6 Blogging Lessons I Learned from Exotic Dangerous Animals I Battled.
By Ryan Biddulph!
Blogging can be equated to many things, yet we had never equated it to dangerous, exotic, wild animals until we hooked up with today’s guest writter.
Neither is it often that we have the pleasure of having a well of wisdom share their nuggets on how to create success by blogging.
Well, today we have the amazing Ryan Biddulph; lifting the veil on the blogging Lessons learnt from Exotic Dangerous animals he physicaly battled. When Ryan shares his titanium nuggets, we pay attention. Why?
Because, Ryan is a blogging Juggernaught, a New York Best selling author and entrepreneur.
Ryan is an extremely prolific blogger, internet marketer and online publisher, who prides himself on writing at least 6000 words per day. He set out to self-publish one book per week and he is a thought leader in the blogosphere and Internet marketing space. Ryan Biddulph is the CEO and owner of “Blogging from Paradise,” a blogging and social media marketing expert and an Author of a whopping 126 Blogging Books Published on Amazon
He has been featured on Entrepreur, The HuffPost, Forbes, New York Times, Google, the list is loong!
When he isnt busy writting up a storm, and sun worshiping, Ryan is a hubby to Kelli and a Travel Junkie…Just like we are!
And, without further ado, Welcome Ryan!
Julie asked me to surprise her and you fabulous folks.
So…..instead of playing it small and reaching for a pea shooter I went for the Howitzer.
I have circled the globe for the past 6 years, living in exotic locations like Fiji, Bali, Thailand and Costa Rica for months at a time.
Slow travel had enabled me to see, do and experience some wild things.
Forget about the wackier people I’ve come across, including 2 Thai ladyboy prostitutes who stalked me in Bangkok. 2 wild men in Nepal who attacked me (1 punch, 1 bite). And a somewhat enlightened but irascible individual who due to a wicked war injury and a strong sense of detachment once interviewed me wearing a cape and nothing else.
Nah….the humans are for another blog post. Today we are talking about the animals.
I learned 6 successful blogging lessons from encounters with dangerous, sometimes deadly, wild animals or creatures!
If you are struggling terribly with your blog and need some inspiration sit back, relax and soak up these golden nuggets.
Just look over your shoulder a few times to make sure nothing is crawling toward you. 
1: Size Matters – Blogging Lessons from Bullet Ants in Costa Rica.
My wife Kelli and I once lived in the *deep* remote jungles of Costa Rica for 6 weeks. We saw everything; toucans, Mealy Amazon parrots, snakes, army ant colonies marching through the house, monkeys, scorpions, poison dart frogs, centipedes and…bullet ants.
Bullet ants are HUGE ants which pack the most painful insect sting on earth. Feels like you’ve been shot. Hence the name.
These guys were a dime a dozen deep in the jungle; everywhere. It was harrowing. One minute you’re cruising along a jungle path enjoying the peace and quiet. The next minute brutal jaws seem to be making a beeline for your feet.
I once used a dish towel to whip a bullet ant from the kitchen sink; if I was a second slow I’d have been in agony for 3 days.
These guys taught me that size matters. They are huge, spanning well over an inch. Big jaws are housed on a sturdy, stout body. Can’t miss ‘em.
Like a regular ant on enough steroids to turn the Geico Gecko into Godzilla.
Size matters with your blog posts too. 400 words usually ain’t gonna cut it. But writing 1,000 to 2,000 word posts – or longer – grabs attention spans, appeals to search engines and helps you build a rock solid brand through your blog.
2: Blunt Works in Some Situations – Blogging Lessons from a Centipede in Thailand.
A few weeks ago an 8 inch long Scolopendra centipede sprinted into the kitchen. These legendary guys are renowned for their aggressiveness, their ridiculously powerful venom, their armor like coating and their blinding speed.
People stung by the pede often suffer pain for months. Some folks even die after being bitten.
