The Entrepreneur Forum | Financial Freedom | Starting a Business | Motivation | Money | Success

Welcome to the only entrepreneur forum dedicated to building life-changing wealth.

Build a Fastlane business. Earn real financial freedom. Join free.

Join over 80,000 entrepreneurs who have rejected the paradigm of mediocrity and said "NO!" to underpaid jobs, ascetic frugality, and suffocating savings rituals— learn how to build a Fastlane business that pays both freedom and lifestyle affluence.

Free registration at the forum removes this block.

Hello from a Tropical Island

Paladin

Bronze Contributor
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
379%
Oct 23, 2018
82
311
Hey guys, my name is Jonathan and I'm really excited to be here.

I only recently heard about this forum from two of my mastermind members and am excited to find a place where people are on a similar journey and can share their experiences.

I live on a small tropical island in Southeast Asia.

My online journey started way back in 2010 and now I make a fulltime living from my books, digital products and blog.

This summer I leased an entire hostel for 10% more than we were renting our last apartment. We have this for ten years and we have already hit 2.5x on what the previous owners claimed the place was making. Our goal is to hit 10x in the next six months.

Very few people on my island are online entrepreneurs, so most of them think that the physical building is the asset. In reality, the business is all digital. It's about the website, the traffic and the targeted ads we use to keep the place full. In ten years, my wife and I may decide we want to move on to something else, but in the meantime she has a business to run while I continue to build things online.

I'm excited to find other people to share similar stories with and find ways to help each other grow. I'm in the middle of growing two businesses at once and sometimes it gets a little lonely around here. The guests all come and go and very few people here really understand the idea of building a business or leaving wealth behind for your kids. Yes, I have three kids and I'm hoping for loads more. ;)

I am excited to see other people who are further up the mountain and a few who are a little behind me that I can share some nuggets of wisdom with.

I'm ready for life in the fastlane.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

MJ DeMarco

I followed the science; all I found was money.
Staff member
FASTLANE INSIDER
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Read Rat-Race Escape!
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Summit Attendee
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
445%
Jul 23, 2007
38,079
169,495
Utah

The Abundant Man

Gold Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
150%
Jul 3, 2018
1,428
2,140
images
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Jeff Noel

Go all in.
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
219%
Oct 26, 2018
699
1,534
Quebec, Canada
Welcome to the forum Paladin !
 

NicholasCato

Contributor
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
113%
Oct 31, 2018
64
72
Living on a tropical island with two successful businesses and a beautiful family? I'd say you're already living the dream to most lol!

Welcome to the forums!
 

Xeon

All Cars Kneel Before Pagani.
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
191%
Sep 3, 2017
2,427
4,628
Singapore
The tropical island is likely to be Singapore and it looks nothing like what Abundant Man posted :rofl:
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Tommo

Silver Contributor
Read Rat-Race Escape!
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
168%
Jan 21, 2018
438
738
70
Perth Australia
Wecome to the forum. If you are on Krabbi, I am at koh lanta for a week. Let me know if we are close enough to catch up. Cheers
Tommo.
PS Your plan is great, looked at similar idea in New Zealand couple of years ago re leasing motels/hotels, figures weren't good at the time.
 
Last edited:

Get Right

Legendary Contributor
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Summit Attendee
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
477%
Jul 16, 2013
1,317
6,281
Sunny Florida

Paladin

Bronze Contributor
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
379%
Oct 23, 2018
82
311
Welcome to the forum! Glad to see you're already in motion and making bank. Here's to your continued success.
Thanks for the love. I'll try to figure out my avatar so I'm not a grey man anymore.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Real Deal Denver

Gold Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
245%
Jan 13, 2018
899
2,199
69
Denver, Colorado
The tropical island is likely to be Singapore and it looks nothing like what Abundant Man posted :rofl:

What they showed in the movie "Rich Crazy Asians" of Singapore was stunning and breathtaking. I never imagined Singapore was that ultra-modern and beautiful. I'll take it any day of the week!
 

Private Witt

Gold Contributor
FASTLANE INSIDER
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
220%
Feb 20, 2018
984
2,168
Oklahoma
Congrat on your success! I used to work out of hostels a lot when working on a travel guide for Colombia. I always wondered if I would want to own one, a lot of work Im sure!
 

