Of all the milestones I have achieved here I feel this to be the most important yet. Steemit has completely revolutionised not only the way I earn money but the way I live my life and there is no reason why it cannot do the same for anyone who desires it enough.
This article will be divided into the following chapters:
Brief history of my time on Steemit
Review of achievements
How has Steemit my life changed?
Who would I most like to thank?
Who am I most excited about?
Plans for the future
Brief history of my time on Steemit
Just over two years ago I had heard of Bitcoin but had no idea what it was. After meeting @xplice in the jungles of Bali he taught me the ways of the crypto ninja and upon seeing my relentless attempts to generate an income through YouTube films he pointed me in the direction of Steemit.
I joined in August 2016 with zero investment and it took around six months before I was earning anything more than a few dollars but I persisted and the curation guild gifted me a few times, which was a big help in keeping my hopes up.
I made my last episode of Sammy's Simple Solutions in October 2016 to introduce my fans to crypto and let them know where I had gone. You can see the film beneath. It's useful for the basics.
In April 2017 I made another film which was not part of any series but more as a test run to see how simple it was to convert Steem to the local currency IDR. As you can see in the film... it was simple.
Soon after this the price of Steem started to climb and by powering down a little each month I was finally able to live on it.
Today marks one year of living this way. Only now I am not living directly from powered down Steem but rather from the multiple investments I have made into other alt coins.
I was helped massively by the unexpected rise in value of SBD and in this moment (after starting with nothing) I have a $20,000 crypto portfolio which my family & I will most likely be living off for the rest of our lives.
I am forever grateful to the generous people who continue to upvote my efforts here.
A review of achievements
I have started many projects on Steemit but in truth I have not carried all of them through as intended... yet.
I list them at the bottom of my main posts in part to remind myself of what needs to be done and in part to see if anyone contacts me, looking to breathe some new energy into the ideas.
Aspiring Steemit Whales & Dolphins
The first thing I did (for the sake of my Facebook fans) was start a group there which would serve as a transition point for those who were interested in Steemit. I made documents to guide newcomers and tried to be as helpful as I could. Today the group is 828 people and whilst I don't engage much there any more, I am still available to answer questions and I scan the feed from time to time, upvoting the posts I like.
@steemtv
As a filmmaker my first project on Steemit hoped to attract others like me to unite under a common banner producing & screening topical decentralised documentaries.
@xplice kindly provided footage he had shot on the subject of energy and together we began creating this Steemit exclusive documentary, The Energy Deception.
We edited & released part 1 of the documentary but it quickly became evident we couldn't maintain this kind of time commitment without more in the way of rewards.
I would love to hear from anyone who has ideas for this account.
@steemshop
My intention with @steemshop (which is now 1 year old) was to provide a single account displaying posts for those looking to buy or sell anything for Steem or SBD. @jockey had some great ideas to contribute but in the end the system was too complicated and demanding of our time. The account is still running and anyone using the steemshop tag with a sales post will be resteemed there.
Just in the last month @steemshop has acquired a much needed team and now with the help of @kenistyles & @claudiaz we are working towards creating a more simple system.
@steemholidays
Similar to @steemshop it is in need of development but the idea remains solid. @buttcoins has a hostel in Guatemala and has kindly offered to help me out with this one. Looking forward to moving my attention to this account once @steemshop is back up and running.
@steemtutorials
A total of 12 films were created with the intention of guiding people through the basics. Both YouTube & DTube accounts were created to host the tutorials.
@steemmasters
As an extension to @steemtutorials I hoped to attract a group of prominent steemians to the @steemmasters collective where together we would run courses in training people. I even went as far as creating a website but for one reason or another people did not seem willing to pay for the courses.
@charitysteemit
This is perhaps my most successful project on Steemit. Together with @chron we were able to raise over $1000 worth of Steem & SBD to buy solar power for the volcano evacuees of Bali. Here is the film I produced on the day we handed out the solar kits thanks to you the people of Steemit.
This account is now available for any good cause which needs it.
Public talk in Bali
I was privileged to be asked to speak at a weekly crypto group in Ubud, Bali on the subject of Steemit.
You can see the talk here.
How has Steemit changed my life?
Aside from the switch to crypto and the way in which I now provide for my family, Steemit has had many unexpected side effects.
My writing skills have improved. I can see this by looking back at posts I made a year ago. Writing every day will have this effect!
I take more photos now & document all thoughts and important events for Steemit posts.
Extended network of open minded friends. The community here is very different to Facebook and I feel blessed to have met so many wonderful people.
Savings account for the kids. After writing a post 5 days ago it has been decided that all rewards inspired by their wisdom (or cuteness!) will be moved to an account which is for them and them alone, when they are old enough to know what to do with it.
