The Cocoa Nomad Podcast

The 4th full month of investing marks the beginning of my “2nd semester” of trading. While I still feel like a freshman, I’ve learned some lessons …

The 3rd full month of investing was chock full of more lessons (and losses). Find out what I learn and how I’m adjusting my investment strategy in my …

In the latest retrospective, I prepare for my upcoming trip to Brazil, struggle with my daily guitar practice, wrestle with weight gain, and share my wild trading story that made me $1000 in a single day!!

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After a couple of years of staying (mostly) in one place, I’m making plans to explore the world in 2022. In this video, I share my plans for what I hope will be an epic year.

What are your travel plans for 2022?

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Within the span of 24 hours, I was asked twice what brought me to Mexico City and why I stay. I decided to share what I love about living here and why I keep coming back. No place is perfect, so I also talk about some …

In the latest retrospective, I share my excitement for travel in 2022, challenge the notion of always doing bigger things and, recover from my bout with COVID

Despite the slow start, I’m still ready for an amazing new …

After 2 years of avoiding the virus, I caught COVID in the past week. I spent most of the past 3 days in bed. Since I'm feeling better, I decided to make a video and discuss where I think I caught it, how I'm doing and …

For the 2nd month in a row, my FIRE report shows some real progress. The two most important metrics seem to be the savings rate, followed by the …

The income streams are changing and I like the direction that things are headed. A major shift has happened in my income streams but it’s not without a downside

This is an update in my series of income stream reports as …

The 2nd full month of investing had even more surprises than the first. While I reached a new high, I found that all that glitters isn’t gold.

This …

In the latest retrospective, I have an amazing time with family, take some big losses in the stock market, and still struggle with deciding on where …

A popular piece of advice circulating the success and financial independence spaces revolve around basing your success on your Circle of 5, the five …

We often get stuck by negativity in two basic ways: focusing on what others will think about what we do or on what we don’t have. In order to combat that tendency, I share some tips on changing your focus to eliminate …

Despite the disappointing start, this year brought about many positive returns on my investments. In 2021, the single most important investment I …

For the 2nd month in a row, my FIRE report shows some real progress. The two most important metrics seem to be the savings rate, followed by the …

The income streams are rebalancing and I like the direction that things are headed. A major shift has happened in my income streams.

This is an update in my series of income stream reports as I attempt to diversify my …

The 1st full month of investing brought a lot of surprises in terms of income. I set what I thought was a reasonable goal compared to my first month …

In the latest retrospective, I find the “zone” for my work-life, recover from my worst trading day (is far), and keep finding reasons to remain in …

We are the summation of the experiences that we have. Many of them come from the jobs that we've worked. In each job, we are potentially exposed to new industries, skills, and styles of both working and running a …

Talk about your huge price swings!! What happens when your risky trade REALLy moves against you? Find out why the stock experienced a 70% drop overnight and what I did about it.

My journey to financial independence now …

You Ain’t Gonna Need It

I frequently advise people who ask about packing for living abroad to reduce the amount that they’re taking in half. I was …

We live in a sea of information and advice. It’s often hard to evaluate all of it. I’m often swimming in it and go down rabbit holes of articles and …

As I avoid the pressure to rush to FIRE, I keep my focus on the most important factors for success. The first of those is my savings rate. 

Find out how well I did in September

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This series focuses on my …

 In month 2 of my journey, I see a bit of progress and make a big decision that will serve me well in the future.

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This series focuses on my own FIRE as a very late bloomer. Because I've already had 3 …

This series focuses on my own FIRE as a very late bloomer. Because I've already had 3 mini-retirements, I'm not feeling the pressure of the RE (Retire Early) component of FIRE and will just be focusing on the FI …

This series focuses on my own FIRE as a very late bloomer. Because I've already had 3 mini-retirements, I'm not feeling the pressure of the RE (Retire Early) component of FIRE and will just be focusing on the FI …

We are the summation of the experiences that we have. Many of them come from the jobs that we've worked. In each job, we are potentially exposed to new industries, skills, and styles of both working and running a …

In the latest retrospective, I discover another section of the park in my neighborhood, make a “risky” options trade, and struggle with whether or …

My journey to financial independence now includes options trading. In my first month, I’m learning the ins and outs of making trades. In this video, I share my first experiences with trying to sell In The Money options.

