FBC – 388 – How to survive the next big crisis (and thrive)

How to survive the next big crisis (and thrive).

Are you financially affected by the coronavirus outbreak?

Are you afraid to lose your job and your income because of the economic crisis triggered by the virus…

Unfortunately, most of us weren't prepared for such an “unexpected” event and we are paying the price…

The most important question is: “what can I do to come up on top not only during this crisis, but for the upcoming ones”.

It turns out that there are things you can do to keep your peace of mind even during these hard times… This is exactly what I have done and this is the reason why I still thriving despite the circumstances.

Today, I want to give you a chance to learn what I do and to learn how to protect your income and the well-being of your family.

I have created a special course for you that details how you can get started and how you can start making money online on autopilot.

Dude, you don't have any excuses: you are at home with all the time in the world haha

Click the link below to get started and I will teach you how to beat the crisis:

https://martinebongue.com/10xchatbotprofits

— Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/freedom-by-choice/support

I wanted to talk to you about the current situation, because right now the industry and pretty much every industry is disrupted by this virus. So it might be your case right now. You're like, damn man, everything's falling apart. What do I do?

So I was talking to a friend, so someone I just met recently. He sent me an email. But for whatever reason, the email ended in spam. So I only saw the email once he was back in Singapore.

We were talking about different things and different businesses and all that kind of stuff. And he told me about some business that I didn't know about. I didn't know it could be affected. That was really affected.

And this is where I realized that this virus is affecting everything, like every industry, tourism, you know, F&B, you know, like all the plane companies, all the even e-commerce, because the warehouses are closed, everything is being affected.

The luxury industry is dying. Because the thing was that I saw a few documentaries about it, but it's mostly Chinese people who buy the Louis Vuitton and all that kind of stuff. And they were confined. So they couldn't go anywhere and they had to close some stores and stuff. So there are so many industries that are being impacted.

A Buddy of mine works on boats. He does submarine cartography, basically for all these oil companies to know where to drill. So a pretty cool job. But the thing is, right now, he can't work, he can’t go anywhere, especially being confined on the boat. So he was asking me, how is it affecting you?

How to survive the next big crisis (and thrive)

And, you know, that's the point actually of my podcast today because I saw a video recently like yesterday or something that actually resonated with me. It was Kevin Hart, the comedian. He was saying I have this crazy life, right? Life is good and all that kind of stuff. But, you know, I have the mentality that it might not last forever.

He wanted to be ready. So he's doing smart things with his money. And this is precisely what I have been doing for the longest time. Just do it naturally because, you know, a lot of people are telling me, dude, like, why are you still working on stuff? You know, your business works and everything.

And my take is, dude, it works today. I don't know if it's going to work tomorrow and not that I'm like paranoid and all kind of stuff, but I always like to be at least two or three steps ahead. If something happens, I have something else, so, you know, I always have this mentality of, well, you know, that may go away one day. It's best if I have something else on the side as well.

And this is why I build stuff. I do build stuff as well just because I love the challenge. I love the journey. The journey is fantastic. Even if it doesn't work out, I learned a lot a lot of things, but I'm always building something.

And my main business is being affected right now because I am working with clothing brands. Nobody is going to work, nobody is going to the warehouses. So obviously they're not running campaigns to get people to buy because they can’t ship anything and people cannot leave their house to go pick up the stuff at the post office anyway. So my business is being affected.

But the thing is, because I have something else that's already running, and then I am not too worried about it. I'm not worried because I am always in this in this constant improvement motion and I always have something running on the side.

So it could be that something was dormant and I'm like, well, you know what, it's time to activate. But I'm very, very happy I did this, you know? So I'm not happy that the virus and all that kind of stuff happened. But it is just validating all the time that I spent in building all these things that help me.

It helps me feel safe and secure because I still have a way of getting some income and stuff, even though my main business right now is suffering.

OK, so that's the message that I wanted to give you guys. Work on something else just in case, and right now is the perfect opportunity to do it because right now you are at home. You can't leave.

So it is the perfect opportunity for you to start something.

The Crisis Does Not Decide Who Survives, Your Setup Before It Does

Every downturn I have lived through sorted businesses into two piles. The ones that folded and the ones that came out stronger, and the difference was decided long before the crisis hit. The survivors were not lucky. They had low fixed costs, more than one source of income, and a cash cushion that bought them time to think instead of panic. The ones that broke had bet everything on one client, one platform, one revenue line running at full stretch. When the shock came, the fragile setup snapped and the resilient one bent and kept going.

So build for the storm while the sun is out. Cut fixed costs you do not need, add a second income stream, and keep a buffer that covers a few lean months. I tell how I storm proofed my own business before I needed to on my story page, and I go deeper on my Freedom by Choice podcast. On why resilient companies pull ahead in downturns, the research from McKinsey Digital is worth reading, and the founder fundamentals in the Stripe Atlas guides help you build the stable base first.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can you survive and thrive during a financial crisis?

Stop relying on a single fragile income and build something that keeps earning regardless of circumstances. Martin protected his family by creating online income that runs on autopilot. He argues a crisis exposes who was prepared, so the smart move is to start building resilient income now rather than waiting for the next shock.

Why were most people unprepared for the economic crisis?

Most people depend entirely on one job or one income stream and assume it will always be there. When an unexpected event like a pandemic hits, that single point of failure collapses. Martin points out that diversification and automated online income separate the people who panic from the people who stay calm.

What can you do at home to protect your income?

Use the time at home to learn how to make money online and set up systems that earn without your constant presence. Martin says being stuck indoors removes every excuse, since you have the time to build new skills and assets that shield your income during this crisis and the ones still to come.

How does automated online income help during hard times?

Income that runs on autopilot keeps flowing even when you cannot work, travel, or trade time for money. It gives you peace of mind and protects your family wellbeing when traditional jobs disappear. Martin credits this kind of system for why he continued to thrive while so many others struggled through the downturn.

About the Author

Martin Ebongue is the founder of martinebongue.com, an online business and lifestyle design blog focused on helping aspiring entrepreneurs build location-independent businesses. Since 2014, he has been creating and scaling online ventures across multiple niches , from digital products and affiliate marketing to SaaS and content platforms , while traveling the world. He shares the real-world strategies, tools, and systems that work, with a particular focus on AI-powered automation for solopreneurs. Follow him on YouTube, X (Twitter), and Instagram.

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