You don’t have to be a savvy political strategist or a forward-thinking fashion insider to conclude that higher education students pretty much determine the future state of the world because they will be the ones running it a few years after they graduate.

In my quest to fight worldwide hunger by raising awareness to its elimination and prevention, it make great sense to bring it to the attention of students worldwide because they will influence or will be the next political, corporate and society leaders.

Right now, a young person who is destined to become a key policy maker is studying at one of the thousands universities or colleges around the world.

That’s why my world tour will definitely include a “campus tour”.

I won’t be the first performer to go on a campus tour but I am certainly the first artist ever to announce the first worldwide campus tour ever.

The project’s premise is simple to understand: to make appearances in the many universities, colleges and other types of tertiary educations on the planet.

No matter the economic or political climate, every country in the world has one or more higher education institutions. You name the country and I will name a university. Don’t take my word for it. Check out this page on Wikipedia: List of universities and colleges by country.

This worldwide campus tour will consist of DJ performances at select universities in conjunction with hunger awareness campaigns and possibly fundraisers. With the campus tour, I would rather focus on raising awareness over raising funds because I would rather plant a seed in students’ brains than try to get them to part ways with their limited funds.

Anytime of the year, you can turn the news on and you will watch students around the world making their voices heard over many issues and some are even losing their lives doing it.

University students have a lot of time, will and risk-taking on their hands compared to say a working professional with a family to feed. Students are the perfect people to fight hunger and make it history within their generation.

I would say that most my friends and fans who are students attend McGill University. And that's without mentioning the alumni. So any guesses as to where the very first show of the world's biggest worldwide campus tour ever will be held?*

Now on the logistics side of things…

Pulling it off seems pretty headache-free from initial conceptualization. I must say that the whole “worldwide campus tour” project was born after a discussion that I had with a hunger relief agency professional who told me to get in touch with Universities Against Hungers while on tour in North America.

Initially, I had thought of making appearances in areas where students converge but the discussion prompted me to go straight to the heart of the action: the campus.

I remember in my university days that there were performers that used to show up on campus for promotional or other purposes and they used to draw a crowd no matter how unheard-of they were.

They key to making the “worldwide campus tour” interesting and attention-grabbing will be to add an extra something to it. Of course, I have jotted down more than a few ideas on my mind that I am 100% sure will make the tour an attraction no matter higher education campus.

And of course, I will apply for a Guinness World Records to make sure that it goes down in history as being the first and longest which is also another way to get it more media worthy and thus attract more students’ attention.

It’s pretty ironic because I thought that I was done with university when I dropped out almost ten years ago and here I come back in a big, big way!

– Photo: pdbreen

A round-the-world DJ tour to set multiple Guinness World Records and raise awareness about and funds for the one billion hungry people around the world who urgently need help is not your typical project.

Most projects consist of one simple or complex task and that’s about it. My world tour encompasses so many elements that it should be viewed as a fully-fledged enterprise in the same category as a business start-up.

There are five aspects of the Big Journey:

- The club world tour (performances in nightclubs around the world)
- The DJ world tour (what I could refer to as promotional performances/appearances such as radio guest slots or in-store performances)
- The round-the-world road trip (driving around the world in a car is a mammoth project)
- The worldwide hunger awareness and fundraising work (to get people, artists, performers and companies in the dance music field to pledge resources – time, money, effort, attention, to name a few – to fight and prevent hunger)
- Management of my soon to be launched record label, my current record label and other business interests while traveling the world.

I thought about all this when the idea of going around the world by car was taking shape and I just figured that it would also be a great experiment to see what motivated and focused humans can achieve.

That is why I have found a tour director so far. She’s actually a partner in the company that we’ll start-up together to manage the world tour (logistics, costs, itinerary, expenses, funding and so on). Her credentials are impeccable and above everything, she has the right thinking both in “what could be achieved” and in “we need to do something for the one billion hungry people around the world”.

My number one beef with project management are the stupid graphs that come with the territory. Anyone who dangles one in front of me will be showing himself or herself out of the door, guaranteed!*

I will also need to launch and run the new record label while I am on the road. I have exciting ideas that I will share in future posts. But I will definitely need a “woman or man on the ground” to help me oversee this parallel project. This person will obviously need to have a background in the record industry but also have a twisted sense of challenging established rules because the concept that I will unleash on her or him is not for the timid!

