Welcome to the Join Up Dots business coaching podcast interview with Mr Turner Barr
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Introducing Turner Barr
Turner Barr is today’s guest on the Join Up Dots podcast interview.
He can only be described as the new Jules Vern, or for younger listeners Michael Palin.
He is the creator of the site “Around the world in 80 jobs”.
This is his adventurous platform, whereby he crosses the globe, working in various positions of employment everywhere.
Then he of course shares with us his successes, failures and crazy stories of a life on the road.
Back in 2007, after graduating from UC Berkeley, Turner Barr set out on the open road for a year of adventure.
With no clear plan. No fixed direction. And nothing more than a vague feeling of doing something memorable it was a path very different from where he is now.
How The Dots Joined UP For Turner
And looking back from where he is now, it seems almost unbelievable that Turner didn’t immediately start blogging, creating content, or attempting to monetize his wanderings across the globe.
But that is the beauty of a show like Join Up Dots, as many times a persons true path in life only becomes visible to them when hitting a crossroads.
And in this case it was an economic crossroads that made him decide on what he wanted to do in life.
The economy had tanked in 2008, and the prospect of getting straight back into employment when returning to the US suddently seemed a distant dream.
And was it a dream that our Turner Barr was on…..well dreaming about anyway?
Well let’s bring onto the show to start joining up dots, as we discuss the words of Steve Jobs with the one and only Mr Turner Barr.
Show Highlights
During the show we discussed such weighty topics such as:
How he followed the American dream even though he knew in his heart of hearts it wasn’t where he should be heading!
Why you need to bet on yourself everyday, and don’t just take opportunities but make opportunities!
How you can create a concept from nothing and bring it to fruition!
How he had to fight “Adecco” who stole his intellectual property and would not give in even when advised by mates to do so!
And lastly……
How the darkest points in your life can often turn out to be the lightest part and the best thing that has happened to you!
How To Connect With Turner Barr
If you were inspired by the conversation with Turner Barr, then why not check out other motivational and fun conversations with Jessica Cox, Tayo Rockson and Jason Freeman to name just three.
Every other episode to enjoy and consume can be found at Join Up Dots Podcast Archives
Audio Transcription Of Turner Barr Interview
Intro [0:00]
When we’re young, we have an amazing positive outlook about how great life is going to be. But somewhere along the line we forget to dream and end up settling join up dots features amazing people who refuse to give up and chose to go after their dreams. This is your blueprint for greatness. So here’s your host live from the back of his garden in the UK David Ralph
David Ralph [0:26]
Good morning, everybody. How are we all how are we? Oh, I have got a great guest today. And so I’m going to cut straight to the chase. This is Episode 60. And we have got a man who can only be described as the new jobs burn all the younger listeners, Michael Pailin as He is the creator of the site around the world in at jobs whereby he crosses the globe, working in various positions of employment, and of course, sharing with us his successes, failures and crazy stories of a life on the road. Back in 2007. After graduating from UC Berkeley, our guest set out on the open vote for a year of adventure. With no clear plan, no fixed I mentioned, and nothing more than a vague feeling of doing something memorable. It was a path very different from where he is now. And looking back from where he is. Now it seems almost unbelievable. But he didn’t immediately start blogging, creating content, or attempting to monetize he’s wanderings across the globe. But as the beauty of a show, like join up dots as many times a person’s true path in life only becomes visible to them when hitting a crossroads. And in this case, it was an economic Crossroads that made him decide on what he wanted to do in life. The economy tanked in 2008. And the prospect of getting straight back into employment when returning to the US suddenly seemed a distant dream. And was that a dream that a guest was well dreaming about anyway? Well, let’s find out as we add another job on the list as podcast guest or I’m not going to pay him just keep that to ourselves. The amazing Mr. Turner Barr, how are you today Turner?
Turner Barr [1:55]
doing pretty good, David. Thanks for having me on the show. I’m good. I’m doing good. Despite getting back from a workout here and getting exhausted from that. And I accidentally it was in the park. And so I accidentally picked the spot on top of an ant hill. And so my, my stomach where I was doing sit ups looks like the moon. But other than that, I’m all right,
David Ralph [2:15]
when is here at the moment, because you know, in the introduction, I say you you call the world home, you throw your blanket down, and you are comfortable wherever. So where are you in a moment.
Turner Barr [2:25]
I just recently moved to Brazil. Now would be a good time to get down here for the World Cup. I’ve been wanting to get down here for God years. I’ve had my visa for years down here, but I just haven’t had a chance as I’ve said so many other opportunities going around the globe.
David Ralph [2:40]
This is a question I don’t even know until I’ve just had it flashed into my brain. But did the United States get to the World Cup this year?
Turner Barr [2:50]
They get to the World Cup every every every four years.
David Ralph [2:54]
And so they are in it? Are they? Yes, they are there in the group of death I believe. Because we’ve got a to the we’ve got I say it to us, England, we’ve got Italy we’ve got you have a why I think and some other nondescript team. So I’m a big soccer follower.
Turner Barr [3:13]
Uh, you know, I follow when i can i like i like the World Cup.
And when I’m in Europe, I you know, probably relate more to soccer because they played it growing up or football, as you would say, growing up, and I do American football. But yeah, I appreciate it. But I’m usually too busy working and getting into trouble, I guess. Well, I
David Ralph [3:31]
think the key thing is with your life, you know, when does vacation become work? And when does work become vacation because the many people who are doing a nine to five job going to an office every day. You sound like you’re on vacation. But you’re saying but you know, you haven’t got much time because you’re working all the time.
Turner Barr [3:49]
Yeah, I guess my ultimate goal and you know, it’s still it’s, it’s always that’s one of the like evolution more than revolution is that you get paid to exist that you’re, you get paid to be just living and doing what you would be doing anyway, which you find enjoyable, and what you would want to be spending your free time doing. And that for me that’s traveling. So from the outside perspective, it looks like Oh, he’s just, he’s just traveling all the time, which is true, but I am also working. And so I try to blend those two together as much as possible.
David Ralph [4:20]
And when do they blamed too much? And you think things have got out of control?
Turner Barr [4:26]
When did they get out of control?
I don’t know. I think everything in moderation. I mean sometimes when you when you want to go on a vacation and you just want to relax and chill. And then sometimes you kind of feel guilty about Oh, I should be doing video right now I should be doing you know something else I have to be working while instead of just sitting there and showing out. And I guess that would be the when it when it would overstep itself.
David Ralph [4:50]
What was the first country you did? Just before we actually go back to the concept that you know, the vibe that you were feeling of you needed a year on the road? What was the first country that you actually stepped into?
Turner Barr [5:03]
Well, I actually have I’ve actually been on the road for seven years. Okay, what did I say? Did I say seven years? Or? No? You said one year?
David Ralph [5:12]
Oh, no. When you originally left, um, university, you you was just planning for a year on the open road when, you know,
Turner Barr [5:20]
I basically was like, I don’t know, I went to this big, big quarterlife crisis, I guess kind of preemptively I bit into the American Dream bullet pretty hard, where, you know, this idea of you just go out there you go to the best school possible in order to get the best job job possible in order to make the most money, you know, this that the other for whatever reason to be a baller to get attractive women or whatever that reason. And so I bought into this concept really hard. But then when I graduated school, I kind of had this crisis of why, like, why am I Why am I doing this? And I gone through like 30 job interviews, and I eventually kind of just cracked at one point when one of the guys turns to me and says, you know, in this is a commercial real estate jobs and basically the guy was like, Look, I can give you this job tomorrow, if you want. But like, you’re going to be like to be really successful with this, you have to do it for five years and be stationary. What do you really want to do that, and I was like, now. And so, you know, the next day, basically, I started packing, and I didn’t end up want to hit the open road.