I've turned a corner with an investment strategy that is raising my passive income. It's small, but it's validating my approach!!

This is an update in my series of income stream reports as I attempt to diversify my …

This is an update in my series of income stream reports as I attempt to diversify my income, achieve a better balance and accelerate my path to …

As part of my strategy to reach financial independence, I’m becoming a bit more active in my investing (not day trading). In the latest video, I …

One of the most important components for success is goal setting. On my journey to FIRE, I need a specific target to reach, my FIRE Number. In the latest video, I go over the different types of FIRE, why I’m choosing to …

I’m a late bloomer and learned about the FIRE movement later in life. While my focus isn’t necessarily on early retirement, the benefits of financial independence are very appealing. In this video, I share the …

Remote work relies very heavily on trust and communication. I've just returned to a remote-first culture, so while there was never a need to sell the …

In the latest retrospective, I reflect on my plunge into options trading, my friend’s crazy cab experiences in Mexico City and how I finally broke …

In this video, I wanted to address the downsides of framing things in terms of fear and how it is often counterproductive. I propose a more effective way of looking at the challenges we face on our journeys.

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In the latest retrospective, I share my struggles with practicing guitar, my first hosted guest in Mexico City and why I love living here.

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This is the first in my series of income stream reports as I attempt to diversify my income and achieve a better balance and accelerate my path to …

In the latest retrospective, I talk about my renewed attempt to achieve FIRE, how I really wasn’t prepared for the cool weather and how being back in …

As I return to full-time employment, I've taken the opportunity to reflect on work, retirement and how how my many mini-retirements have affected my …

The 10% Rule is a 10 year path to replacing your full-time income, starting from scratch. I came across the rule in an article by Ben LeFort , on …

I’ve been using Wise for 5 years now but only recently took advantage of the benefits beyond bank transfers. With a new card, in hand, I was able to experience some additional features and share them in this video

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In the latest retrospective, I share my insights after a much needed break and reset prior to new beginnings. FFrom the new nephew, to the new job to the new laptop, things are really changing.

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The Cocoa Nomad …

In this week's retrospective, I’m all about the return, including a return to Playa Del Carmen, a chill weekend in Cozumel, and a return to my old …

You’ve probably heard various stories about people who have left the US to start a new life abroad. Some of them planned their exit for years while …

You did all the research.

You narrowed your choices down

You picked a new country/city

You packed your bags and take off.

You settle in and explore your new home/

Annnnnnd, you don't like it.

What Now?

Before you beat …

In this week's retrospective, I spend the day in a Hobbit village in Antigua and debate my choices for the next destination.

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If you'd like to talk about your journey and how I may be able to help, …

If you’re living the digital nomad lifestyle or are planning to, you may be looking for a full-time job and concerned about whether prospective …

In this week's retrospective, I take an ATV tour of Antigua, dunk a basketball, vow to eat healthier (again) and try to make sense of my machine learning predictive model.  

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If you'd like to talk about your …

In one of the FB ex-pat groups, I saw a question posted that made me reflect on how far I've come in my journey and what it took for me to get there:  

"Why do I feel guilty about leaving? Like not staying in the …

In this week's retrospective, I hike up a volcano and feel the heat underneath, I also make great progress with new clients, find a new co-working …

With my first month in Guatemala complete, I’ve captured my costs and break them down here. There were a few surprises and I definitely will be …

In this week’s review, I prepare for WWDC, struggle to make it to the gym, and learn a bit of wacky Olympics trivia.

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• 1904 …

One of the best practices I've implemented in my remote work career is having an accountability partner. Similar to having a training partner in …

One of the best practices I've implemented in my remote work career is having an accountability partner. Similar to having a training partner in …

In this week’s review, I learn a big lesson about making decisions, geek out on basketball stats and get to work with my 2nd brain.

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In this week’s review, I create my first lead magnet, start a learning journal and milk a cow!!

YouTube: https://youtu.be/AflpsiGW42A

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• Burner …

In this week’s review, I reconcile my feelings with the internet, attend my first online conference in a year and learn the value of spontaneity.

