“Once upon a time, there was a Jamaican civil engineer living in New York City who hated his job. He followed his passion, started a sideline business publishing his own books, walked away from his career, escaped the rat race, ran off to a tropical island in the Pacific, and started a tourism business so he could give tours of the island to pretty girls every day! He now lives a nomadpreneur’s dream life, while helping others create income, achieve ageless health and execute their own escapes!”
About Walt
The Short Version:
“Once upon a time, there was a Jamaican civil engineer living in New York City who hated his job. He followed his passion, started a sideline business publishing his own books, quit his job, escaped the rat race, ran off to a tropical island in the Pacific, and started a tourism business so he could give tours of the island to pretty girls every day! He now lives a nomadpreneur’s dream life, while helping others do the same!”
That’s the short version of my life story. If you have a few minutes, I’ll give you the long version.
Hi! My name is Walt F.J. Goodridge. For the last several years I’ve been living what I call a “passionpreneur” and “nomadpreneur” lifestyle of money AND mobility! In other words, I make money doing what I love while having the mobility to travel and see the world at the same time!
It wasn’t always like this, however. For several years, I worked as frustrated employee suffering the slings and arrows of unfortunate fortune.
This is my story of how I went from being a frustrated civil engineer who hated my job to successfully turning my passion into profit and escaping the rat race! I now live on the tropical Pacific island of Saipan, from where I visit China, Singapore, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam and other countries around the world!
Like I said, it wasn’t always like this. Many years ago, after I graduated from Columbia University with my Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering, I was, like many people, destined for a career in my “chosen” profession. I say “chosen” because I wasn’t really the one who chose it! Like many people, I only ended up in engineering because my counselor in high school said I should do it, and being a good student, I listened. (I love you, Ms. Charlotte Huey!)
” W i t h i n t h e f i r s t f i f t e e n m i n u t e s . . . . ”
Immediately after graduation, I accepted a job in the Design Division of the Port Authority Engineering Department on the 73rd floor of World Trade Center One. Within the first fifteen minutes of that first day of my first job in corporate America, I realized, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that I absolutely hated it!!!!
I saw the future in the eyes of several of my co-workers, and, let me tell you, the prospect of working a monotonous and restrictive nine-to-five job for the rest of my life, scared me to the core! I wanted freedom. I wanted the freedom to wake up when I’m finished sleeping (and not a minute before)! I wanted the freedom to go see movies in the middle of the afternoon! I wanted the freedom to see the world!
C h a n g i n g t h e G a m e
So, from that moment (the sixteenth minute on), I did everything I could to escape and create the freedom I desperately desired.
Unfortunately, no one in my family could offer me any real solutions to that desire. And my friends? Most of my friends were in the same situation, themselves. I knew I wanted to do something that was my passion. But no one had ever asked me “what is your passion?” or “What do you love to do?” I had to ask those questions of myself. To find the answers, I thought back to my college days. I had been a radio deejay on WKCR-FM, and I loved music. So, I went in the direction of that passion and first did some graphic design for an album cover, then became an artist manager, then a record label owner, until, by a stroke of chance, I found my true calling for sharing information and wrote Change the Game. Through the success of that single book, I was able to match my civil engineering income and walk away from my career to become a full-time “passionpreneur”–a phrase I coined.
Want to know how I was able to walk away from a “good” civil enginering job into the uncertainty of being a passionpreneur? Want to know the fears and thoughts that went through my mind and how was I able to justify the decision to leave? Well, check out Ducks in a Row??? How to find the courage to finally QUIT your soul-draining, life-sapping, energy-depleting, freedom-robbing job now…before it’s too late..and live passionately ever after!
I then went on to write several more books on the music industry which you can check out at HipHopEntrepreneur.com
C o m e s t h e P r o p h e t
Based on the effectiveness of the information in those first few books, people started asking me to consult them to start businesses and launch their own passionpreneurial ventures. In time, I realized my life’s mission (“I share what I know, so that others may grow!”) , and when the internet came along, I took that mission online, providing “information, inspiration, ideas and instruction to help people succeed!” I do that through my books, coaching, workshops as well as my own brand of motivation I called “Life Rhymes. (Every week, for nine years I sent my Walt’s Friday Inspiration emails to tens of thousands of subscribers. I’ve now resurrected them in 2018!)
As time went on, I developed my experience and expertise in website development, internet marketing, and living true to my self, and put it all into a belief system and “Passion Profit Philosophy and Formula” that anyone can use to change their reality just like I did. I launched dozens of websites, created more unique products and developed a coaching and seminar practice as the “Passion Prophet.”
In 1999, I published the formula in my “how to” Turn Your Passion into Profit which, with yearly updates, has consistently sold in the top 50 in home-business books on Amazon.com. (They say that imitation is the best form of flattery. So, I consider myself flattered that several authors followed my lead with similarly-titled books of their own!)
