the value of both your content and connections of course, but more than anything, money responds to your beliefs around money.
Chase money and money will flee like a hunted animal.
Allow money to flow to you. Become attractive to value by giving value and by expanding your prosperity consciousness.
Summary
The
Gruesome
Twosome was brutal but damn did they teach this blogger – and you – a few priceless lessons, my Blogging from Paradise kiddies.
Know specifically what you want, life-wise and blogging-wise. The Thai lady boys were hellishly clear in getting what they wanted; white, farang meat. Or my Baht. No a Baht isn’t *that*, it’s Thai currency.
Bloggers you best be getting ridiculously clear on: what do you want from your readers? Well hell, ask them for it!
Be different, really, really different. Like the Thai lady boy prosty’s. Like Blogging from Paradise. Like Ryan Biddulph. Being:
Authentic
Genuine
Honest
Real
Playful
Detached
….helps you stand out from any crowded online blogging niche.
Personalization is the great connecting blogging factor. The Thai 2 got a bit too personal but at least the boys/ladys/whatevers went personal. Which made me remember them. Ok it was 1 reason why I remembered them. Hairy arms comes in at A1 there. But personalizing is the great equalizer.
Bloggers, freaking use first names! Goodness gracious, I’ve retired to a life of island hopping by using first names. How many folks do you know who’ll be taking a 4 month honeymoon (yeah we’ll do work/play too) to Bali? Use first names folks. Personalize.
The twosome persisted like mad, stalking me fervently. I appreciated the LBL – Lady Boy Love – on some level. Gotta admit it. You’ll do things differently, you island hopping, professional, full time bloggers. You’ll just blog to free yourself, and to free your audience, and you’ll have identified the essence, the nectar, of creating a life that’ll make people call you lucky, or blessed or aligned.
Yeah, you’ll do the island hopping bit.
Take risks. Or even better; seize opportunities for blogging growth. Buy your domain and hosting. Today. Book your vacation to Bali. Do what you need to do to set the Universe in motion because does the Universe EVER love swiftness. The Duo got down and dirty by taking some ballsy (yes I went there) risks and you’ll do the same if you want to grow a thriving, profitable blog.
Smart bloggers seize opportunities.
Don’t be desperate. The LB’s scared me off and desperate bloggers slather on a big old, greasy coat of “Stay the Eff Away” Repellant. Work on your mindset. Develop posture.
Create like a champion and connect like a charmer.
Your Turn
Have you ever seen Thai lady boy prostitutes in captivity?
Where?
What blogging lessons did you learn today from the Trauma-Inducing Twosome?
Call to Action
Guys, we got da paper!
I’m talking paperbacks.
Blogging from Paradise is taking Amazon by storm. Selz too, of course – click here to download my eBooks – but I moved over 4 of my paperbacks to Amazon.
Sand can get into your kindle ya know? These paperbacks make for fun summer time reading. Maybe YOU will be the next person to leave the 9-5 to blog from paradise.
Does honeymooning for 4 months in Bali sound absolutely exhilarating to you? Thought so. These books will help you craft your dream life through the simple, powerful tool known as blogging.
Digital marketers, travel bloggers, digital nomads, office workers, stay at home moms….and anybody who wants to engineer a more freeing, inspired lifestyle…..
Click here to buy my Blogging from Paradise paperbacks – as they are added – from my Amazon author page.
Until next time……enjoy paradise!
Me and my wife Kelli (love the sound of that) in Fiji.
118 Flares
Twitter
77
Facebook
16
Google+
12
StumbleUpon
8
Pin It Share
2
LinkedIn
3
118 Flares
×
The post How 2 Flamboyant Thai Lady Boy Prostitutes Taught Me (and You) 6 Clear Blogging Lessons appeared first on Blogging From Paradise.