JasonR

Maverick
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Summit Attendee
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
544%
May 29, 2012
2,102
11,425
Las Vegas
@Paladin - what part of Asia are you in? Excited to hear more about your story and business.

I'm currently in Bali and usually travel a lot although now I'm splitting my time between the States and Asia.

For the rest, there are thousands of tropical islands in Southeast Asia, and many that are insanely beautiful (albeit usually hot).
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Paladin

Bronze Contributor
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
379%
Oct 23, 2018
82
311
Hey guys thanks for the awesome replies. Here is a picture one of our guests recently took of the island.

Cloud9SiargaoAerialShot.jpg

The island is called Siargao and it's in the Philippines. It's exploding right now and the tourists are flooding the beaches. It's a great time for us to be in the tourism space for sure.

Our hostel is constantly overbooked as guests want to keep extending their stays even if it means they sleep in the common areas on a couch or in a hammock. I'm really excited to have a business my wife can run while I continue to build my own business.

We took over on July 1 and are currently at 3x the monthly of the previous owners. I want to hit that 10x by next July, so we still have a bit more work to do. We are currently on track with our plan, so I'm excited and of course, if anyone here wants a place to visit you're always welcome ;)
 

Paladin

Bronze Contributor
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
379%
Oct 23, 2018
82
311
Thanks for the warm welcome. I've started a progress thread about the hostel in the INSIDERS's section. I'll still followup on this thread of course! ;)

Here are some more pictures of our place and the island:

This is my office
SiargaoFootprintsNirvanaDayMode.JPG

Here is my dog:
SiargaoFootprintsCerberusTheSurfDogLifeJacket.JPG

This is the hangout and yoga area:
ActionCameraChilloutYoga2.jpg

Sunset from a boat:
SiargaoFootprintsBoatTripSunset.JPG

This is the island in front of my house that I paddleboard to. Everyone else takes boats, but I like to earn it.
SiargaoFootprintsGoyumIsland1.JPG
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Lionhearted

Silver Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
266%
May 29, 2012
289
770
Killeen Texas
Hey guys, my name is Jonathan and I'm really excited to be here.

I only recently heard about this forum from two of my mastermind members and am excited to find a place where people are on a similar journey and can share their experiences.

I live on a small tropical island in Southeast Asia.

My online journey started way back in 2010 and now I make a fulltime living from my books, digital products and blog.

This summer I leased an entire hostel for 10% more than we were renting our last apartment. We have this for ten years and we have already hit 2.5x on what the previous owners claimed the place was making. Our goal is to hit 10x in the next six months.

Very few people on my island are online entrepreneurs, so most of them think that the physical building is the asset. In reality, the business is all digital. It's about the website, the traffic and the targeted ads we use to keep the place full. In ten years, my wife and I may decide we want to move on to something else, but in the meantime she has a business to run while I continue to build things online.

I'm excited to find other people to share similar stories with and find ways to help each other grow. I'm in the middle of growing two businesses at once and sometimes it gets a little lonely around here. The guests all come and go and very few people here really understand the idea of building a business or leaving wealth behind for your kids. Yes, I have three kids and I'm hoping for loads more. ;)

I am excited to see other people who are further up the mountain and a few who are a little behind me that I can share some nuggets of wisdom with.

I'm ready for life in the fastlane.

I would say your are a man of GREAT wealth at this moment (though I am totally supportive on you building it higher). BTW I see wealth as a measure of your entire life and happiness. You have a wife and children that are a complement to your life. You live in paradise. You add value to the world every day. You have multiple revenue streams. I like that you lease the property which gives you a much easier exit strategy if you ever decide depart from the venture. You are certainly an inspiration to others.
Do you plan to scale this business? If so how? Do you have a future exit strategy?
Thank you for sharing your journey with us. All the best!
 

Hadrian

QUEST MASTER
Read Rat-Race Escape!
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
145%
Oct 8, 2017
475
688
Dublin, Ireland
Hey guys, my name is Jonathan and I'm really excited to be here.

I only recently heard about this forum from two of my mastermind members and am excited to find a place where people are on a similar journey and can share their experiences.

I live on a small tropical island in Southeast Asia.

My online journey started way back in 2010 and now I make a fulltime living from my books, digital products and blog.