I immediately threw the dog to the side, grabbed a broom and proceeded to hunt the centipede around the house.
He hid in dark corners. I roused him out. After 20 minutes of cat and mouse I pushed him into the open and batted him out of the house, Babe Ruth style. No way in paradise I could take a delicate approach. Blunt was the only way to go with a highly venomous, insanely aggressive, dangerous and lightning fast centipede in the house.
Bluntness sometimes works with blogging too. Being clear and direct helps higher energy folks understand where you are coming from. Lower energy folks may get offended or annoyed or agitated but that has nothing to do with you and everything to do with them.
If someone attempts to barter in regards to freelance writing rates I email back: “rates non-negotiable.” I waste zero time with tire kickers. I treat my rates as goods with price labels. Some call it bluntness; I call it clarity.
3: Blogging Lessons – Bring the Right Tools (Spitting Cobra in Bali)
When living in Bali we dealt with a spitting cobra that raided the chicken coop. 2 baby chicks and the mom were killed. 
Fortunately, one of our fellow house sitters dispatched of the spitter with a spade.
He called us to the other end of the compound with a request: bring a spade, there’s a snake in the chicken coop.
We arrived at the scene. A spitting cobra danced left and right as our friend positioned himself well outside the venom spitting range. These snakes could blind you if they nailed you in the eyes.
He shined a flashlight in the snake’s eyes to disorient it and moved in quickly with the long spade to decapitate it.
He had the right tools for the job.
Bloggers, you need to use the right tools to build a successful blog. A domain and hosting, a WordPress blog and a healthy library of plug ins are the minimum. Using the right tools positions you to succeed. Using the wrong tools – or no tools at all – is as deadly to your blogging career as facing a spitting cobra with a twig.
4: Sometimes Ya Gotta Have Cajones (Bird Eating Spider in Thailand)
These days, I am showering with a bird eating spider. Don’t worry; my wife knows this.
A Thai black tarantula – aka the Thai bird eating spider – has set up shop in the bathroom. We see him nightly. He is a juvenile but still darn big.
They are hyper aggressive and venomous, a wicked combo, but if I don’t want to stink. So, I nut up and take the freaking shower. 
I’ve become so accustomed to facing my fears during my world travels that I simply proceed as if he is not there. I also know that 99% of the time, no creature attacks unless you threaten it. So, I shower and gain power by facing my fears.
Likewise…
To succeed with blogging, you gotta face your fears. The fear of failing, fear of being criticized, fear of losing it all. All of your blogging dreams lie on the other side of fear.
If you are struggling with your blog, stop cowering to your fears. Knife through them. No matter how uncomfortable the experience, this is what you need to do to succeed with your blog.
5: Spot Patterns Blogging Lessons from Krait in Bali
I saw the bright blue band move through the tall grass.
Why would the staff throw away a candy wrapper on the property?
We lived at a huge villa in Bali in 2015 for 6 months. One quiet afternoon I saw a bright blue form in the bushes and one kitty we were watching an inch from the form.
The Balinese staff would never toss trash on the grounds, so that meant…..snake!
I grabbed the cat – who ripped into my hand out of sheer surprise – pulled him away and the snake vanished in seconds.
I spotted one pattern, and one deviation from a pattern.
1 – For the deviation, seeing what I thought was trash on the spotless grounds was a red flag.
2 – The split second after the red flag registered I filtered the bright blue color as a venomous snake, which turned out to be a deadly krait.
Cat safe, patterns saved the day.
As a blogger, you’re in the business of spotting patterns. Which blog post gets the most comments? The most shares? Why did someone buy your online course? Or eBooks?
Build a profitable blog – and save Balinese cats from lethal snakes – by spotting patterns.
6: The Delicate Touch Works too (Scorpion in Thailand)
Biddulph ain’t some brute; I use a delicate touch too.