David Ralph [6:22]
So both did frighten you so much about that. Because that is the American dream, isn’t it? That’s what most people want. You want the career, you want the nice car, you want no holidays, hopefully a couple of times a year. But what did try to new that, in that concept.
Turner Barr [6:40]
What frightened me the most is when I when I first graduated and started doing this, I didn’t start out doing my website and start doing the crazy jobs. Right away, I basically the thing that probably terrified me the most is once I got abroad, I really really loved it. I just love experiencing new places. I love the novelty I loved meeting, you know, the sexy women abroad. Everybody was interesting. And it was just interesting. There’s always excitement. But what terrified me was is I always conflicted with this kind of duality of emotions, that people oftentimes sometimes, you know, question themselves in my own field, do I am I making the right choice. And I still very much was kind of torn between these two identities, one that wanted to kind of explore the world and kind of boys my own path and one that was like kind of stuck in this. What are the values that have been ingrained in me, you know, and what I’d fought so hard to get to university for to a really good university to do all this. I was kind of fighting these two emotions, and these two conflicting viewpoints. And that really, really took a toll on me for several years actually.
David Ralph [7:42]
He’s madness really. But every single guest pretty much tells me a story, or at the very beginning, they were following the path that was expected of them. It was either the path but their parents had already done it was the path that they felt that was the right path. But hardly anyone. And I’m exactly the same. I would say the first 25 years of my life, I was doing stuff, just because I didn’t know really what I should be doing. And so I just I migrated with with the hurts. I commuted on a daily basis. So was that kind of original path you was on? Was that your parents dream was bad? You peer pressure? Where did it? No,
Turner Barr [8:23]
no, actually, I’ve been very fortunate. My parents have always been super, super supportive. Actually, I was just kind of a self motivated guy like I wanted, you know, I wanted attractive women, I wanted to make a bunch of money. And so that kicked me in gear gear to get like perfect grades in high school. And then from there, it’s like, Okay, I’m going to get in the best school possible. And I probably got one that was even out of my reach. And then I from there, you know, I just kept pushing myself pushing myself. And you know, it’s, it’s actually kind of amazing looking back on it because like, that’s like a really amazing amount of motivation and focus to be able to push yourself to do that, because you believe in something so much. So that’s why when I did graduate, or the the five years after that, and I was kind of conflicted between the two, it was such a difficult thing. Because when your entire value system is based off of what you’ve kind of been ingrained with, and when I say ingrained with I don’t know so mean pressure from my parents, I kind of mean it more from like, society actually, like kind of keeping up with the Joneses, I think, less so than like actual paint my parents coming down on me or anything.
David Ralph [9:26]
And now you’re kind of keeping up with the Indiana Jones is on you traveling the world?
Turner Barr [9:31]
Yeah, yeah, that’s quite true as well.
David Ralph [9:34]
I reckon actually, if there is anything tonight would be this one. That should be your alarm clock every morning. How? How good would that be?
Turner Barr [9:46]
That’s actually a great idea. I should probably that would probably be a really good pop up sign for me. I was gonna go with rocky but I think that that that that’s even better. I love watching any actually, to be honest with you, I watched them that they watched them in those movies. But every time before I go abroad, it kinda me up.
David Ralph [10:01]
It did. The one that I’ve now fallen in love with, which I shouldn’t do is the very last one, which is the weakest out of all of them. But when I first saw that with my son, I primed him, we went through all of that the original three, and talking to the pictures and the movie theater, and it was going to be amazing. And this was the fourth one and we hadn’t had an Indiana Jones film for 20 years. And I sat there thinking, Oh, this isn’t very good. I should really be loving this but but I don’t know. But now I’ve seen seen it about six or seven times to him liking it. My standards have gone down so low but actually kind of quite like it now.
Turner Barr [10:46]
Yeah, I don’t see myself ever getting to a place without with Indiana Jones for I kind of agree with the South Park interpretation of it. But yeah, that was a tough one. The remake of on that one. I really they really butchered it. I don’t know. I’ve heard a rumor. They’re coming back with a fit. But I don’t know if that’s gonna really happen.
David Ralph [11:07]
Right is up the last colostomy bag or something like that?
Turner Barr [11:11]
Yeah, Raiders of the nursing home. Yes.
David Ralph [11:14]
Why? Why do you think people carry on? I’m on a tangent here. But on the kinda like the Harrison Ford’s and if you’re listening how some fold. I’m a big fan of yours. I don’t think he would be listening to something like this. But if you are, but why do you think they they don’t just stop. And you know, he’s now back in Star Wars and I notice a money about it. But you’d have to say you’ve got enough money anyway. Why do you think that we have to keep on tarnishing this, this image that that we love so much by just going on with another one and another one?
Turner Barr [11:45]
I think they just enjoy the work. I think that I think that the whole atmosphere around video and making films as fun and need for them. You know, it’s like catching up with your old classmates. I mean, it’s kind of like a reunion type of thing. I mean, and also to I mean, a lot of those a lot of those the the problem with that film isn’t so much with the acting so much. It’s just the whole script was and the execution of it was just awful. So I don’t know, I think that I think a lot of those guys, I think that they just, you know, there’s like hanging out with their friends and I think they get together. I mean, there was a couple enemies like monuments, man, did you see that?
David Ralph [12:21]
But that’s the one Clooney in that one.
Turner Barr [12:23]
Yeah, that was an awful movie. But that had that had like a ton of talent in it. And the concept of the movie like, you know, guys going over to Europe during World War Two saving artwork, like this is amazing concept. But it just was everything about it. You didn’t care about the characters. It was an awful movie. But I think the reason why they make those is just that these guys all like hanging out together. And it’s just like good old boys.
David Ralph [12:46]
Well, you in a situation at the moment you’re hanging out with a guest that I’ve got coming up on episode 72. You’ve jumped ahead of him. I don’t know how that’s happened. But you’re 12 ahead of him called normal Dougherty. And he’s a he’s a high spirited Irishman, and a brilliant guest. So you’ve got you’ve got a great one to listen to in in in 12 more episodes? And is it kind of like a sort of a young man’s club that you’ve got going there? Or do you just sort of say hello, and off you go off? And do you little adventures each day?
Turner Barr [13:16]
Yeah, I’d say it’s like an old man’s club. Actually, Niall and I actually met each other last year living in Bangkok. And we became good buddies. And so as you get older, traveling your your travel style, you know, definitely changes. I mean, just what we’re doing now. I mean, it’s, it wasn’t possible 10 2030 years ago, I mean, 10 years ago, look, it was possible, but it was quite different. Usually people were just going out for a gap year. Now you have more like permanent people who are either nomadic or just basing abroad for certain periods of time. And as you get into that kind of position, you relate people rate relate less than people in hospitals and things like this, and people who are working and kind of on the same agenda. So yeah, when you meet these people like Niall, like I have, you tend to hang out with round places around the world. So you can have this big kind of Rolodex of people you can meet up with and real with and based in the same apartment with and that’s what I’m doing. You You get
David Ralph [14:09]
to know each other, don’t you? You know, I’ve spoken to a few of you. So digital nomads now. And when I bring up your names, Oh, yeah, yeah, I know all about them. I’ve got a lady who’s on one of the episodes, episodes, I think he’s after yours actually called loving Juliet 64 in four more episodes. And she has a website called never ending footsteps, and she’s traveling around the world. And you all kind of you kind of know each other. It’s just not intimately in some in some areas, but there is a connection, isn’t it with you guys going around doing your thing?
