The Exit Plan Podcast

About a year ago, we interviewed Courtney Condy - the founder of a business called Occupation Wild. Fast forward a year later, and we're closing the loop with Nick Watts, the new VP. Nick graduated from college and decided to never opt-in. His positive attitude and adventurous approach to life have taken him all over the world - from boat hitchhiking, to Surfing at Cloudbreak in Fiji. This fun, fast-paced story where Jacques Cousteau meets Indiana Jones will enlighten fellow opt-outers as well as anyone trying to escape the 9 to 5 grind. More at optoutlife.com/podcast/nick-watts/

Ok, so you've got a business idea - Now what? Dana & Nate go ‘guestless’ on this special episode to talk about how to implement a business idea. They share personal stories of both successes and failures that could give you the information you need if you ever find yourself in a similar situation. More at optoutlife.com/podcast/i-have-a-business-idea/

Today’s guest is Michael Dash. Michael is the author of Chasing the High, a book about his personal journey through addiction, entrepreneurship, legal battles, and all the lessons he learned along the way. Michael battled with gambling and drug addiction for many years, until a perspective-shifting trip to Bali inspired him to have a more positive mental attitude and outlook on life. Through it all, he was able to channel his compulsions into productivity, and find his entrepreneurial passion and purpose in life. Michael’s journey through overcoming adversity is a great story to hear whether you're an entrepreneur or thinking about starting a business. Listen to his story and get inspired. More at optoutlife.com/podcast/michael-dash/

For many people, becoming a "millionaire" sounds like a dream come true. Many believe that reaching the million-dollar mark means being set for life and never having to worry about money again. But in today’s world, what's a million really worth? Listen along as we talk about millionaires and the reality of making a million dollars. No notes, no guest, this episode is 100% uncut and raw from the studio. More at optoutlife.com/podcast/whats-a-million-worth/

For many opt outers, it’s all about getting out from under the 9 to 5 and building a business. But, what if your opt out is just a little more OUT? Like out on the azure waters of French Polynesia, floating on a boat, and not working a real job ever again? Today’s guests are Kristian and Sabrina, a married duo who designed that very life over a decade ago, and have been floating along in their version of the opt out life while the rest of the world spins on. The cool part about Kristian and Sabrina’s story is that they didn’t drop out and get away like hermits. Their boat life is a community, and in some ways a mini commune, where like-minded people can take a week or more and disconnect from their busy lives to reconnect with themselves. The story of the Beadle family is an entrepreneurial journey, from small experiment that works, to growing a venture to the next level, all while juggling priorities, and starting a family. Listen along and learn, whether you want to start a side gig on land, or one that floats your boat. More at optoutlife.com/podcast/Kristian-Sabrina/

Our guest in this episode, Jillian Sassone, started down her own entrepreneurial journey accidentally. She took a piece of an old heirloom and turned it into a cool new ring. Her first day out wearing it, she landed two custom jewelry clients without even trying. From there, Jillian’s business grew quickly as people realized that she could create custom rings. They soon outgrew their dining table, and leased a small space to have meetings. As things grew, she added her husband as a partner, and staff that has enabled the business to scale. Perhaps you’ll be inspired by the true bootstraps nature of Jillian’s journey, as it shows how anyone with the right mindset can accomplish anything they put their heart into. More at optoutlife.com/podcast/jillian-sassone/

Today's episode is all about the listeners! Listen along as we answer YOUR questions about entrepreneurship, how to get the life you want, side gigs and anything opt out. Do you have a question? We want to hear from you! Email us your best question at Dana@optoutlife.com or Nate@optoutlife.com and we'll add it to the list for our next special Listener Q+A episode. So what do you want to ask? More at optoutlife.com/podcast/listener-qanda/

Today’s guest is Cory Verner.  Cory had spent years commuting to a job he hated. He made it tolerable by listening to audio books every day.  When the time came to launch a business, he decided to start an audio book publisher.  That was 15 years ago, and that little business grew until it was sold to a private equity group in 2016. Yes, Cory did fine, but as we’ll hear, he also learned a tough lesson along the way. Today, we find Cory in the midst of a couple of new ventures and one old one.  Cory’s journey through the entrepreneurial hero’s journey is quite typical, so it’s a great story to hear if you are either at the beginning of your story, or somewhere along the way. More at optoutlife.com/podcast/cory-verner/

Opt Out Life listeners and fellow entrepreneurs Bryton Nield and Matt Mclelland hit us up with a compelling question. How could they best approach launching an "Opt Out" networking event in their city? And how else might we suggest they expand their personal and business networks, in general? In this special episode, we invited Byrton and Matt on to the mics and talk through one of the most important skillsets and strategies any aspiring Opt Out-er needs to master. More at optoutlife.com/podcast/how-to-start-networking

Today’s guest is Chuck Longenacker, the founder of a digital agency who came to us after spending the past two years relaxing and recovering from the long road to success that often ends in burn out. Chuck’s journey as an entrepreneur began a million years ago, the dust of the dotcom crash in 2001. He lost his job in corporate America, and took his $5000 severance as a chance to try and go down a different path. Over time, his little venture grew up into a highly respected digital and design agency, Digital Telepathy, that would eventually have several dozen employees and a unique subscription model for how they charged clients. As you’d imagine, there were bumps along the way. That’s all part of pulling off what this guy pulled off . . . nearly 20 years of building a business that was a reflection of how he wanted to see the world, and the underlying freedom of lifestyle it ultimately provided. More at optoutlife.com/podcast/chuck-longanecker