Tropical MBA: Entrepreneurship & Founder Lifestyle

Why are so many chasing $10M exits when $3-4M plus a paid-off house might be the real freedom number? Should you be betting big on Bitcoin in 2025, and did we miss out on a massive opportunity 9 years ago? And if you’re “unemployable,” is that a badge of honor... or a red flag?
This week, Dan and Ian crack open the reality behind location-independent entrepreneurship: from sipping wine in Europe (and still gaining weight) to navigating whether your side hustle cash flow can really replace that W-2 paycheck.
LINKS
Join Dynamite Circle and hang out with us in Bangkok in October (https://dynamitecircle.com/dc-black)
Connect with 7+ figure founders and join us in NYC this December (https://dynamitecircle.com/dc-black)
The episode that could have made us $1.6 million (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/bitcoin)
@levels.io’s investment portfolio (outperforming the S&P 500) (https://levels.vc)
BowTied Bull’s article “Think Twice After You Make It” (https://bowtiedbull.io/p/think-twice-after-you-make-it)
This week’s sponsor: spp.co “Your billing, onboarding & projects in one client portal” (http://spp.co)
22 FREE business resources for location-independent entrepreneurs (https://tropicalmba.com/resources)
CHAPTERS
(00:00:00) Intro
(00:01:44) What percentage of W-2 Income is Small Biz income worth?
(00:13:48) This Week’s Sponsor: SPP.co
(00:15:12)  Are Entrepreneurs Truly Unemployable?
(00:18:34)  “Financially Cozy” Level of Wealth
(00:26:18) Europe for the summer: overrated, underrated, or properly rated?
(00:27:26) Company news
CONNECT:
Dan@tropicalmba.com
Ian@tropicalmba.com
Past guests on TMBA include Cal Newport, David Heinemeier Hannson, Seth Godin, Ricardo Semler, Noah Kagan, Rob Walling, Jay Clouse, Einar Vollset, Sam Dogan, Gino Wickam, James Clear, Jodie Cook, Mark Webster, Steph Smith, Taylor Pearson, Justin Tan, Matt Gartland, Ayman Al-Abdullah, Lucy Bella.
PLAYLIST:
The Changing Landscape of SEO and the Influence Equation (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/changing-landscape-seo)
What is the Michael Jordan of Business Models? (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/michael-jordan-business-model)
“When is my LTV good enough?” + Founder Mode for Bootstrappers (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/ltv-good-enough)

If you’ve been living under a rock, you might have missed Alex Hormozi’s record-breaking launch of his latest book $100M Money Models (yep, reps from Guinness World Records were there to verify.)
One of the most prominent internet business gurus of our time, Alex’s marketing and launch strategies paint a vivid picture of the power of “the influence equation.” Love him or hate him, his journey is inspiring for all entrepreneurs. Here are 5 takeaways from the launch, specifically for bootstrappers in the trenches.
LINKS
This week’s sponsor: spp.co “Your billing, onboarding & projects in one client portal” (http://spp.co/)
Alex Hormozi’s $100M book series (https://www.acquisition.com/books)
Dan’s book “Before the Exit” (https://www.amazon.com/Before-Exit-Thought-Experiments-Entrepreneurs-ebook/dp/B07BN2KD1J)
“The Wealth Ladder: Proven Strategies for Every Step of Your Financial Life” by Nick Maggiulli (https://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Ladder-Proven-Strategies-Financial/dp/0593854039)
Nick Maggiulli’s interview on the Afford Anything Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast/nick-maggiulli-the-wealth-ladder-has-six-rungs-and/id1079598542?i=1000719716621)
22 FREE business resources for location-independent entrepreneurs (https://tropicalmba.com/resources)
Meet the world’s most generous global entrepreneurs inside Dynamite Circle (https://dynamitecircle.com/)
Connect with 7+ figure founders like Allen inside DC BLACK (https://dynamitecircle.com/dc-black)
CHAPTERS
(00:00:00) Intro
(00:01:07) $87M in 8 Hours: Hormozi’s Record-Breaking Launch
(00:06:05) Takeaway #1: The Power of the Influence Equation
(00:11:53) Takeaway #2: Three Types of Media Strategy
(00:14:35) This Week’s Sponsor: SPP.co
(00:15:53) Takeaway #3: Choose Your Extreme
(00:18:40) Takeaway #4: Aggressively Do the Hardest Thing
(00:20:06) Takeaway #5: Risk - The Secret to Stratospheric Wealth
(00:25:08) Final Thoughts: The Corner Office Test
CONNECT:
Dan@tropicalmba.com
Ian@tropicalmba.com
Past guests on TMBA include Cal Newport, David Heinemeier Hannson, Seth Godin, Ricardo Semler, Noah Kagan, Rob Walling, Jay Clouse, Einar Vollset, Sam Dogan, Gino Wickam, James Clear, Jodie Cook, Mark Webster, Steph Smith, Taylor Pearson, Justin Tan, Matt Gartland, Ayman Al-Abdullah, Lucy Bella.
PLAYLIST:
The Changing Landscape of SEO and the Influence Equation (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/changing-landscape-seo)
What is the Michael Jordan of Business Models? (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/michael-jordan-business-model)
“When is my LTV good enough?” + Founder Mode for Bootstrappers (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/ltv-good-enough)

