For most people, travelling the world is just a dream, but one 31-year-old is on track for seeing every single country - and he's become a millionaire and found a very attractive girlfriend while he's been exploring.
Johnny Ward was raised by a single mother in Northern Ireland, and was desperate to see the world despite lacking the finances to do so.
Determined to not let money hold him back, he has managed to explore 152 countries and earned a whopping million dollars over the past three years - all from his laptop.
Living the dream: Johnny Ward has earned over a million pounds while travelling the world. Pictured in Thailand with his flight attendant girlfriend who often joins him around the world. Here pictured in Koh Samui in Thailand
Hard life in Thailand: The traveller runs a popular blog and has branched out to have his own digital media company, employing up to 12 staff
Jet Setting lifestyle:
Ward has so far visited 152 countries on his travels including Venezuela (pictured) and has no 9-5 work schedule
After getting a degree in International Economics at university in England in 2006, and spending time at a US summer camp for special-needs children, he managed to get the money together for a one-way ticket to Thailand to teach English.
After reading how one travel blogger made £1,939 from their site each month, he was spurred into creating his own, OneStep4Ward, even though he had no technology experience.
He told MailOnline Travel: 'My tech skills were on par with my grandmother's, so I had a long way to go to learning that. In terms of actual blogging, I just publish the same way I talk.'
Ward was determined to exceed what they were earning and worked hard to achieve this, making thousands before too long.
He soon began to rake in around £4,000 monthly and as these initial pages grew in success, he ended up branching out and creating his own digital media company, Step4Ward Media, managing over 200 sites.
Hard life: The businessman celebrated visiting 150 countries with a trip to the Seychelles with his Thai girlfriend
Extreme traveller: Not wanting to be held back by his lack of finances, the traveller certainly lives life to the full. His trip to the Glaciar Perito Moreno in Argentina (left) and flyboarding in St Lucia (right) demonstrates this
Taking a stroll: Ward had no prior technological experience before starting his blog but loves to interact with readers and on social media. Here he's pictured at the Avenue of the Baobabs in Madagascar
Working from a laptop has enabled Ward to fill his day with activities that are slightly less mundane than being chained to a desk.
From feeding wild hyenas red meat in Ethiopia to paragliding in the Himalayas and cage diving with great white sharks - and even bumping into Vince Vaughan in a Beijing nightclub - his life breaks the mould of the usual daily routine in dramatic fashion.
And he's been able to share some of his amazing experiences with his girlfriend, a flight attendant who he met in Thailand.
'For sure, I grew up in a single parent family in Northern Ireland and we didn't have much money so in that respect I really really appreciate having the opportunity to see the world, to stay in these amazing hotels and do these crazy activities - sometimes I can't believe this is my real life,' he said.
'I really really appreciate having the opportunity to see the world, to stay in these amazing hotels and do these crazy activities - sometimes I can't believe this is my real life.'
'Before perhaps I would take things for granted, but now I appreciate every little thing - from a Skype call with my mum, to a sea plane and plunge pool in the Maldives.'
He added: 'I probably travel solo two-thirds of the time, the other third friends, readers, family or my girlfriend, who is a flight attendant in Thailand, come and join. We were just in the Seychelles together two weeks ago celebrating visiting 150 out of 193 countries.'
Experiencing nature: Since his business was created in 2012, he takes care of corporate blogging for companies, enhancing their SEO and helping develop their social media presence, while on his laptop in incredible places such as JJ's Paradise in Marigot (left) and Suvarnabhumi Airport BKK (right)
Not your average office job: Ward works whatever hours he chooses, along with his staff, and as long as they get the job done, they have a flexible lifestyle too. Here he's pictured in Chile
As the company expanded he managed to take on a handful of staff and freelancers, all working for him from their laptops.
'When business was busy last year we had about 12 people pulling together. We have no office, everyone is free to work from their laptop. No working hours either, just get the work done and we are all good,' he said to MailOnline Travel.
Since it was created in 2012, his business takes care of corporate blogging for companies, enhancing their SEO and helping develop their social media presence.
'Over the last three years I've earned between £6,000 per month to £40,000 per month, averaging out at about £600 a day every day,' he said.
