A while ago we ran a survey here on Indie Travel Podcast, asking what kind of things you’d like to read more of and see more of. We’ve been slowly but surely changing things around and making it work.

You asked for more about our travels, so we started a diary. You asked for more photos, so we started doing photo essays. You asked for more videos … and I have over 300 hours of footage for Joel and me to edit after I pick up a new computer in New York in two weeks. You also asked for more information on earning travel money online – this is a difficult one.

How can we keep the business side of things out of Indie Travel Podcast while helping you develop location-independent work? We decided this wasn’t really the place. My new blog is. Make money travel blogging. Sign up for the newsletter there and get monthly reviews and irregular special announcements.

For those of you that don’t want a whole site, here’s my number-one recommendation for a course to make money online and free yourself to travel and earn from any country.

The Empire Building Kit by Chris Guillebeau

If I were to choose one course to recommend, it’d be this one. Easy right?

You might remember we’ve reviewed some of Chris’s travel products, like our How to Become a Travel Ninja review and the Frequent Flyer Master Review. What we didn’t say is that Chris makes amazing business products too.

My experience

I’ve been part of the Empire Building Kit project since day one: April 7, 2010. In fact, when Chris first launched it (from a cross-US Amtrak train) he only allowed sign-ups for 24 hours then shut it down. After that, he re-opened it once for a short time and brought the number of people up to around 500, I think. Since then it’s been closed to the public, but it re-opens on June 16 … Nice birthday present for Linda, right?

So I’ve been part of the programme for a little over two months now. I’ve received:

• An email a day with ideas, interviews, answers to questions, or questions to answer. This will continue for 365 days in total.
• Six video interviews with transcripts.
• 18 PDF case-studies from different areas of business.
• Nine short videos on various topics.
• Ability to ask questions for a recorded webinar (and access to the recording).
• A product-launch checklist and extra video (vital for the Art of Solo Travel build-up).

There are different levels of the course, so you may get more or less than this, depending on what you decide to buy. This list reflects the mid-level course at the first launch. Which one you choose depends on your needs, but I reckon you should get the highest level if you can afford it.

And would I recommend it?

Or, how has that worked out for me? Firstly, some of the emails I received were a bit basic for me. I’ve been working online and reading about online business and marketing for years, so they didn’t apply or would only apply if I was starting out again. They did serve as good opportunities to look over the foundations (and wish I could change a few things!) but weren’t applicable. However, this weakness for me is one of the reasons I’d highly recommend it: you can start from next to no knowledge of online business and build, build build.

At first, the video was a problem for me as it would only stream online. Now, however, they’ve changed things and I can download it, put it on my iPod and watch it during flights and bus journeys. That’s a big win for travellers and those currently commuting to a day job. I find the interviews useful, and the short videos quite powerful too: it’s changing the way I do things week by week, and changing them for the better.

I’m a bit hit-or-miss with the PDF case-studies but some of them really hit the spot. I’m sure you’ll find the same: some of them apply to you, some don’t. What was powerful was how each person outlines their net income over the past few years … and Linda and I could certainly do with some more black ink in those columns! Our core earning over the last month is showing improvement, although we’re still not covering 100% of our travel/living expenses.

I think the key component of the course is the daily emails, and they are excellent. Without them I’d be lost and wouldn’t be making any use of this material. With it, I’m thinking about my business and applying stronger strategies every day. I’m making more money, which is important, and it’s helping us build a more enjoyable community here on Indie Travel Podcast. At least, we hope it is … we’re having fun!

Conclusion

Overall, this is one of the most valuable courses I’ve ever done. It takes you from nothing … no idea of online markets, keyword importance, how to sell things, ideas for making money … and builds from there. There’s a large human element for those that like to watch others and adapt their strategies plus there are lots of questions and answers for those that like a more practical approach.

The course is re-launching on June 16 (9am PST / 12pm EST). To celebrate and help us build the new Make Money Travel Blogging site, we’re offering a special deal to all our email subscribers over there.

Sign up before launch or just click here to buy the Empire Building Kit.

Related, but different products include: Jetset Money, Travel Blog Success, and Location Independent.

---

This article was written by Craig Martin

Podcaster and writer Craig Martin has been living on the road since leaving Auckland, New Zealand in February 2006. With a degree in Media Studies and English plus a penchant for Coleridge, he's still travelling. Craig podcasts at the Indie Travel Podcast and has penned several travel books for Indie Travel Media Ltd.