A few weeks ago in Thailand – seems to be a running line here – a 4 inch long scorpion sauntered into the kitchen. He was chill, really. I gently coaxed him out of the house with a push broom. On the first love tap his pincers and stinger went into attack mode. He was scared, ready to defend himself. Pushing harder could result in a nasty sting. So, I patiently and softly redirected him toward the back porch, calmly nudging him toward the garden.
The delicate touch works on the blogging front too. Moving your opt in form one widget higher, above the fold, can boost your opt-ins at a sick pace. A subtle blog post title change can yield an extra 500 visitors.
The gentle touch works sometimes.
Your Turn
What blogging lessons have you learned today?
Have you ever seen these critters in the wild? (Excluding me). 
Recommended Blogging Lessons and Tips for your Success:
- How to Write a blog post in 20 Minutes – Learn More.
- 11 Effective Resources t Create Infinite Blog Posts – Learn How.
- How to Explode your Blog Traffic with Pinterest – Here is How.
- The Ultimate Branding Blueprint. Create a Blog?Brand that Attracts Leads like Gangbusters – Learn More
More About Ryan Biddulph:
Ryan gave up his boxed, restricted, boring life back in New Jersey and “retired to a life of island hopping,” to inspire others to do the same through smart blogging. He has travelled all over Asia, South and Central America, Europe, and is based in Bali. In his own words:
I’ve successfully engineered an island hopping, globe-trotting lifestyle based solely on my blogging income.
I’ve been able to retire from my 9-5 job to become a full time professional blogger.
My blogging success has afforded me the ability to live for months in places like Fiji, Bali, Costa Rica, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, India, Peru and Nepal.
My first 2 blogging eBooks were endorsed by world renowned business genius Chris Brogan, a New York Times Best Selling Author and business advisor to brands like Coca Cola, Disney, Google, GM, and luminaries like Richard Branson, Paulo Coelho and Tony Robbins.
Wow, Did we say Wow? Well how about you?
Share your thoughts, insights and experiences below. Like, bookmark, and what are you waiting for, go reach out and connect with your audience better by applying these blogging lessons. Start with Ryan on Twitter right here. Consistency, a healthy dose of patience, persistence, focused action, gets you The Results you desire.
Loved this Post? Pay it forward: Save/Pin it and Share on Facebook…
Here is how To Get Coaching from or Work with Ryan
PS: IF YOUR UPLINE DOES NOT HAVE A STEP-BY-STEP BLUEPRINT FOR ONLINE MARKETING SUCCESS, CHECK THIS OUT (UNLESS YOU ALREADY HAVE TOO MANY LEADS) – CLICK HERE FOR INSTANT ACCESS
[thrive_leads id=’6851′]
This is so crazy. Were those creatures you battled harmless?
Nice tips, although I must say I find it disappointing that this post is spreading the myth that only WordPress blogs can be successful. There are plenty of successful bloggers using Blogger/Blogspot.
Wow Bekah,
We share our experiences and nowhere does Ryan Say that He only recommends WordPress. He simply expressed that it has served him best and thus he recommends it.
Obviously Kudos to you for succeeding on Blogger/Blogpost. We started our blog on blogpost and we didnt attract the kind of -audience we do on WP!
You can succeed with Blogger Bekah but it is SO SO SO hard to do so, which is why few succeed with this platform. Functionality issue. Look at how my blog or Julie’s blog presents itself compared to 99.9999% of Blogger blogs. You lose so much on those platforms in terms of branding, presentation and professionalism. But a select few do succeed with Blogger blogs. So you can go for it. But I’d take the easier road, since goodness knows we have enough blogging challenges anyway 😉
This is what am talking about. Thanks Ryan for clarifying 🙂
Spot on too!
Great post julie , Ryan is an extremely talented blogger indeed, his blogging lessons from the exotic creatures are way too good, he related the ants to the size of blog and the number of words written in it. very impressive
Yes Andy,
Well a little birdie tells us you are a blogging aficionado…You have a product coming out soon right?