Incentive to research new subjects. One of the most wonderful things about Steemit has been this. If there is a subject which interests me now I can financially benefit from learning about it and documenting what I have learned.
Most important of all now I get to spend more time focused upon the upbringing and education of my two lovely children :)
Who would I most like to thank?
There can be no question about this one.
@canadian-coconut is THE angel of Steemit as far as I am concerned. If you are not already familiar with her work I suggest you check it out and start upvoting her. Together with @markwhittam they have created the @familyprotection account which seeks to educate and help people.
She is one of the most active and generous curators I know of and an inspiration to all of us on Steemit. I hope one day to be able to help others here as much as she does now.
I would also like to acknowledge @teamsteem for his amazing articles and support.
My daily Abraham quotes have a following of their own now and I would very much like to thank and acknowledge @timcliff & @kafkanarchy84 for their long term support of these more spiritual posts.
Who am I most excited about on Steemit?
Around a year ago I sat down with @chron and taught him what I knew about Steemit. He is unquestionably the most advanced minded teenage robot I have ever met and has shown me how youth is not the limitation I once believed it to be.
@jockey is an old friend from my London days and after having the pleasure of catching up in Bali he has taken to Steemit like a duck to water.
@dannyshine is a YouTube hero from my London days and it was a big surprise when he contacted me asking for help in his early days on Steemit. Danny is a very special individual who is the perfect person to bring Steemit to the masses... with a cheeky smile.
Further to this I would like to acknowledge Danny's generosity. He kindly leant me some money when I was struggling to get my family back to Europe from Indonesia just after the crypto crash in January. My portfolio was massively down and he stepped in and helped me out. Thank you Danny.
Plans for the future
I have genuinely enjoyed the experience of writing articles here on Steemit but I am a filmmaker in my heart and in time I must return to doing what i love most. A new GoPro is on it's way from England and I am looking forward to sharing with you in a much more personal manner.
Final thoughts
As a man with a camera who intends to travel the world with his family for as long as possible, Steemit is perfect for me. Wherever I go, as long as I have an internet connection, I can keep on earning.
Steemit really does have the capacity to change lives! It is by no means easy money but far more enjoyable than working for a boss who doesn't appreciate you.
And let's face it, there is nothing more depressing than earning a fiat currency which goes down in value each year.
Here on Steemit you will never experience that again and instead you will settle into the much more enjoyable feeling of watching your hard earned money increase in value each year.
Our love to you all from France π
Who is @samstonehill?
He is travelling the world with his partner & two children and with no bank account he has been living on STEEM & crypto for over a year.
All content created for this account is 100% original (unless otherwise stated), produced by @samstonehill who invites you to use & share freely as you wish.
@samstonehill is the creator of:
@steemshop account where you can buy or sell anything you like using your steemit wallet SEE MORE
@steemmasters which provides FREE TUTORIALS, personal training & resteeming services. Website HERE
Contact me directly on steemit.chat if you want to know more about this
@steemholidays which encourages resort owners to offer holiday packages in Steem or SBD
@steemtv which aims to provide the best in decentralised films, exclusive to Steemit & DTube
The dailyquotes tag initiative designed to encourage steemians to share their most life changing quotes with the community on a daily basis.
The Aspiring Steemit Whales & Dolphins group on Facebook which seeks to help newcomers make the transition from Facebook to Steemit, providing them with detailed notes and personal assistance with their posts... resteeming them when he can.
@teamsteem @timcliff @jesta @good-karma @someguy123 @blocktrades @pfunk @klye @krnel @blueorgy @ausbitbank @thecryptodrive @ura-soul @pharesim
Without them our beloved Steemship would not fly.
Learn what this means HERE and place your vote HERE
Congratulations @samstonehill on these great achievements!
Thanks very much ;)
Wow, living on Steem for 1 year - that is simply incredible!
You and your family are a living example of how blockchain technology can change the world.
Thank you for setting this example, and for believing in steemit and in decentralization enough to take this huge step.
You're a steemit rolemodel! STEEM ON!
Thank you brother. You're not such a bad role model yourself.
In fact, you are one of the contributing factors to our decision to have a freestyle dance session every morning shortly after the family wakes! Esteban may only be three but he's got some wicked moves already ;)
The best way to help others is of course to live by example. No matter if it is a child learning to move their body to music or a Steemit newcomer looking for some hope. The new life this platform has gifted me is sheer perfection and I am deeply grateful to people like yourself who take the time to support others here.
Looking forward to being an early user of APPICS.
ah! you are so sweet. Thank-you,
I am so glad that you discovered Steemit a year ago.
Thanks again for your amazing support here! Steemit is very lucky to have you.
Thanks for the mention. Onwards and upwards. So happy that you are getting by on this stuff.
Onward and upwards indeed! Not sure it would have been possible without you but for sure we are getting by now :) Am starting to feel super excited about being in London next month!
