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This page is provided to give some background and useful links for media outlets. Should you have any questions that aren't answered here, or need any further resources, please contact me via the Contact form. Thanks for your interest. Best wishes, Ian ContentsSome Background InformationResources High resolution photos Video Blog Info Files Links Sample Questions and Answers What made you decide to auction your life on eBay? What does a "life for sale" include? What was the final result of the auction? How did the idea for tackling 100 goals in 100 weeks come about? How did it feel to leave everything behind and set off on a two year journey? How many goals did you manage to achieve? What were some of the most memorable? ... the most exciting? ... the scariest? ... the least satisfying? What was the biggest lesson or learning experience gained during the journey? What were the goals that you didn't manage to achieve? ... and how do you feel about them now? You mention in your blog an unwritten goal #101 - what was that? ... and how did that work out? You have written a book about the whole incredible adventure? ... and there is possibly going to be a movie too? So are your travels and adventures over now? How did the property research go? So you now own your own private Caribbean island? And finally, what's next? The Book "A LIFE SOLD - What ever happened to that guy who sold his whole life on eBay?" Book cover Rear cover blurb Book summary Author biography Some backgroud on Goal #100 - a book deal for the 100goals100weeks story! Amazon Links Some Background Information"A LIFE SOLD - What ever happened to that guy who sold his whole life on eBay?” tells the story of how, on one idle Wednesday night, I was blindsided by life. My wife told me she no longer loved me, and eventually we separated. I decided it was time for a change.This initially meant moving to a new town, and getting a new job. But with a house and all our previous possessions as sad reminders of a lost past and a future that was uncertain, I eventually decided that I wanted to sell everything and move on. This desire developed into a rather eccentric idea, and I set up a website announcing that I was going to sell my "whole life" on eBay! The package included house, car, motorbike, jet ski, sunny summery Perth (Australia) lifestyle, a trial period at my job, and an introduction to my friends. Worldwide press coverage was incredible, including live TV appearances in Australia, England, USA and beyond. There were newspaper articles around the world, magazine features, and hundreds of radio interviews. "What will you do after you sell your life?" was a question I was asked in many interviews, and I didn't really know the answer. But I would be able to do anything I wanted, I realised. I made a list of all the places I had wanted to go to, all the things I wanted to see, and all the experiences I wanted to savour. My next adventure was coming together, and eventually I had a list of 100 goals, and a self-imposed timeframe of 100 weeks. The following two years took me around the world three times, as I visited some amazing places, and experienced some incredible moments. I walked on the Great Wall of China, ran with bulls in the streets of Pamplona in Spain, and partied at Carnival in Rio. I walked the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival, had a small role in a Hollywood movie in LA, and hung out with Richard Branson in London. I worked in a soup kitchen in snowy Vancouver on Christmas Day, and raised a significant sum of money for cancer research However, the journey was challenging too, as travelling alone can be very confronting at times. My doomed marriage would still return to haunt me, and I hoped that the journey would provide some sort of closure. I had no real idea where the journey might take me. The end of the adventure came very much as a surprise, and has led to a new lifestyle that I could never have imagined. ResourcesHigh resolution photosAll of the photos and associated documents, as well as images of the book cover, can be downloaded as one complete media kit (46Mb) available here:-http://www.IanUsher.com/MediaKit/ALifeSold_IanUsher_MediaKit.zip (Click on each picture to download a high-resolution (4000 x 3000px) original)      
     
     
MS Word document: Photograph Details There are many more photos used throughout the blog. I have full resolution originals for most of them, so contact me if you need anything else. Many of the photos from the two years of world travels can be seen gathered together in one place here:- http://www.100goals100weeks.com/goals_Photos_weeks01to10.php. VideoThere are video clips from many of the goals achieved.To see them all listed on one page click here:- http://www.100goals100weeks.com/goals_Videos.php To see them on YouTube click here:- http://www.youtube.com/user/100Goals100weeks I have higher quality original files if required, contact me via the Contact form. BlogAll blog posts from all three stages of the story (ALife4Sale, 100goals100weeks, ALifeSold) can be accessed, in chronological order here:-http://www.ianusher.com/blog.php Info FilesMS Word document: 01 Ian Usher - Personal DetailsMS Word document: 02 Ian Usher - Future Plans MS Word document: 03 Ian Usher - Contact Details and Links MS Word document: 04 Photograph Details All these documents, as well as all the hi-res photos, and images of the book cover, can be downloaded as one