The Lean Leader I help biz owners fix burnout & make more $ while working less | Built
@chuboi
| Sharing/monetizing insights on business, health, productivity ↓
Been working remotely from Buenos Aires, Argentina for the last two months.
Best things about it so far:
- $10 for 60 eggs
- $20 giant, premium steak dinners
Worth the stay on that alone! 🇦🇷
- I'm Canadian so meant $10 CAD = $7.30 USD. It’s $9 CAD for 30 in Toronto. 😭
- Some of the comments & quotes are wild lmao but it's cool. Ppl have the right to defend their country, so I don’t mind.
- Still enjoyed my time here! Finally seeing La Bombonera was worth it alone!
@fernandadiez
Haha yes of course, I work in the football industry so the real highlight was attended River vs Boca and Boca vs Racing. Always wanted to visit the Bombonera as a kid.
Best place to make money: USA.
Best place to spend money: Europe.
I'm Canadian but moved my online business to the US. Very tax-friendly for non-residents.
But I spend time central and eastern Europe where you get the best value for your money.
How I recovered from burnout:
- Fixed my diet & gut health
- Prioritized sleep > work
- Strict cutoff time for work
- Strict bedtime for 7-8hrs of sleep
- 4hrs of focused work 1st thing in the morning (7am)
Feeling better at 37 than I did at 27 while getting 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 work done.
Spent the last 5 months in Mexico City and Eastern Europe. "Dangerous places" to visit. Didn't see a single crime.
Just got back home to Toronto. Literally the first store I walk into I see someone caught shoplifting.
US & Canada are falling off. Western countries too imo.
As someone with ADHD this is my most effective productivity hack:
✅ Wake up at 5am/6am
✅ Get coffee
✅ Put phone in another room
✅ Spend 3-4hrs working on the hardest tasks of the day w/o distraction
Best thing about waking up early is no one else is awake to distract you.
My summer anti-inflammatory diet before my 38th birthday.
80% meals made of only: eggs, beef, chicken, salmon, avocado, berries, rice, sweet potato, spinach, lettuce. Drink water (2-3L/day) and coffee, no soda or alcohol.
20% of meals - eat whatever & have fun.
Things I removed from my diet that improved my health, mood, and productivity:
- Dairy
- Bread
- Processed food & snacks
- Breakfast cereals
- Fruit juice sold in stores
- Cooking with corn, sunflower, or canola oil
Many think Airbnb is dying but I disagree.
Started my 1st Airbnb in Toronto this March:
- Generated $39,000 in 2023 so far
- Averages $7.4K p/mo
- 72% Avg Occupancy Rate
Like
@MrFourToEight
said:
"Hot markets still hot, bad airbnbs going to get crushed in any market." 🫡
Lived in Toronto for 5yrs. Been within two blocks of 5 shootings since.
Last month a dead body was found in a dumpster a block from my gym in a very nice part of town.
Friends would check on me in Eastern EU to see if I'm safe.
Buddy... I should be checking in on YOU 💀
I’ve traveled solo internationally since I was 15.
I also travel every month for business.
...and I've never missed a flight by my own fault (the connection was delayed).
My 10 best travel tips:
Tip for a more productive day: You wake up with the same vibe you go to bed with.
Go to bed angry = you’ll wake up angry.
Go to bed stressed = you’ll wake up stressed.
Go to bed relaxed = you’ll wake up relaxed.
1hr before bed do something relaxing that doesn’t involve screen
I’m in Europe for the summer working remotely. Here’s my weekday routine while here:
⏰ Zone: CET
630am - Wake up + morning routine
7am - 3hr Focused Work
10am - 1st Meal (No Sugar) + Walk
11am - 2hr Sprint of Focused Work
1pm - Snack + Walk
2pm - Gym
4pm - Meetings & Work (EST
Pro tip for anyone else with ADHD:
1) Open Google Cal 📆
2) Save all your fav people’s birthdays & anniversaries. 🔔
3) Set to “repeat Annually” 🔁
4) Add 1 Week reminder so you have time to order a gift 🎁
Saves lives & impresses others. 👍🏾
I recently visited the US for the first time since reading Fiat Food by
@Matthewlysiak
.
I was in Rochester, NY to speak at my alma mater. Your average mid-sized American city.
I sat at a diner for breakfast and observed the crowd.