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In this week’s review, I land in Guatemala, deal with a COVID scare and bless the rains down in Antigua.

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Other YouTube Channels:

• SwiftUI …

As a remote worker, I like variety in my workspaces and find that I am more effective at getting things done, depending on the environment. In this episode, I share my approach to choosing work locations, diving into …

In this week’s review, I recover from my phone loss, deal with illness and the need to rest, and perform standup comedy for the first time in years.

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In this week’s review, I share the progress I’ve made with the 2 newest YouTube channels, lament the loss of my phone while swimming with the turtles and make last-minute plans to replace my equipment.

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• SwiftUI …

Indie Creator Studio is an opportunity to “peek behind the curtain” and view the lives of indie creators as they navigate the waters of bringing their ideas to life. Each episode dives into different aspects of the …

After 4 months in Playa Del Carmen, I have a solid handle on my cost of living. In the latest video, I break down what the major expenses are and …

In this week’s review, I look into the challenges I’m having with sleep, reflect on an awesome content coaching session and look into changing my media consumption.

Join me in my weekly review of how my projects are …

Over the course of your travels, you will need to pay for goods and services. You will also need to receive payment, whether it’s from clients or friends when going out to dinner. Not all payment systems are available …

We've created a new podcast, Indie Creator Studio

Indie Creator Studio is an opportunity to “peek behind the curtain” and view the lives of indie creators as they navigate the waters of bringing their ideas to life. …

In this week’s review, I share my process for letting go of the past to minimize distractions, launch a new podcast/YouTube channel and get a new toy in the mail!

YouTube version

Join me in my weekly review of how my …

I received the following question in response to the "Switching to Weekly Sprints" episode: 

"Working in teams, how do you help reduce meeting …

In this latest update, I unveil a new upcoming YouTube channel (or 2)

View on YouTube

Join me in my weekly review of how my projects are going. I use the basic retrospective approach and evaluate my progress.

If you'd …

I share my reasons for switching to a weekly sprint. My goal is to improve my personal productivity AND share my process and progress on my projects to inform and inspire you to do the same.  One benefit of this is a …

In this latest update, I share that I’m finally debt-free after a rough 2019!

YouTube version

Join me in my weekly review of how my projects are going. I use the basic retrospective approach and evaluate my progress.

If …

Join me in my weekly review of how my projects are going. 

YouTube version

I use the basic retrospective approach and evaluate my progress.  If you'd …

One year after the pandemic threw the world into a tailspin, things are starting to reopen, though at various stages. With the increase in travel, I’ve noticed an increase in the amount of travel shaming on social …

After a longer than expected hiatus, I'm back! 

In this episode, I share what's been going on since last year. I talk about my new location, projects, and upcoming plans.  

But more importantly, I want to hear from you. …

I’m frequently asked questions about living and working abroad, so I’ve decided to start answering questions that may help others who may be interested.  If you have any questions, feel free to drop them in the …

Medellin is about to reopen for business! Well, sorta. In the latest retrospective, I have a successful keynote speech and get my first sales on …

It’s vacation time in the latest retrospective! I accept my limitations and drop a side project, launch a 2nd RedBubble store and gear up for the …

I’ve been in Medellin, Colombia for over 6 months now and decided it may be helpful to share my cost of living (quarantine edition).

CONNECT WITH ME …

In the latest retrospective, I share my enthusiasm about my 1st RedBubble sale, update the design on the Reflexes App, and reconcile my feelings on …

In this episode, I provide simple techniques to help you uncover your superpowers, the things that you do best that can help you do your best work, and live your best life.

You can listen to the Cocoa Nomad Podcast on …

Wubba Lubba Dub Dub!! In the latest retrospective, I share my thoughts on WWDC 2020, share an important lesson that’s helping me at the poker table …

In the latest retrospective, I finally launch on YouTube!!! I talk about my efforts to focus on more impactful things, the need to pace myself, and …

In this week’s episode, I talk about my decision to leave the US, why I made the choice and questions to ask yourself if you’re considering the same.

In the latest retrospective, I explore the myriad of feelings from the past two weeks, find some solace in recent success and try to push forward.