In this week’s episode, Allen Walton (SpyGuy) shares how he’s using AI to build custom tools with almost zero coding experience, and how founders can turn everyday business spending into first-class flights.
From AI-powered inventory forecasting to unlocking elite travel perks, this episode is packed with practical tips for bootstrapped entrepreneurs ready to work smarter and travel better.
LINKS
This week’s sponsor: spp.co “Your billing, onboarding & projects in one client portal” (http://spp.co/)
Connect with Allen on X (https://x.com/allenthird)
Allen’s ecomm company (https://www.spyguy.com/)
“The 4-Hour Work Week” by Tim Ferriss (https://fourhourworkweek.com/)
“StoryBrand” by Donald Miller (https://storybrand.com/)
22 FREE business resources for location-independent entrepreneurs (https://tropicalmba.com/resources)
Meet the world’s most generous global entrepreneurs inside Dynamite Circle (https://dynamitecircle.com/)
Connect with 7+ figure founders like Allen inside DC BLACK (https://dynamitecircle.com/dc-black)
CHAPTERS:
(00:00:00) Today’s Guest: Allen Walton
(00:07:35) How Allen is Using AI for Business & Personal Life
(00:09:45) LLM Deep Research for Competitor Analysis & ICP Creation
(00:12:58) Vibe Coding Apps with Zero Technical Experience
(00:22:32) This Week’s Sponsor: SPP.co
(00:23:50) How Airlines Actually Make Their Money
(00:26:34) The Competition of Points and Rewards in 2025
(00:30:40) The Worst Way to Redeem Points
(00:33:13) How to Maximize Points Accumulation
(00:35:48) Why Business Owners Should Pay More Attention to Points
(00:38:44) ‘Mozi Madness: Alex Hormozi’s Record-Breaking Launch
CONNECT:
Dan@tropicalmba.com
Ian@tropicalmba.com
Past guests on TMBA include Cal Newport, David Heinemeier Hannson, Seth Godin, Ricardo Semler, Noah Kagan, Rob Walling, Jay Clouse, Einar Vollset, Sam Dogan, Gino Wickam, James Clear, Jodie Cook, Mark Webster, Steph Smith, Taylor Pearson, Justin Tan, Matt Gartland, Ayman Al-Abdullah, Lucy Bella.
PLAYLIST:
Top 5 SEO Tactics That Still Work in 2025 with Sean Markey (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/top-5-seo-tactics)
TMBA 256: Making Sense of Awards Points and Business Class Upgrades w/ Erik Paquet (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/mileage)
TMBA 540: Are You Generating Income or Wealth? w/ Nat Eliason (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/income-wealth-running-agency)

