On the Bigger Pockets podcast, I mentioned that if I had to attribute one thing, to whatever successes I’ve had, it would be: keeping a journal. Here’s when I realized its value. It was March 2017. I’d just returned from taking Man O Travel clients to the Gellert Baths in Budapest, Hungary (highly recommend). I
From Survival to Success
When I was 23 years old, I attended a seminar on how to be a successful salesperson that I paid $499 to attend. While that may not sound like a huge chunk of money, for me, $499 amounted to one week’s pay—if I made a sale. I wasn’t entirely naïve—I did have the foresight to
Dreams Come True at Victoria Falls (Africa)
My buddy, Adam, and I, did a homestay in Lusaka, Zambia. There was a 20-year old kid who worked there named Bonie (pronounced bō-knee). He spoke a sophisticated English, and always had a smile on his face. The trip was back in 2015, so I don’t remember the first thing Bonie said when we met him.
Accelerated Learning for Success
If I designed school curricula, students would be given an opportunity to learn the systems and practices of successful people. A young person with a base knowledge of how to be successful would more easily grasp new ideas and concepts to achieve success in the “real world.” Basic knowledge is easily connected to other concepts
Book Recommendations Part II: Mastery & The 48 Laws of Power
Book Recommendations Part Deux includes two more books that I mentioned on the Bigger Pockets podcast: Mastery & The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene. I’m drawn to Robert Greene because he’s a student of history, human nature, and social intelligence. “When you meet a swordsman, draw your sword: Do not recite poetry to one who is
Book Recommendations: Wealth, Wisdom & Influence
By request, here is a list of books I mentioned on the BP podcast in the order of mention. Just in time for Christmas! I’ve added notes and commentary on how the books changed my thinking. There’s also a lagniappe “test” question to challenge your own thinking. If you had to skip a meal or a
Confronting Man’s Dark Side (From a Nazi Concentration Camp)
An encounter with what Carl Jung called The Shadow is to confront the reality that everything horrible that human beings have done, was done by human beings, and that you are one of them. Man Overseas Travel’s trip to Dachau Concentration Camp last week marked my third different concentration camp visit in four years— my first in
Developing Mental Toughness by Digging Deep Within: The Years that Shaped Me (1991-1994)
1991-1994 were the toughest and most impactful years of my life. Late at night on March 25, 1991, my friend’s dad was driving his family home from our basketball game in New Orleans. A speeding drunk-driver ran a stop-sign and crashed into their Astro van. My family was a few minutes behind, traveling the same
Reflections on Life as an Astros Fan
I remember the feeling of awe walking to our seats at the Astrodome. My dad took me to my first game when I was eight years old. The Astros were playing the Cubs. Astros first-baseman Glenn Davis hit a 427-foot homerun to dead center. As Davis rounded the bases, the electronic board displayed a rocket show,
Mindless “Scrollers” vs. Superhumans: A Futurist Tale
Every once in a while, I’ll delete social media apps from my phone. The reason is I want to reduce the amount of time I spend mindlessly scrolling. I have this theory that if a man can maintain a long attention span in an increasingly distracted world, it won’t be long before he’s considered superhuman. If
A Wedding Story in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico (05.12.18)
Even before “the big day,” it was decided that my bride would take my name. Henceforth she will be referred to as Lady Overseas, or Mrs. O. Mrs. O. has brought a joy and energy to my life that I hadn’t previously known. She was working two jobs when we met in 2015, one at Fit