Great post. Interesting to see your journey. I suspect it was easier to live in Indonesia on crypto compared to France given the diff in cost of living - having said that, it's within your grasp to write your own cheques on platforms like steemit!
BTW, Great idea on savings accounts for your kids :)
It's not as simple in France as it was in Bali strangely. The nearest BTC exchange is miles away here, but in Bali it was just down the road. And yeah, the price of life is different.
Thankfully, the crypto market has taken off again and I am looking forward to another great year.
The savings account is a beautiful idea hey. And perhaps when they are ready, my kids will start posting from that account :)
It's a great story and I've no doubt you'll have a great year in crypto (another of many :))!
100th voter π
Here I was wondering whether to make Steemit a full time thing or not.(I also produce videos) I wasn't really sure whether it would provide me enough financial support to sustain myself and here you are taking care of your whole family with Steem! Hats off to you man! Wish you keep growing on Steemit :D
Excellent! Thanks for being the 100th vote :)
I would be lying if I said that living off this was easy, but for sure it is possible. It is largely dependent on what the crypto market is doing. However, with DLive & DTube now much more developed the possibilities for people like us continue to grow...
Happy days!
A truly inspiring post - thankyou for your passion! Upped and Resteemed.
Thank you brother. I am just super grateful to all the awesome people like yourself who make the stories like this one possible :)
You've done very well wish I had but to be honest I've not put as much effort in with working full time too so there's my answer. Keep it coming π―π
Thankfully I did have plenty of time to dedicate to this over the last few years, though if I'm going to be honest, most of it was done at night while my family were sleeping. During the day, things happen much slower!
Appreciate your ongoing support :)
Your welcome, yer I am trying to increase my attention to it. But can't do nighters due to work in the day. I only have to put up with it for ten years then I plan to implement my big idea π―π
Congratulations on this milestone! I'm actually very happy that steem is impacted your life quite a good amount. I haven't reached that level yet but will be soon!
Exciting times hey. Especially now that Steem is on the up again ;)
This is spectacular! Congrats Sam! You deserve nothing but amazingness in your life! π
Bless you Jamie. As do you... and your awesome family x
This is so inspiring! I'm so glad I found this post though @travelling-two. Someone at the Steemit Traveller discord asked if it's possible to live on Steem (and other crypto) and this is the perfect answer. Tagging @teachblogger to see this proof that it's possible.
Thank you for all these projects and all you've done in the community. :)
I am glad you found it too :)
It ain't easy but it's possible. The crypto market seems to work in cycles. Goes up for a while. Goes down for a (shorter) while. If you can get investments in place just before an up period, it will be Christmas every day.
...and be ready to use stable coins (like TrueUSD or Tether) so that you can retain the value of your holdings during the down period. A stable coin is pegged to the dollar.
Once the mechanism is understood and you have invested into a good range of coins there is no reason why you cannot expect a minimum of x10 on your investments each year.
Which theoretically means I will be a multi millionaire in two years! haha :) it's good to dream π
Awesome! Thank you very much for these tips and advice. I will take note of these. I have invested in crypto but I think I really don't know what I'm doing. I'll take a look at the stable coins that you mentioned. Thank you! :)
Congratulations man, i know i will do mine too when the time comes. I feel your energy!!
It's all about the energy my friend. Great you can feel it ;)
Hope to see around more
Well you sure have inspired me to keep at it. I have a long road ahead. Who knows where I could end up in a years time. Thanks so much for sharing the journey.
Hold the dream, become familiar with the feeling. In this way, the Universe will have no choice but to deliver ;)
Well done and congrats on living off this platform for a year now. Shows true testament that it is possible, but also you have done a lot for the Steemit platform with all those projects. You truly deserve to be where you are and aspire higher! π To the next year and beyond living off this platform! πΎ
In truth most of those projects didn't really work out the way I planned them but the effort was there for sure! Luckily life is long and there is plenty of time for the ideas to develop still ;)
Here's to another great year! π
That's a shame! But, it's still early days for the Steemit platform so you never know if those projects end up being the way you wanted them to be in the future! π There's always hope too π
Great role model buddy - thanks for all support and also what you do outside to promote Steemit! You might re-consider to use the current Steemit logo though on top :-) - resteemed!
Thanks for the advice. Have changed it now.
Thanks too for the vote & resteem!
An inspirational post if I ever read one. In fact, FB worthy as well. I will share this story there and hope it finds another worthy individual open minded enough to understand it.
Oh, quick question, do you know at what point a minnow becomes a dolphin?
Appreciate the FB share!
I did the same thing and posted it on my wall... and suspect it will get zero attention like usual ;)
I believe FB automatically reduces the visibility of your post if it contains a steemit link.
To answer your question there is no set rule on that one but I would say $10,000 worth of SP would make you a dolphin here.