Turner Barr [14:43]
Yeah, you know, you tend to run into people a lot in the same places. Sometimes you get the same conferences, and I think after a while, you know, it is a pretty lonely profession. I mean, you know, people think of what we’re doing, as, you know, kind of like all the ultimate Indiana Jones lifestyle, as we’ve just talked about, but you know, just like anything in life, there are downsides to it. And one of those being is that having connection, and like, you know, this, yeah, you’re connecting with people online and Facebook and Twitter or whatever. But it’s, there’s, there’s not that, that same level of interaction. And so when you do meet people who are doing are kind of, in the same realm of you’re in, I think that there’s this kind of a connection that you have, and that you kind of get it, you don’t have to explain what you’re doing so much, or when you do explain, they understand right away because most people, you know, when they ask you what you do, if you’re out and about in a country, they kind of look starry eyed, they have no idea what they really, really concept of what you’re talking about.
David Ralph [15:40]
Why? So let’s jump back to that question I asked probably about 10 minutes ago. That’s how we rolled in this show. What was the first country that you went to when you had your your first journey out from the American continent? Where did you hear
Turner Barr [15:57]
me like, what is this like, when I started my website, or like when I was back in school, or further
David Ralph [16:02]
back when when the first idea of traveling abroad here
Turner Barr [16:07]
is really funny. Actually, I was just in my high school and there was a sign in the wall saying, hey, a spot it opened up in the student trip to go to like this Spain, you know, three weeks around Spain in two weeks with the family there something like this. And I spotted open up, but you need to be like level Spanish level three or four above. I was a kid too. But for some reason. I don’t know. I was just like, I should do that. And I went in and you know, I think I don’t know, they needed somebody and they said they let me do it. And yeah, that was my first venture into the unknown, but it was a pretty funny experience. Looking back on it, it was really awkward. Because eyes, my Spanish was awful at the time, like really, really bad and the family that I had never had an exchange team before and they spoke no English. So, you know, that was a pretty funny way to I guess launch this whole this whole deal. But then it That in itself led to the next the next summer. I was in my it was still in high school when I was in my dog office, you need a picture of his son in the wall and his son at his Oxford sweatshirt on. And I started asking him about it and basically his son had studied abroad in Oxford for the summer. And I was like wow, I got to do that. And so I talked to my parents, my parents into it and ended up spending a summer at Oxford and so I think those two are the launching points in high school to start getting my brain to be thinking about you know, there are other there are other things going abroad you know other things going on besides just you know this what this one path a bit
David Ralph [17:30]
when you hit Oxford you’ve never drunk so much in your life
Turner Barr [17:35]
you know it’s funny actually they had a policy even though I was I’ve always been a year older for my age grade they had this policy like no drinking there but I so I kind of adhere to that because everybody else was a year younger so nobody was really drinking man a couple years later I probably would have been more I’m I probably hit more of my bad boy streak and it probably would have been a hell raising it with a with a fervor but I’m not that was actually I actually stuck to the code there didn’t drink however we didn’t have I’d never seen shisha before you got we call it Who? Kermit This is the actual device. But you guys had shisha I never seen that before. So I became an avid avid lover of shisha because there was no rule against that. So that’s what the that’s what all the kids were doing.
David Ralph [18:18]
Because so many people say to me when I come over to the United Kingdom, man, you guys drink and I wasn’t aware of how much we drink. But we do we drink in excess and I don’t know why we are like that compared to sort of, um, Europe where they will drink at meals and, and in social occasions, we just go help a lever for some reason.
Turner Barr [18:38]
Yeah, I don’t know. It’s kind of like the other way around that around the world as well. You guys in the Ozzy’s and the Irish really tend to really like to hit the booze, pretty tough. Americans as well, to a lesser degree, but I don’t know. I think it’s I think it’s a socializing thing.
David Ralph [18:54]
To think some of the jobs that you’ve done have been bizarre, you know, I’m sitting here looking at your website and moment frolicking up and down. And you was an executive elf fundraiser. That’s, that’s pretty bizarre. You were the strangest photographer, you was a tiger, temple volunteer. And the picture of you on the on the website, you look terrified. It’s almost like they’re saying, Please put your hand on this tiger. And it’s the last thing that you wanted to do. How many of these jobs have you encountered and got involved in? But actually, within a very small period of time you thought this is stupid? You know, it’s something to write about, but no more.
Turner Barr [19:36]
I mean, there’s been so many No, no, when I when I kind of take a step outside of myself, and I kind of like look at each other look at it from like a third or third persons, you know, perspective. It’s like crazy. Some of the jobs I’ve done, I can’t even believe in the last few years. Like, if I if you’d have asked me, you know, two or three years ago, where this would have led I couldn’t have imagined it would have led to here. Yeah, I did the operation. Operation save San in the Philippines, I basically went down the Philippines didn’t know anybody, but I wanted to raise money for kids for Christmas. And so I through a, through a Indiegogo campaign got a company to throw up some money, and I, you know, hit the ground running, and I raised the 5000 bucks for kids for Christmas down there.
David Ralph [20:20]
Which is my, that that’s that’s like winning the lottery for them, isn’t it?
Turner Barr [20:24]
Yeah, I mean, $5,000 down there, it goes a really long way. I mean, that helped was helping, you know, each kids like they want all they really want is really basic stuff like a pair of slippers, which is like sandals, just like $1. So you know, I’d be able to help out basically, like six or seven communities that maybe wouldn’t have gotten anything that Christmas because of all the typhoon and everything. So yeah, so that was pretty cool that you can just randomly, you know, come up with an idea and execute it and really going to shows you what you can do. Yeah, and then, you know, the tiger temple that wasn’t, it was one that I was felt feeling a little bit more uneasy about. I don’t know if you know, the entire time. It’s a very, it’s like one of the most controversial tourist attractions in all of Southeast Asia. And there’s been quite a bit of reports about, you know, animal abuse, or, you know, where’s the money really going? You know, just a whole, you know, whole whole slew of stuff, you know, is it ethical, you know, but I kind of wanted to, like, look at look at it through my own eyes. And so I decided to go volunteer there and kind of go behind the scenes and kind of come up with my own feelings about how I feel about the place, and it has a whole because it’s kind of hard to tell sometimes online, because you have like the major news sources, then you have like random people on the internet, but you don’t really have like a face to what the opinion is.
David Ralph [21:37]
And what was your opinion of the place?