This summer I leased an entire hostel for 10% more than we were renting our last apartment. We have this for ten years and we have already hit 2.5x on what the previous owners claimed the place was making. Our goal is to hit 10x in the next six months.

Very few people on my island are online entrepreneurs, so most of them think that the physical building is the asset. In reality, the business is all digital. It's about the website, the traffic and the targeted ads we use to keep the place full. In ten years, my wife and I may decide we want to move on to something else, but in the meantime she has a business to run while I continue to build things online.

I'm excited to find other people to share similar stories with and find ways to help each other grow. I'm in the middle of growing two businesses at once and sometimes it gets a little lonely around here. The guests all come and go and very few people here really understand the idea of building a business or leaving wealth behind for your kids. Yes, I have three kids and I'm hoping for loads more. ;)

I am excited to see other people who are further up the mountain and a few who are a little behind me that I can share some nuggets of wisdom with.

I'm ready for life in the fastlane.

I love This Thread! Reminds me of the four hour work week.. the book that started my evolution into Entrepreneurship! :)
 
Last edited:

Paladin

Bronze Contributor
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
379%
Oct 23, 2018
82
311
Do you plan to scale this business? If so how? Do you have a future exit strategy?

Thanks for the kind words and this is a great question.

A hostel is controlled by the physical. We only have so much space between our walls. Once we complete turning the last room from a couple's room into another dorm, we'll have maxed out.

We have looked at leasing other buildings near us, but the landlords are sketchy and won't sign contracts.

The only way to get bigger is to buy land and build something. I'm not really into that right now.

The main goal is to build up a saving's account over the next ten years so that my wife and kids never have to worry about money ever again.

In ten years, the propery will rever back to the current owners unless we do another contract. I think running a hostel for a decade is enough. I'm way too old to hang out with twenty-year-olds. I already did that and had a BLAST. But now I'm on to the next adventure.

We may decide we love this industry and start again somewhere else, but I don't know where I'll be in a decade.

This business is mostly about freedom, lifestyle and security for my family. Now that they have this new layer of security, my life is a lot easier.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Lionhearted

Silver Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
266%
May 29, 2012
289
770
Killeen Texas
Thanks for the kind words and this is a great question.

A hostel is controlled by the physical. We only have so much space between our walls. Once we complete turning the last room from a couple's room into another dorm, we'll have maxed out.

We have looked at leasing other buildings near us, but the landlords are sketchy and won't sign contracts.

The only way to get bigger is to buy land and build something. I'm not really into that right now.

The main goal is to build up a saving's account over the next ten years so that my wife and kids never have to worry about money ever again.

In ten years, the propery will rever back to the current owners unless we do another contract. I think running a hostel for a decade is enough. I'm way too old to hang out with twenty-year-olds. I already did that and had a BLAST. But now I'm on to the next adventure.

We may decide we love this industry and start again somewhere else, but I don't know where I'll be in a decade.

This business is mostly about freedom, lifestyle and security for my family. Now that they have this new layer of security, my life is a lot easier.
You mention "books, digital products and blog." They are obviously part of the mix. Can you link us to those? I am interested in what got this party started. Also can you expand on the "Mastermind" group? And NO, I am in NO WAY affiliated with Paladin. LOL Thanks again
 
Last edited:

ZF Lee

Legendary Contributor
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Read Rat-Race Escape!
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
180%
Jul 27, 2016
2,840
5,113
25
Malaysia
Welcome, @Paladin

What they showed in the movie "Rich Crazy Asians" of Singapore was stunning and breathtaking. I never imagined Singapore was that ultra-modern and beautiful. I'll take it any day of the week!
Fun Fact: They filmed MOST of the scenes in MALAYSIA
Crazy Rich Asians: 7 Locations In Malaysia You May Recognise In The Film

TLDR: They chose the nice hotels in Kuala Lumpur, and great beach places in Langkawi and Penang.

SAYS

Apparently the author can't come into Singapore because he's avoiding their military draft. Hopefully it wasn't a big issue that forced the filmmakers to make the move to film somewhere else that looked similar.
 

Thomas Baptiste

Guide Yourself!
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
161%
Jun 8, 2018
163
263
Commonwealth of Dominica
Hey guys, my name is Jonathan and I'm really excited to be here.

