Tropical MBA: Entrepreneurship & Founder Lifestyle
Episodes
TMBA551: Transitioning from Freelancer to Running a Business
25 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
If we had to pick one word as our greatest motivation, it’s ‘freedom’. Freedom to live life on our terms, where we want, with the people we choo...
TMBA550: Revisiting Our 2020 Business Goals
18 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
At the beginning of the year, we recorded a podcast where we outlined some of our business goals and aspirations for 2020. We're now halfway through ...
TMBA549: 10 Tech Tools We Use In Our Business Every Day
11 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In 2009, we published an episode of this podcast called 10 Great Software and Tech Services We Use to Run Our Business. Over 10 years later, we've bee...
TMBA548: The First 1,000 Days of Running an Agency
04 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We've talked about the '1,000 Day Principle' at great length on this podcast. The idea is that it takes around three years of full-time effort for an ...
TMBA547: How Coronavirus is Disrupting the Events Industry
28 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Here at the TropicalMBA podcast we have been inspired and motivated by the stories of resilience and adaptation that you’ve been sending us. One suc...
TMBA546: Adjusting to the 'New Normal'
21 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What do you do when you lose over half your Annual Recurring Revenue and test positive for Coronavirus, all within 48 hours? Jim Huffman described th...
TMBA545: Is Dropshipping Still a Valid Business Model?
14 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Dropshipping" is one of the most used and abused terms in Digital Nomad circles. It refers to the practice of selling items without keeping inventory...
TMBA544: Should You Hire a General Manager?
07 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In our book Before the Exit, we reflected on many 'thought experiments' that we wished we had run before we sold our business in 2015. One of those ex...
TMBA543: Taking the Entrepreneurial Leap
30 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
One of the most widely read and recommended books about business management is Gino Wickman’s 'Traction'. When Gino’s team reached out to say that...
TMBA542: The Entrepreneurmobile Revisited
23 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Whether you’re saving a runway for a new business, or you need to cut your expenses to the bone due to the current economic climate, we know a lot o...
TMBA541: An American Based in China Shares His Perspective on the Coronavirus Outbreak
16 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
One of the things we love about our online community of entrepreneurs, the Dynamite Circle, is that the members of that community are not only incredi...
TMBA540: Are You Generating Income or Wealth?
09 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this week's episode, we've invited one of our favorite bloggers and thinkers to pull up a virtual chair and share some of the burning issues he’s...
TMBA539: Weathering the Storm
02 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
One of the silver linings to the strange times that we've been living through in the past few weeks, is that we've been able to reach out to some of t...
TMBA538: Remaining Antifragile in the Wake of the Coronavirus
26 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As we've been practicing social distancing, the majority of our discussions about business and entrepreneurship keep coming back to the COVID-19 outbr...
TMBA537: How Will Coronavirus Affect Your Business?
19 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The topic of today's podcast is unavoidable. We simply have to address one of the biggest stories of our lifetime, the global shutdown brought about ...
TMBA536: Are You Really "Unemployable"?
12 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode, we are reaching into the TMBA mailbag yet again and responding to some interesting questions and comments we've received from our ...
TMBA535: Bringing Your Remote Team Together
05 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
One of the biggest challenges of running a remote team is communication. After all, "watercooler conversations" rarely happen when your team is scatt...
TMBA534: The Re-Readables: The Millionaire Fastlane
27 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We've recently been revisiting some of our favorite business books on this podcast as part of a series we like to call "The Re-Readables". What makes ...
TMBA533: From Cryptocurrency to Cowboy Boots
20 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Will Roman is a veteran entrepreneur who has worked in a number of different fields including eCommerce, physical products, software, and even cryptoc...
TMBA532: The Middle Game
13 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We often talk about the "1,000 Day Principle" or the idea that it will take about 1,000 days to get a new business off the ground before it replaces t...
TMBA531: A Lot Can Change In a Year
06 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
One of our favorite things to do on this podcast is follow up on some of the entrepreneurial stories that we've covered in the past. This time last ye...