Organic traffic is getting weird… and kinda looks like an alligator’s mouth (you’ll have to listen to the episode to see what we mean).
SEO expert Sean Markey joins Dan to break down 5 strategies still working in 2025: from parasite SEO to aged domains and Reddit "hacks." If you’re trying to cut through the LLM noise, this episode is the ultimate SEO rabbit hole.
LINKS
Sean’s SEO newsletter for CEOs and founders that hate SEO newsletters (https://ranks.com/newsletter/)
Sean’s SEO community (https://advise.so/)
22 FREE business resources for location-independent entrepreneurs (https://tropicalmba.com/resources)
Meet the world’s most generous global entrepreneurs inside Dynamite Circle (https://dynamitecircle.com/)
Connect with 7+ figure founders inside DC BLACK (https://dynamitecircle.com/dc-black)
Remote First Recruiting: Find your next best remote hire in 21 days (https://remotefirstrecruiting.com/)
CHAPTERS
(00:00:00) Today’s Guest: Sean Markey
(00:02:53) The State of SEO in 2025
(00:03:49) What SEO Leaders Are Doing (Instead of Panicking)
(00:04:44) How to Own Page 1 Without Ranking
(00:07:25) Buy Your Way Into the SERPs
(00:09:23) The Reddit Mod Hack No One Talks About
(00:12:58) How Small Channels Are Printing 60K MRR
(00:14:46) Ranking in LLMs Without a Prompt Engineer
(00:17:26) The Aged Domain Shortcut That Still Works
(00:20:54) What Is Parasite SEO (And Why It Works)
(00:22:50) The AI Prompt Stack SEO Founders Are Gatekeeping
(00:25:25) Why Local SEO Still Wins in 2025
(00:26:45) Is SEO Even SEO Anymore?
(00:29:36) Why Community > Courses in 2025
(00:33:03) The 1-1-1 Model: Simple, Scalable, Profitable
CONNECT:
Dan@tropicalmba.com
Ian@tropicalmba.com
Past guests on TMBA include Cal Newport, David Heinemeier Hannson, Seth Godin, Ricardo Semler, Noah Kagan, Rob Walling, Jay Clouse, Einar Vollset, Sam Dogan, Gino Wickam, James Clear, Jodie Cook, Mark Webster, Steph Smith, Taylor Pearson, Justin Tan, Matt Gartland, Ayman Al-Abdullah, Lucy Bella.
PLAYLIST:
TMBA 588: Embracing Growth Through Setbacks w/ Sean Markey (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/sean-markey-growth-through-setbacks?rq=sean%20markey)
From Struggling Plumber to $57K MRR w/ Tom Richards (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/from-struggling-numbers-to-57k-mrr?rq=tom)
Why Founders Shouldn’t Delegate AI (Barcelona Recap) (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/why-founders-should-not-delegate-ai)

How are legit 7- and 8-figure founders leveraging AI in their businesses? Spoiler alert: they’re not just handing it off to their teams.
From cutting high level consultants to redefining metrics and leadership, Dan shares 7 takeaways from our recent DC BLACK event in Barcelona for million-dollar founders.
LINKS:
The 4-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss (https://fourhourworkweek.com/)
Growth Levers and How to Find Them by Matt Lerner (https://www.amazon.com/Growth-Levers-How-Find-Them/dp/1738426203)
22 FREE business resources for location-independent entrepreneurs (https://tropicalmba.com/resources)
Meet the world’s most generous global entrepreneurs inside Dynamite Circle (https://dynamitecircle.com/)
Connect with 7+ figure founders inside DC BLACK (https://dynamitecircle.com/dc-black)
Remote First Recruiting: Find your next best remote hire in 21 days (https://remotefirstrecruiting.com/)
CHAPTERS:
Audio:
(00:00:46) AI Is a Founder-Level Problem
(00:01:16) Real AI Use Cases From 7-Figure Founders
(00:05:15) Financial Freedom Starts Earlier Than You Think
(00:07:45) Million-Dollar Nomads Are Rare (And That’s Powerful)
(00:10:38) How to Hire For Less in Latin America (Quick Plug)
(00:11:38) The Rise of the Lifestyle Business CEO
(00:14:39) Why Fringe Curiosity Is a Superpower
(00:16:21) What’s Your North Star Metric?
(00:22:22) The Meta Takeaway: Define Your Constraint
CONNECT:
Dan@tropicalmba.com
Ian@tropicalmba.com
Past guests on TMBA include Cal Newport, David Heinemeier Hannson, Seth Godin, Ricardo Semler, Noah Kagan, Rob Walling, Jay Clouse, Einar Vollset, Sam Dogan, Gino Wickam, James Clear, Jodie Cook, Mark Webster, Steph Smith, Taylor Pearson, Justin Tan, Matt Gartland, Ayman Al-Abdullah, Lucy Bella.
PLAYLIST:
The Brutal Truth About Business Exits with Rob Walling (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/brutal-truth-about-exits)
The Content Flywheel Behind a 7-Figure Education Business ft. Timothy Moser (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/content-flywheel-behind-7-figure-business)
Health Advice That Goes Against Everything You Know ft. Jay Feldman (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/health-advice-against-everything-you-know)