Ryan is a Blogging rock-star and we are honored to have him Guest blog again next week. Cant wait. He has a way with words, What a Maestro 🙂
I’m a bit late to the party. Great post Ryan.
That spider was something else. You seem to have a penchant for attracting the most venomous things. All these years and you’ve never been stung, bitten, or hospitalised.
Your next book needs to be “How to survive in paradise”
Aaah Daniel, Go visit Ryan’s Blog right now, he has written a Netflix worthy post on all his escapades, stings, bites and painful hosie visits galore 🙂
I agree He needs to coin a post on Jungle survival for real. We missed your sense of humour. Good to see you here bro!
JuleSyl
Great post Ryan, love your writing style buddy, very entertaining and informative at the same time. P.S I hate creepy crawlies..
Teheheee Keith,
Ya not alone in your relationship with Creepy crawlies, And Love of Ryan’s Writing style. Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
This is awesome !!~ hmm !!~ Love the photos and this post thank you fir sharing ♥♥☺☺
Lol Sandra you seem to be the only one loving on the photos 🙂 So Kudos to you and thanks for your time!
Julie, our Blogger’s Pit Stop will feature this delightful and helpful post on Friday.
Kathleen
Yayyyy Now thats the cherry on the Ryan Cake. Thnaks fr letting us Know Kathleen 🙂
Can I just tell you I want to use this article as a case study? I LOVE the fact that you took something as exciting as exotic animals and related it to the world of blogging? This proves something I tell people ALL. THE. TIME. And that is that although everything has been said, there is ALWAYS a new way to say it and an interesting spin on it. LOVE this article so much!
Hi Ashley,
Good of you to drop by. I believe Ryan has nothing against Sharing his wisdom. We definitely have no qualms about using this rticle as long as you give credit as of its origin and our awesome guest blogger. I like your take on it, while everything has been said, there is always a new way of saying it. Exactly what Ryan did in his blogging lessons from exotic dangerous animals he battled! 🙂
Julie Syl
An absolutely refreshing post, thank you. I would like you around if I meet any of these nasties, although I like the lessons that they teach us. I have met the big centipede when I lived in the jungles of Papua New Guinea, I think they may have been a little larger, but I managed not to connect.
Thanks so much Julie and Ryan.
Kathleen
Blogger’s Pit Stop
Hi Kathleen,
Oh yes; I imagine those pedes were bigger and scarier in Papua!
Ryan
Refreshing is the word Kathleen,
Ryan has indeed given us some serious food for thought on style of blog posts. Then again, he is Uniquely Ryan. I too grew up with most of these creatures in Africa, so I know how fast and how mean their sting/bite can be. Is important to know how to tell a good story in our articles, anogther lesson learnt! 🙂
Loved your analogies – especially the one about facing your fears and getting on with it (although showering with a spider is not high on my to-do list!) You seem to be popping up all over the place on the blogs I read lately and you make a refreshing change. Thanks for your tips.
I never thought I’d shower with a bird eater Leanne LOL.
Ryan
We agree Leanne,
In all this the theme for us was face your fears, devise a plan to overcome them and rise to the next level. Cool lesson Ryan!
Great blogging tips you got here. A fun and exciting read indeed. Truly educational too!
Hi Ron,
Glad you enjoyed 🙂 Nice one.
alot of true lessons to learn here, one just gotta live that careful life as these are so dangerous a lesson full to learn, in a way it links to the struggles of blogging. thanks for the share buddy.
hey Lex
Glad you got value from the Blogging lessons from exotic and dangerous creatures. Indeed nature can be such an adventure and a great trainer! 🙂
This seems so cool and such an awesome way to get some blogging lessons in! I would love to learn like this every day!
Yess please to Slow Travel Michelle, right!
