One of the most important elements of working online is transparency, so I put together this page to show you how I make money online.
I hope that this page can simultaneously give you some of your own ideas on how you can support yourself in a location independent manner.
I’m an author.
Initially, I wrote an e-book called The Art of Being Minimalist (now out of print) that taught people how to get rid of their stuff. I made around $40,000 a year selling this e-book over the Internet to readers of my blog — now I make more. In February of 2011, I switched out The Art of Being Minimalist for my book on Augmented Humanity, which shows a deeper story about why minimalism is happening to you: humans and machines are becoming indistinguishable. Sounds crazy? Read and find out. If you like the work here, I’d love if you’d support my work by delving deeper.
A good free introduction to my writing is How to Create a Movement.
I write for a small group of dedicated readers.
Information travels much faster in the modern age, and it’s flowing faster. Different information flows have different prices. The blog is free, and the content comes, goes, and grows. An e-book is a timeless repository of ideas that apply through space/time in a consistent manner. I realized recently that I needed a commitment from my readers before I dropped them into the deepest work that I’m doing, so I set up a paid subscription Letter.ly where I publish my most important and valuable work. Some of this work is exclusive to the Letter, and won’t be published elsewhere. Some of it eventually makes it to the blog, if it can be revised for public consumption. Subscribe to the Letter.ly here.
I evolve your digital work.
After I wrote The Art of Being Minimalist, I received hundreds of emails asking how I was able to make a living running a simple business online. In May 2009, I wrote Minimalist Business to answer these questions and give you a glimpse into what your own future could be. You can learn how to run a zero-overhead online business through experimentation, or you can learn how I was able to do it by reading the e-book. Occasionally I give people a business evolutionary boost over Skype. If you’re interested in a 1-on-1, sign up here to be notified when a slot is available — supplies are limited and I’m very selective with who I work with at this point. Please read Minimalist Business first, so we can get on the same page.
All of these income streams combine to a living wage that’s much higher than your average job.
Why I’m able to live anywhere.
I still have near zero-overhead, I work infrequently and when I want to. My e-book sales provide a base level of income for comfort. At this point, the idea of working at a desk seems bizarre to me — though I’ve been told some people like it. I’m able to do this because my life overhead is low. I don’t need much to make me happy. I don’t own or want many things. I drink coffee and smoothies, I practice yoga, occasionally I enjoy a well-crafted beer. I don’t own a car, and wherever I may be located I rent or share a small apartment. I live my life in the world. This means while my income is significant, it also doesn’t matter much. I’m able to explore creative angles without much risk by living with less.
My location independent office.
I don’t have an office. Instead I work in-between on my 11″ MacBook air and an iPhone. You’ll find me in coffee shops in Boulder, San Francisco, New York, Chicago, or elsewhere in the world writing and enjoying a single origin Americano. To see where I am now, follow on Twitter. I’m able to do this because I run a Minimalist Business. I don’t have to work out of obligation. Instead, I work on what interests me most at any moment in time. I commonly jump out of bed in the morning excited for life. If I don’t want to work, I don’t — but most days I really do!
Evolutionary Coaching 