Sometimes I’ll meet a person with a wonderful idea, and, after I smack my head, I’ll say, “Why didn’t I think of that?” That was certainly the case when I heard what Dr. Debi Yohn and Winton Churchill (yes, he is related to Sir Winston) are up to. Their basic premise: create income anywhere in the world from your home, and, to reduce your costs of living, make that home somewhere beautiful, exotic and cheaper than the US. As much as I love Chicago, the thought of an affordable luxury lifestyle on the beach sounds intriguing. How could that work?

They have been doing it themselves for some time and realized others are eager to hear their story. Debi, with a doctorate in counseling psychology, has been doing writing, coaching and speaking from beautiful Huatulco, Mexico, or anywhere else in the world. She just returned, for example, from a month in China. Winton, an expert and bestselling author on marketing and lead generation, is her husband and is also able to do his job from any place on the globe. By selecting Huatulco to live, a stunning resort community South of Acapulco, they have a beach front home that would be ridiculously expensive in the United States. They love to travel and do so continuously. Through the skills they teach, they’ve made their work transportable... 6 countries so far this year for them.

This, I thought, was a fascinating idea. Why do we think so narrowly so often when other options are out there? Think in terms of skills that are transportable. A few general transportable skills and activities that came to my mind were coaching, research, Internet related work, writing, and proofreading. I use people all over the world to polish my PowerPoint presentations, transcribe speeches, and do research, but I had never thought of becoming one of them. And, as a consultant that already travels to clients, I could live anywhere, not just Chicago. Much of my upfront work with a client is done over the phone and via the internet prior to the meeting, with significant phone and internet work in between visits. I could do that anywhere to reduce my costs.

For me, with two kids at home and surrounded by family, now is not the time. But, as someone once said, you can have it all, just not all at once. There will be a time when this becomes very financially prudent, as well as adventurous. It could be the perfect for retirement, in between jobs, full time job, or way for young people to launch their careers and see the world. Many graduates, for example, do not have a work history but they have the skills. Many were almost born with a lap top across their infant seat.

According to Dr. Yohn, “I encourage young adults to use the Internet to develop their global income. It will look better on a resume than working at Starbucks plus this kind of experience will fine tune the technical skills needed in the current business environment.” BareFoot Consultants (www.barefootconsultants.com) coaches others to chart their next career adventure to create an income.

Living outside the borders of the United States is not for everyone. But if you can work in the global market place, or telecommute for your current job, you could work anywhere. This removes daily commutes, the need to wear suits and panty hose, and the need to live in high rent areas. It gives individuals the freedom to live where they want, and frequently at a higher standard of living. This can be in another country, a cruise ship (yes, they have worked from a cruise ship!), an RV, an isolated area and for those happy where they are, they can just stay home in their pajamas.

Now why didn’t I think of that?

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