Hi, I’m Todd, and I am an outlier
After five years building promising careers in Finance, my wife and I quit our jobs—against all sound counsel at the time—and reduced our possessions to a pair of 40-liter backpacks. Over the next 18 months we toured 35 countries across Africa, Asia and Central America. Along the way we met individuals who had created a life around their passion for travel, working seasonal jobs and living simply so they could continue to push the envelope of the world they knew. We were inspired.
But we really missed burritos. So we returned to San Francisco to start new careers—now as management consultants—and grow a family. Within four years we had three beautiful kids, a beautiful home, and a couple of financially rewarding—if not beautiful—jobs. We had dutifully followed the script for building an ideal San Francisco life. But the more successful I became, the more unhappy I found myself in this life. This wasn’t my script. We weren’t living our own unique life, and it was time to right the ship.
How I designed the life I wanted
In 2015 I handed over my consulting firm to a partner and created an income stream out of renting the unused lower level of our home. Within a year my wife quit her job to start her own consulting firm so that she could control when she worked. And the first thing we did was pack our three kids into our Prius for a 5-month camping tour of the western National Parks. In the years since, we have spent every Summer, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Spring break traveling, and by 2020 we have introduced 25 countries and as many US states to our kids -now 8, 7 and 5.
Our unique lifestyle was not born of obscene wealth, but of a laser-like commitment to our family’s values. Once we were clear about those, it was actually quite easy to build a life around them. We live simply, focusing our spending on experiences instead of things. My wife structures consulting contracts to coincide with our kids’ school year. We provide emergency foster services for displaced children in our community. And that lower level rental now pays for our entire cost of living in the country’s most expensive city. And along the way I built OUTLIER, my way of helping others connect to their own unique life and design a world around it.
What is your unique life?
Everything we do here at Outlier—life architecture, coaching, group support or smart self-development tools—is rooted deeply in a simple question: who am I, really? Without a genuine interest in this fundamental question, every attempt at solving life’s riddles brings us back to the same place: stuck. I want to help you break out.
Maybe you dream of a life as a global nomad, plying your craft from the cafes of Europe or the beaches of southeast Asia. Maybe you desire a rhythm of work that supports room for your community or annual sabbaticals for volunteer work. Maybe you’re ready to finally pull the trigger on ejecting from your expensive city condo and relocating to that mountain cabin. Early retirement? Absolutely. And perhaps, for the moment, you simply want to reawaken a sense of purpose in your career or strengthen your relationships. Whatever the challenge, face it confidently with the tools and support that feel most natural to you.
