Post: #1

I'm now at a point in my life where I will start living 8 months out of the year in the USA, and 4 months out of the year in South America.

I have excellent connections in South America. It is truly is as good as it gets. Similar to game, if i were to mention the details here most would likely think I'm full of shit.

I have an excellent skill set and a background that makes most people in other countries willing to adjust their schedule to meet me.

I had quite the deal to work on in South America. Not exactly under the radar as it involved a significant amount of power for the local communities. I loved doing business there, and often felt like I was treated like a celebrity (I'm throwing out a point of caution here). That said, Every time I would get to a key point in the deal, I was interrupted with "café, anyone want café, café con leche?) Hit repeat.

I could do 5 deals in this amount of time despite falling in love with the culture. I've been around the block down there. Maybe I could be wrong on my final assessment if you are happy making $20k/year as a waiter...but, here we go:...

How to Make Money in South America:
1) find the country that you love in South America. create a vision in your mind of the life you want.
2) do a proper assessment of your skill set
3) determine where your skill fits into the energy industry
4) Move to Texas (85% chance you are in Houston if you are/want to make real coin, 14% chance of real coin in Dallas, 1% chance if in Austin (but, if you move to Austin you will brow beat the people in Houston into believing Austin is the new SF...guess what beyatch...it isn't, if you like tech, get your ass to the SF Bay Area]
5) understand and respect that despite the problems in the USA, this is the best place to make coin. Specifically in Texas. The people in South America will be proud to be associated with a business man from Texas (an "Energy X")

Bottom line: you are far better off making a ton of dough in the USA, and Texas specifically, as opposed to making money directly from the local economies.

Gents: make your money here...and go there!

[I'm preaching this as I have a gorgeous brown skin, long black hair, Latina waiting in my bed]

If y'all want a data sheet on why you have never seen a time like this since 1909, happy to help out. In the meantime, the best play I can see is 1) make money in Texas, 2) get down to SA as often as possible with as few strings possible to #1).

Bonus: Not only is Houston the #1 economy, but if you go south (say Buenos Aires) during the summer, you can walk around in a light Argentine sweater while it is 67 degrees.

Post: #2

So, just to be clear, you're title says making money in SA but your post says make your money in Texas or America in general and visit SA regularly.

I'm asking because I don't really understand the post.

Post: #3

Like WWT I am confused as to what the takeaway is from this post.

All I've gotten from this is to enter the energy industry in Texas and then take your talents to South America. No shit - there's a reason why foreigners still come to America for jobs, only to take their skills back to their home countries.

I'd like to hear more specifics as how to become marketable in South America. I work in the energy industry and would love to work out of Brazil. Drop some more info. If you don't want to post details about your job, I understand that completely. In that case you can PM me and we can talk about this. Maybe then I'll see if this post holds value.

Post: #4

I'm also confused, I thought the takeaway was you do your work in TX and maybe hop cheap flights down to South America to spend your money and live it up with Latinas, however that is not exactly making money in south america thats making money in Texas and visiting south america for fun.

Post: #5

Trash post the hell are you on about. You are not telling us how to make money but to move to some place and it will magically happen. Please.

Post: #6

Dallas is leaps and bounds beyond Houston. Houston is just a huge ghetto.

Post: #7

Wow this is incredible data, let me get this straight, you mean to tell me that I could potentially:
A) Work several months a year in the North American oil patch then
B) Spend a few months a year in a South American poosy paradise such as Colombia



WHERE DO I SIGN UP BRAH? DETAILS PLEASE!!!

Post: #8

At least drop data on what you're doing to make money in more detail bruh

Post: #9

I guess OP just wanted to boast about his success.

Post: #10

Post: #11

Yeah OP just respond with something to partially redeem yourself...cause right now you've annoyed all of us.

Post: #12

What's the significance of 1909?

Post: #13

(09-25-2014 10:44 AM)Cattle Rustler Wrote:  Dallas is leaps and bounds beyond Houston. Houston is just a huge ghetto.

Real.......real......please >_>

Post: #14

I'm sure it sounds like a joker post, but it isn't. With such a negative reaction, it didn't seem like a thread worth defending, and probably best for those that have such ambitions to learn the hard way (well, at least learning down there is fun).

