The Pathless Path with Paul Millerd

Personal updates about life, including his recent move back to Asia, reflections on work and career paths, parenting experiences, and insights into education and self-publishing. I share the challenges and joys of parenting, how I think about decisions in regards to kids, and evolving thoughts on publishing and creative projects. Topics 00:00 Introduction and Life Updates 05:32 Reflections on Career Paths and Work Culture 08:43 Family Relocation and Adjustments 11:06 Traveling with Children: Tips and Experiences 14:40 Advice for New Parents 17:34 Approach to Education for Children 20:33 Self-Publishing Journey and Future Projects 📘 GOOD WORK: LIVE! => Learn More [https://pmillerd.com/goodwork] 📕 Buy Paul’s Book (50k+ Sold): The Pathless Path [https://think-boundless.com/the-pathless-path/] 😁 Join Hundreds On Unconventional Paths: Pathless Path Community [https://pathlesspath.com/membership] 📲Connect + Follow Paul * Twitter: @p_millerd [https://twitter.com/p_millerd] * Instagram: @pathlesspaul [https://instagram.com/pathlesspaul] * Paul’s Newsletter: Subscribe to Pathless [https://newsletter.pathlesspath.com/] (23k+ People) * Paul’s YouTube: Subscribe [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCofS_FvauuHc-x6mq7yz6nA] 🙏Further Ways To Support The Podcast: * Accounting, Taxes, And Payroll For Your S-Corp (Ideal for $60k+ income): Collective [https://share.collective.com/PaulMillerd] * Looking for alternatives to traditional health insurance in the US? Check out Crowdhealth [https://app.joincrowdhealth.com/r/PATHLESS] * I use Transistor to host this podcast. It rocks. Launch Yours Here [https://think-boundless.com/transistor] * I record high-quality videos using Riverside: Sign Up Here [https://think-boundless.com/riverside]

Hello! I'm back! Expect a slow ramp, but there are new episodes coming! I talked with Nat Eliason about his journey as a writer, from early experiments with ideas to fully embracing writing as a career. We discussed the challenges and rewards of moving from nonfiction to fiction, the trade-offs between traditional and self-publishing, and the importance of audience engagement. We also explored how AI is impacting writing, strategies for gathering feedback, and fiction’s role in addressing societal issues. Nat closed by sharing his vision for the future of his writing and the opportunities ahead. Links & book info! * Husk Special Direct Sale: Buy here [https://shop.nateliason.com/products/husk] or https://shop.nateliason.com/products/husk [https://shop.nateliason.com/products/husk] * Husk on Amazon: Buy here [https://www.amazon.com/Husk-Book-1-Meru-Initiative-ebook/dp/B0F162FTWR?geniuslink=true] or here * More of Nat's stuff: His Website [https://www.amazon.com/Husk-Book-1-Meru-Initiative-ebook/dp/B0F162FTWR?geniuslink=true] and newsletter [https://blog.nateliason.com/] 📘 GOOD WORK: LIVE! => Learn More [https://pmillerd.com/goodwork] 📕 Buy Paul’s Book (50k+ Sold): The Pathless Path [https://think-boundless.com/the-pathless-path/] 😁 Join Hundreds On Unconventional Paths: Pathless Path Community [https://pathlesspath.com/membership] 📲Connect + Follow Paul * Twitter: @p_millerd [https://twitter.com/p_millerd] * Instagram: @pathlesspaul [https://instagram.com/pathlesspaul] * Paul’s Newsletter: Subscribe to Pathless [https://newsletter.pathlesspath.com/] (23k+ People) * Paul’s YouTube: Subscribe [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCofS_FvauuHc-x6mq7yz6nA] 🙏Further Ways To Support The Podcast: * Accounting, Taxes, And Payroll For Your S-Corp (Ideal for $60k+ income): Collective [https://share.collective.com/PaulMillerd] * Looking for alternatives to traditional health insurance in the US? Check out Crowdhealth [https://app.joincrowdhealth.com/r/PATHLESS] * I use Transistor to host this podcast. It rocks. Launch Yours Here [https://think-boundless.com/transistor] * I record high-quality videos using Riverside: Sign Up Here [https://think-boundless.com/riverside]

