Muselife - Muse creation, personal outsourcing, ultramobility and the new rich lifestyle.

Just came across here via Google. Great Video, David!

Hi guys...

Love your website. I heard about it from a friend, Mike Hill.

There is so much misinformation about outsourcing. It's truly refreshing to hear what you have to say.

Keep up the good work.

Just came upon your site started listening to your videos - great content here. If you don't learn something here then did you have your speakers turned on.

Thanks so much Denny. True advice - speakers on everyone. :)

So jazzed by your site, David. I've tried using a VA, but find that a lot of the work I hate to do is "hand on", like filing, entering receipts into quickbooks, etc. I've not yet figured out how to use them to my advantage just yet. BUT, I have started using Scriptlance for little technical things I don't want to take the time to learn/do myself, and that is working out pretty well.

I've read / watched your entire blog in one night. (It took all night!) But I'm almost finished, and can't wait to see/hear more from you. Sorry I just found you yesterday, as I would've loved to read what you have to say about outsourcing. I'm also kinda stuck on the muse creation step more than anything, and can't wait to hear what you have to say about it. I'm in the "throw it all up against the wall and see what sticks" mode right now. Need to get better at analyzing what has some real potential, so I'm not running around trying to keep all my plates spinning (to horribly mix a metaphor).

Keep up the good work! I look forward to seeing more!

Good points, just received your "Source Control" book via Aweber.

Would like to own a Relentless" Tshirt. Where can I buy one?

Wow this is exactly what I've been looking for! I'm currently developing an information product that requires a large amount of research and data entry, and I've found that many VA's have difficulty distinguishing worthwhile content from noise. I'd love to learn more about process design and decision trees! Please let me know if you're still sending copies of the book - my friends would be so jealous.

Thank you for the advice. I just found your website today and I'm looking for some practical advice to get started with my own muse. I'm also beginning to see the importance of having my own VA once a muse is up and running.

Wow, I just came across your blog today, it's a shame I've missed out on your offer because the book seems like it should be excellent, I hope it does well for you. I'll definitely be keeping an eye on your blog guys, the content I've seen so far has been excellent. Also, as an Australian, I hope your next trip here is a more stress free and enjoyable one.

Cheers mate!

Hey David, I just stumbled upon this site less than a week ago and have been working my way through your posts chronologically...any chance (as a x-mas gift) you're still providing copies of "Source Control" to those still interesting in learning more about your excellent experience? Yes I watched the video and know you said it was a limited offering...still trying to figure out how all of this can work for and be applied by myself.

Great site David - I've been a big fan of 4HWW since reading it a few years ago. I'm hoping that your site and content will focus more on the nuts and bolts of creating and automating a muse. Keep up the good work! Can I still claim a copy of Source Control?

Hey guys! Fantastic blog! I just came across it yesterday and have been watching your videos nonstop. I think I found my way here via a comment on Tim Ferriss' blog. I'm a web developer struggling to make time for all the projects I have in my head and I have been toying with the idea of outsourcing since I picked up the 4HWW. If your book offer is still available, I'd love a copy and I am more than willing to provide feedback and possibly a case study once I put your strategies into action.

Kevin, check your email. I'd love to hear how you put it all to use, and a case study would be excellent. Regardless, enjoy.

Would love to read you outsourcing book as I have experienced the pain you describe. Let me know if your book offer is still open as I just came across your blog via Ferris.
Greg

Check your email Greg. Would love to hear how you put it all to use.

Love the video and the site. Found your site just the other day and have spent tonight watching your videos and reading the posts from the beginning until now. So much great information and links to other sources. I feel like I'm just scratching the surface of the rabbit hole.

would love to read more about your experiences with outsourcing as I am seriously considering outsourcing components of a project I have right now.

I would also be very interested in any examples you might have of a family living a designed lifestyle.

Keep up the great work. I look forward to checking out more of your posts.

Hey guys, just wanted to follow up on when I might receive the source control book. Would really like to take a read of that. Have been very impressed with your site and think the videos are a great way to convey information.

Check your email Dave :)

Perhaps you discuss in later videos, but I'm interested in real-life application of communication with VA's. I struggle communicating instructions where there are language barriers. Instructions that are simple and clear to me have resulted in me doing 3x the work to correct poor/erroneous work product. I would like to make sure it's not me, causing my own problem.

I've gone threw a lot of the 'struggles' and 'trials' you guys allude to when putting my VA team together; after about 12 months and um-teen ppl I've found a good bunch of VA's in the Phillipines and one close to home here in Australia.

... and you're completely right; comes down to getting your 'agenda' organised (process designed) first; so you can clearly communicate the tasks/outcomes and projects they need to complete for you.