Love me some of that…Now, encounters with Bullet ants, Man eating spiders and Venomous Creepy crawlies…That I would pass. 🙂
I guess it comes with the territory…Super blogging lessons though I must say!
Cool beans Ryan…You made Juleskalpauli way cool this week 🙂
JuleSyl
Hi Ryan,
Another interesting post from your side. I think you have the habit of learning things almost everything around you. A couple of weeks back, I read one of your posts which shared lessons you taught from an accident. Now, this.
Great. Happy learning! Really enjoyed your writing.
Have you a wonderful time ahead.
What an inspiring post, I loved reading about all the exotic creatures you encountered. Its nice to see how you kept your cool during all these encounters. If I had seen a scorpion in my kitchen I don’t think I’d have gently coaxed him anywhere, I’m sure I would have just run away from there fast!
I kid you not Dana,
This man has super powers…he calls it nutting up and taking a shower with a Giant Spider…! NOPE…I would rather go skunk up! 🙂
JuleSyl
This is a great post with good advice. Thank you for sharing these tips. I have them bookmarked.
Way to go Tonia, glad you got value! 🙂
This is the best blog post I’ve read in weeks. Ryan knows his stuff, and he is living the life I’ve always dreamed of!
I love the way he used his real life stories to craft the lessons.
Thanks Ryan and Julie for the value!
Wow Adewale,
Thats some fantastic stuff coming from yo bro.
Ryan you have cracked the code on here 😀 Truth be told I crack a smile every time I read the post. I hav edone so a few times!
Wow Ryan is certainly very knowledgable and very inspiring – found this post super interesting and thanks for having Ryan share these tips
Laura x
That he is for sure Laura. Thanks for taking the time!
And Thanks Ryan 😀
what a unique article on blogging tips! I really enjoyed reading it 🙂
Thanks Nikki 🙂
Ryan
Outside of people, insects are what I fear most in exotic locations. Slow travel is the best travel. 🙂
Slow travel rocks Rosey 🙂
Ryan
Hahahaha what a cute and fun read!! Sounds like you have learned a lot about blogging !
CL thanks a bunch 🙂
Ryan
You made me laugh through this entire post! How creative of you to connect blogging to these CRAZY animals! I can’t wait to hear about the ladyboy and the fight though. Sounds like another interesting tale!
Yes Christine I may have to debut that guest post soon 😉
Ryan
OMG
I join my voice to Christine in waiting for that story and how it relates to blogging and entrepreneurship. Its gonna be a cracker 🙂 Bring it Ryan!
Syl
Great lessons, Ryan! Glad to have learned all these from you rather than encountering these critters myself. 😀
Happy to be the guinea pig 😉
Ryan
What fabulous lessons and tips for bloggers. I will definitely apply some of these. Thank you for sharing, Jules. 🙂
Hey Lide,
We are loving on Ryan right now for this exotic cuisine. Definitely will be more than happy to have more from his auspicious Kitchen. 🙂
We vote Yes Yes Ryan? 🙂
JuleSyl
These are lessons well learned and very entertaining as well with the incorporation of the animals. Thanks for sharing.
Kenny thank you 🙂
Ryan
Thanks for sharing. This is brilliant!
Thank you Mike 🙂
Ryan
This was fun to read! I think you nailed the analogy. It’s good to have a content that people will read and it’s not just about a few words and some pictures. The more, the better.
Cool, thanks Carol 🙂
Ryan
Scolopendra centipede!! yayks! i hate seeing creatures like that especially spiders!! you are so brave !
It’s all for branding Kelly LOL 🙂
Ryan
This is such a good guide from bloggers and online business owners. It’s important to face your fears and have the right tools while doing so.
Amen to that Elizabeth.
Ryan
I enjoyed reading this post. I loved the analogy. Sometimes it does feel like there are venomous creatures (hackers) that are lurking around just biding their time for the right moment to destroy you. If you are not vigilant, if you do not employ the necessary measures (tools), you’re going to suffer the sting. (hackers blackmail).