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In this week’s episode, I talk about how the jab in boxing serves a metaphor for your life. Whether it’s health, finances or your professional …

In the latest retrospective, I share some advice on dealing with praise and criticism, explore how poor communication can ruin good relationships and …

In this week’s episode, I explore the topic of mindshare, the things that get our time and attention. I share the ways that I’ve tried to help manage what gets my mindshare to balance my happiness and productivity.

Show …

In this week’s episode, I share how I allowed fear to dominate much of my life choices. I break down the biggest fears that affected my life, what those fears cost me and what it finally took to start making different …

In the latest retrospective, I explain what's been happening during the break, share my inherent distrust of airlines and detail how I’m handling the quarantine and what’s changed about my future plans.

Episode Link:

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In this week’s episode, I take a light-hearted approach to discussing the physics of productivity. I’ll highlight some of the more popular rules that …

In the latest retrospective, I deal with social distancing, changing travel plans and coping with uncertainty.

You can listen to the Cocoa Nomad …

In this week’s episode, I talk about the need to understand relative impact. From seat reclining and font sizes to access ramps and viral infections, …

In this week’s episode, I continue talking about the creation process, moving from brainstorming to deciding how to proceed with ideas once you have …

In the latest retrospective, I share my latest experience with equipment failures abroad and how rewards/punishment have been affecting my weekly …

I often meet people who struggle with ideas when trying to create passion or side projects. As someone who has the opposite problem, I’ll share some of the techniques for coming up with ideas for fun projects to work on.

My uncle coached youth baseball for a number of years and he left a huge impact on the way I handled myself and players when I started coaching. In this episode, I talk about how that influence has impacted my work as …

In the latest retrospective, I share my excitement about the launch of my YouTube channel, how fun it’s been to build a SwiftUI app for menus del día …

In this week’s episode, I talk about the value in creating small things and how you can use it to increase your likelihood of success. I’ll share some of the advantages of starting small and using those wins as building …

In this episode, I recap the old year, talk about the goal setting for Q1 2020 and search for a decent taco in Medellin.

Show Links:

• Criminal …

Review of the past 2 weeks: what’s working, what isn’t and what’s to come. I talk about why the language lessons were a good idea and how switching to southpaw in boxing has had a similar benefit.

Episode Link:

Show …

When setting goals it’s important to establish boundaries to avoid negative thinking about your journey. Committing to a certain period and then evaluating afterwards is good for a number of reasons. In this episode, I …

Streaks can serve as both a motivation and a deterrent if you’re not careful. Sometimes it pays to take that sick day. In this episode, I talk about …

We are typically incentivized to change when we aren't getting the results we want. We are more often to criticism and alternate methods. But what …

In the first retrospective of 2020, I talk about the excitement of a new client project, my growing comfort level with SwiftUI and my travel plans …

In this week’s episode, I share how many of the things that drive us can also be hinder us. There are consequences for our sources of power.

You can …

In this week’s episode, I share a simple technique for creating a product brief when I have a new app idea.

Show Notes:

Product Brief

• Design …

In the latest retrospective, I confront the fear of launching on YouTube, the value in being wrong and how it relates to product market fit.

Show …

Passion is often touted as a key ingredient in the work that we do. In this episode, I explain why passion isn't enough and is often detrimental to team dynamics

You can listen to the Cocoa Nomad Podcast on the …

In the latest retrospective, I share why I decided to take a loss on selling my house and some tips on keeping yourself financially solvent as a …

Time and attention are extremely valuable assets and I try to avoid wasting them when selecting projects. By looking at what I like to call The 4 E’s …

In the latest retrospective, I dive into my transition to writing and teaching, the importance of giving to others, what I needed to cut back on my commitments and why it’s important to find a supportive community.

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In the same way that a new business needs to have a strong handle on cash flow, a new remote worker has to develop a mastery over their workflow. In this episode I talk about how time/attention management, effective …

In the latest retrospective, I share some of the takeaways from the Playapreneurs Summit and how they are impacting me moving forward.

Show Links:

• …

In this episode, I explore the question: “Are you doing what’s safe or what’s comfortable?” and how that question has impacted my choices of the past 4 years.

Many of us have embraced ideas passed down from previous …

In the latest retrospective, I rebound from illness,  look to the future and face with the truth about what I should be doing in the last quarter of …

In this episode, I talk about the challenge of creating a product in a competitive market and provide encouragement by focusing on what makes your product different and why it’s needed.