When comes to the tools needed to get the most out of a VA team; I've found using software like ScreenFlow (Mac) or Camtasia (PC) are fantastic for SHOWING what you need done, instead of TELLING via an email.

"It's never the VA's fault" - truer words have never been spoken.

Hey Guys...

Here's my first of two posts... I just scrubbed to the end of the video for the freebie ;)

Going back now to watch the content.

Pete

I like the way you have the blog setup with videos. It's a very effective way to get your message across. I've been following Tim Ferriss since 07 and working on my own lifestyle design ever since. I'm interested in reading your book and getting ideas on how to outsource tasks of a traditional company like construction and real estate development.

Good post - could you talk more about how you find a VA that works well for your requirements?

Can I still claim my free book?

George, check your email.. the book should help with your question.

Just wanted to say your videos are great been a big fan of tim and as im stil at university i have been looking to find more info on lifestyle design so when i leave i can get my muses of the ground straight away. Would be great if you could do a video or post a blog about creating physical products and well as digital products.

Kechi, we'll definitely we talking more about product creation soon.. it's one of my favorite facets of all this, so keep an eye on the site.

I've been trying to get a location independent business off the ground now for about 2+ years off and on. I've had many ups and downs along the way and put it off a few times too. I have recently realized that a lot of my frustration was because of not knowing how to do a specific job. For example, I spent a lot of time trying to design my own website until I finally realized that it would take a long time to learn how to do it at the level I want to be. So I hired a web designer in a few weeks I had exactly what I wanted with no frustration or doing something I didn't want to do.

I recently hired a copywriter, I am working on hiring someone to marketing and am considering other positions as well. Things are getting done faster, and sales are beginning to roll in. Why didn't I do this sooner?

A great podcast that started me thinking about outsourcing more was this one from Lifestyle Business Podcast

http://www.lifestyle-business-podcast.com/episode-5-what-is-the-fastest-way-to-grow-your-business/

Great Video - stumbled upon it today. Process design is definitely something I need to work on. Currently working 80 weeks as a designer and still can't get everything done. :-(

Great videos.
I'm working hard on process design. Was linked over here by Sam Carpenter's newsletter- just finished his book. It was helpful in helping me "get it" regarding the importance of working procedures.

Sometimes the web and sources of information can be overwhelming- but little by little, if the process building continues, it will be easier to utilize VAs and delegation to spend more time on higher value tasks.

It was mentioned about outsourcing the process construction, but for most businesses, (and Sam C. would probably agree) its incumbent on the business owner to do the lion's share of this work.

Looking forward to following this site- keep up the interesting work and topics!

Thanks.

David,

Great video! The most important point that hit me: telecommuting vs. lifestyle design.

I agree that it's one thing to have the ability to take your work anywhere and another to have the freedom of choice. I know a lot of companies now are introducing telecommuting to their workforce to regain the (mythical?) work-life balance. I myself have been in one of those companies. It's a nice breath of fresh air but it gets stale after some time. Especially if you're in a wonderful place but you have to meet deadlines. Man, it's like torture to the highest degree. So near yet so far...

Do you outsource to the Philippines? If so, what kinds of work do you outsource there?

I couldn't agree more that the key to maintaining control when working with other people is about strictly defining your business processes. I learned that lesson the hard way with several employees, and I would like to avoid the same type of lessons now that I am looking to engage an assistant.

BTW - I was at Sam Carpenter's Work the System Bootcamp in Bend, Oregon on Monday and Tuesday, and he showed your latest video on not working like a machine. Great stuff!

I think one of the big issues I'm running across is product development. Does Source Control cover much on product outsourcing/creation?

Some interesting points in the video making hiring and training a virtual assistant very similar to managing a real life employee. I have struggled keeping even local employees busy since I feel I can do a task quicker and better myself than spending time and trouble teaching an employee how to do it. This can only be amplified when you inject a language barrier, time zone difference and an ocean.

One thing I try to do when outsourcing any work is to break down the process in a step by step process like check list or flow chart. It is amazing the complex tasks that can be systematically broken down.

I am beginning to think that the best use of outsourcing to assign the VA things that I know I should be doing but have already stopped doing because of the tedium. Like searching for long tail PPC terms or manual submissions to shopping engines.

An idea for a future video would be a list or menu of things that you have had success outsourcing. I am sure there are tasks I have not even thought of using a VA for. Specifically, what works, what does not. What are VA's capable of? What is a typical project start to finish entail, from the assignment, the delivery and the cost? Any type of real world example, including details would be valuable.

Thanks for this video — it was very inspiring!

The question about WHICH things to delegate (personal and work related) and HOW to do is actually really interesting. For me running a small graphic design studio with a friend, delegating things is really hard since I tend to believe I can do almost everything better and more quickly than any VA would be able to. I think that the VA would have to know a lot about my business and it's core values in order to do anything the way I want them to be done. That creates some kind of barrier for hiring a VA.