Turner Barr [21:40]
Um, you know, I guess from day one, I guess I felt very uneasy there. Like I felt like the we felt very surreal being there you have like 122, Captain tigers, kind of chained up, and just kind of used as a tourist attraction, it kind of felt like a circus to me. So I never really felt hundred percent comfortable to catch. I think a lot of the volunteers there. And then some of the ties that work with the animals really do love the Tigers and really do care about them. But I think that, you know, the first question that people think of when they walk in there is Oh, are these Tigers drugged? And this is the whole This is the whole focus of the debate. Are they drugged? But I think that that question, I tend to think that they’re not drugged. But I think that it’s an irrelevant question anyway. Because even without the drugging on them, there’s ethics of well, they’re just being used to make money because most of the money that they gain, doesn’t go back to just the Tigers and conservation, which is what happens with zoos. Usually. It goes into profit. They’re building this gigantic temple out front with that money. And so you know, and the Tigers aren’t given red meat because it’s too expensive in Thailand, I mean, but yet they’re spending this money on this temple, this big temple out front. And there’s a lot of questionable things of why why why is there 122? Tigers? Like, aren’t monks supposed to be doing monks? And where the Tigers going? And so I don’t know, I think that there’s a lot of questions that a lot of people that go in there don’t fully answer or don’t really quit. What a question we get to the bottom of Have you become more ballsy, almost journalistic. Now, since you’ve been in so many sort of environments, do you do dig down more than you might have done six years ago? Yeah, I mean, it really depends on the type of job most agenda types of jobs I keep, you know, kind of more lighthearted, there’s only been a couple of jobs which have really been, you know, much bigger affairs, and that would be this, this Tiger temple one. And then last year, I called it the Small Business advocate. I don’t know if you’ve seen that or not. But basically, the biggest HR company in the world, Adecco stole all my intellectual property from my site, and created a international global marketing campaign called around the world and at jobs where they had a guy that looked like me talk like me, same vernacular, everything going around the world and jobs filming them for the promo video. And then through this, and that there’s this global contest, basically stealing everything from me. And then they attempted to trademark the name around the world and at jobs and 36 countries around the world.
David Ralph [24:13]
And you had actually trademarked by instantly had, you know,
Turner Barr [24:17]
because, well, I hadn’t trade market, but it actually, to me, it wasn’t a trademark issue. The issue was intellectual property theft. It wasn’t just, they were stealing the name. It was like, they were using my likeness. They were using all this stuff in my site. I mean, it was pretty, pretty, pretty bad. It was creepy, almost. But also in the US you have a walk or prior use, meaning if you’ve had continuous usage of something, you can you can you could you can establish a trademark based off of that. You know,
David Ralph [24:48]
I was watching that video, you have a little rent on your website. I was watching it before you came on today. And he said not you know, I can understand your point of view. Totally. And it was wrong, because I didn’t put your hands up and yes, Okay, fair enough. We’ve screwed up. And they didn’t ask your permission, but isn’t a good way of driving traffic to your site that people would think it’s you? And we’ve got Okay, there must be something else about this and come across to your your place?
Turner Barr [25:15]
No, not really the guys I mean, from a from a from maybe a quick burn quick, you know, once over that, that may be what you believe but one I was the one that put the the entire time into building that concept, building that brand building that kind of identity and they took it without you know, paying for basically, but the bigger the but the bigger issue is what am I going to do have have the eight winners that contest the 10 winners go out and be creating social media accounts are called around the world and at jobs and, and it would completely destroy all my social media and everything that I built. And so to me, that was just wrong.
David Ralph [25:54]
Yeah, now I can I can see your point of view. Totally, I was just coming up with an opposing view for anything interesting discussion point is something that some you know, common, because a lot of you guys who are digital nomads are known for your online brand more than anything? And is that something that is you know, a concern to, to the guys who are traveling around the world doing their own thing, but some big organization could come along, nickname and bang, three years of work?
Turner Barr [26:26]
Um, yeah, I think that that I think that that issue highlighted, I think it was a wake up call for a lot of people that always shit, you know, you really got to protect your brand. I mean, realistically, though, protecting your brand against a multibillion dollar company. I mean, they would just go with some other name, or they would, you know, you’re not going to win. The power of social media really helped them that helped in that battle. But yeah, I mean, it is a it is a concern for small business entrepreneurs. I mean, I that I had initially contacted one lawyer who ended up evil, who everybody kind of blew me off. It wasn’t until I was able to blow it up with PR on line kind of people, kind of, I don’t know, all of a sudden came around or like, Oh, yeah, this is a big deal. That happened to Brian Stanton, I think his name is of humans of New York, happened to a few other people who are much bigger than I am, but it does happen online a lot. So I think it’s important to protect your brand.
David Ralph [27:18]
Because there’s a classic self help book called Think and Grow Rich. And I was speaking to a chap the other day, who created a book, Think and Grow balls, a gentleman called JD blood stone, and it was pretty much along the lines of you know, take courage, take action. And you know, you can create a kick ass life. And but Napoleon Hill foundation went through him big time, just because he used those words thinking grow. And he fought back. And he pretty much won his case. And it made me think to myself, you know, when when does a brand become a brand, because Jules Verne, for example, around the world in 80 days, but as I was looking for your site, I’ve seen around the world in 80 minutes around the world in it jobs you know, how many do you need out there before people go? Okay, fair play, it’s a free for all.
Turner Barr [28:10]
I don’t know. I mean, my case was was exceptionally different. Because it wasn’t just the it was the name, it was all it wasn’t just using the same name like so for example, Gary Arn, had I got orange or t mobile or somebody took, made something called everywhere, everything everywhere, whatever like that, or whatever his sights named, and but it’s not even in the same realm. Whereas this where they took was in the exact same realm. So I it was intellectual property. It was it was exactly what I was doing. It was how I was doing and it was the same vernacular, it was just really creepy. And Jules Verne. I mean, that’s a classic book, that is his name, I believe falls into the public domain is written work.
So yeah.
Unknown Speaker [28:56]
It
David Ralph [28:59]
turns out, have you done an advert? Isn’t it because I was watching the telly the other night, and this advert came on and it was like Bangkok or Thailand. And I said to the wife, oh, that’s the chap. I’m gonna be talking to any look just like you.
Turner Barr [29:14]
Bangkok or Thailand?
David Ralph [29:16]
Yeah. You obviously haven’t. I know. I’ve never taken out advertisement. I don’t know what that means. What do you mean by that, though? I just wondered whether you as part of your sort of, at jobs whether you became an actor in an advert and have done like a travel advert at all?
Turner Barr [29:34]
Oh, no, actually, I haven’t I haven’t done that. I helped work on a reality TV show on TV show. And I also was an extra as a ghost, and a world war two ghost in a National Geographic documentary. But I’ve never actually done an advert but I would consider that I’ve always thought about, I’m right now trying to make a go and making a TV show. But if that doesn’t pan out, I’ve always thought about going to Bollywood or going to career somewhere and try my hand. Try my hand there at TV. You know,
David Ralph [30:03]
I was saying at the beginning that for a while you didn’t monetize? And you didn’t write or blog you just kind of existed and you went out? was is that a failing of you? Now, when you look back on that, do you think God I should have done this a bit bit quicker?
Turner Barr [30:20]
should have done what should have been what a bit quick on monetize?
David Ralph [30:24]
or start or start writing my stories a lot sooner? Because obviously, the stories of the interesting bit which will lead to monetization?