complete media kit (46Mb) available here:- http://www.IanUsher.com/MediaKit/ALifeSold_IanUsher_MediaKit.zip LinksALife4Sale websiteALife4Sale media coverage ALife4Sale blog 100goals100weeks website 100goals100weeks media coverage 100goals100weeks photos 100goals100weeks video 100goals100weeks blog List of all goals achieved Ian Usher website "A LIFE SOLD" details page Wider Vision Publishing website Moe Boksa website Sample Questions and AnswersQ: What made you decide to auction your life on eBay?A: The decision to sell my life was prompted by the unfortunate break-up of my marriage. My wife and I separated in 2006, and I ended up living alone in a house that we had started building to live in together. I was surrounded by reminders of a past that was long-gone, and I decided it was time to get rid of it all, to conclude that part of my life, and move on to the next chapter of life's adventure. I thought about packaging everything together in one sale, and the idea developed from there. Q: What does a "life for sale" include? A: My life, in Perth in Australia, included a lovely three-bedroomed house and all its contents. It also included a car, motorbike and a jet ski. Also on offer was an introduction to my circle of friends (I never ever said that I was selling my friends!) and a trial period at my job, which was in a rug store at the time. Q: What was the final result of the auction? A: The final bid was $399,300 Australian dollars, which was just about the same as the valuation of the house alone, so the buyer was getting a bargain. Unfortunately the top bidder dropped out, and I contacted the next five highest bidders. None were in a position, or of an inclination to follow through on their bid. It was all very disappointing. Eventually I had to resort to much more traditional methods, and list the house with a real estate agent. Q: How did the idea for tackling 100 goals in 100 weeks come about? A: During the run-up to the auction there was a huge amount of international media coverage. I did many interviews, and one of the most common questions was "What will you do once you have sold your life?" My usual answer was that I would be able to do anything I liked. I thought a lot about what that might actually be, and the list of goals grew from there. Why 100 weeks? Well, I have always had lists of goals, and over the past five years I had only managed to tick five or six off my list. At that rate the maths didn't work out, and a list of 100 would never get completed. I needed a bit of self-imposed pressure. Q: How did it feel to leave everything behind and set off on a two year journey? A: Obviously it is exciting to set off to do all the things you have ever wanted to do, but there was a huge amount of trepidation too. I was leaving everything and everyone behind, and heading off into an unknown future. I was very unsure of where it might all lead. When the auction fell through I seriously considered giving up on the whole idea - it would have been very easy to do. I'm glad I managed to push myself out of my comfort zone. Q: How many goals did you manage to achieve? A: Out of the list of 100 goals I managed to tick off 93 of them. Q: What were some of the most memorable? A: One of the most incredible experiences of my life was swimming with a mother humpback whale and her calf, while I was in Japan. We got so close to them, perhaps 3 or 4 metres away. Walking on the Great Wall of China was fantastic. I really enjoyed the trek to Everest Base Camp - the Himalayas are so stunning. And working in a soup kitchen in snowy Vancouver on Christmas Day is something I will never forget - very thought-provoking. Q: ... the most exciting? A: I met a guy in England who built his own "Wall of Death" in a field. It's basically a huge wooden barrel with vertical sides. You ride a motorbike around the inside on the vertical wall, held up by centrifugal force. It is incredibly difficult and disorientating, but it was one of the proudest moments of my life when I finally mastered it. Q: ... the scariest? A: That's easy! Running with the bulls in the streets of Pamplona at the San Fermin Festival. It's terrifying, but strangely addictive - I went back to do it a second time, and even considered a third. What a week! Q: ... the least satisfying? A: Cage diving with Great White Sharks in South Africa was something that I had been looking forward to for a long time. We were very unlucky, as the water was very murky, and although there were plenty of sharks, we didn't get to see much. I'll have to go back and try that one again one day, I think. Q: What was the biggest lesson or learning experience gained during the journey? A: For me, as the journey unfolded it became much less about the goals, and more about the overall experience, particularly the people I met along the way. Because of all the publicity that the eBay auction received, I had many invitations and offers of assistance from people all around the world. I met some fantastic people and made many new friends. Q: What were the goals that you didn't manage to achieve? A: There were seven goals left unachieved, one of which has now been completed, as my book has been published. The other six were: drive a car off a jetty into water, see a baby being born, gather five Ian Ushers in one place (I managed four of us!), dive to the Titanic in a submersible, learn how to lucid dream, and raise $50,000 for charity (I raised over $10,000). Q: ... and how do you feel about them now? A: Well, it