Anyone who can recognize this in themselves or any thoughts on this?

Big shout out from Brazil. This is dead on and I'm looking forward to all your upcoming videos.

I've kept my RSS reader lean as hell and Muselife is most definitely #1.

This is on-topic,practical and beats Tim's blog hands down.... yea I said it.

I enjoyed the video. I have used VA's on and off since I read the 4HWW, but have struggled with some of the issues you described. Thank you for providing this information and I look forward to future posts.

FYI, I'm really excited for M6 and have a product waiting to put it to work.

Been following you for a while and enjoy your professionalism as opposed to the travel/party focus of others in the space. With my new gig, I am in great need of about 20+ VA's that have to have perfect English language skills. I'll check out your ebook to see if there is anything I can use otherwise it might be a topic for a post. I know Tim F. uses a VA in Vancouver that he is always bragging on.

Mike if you get me your email or Twitter name I'll get you your book copy. It will absolutely help you on your VA hunt. We've been developing a pretty rigorous VA screening process for everything we're doing with our venture firm, so you may want to consider an upfront screening test to speed up your hiring process. If you want to talk more, drop me an email.

Great. Thanks. Email = mthompsonATL@gmail.com
MT

Found your website a while back and I'm happy to see you have new content. Loved 4HWW but it did not have a lot of practical step by step guides to developing a muse and the lifestyle that it can provide. Muselife seems to be what I'm looking for - can't wait to see M6!

Kirk thanks for the words. Tim did a killer job changing the mindset and getting people asking the right questions, so this is just a way to extend that conversation and get into the details. Glad you're digging it.

One point you touched on in the vid and that really struck a chord with me was the difference between "telecommuting", even if one is "nomadic" and working from wherever, as compared to lifestyle design. Working for yourself and building a product/business that one determines independently is infinitely more rewarding than simply being a cog, albeit a mobile cog, in another's machine.

Dave O,

Absolutely... this is one of our favorite topics to talk about - too many people assuming that they've won just by shifting from a graphic designer at Agency A to a graphic designer at Starbucks #584 in Madrid. Good for you, you're freelancing, but you're still doing someone else's work for 8 hours a day.

Check out this previous post on Muselife, David hits on this topic hard: http://www.muselife.com/2009/08/lifestyle-design-intervention/

Mr. Walsh -

Thanks for the response. Below is my e-mail and @twitter. If by chance you know the VA's your two associates are using for new business development I would be curious to know.

e-mail: dwcharlotte@yahoo.com
twitter: @dwcharlotte

David, though I can't provide the VA's specific contact details, I know they're finding real talent and sharp assistants out of the Philippines. Manila's Craigslist is a good resource for meeting new assistants, though there are definitely plenty of other sites to check out (Elance, etc). (Sent your book.)

Well... Well... Well... If it isn't David and Seth, back to destroy America (insert your nation of choice) with their free-market capitalist agenda... I'm totally kidding of course. Opponents of outsourcing are coming from a very emotional place. That's understandable, but debating rationalizations gets tiring rapidly. I hope you guys don't get caught up spending too much of time defending what you do. Luckily you can outsource your half of the debate if it comes to that. That's some beautiful irony.

You guys hit on my #1 concern for outsourcing in this video... I've always been hesitant to pull the trigger because I assumed managing the work would be at least as time consuming as doing the work. That's often a problem with regular employees, and the potential is amplified by distance, communication barriers, et cetera. I'm looking forward to hearing how you guys have distilled the process.

Side Note: I'm a big fan of video posts when I know what's in them. A 10 or 20 minute commitment is scary when I'm not sure what I'm getting into. A bullet point list in the accompanying post goes a long way in getting me to click the play button. That said, all of David's content I've seen has been worth the time so I give you the benefit of the doubt, but it would still probably be helpful to new visitors.

Nice work.

Andrew, seriously, that first line had us both cracking up. Classic. Aside from (possibly) doing a definitive video on "the outsourcing debate", you won't find me spending much time arguing about the whole ethical/political aspect. Low value activity with low return on investment. Not my style. And yes, the sweet irony of passing all debate communication through a VA almost makes it enticing.

You mention the time it takes to manage a VA. Here's the distinction I've made that helps massively: just doing the work yourself has no end-game, no stopping point. It might take as much (or more) time to articulate your process and hire someone else, but that's worthwhile since it takes you that much closer to removing yourself. You're teaching a man to fish rather than just grabbing the pole and saying "Move over, I can do it faster." Scaling forces the lesson, since there's a point where it just gets impossible. We'll talk more about the actual process breakdowns soon.