I said that there were five projects but there are actually six. I also intend on appreciating the places and meeting people along the journey. This cannot be neglected as it defeats the purpose of the biggest road trip ever.

I am also blessed with having so many good friends who are scattered in various countries and cities around the world (that’s what attending international schools and universities and also playing music to diverse crowds generates!). I plan on paying a visit to as many as possible. I have been told many times that my room is waiting for me. I have not seen many of these precious friends face to face for many years but we keep in touch via email, telephone and/or Facebook.

And by the way, due to the unpredictable nature of this first ever endeavour, plans can change quickly meaning that what has taken months to prepare can be thrown in the garbage within a few seconds. For instance… what would happen if my body decided that it could not withstand a continuos car trip???

What’s the point of this article?

This project is no simple picnic planning. It’s a whole enterprise. That’s why I am carefully laying the ground work to put the wheels in motion. I am also giving myself some tight headlines because the window of opportunity is so small as 2010 is going to be a very busy and important year in recent history.

So to all who think that I am going on a joyride, let me assure you, it’s not all fun and games. But I will choose this “pain” gladly than be confined to a 9-to-5 job, slaving away for someone!

–

Graph source: Wikipedia

Some people may call me crazy to undertake such an adventure. I know that I am part of a little percentage of touring performers that would dare to do something as risky as driving the world in a car.

While they may have a point, I know one sure thing. There no way, I am going to manage this huge project by myself. It’s impossible to be precise. Unlike most globe trotters who have no one to be accountable to, I am actually on tour meaning that I have obligations to perform and make appearances at bookings that I will have confirmed.

So you could call my trip a working holiday. Although you really would think twice about the nature of the vacation if you had to tag along.

There’s no way I can take bookings or follow-up with interviewers who may need additional details while I am on the road. One of the things I have decided not to do is to use the phone when I am driving. I know that even when I use hands-free kits, I can get distracted.

This world tour of mine is like starting an enterprise. I cannot do it alone. That’s why getting a trustworthy partner who can take care of the logistics is of crucial importance and in my opinion 80% of making the journey a success.

This partner should be first and foremost be a problem solver. I believe that the trip will be a series of problems that will have to be dealt with. A series of small and big fires that will have to be put out.

The perfect partner should be able to handle bureaucracy because there will be plenty. Personally, I hardly manage simple paperwork so imagine if I had to do it from the road? I would not get past outside Montreal (the city I currently reside in)!*

This partner therefore needs nerves of steel and more than average smarts. He or she needs to be able to come up with solutions almost on demand. What happens if I am scheduled to appear in a certain remote town and don’t have access to a phone and somehow manage to send her a satellite phone text message telling her to tell the local promoters to come pick me up because I cannot find their venue?

And all this while it’s 4AM in the country this partner is and so he or she has to make decisions half asleep! You can see that I am searching for a super partner!

This partner will have to be dedicated to the tour on a full-time basis just like I am. She or he will also need to know enough about everything. And, we need to get along! While I am a pretty easy going person and can be flexible on most things, there are things that I am pretty stubborn about and will even cancel the trip over.

Here’s the scary part… I have found this person almost by accident. It turns out that I was also God sent because she was looking for a cool project to work on that would also challenge her. She also have the right credentials being well-traveled, supportive of the NGOs that I plan on supporting and above all she has experience in organizing tours and she loves organizing and working out logistics, two things I absolutely hate!

I will introduce you to JaBig’s World Tour’s producer in a future post. The cool thing is that she has brought up points that I would have never thought about in my little stupid or naïve brain. We also agree on many things notably having a full-time publicist because she also knows that the more people are aware of the trip, the better the tour will turn out and the more awareness we will attract for the causes that we believe in and the pressing hunger problems that we are trying to solve through this fantastic voyage.

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* Photo: Chris of the Hunt

Call me careless but I don’t have the Big Journey planned out to the last detail. While the basics are being worked out, the rest will be filled in as the world tour occurs. Over planning kills the fun out of the project as the element of surprise and discovery is spoilt.

Don’t get me wrong. I will not venture into a country and decide to apply for an entry visa at the border. That is just plain stupid. I am talking about planning my day to the exact thing I am going to eat or how long I will stick around.

