James Roche and his wife Melanie are Americans who have settled in Amsterdam, knowing it immediately as “their place”. Why? Because the city works efficiently and the Dutch get all their work done in 35 hours a week so there’s plenty of time for the things they love which in James’s case is biking in the countryside, art galleries and concerts.

James lived in England as a teenager and feels like a European born, in the wrong country. And now he’s deliberately designed his lifestyle and his business so he could come “home”. It was a wrench leaving family in L.A. but in all other respects, he explains, it was remarkably simple to do. He encourages his own clients to see that we all have a choice about where and how we life.

James favours a low complexity low drama life and that’s the appeal of Amsterdam, and it’s also how he runs his business. He enjoys collaboration in a few creative partnerships and the rest of his work comes by word of mouth and referrals and from his list. He doesn’t really sweat the small stuff on social media rather leaving that to his collaborative partners who are often the figure head of the work they do together, such as Ali Brown with whom he partnered for six years.

He also works with Evolving Wisdom as their Creative Director, a job both Nicola and I were fascinated to hear more about. He couldn’t think of an example where he wasn’t courted by business partners and describes himself as “easy to partner with”.

The Roches have travelled extensively, living an uncomplicated freedom-based lifestyle, and that’s their primary driver. He coaches and consults in the area of his expertise – marketing – starting out in information marketing initially but now he helps clients get more clients for their by businesses designing funnels and managing launches.

Melanie is an energy healer and therapist and she too has taken her business to a place where she can work with her clients online using Skype and other such tools. She’s writing a book which has reached the editing phase. If James were to start over, the thing which would be most vital to his business is his list, for which he uses Infusionsoft.

His operating system for success involves a clarity of intent and James told stories of how they found their ideal home in Amsterdam and how clients arrive at just the right time. It’s that ease thing. He lives it and so it is.

We hope you’ll hear James speak by tuning into our Virtual Summit on the weekend of 18th and 19th June 2016 and upgrade your summit experience by choosing between our three options:

1. Listen free in real time and chat with us live all weekend as the interviews go out. Register Free!
2. Enjoy all of the recordings with our Gold package for $197 (or $97 if you buy before the event). Buy Now!
3. Enjoy all of the above plus one year’s membership of our “Beyond the Laptop Lifestyle” Private Facebook Community. Network, get hints and tips about living and working abroad from people doing it, or seriously working towards it. Our Platinum package is $297 (or $197 if you buy before the event). Buy Now!(You can even try and win 1 x Platinum first prize worth $297 by entering our Blog Competition or one of the three Gold second prizes on offer, each worth $197)