Business

The Art of Crushing It by Omer Del Villar

Published

5 years ago

July 2, 2020

If you need the motivation to overcome the obstacles before you, then the story of Omar Del Villar should be all the motivation that you need!

Regardless of where you come from or how you started in life, success is always available to you if you have the right motivation and follow the correct principals. Omar Del Villar is the living proof that if you work hard and strive to achieve success, then you can reach your goals! As the successful owner of Echelon Smiles and co-owner of Go Giveaways, he has been kicking goals since he started down the path of entrepreneurial success.

Any startup is going to take a massive amount of hard work. Movies and television have made the idea of creating and managing a startup to be something like finding the perfect idea and then sitting back and watching and counting the money as it starts rolling in. The truth is somewhat more complicated, but that doesn’t mean that the dream is no less achievable.

Although creating a brand, a company, or a startup is fulfilling and rewarding in its own right. You’re going to have to invest a lot of blood sweat and tears into the venture before you see it become a success. Success is never guaranteed either. Failure is always lurking just around the corner, and you can’t afford to sit back and just relax until the project is complete.

Success isn’t always a success; how you imagined it would be!

You can succeed in life but still, fail in your goals. Startups and businesses may seem like a success from the outside, but when you speak to the people that started them and poured their blood, sweat, and tears into them, they would call them a failure. It’s easy to become so involved in the new business that you lose

Many startups and businesses look successful from the outside, but if you spoke to their original founders, they would consider them a failure. Why? Because of the long hours, the money invested, the toll that they took on their friends and families. It’s essential that you don’t lose sight of your goals during any new business venture.

To help make this a little easier, Omar has come up with his guiding principals that he has used successfully on his rise to the top and during the successful creation of his businesses. No two companies are the same, but hopefully, through utilizing his advice, your next business venture or startup will go much smoother and be a huge success!

Start off by defining your personal goals before you set the purposes of your business!

It’s vital that your personal goals drive your professional goals and business goals, not the other way around. If you aren’t happy with your personal life, then what hope do you have of achieving success and happiness in your professional life? There are a few simple ways that you can define your personal goals.

You want to start off by writing down your personal goals. This will allow you to own the decisions you make along your journey and ensure that you don’t lose track of them along the way. If you have them written down somewhere, you’re less likely to ignore them. It’s easy to disregard them or change them to suit your current situation if you haven’t got them written down somewhere.

Focus on your strengths rather than always trying to fix your weaknesses!

It’s easy to develop tunnel vision on your idea or business, assuming that you’re the only one who can take it to the next level. You can get hung up on different parts of the process that need to be fixed or changed and assume all the responsibility for making those corrections or changes.

Surround yourself with people that are strong in their own rights. Look for people that can help you build-up the areas of your brand or business that you don’t have all the technical know-how for. If you struggle with the business but have a great idea, then look for people that have the business knowledge and experience that you lack.

Would you rather sit and watch your dream never come to fruition, or would you prefer to see that dream become a reality? If you’re a great people person and fantastic at making connections, then focus on that and allow other people to utilize their strengths.

Create realistic goals along your journey towards success!

If you wanted to make a million dollars, would that be your only goal? If you wanted a million followers on social media, would you make that figure you’re only goal? Of course you wouldn’t! You need to set yourself realistic goals and milestones along your journey to keep pushing and rewarding yourself for your hard work.

One way to keep you motivated throughout your rise to the top is to set yourself realistic and achievable milestones. It’s important to reward yourself when you achieve your milestones to keep you motivated to reach the next one. Otherwise, you can lose your focus and drive along your journey. Small rewards are a great way to keep your motivation high as you strive to achieve your dreams.

Be honest with yourself, and always follow through when you make decisions!

It’s always easy to talk the talk, but when it comes to practicing what you preach, are you following through? If you’re the leader of your company, then people look up to you and expect you to lead by example. A weak leader is never going to inspire his team to go above and beyond in the tasks that they complete.

If you want your employees or team members to thrive and flourish through healthy work-life balances, then it’s crucial that you do the same. Never neglect your personal life in exchange for your business, as this is time that you’ll never be able to get back. Many successful entrepreneurs look back and wish that they could have some of the time they put into their businesses back, but time is one thing you cannot buy.

That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t work hard, but always remember what it is that you’re working hard for!

Don’t be afraid to learn and celebrate your success

There is always something to learn. A new skill, a new hobby, or a new way of doing things that you hadn’t been aware of before. Never be afraid to learn new things and embrace new ideas; you never know if it’s one of those new ideas that could be your greatest success and achievement!

Hopefully, by following the above principals, you’ll enjoy as much success in business and life as Omar has! Good luck with your business or brand, and never lose sight of your goals.

Business

Remote Professionals Getting More Value for Their Work Thanks to Borderless Banking

Published

3 days ago

July 10, 2025

Matthew Wiles

Not too long ago, the idea of working remotely from an island in Thailand or a co-working space in Berlin sounded like the kind of fantasy only tech moguls or backpacking freelancers could afford.

Fast forward to today, and it’s as good as a global reality. Millions of professionals have cut the cord from traditional office life in exchange for flexibility, freedom, and a work-life balance that fits their personal rhythm and not their employer’s timezone.

However, as remote work has reshaped how people earn a living, it’s also pointed out the existing limits to most of the world’s financial systems. Traditional banking simply wasn’t built for a workforce that’s always on the move, operating in multiple currencies, and getting paid across borders.

Thankfully, that’s where borderless banking like Black Banx have proven vital, and has quietly transformed the way money is managed for people vacationing and working overseas alike.