A few tidbits of experience:
- I spent two years down there trying to build a business
- Some older guys I know told me they tried doing the same thing in the 90s to no avail and gave caution
- I was convinced that my go at it would be different, but in the end it wasn't
- I had every advantage at my disposal, and my key point of mentioning prior success in my post is that it wasn't like I was going down there naked, with a weak network, and no cash in my pocket...I went fully loaded

What I learned:
- Trying to make money down there is time consuming, expensive, and ultimately doesn't have a payoff anywhere close to what you would get in the USA, even if everything worked perfectly
- Everything moves so much slower in business (compounding point above about time consuming , expensive, and lousy payoff)
- Finally, I thought there would at least be some grease in permitting, regulations, and labor laws...nope...and I thought California had red tape...

I'm still committed to living several months a year down there, but learned that I need to go about it a different way. Just like the old dogs told me (actually played out exactly as they said). One thing we were in deep agreement about is that it was a fun pursuit. (But, given the investment maybe would've been better spent just boondoggling and skipping the business part).

My final assessment of how to make money in South America: You can't.

Well, there are a few exceptions I'm sure, most notably guys like Tim Ferris that sell you books on how you can do this. That sell you on the vegabond lifestyle. They sell you on their success. But, the news flash is that the guru types are funding a lifestyle on selling stuff to those that want to hear what they want to hear.

I guess if your idea of living a cool life in SA is working a shitty job just for the sake of getting to live there, then maybe you can make it work. But, even shitty jobs look hard to come by and the labor laws seem quite protectionist.

But, no reason to listen to me because this is a cold hard truth that most don't want to swallow.

For me, I will just split my time and roll the way I like to roll (with no need to fully slow down because my business focus will be in the USA, and despite its flaws, is still a great place to make money).

Post: #15

@ anoymous123

Thanks for the clarification in your last post. I am curious which countries you had tried to open a business in as in Latin America the pro business/ foreign investment red tape can vary greatly from one country to the next. I have for instance heard that Chile is pro foreign investment meanwhile in Mexico for instance a foreigner is not legally able to do anything for his business that could not otherwise be outsourced to a local such as balancing the books or cooking food for your restaurant.

Post: #16

Thanks for the clarification OP, sounds like you had an interesting experience down there and I commend anyone who has the balls to give something like that a shot. Still, I don't think that its news to most people on here, especially us who've spent time in South America, that it isn't exactly a business friendly culture or a great place to make money. The company I work for (multinational industrial service company based in Sugar Land, Texas) has offices all over the world, including several in SA but I couldn't see myself ever working there, mostly due to cultural reasons but also, when I go to SA, I want to be free to do whatever I want, not working all the time.

Like yourself, I'd much rather work back home, the money is pretty good, I"m well established in my field and have lots of connections, I also work in the field as a grunt, not in a cushy office and field work like that isn't something I"m too keen on doing in a place like Colombia, although the opportunity does come up from time to time. I put in the time and made some financial moves and now I don't work more than six months a year, ideally less and I spend the rest of the time wherever I want, which will likely be back in Colombia in a few weeks.

Post: #17

OP sounds kinda cracked out...but I may be the one of the few that is following....(My 2015 = this strategy sort of)

Post: #18

(09-26-2014 07:45 PM)Brosemite Wrote:  OP sounds kinda cracked out...but I may be the one of the few that is following....(My 2015 = this strategy sort of)

Ya it wasn't very easy to follow but I think that the gist of his post is that if a guy wants to spend a few months abroad each year, then oil in gas is a good option, there's lots of info on here for anyone who wants to do it.

Post: #19

(09-26-2014 07:55 PM)scotian Wrote:  

(09-26-2014 07:45 PM)Brosemite Wrote:  OP sounds kinda cracked out...but I may be the one of the few that is following....(My 2015 = this strategy sort of)

Ya it wasn't very easy to follow but I think that the gist of his post is that if a guy wants to spend a few months abroad each year, then oil in gas is a good option, there's lots of info on here for anyone who wants to do it.

Yeah something about getting involved in the energy industry...and then as a result using "down time" in South America with the potential of even expanding those connections as a result of being in that field of work.