100% agree on bullet points -- you'll see these going forward.

Great video guys. Getting started with lifestyle design and am super motivated to see what you're coming out with next. Thanks in advance for the book too!! Cheers

Liking the info. Loved the conversation on "knowing exactly what you do". Question - ever used a VA to stir up new business? (Making cold calls, booking appointments, etc?) Would love to read your book...thanks for the hook up.

If I had to pick one area I'd most like to outsource AND that I know I could outsource with some process design, it would be the new business pipeline.

David you can massively streamline new business development (calls, leads, appointments) using a VA, absolutely. I know two guys in particular that have grown their businesses absurdly fast by creating rock solid process and paying full-time VAs to run with it. They're constantly seeing new opportunities and simply executing on the part where they contribute real value. The two people I have in mind are working in different spaces - one in real estate, another in IT support & web dev. Create a process for scoring new biz, and then offload it to someone that can work it full time. That's where the magic happens.

Send me your twitter name or email to get you book -- can't find you via Google.

Exactly my train of thought... I'd rather be closing than turning over rocks!

Check out my comment above to davidwatkins. Agreed, it's all about closing and doing what you're meant to do, not digging around for new leads on business. Also need your twitter/email to send your book.

I'm very interested in seeing how other people are handling processes and project management. Keep up the blogging and the vlogging. : )

Definitely. Process and proper project management are so core to any business, and even more when it's something being created as a solo venture (rather than within a company). Sent your book.

I'll admit, the concept of lifestyle design appeals to me in a huge way, and the first book I hit on was 4 hour work week. I've read it twice, and find that it covers so many different topics that I lost that desire to jump out and create a muse. Then I came across this website, and the fire is back on! I find David cuts straight the the heart of things, and I can't wait to get my hands on this book. The videos are also a huge inspiration, love the personal examples from both David and Seth, it really hits home when they explain where they were, and what they are doing now. My new favorite person to follow on Twitter, thanks David!

Shane thanks so much man. It's way too easy to lose sight of the muse outcome when there's so much noise around the lifestyle it claims to offer. If there was half as much talk about fueling a lifestyle as there is about planning for a hypothetical one, there'd be a lot more people living it. Glad you found the site. Sent your book.

Hey,
Loved the video, hope more are to come. One thing though, you said outsourcing is not about getting more done, just getting things you don't like done by someone else. I might actually get more done, because when I don't like what i am doing, it takes me forever to do it. If someone else is doing this work then it will get done faster than if I did it.

When is M6 coming out? Kind of waiting to use it on one of my potential muses.

Definitely, you'll realize smart outsourcing is a godsend when it comes to things you have no desire to do yourself. The harder things to source out are those that we don't want to let go of - the things we feel we can just do ourselves.

M6 is just about ready -- stay tuned for a video on it.

David,

I'm at a Starbucks now, so I'm going to have to wait until I get home to view this video with the audio up, but a few questions for you in the meantime:

- What sort of businesses are you funding with your venture firm? Are you going to link to portfolio companies on that site soon?

- Any update on M6?

- Who won the plane ticket?

OK, thanks for the updates, David. I did check out your video when I got home, btw. Sounds like interesting stuff re the outsourcing.

Re the e-mail messages, I think I mentioned the affiliate program on my new venture to you via the 4HWW. Maybe there will be an opportunity for us to work together on that.

@Dave, good to hear from you. Here's what's up...

- Dangerous Ambition is fueling disruptive, scalable business ideas that are in-line with how we handle our own ventures. Low input, ultra niche, digital delivery channels, and totally driven by smart process. Other than that, there's no common thread or criteria. We're backing a lot of digital media ventures (apps, information, learning, subscription models, etc) and essentially following our gut into new spaces. Portfolio of ventures is something we'll do when the time is right, yes.

- M6 Creator is just around the corner (finally) after some technical hurdles. Posting a video around this in the next day or two, so I'll let that give details.

- Plane ticket will go to the winner of the shortlist voting (posting it in the next 1-2 days). 5 entries have been selected so check back and you'll see them here shortly.

Also, I'll hit you back on your forum messages/email ASAP.

This is absolutely awesome. There are so many lifestyle design websites out there and they all basically preach the same thing. I discovered your website from another Lifestyle Design website (The Lifestyle Design Project) and it's been history ever since. The video concept is awesome because I tend to lose a lot of motivation for reading up on advice from lifestyle design blogs after the first few posts. I stumbld your video and you are right now competing with Tim Ferriss for the top of my RSS feeds.

Keep up the great work and I can't wait to read your book.

Seriously, that comment made my day. Those words are invaluable. Follow me on Twitter so I can push you your book. http://twitter.com/dvdwlsh