My first thought: it's clear the food in
My 80/20 Rule for my diet lifestyle that improved my business:
✅ Min 80% of my meals - protein-heavy with unprocessed, nutrient-dense, single-ingredient foods.
✅ Max 20% of my meals - whatever I want but moderate portions.
This helps me keep my identity of a healthy person,
I graduated college in '09 in the last financial crisis. Getting a job was ROUGH like today.
What I learned: don't rely on your degree. Focus on acquiring & showing skills.
Employers want someone who hits the ground running so they don't have to spend time/money teaching you.
@OneJKMolina
Lived in Warsaw this summer. 100% leaving Canada for it again.
Amazing cost of living, safe, and never feel you’re getting scammed. Very easy to settle.
Based culture, intelligent population and maybe the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen. Dating was so straightforward.
Turned my 2BD condo to an Airbnb while I dip the Toronto winter for Mexico. 🇲🇽
So far in March (1st mo):
Revenue: $4,391.19
Mgmt Fee (20%): -$878.23
Income: $3,512.95
3 bookings have covered my mortgage (-$2,090) while I’m away! 😳
Learned from
@CJ_Johnson17th
🫡
Only two things I bought on Black Friday:
-
@kiakiliX
's stock & options courses
-
@jarrylew
's Private Discord access.
Better ROI than shopping on Amazon imo. 🧠
Big thx to
@MrFourToEight
for his neurofeedback therapy posts. Done it for 6 months now.
Huge help for ADHD, especially emotion regulation, impulse control, and anxiety.
Knew it worked when I visited family for xmas & didn't get into a single argument. 😂
Beats taking meds 🤮
Drive-by shooting right outside my condo last night in Toronto. 🤦🏽♂️
Thankfully in Eastern Europe where it’s actually safe.
Toronto is legit Gotham City right now. Good to see 50% of my money is going towards safety 👏🏾
@scmedicinals
Me tbh: “damn this is really interesting lemme bookmark it in case I get distracted”
*bookmarks, gets distracted, never checks bookmark again*
I'm just a beginner but I'd stay location definitely is most important.
Luckily my condo is in the middle of downtown Toronto and within 15min walking distance from it's major landmarks.
I swear society peaked in the late 90s & early 2000s.
Music was just better & original.
Movies weren't trying to lecture you.
No smartphones but just enough tech & internet.
Hanging out IRL without distractions or FOMO.
Watching sports without arguing online.
Wtf happened?
Why I love summer in Central/Eastern EU vs NA:
- Better quality food
- Cleaner streets & transit
- More peace & quiet
- More affordable
- Less FOMO so I can focus
- Less ratchet behavior
- Less guns
- Less people flexing
- Less ppl yapping loudly in public
Underrated benefits of owning a remote, online business:
- Going on long walks whenever I want
- Going to the gym when it's empty
- Morning grocery shopping when store's empty and shelves just stocked
- Easier to book appointments for anything
The goal is to have 5+ short-term rental properties for when World Cup comes to North America in 2026.
Keep up to date with my journey, and everything else I get up to, on my email newsletter.
How much my Toronto home made on Airbnb in May while I vibe in Europe:
- Revenue: $7.8K CAD
- Mortgage: $2.7K
- Costs: $3.5K (incl. mgmt fee)
- Profit: $1.7K (22% margin)
- Hrs Worked: 0
Passive af. 🫡
Underrated skills I've picked up in my 30s:
- Minding my own business
- Knowing when to shut up
- Staying out the way
- Complaining less
- Not arguing with people
- Muting friends on social media who have bad vibes
- Going home before 12am on weekends
@james_loca
It depends on the fixture. Tickets are only available to members (socios) so you have to buy off of them.
Socios get it for like $35-40 I think.
I had a direct connect for Boca tickets for $100 USD.
For the Superclasico I def overpaid. $400 on Viagogo but 1) they were
One of life’s most important principles:
"Watch what people do, not what they say."
If words and actions don’t match up, the actions tells you the truth.
Apply this to everyone in your life and it’ll save yourself time and pain.
My health priorities in my 20s:
1. Exercise
2. Nutrition
3. Sleep
My health priorities now in my late 30s and feeling better:
1. Sleep
2. Nutrition
3. Exercise
After having a credit card go delinquent in college, this is my greatest adult flex.
