So many comments coming in asking how to afford travel like this. One of the most important steps of making this goal of mine a reality, was to figure out how I’d be able to pay for it. Prior to this Expedition, I managed to stretch out the $2,000 I saved one summer from Lifeguarding to travel to roughly 25 countries over the span of about 2 years. Some great sites that helped me to be able to make that $2k last were:
-helpx.net and workaway.info (work in exchange for accommodation and food)
-couchsurfing.org (free accomodation)
-statravel.com (cheap flights for those under 26/student/teacher)
And of course, living off of bread, sleeping in train stations, and hitchhiking.

But for Expedition 196, I had to plan a year and a half in advance. I asked myself; A) What is a sponsor? B) Why would they sponsor me, and C) How do I obtain them? It wasn’t easy, sponsors are not going to invest in you if you do not have something to offer them in return.

Before you can even consider obtaining sponsors or investors to travel, you need to figure out what your purpose is going to be, what do you have to offer the world that no one else does? Traveling is great, but what’s your purpose? What good will you be doing for the world through your travels and how will you help people? For me, I wanted to focus on peace through tourism and sustainability. I thought the best way to make an impact would be through an educational documentary and speaking around the world to university students. If you can utilize your travels towards making a positive impact, supporting a cause or doing something unique with it to help the world, you’re one step closer towards finding funding to make your dream come true.

You’re here because you either;

• You want your travels around the world paid for
• You have a project you want financially supported in order to take it to the next level

And if so, you’ve come to the right place! In this series, I will be talking about my recipe for landing sponsorship, and how I was able to obtain them for my Expedition, and even to this day. Please know that this requires patience and understanding as you try to figure out the intricacies of why you’re even reaching out to companies for sponsorship in the first place. CEO’s, CMO’s, CBO’s and investors will easily see through you if you’re not committed to your project, and if you haven’t done your homework.

When thinking about the why when it comes to sponsorship, please ask yourself these 3 questions;

• What is my life’s purpose?
• What actionable goal am I taking to further my life’s purpose?
• How will my project positively enhance the world we live in?

Not everyone is expected to know their life’s purpose, and many people don’t even know this on their death bed. But if you have at least a basic idea of where you’re headed, this vision is what will drive you forward to commit to your actionable goal.  The actionable goal might be your project or mission that will further your life’s purpose. And I believe that everyone’s life’s purpose should involve helping others in some way. So, what is that specific project that requires funding that you don’t have? Note, a dream is not a project, and the big difference being a project involves actionable measures in order to work towards a successful outcome. Once you’ve nailed that, ask yourself how your project will positively enhance or better the world we live in. Trust me, this will be crucial down the road and something that all companies take a keen eye to. So, school yourself and utilize Google, YouTube videos and books to help you figure it out.

Take some time to really think about the above questions. Place yourself in scenarios of when time gets rough and when you succeed to the top, and ask yourself if you are willing to put yourself through those highs and lows. You’ll know whether or not you want to commit to this based on how committed you are from the start. Being 99% committed to your goal/project won’t get you there. I firmly believe that one must be 110% committed to the point where no human being has the power to stop them in their tracks.

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Keep an eye out for Part II, coming soon.