Today’s post is an interview with another blogging world-travelling superstar, who’s new book may just change your life! Introducing …

Name: Chris Guillebeau

Normally Found At: Art of Non-Conformity

Why should I read what he has to say: Chris has quickly become the ‘go-to’ guy for advice on world travel and living life on your terms. He runs the Art of Non-Conformity which teaches people to forgo the life that is expected of them and instead to live the life that they want. His blog is read by thousands daily, he’s almost travelled the world over and his new book is changing lives daily – you can’t help developing as a person after spending some time on his site. I managed to grab a few minutes from his busy book-tour schedule, to ask about the book and if he had any tips for anyone looking to better their lives. Enjoy!

NLG: Welcome Chris. Thanks for taking a few minutes to talk to me. You are famous for your extensive global travelling and your personal goal for visiting every country in the world. How do you think that travelling has changed how you view the world and more importantly in yourself?

CG: I’ve been travelling actively for more than a decade. In the beginning, the quest was mostly about self-discovery and my own love of adventure. Over time it evolved to a sense of learning about the world and being willing to be changed through it. As I come to the end of the journey, I’m still unpacking some of the lessons and what it all means.

As to how I afford it, well, many of my trips are free or almost-free thanks to travel hacking and Frequent Flyer Miles. I also try to live frugally. I’ve made choices to stay out of debt and prioritize my spending on experiences rather than “stuff.”

NLG: (Chris talks more about travel hacking on his site) I own and love your new book – ‘The $100 Startup’. For anyone that’s not heard about it, can you tell me how it came about and what were the three biggest lessons that you learned from the people you interviewed?

CG: The $100 Startup is the collective story of ordinary people with no background in business who created successful businesses that brought in a good income. It came about as I traveled the world and heard their experiences. In most cases, they didn’t set out to become “businesspeople.” The business came along the way, often unexpectedly. Most of them found their success by doing something that they loved — and then finding a way to make something useful.

There were a lot of lessons that came out of this study. Some of the more common ones were:

1. If you’re good at one thing, you’re probably good at other things. (And the other things may be more related to earning a new income.)

2. You have to find the convergence between what you’re passionate about and what other people are willing to pay for.

3. The skills and money you have are all you need to begin.

4. (Bonus!) Once your project earns even a small amount of money, it’s usually much easier to increase income with that project than it is to start a new project.

NLG: Some very good advice there. In your opinion, what makes a great man?

CG: A great man is someone who lives intentionally, pursues a dream, and seeks to make a positive difference in the world.

NLG: With regards to that, can you tell me any counter intuative tips for life or business that you have found that shouldn’t work but do and help you succeed?

CG: The central message of AONC is: “You don’t have to live your life the way other people expect you to. You can do good things for yourself and for others at the same time.”

As applied to business, I think it’s important to measure your work based on output instead of time. Focus exclusively on deliverables and value. “Value” is one of those overused words that is rarely defined, but in The $100 Startup model it just means “helping people.”

You can make a good living by focusing on helping people.

NLG: Well thanks for taking the time to talk to me Chris. I appreciate how busy you are with the book launch. There’s a lot for my readers to take away and act on. I can’t thank you enough for taking the time to talk to me.

If you liked Chris and want to keep up to date with what he’s doing, use the following links:

• Buy ‘The $100 Startup’ book
• Bookmark his Blog
• Follow his Tweets
• Like the Facebook Fanpage