Adrian Ingram has built a Kindle publishing company and now works 100% online.
What’s your story?
My entrepreneurial journey started in my final year of high-school when I purchased 20 snapback hats from Aliexpress for $100, sold them within 1 hour on Facebook, for $10 a hat – doubling my money.
That opened my eyes to the power of the internet, and over the next 4 years I learned everything I could about online business. This lead me to building a Kindle publishing company on the side, which eventually made me enough to leave my job!
That was back in February 2015, and since then I’ve been working 100% online, and travelling while I do it!
What excites you most about your industry?
The book publishing industry is rapidly changing – mostly thanks to Amazon. The way books are being produced and distributed is at an all time high. There are now books available at the click of a few buttons, delivered instantly, and at a more affordable price than ever! It’s exciting to be a part of such and old industry while it’s going through a rapid period of evolution.
What’s your connection to Asia?
For the past 7 months I’ve lived and worked throughout South East Asia, mostly in Thailand. This is my 4th trip out to Asia, and I absolutely love it! The communities, the culture, the food, the lifestyle – it simply can’t be beat! I’ll be back every single year, that’s for sure.
Favourite city in Asia for business and why?
Chiang Mai,Thailand. Simply because of the community there. As someone who works online, it’s great to get around other online entrepreneurs. These kinds of people seem to congregate in Chiang Mai, so it’s an excellent way to network, meet with, and learn from a range of experts at online business.
What’s the best piece of advice you ever received?
“Those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.”
For so long I was worried about putting my real self out there on social media, and on YouTube, because I was scared of being judged. Eventually, I bit the bullet and just did it. I started expressing my opinions on business and life in general, and began teaching other people some of the lessons I’ve learned.
Since then, my life has changed dramatically. I have an entirely new social circle, hundreds of people that follow me and enjoy my content, I’ve been able to help people change their lives through making some extra money on the side, and I’m a hell of a lot happier!
If there’s something you’ve always wanted to do, but are worried about what others will think, then just remember that those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind – then go out there and do it!
Who inspires you?
I’m most inspired by the people who have had to overcome the biggest obstacles. The underdogs, whether they are entrepreneurs or not.
A few of the people I regularly look to for inspiration are:
– Eric Thomas
– Greg Plitt
– Steve Harvey
– Ray Lewis
These guys all have some great speeches on YouTube about the different struggles they have overcome, which always motivates and inspires me to strive for more.
What have you just learnt recently that blew you away?
I’m not entirely sure of the accuracy of the statistics, but I’ve heard this quoted a few times.
“If you write down and review your goals regularly, you are 95% more likely to succeed. And in addition to that, only 3% of the world’s population actually writes down their goals and reviews them often.”
What an amazingly simple way to stay focused get an advantage!
If you had your time again, what would you do differently?
I wouldn’t change much. All the mistakes I’ve made (both in business and in life) have been important lessons for me. One thing I would change though, is I would have started travelling sooner!
How do you unwind?
For me, the gym is how I unwind and relax. It’s a form of meditation for me. It allows me to clear my head, get out any anger or frustration from the day, and challenge myself. For most people the gym might be a painful place to go, or it might represent hard work, but for me it is how I find peace and relaxation.
Favourite Asian destination for relaxation? Why?
Koh Phangan, Thailand. This island is amazingly beautiful and has it all. If you want to go crazy and party on the beach with 30,000 other people – you can. And at the same time, if you want to eat vegan food, lay by the beach, and do meditation and yoga daily – you can do that also!
Everyone in business should read this book:
Rich Dad, Poor Dad – Robert Kiyosaki
Shameless plug for your business:
Besides publishing my own books to Amazon, I also teach others how to start making money online with Kindle publishing, through my training course: Freedom Self Publishing
This course covers every step in the process, from choosing a niche, to paying someone else to write the book for you. This program teaches everything I’ve learned in the past 3+ years in this business.
You can have a look for yourself at: www.freedomselfpublishing.com
How can people connect with you?
I can be reached via email at: [email protected]
I’m also quite active on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-CsitUAKiJQkTHsqjeW8IA
And you can also follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adrianjingram/
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This interview was part of the Callum Connect’s column found on The Asian Entrepreneur:
Callum Laing invests and buys small businesses in a range of industries around Asia. He has previously started, built and sold half a dozen businesses and is the founder & owner of Fitness-Buffet a company delivering employee wellness solutions in 12 countries. He is a Director of, amongst others, Key Person of Influence. A 40 week training program for business owners and executives.
Take the ‘Key Person of Influence’ scorecard <http://www.keypersonofinfluence.com/scorecard/>
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