by David Andrew Wiebe | May 9, 2022 | News
The time has come to hit the road again. My landlord recently sold the house in Abbotsford. And I have until May 31 to leave the premises.
So, I started reflecting on my next move. Should I go and find an apartment or condo or another suit? And I’ve already put some time and energy towards that.
One of the challenges is that I’m in a very intensive yearlong leadership program, so I haven’t had a lot of time to look. I’ve still gone out to see a couple of places, I’ve contacted with a few landlords. And I’ve done quite a bit of looking online, but nothing has really come of it.
Going on Vacation
So, at this point, I was thinking, “yeah, I could go and rush myself into an apartment that I don’t even like,” or I can live nomadically for a while.
Now at first, the idea of living nomadically again, didn’t exactly appeal to me. But then when I stopped and thought about it, I realized that the first thing I wanted to do after completing this leadership program – and it just so happens that I’m completing the first week of June – is to take a two-week vacation.
And when is the best time to take a vacation? Well, as far as I’m concerned, it’s when you don’t have rent to pay. I’ve already been living rent free in May, which has been a big blessing. It hasn’t necessarily set me ahead in a big way. But it certainly hasn’t set me back. If I can go and take two weeks off, it’s really going to be the equivalent of paying rent for a month around this part of the world anyway.
Living Nomadically Again
So, all my other thoughts have started orienting around this idea that I’m going to be living nomadically for a while. And I can’t imagine that I’m going to be traveling too far out of BC. I might make a trip or two to Alberta.
And I still think Fraser Valley and the greater Vancouver area are going to be my jumping off points for most travels. But does mean that I can be a little bit freer with where I go and where I spend my time.
The Logistics
I will need to find a storage space. And I’ll probably need to find a P.O. box as well. But aside from that, I can’t think of too many things holding me back from getting back out on the road.
I’ve certainly thought about the cost of Airbnbs and hotels and crashing on couches and sleeping in the basement of churches, whatever ends up working out. And what I realized is that rent around here costs about $1,100 a month all the way up to $3,000 a month if not more than that. So, the cost of living would average out while I’m on the road so far as I can offset the costs.
And one of the ways I’ve been thinking about offsetting that cost is by playing gigs. Assuming I’m thinking ahead and planning all of this out, if I know where I’m going to be going next, I can research that town, book gigs in advance or at least find the venues, and create those opportunities for myself wherever I go.
What’s Next?
At this point, I’m already clear that my next destination is Chilliwack and Cultus Lake, because that’s where I want to take my vacation. It’s not in some far off distant tropical land, but I will enjoy myself, nonetheless. And I will be able to get some sun and lay on the beach and I think there’ll be the opportunity to connect with a few people as well. No one that’s necessarily within my immediate circle, but within my extended network.
After my two weeks in Chilliwack, I’m excited about the idea of continuing with my travels. And living nomadically for a while, at least until I find a place that’s going to work for me.
Streamlining
And now that I know that I’m going to be out on the road, and I’m not necessarily going to have a home, I’ve also started orienting my thinking around the logistics of everything.
That’s going to look like streamlining my business and simplifying my life. While on the road, I’m not going to have a lot of gear with me, just whatever is going to fit in my car. And even then, I’m going to do it safely because theft is a concern.
I am in fact developing a new method of publishing that’s going to help me create more content in less time without sacrificing quality. It just requires a little more upfront planning and strategizing and research to get to that point.
And as much as possible, I want my business activity to be rallying around a singular offer. And this doesn’t mean there aren’t going to be multiple offers. We’ve created many through the years, whether it’s eBooks, physical books, courses, or coaching programs. But I want to make it something efficient, easy to process, make it clear where people should go when they want the next thing. So that’s where my time and energy is starting to go.
New Publishing Schedule
I’ve started figuring out what I’m going to do with my publishing efforts as well. I’m going to be creating seven pieces of content per week for Music Entrepreneur HQ. So, my daily publishing efforts are already covered in a manner of speaking. I’m going to be creating one video, one podcast episode, and five blog posts per week using my new publishing method.
