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Johnny Ward came from a poor Irish family, had problems with authority, and hated the idea of working 9-to-5. He dabbled in various jobs, and even signed up for medical experiments, before landing a high-paying sales job where he was able to earn up to $20,000 a month. After a few months, however, Ward decided he’d had enough. “I realised that, with only one life, I don’t want to spend Monday to Friday locked in a place I don’t want to be,” Ward wrote on Facebook.

Ward started a travel blog, step4ward, and once it began to generate revenue, step4wardmedia. “I associated the concept of making money online with this like charlatan personality,” he told Business Insider. “I couldn’t get my head around how people actually do it, and then I cracked the specific thing that I do online and was like ‘Wow, I can’t believe it.’”

Ward works virtually with four other people for a few hours every week from his laptop, averages about $1000 per day despite traveling, and even found a flight-attendant girlfriend. He plans to visit every country in the world, and has checked off 152 out of a total of 193 countries so far.

More info: onestep4ward.com | step4wardmedia.com | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter (h/t: elitedaily, businessinsider)

“I come from quite a poor family…I have anxiety about not being broke again”

Johnny Ward worked several jobs, from teaching English to participating in medical experiments

Eventually, he landed a high paying sales job in Australia

Ward could make up to $20,000 per month from comissions, but he still wasn’t happy

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“I felt like it wasn’t fulfilling in any way”

“and I wasn’t free, having to ask for permission for take time off — and I don’t do well with authority”

In 2010 he quit his job, started the onestep4ward blog, and began traveling

Soon, he met his flight-attendant girlfriend

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“I associated the concept of making money online with this…charlatan personality.”

“I couldn’t get my head around how people actually do it”

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“and then I cracked the specific thing that I do online and was like ‘Wow, I can’t believe it.’”

Ward created a digital media company in 2012

He works virtually for a few hours per week while traveling

So far he has visited 152 out of a total of 193 countries, and plans to see the rest soon

“It doesn’t seem that real. I don’t live a flash lifestyle, so it feels arbitrary”

His advice for others? “You need to draw a line in the sand and say, ‘Now I’m going to do it.’”

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“No matter how you plan to make money online, always start a blog, even if you’re not going to monetize.”

“Have a voice, be an authority”

“I always dreamed of being free…truly free is to have the financial security to allow you to do whatever you want to do”