“We fired our jobs,” she explained. “We don’t call it quitting… it’s just that the 9 to 5 wasn’t giving us what we wanted out of life.” Talking to Sarah and Lee Martin is fascinating. They, by far, have one of the healthiest perspectives on life, because they focus on living… not existing. A few years back, they sold everything and bought an RV. Now they travel the country and live the life of the modern nomad. How do they afford this? Through several internet based jobs. From web design to the creation of book covers to self-publishing, these two entrepreneurs realized that they could work from home. Then they realized their home could be anywhere!
So, how did Sarah and Lee become a part of my whole crazy story?
You see, sometimes you find great friends, and sometimes great friends find you.
When I first met Sarah Martin, I had no idea how important she would become to me. I was volunteering as a Shift Leader for SXSW EDU and Interactive, and I was organizing many volunteers. Sarah became one of my go-to girls for getting things done. She had that kind of brain— the kind that was organized, intelligent, mature, and professional. I knew she was an all around, pretty cool gal, and towards the end of the event, we finally got to talk over a happy hour.
Right at that point in my life, I was trying to figure out where to go next with my writing. I’d finished two novels, and I was going back and forth between traditional and self-publishing options. It was serendipitous that we met right then and there, because Sarah has self-published several times. I’d been researching both sides, and it was nice to have someone explain in person how it can be done. It added a few more pieces to a very puzzling situation, but it helped me make a decision.
After SXSW was over, Sarah and Lee met at my house for dinner. The helped me start up a website (which Craig Gonzalez helped me finish— more on him later). This start was crucial, because I had no idea what a domain name was, how to get one, how to set it up, or where to go from there. Sarah and Lee went bippity-boppity-boo and became my technological fairy-god-parents. While Lee continued to work on that, Sarah explained how to launch an e-book.
Ever since that day, Sarah and Lee have become mentors and friends. Their positive approach to an alternative lifestyle is inspirational, and when it comes to work, their work ethic is as strong as ever. Yet, instead of working to pay for things, they work to pay for experiences. They bolt their RV up against a mountain in Colorado or a river near Yellowstone, create beautiful websites or write, then go on a hike and explore. Their lifestyle is freeing, but it also takes a lot of focus and self-discipline to know when to enjoy and when to work. These two understand the balance, and they’ve taught me a lot about being my own boss.
This past summer, while Taylor and I were on our camping road-trip, we met Sarah and Lee in Colorado. We camped for a couple days by a very scenic river, saw the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, drank some pretty bad coffee, and laughed around a campfire. It was a pretty impromptu gathering, but seeing them outside of Austin gave me another perspective on their little slice of life. They go where the wind takes them. They learn from the people they meet along the way. And, above all, they live on less, but live so much more.
For web design needs, book cover needs, mail campaigns and more, check out their services at Leap Frog Design Group.
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Don’t forget to check out Vagabond by J.D. Brewer.
Available on Amazon.