'With everything registered off shore, and not being domicile anywhere, I get to keep a big chunk of it too which helps because you never know when it could end.'
His single mother has also been able to experience the world with him, including joining him on a trip to Potala Palace in China
Ward aims to visit every country round the globe - that's 198 in total - by the end of next summer and has no plans to stop when he achieves this.
His next goals include cycling from New York City to San Francisco, and following that he wants to run classes on how others can follow in his footsteps.
For Ward the best part of his lifestyle is having the ultimate freedom to go wherever he chooses without having to request holiday time off.
He is currently in Namibia, about to rent a car and drive in the Namib, the oldest desert in the world. But he plans to later return to Thailand to set up another company with a friend.
Hong-Kong based FindATutor will link private tutors with students across Asia.
JOHNNY WARD'S TOP TIPS FOR RUNNING A SUCCESSFUL TRAVEL BLOG... AND MAKING MONEY FROM IT
Savvy traveller: Ward has made over $1 million from his blog, company and various investments in property and stock. Pictured at Hilton Seychelles Northolme Resort & Spa
What top tips do you have for running a travel blog?
Be different. A four-month gap year in South East Asia and Australia will be an awesome experience, so much fun and you'll meet friends for life but no one wants to read the same stories about Sydney, Bangkok and Singapore, they've heard it all before.
So why should people read your stuff? What's your angle? How are you different? Every man and his dog has a blog now, but if you want it to gain traction you have to have a story to tell, and a gap year in Thailand won't cut it.
What tips do you have for gaining followers?
You have to love social media, interacting with people. Some people love it, some don't.
For me, it gives me energy to help inspire strangers to travel the world, it picks me up when I'm weary from the road. But if you find it a chore, then it'll never fly. So be honest, be regular and be committed.
How do you gain money from the blog, how much have you managed to get from blogging since it started?
When I first started my blog in 2010, I didn't understand anything about SEO, online marketing, internet advertising etc but after six months or so in Africa a company contacted me and asked for a advert, they paid about £40 and it was a huge turning point in my life - I finally believed it was possible to work for myself, make money online and be truly free.
From there it increased month on month, until it was about £4,000 a month.
After partying a bit too hard in Thailand, it dawned on me that if I can monetize one website, why not three or five or 50! So then I expanded my portfolio of websites.
Then in the last three years I've made over $1m (I use $ because clients generally negotiate and pay in USD).
Do you have any tips for securing flight upgrades or discounted stays?
If your travel blog is popular, you honestly, honestly will never have to pay for another hotel again in your life - madness, but true.
Do you have any other source of income?
When things started going ok for me I contacted a wealth manager so I have a stock portfolio, and I try to invest in property too, but I'm clueless about it so it's a big learning curve for me!
Living on the edge: The traveller has even been to far flung places such as Antarctica, and has now managed to invest his money in property and in stocks in order to make more
Spectacular scenery the Silhouette Spa at Hilton Seychelles Labriz Resort & Spa: From feeding wild hyenas red meat in Ethiopia to paragliding in the Himalayas and cage diving with great white sharks - and even bumping into Vince Vaughan in a Beijing nightclub - his life breaks the mould
Spending the day with the actors from Happy Feet in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina (left), and a trip to Easter Island in Chile (right)
On the summit: Living life to the full in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He is currently in Namibia, about to rent a car and drive in the Namib, the oldest desert in the world, but he plans to return to Thailand to set up another company with a friend
Ward has met many interesting inviduals on this travels, including on his trip to Mount Nyiragongo in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (left). He spends nine months travelling full time each year, then spends three months in Thailand, where his girlfriend is from (right)
I like to move it: Playing with lemurs in Madagascar while on his mission to visit every country in the world
Pure opulence: Ward says that if you manage to run your blog successfully, you need never fork out for a hotel stay again. This picture is from a recent trip to the Seychelles
Showing the world to his mum. Here he's pictured in Medina of Tunis. Ward's next goals include cycling from New York City to San Francisco, and following that he wants to run classes on how others can follow in his footsteps
HOW TO FIND CHEAP FLIGHTS CLICK HERE
HOW TO FIND CHEAP FLIGHTS CLICK HERE
No comments:
Post a Comment