Turner Barr [30:32]
Oh, God, I mean, I mean, I’ve been traveling now for 747 years, and I’ve only been blogging or seven and a half years, I’ve only been blogging for two and a half. So absolutely, yes, I wish I would have started sooner. I think when people first start with whatever they’re going to do, it’s always there’s always some kind of procrastination that comes into their mind, you know, like, Oh, you know, I’ll just push this back. Oh, I gotta, I gotta know this. I got to become an expert at this becoming. I mean, I didn’t know anything about I’m technically computer kind of challenge. So it’s like, I for me, the starting the blog, and getting it going was a challenge and up. But yeah, I think most boy, I mean, any blogger would say, God, I wish I would have started two or three years ago, I would be in such a more advantageous position, because there’s less competition and all and all that. So I definitely think that can be kind of kicking myself, I wish I would have started sooner because there was so many experiences I had that. That would have been, I think really helpful for people to know. And you would just learn so much more along the way. It’s you know, it’s doing the work. It’s becoming an expert at something, you know, you’re becoming more you’re gaining a proficiency. So I definitely think that that is something I wish I would have done. In terms of monetizing, you know, I think that’s that that’s a question for everybody, I still haven’t fully monetize my site at all. Mine is more of a creative outlet at the moment that I’m using more to leverage into a bigger deal down the road with something else like a TV or something.
David Ralph [31:51]
Because he’s amazing, your site is amazing. It’s one of those ones where you know what you see so many blogs, and they grab your attention from maybe 1015 minutes, tops, but yours, I sat there for days, and I’ve been clicking around and looking at it. And I think oh, I just look for another 10 minutes. But it’s so much better. But I think to myself, this is like a multimillion pound industry, you know, the amount of sort of advertising and concepts and it just cuts across everything, doesn’t it?
Turner Barr [32:24]
Yeah, I mean, I think there are a lot of opportunities out there, but there’s some people so for me, I’m taking the long term position because I want to keep it creative. And I want to keep it my voice in me. Whereas some people I know a lot of a lot of people who just don’t give a shit and they just want to go out there and, you know, put on there just make money from adverts or whatever. But I mean, how many boring sites do you come across or sites you come across? And if you google search something you can get across it. And it’s, it’s, you know, there’s all these AdWords in there, there’s all this and that, and it just kind of take takes away from the, you know, the authenticity of it. Like, is it? Who is this? Is this a real person? Is it not? And so for me, I don’t know, I just always felt like it wasn’t really walking the code of what I want to do. You know,
David Ralph [33:07]
I hadn’t noticed, yeah, you’ve got no adverts on there were two of you. Ah, that’s probably why my attention remained where it should be for, you know, a couple of days. Yeah, there’s, there’s no AdWords, there’s no little things flashing up making me click elsewhere. I basically, I’m clicking on the content.
Unknown Speaker [33:27]
Right.
David Ralph [33:28]
You breathe? Yeah, ton about your brilliant, you’ve just discovered something that will change the online world.
Turner Barr [33:36]
Hey, there’s quite a few people that agree with my position that, you know, when you go to a site, and it looks all sweaty and someone’s just putting on I mean, what is that? What is that going to do for you? And I think that, you know, I’d rather have a open, open and honest and a fair way to monetization. That is that it’s about integrity. And that’s about you know, promoting something that I agree with, and not just trying to break in a couple extra sense here. And that i i think i’d rather build build something more beautiful.
David Ralph [34:03]
Well, I think you’re doing an amazing job. When you you do your jobs. Have there been some that you think Yes, actually, I know, I’m only doing this for, you know, a few days, a few weeks, few months, whatever. But this this speaks to me. And this is a job that I could see myself coming back and expanding upon. You know,
Turner Barr [34:22]
a lot of the jobs that are like that, I really have enjoyed working with the everything in the TV realm or that we’re the video realm is always really interesting to me. You know, I help I help these guys called nomadic nation. It’s a production company in Asia, whether they’re around the world, but they’re in Asia, now. They do. I took took races. And I just being involved in that atmosphere. And like filming and everything, I just find to be really exciting. Because you kind of let you’re part of the creative process of building something that if you guys weren’t doing it, it wouldn’t be created. And to me that, and to me, And to me, that’s pretty exciting when you cover unique things and events. I really love working and I worked in a Christmas market in Germany. And I love glue vine, I have a real weak spot for you know, that’s like the hot mulled wine. So for me, that was the perfect job, pouring hot wine and getting to drink with Germans and get paid for it.
David Ralph [35:14]
So what is the job? That the one that you’ve done so far that you think it all finished today? And I’ve got to make an income you would jump back on?
Turner Barr [35:24]
There was one job that I have that I have to do today that I have to make an income from it. Yeah. It’s a really tough question that you know, you’re the first person that’s ever asked me that question. Most people ask me, what’s the most interesting job I’ve ever done? Rather than that question, what’s the one I would do the most? Yeah, I guess you would have to if I’m going to do it day in day out, it would have to be something like, I worked with a video promotion guy who would go out and make promotional videos around the world for different companies. And on different topics. I think that I think that would be pretty interesting. Because you’re constantly Do I have a big case of actually because of add. So I’m like all over the place. And so for me getting it changed up a lot is just essential. I think
David Ralph [36:07]
that you you’ve already got the brand, but could pull that off. I don’t think you would need many people to do that with you to do what to do. But you’re just talking about that you fancy doing
Turner Barr [36:20]
to go do promotional video making?
David Ralph [36:22]
Yeah, absolutely. You’ve already got the around jobs with turn a bar, you’ve already got that kind of production. You could you could get a couple of people to come work for you. and away you go.
Turner Barr [36:35]
Yeah, pretty much. I mean, that’s, I mean, that’s one of the side projects I have going on right now. Luckily, in the last year, I recently did a video I haven’t released it yet. It’s still being edited out right now. But I did a video in Italy that was really fun that was called it was a parody on Breaking Bad, you know, the TV show Breaking Bad, called breaking balsamic. And I’m releasing in the next week here. So and basically I did like a whole kind of parody skit on both Sonic making. But you know, as Heisenberg and all that. And it was pretty fun. It was really, really fun and exciting to do. And so I guess I would do creative travel videos, which is basically what I’m doing all around the world, about certain topics that aren’t, you know, the typical hosted Hey, I’m Turner. And I’m, you know, here’s the top five things you see here, not so much like that, but more like a creative twist on it.
David Ralph [37:22]
You could be even new Indiana Jones doing these short five minute things.
Turner Barr [37:28]
Yeah, I mean, yeah, I could be it right there, he may have just found it for me. Here we go again.
David Ralph [37:35]
Get the juices flowing Turner, every morning, get back going. I mean, I’ve been away you go. I’m going to bring Steve Jobs onto the show. Now, although it hasn’t kind of found its natural place in our conversation because I want to go off in so many different directions. I would be remiss if I didn’t bring this in. And this is when Steve talks about looking back and only knowing your path when you connect the dots. And I’m fascinated with your story waver in so many ways, it seems effortless. But I’m sure that hasn’t been the case in any shape or form. And in many of the stories, there’s there’s always a big dot. And without that big dot, you wouldn’t have gone off on the path that you’re going. So I’m going to play these words to you. And I’m just going to ask you know what they mean to you. And then we’re just going to discuss whether you can pinpoint your big.in your life, this is Steve Jobs.
Unknown Speaker [38:24]
Of course, it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards 10 years later. Again, you can’t connect the dots looking forward, you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something, your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. Because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart, even when it leaves you off the well worn path. And that will make all the difference.
David Ralph [38:59]
Where you are off the well worn path. Most of the time you’re creating your own path. But do those words mean something to you and your life at the moment?