Post: #20

(09-26-2014 05:26 PM)anonymous123 Wrote:  What I learned:
- Trying to make money down there is time consuming, expensive, and ultimately doesn't have a payoff anywhere close to what you would get in the USA, even if everything worked perfectly
- Everything moves so much slower in business (compounding point above about time consuming , expensive, and lousy payoff)
- Finally, I thought there would at least be some grease in permitting, regulations, and labor laws...nope...and I thought California had red tape...

Lot of truth here

(09-26-2014 05:26 PM)anonymous123 Wrote:  My final assessment of how to make money in South America: You can't.

This is obviously an exageration as plenty of people make money here.

My 2 cents after being here 3 years and knowing foriegners who are running successful companies in Brazil (I have small equity stakes in 3 such companies):

- South America is not a homogeneous region. Chile is pretty business friendly, Argentina is impossible, Brazil is somewhere in the middle.
- The following thoughts are based on my experience in Brazil.
- Bureaucracy is stifling. This makes it especially hard for start-ups, but it also serves as a barrier to entry once you've established yourself.
- Nothing happens as fast as people think / say. Brazilians have a terrible habit of overpromising and saying what you want to hear. As an anecdote: I was in a meeting with some PE investors, they asked me a timeline, I said 2 years, they laughed and said "you're obviously not Brazilian. A Brazilian would have said 2 months".
- Given the above, and fact that OP was only here for 2 years, it's easy to see why his venture didn't work out. He didn't put in the time necessary to make it happen.
- Being a foriegner makes it even harder to get something off the ground. Impossible to know your customer, the culture, the norms, and the business atmosphere in that amount of time
- Labor laws are a huge risk. Fucking ridiculous. It's frequently better to keep an unproductive employee on the payroll than to fire them.
- Overall the businesses here are less sophisticated than the US, and they are 10-30 years behind in terms of innovation. You don't have to have the next great idea here to be successful, you just need to find a niche where you can implement what has already worked abroad.

Post: #21

(09-25-2014 03:27 AM)anonymous123 Wrote:  [I'm preaching this as I have a gorgeous brown skin, long black hair, Latina waiting in my bed]

Mixx ...Welcome back!!

Post: #22

(09-26-2014 05:26 PM)anonymous123 Wrote:  I'm sure it sounds like a joker post, but it isn't. With such a negative reaction, it didn't seem like a thread worth defending, and probably best for those that have such ambitions to learn the hard way (well, at least learning down there is fun).

A few tidbits of experience:
- I spent two years down there trying to build a business
- Some older guys I know told me they tried doing the same thing in the 90s to no avail and gave caution
- I was convinced that my go at it would be different, but in the end it wasn't
- I had every advantage at my disposal, and my key point of mentioning prior success in my post is that it wasn't like I was going down there naked, with a weak network, and no cash in my pocket...I went fully loaded

What I learned:
- Trying to make money down there is time consuming, expensive, and ultimately doesn't have a payoff anywhere close to what you would get in the USA, even if everything worked perfectly
- Everything moves so much slower in business (compounding point above about time consuming , expensive, and lousy payoff)
- Finally, I thought there would at least be some grease in permitting, regulations, and labor laws...nope...and I thought California had red tape...

I'm still committed to living several months a year down there, but learned that I need to go about it a different way. Just like the old dogs told me (actually played out exactly as they said). One thing we were in deep agreement about is that it was a fun pursuit. (But, given the investment maybe would've been better spent just boondoggling and skipping the business part).

My final assessment of how to make money in South America: You can't.

Well, there are a few exceptions I'm sure, most notably guys like Tim Ferris that sell you books on how you can do this. That sell you on the vegabond lifestyle. They sell you on their success. But, the news flash is that the guru types are funding a lifestyle on selling stuff to those that want to hear what they want to hear.

I guess if your idea of living a cool life in SA is working a shitty job just for the sake of getting to live there, then maybe you can make it work. But, even shitty jobs look hard to come by and the labor laws seem quite protectionist.

But, no reason to listen to me because this is a cold hard truth that most don't want to swallow.

For me, I will just split my time and roll the way I like to roll (with no need to fully slow down because my business focus will be in the USA, and despite its flaws, is still a great place to make money).

"Well, there are a few exceptions I'm sure, most notably guys like Tim Ferris that sell you books on how you can do this. That sell you on the vegabond lifestyle. They sell you on their success. But, the news flash is that the guru types are funding a lifestyle on selling stuff to those that want to hear what they want to hear."