TMBA530: Don't Be a Victim of Your Own Success
30 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Entrepreneurship is something of a gamble, and perhaps very few people understand that better than today's guest. Mike Jackness is a widely respected ...
TMBA529: The Price of Progress
23 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We here at the Tropical MBA are always fascinated with people who raise questions that challenge the social narratives that most people follow. It's n...
TMBA528: The Brenwall Code
16 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Last week, we spoke to Mark Brenwall about why he left his job in San Francisco to move to Asia and start WOD Nation, an Amazon FBA business that sell...
TMBA527: Letting Go of Your Ego
09 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Mark Brenwall is the founder of WOD Nation, an Amazon FBA business that sells CrossFit products. A few years ago, Mark joined us for one of our favori...
TMBA526: Our Business Goals for the New Year
02 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A year ago, we kicked off 2019 with a somewhat self-indulgent podcast full of updates on our ongoing projects as well as some of our business goals fo...
TMBA525: 5 Things We Learned On The Podcast in 2019
26 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
As we prepare to celebrate the holiday season, we thought it would be fun to revisit some of our most memorable moments from the podcast in 2019. In t...
TMBA524: Who Do You Think You Are?
19 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Some entrepreneurs have a secret. Adopting a pseudonym, or a "pen name", is a common practice on the internet. Even one of the hosts of this show, D...
TMBA523: A Love Letter to the Philippines
12 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
For the first time in a decade, Dan and Ian are recording a podcast from one of their favorite places in the world, the Philippines. The Philippines ...
TMBA522: The Digital Nomad Lie
05 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We've seen a lot of conversations recently in the location independent lifestyle space about something we like to call "The Digital Nomad Lie". The ge...
TMBA521: Is the RV Lifestyle Right For You?
28 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
So many people listening to this podcast are looking for the kind of freedom that allows them to travel the world. It's no wonder then that Recreatio...
TMBA520: The Re-Readables: Purple Cow
21 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Today's podcast is another installment of our ongoing series called "The Re-Readables", where we revisit some of our favorite business books to see if...
TMBA519: Chasing Growth: What Happens When Your Business Burns You Out?
14 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We first spoke to Kevin Graham on this podcast two years ago in what ended up becoming a somewhat controversial episode about building generational we...
TMBA518: 5 Insights About the Entrepreneurial Community in 2019
07 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A few weeks ago, we hosted hundreds of listeners of this podcast in Bangkok for our eighth annual DC BKK event. Every year we learn more about the ent...
TMBA517: From High School Dropout to Seven Figure Exit
31 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A few weeks ago, we shared a conversation about "Sweaty Startups", and how we can use internet business skills to compete and win in traditional, phys...
TMBA516: Dan and Ian: The Full Backstory. Part 2
24 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In last week's episode, we took a look at the early days of Dan and Ian's relationship and the circumstances that led to their business partnership. T...
TMBA515: Dan and Ian: The Full Backstory. Part 1
17 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In the ten years that Dan and Ian have been recording this podcast, the number one thing that they hear from listeners is that they want to know more ...
TMBA514: Mailbag: The Complexity of Cashflow
10 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
One of Dan and Ian's favorite things to do is to reach into the mailbag to answer questions from listeners of this show and today they are doing jus...
TMBA513: How To Get Rich Without Getting Lucky
03 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A few weeks ago, Dan and Ian invited Nick Huber on to the show to talk about his storage business Storage Squad. During that conversation, Nick shar...
TMBA512: What Happens When Your Product Gets Suspended By Amazon?
26 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Dan and Ian opened up on this podcast recently about a cease and desist letter that they received. Today's guest heard that episode and was compelle...
TMBA511: The 10 Year Career - Wealth in the Modern Age
19 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Today's episode features an in-depth look into one particular entrepreneurial journey that Dan and Ian have been following for a decade. Longtime li...