Definitely important lessons, crazy ways you discovered them but love the way you made these connections!
Thanks Adriana 🙂
Ryan
After getting over the creepy crawlies I think these are some important lessons learnt and so glad to have had a read
Thanks Anosa 🙂
Ryan
I know where you are coming from. When I first decided to become a blogger, it was so scary. All those questions like, “Will anybody read my content?” or “Will I get laughed off the internet?” came creeping into my head. I had to out them aside and do the best that I could to be a good blogger.
So true Dawn. Same voices here. Even today sometimes 😉
Ryan
Great article! I have encountered a few dangerous insects and animals but nothing like this list! Isn’t it funny that even lessons you learn battling spitting cobras and deadly insects can be translated to other areas of life? Very insightful! I will have to keep these lessons in mind as I blog.
Really, it took me years before I saw some of these exotic creatures 😉 I think slow travel was the root cause 🙂
Ryan
Wow what an interesting journey Ryan has been on. So cool that he has ebooks too!
Thanks for reading Natalie 🙂
Ryan
Absolutely awesome tips! My favorite has to be #3, having the right tool for the job. Really enjoyed reading how you use animals to compare with blogging lessons.
Having the right tools is SO key Sharon. Thanks!
Ryan
I love to travel and I’m jealous of him able to do all the travel that he has done. I will say though I’m kind a happy I have not seen any of these scary animals. I love how this post is written as a comparison to blogging LOL. I like a lessons he has learned and I’m glad that he share them
Jeanette most folks are not too jealous of the centipede encounter LOL. So love you dig traveling too. It’s so fun, right?
Ryan
Eeeek I hate creepy crawlies but just love this post – great lessons! Kaz
Great post Julie.I appreciate how you compared dangerous animals to blogging lessons. I totally agree tip number 3. I agree to your point that in order to succeed with blogging, you gotta face your fears. The fear of failing, fear of being criticized, fear of losing it all. All of our blogging dreams lie on the other side of fear. Thank you for sharing such valuable post.
Andy thanks so much for reading!.
Ryan (aka Julie’s guest poster today 😉
[ Smiles ] Six lessons well-learned!
Good to see you here Renard 🙂
Ryan
First I will have night mares tonight!! LOL What a great way to discuss blogging with the creatures he has been around. Loved this post.
Sorry Tammy LOL!
Ryan
Wow Ryan really has seen it all but what an inspirational guy. I agree that longer posts are more beneficial and in terms of being non-negotiable on sponsored pricing that is something I need to learn. I need to say that my fees are non-negotiable!
Go for it Ana! Be firm. Know your worth. Sponsored post rates are final. Like a price tag on canned goods, no room for bartering 😉
Ryan
I hate insects and creepy crawlies, I’m glad you’ve always managed to stay on your toes!
Me too Jenny 😉
Ryan
First of all, I hope I never encounter any of these creatures!! Also I loved the tips!
Thanks Heididee 😉
Ryan
Oh my gosh!
The pictures in this post made it a hard read but what a great post.
You certainly are brave
LOL Little B thanks for reading 😉
Ryan
A good post, so the inspiration of my next article writing on the blog. Hahha
Sounds good Sijai 🙂
Ryan
Oh my gosh Ryan I’ll not sleep tonight for bad dreams of ants and spiders.
What a fascinating lifestyle and a great post too.
Thanks Clare 🙂
Ryan
Loved the way you’ve compared dangerous animals to blogging lessons. I totally agree tip number 1.
#1 is a biggie Elizabeth for sure.
Ryan
Some of these stories are crazy! Great guest post! xx
I promise Steph; I lived a boring life prior to this LOL!
Ryan
Julie thanks so much for the opportunity!
Ryan
It is an absolute Pleasure, to learn unique and anazing tips on blogging. That they brough a smile to our lips was the cherry on the cake.
We appreciate you Ryan!