Let’s face it, we grow comfortable with who we are, or at least, who we’re perceived to be. Whether or not our self image is one we’re proud of, we get used to how we’re perceived in the world.

Many times that perception can hold us back on what we could be or should be doing with ourselves.

For me, growing up in a small town, I have a lot of small town perceptions. I know they’re completely different than my wife’s who has a much different view of the world because she grew up in cities.

For example, as an only child in a small town, I got used to being bored fairly regularly. The nearest mall or movie theater was 25 miles away. So, I had a lot of time growing up to think about how the world worked based on what I saw on TV, heard on the radio, read in books and magazines, and later read on the web. My natural state has always been to learn and explore.

In Maria’s case, she’s always had family around. People who needed her for one thing or another. So she’s always been focused on what needed to be done next. Didn’t have nearly as much time to be bored as I was because she was always doing something with someone – somewhere. She frankly didn’t have much time for herself.

It wasn’t until her tour in Iraq that she had time to think about what she wanted in life. For her, while she was in a combat zone, it gave her time to think.

That time to think – to be away from everything you know – is exactly what today’s guest is all about. He wanted something different from what he was getting in life as a teenager.

So he set out to explore.

Today, Gregory V. Diehl has explored 50 countries in 10 years.

In today’s conversation, Veronica and I discuss transformative traveling with him as well as how your story is essential to your brand. Both of which he’s written books about. We also discuss how someone can create pain in their life to give themselves a way to discover who they really are.

Thanks for listening, and enjoy the show!

SPECIFICALLY, YOU’LL FIND OUT MORE ABOUT:

What were Gregory’s formative years like? 6:50
Where did the inspiration for traveling come from? 8:38
What gave him the courage to get started in traveling? 12:47
How does being a traveler help Gregory with his business? 17:14
Where are some of the places that he has citizenship? 20:31
Did he have any early entrepreneurial escapades as he was growing up? 23:18
Is there any advice that he’d want to tell young entrepreneurs as they’re first getting started? 26:25
Where did the idea for his book, Brand Identity Breakthrough, come from? 28:21
Where did the idea for his podcast come from? 29:45
What are some of the things that Gregory likes diving into on the show? 32:15
How can someone get confident in discussing their new identity with the world around them when they’ve recently found it? 33:39
How can someone manufacture pain in their life so they can rise to another level? 37:03
What’s the next book that Gregory is working on about? 42:13
Are there other methods, besides entrepreneurship, that kids can allow them to explore their identity? 43:33
Who are Gregory’s top 3 favorite influencers? 48:10
A gift he likes giving others? 50:47
Something he wishes was still a thing? 51:03
Place any ad in the world, cost free, what it would say? 54:27
What’s the secret to achieving personal freedom? 56:59
… and MUCH more!

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ITEMS and PEOPLE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Gregory Online: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
Ginger Kern’s AoL Interview
Brand Identity Breakthrough
Travel as Transformation
Uncomfortable Conversations with Gregory (JC’s Interview) (Veronica’s Interview)
Marti MacEwan’s AoL Interview
Easton Allred’s AoL Interview
Common Sense Economics by John Pugsley (Amazon Link)
People Try Durian
Fine Brothers on YouTube
This session’s cohost: Veronica Kirin
Traveler’s Mindset Travel Savvy eCourse – Get Out and Exploring the World Like a Pro with help from Ginger Kern

SHOW NOTE EXTRAS:

Homesteading the Thought Sanctuary Playlist:

Amazon Marketing Strategy Case Study for Brand Identity Breakthrough.

Travel as Transformation Book Review:

Gregory on Using Travel as Transformation:

Thanks for Listening!

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Cheers!