TMBA510: Driven to Distraction
12 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
One of Dan and Ian's favorite things to talk about on this show is the role that technology plays in our lives. They are particularly curious about th...
TMBA509: The Difference Between Value and Money
05 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A listener of this podcast recently reached out to Dan and Ian to let them know what he was up to. They were so inspired by his story of "old-school...
TMBA508: The 4,000 Day Rule
29 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Dan and Ian are well aware that the entrepreneurial journey isn't made up entirely of success stories. Many entrepreneurs listening to this podcast ...
TMBA507: 50,000 Dollars a Month From One Blog Post?!
22 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Today's episode is all about something that Dan and Ian still find magical about entrepreneurship. That is, if you find the right thing to write about...
TMBA506: The Power of In Person
15 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Dan and Ian recently came across a question in their private forum, The Dynamite Circle. "How important has your network been to your success?" The po...
TMBA505: How to Choose Your Own Product
08 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A few weeks ago on this podcast, Dan and Ian were talking about some of their biggest pet peeves. In that episode, Ian lamented that the quality of fl...
TMBA504: Mailbag: From the Hamster Wheel to the Flywheel
01 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Dan and Ian love hearing from listeners of this show. So many times, people reach out to us with thoughtful questions, and one of our favorite things ...
TMBA503: What's Your 'Founder Fit'?
25 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Dan and Ian have seen it time and time again where entrepreneurs can sort of hit a brick wall with their business. But what if the problem doesn't l...
TMBA502: What We've Learned About Our Listeners
18 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A few months ago, Dan and Ian asked the listeners of this show to respond to a survey about The Tropical MBA Podcast. We wanted to gain a richer und...
TMBA501: Cease and Desist
11 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Today's episode is unlike anything else Dan and Ian have ever recorded on this podcast. It all started with a cease and desist letter that we received...
TMBA500: An Entrepreneur's Trip to 'Room 101'
04 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Dan and Ian are excited because they get to spend today's podcast doing one of their favorite things: complaining. This isn't just their everyday g...
TMBA499: 5 Approaches to Getting Rich
27 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Hosting this podcast has allowed Dan and Ian to meet thousands of entrepreneurs over the last several years. Many of those entrepreneurs have gone o...
TMBA498: When Does an Artist Become an Entrepreneur?
20 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Dan and Ian love stories where creative people find success through entrepreneurship. Truthfully, it's not something we have had a chance to talk abou...
TMBA497: Success is Solving Other People's Problems
13 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
On this week's show, Dan and Ian are talking about getting real with yourself about what you need to do to succeed. Very few people are more qualif...
TMBA496: Should You Go Remote?
06 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Dan and Ian have been spending much of their time thinking about remote work these days. Ever since they started their new business Dynamite Jobs, ...
TMBA495: Going All In on a Side Project
30 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
On today's podcast, Dan and Ian are following up with the subject of one of the most popular episodes in recent years. Tommy Griffith is the founde...
TMBA494: The Affiliate Marketing Adventure
23 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Dan and Ian have heard many variations of the same question over the years: "I want to be an entrepreneur, but how do I get started?" Today's guest ha...
TMBA493: What They Don't Tell You About Entrepreneurship
16 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Today's show is sort of like eavesdropping on a conversation that Dan and Ian often have when the microphones are off. Namely, that there are some ...
TMBA492: The Re-Readables: Rich Dad Poor Dad
09 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Recently, Dan and Ian have been revisiting some of their favorite books on this podcast in a recurring series that we like to call "The Re-Readables."...
TMBA491: Breaking Up is Still Hard to Do
02 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Dan and Ian have shared a lot of business success stories on this podcast over the years. We love sharing those stories on this show, but sometimes th...
TMBA490: The Six-Figure Slump
25 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A few weeks ago, Dan and Ian hosted their annual Dynamite Circle event in Austin, Texas. They met many listeners of this show who traveled from all ...
TMBA489: Should You Hold a Company Retreat?