You can listen to the Cocoa …

In the latest retrospective, I kickstart my first Flutter app, commit to a deep dive into SwiftUI and draw a line in the sand for Capoeira Songs.

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In this episode, I review the book Make Time by Jake Knapp and & John Zeratsky. I share the techniques that have been helpful in improving my …

In this episode, I battle to stay cool waiting for summer to end, redesign the data model for Capoeira Songs to better support...songs and double …

In this episode, I explore the biases that can exist when evaluating approaches to solving problems, how focusing on the job to be done can often …

In this episode, I deal with the heat and humidity of Playa Del Carmen 🔥, renew my love affair with tacos al pastor 🌮, explain why I'm such a bad roommate 🕺🏿, and reflect on the past 3.5 years of travel ✈️(I was …

In this episode, I talk about the concept of arbitrage, share the ways in which I have used it and show how you can make it work in your own life.

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In this week’s retrospective, I provide progress updates on Capoeira Songs, share my productivity struggles and look to the upcoming fall events. 

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In this episode, I talk about changes to the show and its release schedule, how I use music to set the mood while working and making the choice …

In this week’s retrospective, I explain why I ended the Vegan Challenge, the struggle with illness on the road and why opportunities can be …

In this episode, I explain why I stopped the Vegan Challenge after 18 days and explore the one of the primary reasons why people leave (or more …

In this week’s retrospective, I turn a corner with the Capoeira Songs relaunch, debate a longer stay in Colombia and decide that it’s time for my …

Finding a community as a nomad is vital to making connections and combating loneliness. In this episode, I share some tips from my experiences in finding community while traveling.

You can listen to the Cocoa Nomad …

In this week’s retrospective, I share my struggles with the Vegan Challenge, the relaunch of Capoeira Songs and how it (and Beto O’Rourke) sparked my …

Creating and maintaining a routine is an important part of the nomadic lifestyle. It’s important to have consistency when other things around you are changing. In this episode, I share the things I take into …

Don’t call it a comeback! In this week’s retrospective, I share the downsides experienced from intermittent fasting, its impact on my work and the …

In this week’s retrospective, I confront the looming defeat of the June Challenge and change gears for the month of July.

You can listen to the …

In this week’s episode, I share a few tips on getting started with a nomadic lifestyle and how, despite my initial plans, found myself living full …

In this week’s retrospective, I share my struggles with integrating new workflows and my success in achieving my longest exercise streak (90 days!)

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In this week's episode, I discuss how constraints (not AutoLayout, don't worry) are not always a bad thing. We often drown in a sea of abundance (procrastination and analysis paralysis) and limitations provided by …

In this week’s retrospective, I try to come down from the elation of WWDC, celebrate the wins of the June Workout Challenge and discover that fasting isn’t always easy.

Show Links

• WWDC Recap

• SwiftUI Tutorial

You …

In this bonus episode, I talk about the most exciting announcements from WWDC and how they will impact my work moving forward

Show Links

• LBTA …

In this episode, I slow it down, Quiet Storm style and talk about the sweet, sexy seduction of easy solutions. I get into why they are attractive and …

In this week’s retrospective, I catch my breath after a long travel day (they let me back into the country!), learn that I'm not immune to accepting …

Starting new things is the easy part. We’re excited and full of passion. 

But what happens when that passion fades? Will you still keep going? How to …

The Cocoa Nomad Podcast: Weekly Retro #2

In this week’s retrospective, I talk about how my hackathon project didn’t go as smoothly as planned, how changing countries is disruptive to my routine, and how my June …

Retrospectives are helpful in managing your progress towards goals. They allow you to access what's been working well and what may need to change. …

Today, I talk about the benefit of having accountabili-buddies, people that you meet with frequently to hold you accountable for the goals that you …

There's never a need to be fake. Stay authentic and true to yourself. In today's episode, I talk about the pitfalls of the "Fake It Til You Make It" mindset and why it's unnecessary. 

I'm just getting started in …

Welcome to the Cocoa Nomad podcast, a show about location independent entrepreneurship. I’ll discuss the techniques, tools and tips that can help you …