Turner Barr [39:08]
Yeah, I mean, it’s pretty funny that you have that as one of the catchphrases of your of your podcast because that definitely is one of the phrases I live by. is definitely been a part of my life. I mean, there’s been probably three or four instances where that I definitely see the words coming to life. For me that really guided me when I when I look back on it. It’s like wow, yeah, I wouldn’t have been it is clear to see it now. But I definitely see how it’s gotten me here now.
David Ralph [39:38]
So do you have a big adult, but the major one that if you hadn’t hit that doctor, you could have gone off into corporate America, you could have got the beautiful lady that you were talking about? Is there a doctor that you can focus in on
Turner Barr [39:53]
or the first the first dot, which I already get, which I already mentioned was, you know, graduate after graduating from school, my kind of value system collapse because it was like, No, I didn’t want to go out and work for commercial real estate brokerage right away, because I could see the next five years I could see the evolution of my life happening I would get drained down like bogged down wanting to go make more money, I would may start making more money than I’d have a girlfriend that and have a wife and have a cat I mean a cat and a dog and you know, the whole nine yards. That was the first ones that’s that’s what propelled me to go travel. The second big dot was I was making a bunch of money. At the time day trading stock on line, that was how I was funding funding, funding my way around the world at that point. And I was making a to be honest with you, my first year to out of college, I was just absolutely killing it. I was making hand over fist and money. Money was coming easy. You know, I was like, how could I ever I couldn’t even take another other like normal kind of jobs because it wouldn’t pay nearly as much. And I was like, Wow, this is great. I’m location independent, I’m able to make first world currencies in, you know, developing countries who they can just trade abroad. However, you know, when the economy hit the kids, I was actually set up to go buy a hostel in Colombia and start a hostel there. But that’s when lehman brothers went belly up. And then shortly thereafter, AIG went belly up in the economy whenever and I lost most of my money. And I went through a pretty big spiraled depression, because that was an aha moment for me, because I link so much of my self esteem and self worth, and bet so much of my future what I was going to do on with, with around this money, you know, I made this money, therefore, I was great. And therefore I was a smart guy, and I was this, that or the other. And it was it was a dog for a big dog for me, because, one, I was depressed for quite a while after that, you know, kicking myself saying, you know, how could I be so stupid, I wasn’t as smart as that. And, you know, my life was over, I cannot believe this. But it was probably the best thing that could have happened for me, because it made me realize that, you know, you’re the money when I would make it’s like, when I’m when I made a bunch of money, money, it didn’t equal the feeling of losing a bunch of money, losing a bunch of money felt a lot worse. And so those two together meant that like it was just your wife was a gambler, it was it was like being in a casino. And I when I really thought about it, I’m like, you know, someday I’m going to die is another Steve Jobs quote, someday you’re gonna die. And so are you living, you know, the way that you want to be living. And I thought to myself, you know what, I felt awful if I lost a bunch of if I lost more money than I made. But to as I didn’t feel like I was building anything, I wasn’t creating anything, I wasn’t contributing anything to society. And that is gambling, which is another reason why I shied away from like online poker. And it was like that. So I was like, You know what, I want to have something where build something where if I wasn’t creating it, it wouldn’t have existed, which kind of goes in line to the commercial real estate thing and kind of goes in line at the trading stock thing is, is I wanted to build something that was uniquely mine, and that it was a stamp that I wouldn’t leave. When I leave this earth, which could be you know, it could be tomorrow to me today after this call, guys, I could go ahead and get go get hit by a bus and die. You know, you never know when your when your number is going to be called. So yeah. So I think that was my aha moment that I want to get into. I want to do something that’s creative and something that if if I weren’t to complete it and build it, it wouldn’t have been built
David Ralph [43:15]
is fascinating. But you know, I didn’t want to jump in. But it was so many times I wanted to go yes. And yes, because so many people are telling me but their big dot was the time when their life went pear shaped when everything went bad. And at the time, they were Oh my god, what’s happening. But now they look back on it. And I’m the same. I’ve told my story numerous times in podcast. But at my lowest point was the moment I thought it’s now time to take control. I’m not going to be feeling like this anymore. By whatever situation I put myself into. And it is fascinating that isn’t it? But most times it’s the dark dot, but is the lightest one. We just can’t see it all the time.
Turner Barr [43:59]
Yeah, I mean, it’s the same thing going back to that, that that multibillion dollar company hijacking my brand thing is that if during your moments of crisis, that the most opportunity comes in that you kind of see who you are, as a person kind of unfolds a little bit more. And you’ve got you have to kind of choose a path. And I remember distinctively I was in Laos, when I got the news from this company that they weren’t going to be, you know, having the initially they had told me they were going to send me around the world and their competition and maybe the host, they were going to compensate me when they pulled that rug from out from under me and it went from being a win win to sign this or warriors are going to go after you kind of thing. I was in Laos in this kind of dark communist country underneath this statue or rain all around me and everybody I talked to even friends even Niall actually were like, Oh, you know, just take the deal. Like, they’re going to promote you on their social media. And I was just like, no, it just doesn’t, I can’t do it, it doesn’t feel right. I guess those are the moments that you can realize your true grit. So that was kind of adopt for me as well, where like, now I’m picking this path. And I don’t know how it’s going to end up. But this is how it’s going to be done.
David Ralph [45:12]
I love that. Because on many ways you’re talking you do seem, you know, driven, you seem that you’ve got that grit, you seem like you have that focus. But on the other side, you know, even when we connected for this, this meeting, the thing that I loved about you was I knew, but if I didn’t get you within a couple of days, you don’t like to play and you you seem to like to sort of live life on the women away you go. And that is a conflict, isn’t it to have that kind of grit and determination, but also that kind of free spirit as well.
Turner Barr [45:45]
Yeah, it definitely been, it’s definitely probably been one of the factors that has kind of led to, you know, some turbulent times in my life. And maybe times where I’ve been almost kind of bipolar, where sometimes you’re really motivated in some ways, you’re kind of all over the place. And it’s for those reasons that it’s really important that you find you that you find focus and you find what you’re interested in. I mean, I’m a big believer in in that people should really invest in finding out what it is that they really love and enjoy doing. I hate saying that. I hate saying the word passionate because it’s just like kind of this catchphrase that these gurus on TV use but and I’m and I’m a person that I’m not particularly passionate in any one thing, I’m not particularly good at anything. However, I believe that you gotta try on a lot of different hats and try on on different things, before you start to find something that’s a little bit more of who you are and what it is that you love. Because that will give you more focus and determination because it’s you gotta be you gotta do it, whether you be getting paid or not. And so that’s and that’s what you really got to find. And a lot of famous people’s advice is even that even though I don’t like the guy is he’s a total total douche is Donald Donald Trump. And he even says, you gotta love what you do, because that’s the only way you really be exceptional at it. And I think a lot of people cash their chips in a way too soon. Like they you know, you’re taking they get married when they’re 20 or 21. Some some people this works out for them. And this is the kind of person they are, but and some people also pick a career when they’re 21. But to me, or 20s is your time when you kind of gotta be trying on a lot of different hats having a lot of different flavors of ice creams, where you got to figure out what it is you like, what is you don’t like, what can you live without? What can you live with?