Had to teach myself to be responsible with money despite my ADHD impulse buys.
Proud of myself! 🔥
(Canada’s credit score range is 300-900)
Yesterday a girl at the gym straight-up told me I look good. Point-blank.
Gave me her number.
For this interaction alone:
Eastern Europe > North America.
Underrated productivity hack:
Before eating a meal with lots of carbs/sugar, drink a glass of water with a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar first.
Helps control your insulin so your body won't crash as hard after. Reduces brain fog too.
The older I get the more I realize that most things in our life are scams and/or elaborate money laundering operations.
Banks, wars, mortgages, crises, college, elections… you name it.
And winter is the slowest season for Toronto. The city is crazy in the Summer! ☀️
Goal for 2023: use that income towards buying another property to live in when I return.
Then Airbnb that when I leave the next winter. Repeat 🔁.
PS if you liked this post you'll enjoy my newsletter.
I share insights on solopreneurship, health, and productivity on my journey towards financial freedom.
Join here:
The three supplements I can’t live without:
Zinc - helps your immune system
Vitamin D3 & K2 - improves mood & immune system
Magnesium Glynicate - improves sleep.
If you’re not sure where to start, start with those. 💊
@TobyBaldock1
@ChuBoi
Sunday to Friday I mostly eat:
- Steak/Ground beef
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Avocado
- Berries
- Raw honey
- Sweet Potato
Friday night and Saturday I eat whatever so I dont get bored.
How bout you? Struggling with anything?
Before moving to the US & Canada in 2002 I lived in Africa till I was 15.
I genuinely never heard these 3 words before coming to the US for high school:
- depression
- anxiety
- minority (in the race context)
I think about this a lot.
Quick home workout that got me consistent with fitness:
10 pushups, 10 squats, 10 situps.
Only takes 10min. Breaks allowed. Do that every day for 2 weeks and you’ll notice a big difference.
Then add 5 or 10 as you get comfortable.
I ended up at 100 each.
Trust.
@ashleyj9358
Many female friends are realizing this too lately. Less stress and why not buy a house to live in with that money?
Crazy how many of their relatives fight them on this and make it about themselves...
My rule that saved my workdays: no sugar/carbs until 3-4 hrs of focused work are done.
For me it's just water, black coffee, and eggs.
Keeps me on track until the most important work is done.
Every time I leave the USA my stomach feels way worse than it did coming in.
Visited last week and still recovering.
Lord knows what they put in the food there.
As a retired veteran of the streets, let me tell you:
𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟮𝗮𝗺.
The streets are cold and soulless. Go home and have a productive tomorrow. You're not missing anything.
Use that time to get ahead of the rest.
3. Get a travel rewards credit card for points, lounge access, priority security, and priority check-in ASAP.
The AMEX Aeroplan Reserve is my current fav if you're in Canada. I also have the TD Aeroplan Visa.
For anyone trying to fix their health & lifestyle, focus on these things in order:
1. Sleep (7-8hrs)
2. Diet
3. Exercise
Nothing works without good sleep first. Trust me.
Scarcity mentality = track the money spent and saved by doing it yourself.
Abundance mentality = track the HOURS spent and money saved by delegating to others.
My daily non-negotiables:
- 7 to 8 hours of sleep
- 3 hours of undistracted work
- Walking 8,000 steps a day
- No sugar in the morning
These are now my minimum requirements for a productive day.
I’m a perfectionist and hated delegating tasks.
But as a biz owner, delegating saves me 3-4 hours of work every day.
This gives me more time to:
- Go for a walk
- Go to the gym
- Plan future business
- Spend quality time with loved ones
Now I love delegating. ❤️
Simply not being hungover on the weekend literally gives you a two-day advantage over everyone else in business.
That's why I've been sober for almost two years now.
@CJ_Johnson17th
Was planning to buy a 2nd condo last year with my sister.
I backed out last min when I started taking your Bitcoin tweets more seriously.
Gonna fully pay off current mortgage instead, then focus on BTC.
She was upset, but think it's the better choice.
Front load your work.
- Finish the hardest task first so the rest is easy.
- Get today’s most important tasks done in the morning to enjoy your evening
- Get more work done on Monday to set the week's
- (After warming up) Start the gym workout with the lift you hate the most