An Interview With The Art of Non-Conformity Founder Chris Guillebeau
Probably the most interesting “career renegades” today is Chris Guillebeau. His mission is not to change the world but to dominate it by traveling to every country on the globe in 5 years. He has shown that you don't have to be filthy rich to be able to travel the world. He has lived in Africa and has in many ocassions changed our view of who we really are.
Who is Chris Guillebeau? What is he up to?
I'm a writer, entrepreneur, and world traveler. My goal is to visit every country in the world and help people live unconventional lives.
What's the best country that YOU visited?
I don't have a favorite. I especially like Holland, South Africa, Ghana, Thailand, and the list goes on...
How did the Art of Conformity manifesto come about? What was YOUR original motivation in starting it?
There is a lot of info on the About page, so be sure to check that out.
The Art of Non-Conformity (AONC) project chronicles my writing on how to change the world by achieving significant, personal goals while helping others at the same time. In the battle against conventional beliefs, I focus on three areas: Life, Work, and Travel.
Basically, I felt like I had been privileged to have a lot of different life and work experiences, and I wanted to start a new career as a writer where I shared them with people.
Were YOU ever scared?
It's not past tense; I'm frequently scared. I don't think the goal is to become fearless, but to find a way to overcome the fear.
What's the best experience YOU had while traveling?
I have so many! Last week I took a 15-hour train from Azerbaijan to Georgia. Earlier this year I finished visiting every country in South America. It's hard to pick just one.
If YOU had a magic carpet that can fly, where would YOU go?
I go to about 25 countries a year, so I don't really need a magic carpet. Cathay Pacific works fairly well. :)
How can a non-conformist thrive inside a conformist community?
Where you live is somewhat irrelevant. I know many people from the Philippines who have made different choices and escaped the status quo. I don't mean to pretend that it's easy, but I also don't want someone to feel like there is no hope to achieve the life they really want.
Who are YOUR personal heroes? Why?
On a "hero" level, I think of people who have overcome considerable opposition to achieve something bigger than themselves -- people like Martin Luther King, Jr., for example. On a more personal level, I appreciate all of the people who care about what I have to say. I enjoy learning from them every day.
What are YOU hungry for?
Change and growth.
If YOU can work with Seth Godin on something game-changing, disruptive or non-conformist, what will it be?
I worked with Seth in June when I got the chance to visit his Alternative MBA class. It was an honor and I look continually learning from him. I read Seth's blog everywhere I go.
Tell us more about the time that YOU lived in the Philippines. What city did YOU live in?
I was a child and lived in Angeles near the former Clark Air Force base. It was a very good experience for me in that I learned a lot about being cross-cultural at a young age.
About me (Chris Guillebeau, taken from his website)
I served as a volunteer executive for a medical charity in West Africa from 2002-2006. It was thrilling, challenging, and exhausting – all good qualities to have in an adventure. I gave keynote speeches to presidents, hung out with warlords, and learned far more in those four years than anything I learned in college.
After my time in West Africa came to an end in 2006, I came to Seattle for a graduate program in International Studies at the University of Washington. I enjoyed my studies, but I enjoyed travel even more – during every break between quarters, I traveled independently to countries like Burma, Uganda, Jordan, Macedonia, and 20 more.
So far I’ve been to more than 100 countries, but there’s a long list of places I haven’t made it to yet. It’s going to take a while, so I’ve given myself four more years until I’m 35 years old. (Any good goal has a deadline.)
I have been self-employed for my entire adult life, having successfully avoided the dreaded “real job” for more than a decade. My entrepreneurial history has ranged from importing coffee from Jamaica, search engine optimization in its early days, Google Adwords and Adsense arbitrage, and building a small publishing company while volunteering in Africa. I now write on this site and sell Unconventional Products.
I live with my wife Jolie, an artist and teacher who has been to more than 40 countries of her own. Jolie is nice about letting me travel the world whenever I want as long as I promise to keep coming back. We live in our adopted city of Portland, Oregon.
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