That does mean I’m probably not going to be publishing as frequently on DavidAndrewWiebe.com anymore. I may even turn it into my artist website for now given that I’m probably going to start looking for gigs again.
And in terms of publishing to Medium and Tealfeed… I think my best bet is probably just to syndicate the content I’m creating week to week, maybe even stuff like this.
I don’t think it’s going to be like the last two or three weeks where I’ve created three unique pieces of content for Medium. I enjoyed doing that. And I do make about $40 per month with Medium right now, which is nothing to sneeze at, but I do need to create greater sources of income. If I want to offset the cost of travel.
Cost Savings
And I do say that but there actually are certain cost savings with traveling, I’m starting to realize. I’m not going to need a Netflix subscription for one. Pretty much everywhere I go, there’s going to be cable TV, Netflix, and in some cases, other subscription services, whether it’s Amazon Prime, or Hulu or whatever.
I’m not going to need cable internet, because it’s pretty much everywhere you go nowadays. At Airbnbs and hotels, there’s internet. And if worst comes to worst, I can head over to Starbucks.
So, there are some cost savings.
Adapting to a New Lifestyle
I’m recognizing that I will need to streamline to adapt to this new lifestyle. I don’t necessarily anticipate having less time to work. But I do understand the realities of travel. That sometimes you’re going to be driving all day from one place to another. Sometimes you’re just going to be tired and want to crash in bed. And you’re going to have days where you’re going to go sightseeing or you’re going to be connecting with people and those days are going to be less productive overall in terms of getting work done.
But overall, I’m very excited about the prospect of getting back on the road.
by David Andrew Wiebe | Mar 3, 2022 | News
Over the course of the last two years, I’ve remained in the same basement suite in Abbotsford, BC (aside from a few trips to interior BC and Alberta).
It’s been a great experience. I love the locale. But I’ve always wanted to move in a little closer to Vancouver, where there is more access to various amenities. It didn’t make much of a difference during the pandemic, but now that the world is starting to open again, it’s become a more immediate matter.
My landlords just told me the other day that they would be selling the house. Staying here is an option. But I thought this might be a good opportunity to begin the search, to see if there might be a new space I can call home, even if only temporarily.
So, while it might be a long shot, people know people. If you happen to know of people who might be renting, or if there are any relatively affordable and well-equipped spaces in Langley or Coquitlam area that you know of, I would love to hear about it. Keep me in mind! 😉
by David Andrew Wiebe | Nov 7, 2021 | Creativity
I’ve conducted many experiments in my adult life since learning from personal development blogger Steve Pavlina’s example. His blog is filled to the brim with all kinds of experiments – manifesting $1 million dollars, raw food diet, juice fasting, and more.
I think my first experiment was learning mandolin for 30 days. I’ve since done all kinds of things, whether it’s learning Joomla, walking 8,000 steps per day, writing 365 songs in a year, or otherwise.
The most significant experiment I recently completed was publishing daily for a full year. In a way, I’m still on that journey. It’s just that it’s taken a different form.
And you can bet that the results of these experiments factor into how I approach my work and life. I have actionable data and insights I can learn from to better my future endeavors.
You need to leave some time in you life for experimentation – in music, in business, and even in your personal life.
Ever notice how time seems to fly when you’re doing the same things day in day out without much change?
But how it seems to slow down when you’re constantly exposed to new things? And how much more exciting that experience is?
I’ve been living in Abbotsford, BC now for two years, and I love it here. Long-term, I could see myself moving to a nearby city, mind you (Abbotsford is fine, it’s just a little far from the action for my tastes – Langley or Coquitlam would be more to my liking).
I’ve explored quite a bit, but there is still a lot that’s new and novel about the area I’m living in. And it feels good.
My adventures have been a far cry from traveling the world, which is what I originally had in mind, but life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.
Establishing a framework for experimentation (novelty), can’t hurt. How much time will you spend trying something new? What rules will you put into place? What actions will you take?
