Media FAQ

For Immediate Release

CONTACT:

Inquiries: info@theportablelifestyle.com — [for the General Public]
Technical: support@alicetompkins.com

OVERVIEW:

On October 14th, 2007, Kathryn Alice and Jon Tompkins set off on a World Tour. They took their two small children with them. Running their internet business as they travel, the couple has so far been to more than 20 countries in four years including a seven month stay in the Philippines.

In the process, they have met many others living “The Portable Lifestyle” – singles, couples and families also traveling and working because in today’s high tech world, they CAN.

Kathryn & Jon have shepherded many others into this wonderful life of travel and publish a monthly Ezine called TraveLiving.

Q: So what exactly IS the Portable Lifestyle?

A: It’s a life where you are not tied down physically. You make money virtually – over the internet and by phone and travel wherever you want to. Thousands of people are living this life – from Bloggers to writers to consultants with full-time jobs and internet entrepreneurs.

You also develop a certain travel savvy so that you’re experiencing different places with many of the comforts of home. We’ve done this on almost every continent now.

Q: How did you discover that you weren’t the only ones living this life?

A: Kathryn: I was sitting at the internet café in Fiji and struck up a conversation with an Australian couple sitting nearby. We had noticed them at our resort. They were running their business while traveling, too. We later saw them at the pool and our kids started playing together while we compared Portable Lifestyle stories.

Jon: And then, we met a Canadian family on the Bula Bus doing the same thing. They had a consultancy with salary that they fulfilled from afar and they’d been gone from home for 9 months and had just flown in from South Africa.

Q: How can you AFFORD to travel all the time?

A: That’s our most-asked question. The answer is that we’ve found ways to travel that don’t break the bank – plus staying at a place longer and negotiating long stay rates along with longer term car rentals and such really can save you money.

Many countries have a lower cost-of-living than where we live in California. On one tropical island, we were paying about half our monthly rent for a 2 bedroom suite in a posh, ocean front resort complete with wifi, Kids Club, oceanside daily buffet breakfast for 4 and daily maid service.

Q: Has the technical aspect been hard?

A: Kathryn: Yes, sometimes. We have been startled at just how slow internet connections in other countries can be. And it became a running joke about getting bumped off in the middle of a critical phone call. And even in Atlanta, the crackly phone lines in one place drove us crazy.

However, we’ve started changing things as we go. At least two resorts installed wireless internet in the suites right after we booked with them and a few more have instigated longterm rates to accommodate Portable Lifestylers.

Jon: And it’s amazing that we sometimes have resorted to using dial-up internet. But every place has internet connection, even one island that took 10 minutes to walk around.

Kathryn: And on boats, too. We have had free wifi on large catamarans and cruise ships.

Q: Isn’t it a drag to be at a vacation venue but be tied down to work?

A: Jon: Well, it beats having to go home after a week. And we make sure to balance so that we get the fun time and really experience a place.

Kathryn: Plus we’ve streamlined so that we don’t have to work as many hours to get the same results. We’ve gained more leisure time as we’ve traveled.

Q: Do you ever have to be anywhere at a certain time?

A: Sometimes. Kathryn has done book signings in Sydney, Kuala Lumpur and Cape Town. And we do set up physical meetings and workshops maybe four times a year, mostly in the U.S. and Australia.

Q: Is it hard taking children along? How have they done with all of this?

A: Kathryn: They’ve done great. TIME Magazine did a cover story last year on the state of U.S. education. They said one of the things lacking is any sense of the international community because globalization is rampant these days. Our children know how to say “hello” in 8 different languages, know all about different people and cultures and money.

Jon: Kids are very adaptable and as long as they have us, they just enjoy the ride. They’re becoming connoisseurs of waterslides, swimup bar milkshakes, wild life and Kids Clubs. And Jon-Jon, who is 6, taught himself to read and do math. He’s already reading at a 3rd Grade Level. Occasionally, we’ve sent them to an international school for a short time – in Phuket and Cape Town, for example.

Q: What would you tell someone who wanted to start this life?

A: Get going! Make a list of places you’ve always wanted to see and start researching them. Put together a tentative dream itinerary.

And as far as business goes, try to virtualize yourself. Start with working out of the office from your job and expand your off-site hours so your company sees you can still get it done.

Seek to build a consultancy roster with others who could use your skill.

Productize virtually if appropriate so that you sell things that don’t require shipping or have a website and a fulfillment house to stock inventory and ship things out.

And take some trial runs – some mini vacations to see how it works for you. We took a 30 day working trip to Europe and saw that it was working just fine to do business while we traveled.

Q: What resources do you offer that can help those who want a “Portable Lifestyle”?

A: We did a free teleseminar called “Planting the Seeds to Your Portable Lifestyle.” You can still get a recording of it by signing up at www.theportablelifestyle.com.

And we also offer The Portable Lifestyle™ Primer with resources and how-to’s on setting yourself up.

Plus people can subscribe to our free monthly Ezine called TraveLiving by joining the list at www.theportablelifestyle.com. An archive of past issues can be found here: www.traveliving.info/ezine.

BIOS:

Jon Tompkins & Kathryn Alice are married with four children. They have been traveling internationally since October 2007, spending between one and six months in each of 13 tropical countries so far.

Kathryn is a best-selling author of the book Love Will Find You and an international speaker having taught in more than 30 cities and at dozens of events throughout the States and worldwide. She is a licensed practitioner with the breakthrough Agape Spiritual Center in Los Angeles, California where she served as Director of the Crisis Support Team for six years.

Jon is an audio and technology guru who has worked in executive, financial, and development roles in numerous Internet and new technology companies including SoftAware Networks, Cable & Wireless PLC, and The Voice Internet. He is also an accomplished composer and audio producer of titles such as the uplifting “Cheers to You” which was featured twice on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

Both Kathryn and Jon were major forces behind Holistic Living Magazine; she as author of the “Dating, Love & Soulmates” column and he as publisher and corporate officer. Together they run successful Internet businesses as well as a consulting business. It only took them a few months to prepare for this trip, yet they have already shepherded others into this lifestyle. They have co-created bestselling products together and their work has been featured in Psychology Today, Parade,The New York Times, Body+Soul, and Newsweek, as well as on Montel Williams,The Ellen Degeneres Show, KXLU & KPFK radio, and on NBC television.

For interviews, photos or more information, please contact Jon and Kathryn at the emails below. Because of the nature of their life, they are not available by phone unless a call has been set up in advance.

CONTACT:

Inquiries: info@theportablelifestyle.com — [for the General Public]
Technical: support@alicetompkins.com

PHOTOS