Wow! You really have given hope to the minnows of the Steemit pond. Congrats on all of your amazing accomplishments in just one year! I have been on just over a week, and I think I might be doing OK (about 150 followers, made about $40, 60+ blog entries, etc.) but I can see that the real opportunity here is in finding a niche/spin-off that uses the platform. Like your SteemitTV angle, for example.
I'm very intrigued by that one. Can you share a tad more about why you feel it was not successful as you had hoped? I really think alternative history is one area people are hungry for...new (non-governmental) interpretations on the news, etc.
Everyone is hungry for truth, and everyone knows government lies.
Good luck on your second year. Glad the minnows do eventually turn into dolphins, as your post has proven.
Thanks!
I agree people do seem hungry for the truth here and perhaps @steemtv could yet be a good place to find it. The real challenge is in creating a format which works. It didn't work because the community of people making these kind of films was pretty small at the time. Perhaps it is bigger now?
Minnows can turn into dolphins quicker than you might imagine. Had I not been living off this for the last year, I think I could almost call myself a whale by now :)
This is super inspiring stuff man, I am blown away at just how much content you have created - most of it in the direction of helping other people to come to the same place! Thank you
Good observation. Ever since I started reading about Law of Attraction the physical focus of my life has been more about helping others and the result of that has been a big help to me. And the answer to a question I posed back in 2013... How can I travel the world endlessly without a bank account?
Welcome to Steemit ;)
It's always nice to read people story and how they've managed their way up on steemit.
We are still very new and only started in March, very much like and your family Travel is what keep us going every day and reading inspiring stories keeps us going with Steemit.
It's not easy for sure! But one day we hope it will pay off ahaha :-)
For sure it will pay off in the end.
I persuaded an ex-girlfriend to make some steemit posts early last year. She saw some decent rewards with her singing and had 100 SBD in her wallet when it shot up to around $15 last year and consequently was able to buy the piano of her dreams! But had she invested that $1500, it would be three times as much now. And perhaps x10 by the end of the year.
It's crazy how fast one can get rich once investments are in place :)
It's also easy to get discourage :-/ There are many very poor quality post that makes $$ and you keep posting and taking time to post to no return of your time nor interest.
We posted our first video on DLive and thought it would be great content well aligned with our travel posting but it didn't do much really either.
So yes patience is a big deal :-)
Happy one year my friend! π π
Thanks! ππ»
Wow. Happy Anniversary. Been awesome being your follower. People like you motivate us to keep Steeming
Thanks. Appreciate your words :)
Much love to you, your family and steem successes brother. Here's to many more to come! :)
Much love back to you brother! As you say, here's to many more to come π£
I'd love to be able to live off crypto investments. I always take pictures with a thought of how I can use it here.
It is only ever a question of time if you are able to earn a little Steem & SBD here :)
Good idea always taking pictures.
I do love this words "It is by no means easy money but far more enjoyable than working for a boss who doesn't appreciate you." How can you see the feeling of us. :)
A boss can never fully appreciate what the world looks like from our perspective. Better therefore to be our own boss... as quickly as possible ;)
Get those crypto investments in place.
Yes, you right.We have a chance to invest in the cryptocurrency. Why we miss this chance.
Congratulations on 1 year, here's to many more to come :-) be safe and prepared friend.
Thank you! As it happens I am more prepared than most but wouldn't go as far as calling myself a prepper. I am practiced in the art of living off the land and have a good collection of solar power :)
When the shit hits the fan I expect to be living off grid in a place where we will not be found.
That's a good position to be in and a solid plan.
What a family beauty you have, congratulations. God will continue to bless you greatly
Thank you for your kind words :)
well done so far, thats quite a milestone.
Thanks! Looking forward to getting @steemshop back out into the public eye :)
yes, and on the note I left you a message there!
haha! Had almost forgotten about Discord ;)
I wont let you forget, we have a project to work on, lol
Congratulation :)
Wish you much more success ^^
Thanks very much. The same to you my friend :)
Great job @samstonehill, thank you for sharing and inspiring.
Thanks... and welcome to Steemit :)
a bit too long post if i'm honest. btw youtube made a mistake with their new policy of views and subscribers. i hope that dtube prevails. yt got greedy and sure, they can now keep those small under 100 usd gains but in the long run a mistake in my opinion
Appreciate your feedback. Yeah, YT is rubbish now in so many ways. Fingers crossed for the future of DTube :)
Fascinating post, thanks very much for sharing it.
Thanks :)
Wow congratulation living on 1 year steem , you always good job on steem . I have recieved your post resteem in my blog .
Your post is always different i follow your blog everytime , your post is so helpful . I always inspire of your post on my steem work . Thank you for sharing @samstonehill
Follow my blog @powerupme
Thanks for the support!
I like with your pot, hope you like my post too.
@prisila