(Also available as a six-CD audio.)
Over the course of the years since escaping from corporate confinement, I’ve written more than 25 books, over 400 articles and almost 500 motivational poems, and have dozens of websites that I manage!
However, there was still another escape I had to achieve!
W a l t ‘ s E s c a p e F r o m A m e r i c a
However, as much as I felt fulfilled by helping others realize their dreams, we “passion prophets” have our own dreams, too! In 2006, through a friend who had visited and raved about his experience, I “discovered” the little-known US commonwealth island of Saipan, booked a one-way ticket, and escaped from New York to begin living out my own nomadpreneur dream life on the Pacific island paradise of Saipan!.
J a m a i c a n I n C h i n a . . . . a n d B e y o n d
Moving to Saipan ranks as one of the top three decisions I’ve made in my life, but the urge to see more of the world keeps calling me! So, I set my sights on China, and went to live there for 6 months. You can follow my adventures in China, Singapore, Laos, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Thailand and other destinations on my “Jamaican In China…and Beyond!” blog!
Want to know how I did it? Well, check out How to Become a Nomadpreneur: A pocket guide of income strategies, travel jobs & survival tips for expats, vagabonds, techies and rat race escapees who want to see the world AND make money too!Click here
T h e J a m a i c a n o n S a i p a n
My Saipan-Specific “Resume”
As a transplanted resident of Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) since 2006, I have embarked on several projects to make a difference and to help improve the quality of life here on the island.
► Here is my resumé in photographs and video over the years!
Since relocating here, I have:
► conducted several “Turn Your Passion into Profit” workshops and writer workshops on Saipan as well as the neighboring islands of Tinian and Guam for the Chamber of Commerce and US Navy.
► started a Food Co-op/Buyer’s Group as well as a GoogleGroup for vegetarians, vegans and other health-conscious residents.
(Screenings of health documentaries are being planned in order to raise the health consciousness on island!)
► written over 300 empowerment articles for the Saipan Tribune newspaper in my weekly Saipanpreneur Column which ran for five years.
► written for The Marianas Variety, Guam Business Journal and Marianas Business Journal,
► I’ve also written several books about Saipan, including:
(1) Jamaican on Saipan! My first year and impressions of life on a different island paradise!
(9) Drinking Seawater, a Typhoon Soudelor memoir with Commonwealth Health Corporation (CHC) nurse, Riza Ramos.
► conducted numerous “Little Flights of Fancy” writer workshops for other published as well as aspiring authors. View www.saipanwriters.com.
► Launched DiscoverSaipan.com to provide all-day, personalized tours of the islands to visitors interested in the history and culture.
True to my dream, I actually do give tours to pretty girls (and everyone else)!
► Launched SaipanBookings.com
to help visitors experience the best of Saipan’s accommodations and activities,
But, wait, there’s more!
► I’ve been asked to provide location management for visiting film crews, coordinate logistics for research teams, arrange interviews with local resident for authors, and even participate in documentaries about the Northern Mariana Islands:
► I’ve been featured as an expert in the documentary, “American’s Forgotten Colonies” (83,000 views for original upload; 53,000 for second upload as of this writing)
“America’s Forgotten Colonies: Saipan” featuring a tour guide you might recognize!
► I launched a Change.org campaign to encourage Crayola Crayons to name their new blue color “Saipan Blue” in tribute to the amazingly blue waters that surround the island! SaipanBlue.com
► I launched a successful GoFundMe campaign to help certain victims and survivors of the category 5 super typhoon YUTU,
R e c o g n i t i o n o n S a i p a n
► A significant milestone achievement took place in 2007 when I was recognized by official CNMI Senate Resolution No. 15-54
for my contributions to Saipan, its residents and economy. View it here
► I’ve been recognized by American Memorial Park (National Park Service) for my efforts to increase visitorship through my tours
http://www.saipantribune.com January 11, 2018 See: Photo in Marianas Variety newspaper
► I received the 2021 CNMI Governor’s Humanities Award in THREE categories.
I s h a r e w h a t I k n o w , s o t h a t
o t h e r s
m a y g r o w !
As much fun as it is to share the details of my life, I know you’re not reading this just for fun. You want to know “what’s in it for YOU!!!” Well, everything, including my fun adventures in China, are offered to the world in order to prove a point: to show that we can all make different choices; to show that when it comes to changing the direction of your life that it can be done; and to encourage you to do the same. In other words, I share what I know so that others may grow! That’s my life’s purpose.
When it comes to making changes in your life, following your passion
and living true to yourself, here are the points I’m here to prove:
A. Others are doing it.
B. You can do this.
C. Everything you believe…is wrong.
D. Therefore, once you free yourself from the deceptions under which
you are operating, your life can change dramatically!