David Ralph [47:29]
I don’t think he do voter turnout, I think this is the problem. You know, I look at my situation. And I’ve looked at so many people situation, you go through university, you go through college, and you get your first job, and you’re so delighted to get your first job, you pretty much would do anything. And it’s not until you you’ve been in that for a year, two years, whatever. And you start saying, Oh, hang on, I don’t think this is my path. But after sort of five or six years, you can pretty much lyst what you don’t want to do because you’ve done it and you haven’t liked it. But you can’t really ever pinpoint what you do want to do, because you haven’t given yourself an opportunity to explore. Because we are on that kind of path of right. Okay, I’ve got 10 years of BS, I mean, I get a mortgage, and then I get a wife and all those kind of things, just because it’s expected of us. And that’s what’s so amazing about you guys, but you are creating your own path. And I really want to get that out to the listeners. And I’m not saying everybody needs to, you know, pump the manager in the face and quit their job. And off they go.
Turner Barr [48:27]
Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Sorry to interrupt you. So you disagree with me or disagree?
David Ralph [48:31]
I’m agreeing with you, sir.
Turner Barr [48:33]
Oh, yeah, I heard you interrupt. And you said and you said no, I don’t agree with you. And I was like, What? Because it sounds like you aren’t agree, agree with me that you got to try a lot of different drive a lot of different things out?
David Ralph [48:47]
No, I’m agree I’m agreeing with that. But I don’t think we do. That’s the problem. I think when you when you when you when you’re in your 20s, you should be doing that. But you’re so keen and getting a new car and going off on holidays and living the life of freedom, we actually restrain ourselves. And I was reading that book, Napoleon Hill Think and Grow Rich, as I was saying earlier. And so many people between the ages of 40 and 60 suddenly make it because they realize oh my God, I’ve wasted half my life, I better get going. Van the people in their 20s even though what you’re saying is absolutely right, we should go out and try things. But for some reason we don’t?
Turner Barr [49:28]
or Why do you think there’s so many? For me? It’s like why do you think the divorce rate is so high. And so high is because people getting married before they really know who they are they, they took the whatever, that they didn’t figure out what their values were, they figured they took whatever values society gave to them, without even really kind of making up their own or figuring out what it is what drives them. And then all of a sudden, they pick a partner and you know, maybe there were one or two degrees different difference, but over 10 years, that that that can be a very big thing. Same thing with the career, you know, maybe you you go to Los you go to law school and and say yeah, you don’t really like it, but you’re doing it because it pays a lot of money. And all of a sudden your lifestyle is so high because you make all this money as a lawyer, but then you end up being 50 years old, you’re doing this, but you can’t do anything else, because nothing else can pay you as much as that. And I think that’s the position a lot of people get themselves in.
David Ralph [50:22]
If you were 70 years old, and you’ve had the experiences in life that you are having now, but you pretty much a skint, would you go Fair enough? That’s my position, or is that a position that would actually scare you?
Turner Barr [50:40]
I’m sorry, I don’t understand the question. You said, How about if I was 70 years old,
David Ralph [50:44]
if he was 70 years old, you’ve had all the experiences that you’ve had in your life, but you actually haven’t created a nest egg, like people who go to work and they work for 4050 years in a job that they don’t like to protect themselves when they get older. Would that be something that you would go Fair enough? I’ve had all my experiences. So this is this is what life is going to be? Or is that something that would actually frighten you? But you, you You are an old man, and you are on your own? And you are living in some foreign country somewhere? And you haven’t got a great deal of money?
Turner Barr [51:18]
I would think you know, I think obviously, on a pragmatic level. Yeah, I think that, that that ideal that you would be scared, is exactly in line with what I was talking about how when you bite into this society bullet of what you really need, you know, and all of this. That would be in line with that thinking, I tend to think more that. And I’ve said this to my mother, because she’s constantly worried about retirement and to other people, you know, the other older people who are always worried about retirement having a money is that their lifestyles cost so much money, and they’re always busy working, working, working, and you notices to say that, but my my argument would be that, when I’m 70 years old, I don’t ever really I don’t think want to retire, I think I think I would rather find something that I love doing. And keep doing it. You know, they’ve seen this in all over the world, people that live the longest aren’t people that retired people that relax and enjoy what they do and are getting paid for it. And I love their love their life, and they don’t. So I would hope that at that age that I’m able to be live beneath my means. And yet, I found something that I love doing enough that I wouldn’t want to that I wouldn’t want to quit or have a whatever. I mean, you can’t take it with you. I mean, that’s for certain.
David Ralph [52:34]
But But you know, he’s a company, isn’t it?
Turner Barr [52:38]
It’s definitely a comfort blanket when when something would go wrong. But I mean to say you’re going to end up a popper is is, you know, when you’re 70 I mean, I’m 30 right now, that’s 40 years I have, you know, so I could still be messing around the next 10 trying to figure it out, I still think it’s worth that early investment to get their foundation right of what you want to do. I don’t think you’re being at a flake or that you’re the risk is as high as people think thinking is that you’re going to end up an old miser with no money in a foreign country, I just don’t, I just don’t see that as a as an issue. I think the bigger more and bigger, I mean, so many things can happen. You can get cancer and die sooner than that. You can, you know, so many different things can happen. And on any given Sunday, I think it’s more important that you really find out. And you really live the life that you want to live. Because I would rather I would rather you know, live to be 70 and have lived the way I want to live then save my money a nest egg and then be 70 and and then do what you’re doing at that point you get. So at that point, you get older this partner to do and you don’t want to do it, what are the things that you could have experienced when you’re younger, I actually have a neighbor that him and his wife, they had saved, you know, work their whole lives and save, and they plan on traveling when they retired. And he now has fairly advanced all timers, or some old timers. And so they they they can pretty much do anything. I mean, that that, that that ship has sailed. So there’s no way to bet on the future. So I’m going to bet on the now and I’m going to you know, do the best I can.
David Ralph [54:15]
I love that bet on the now is is the only one I was laying in bed with the wife the other day, and she was moaning. But I was talking and it was very early in the morning. And she just wanted to sleep. And I was saying to her, you know, but why sleep because you know, if you’ve got up now you can do something and you can do it. And she said Oh, you’re always focused on the future. And I went, yes, I probably am. But I want to be focused on the now because that’s when you can actually make your future.
Turner Barr [54:41]
Yeah, yeah. I mean, I think being present and being cognizant of what you are, what you are, what you are doing does make your future so they’re all kind of interrelated.
David Ralph [54:51]
So what is your future? Ben Turner? Where are you in Brazil now for the World Cup? You don’t really like to play? And could you wake up tomorrow and go to That’s it, I’m off now or are you going to be there for a while.
Turner Barr [55:04]
I’m going to be here for a few months, I’m going to get down to the bottom of what’s really going on down here in Brazil, you know, what’s up with this the social unrest, what’s really going on, can get and continue to hack away on my video skills. And then I’m going to you know, keep hacking away this TV show. And maybe in the fall, you might see me in South Africa doing something with animals again, I might want to get back in that mix, I took a little break. But now I think I’m gonna I’m gonna get back into it. I love
David Ralph [55:31]
the life you lead. I really do. And I’m I’m a deeply envious person because I used to travel a lot and I know the thrill of it. And for you know different reasons, responsibilities and family life and kids and all that kind of stuff. My my travel bug has been suppressed, but it never dies. It’s something when I talk to you guys, I think like, Okay, I’m off, I’m just going to get on a plane and away we go. So I really do admire what you’re doing. And I think it’s a huge sort of, it’s a thrill for me to be I want to speak to people like you that are getting off your backsides and living slightly different lives.