18 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Dan and Ian are fresh off of hosting their fourth Dynamite Circle event in Austin, Texas last week. This year, they decided to do something different,...
TMBA488: The Re-Readables: The War of Art
11 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A few weeks ago, Dan and Ian introduced a new series on this podcast called "The Re-Readables". In that series, we are taking a look back at some of o...
TMBA487: “If It Makes Us Money We Shouldn't Be Doing It”
04 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Dan and Ian speak with a lot of entrepreneurs on this show about the difficult decisions that they have to make. Today's guest is currently facing o...
TMBA486: The Re-Readables: Getting Things Done
28 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
One of our favorite podcasts to listen to lately is The Re-Watchables, a series presented by The Ringer, where the hosts look back on legendary films....
TMBA485: Mastering the Art of Entrepreneurial Kung Fu
21 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Dan and Ian have talked a lot about business strategy on this show, but there are some business techniques that are so powerful, you have to learn t...
TMBA484: 5 Things We’ve Learned From Running a New Business for 6 Months
14 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A lot of our listeners have been reaching out to us lately to ask about Dan and Ian's newest business venture, Dynamite Jobs. They have been running...
TMBA483: Search Engine Optimization in 2019 (Plus, The Dark Side of SEO)
07 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Longtime listeners of this show know that Dan and Ian spent the early part of their entrepreneurial career building product businesses online. What ...
TMBA482: “I Got There and I Thought It Sucked” - From Digital Dreams to Deals
28 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Dan and Ian have shared many stories on this podcast of people who have escaped from the cubicle in search of location-independence. This week's epi...
TMBA481: Our Favorite Books of the Past 12 Months
21 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
On this week's episode, we are continuing one of Dan and Ian's favorite traditions on the podcast. Today we are talking about books, and in particu...
TMBA480: Thoughts on Funding Options for Bootstrappers with Rob Walling
14 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A few weeks ago, Dan and Ian had a conversation on this podcast where they shared some of their feelings about venture capital. This is an importan...
TMBA479: Quitting Social Media - “The ‘Walled Garden’ Experiment Is a Big Failure”
07 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
On today's episode, Dan and Ian are delighted to welcome one of their favorite authors back to the show. Cal Newport is a Computer Science professor...
TMBA478: The Downsides of Success
31 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
"Success" isn't always what it's cracked up to be. Dan and Ian know this feeling all too well, as they have dealt with some of their own internal st...
TMBA477: China From the Inside
24 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
One of Dan and Ian's goals heading into 2019 was to feature more stories about China on the podcast this year. China is the primary location where m...
TMBA476: “An Adventure Worth Going On”
17 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
http://www.tropicalmba.com/plansfor2019/ Dan and Ian have decided to be a little bit self-indulgent with this week's podcast. On today's show, they ...
TMBA475: The Messy Marketplace
10 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
http://www.tropicalmba.com/brentbeshore2/ One of the things that Dan and Ian love about creating this podcast is that they not only get to talk to s...
TMBA474: “You’re Not Working With Clients Anymore, You’re Working With Customers”
03 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
http://www.tropicalmba.com/tommyjoiner/ Dan and Ian are back to kick off 2019, and looking forward to another 52 podcasts about how to grow better, ...
TMBA473: “Which Hill Do You Want to Die On?”
27 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
http://www.tropicalmba.com/reflections2018/ Last week, Dan and Ian shared some of their favorite moments from the interviews that they've conducted ...
TMBA472: Surprises and Delights of the Year
20 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
http://www.tropicalmba.com/surprisesanddelights/ As we approach the end of 2018, Dan and Ian have been reflecting on some of their favorite conversa...
TMBA471: The Helsinki Bus Theory
13 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
http://www.tropicalmba.com/helsinkibustheory/ Dan and Ian have spent a lot of time in Chiang Mai. One of the traditions that Dan has every time he ...
TMBA470: The Elephant in the Room
06 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
http://www.tropicalmba.com/chinaredux/ Today's episode is about a place that has played a very special part in Dan and Ian's entrepreneurial journe...