The Rise of the Remote Work Economy

Remote work isn’t just a pandemic-era trend that faded with Zoom fatigue—it’s become a defining feature of the modern workforce. A recent survey revealed that over 39% of Gen Z and Millennials planned to live and work abroad for extended periods this year, many staying six months or more in a single location. That’s beyond a short trip, and can be considered as good as a sabbatical with a substantial lifestyle shift.

According to recent estimates, the digital nomad economy now also contributes as much as US$787 billion annually to the global economy. And this isn’t just entry-level gig work. A third of digital nomads earn between US$100,000 and US$250,000, while another third take in US$50,000 to US$100,000 annually.

It is indeed evident that the manner in which many make a living has changed. Unfortunately, most financial systems haven’t kept up.

Where Traditional Banks Are Still Falling Short

For those who have ever tried to open a bank account abroad or receive payment from a foreign client, they already know the drill: the paperwork is endless, delays are frustrating, and the fees? So much to do, even for the smallest amounts of money.

Just to name few of the hurdles remote workers still face with conventional banking:

Account setup restrictions: Need proof of residence, tax IDs, or a local job offer—things many digital nomads simply don’t have.
Slow international transfers: Payments can take days to process, which is a nightmare when rent’s due.
High foreign exchange fees: Currency conversions often come with steep, hidden costs.
Limited multi-currency support: Most banks still force users to operate in a single currency, making financial planning chaotic at best.

And perhaps most tellingly, many banks have digitized their operations but haven’t personalized their services. According to Accenture’s 2025 Banking Trends Report, while digital transformation has improved efficiency, it often sacrifices the customer experience. That’s not great news for people who live outside the lines.

Borderless Banking for Professionals Across the Globe

The concept of borderless banking goes far beyond wiring money internationally. Fundamentally, it’s also about being able to eliminate the friction between people and their money, no matter where they are in the world, and maintaining an ecosystem where geography, bureaucracy, and currency don’t stand in the way of financial freedom.

A working example of this is Black Banx, a Toronto-based fintech founded by German billionaire Michael Gastauer. Since launching globally in 2015, it has grown to serve over 78 million clients in 180+ countries as of Q1 2025, proof that people take to digital banking solutions when it is accessible, affordable, and is useful in just about any locale.

In the first three months of this year, Black Banx had also earned US$4.3 billion in revenue and US$1.6 billion in pre-tax profit, more than double from the same quarter the previous year and showing it has consistently delivered tangible value to global customers—remote professionals included

How Borderless Banking Maximizes Value for Remote Workers

1. Instant Account Access—No Strings Attached

The times of hunting down local branches or collecting endless documents just to open an account are finished. With borderless banks, users can open an account in minutes using just a photo ID—no proof of address or income required. That’s a lifesaver for anyone living outside their passport country or hopping from one location to another.

2. Multi-Currency Mastery

Managing money in multiple currencies used to mean juggling several accounts—or worse, losing money on conversions. Borderless platforms like Black Banx support 28 FIAT currencies and allow real-time currency conversions at competitive rates. That means remote workers can:

Invoice clients in one currency
Spend or save in another
Hedge against local currency fluctuations
Avoid excessive conversion fees altogether

3. Seamless, Real-Time Global Payments

Getting paid late, or paying others late, isn’t just inconvenient; it can damage relationships and disrupt your cash flow. With real-time payment support, remote workers can receive funds instantly, no matter where their clients are. This is particularly valuable for freelancers and entrepreneurs juggling multiple contracts across time zones.

Plus, bulk payment features and API integration streamline processes for those running teams or businesses.

4. Built-In Crypto Options

It isn’t surprising that many digital nomads are already deep into crypto. Whether it’s for investment, faster transactions, or avoiding traditional finance red tape, crypto is becoming essential.

Since 2016, Black Banx has allowed users to send, receive, and convert crypto (like BTC and ETH) within their accounts. That integration saves users from having to manage separate crypto wallets, and adds another layer of flexibility to their financial toolkit.

5. Secure Transactions

Remote workers often log in to work from cafés, coworking spaces, and airports, to name a few. Of course, this flexibility of being able to work almost anywhere should never come at the cost of security. Borderless banks like Black Banx use end-to-end encryption, AI fraud detection, and two-factor authentication to keep accounts safe from risky elements.

Financial Freedom, Not Just Convenience

Perhaps the most overlooked benefit of borderless banking is the freedom it provides. Not just to access money, but to fully participate in the global economy. For millions of professionals in underbanked regions like Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia, borderless banking has become a gateway to financial inclusion and a way to take on opportunities that typically wouldn’t be available to them if not remote.

By removing barriers to entry, platforms like Black Banx empower underserved individuals to both take control of their finances and increase their earning power by working with companies from higher paying markets. This democratization of finance isn’t just good for individuals, it’s good for the global economy as a whole.

As Black Banx CEO Michael Gastauer put it: “Our multi-currency solutions enable businesses to tap into global talent without worrying about payment complexities. We make cross-border transactions as seamless as local ones.”

The Road Ahead

By 2030, the number of digital nomads worldwide is expected to soar past 60 million, according to the Forbes Technology Council. That means tens of millions of workers will be navigating foreign currencies, time zones, and financial systems—all while expecting the same seamless experience they’d get at home.

Indeed, remote professionals aren’t just looking for places to work—they’re looking for systems that work for them. In a lifestyle built on flexibility, traditional banking is proving too rigid, too slow, and too expensive.

Borderless banking services like those offered by the likes of Black Banx, on the other hand, offer exactly what today’s global workforce needs: instant access, multi-currency support, real-time payments, crypto integration, and enterprise-level security—all in a streamlined experience.