Turner Barr [56:07]
Just slightly different, I would say. Yeah, you know, it, I guess that’s the last thing I would say is that, uh, it’s very interesting, it’s hard to getting advice from, from older people about you know, what to do in your life. You know, they always say, Oh, you know, listen to other people’s advice, and some of it is some of it is timeless. However, we do live in an age that there’s so much more opportunity now, in the in the scales of everything, or Twitter or just are twisting so much. I mean, and it’s tilted so much. I mean, he there’s no more such thing is job security, the company, I mean, the company’s mission isn’t to employ you, it’s to make money. And so in right now you have this ability to be able to travel anywhere in the world. talk to anybody over the world right now you’re in the UK, I’m in Brazil, and we’re chatting for free over the internet, having a conversation that will be broadcast to all these people, people don’t realize that I mean, right now you can hop on a plane, and for cheaper and longer, you can go faster than anywhere and no greater distance than you could ever get there in the height of the Roman Empire.
David Ralph [57:11]
Right. He’s amazing. He’s amazing, isn’t it? A
Turner Barr [57:13]
I mean, I mean, I mean, back in the day, when people wanted to go from the old world to the new world, you know, when people are bitching and complaining about, you know, a three hour delay, and they’re playing and oh, my God, this is a travesty. Blah, blah, blah, and this flight is going to be six hours or five hours. You know, people used to take like three months on a ship going across the ocean, and like half the crew would be dead. By the time you get there.
David Ralph [57:37]
Recently, didn’t he?
Unknown Speaker [57:39]
Yeah. And he survives
David Ralph [57:41]
with with a bunch of French people for three weeks or four weeks or whatever.
Turner Barr [57:47]
I don’t know, maybe that’s why he was dancing so much on the boat, he’s got a little video of him dancing. Oh,
David Ralph [57:51]
I’ll have to look about what the one I want to do is actually send you on the quickest journey you’ve ever had. And this is time travel. And this is when I send you back in time. one on one with your younger self. We call it the Sermon on the mic. And if you went back in time, what age of Turner would you want to have a one on one with? What kind of advice would you give? Well, we’re gonna find out, because this is it, you’re on the mic, the Sermon on the mic.
Unknown Speaker [58:21]
Here we go. With the best beer on the show.
Turner Barr [58:38]
Okay, I believe this is my go to younger Turner High School Turner, I would have to say to high school Turner to lighten up, enjoy life be in the moment more, you’ve taken being way too seriously. And you can beat yourself up way too much not knowing what the future holds. I would also say to you too, that you’re going to have a good life, you’re going to have a lot of opportunity to travel and see world and doing amazing things. But I think that you should really try to remain discipline and form positive habits, whether that be eating right or and also but also working out on a daily basis. And I also think that you should really turn her spend a lot of time building skills, building computer skill sets, because that is going to help you in your creative skill sets. And right in your around the world travels. You can do things anywhere you want the world and get paid for it if you build up that that network and that base, but you have to have those skills and getting them now while you’re still young and your mind is still open and fluid. And not old enough, doesn’t want to learn anything else. But just when it’s a perfect time, take take advantage of those opportunities, and start to build those skills and do a little bit each day. Because that habit, those habits that you formed, you know, you may start today and you may suck at them. And you may say that you’re terrible in technology, like I’m saying right now, when I’m 30. If you keep at them, one day, you won’t be crappy at anymore, but you’ll be kind of good at it. And then when you’re kind of good at it, you’ll be great at it. And it’s important to learn those online skills and some of these videos, skills and all these other things because they are a platform, they are a platform for speaking your voice and for what you are good at, which is creative storytelling. But I don’t learn those videos, building how to create those habits and stay disciplined. But remember most of all, Turner that it’s about the journey. So just enjoy yourself. Know that any day anything can happen, but to enjoy yourself. And the last thing I’ll say to you advice young Turner is every single opportunity that you’ve always reached out and take you’ve taken you’ve never felt you never regretted always take those opportunities, but not just take them make them. It’s easy to be lazy and sit around and watch TV and you know, whatever else on the internet and waste your time. I’m not sure if you really have the internet now. But it’ll be really big when you in a few more years. But you can waste your time in a lot of ways. But do the work, work hard. And take those opportunities because when you take those opportunities, more opportunities will happen. But you got to not be lazy and you got to push yourself outside your comfort zone all the time. Even when you get that next step. Take it one more step further. You can never there’s always only one direction forward, one direction and that’s forward by younger Turner, and enjoy.
David Ralph [1:01:23]
Do you noticing just before I say goodbye to you, and I’m going to ask how to connect on your website, you have a job the terrified public speaker and there’s a stony faced version of yourself with a microphone put in front and you’re saying that you know you were scared You were scared big time doing this public speaking. Why? Because you aren’t you’re naturally competent of it. And it’s come across in this show big time.
Turner Barr [1:01:47]
I was lying about that. No, no, no, no. I mean that that that particular photo was actually on a radio show. And then I was actually speaking the ENTER and the room. I don’t know it’s very interesting. In high school, I was somehow able weasel my way out of speech. Guys, I am a very natural public speaker. But you know, like anything, I think it’s natural to get nervous about anything unless you do it a lot. And so yeah, I don’t know, speak in front of large groups you think is naturally nervous. But you know, people who are really good at what they do. They just they do it so much that it becomes like second nature. And so that’s why it would hit back on my habits that I was just talking about is that you got to do things over and over and over then it’s not a big deal.
David Ralph [1:02:27]
Well, we’re glad that you are How can people connect with yourself to
Turner Barr [1:02:31]
just find me at a ternary at around the world around the world@jobs.com
that’s around the world at jobs calm or my facebook or any of my Twitter handles or my Instagram handles which is at World jobs
David Ralph [1:02:44]
he has been absolutely a delight to have you on the show. He’s been a quite a strange way how I managed to Lou you on the show, because you were somebody I’ve been wanting to get for a long time. But thank good for Facebook. I’m just a quick story. Um, there’s a chap who’s coming on the show, as I was saying, Episode 72. And I was saying, Oh, I’d like this chap to be on. But I never mentioned his name. And I connected with the other bloke on Facebook. And then when I was looking at his pictures, I thought that’s Turner bar and they were both sitting having a beer in some place. And I thought right got ya. And that’s what I did. I connected with him and we loved you onto the show.
Turner Barr [1:03:24]
Yes, he did it. He said a honey trap. I have a sucker for Niles accent.
David Ralph [1:03:30]
Absolutely, aren’t we? Oh, well. Thank you so much for spending time with us today join up dots tournament, please come back again when you have more dots to join up because your your history is going to keep on going forward. And I’m going to be an avid reader of your blog because it is it’s it’s inspirational. It’s amusing, it stupid in certain places. And it’s totally entertaining. I think it’s brilliant. I can’t wait to see you actually taking that format onto the TV screen so we can get more turn about. But thank you for joining up the dots because I believe the only way to build our futures he’s been doing what you’ve done today by connecting our past Thank you so much.
Turner Barr [1:04:05]
Thanks David Have a good one at peace and love
outro [1:04:09]
David doesn’t want you to become a faded version of the brilliant self you are wants to become so he’s put together an amazing guide for you called the eight pieces of advice that every successful entrepreneur practices, including the two that changed his life. Head over to join up dots.com to download this amazing guide for free and we’ll see you tomorrow on join up dots.