That's inaccurate and unfair. Tim Ferris was a Trust Fund baby, and had his lifestyle set before hawking his business or book.

Post: #23

@Champ - I completely agree with all of what you said and think you summed things up quite nicely.

A few tidbits:

(09-26-2014 05:26 PM)anonymous123 Wrote:  My final assessment of how to make money in South America: You can't.

This is obviously an exageration as plenty of people make money here.

- True, but I was preaching from the context of opportunity cost for myself (and a lot of people in the USA). I know people making money in SA, I just don't know very many people from the USA making money there...and as such I'm putting this in the "too hard" pile.

- South America is not a homogeneous region. Chile is pretty business friendly, Argentina is impossible, Brazil is somewhere in the middle.

Very true. But, the way it was explained to me was that you are best to either focus on Brazil, or find somewhere in the "everywhere else" of SA or Central America. The quote I received was "Brazil might as well be Hong Kong." And their economic might and advancements alone puts Brazil in a category where one should either commit to Brazil, or go elsewhere.

- The following thoughts are based on my experience in Brazil.
- Bureaucracy is stifling. This makes it especially hard for start-ups, but it also serves as a barrier to entry once you've established yourself.

Amen. And likewise true in many other countries in SA (and was my experience where I was focused).

- Nothing happens as fast as people think / say. Brazilians have a terrible habit of overpromising and saying what you want to hear. As an anecdote: I was in a meeting with some PE investors, they asked me a timeline, I said 2 years, they laughed and said "you're obviously not Brazilian. A Brazilian would have said 2 months".

Amen again. That was my experience and the reason for my "café, café con leche anyone?" comment about business dealings.

- Given the above, and fact that OP was only here for 2 years, it's easy to see why his venture didn't work out. He didn't put in the time necessary to make it happen.


Very true, and don't disagree. The big difference here is that I should have been more clear that this is from the vantage point of someone coming from the USA. I totally agree that I needed to stick it out, and think I would have eventually been successful. But, I didn't pull out just because of the burn rate and painfully slow it is to achieve progress. I finally took a step back and said "what if I'm successful, what is the payoff?" I then compared that payoff to what I could achieve in the USA.

It wasn't easy to decide to cut bait. Despite what they teach in business schools, walking away from "sunk cost" is easier said than done. And, I probably could've walked away from "sunk cost" just fine. What really hit home for me was when I objectively took a step back and tried to asses "what would be the outcome if I poured these same efforts and resources in the USA, what is the reward vs. the exact same in SA?" Doing the back of the envelope math made me think I had the wrong strategy.

But, who knows? I just know that in starting a business, 2 years is a good place to stop and reassess.

- Labor laws are a huge risk. Fucking ridiculous. It's frequently better to keep an unproductive employee on the payroll than to fire them.

This is the one that really hit home for me. For some reason I thought things would be more lax. I think the same goes for permitting and regulation...I thought it would be easier...not even close. I will re-use your description: "fucking ridiculous".

Post: #24

(09-27-2014 10:49 AM)DarkTriad Wrote:  [quote='anonymous123' pid='839321' dateline='1411770369']
"Well, there are a few exceptions I'm sure, most notably guys like Tim Ferris that sell you books on how you can do this. That sell you on the vegabond lifestyle. They sell you on their success. But, the news flash is that the guru types are funding a lifestyle on selling stuff to those that want to hear what they want to hear."

That's inaccurate and unfair. Tim Ferris was a Trust Fund baby, and had his lifestyle set before hawking his business or book.

@DarkTriad - it looks like you are just bolstering my point here...(which may indeed be your point!)

Post: #25

(09-27-2014 10:49 AM)DarkTriad Wrote:  "Well, there are a few exceptions I'm sure, most notably guys like Tim Ferris that sell you books on how you can do this. That sell you on the vegabond lifestyle. They sell you on their success. But, the news flash is that the guru types are funding a lifestyle on selling stuff to those that want to hear what they want to hear."

That's inaccurate and unfair. Tim Ferris was a Trust Fund baby, and had his lifestyle set before hawking his business or book.

Instead of crying "not fair", try to learn what he is doing and duplicate. Regardless what you or I think of the guy, he sold a lot of shit and that had nothing to do with his trust fund. It isn't like selling stuff that people want is some novel idea. It is done everyday in plenty of markets.