Right before hanging up, he asked me: “Thomas, how can you have a strong community if you don’t go to events to network?”

I wasn’t sure what to answer, because I didn’t specifically ask myself the question before now.

It just felt to me like most of those events were made for people to feel good about their total lack of drive and productivity.

As if being together with dozens of other wannabe entrepreneurs was a way for them to feel like they were working. Or doing anything meaningful at all.

My default answer for the past 2 years was: “Sorry, I just decided I don’t go to events.”

It proved to be efficient in a way, considering that during the past 2 years I went from in debt and being hosted for free in a Balinese family, to build a 6 figures business, creating the Hustlers Villa, settling myself as a legal foreign investor in Indonesia and buying my first land.

It was a hell of a ride, but it was worth it.

Of course, it would be exaggerated to say that not going to events was the main reason why I achieved this.

What I know is: those I knew who kept jumping from project to project based on ideas they heard of during events, either went back home (settling – legally – in Bali is harder than what it seems), or still go to those events trying to figure out what will be the “next big thing” for them.

Now, I am not better than any of them.
And I know I got very lucky on my way.

The main difference is that for me, finding a solution to my financial issues was a life or death situation.

Or so I took it this way.

I committed to stay maximum 30 days in this amazing family who helped me when I was at my lowest. And I didn’t want to be this guy asking for financial help to anyone around me.

I put myself in this situation: I decided to leave everything in France to travel by bicycle, I decided I would never have a job, I decided to go to Bali… I got all my money stolen from an ATM.

So I had to find a way.

I started by removing everything that was not directly helping to solve my situation.

In the end, I was freelancing during the day (creating websites & writing content), taking absolutely every project I could which could bring even only $50.

And during the night, I started to build my first drop shipping business, with a partner who I convinced to invest $3,000, and who, for some reason, accepted to follow and to trust me (thank you again, Nick).

In the end, I didn’t go to events.

Does it mean that events are a waste of time?

Absolutely not.

Now I am settled in Bali legally and have more financial freedom, I realise that my position about events is a bit too radical.

What is a waste of time is going to an event without knowing exactly what we want to get out of it.

Let me stop you here: “networking”or “learning new stuff” are not valid answers.

Because during those 3h, you could probably focus on doing all those tasks that really matter for your business, and that you keep delaying for the past 6 months.

And the impact on your business and life would probably be more meaningful than attending to this “10 New Growth Hacking Techniques in 2018” event.

However, some events are specific and goal oriented.

They are focused on teaching you one specific thing, or helping you to find actual solutions to actual problems.

Those are the ones that I not only plan to attend myself, but also want to organise at the Hustlers Villa, for our community.

The digital nomad scene seems (to me) to be 99% of hype, insta babes and ego flattering BS, and 1% of serious people who actually get shit done and build things that matter, in a way or another.

If I had to only focus on one mission through our events at Hustlers Villa, it would be to help doubling this number to 2%.

I want to create events I attend myself.

A few examples of weekly events we are working on right now:

  • Business Mastermind – Come with 1 specific questions or challenge about your business, and leave with practical solutions
  • Public Speaking – Practice your public speaking skill in a fully supportive and non judgemental environment
  • Intention Setting – Start the week by committing to your intentions and actions for the upcoming week, and share with the community how they can support you achieving those goals.

We could focus on being the new top trending place for digital nomads and online entrepreneurs, building the largest community, being the top featured place in media.

Instead, I decide it makes more sense for us to focus on the 1% of people who are here to get actual things done, and who are serious about transforming themselves and their business.

It’s not as simple to achieve as it is to write it in a daily blogpost.

It’s a statement, and it’s a direction.

We know where we stand, and we know where we want to go.

Now we just have to focus on the very one next step that will bring us closer to the destination.

See you there,

Thomas