Everything I do serves that life purpose. The PassionProfit™ mix of products includes creations and guidance from my own journey discovering, developing and turning my own passion into profit. They contain “Information, inspiration, ideas and instruction” to help you turn YOUR passion into profit, escape the rat race and even become a nomadpreneur if that’s your choice! All the products I’ve created or collaborated on serve as examples. I helped a Filipina nurse create a children’s book based on her son’s school assignment. I helped a Chinese garment factory worker write and share her experience with the world. These represent ideas that can inspire you to do something similar. Others are doing it. You can do it, too!
Even though I’ve been doing this for years, it’s always great to hear just how much impact my books as well as my fun adventures have on others:
“Hey Walt, When I first heard your personal story of the experiences that led you to the path of the passion pursuit, I knew you were achieving what many people think is out of their reach. You made me see that achievement had never been out of the reach for me. After attending your seminar and purchasing your book, I knew that the passion within me could only be profitable once I decided to take the necessary steps to success. I saw you as someone I was able to connect with and it made me think, “If he can do it, so can I.” I am currently turning the passion I have of creating artwork, photography and dance to that next level. No longer are these just hobbies but a way of life that is invigorating, challenging and fulfilling. I feel a deeper connection to the purpose of this life path I am on. By focusing on this passion of creation, I am liberating myself from the limits of doing something I had no passion for. Getting Turn Your Passion into Profit was one of my first steps to acknowledging my own purpose, power and freedom. Thank you! And this comes straight from the heart because that is where passion truly lives. Peace and blessings!”–Nicole Woo, DC
Here’s the crux of my philosophy, formula and belief system of freedom: There are specific things that you can choose to believe and decide to do that will move you away from a life of entrapment and towards a life of freedom. Bob Marley said, “Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery. None but ourselves can free our minds.”
More than anything else, this is an exercise of courage and discipline. Here is an overview of the path I myself took in order to claim the freedom I now enjoy. I offer it as sort of a road map you can use too.
1. choose a different belief system
2. practice veganism (stop eating garbage)
3. maintain youth, perfect health & long life
4. reclaim your power
5. discover your purpose,
6. turn your passion into profit
7. create passive, residual income from your passion
8. practice mimimalism
9. achieve prosperity through “individual capitalism”
10. uncover the various limiting deceptions, and break free
11. escape from America (or wherever you feel trapped!)
12. enjoy global living and dating
13. help others do the same
The ideas that I share in my books, Turn Your Passion into Profit and Living True to Your Self cover a wide range of ideas, information, inspiration and step-by-step instructions to help you do what I did in my own life. Here is an overview:
R e c l a i m Y o u r P o w e r
The power to make change is within you as an inherent gift of being human. Once you understand the power that is lying dormant within you, you can reclaim it and harness it. That power comes simply from a choice to believe truths about yourself, truths about others and truths about the world you live in.
B r e a k F r e e
It’s not enough simply to believe you have the power. You must also have the courage to step outside the paradigm and to actually engage in activities towards goals that may seem out of reach, but that are, in fact, entirely achievable once you give yourself permission to achieve them. You must break free in mind as well as body.
L i v e T r u e T o Y o u r S e l f
You must commit to live your life according to a set of truths that are in your best interests as well as the benefit of others.
T u r n Y o u r P a s s i o n I n t o P r o f i t
It’s a reality of life on the planet that you need money to survive. So, along with all of the above,
it is necessary to create streams of income that can free you from a dependency on a paycheck. It’s a very practical consideration. The more dependent you are on a single source of income for your survival, the less free you are.
B e c o m e a N o m a d p r e n e u r
Okay, this part is optional!
I choose to enjoy my freedom by seeing the world while I generate income! I’ve created a strategy that
doesn’t require my physical presence in any one location. That’s MY choice. However, YOU might wish to sit at home all day and watch television. It’s your choice!
The point is that with “effortless” income (as a nomadpreneur), you have the freedom to do as you please.(Someone asked me recently, “Walt, how are you able to travel the world without a job?” I answer the question on this post on my blog.)
Walt’s Passionpreneur Channel DiscoverSaipanJamaican in China & BeyondAgeless Adept & AI DoctorAsk a VeganWalt’s Life RhymesWalt’s Random Thoughts
S t a r t H e r e
To learn and implement my philosophy, formula and strategies, start with these THREE FREE EBOOKS: (1) In Search of a Better Belief System,
(2) 7 Conversations to Freedom, and (3) The Integrated Life which you can get when you join my mailing list (below). Then order a copy of my book, Ducks in a Row: How to find the courage to finally QUIT your soul-draining, life-sapping, energy-depleting, freedom-robbing job now…before it’s too late..and live passionately ever after!, which you’ll receive when you order Turn Your Passion Into Profit!
Well, that’s just a little about me. I hope you find something in my own story that you can relate to and that inspires you to create your own dream life of freedom, function and fun!
NEXT: Check out the philsophy and formula I used to turn my passion into profit!
