Introducing Myself - Open Sourcing How to Build a Six Figure Career and Lifestyle

My name is Ian Balina, and I'm on a quest to freely educate millennials on how to build a six-figure career and lifestyle.

I strongly believe people shouldn't have to pay $2,000 for fluff courses or programs on how to make money. I think information is best when it's freely available to anyone that's willing to use it. I'm on a quest to produce free content, that's better than most people's paid content.

A little about me.

I’m only 28 years old, but I have been making six figures for the last four years of my life. I went from being a broke graduate student, that ordered on the dollar menu at McDonald's, to now being able to travel anywhere in the world, partake in various fun activities, and eat out just about anywhere, without worrying about the price.

Making six figures makes you have a comfortable lifestyle. It also has allowed me to help out my family and sometimes even friends.

When you’re making a lot of money, you become comfortable helping out others financially.

At 28 years old, I have quickly built a six figure lifestyle, uncommon to most millennials. I have been consistently making over $100,000 in my 20s, made over $200,000 last year and I am on pace to make $300,000 this year. I have had the opportunity to travel to beautiful places like Brazil, Japan, Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Peru and others, all while working from home, and working less than 40 hours a week. My success hasn't been an accident, every step of the way is being hacked and put together by me.

Somewhere along the way, my friends and fellow millennials wanted me to share my tips on how I have been able to build this six figure career and lifestyle. I started my blog as a place for me to produce free content on every single hack I know, while also documenting the process and inspiring others.

My Day Job

Me at IBM Head Quarters

By day, I work in Enterprise Sales at IBM, as an Open Source Evangelist, where I help drive revenues in the millions of dollars per year. I have been recognized as one of IBM's top employees by being a member of the IBM Hundred Percent Club, due to achieving more than 100% of my million dollar sales quota. Outside of my day job, I have numerous side hustles to make extra money on the side.

My Side Hustles

Cryptocurrencies

My main side hustle right now is investing in cryptocurrencies. I got into cryptocurrencies in the fall of 2016 and have quickly realized how disruptive this type of investment class is. I've been able to grow my crypto portfolio 200% in the last three months, and I'm on a quest to grow it to one million dollars within one year.

I share all my crypto thoughts, insights, portfolio and trades via my Instagram Stories and Twitter, in hopes of showing others how life-changing investing in cryptocurrencies can be.

Peer Hustle

My other side hustle is Peer Hustle, a mobile on-demand freelancer marketplace for the sharing economy often called the “Uber for Freelancers,” that currently has over 4,000 freelancers around the world. While working on Peer Hustle, I co-wrote the book, The Complete Freelancer Guide, which is available on Amazon, bookstores, and libraries around the world.

Other Side Hustles

I also founded Fusion Video Producers, a video production company that worked with notable figures such as NFL wide receiver, Pierre Garcon, and Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi. Running this as a side-hustle, I was able to generate up to $7,000 a month on the side as a freelance videographer. Fusion Video released its first film, DC Fashion Week: The Documentary available on Amazon Video. I have now closed Fusion Video to focus on my site, ianbalina.com, as it is my new side hustle.

My other side hustles include selling on Amazon, which generates profits of $2,000 a month on the side, and short-term real estate rentals, which brought me $27,000 in 2016 on the side.

My Career Path

I come from a family of six, with two brothers and a sister, and loving parents, who motivate me and provide me with unconditional love and support. I was born in Kampala, Uganda, and immigrated to the United States with my family, when I was eight years old. Shortly after, I moved from Pennsylvania to Maryland, where I attended middle school, high school and would go on to attend The George Washington University (GWU) in Washington, D.C. on a merit scholarship. I would graduate GWU with a Bachelors and Masters in Computer Engineering, and won an audition to be one of my school’s graduation speakers, and speak alongside Michelle Obama.

Me with Michelle Obama

While at GWU, I got the entrepreneur bug and founded my first startup, Leximo, the world’s first social dictionary. After working on Leximo, I went on to work as an independent software developer, then as an IT consultant for Deloitte, the world’s largest consulting firm. Subsequently, I joined IBM as a Tech Evangelist, where I still currently work, now in a sales roles helping evangelize and sell the IBM Cloud and Big Data Analytics Portfolio in North America.

Ian's Hobbies

My hobbies outside of cryptocurrencies and entrepreneurship are making videos, writing, traveling, and basketball. I am currently writing a book, that shares the ups and downs, that I have had to navigate as a young Black male striving for success. I have always been a lover of different cultures, and Social Studies was my best subject in school. I travel all over the world and document the journey with photos, videos, and blogging. A lover of sports, my goal is to one day become an owner of an NBA team, and revel in my passion for basketball.

To follow me and learn how I developed this six figure lifestyle, be sure to follow me on YouTube, Instagram and Twitter. I'm an open book, so feel free to ask me anything.