I only recently heard about this forum from two of my mastermind members and am excited to find a place where people are on a similar journey and can share their experiences.

I live on a small tropical island in Southeast Asia.

My online journey started way back in 2010 and now I make a fulltime living from my books, digital products and blog.

This summer I leased an entire hostel for 10% more than we were renting our last apartment. We have this for ten years and we have already hit 2.5x on what the previous owners claimed the place was making. Our goal is to hit 10x in the next six months.

Very few people on my island are online entrepreneurs, so most of them think that the physical building is the asset. In reality, the business is all digital. It's about the website, the traffic and the targeted ads we use to keep the place full. In ten years, my wife and I may decide we want to move on to something else, but in the meantime she has a business to run while I continue to build things online.

I'm excited to find other people to share similar stories with and find ways to help each other grow. I'm in the middle of growing two businesses at once and sometimes it gets a little lonely around here. The guests all come and go and very few people here really understand the idea of building a business or leaving wealth behind for your kids. Yes, I have three kids and I'm hoping for loads more. ;)

I am excited to see other people who are further up the mountain and a few who are a little behind me that I can share some nuggets of wisdom with.

I'm ready for life in the fastlane.
I'm also on a tropical island, but located in the caribbean. Nice to see we're on opposite sides of the world working towards similar goals. Nice!
 

Paladin

Bronze Contributor
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
379%
Oct 23, 2018
82
311
I'm also on a tropical island, but located in the caribbean. Nice to see we're on opposite sides of the world working towards similar goals. Nice!

Glad to see I'm not the only islander on here. Even when you have a bad day, it's not that bad here ;)
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Ivan2BAlive

Bronze Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
146%
May 24, 2017
139
203
Louisville, KY
Thanks for the warm welcome. I've started a progress thread about the hostel in the INSIDERS's section. I'll still followup on this thread of course! ;)

Here are some more pictures of our place and the island:

This is my office
View attachment 22675

Here is my dog:
View attachment 22676

This is the hangout and yoga area:
View attachment 22677

Sunset from a boat:
View attachment 22678

This is the island in front of my house that I paddleboard to. Everyone else takes boats, but I like to earn it.
View attachment 22679

Wow!!! Awesome place dude!!! Welcome to the forum.
 
Last edited:

GregDott

Bronze Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
144%
Feb 20, 2018
70
101
Eta Carinae
Hey guys, my name is Jonathan and I'm really excited to be here.

I only recently heard about this forum from two of my mastermind members and am excited to find a place where people are on a similar journey and can share their experiences.

I live on a small tropical island in Southeast Asia.

My online journey started way back in 2010 and now I make a fulltime living from my books, digital products and blog.

This summer I leased an entire hostel for 10% more than we were renting our last apartment. We have this for ten years and we have already hit 2.5x on what the previous owners claimed the place was making. Our goal is to hit 10x in the next six months.

Very few people on my island are online entrepreneurs, so most of them think that the physical building is the asset. In reality, the business is all digital. It's about the website, the traffic and the targeted ads we use to keep the place full. In ten years, my wife and I may decide we want to move on to something else, but in the meantime she has a business to run while I continue to build things online.

I'm excited to find other people to share similar stories with and find ways to help each other grow. I'm in the middle of growing two businesses at once and sometimes it gets a little lonely around here. The guests all come and go and very few people here really understand the idea of building a business or leaving wealth behind for your kids. Yes, I have three kids and I'm hoping for loads more. ;)

I am excited to see other people who are further up the mountain and a few who are a little behind me that I can share some nuggets of wisdom with.

I'm ready for life in the fastlane.
Whoah man nice intro. Welcome. I'll come visit one day. Love it out in SE Asia.
 

Paladin

Bronze Contributor
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
379%
Oct 23, 2018
82
311
Thanks for the big welcome and of course you guys are always welcome to visit. Our clientele are all twenty-somethings who are looking to surf, party and get naked. As long as they do those off-site, that's fine by me. If you like sleeping in a dorm, then you'll love it here ;)
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Post New Topic

Please SEARCH before posting.
Please select the BEST category.

Post new topic

Guest post submissions offered HERE.

New Topics

Fastlane Insiders

View the forum AD FREE.
Private, unindexed content
Detailed process/execution threads
Ideas needing execution, more!

Join Fastlane Insiders.

More Intros...

Top