Dedicating about 20% of your time to the new is a good place to start. You just never know what you might discover in the process.
by David Andrew Wiebe | Oct 17, 2021 | Creativity
In 2019, I decided to begin living nomadically. My adventures were ultimately cut short by the pandemic (I’d managed to explore some of western Canada and northwestern States), but I still ended up leaving Calgary, where I had lived for over 20 years, and ended up moving to Abbotsford, BC.
This move did not go smoothly. But if I wanted to live nomadically, I knew I needed to make certain sacrifices.
So, I bagged up the closet full of clothes I had collected over the years, keeping only what I considered “essential” and would fit in my suitcase.
To my surprise, I ended up filling five garbage bags with clothes I barely used or didn’t need anymore, and I donated them.
And I followed a similar process with all my belongings, some of which ended up in storage at my parent’s house.
I had already minimized my belongings during the previous move, but this time I had to be even more selective, because I knew would be driving to BC with only what would fit in my car.
And this is not merely about minimalism or optimization. The key is really that:
The less you have, the less encumbered you are.
Sounds obvious, I know. But we sometimes forget just how burdened we can become in the endless pursuit of stuff and all the trappings that are supposed to go along with success.
What I’m really pointing to is simplicity.
This doesn’t mean you don’t have complex systems, marketing strategies, or songs.
But when it comes to execution, optimizing our work environment, even setting up our workflow inside our Digital Audio Workstation (DAW), simplicity creates performance, performance creates traction, and traction creates momentum.
Simplicity minimizes confusion. It creates clarity, predictability, and consistency. It allows you to get to your desk at 8:01 AM and have your blog post done by 9:13 AM on the dot.
And when you’ve optimized to that point, you can bet that more opportunities will show up at your doorstep. Your phone will start ringing.
For a proven, step-by-step framework in cracking the code to independent music career success, and additional in-depth insights into making your passion sustainable and profitable, be sure to pick up my best-selling guide, The Music Entrepreneur Code.
by David Andrew Wiebe | Oct 11, 2021 | Creativity
What backdoors have you yet to close? What escape hatches have you left open? What backup plans are you keeping in play just in case things don’t go well in your music career?
I’m all for being practical. I’ve benefited greatly from prioritizing work that was the meeting place of what I was good at, what I enjoyed, and what I could get paid for.
And it’s good to identify “what if” scenarios too. Because the biggest thing you realize about the worst-case scenario is that a) it’s unlikely to happen, and b) it’s not as bad as you think it is.
But oftentimes, we hold back. Just in case things don’t work out, we keep doors open and prepare for emergency scenarios.
(I could swear this is what happened with one of my ex-girlfriends. Just in case things didn’t work out with me, she’d identified someone else who was single, had a similar temperament, and played guitar).
Until we go all in, though, we’ll never get to experience what it feels like to be fully sold out to our passion and purpose.
In summer 2019, I made the decision to start traveling the world. Things weren’t going well with my relationship, and I felt the next critical step to my growth would be experiencing different cultures, languages, people, and food.
In October of the same year, I left Calgary, AB behind and moved to Abbotsford, BC. A week before my move, I didn’t even know whether I’d have a place to stay. I was just committed to making a change. It was only a few days before my move that I had finally confirmed a basement suite.
To get to Abbotsford, BC, I needed to drive through the Coquihalla Highway, which reaches an elevation of 4,081 feet. My car started exhibiting unusual behavior on the highway and by the time I’d reached Hope, BC, roughly an hour away from my destination, my car broke down.
I thought the car could be repaired, but the mechanics told me that it was irreparable.
With all the trials and tribulations, I’d experienced up to that point in completing the move, I wanted to give up. But I knew there was no turning back. I was only an hour from my destination, and I had to keep moving forward.
I burned the ships and just kept going.
Have you burned the ships?
For a proven, step-by-step framework in cracking the code to independent music career success, and additional in-depth insights into making your passion sustainable and profitable, be sure to pick up my best-selling guide, The Music Entrepreneur Code.
