Howdy!

I’m Colin Wright; welcome to my Exile Lifestyle!

A quick bit about me and what I’m up to on this site and in life, as a list because they’re fun and hilarious and I seldom use them:

1. I move to a new country every 4 months. My readers vote on where I move, and I do my best to learn all I can about the place where I’m living (while also running my businesses and having a life).
2. I run a branding-focused sustainable design studio called Colin Is My Name. I’m very selective with the clients I take on these days (and I haven’t updated my studio’s website in years), but I still enjoy the hell out of the work.
3. I also run an e-publishing/e-distribution business called ebookling. This was started quite recently as a passion-project, and I’m working to built it into the best resource for independent ebooks on the Internet.
4. I’ve personally written 3 ebooks : one on Personal Branding, one on How to Be Remarkable, and one that is all about Networking Awesomely.
5. I’m a bit of a Stoic, somewhat Objectivist and definitely a Capitalist and Humanist. We’ll really have to discuss over a drink if you want to learn more than that.
6. As far as traveling goes, I prefer slow, socially integrated travel rather than quick visits. What this means in practical terms is that I prefer to get an apartment, shop where the locals shops and do what the locals do, rather than getting a hotel, going to tourist hubs and hanging out with people whose first language is the same as mine.
7. I most recently lived in LA (where I started up my studio), but I’m originally from the Bay Area in Northern California, and spent most of my life in Missouri (that’s somewhere in the middle of the country, for those of you living on the coast).

My Key Focuses

Minimalism

Before I left Los Angeles, I sold everything I owned which didn’t fit into a carry-on bag. My apartment, car, many computers (*sob*), and the vast majority of my wardrobe are all gone. When I moved to Argentina, I got down to about 70 things and now I’m at around 50 things that I own in the whole, wide world.

Minimalism is many things to me – a philosophy, a lifestyle choice and an experiment.

Mobility

I’ve spent a good portion of my life working and learning, but until 2009 I never had the opportunity to leave the United States.

To make up for lost time, I’ve reorganized my business and lifestyle so that I can operate and evolve it from the road. In essence, Exile Lifestyle is documenting what I learn along the way. Also, there are stories about near-deadly bus rides, fistfights in South American gay dance clubs and homages to snack foods and super-models.

Sustainability

Being sustainable is important to me on both a philosophical and practical level.

As a businessperson I know that creating systems with fewer diminishing returns leads to better profits, and as a technology enthusiast and Humanist I know that there are incredible options out there for us to live less resource-intensive lives than we currently are. If we want to continue to enjoy a high standard of living, we’re going to need to make some changes.

I see this as an incredible opportunity – not something to be afraid of – and I think that people (and businesses) who embrace this change sooner rather than later will be much better off in the end than those who fight the inevitable in order to maintain the status quo.

Being financially sustainable is also very important to me, as Exile Lifestyle is just one project among many that I have a passion for, and if I’m not able to continue making money, my fun will come to an end :(

Entrepreneurship

I have a penchant for change and evolution, and that makes the world of entrepreneurship very appealing to me.

I’m currently running a few businesses and slowly building up a handful of smaller projects that may turn into businesses. I’m also involved with a couple of side projects that are gaining steam.

I’ve been running businesses since I was 19, so I’ve got enough experience to have failed epically many times and to have racked up a few ridiculous successes as well. I’d love to share what I’ve learned (and continue to learn) if you’ll do the same!

Self Improvement

A big part of why I started this project was to document my progress and learn from others as I try to help others learn.
Exile Lifestyle is also, among other things, a great big excuse to perform extreme lifestyle experiments and unselfconsciously figure out what aspects of these different options I can integrate into my life for the long-term.
It’s all about personal development and literally becoming a better person every day; better educated, wiser, more confident and competent, healthier, more philosophically aligned and generally just a better human being.

FAQ

How can I find out more about you and what you do?
You can check out my other blog, Hard is Easy (where I document the video, photos, press and other blogs I appear in).

You can also connect with me via your social network of choice.

Or just shoot me an email and say hey! Ask whatever you want…I’m not a terribly private person.

Who is paying for all this? Are you being sponsored?
I’m paying for all this!

I don’t have any sponsors for Exile Lifestyle, though I have created some tshirts, ebooks and other random products that you can pick up if you want to be clothed, well-read and site-supporting.

Will you come visit me at (name of country here)?
I would love to!

Shoot me a message and I’ll make sure to contact you when I’ll be heading your direction.

Who took those fabulous photos that adorn the site?
That would be Kurt Langer of Christchurch, New Zealand. He’s a hell of a photographer and a hell of a guy.

Will you speak at my school/organization/business/etc?
Sure!

I take on a handful of speaking engagements in each country I live in, so if you want me to come visit your group when I’m in town (or if you’d like to fly me out to visit), shoot me a message and we can knock out the details.

What does your family/girlfriend/friends think about all this?
My family and friends have unanimously been very supportive, and my (now ex) girlfriend even more so, especially considering the odd circumstances (we actually had a ‘Breakup Party‘ at the end of August right before she left for Seattle and I left the country…it was tons of fun).

I’m very fortunate to have an incredible (and international) support group and cheering section. Thanks you guys!

How do you decide where to go?
I don’t, my readers do!

Is this a really long FAQ, perhaps unnecessarily so?
Yes. Yes it is.

You didn’t answer my question here…what will I do?!
Relax! You can contact me at the aptly-named Contact page without any trouble.