Because we’re wired to give back, not just consume. We’re made for more.
Yet every message around us implies that we exist to maximize our own pleasure by devouring resources. We’re blatantly called “consumers” in today’s marketing language. You’d think you were only here to buy, earn, make love, look good, eat, and explore.
But this prodding toward more excess, more experiences; this pressing to drink in as much of life as possible has left us restless. Something deep within us is rebelling against all of this.
Profit & Pilgrimage explores how to engage the world in ways that are fulfilling and relationally rich. But this ain’t asceticism—we are after the good life. Just like the ancient religions tell us, we are a people created to work, rest, and feast in community. But, we’re made for more than just to earn and consume. Deep down, our travels and investments should create blessing and value for the people we meet—whether they live thousands of miles away or right next door in our neighborhoods.
As you’ll see, I love to cross boundary lines. I’ve visited scores of the world’s countries and even lived abroad in Honduras and Vietnam. Here in Tennessee, we’re blessed with Guatemalan neighbors on both sides of us. As rich as intercultural life is, I can’t live it as just another consumer. I want to know: how do we ensure that our presence in a place adds value to the local people, economy, and land—and to our own beings? How do we engage in these experiences as pilgrims on a journey to wholeness and not mere users seeking to absorb more?
This one sounds more crass, but it’s true: I love making money, too. I’m always trying to maximize my resource use so that my lifestyle is sustainable financially—without becoming a miserable luddite (and running off my lovely wife, Tannia). This year, we finally reached a place where our passive income streams from simple investments and rental homes generate enough to cover our little family’s baseline expenses. We’re not 100% unfettered from needing a paycheck, but it’s on the horizon. So, what now? How do we make our lives about more than just increasing our consumption potential or dying with the most toys?
These questions are tough, because travel and investing by their very nature push us toward the consumer mentality—to pad our lifestyles, check things off our bucket lists or satiate our hunger for exotic adventure. But, how can we explore culture and create wealth in a way that adds back to the world and forms us into more full human beings in the process?
The Good Life, Redefined
Like you, I want to work hard and celebrate the bounty with those I love—and with enough left over that I don’t have to worry. I’m an active global citizen, longing to be fully awake and engaged in this world. Frankly, I’m probably never going to join the monastery (though I love silent retreats at this one in Conyers, GA). I’ll probably die owning stock and land. And, I’ll likely never swear off iPhones or air travel. But, I know one thing. I won’t give into becoming just another sap stuck in a screen, passively profiting off others, mindlessly creating waste. If you’re like me, you want to get this right, too. You want to leave your mark on the world in ways that are equitable, sustainable, and life giving.
Let me show you how. To get started, here are a few ways I’m getting my feet wet investing and exploring the world with compassion.
Investing with Santos
Several years back, I bought the shell of a house next to me at auction for $12,000—it was condemned and falling in. A friend of mine, Santos, from an English as Second Language (ESL) program where I volunteer, asked me to sell it to him. I finally agreed—and before I knew it, he’d created a home and my business was born. Since he couldn’t qualify for a bank loan, this gave Santos and his family a shot at homeownership.
Over the course of 5 years, he paid me monthly for the house as he fixed it up. I earned a great ROI that outpaced the S&P 500, and Santos now owns a restored home outright. I invested my time to help him through the process of legal paperwork, permits, and clearing municipal liens, while he poured in countless hours of his own labor. Now, our kids now play together outside in our connected front yards.
It wasn’t a walk in the park, but it worked so well, I’ve done it 12 more times with other houses and immigrant families in our neighborhood. (You can learn more here).
Journey to Nicaragua
How about on the travel scene? Several years ago, I took a trip with my brother Jason and dear friend Micah to Nicaragua for a week. We stayed at Rancho Esperanza, right on the village shores of Jiquilio. The hostel is a low-impact, nature oriented spot that seeks to minimize it’s footprint and give back to the village. Our time included community meals with people from around the world, surfing the coast, and canoeing the estuary.
All in all, we each spent about $700 each for the week for the basics, including flights and transportation, hostal, food and drink. We each used an airline credit card bonus, so we only paid taxes and fees for the flights (about $120). You can do easily create similar adventures like I share in this post.
What a treasure to travel with my brother and a good friend. Since that trip, Jason and I have both gotten married and Micah has moved out of state, making the memory from that past season of life even sweeter. Shared experiences like these are more than just opportunities to drink in adventure; they nurture lifelong bonds.
Let’s Connect
Whether you want to travel or invest, you don’t have to be loaded to start this journey. While I’ve benefited from the social capital of typical middle-class privilege, I didn’t inherit a fortune. When I moved back to the US from abroad 12 years ago, I only had about $500 to my name. You can start this from scratch, too, if you’re awake with patience and grit. I’ll show you how!
Let’s explore together! At Profit & Pilgrimage, we’ll wrestle through the nuances of creating cash flow and social good (see article in the Invest menu above). We’ll imagine and craft unthinkably affordable and meaningful international trips (explore the Travel menu, too!) that enlarge perspective and bless the world. If you’re ready to go deeper, check out my travel or real estate video toolkits, or connect with me personally. Wherever you are on the journey, I look forward to engaging with you.