Links: * Podcast [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/paul-millerd-writer-dad-ex-consultant/id1777389619?i=1000685495877] * Blake Boles [https://www.blakeboles.com/] * Dirtbag Rich Site [https://www.blakeboles.com/dbr/]: https://www.blakeboles.com/dbr/ Episode Desription Paul Millerd is a 39-year-old writer, ex-consultant, and advocate for ditching the default path in favor of what he calls “the pathless path.” (pmillerd.com / @p_millerd) Paul walked away from a promising corporate consulting career—think McKinsey, prestige, and six-figure salaries—to pursue a life of writing, experimenting, and global wandering. He describes how he initially struggled with unlearning his achievement-oriented mindset, why the idea of good work (work that energizes) became his guiding principle, and how his first self-published book, The Pathless Path, briefly and unexpectedly earned six figures. We discuss the philosophical basis of work and money, how to avoid the traps of both scarcity and overachievement, and how the value of exercising your freedom is limited by how others exercise their own freedom. (In other words: if you're free to hike on a sunny Wednesday afternoon, and no one's available to go with you, are you really free?) Paul and his wife have a young daughter, and they struggle to find and live near other, like-minded families. We talk about how online communities help Paul stay connected while living nomadically between Texas and Taiwan and how online self-education was invaluable to his success. We conclude with a discussion of navigating fear and uncertainty on the pathless path. Throughout the conversation, Paul stays refreshingly honest about the tensions between freedom and stability, the allure of easy money, and the ever-present temptation to fall back into old habits of achievement and validation. Energized by this conversation, I ended up talking more than usual about the tricky balance of factors that leads to a Dirtbag Rich existence. 📘 GOOD WORK: LIVE! => Learn More [https://pmillerd.com/goodwork] 📕 Buy Paul’s Book (50k+ Sold): The Pathless Path [https://think-boundless.com/the-pathless-path/] 😁 Join Hundreds On Unconventional Paths: Pathless Path Community [https://pathlesspath.com/membership] 📲Connect + Follow Paul * Twitter: @p_millerd [https://twitter.com/p_millerd] * Instagram: @pathlesspaul [https://instagram.com/pathlesspaul] * Paul’s Newsletter: Subscribe to Pathless [https://newsletter.pathlesspath.com/] (23k+ People) * Paul’s YouTube: Subscribe [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCofS_FvauuHc-x6mq7yz6nA] 🙏Further Ways To Support The Podcast: * Accounting, Taxes, And Payroll For Your S-Corp (Ideal for $60k+ income): Collective [https://share.collective.com/PaulMillerd] * Looking for alternatives to traditional health insurance in the US? Check out Crowdhealth [https://app.joincrowdhealth.com/r/PATHLESS] * I use Transistor to host this podcast. It rocks. Launch Yours Here [https://think-boundless.com/transistor] * I record high-quality videos using Riverside: Sign Up Here [https://think-boundless.com/riverside]

This was a fun episode. A friend, Matt Yao, reached out to see if he could interview me about my recent book, Good Work. We first connected when he called me in the summer of 2022. He was in the middle of my book and knew he needed to quit his job. Over the last few years, he's been on a transformational journey, experimenting with writing, coaching, and several other side quests. Hope you enjoy this conversation. You can learn more about Matt here: Matt Yao [https://mattyao.co/] 📘 GOOD WORK: LIVE! => Learn More [https://pmillerd.com/goodwork] 📕 Buy Paul’s Book (50k+ Sold): The Pathless Path [https://think-boundless.com/the-pathless-path/] 😁 Join Hundreds On Unconventional Paths: Pathless Path Community [https://pathlesspath.com/membership] 📲Connect + Follow Paul * Twitter: @p_millerd [https://twitter.com/p_millerd] * Instagram: @pathlesspaul [https://instagram.com/pathlesspaul] * Paul’s Newsletter: Subscribe to Pathless [https://newsletter.pathlesspath.com/] (23k+ People) * Paul’s YouTube: Subscribe [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCofS_FvauuHc-x6mq7yz6nA] 🙏Further Ways To Support The Podcast: * Accounting, Taxes, And Payroll For Your S-Corp (Ideal for $60k+ income): Collective [https://share.collective.com/PaulMillerd] * Looking for alternatives to traditional health insurance in the US? Check out Crowdhealth [https://app.joincrowdhealth.com/r/PATHLESS] * I use Transistor to host this podcast. It rocks. Launch Yours Here [https://think-boundless.com/transistor] * I record high-quality videos using Riverside: Sign Up Here [https://think-boundless.com/riverside]

You can follow Abel's podcast here: Abel James Show [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/abel-james-show-aka-fat-burning-man/id501575043] 📘 GOOD WORK: LIVE! => Learn More [https://pmillerd.com/goodwork] 📕 Buy Paul’s Book (50k+ Sold): The Pathless Path [https://think-boundless.com/the-pathless-path/] 😁 Join Hundreds On Unconventional Paths: Pathless Path Community [https://pathlesspath.com/membership] 📲Connect + Follow Paul * Twitter: @p_millerd [https://twitter.com/p_millerd] * Instagram: @pathlesspaul [https://instagram.com/pathlesspaul] * Paul’s Newsletter: Subscribe to Pathless [https://newsletter.pathlesspath.com/] (23k+ People) * Paul’s YouTube: Subscribe [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCofS_FvauuHc-x6mq7yz6nA] 🙏Further Ways To Support The Podcast: * Accounting, Taxes, And Payroll For Your S-Corp (Ideal for $60k+ income): Collective [https://share.collective.com/PaulMillerd] * Looking for alternatives to traditional health insurance in the US? Check out Crowdhealth [https://app.joincrowdhealth.com/r/PATHLESS] * I use Transistor to host this podcast. It rocks. Launch Yours Here [https://think-boundless.com/transistor] * I record high-quality videos using Riverside: Sign Up Here [https://think-boundless.com/riverside]