TMBA469: It’s No Good Having Ideas if They Don’t Bring You Results
29 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
http://www.tropicalmba.com/keangraham/ Dan and Ian have said for years on this podcast that the most important thing your business should be doing i...
TMBA468: “Allowing Myself To Dream That Big”
22 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
http://www.tropicalmba.com/sambrowne/ Dan and Ian have encountered many entrepreneurs in their travels, from all walks of life. They first met today...
TMBA467: The Long, Winding Road to 60 Remote Employees…
15 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
http://www.tropicalmba.com/empireflippers/ Dan and Ian have been wanting to share the story of this week's episode for quite some time. Justin Cooke...
TMBA466: The Dos and Don’ts of Hiring Apprentices
08 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
http://www.tropicalmba.com/hiringapprentices/ It's no secret that Dan and Ian love hearing from the listeners of this show. This week, we receive...
TMBA465: 5 Internet Business Themes for 2019
01 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
http://www.tropicalmba.com/themesfor2019/ Dan and Ian are still resting up after hosting 350 entrepreneurs at their annual DC BKK event in Bangkok l...
TMBA464: 5 Reasons Your Presentation Might Suck
25 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
http://www.tropicalmba.com/presentations/ We are fresh off the heels of DC BKK 2018, our annual conference that we host in Bangkok. It's safe to say ...
TMBA463: The Tao of the Hustle Redux
18 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
http://www.tropicalmba.com/hustleredux/ A few years ago, Dan and Ian published an episode of this podcast called The Tao of the Hustle. In the years...
TMBA462: A Conversation with Michael Lombardi
11 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
http://www.tropicalmba.com/michaellombardi/ Dan and Ian are always looking for new ways to gain insight into entrepreneurship, and sometimes that in...
TMBA461: The 40% Rule
04 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
http://www.tropicalmba.com/40percentrule/ If you've been listening to this podcast for a while, you would know that one of the major motivations for D...
TMBA460: Are We Being Honest About the True Cost of Bootstrapping a Business?
27 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
http://www.tropicalmba.com/costofbootstrapping/ Today we are examining a discussion that Dan and Ian have been having behind the scenes of this podc...
TMBA459: The State of Bitcoin
20 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
http://www.tropicalmba.com/stateofbitcoin/ Dan and Ian have spoken about cryptocurrencies before, and they have certainly been a divisive topic among ...
TMBA458: Five Reasons You Won’t Be an Entrepreneur Next Year
13 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
http://www.tropicalmba.com/fivereasons/ Dan and Ian have been around the block a few times, and in that time they have seen many entrepreneurs come ...
TMBA457: Why Does Everyone Talk About Revenue and Not Profit?
06 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
http://www.tropicalmba.com/tomsawyer/ A few weeks ago, Dan and Ian published an episode of this podcast about The Peter Principle, which is the idea...
TMBA456: An Episode For Those Who Need a Business Idea Redux
30 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
http://www.tropicalmba.com/businessideasredux/ One of Dan and Ian 's favorite topics to discuss on this show is business ideas. In particular, they ...
TMBA455: The Rise of Audiobooks and a Giveaway
23 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
http://www.tropicalmba.com/riseaudiobooks/ Every week, for over 450 episodes, Dan and Ian talk on this podcast about business, entrepreneurship, and...
TMBA454: What Does Your City Whisper?
16 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
http://www.tropicalmba.com/citywhisper/ Dan and Ian have spent many hours on this show talking about location and in particular the cities that loca...
TMBA453: What’s The First Step To Becoming an Entrepreneur?
09 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
http://www.tropicalmba.com/millennialrevolution/ http://www.tropicalmba.com/millennialrevolution/ Podcast 56:28 | Download | Stitcher | iTunes | Comm...
TMBA452: How to Master a Mastermind
02 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
http://www.tropicalmba.com/mastermindthoughts/ On today's podcast, Dan and Ian are talking about one of the most critical elements to their own succ...