would have been nice to complete all 100 goals, and it was always going to be a challenge to do so, as I never took anything off the original list because it might be too hard or too expensive. But ultimately what I wanted was a big adventure, and I certainly achieved that. As the journey unfolded, I realised that it was as much about the experience and the people I met along the way as it was about ticking things off a list. Q: You mention in your blog an unwritten goal #101 - what was that? A: Well, it was always an unwritten hope that the journey might lead me to meeting someone special, a partner with whom I would like to share my future with. Q: ... and how did that work out? A: Very well indeed. I met Moe when I achieved goal #25 - dog-sledding in the wilderness. We met up again 15 months later, and achieved some more goals together. At the end of the 100 weeks journey in July 2010 I headed back to Whitehorse in the north of Canada to live with her and her two wonderful kids. Q: You have written a book about the whole incredible adventure? A: Yes, the book is called "A LIFE SOLD" and is sub-titled "What ever happened to that guy who sold his whole life on eBay?" It was published in November, and is available through Amazon and other online book retailers. It was a long process, and there is a lot more involved in publishing a book than I ever imagined. But I a very proud of the final outcome. Q: ... and there is possibly going to be a movie too? A: Perhaps. I received quite a few calls from Hollywood producers during the build-up to the eBay auction. That eventually led to Walt Disney Pictures securing an 18 month option in November 2008. An option simply means that I am not allowed to offer or sell the story to anyone else during that option period, but it doesn't mean they have bought the movie rights. In May 2010 they extended the option by a further 18 months, so they were obviously still interested. That second option was due to expire in Novemebr 2011, and just a few days beforehand they emailed and said that they were going to buy the movie rights. How exciting! At the moment I'm unsure of progress, but it would be wonderful if they do make a movie about whay i did. Q: So are your travels and adventures over now? A: No, not at all. I spent the rest of 2010 with Moe and the kids in Whitehorse, but after Christmas, as the temperatures dropped to below minus 30 centigrade, I felt it was time to do some travelling again. I'm not really a big fan of such cold places, certainly not for living full-time, so it is somewhat ironic to fall in love with someone living in the coldest place I have ever been in my life! I spent the first two months of 2011 travelling around New Zealand,where it was mid-summer, of course. I then headed for England for a month to act as best man at my friend Bruce's wedding. In April Moe and I met up again to travel together in Central America, where we planned to do a little property research. I had been reading about exotic but cheap locations to live, and was intrigued by the Caribbean coast of Panama - did I mention I don't really like cold places? Q: How did the property research go? A: Well, it was really only supposed to be an initial fact-finding expedition, but we were shown some lovely properties in the caribbean island archipeligo of Bocas del Toro. One that really took our fancy was a small island - completely neglected and overgrown - that seemed to be an absolute bargain. I made what I thought was a ridiculous offer, and within a day or so a deal had been made. Q: So you now own your own private Caribbean island? A: Yes!! Isn't life amazing? Moe and I went back to Whitehorse for the summer, and in July the purchase was settled. I came back down to Panama in September and started clearing the island. Moe and the kids arrived in December for three months, and by the end of February 2012, we had the frame of a house completed. It was a lot of hard work, but very rewarding too. When Moe and the kids headed back to Whitehorse I stayed on to complete the house, putting in a water tank, installing solar power, fitting a kitchen, bathroom, etc. Again, it continues to be hard work, but I'm really enjoying seeing the whole property taking shape. Q: And finally, what's next? A: Well, I'm not really too sure. From the beginning of all this I've always had a little bit of a feeling of making it all up as I go along. I've always believed that life is supposed to be an adventure, and that we all only get one go at this. I just want to make my life the best adventure that I can. At the moment I am very focussed on getting the house finished. I plan a month or so back in England, and a couple of months back in Whitehorse too over the summer. Then I imagine we'll be back to the island for the winter months. Moe and the kids are keen to come back. I'm still working on promoting the book, which is doing pretty well in some of the Amazon bestseller lists at the moment - I've made it to a couple of #1 spots. Through publishing the book I have discovered a new interest, and am now hoping to help others publish their travel tales too. I've also had a couple of invites to do some public speaking, which would be challenging and exciting. And of course, who knows what the future holds if Disney get around to making a movie? I'll certainly be suggesting that I need to be on set as a script consultant. Wouldn't that be fun? The Book"A LIFE SOLD - What ever happened to that guy who sold his whole life on eBay?"
