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I just got back from my first ever trip to Europe, where I spoke at an event called DNX Global, which brings nomads and other online entrepreneurs who don’t have a home base together to celebrate, get inspired, motivate each other, and learn. I was very thankful and honored that I got to present the opening keynote address. As excited as I was for the event itself, I was even more excited that it was taking place in Lisbon, Portugal. It was a great way to experience Europe for the first time.

Leading up to this trip, I got very inspired by a lot of my friends, including Cliff Ravenscraft, Michael Stelzner, and Leslie Samuel, who were all in a mastermind group with me. I was encouraged to attempt to create a vlog (a blog in video form), like the ones they’ve been doing, to capture the memories of this trip and also to share the behind-the-scenes of a trip like this where I go and speak.

I decided to invest in a camera, and invest in the time, to put a few videos together for you. Vlogging is a really interesting medium. Most vloggers upload their videos onto YouTube. I do that as well, but I’ve also been publishing my videos on Facebook, which has been getting great results. Vlogging gives viewers a behind-the-scenes look at what’s going on in your life. Some people vlog daily—others just vlog every once in awhile. I decided to give it a go. Although I don’t believe I’m going to ever get into the daily vlogging scene, it was an amazing experience and experiment, and I can definitely tell you that I will be creating more vlogs like the ones I created for this trip, in the future.

Vlogging: A New Creative Outlet

Over the years of building the SPI blog and the podcast, both have been amazing. In the early days of those content mediums, I used my creative juices and artistic license to shape them into what they are today. Because I now have a team behind me, and because they have been going on for so long, the blogs and podcasts almost feel completely automated. Although I know the blogs and podcasts still have the Pat Flynn “flair,” because I hardly think about the production of them anymore, I have been missing that creative outlet. Vlogging has become a great place for me to be fully creative again.

For this trip, I decided to film on my own using a Sony RX100 Mark 5, or V, a little tripod and that’s it. It was an interesting exercise because I learned how to film myself while on the go; I learned how to break out of the comfort zone and actually film myself in public and talk to a camera while speaking in public. But I also found that I got very creative and I started to look at the world through a different kind of lens.

Here’s a screencap of my set-up (by way of an elevator mirror!):

London, Here I Come—With My Camera and Tripod!

You’ll see in the videos that are embedded into this post below that I had a lot of fun, I got creative, and it definitely made me feel very fulfilled to get these out there! Even if nobody ever watches them, they are worthwhile because at least they can be something that will help me remember the trip, and also a way for me to share the experience with my friends and family who were not able to go with me.

Now, I’m excited to share them with you!

I’ll definitely be back to Lisbon. AND, I’m going back to Europe soon—London specifically—to give the closing keynote address at the Youpreneur Summit for my best friend, Chris Ducker. I will likely be creating a vlog similar to the one I create for my trip to Portugal.

For now, you can watch my Portugal videos. Start with day one, which is when I leave my home in San Diego and take a plane to JFK and then to Lisbon. The second video covers my first day in Lisbon where I meet Azul, who is my book coach, and a few other people who help me find my way through town. Then I meet up with other speakers from the DNX Conference, and then speak, and then travel back home.

I hope you enjoy the videos! Please subscribe to my YouTube channel if you’d like to keep up with all of my vlogging. I look forward to sharing more videos like this in the future!

Check out my vlogging playlist below!