Paperback: 394 pages Publisher: Wider Vision Publishing Language: English ISBN-10: 0980865301 ISBN-13: 978-0980865301 Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches (21.6 x 14 x 2.2 cm) Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (500 g) Table of Contents: Click here Price: US $ 14.99 UK £ 9.99 EU € 11.99 Book cover(Click on any image to download a high-resolution version)  
Rear cover blurbWhat on earth would make someone decide to put their whole life up for sale… on eBay? Book summaryThe book tells the story of how, prompted by separation and ultimately my divorce from my wife of five years, partner for thirteen years, I decided to put my whole life up for sale on eBay! I didn't want any of the painful reminders of the past, or of the possible future that had been stripped from me. The whole experience was quite surreal, and resulted in a huge amount of worldwide press coverage, including many TV appearances, and a potential movie deal.Asked many times in interviews what I would do once I sold my life, I eventually wrote a big list of all the things I had ever wanted to do, places I wanted to see, and experiences I wanted to have. This idea developed into "100 goals in 100 weeks", and led to the most incredible two-year odyssey. I travelled the world on my "100goals100weeks" journey, and experienced life in ways I had never imagined. But as the journey unfolded it became less about the goals, and more about the people I met along the way, and the influence they had on my life. With no real idea where the journey was going to lead me, or whether I would find the answers to questions that I didn't even know how to articulate, I embraced the adventure. The book "A LIFE SOLD" tells the story of this incredible adventure, as well as my more personal journey in search of answers and some measure of happiness. I am amazed at how it all ended. From mid- to late-November, "A LIFE SOLD" will be available on Amazon.com, and links to the book itself on Amazon will be placed on all of the IanUsher.com webpages. The final goal on my list of 100 was to secure a book deal about the whole adventure. Although I came close, having a literary agent in London, and another person representing me in Los Angeles, unfortunately I didn’t manage to achieve this one. Undeterred, I decided to go ahead and publish the book myself through the rapidly expanding opportunities offered by the booming "Print On Demand" industry, and set up my own publishing company, Wider Vision Publishing. But without a large international publishing house behind me, marketing a book becomes a little more of a challenge, and some creative thinking was needed. And once again that’s where my internet-marketing-genius buddy Evan White stepped in, with another brilliant idea. A couple of his comments during the build-up to the eBay auction in 2008 were the original catalyst for what eventually became “100 goals in 100 weeks”, and the idea of writing a book was also part of his suggestion. (See below for some further background on the inspiration for the original "100goals100weeks" idea). Now here is Evan's answer on how to get word to spread about “A LIFE SOLD”! Thanks once again Evan. $100,000 in prize money!! $10,000 each year for the next ten years!! Each year a lucky winner will be drawn from all prize draw entries, and will get to try to achieve their #1 goal! Full details on the no-purchase-necessary $100,000 Prize Draw here:- http://www.IanUsher.com/ALifeSold_PrizeDraw.php Author biographyIan Usher was born in 1963 in Darlington in the north-east of England. He grew up in the small northern market town of Barnard Castle, and went to college in Liverpool, gaining a teaching degree in Outdoor Education.A varied and chaotic career followed, involving many jobs, locations and businesses. From 1992 to 1996 he ran Scarborough Jet Skiing in partnership with long-time best friend Bruce. It was on the beach during this time that he met his wife-to-be. Laura and Ian married in 2000, and they moved together to Perth in Western Australia. The marriage ended five years later, and in 2008 Ian put his life up for sale on eBay! Two years of travel followed, in which he tackled a list of 100 goals, aiming to achieve them all in a period of 100 weeks. He currently lives in Whitehorse in Canada. Some backgroud on Goal #100 - a book deal for the 100goals100weeks story!During the "ALife4Sale" process, I was contacted by Publicity Representative Evan White, who is based in Los Angeles. Evan does publicity work for all sorts of odd, quirky, internet-based stories. He had heard about me from a friend, and we discussed publicity options for my forthcoming auction. (After all, what is the point of having an auction if nobody knows it is happening?)Evan and I worked out an arrangement satisfactory to both of us, and over the next few months became quite good friends. One day Evan suggested that after the auction, when I came out to LA, we would go skydiving together, and he would show me what this city had to offer. "Great," I said, "but I guess that depends on how the finances look, and where I am working at the time." "Work?" said Evan. "No, no, no! You don't understand! This is your chance to never have to work again!" "Well, I like your thinking Evan," I replied, "but I haven't got a clue what you're talking about! How would I do that?" "Well, you have to come up with a follow-up project. Something internet-based, quirky, interesting, that follows on logically from what you are doing now, and most importantly, and this is where your income comes from, has a book deal in it!" "Right. Sounds good. So what is it then?" I asked. "I have no idea, that's up to you," said Evan. "Hmm, okay, I will work on it." This advice sat in the back of my mind for the next month or so. People continued to ask in interviews what I planned to do next, or where I intended to go, and I always answered that I did not know. One day, someone asked me on the "ALife4Sale" Forum if I had any sort of a "life-list", or set of goals. I did have an old list somewhere that I had written out. And not long after I went looking for that list, the 100goals100weeks idea came to me, almost fully formed. As soon as I thought of it, I thought, "That's it!!" It perfectly filled Evan's criteria, and it would be incredibly exciting to do too. I knew immediately that this was what I would be doing next. And so here I am, two years later, my journey at an end. In 100 weeks I completed 93 of my list of 100 goals. But the journey was so much more than just the goals! Sure, I had so many incredible experiences, saw alot of wonderful places and had quite a few fantastic adventures. But the biggest part of the journey was the people that I met on the way, and the things I learned, both about myself, and about life in general. I have tried to capture that whole incredible experience in words, and you can read about the whole adventure in "A LIFE SOLD - What ever happened to that guy who sold his whole life on eBay?" Amazon links
Reviews for "A LIFE SOLD" :-
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The book:-
is now on sale at
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