Since I will not be on holiday but on tour, keeping a tight itinerary is important but having it planned out six months ahead of schedule is asking for trouble. Before I go on, let’s please be reminded that although this trip is nothing but fun, I am still “working” and accountable to the organisers of events I will be performing at, to groups I will be speaking to and to other people I will have made prior agreements with. Heck, I will be even responsible to you dear readers to let you know what I am up to and where I am otherwise I lose your interest!

That’s why I want to plan three month ahead of schedule at most. While I will have a gross idea of where I will be at a certain time, I will not have the gigs and other engagements worked out more than three months ahead of time. I may like a certain area and decide to stick around longer. I may get bookings in a certain area that make stay around longer. I may feel exhausted and decide to stick around certain cities (Rio and Paris ) longer.

I don't need to plan years in advance to know that when the Big Journey reaches Paris, I will def extend my stay as it's a city I always look forward to going to as many of my friends live there and for me, I just love it. Of course, to justify the move, I will simply book as many dates in Paris. There are a lot of clubs to party at and House Music is popular so I should be fine!*

The exact opposite is true. I can schedule a stay in a certain city but due to controllable or uncontrollable circumstances, I may be forced to jump into the car and drive out in matters of minutes.

Too much planning can dull an adventure render. I look forward to bumping into some (but limited!) unplanned moments.

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* Photo: Al Ianni

One of the questions that will probably come up often is: where does one start in planning a round-the-world road trip?

The answer really is very simple: by the beginning. It seems like a smart ass answer but someone smarter than me put it more eloquently:

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” – Lao Tzu

I am lucky that I am DJ who has a strong business background. So what?

As a DJ, I organize a few projects yearly. Some are simple like a DJ mix release and promotion while some can be rather complex like organizing a Summer, Sunday weekly barbecue.

As a marketing person, I have launched businesses, marketing campaigns and crafted competitive strategies for my businesses or those I am affiliated with.

So you could say that I have a somewhat knowledge in project management and strategic thinking.

I see the Big Journey as a project just like I would organise a record tour promotion or a PR campaign. I certainly do avoid to think at how humongous it is because that’s the fastest way to get overwhelmed and discouraged.

It’s a journey. And every journey is compilation of moments. For instance, I will not sit and plan the DJ world tour from the first gig until the last. I will break down the tour into legs and legs into sub-legs and so forth.

Yes, I have a grand plan, that I will reveal in a future post, that I will follow but from a logistical aspect, it has to be done leg by leg otherwise it is becomes unmanageable.

All that said. Where did I begin precisely?

I took one day off from whatever I do and day dreamed. I really thought about what is it that I would like to do and how I would like the fantasy journey to be like. The point of that exercise was to turn the dream into a concept.

I am not good with words but I know that there’s a big difference between a dream and a concept. A dream is more vague than a concept. Even though the concept is also intangible, it is the beginning of solid ideas.

My dream was to travel the world, exploring, sightseeing and socializing during the day and DJing at night. But I also have an inner-drive to use my talent and skills for the well-being of those who may have not the same privileges.

I had to turn the dream into a concept. It became a world tour by a DJ that would go beyond promoting himself and his interests but to use the attention from the nature of the trip and the performances to raise awareness, support and funds for organisations doing great humanitarian work around the world.

Now, I had a solid concept that I could bring to life.

You should be aware that I am pretty well-traveled by world standards. In my opinion, I still have not seen anything. At this time of writing, I have been on all continents and in over ten countries but there are 195 in total so I feel like I have been nowhere.

I should also add that I have traveled to places where I stayed for a long time. For instance, I stayed in Rio for three months and did visit some of Brazil and performed at certain clubs.

I went to Rio (Brazil) once for 3 months with the objective of sitting around and do absolute nothing. After two weeks, I got bored and would work on some web projects at night while sightseeing and going to the beach during the day. I was born a worker and could not sit still and just enjoy time out .

I have already lived the dream on a small scale and this time, it’s all about going Big or just giving up.

So where does one start with such a big project that is a world tour by car? By crafting the concept. With a solid idea, then can I move from wonderland into reality (the real physical and tangible world) and bring the trip to life.

I was reading the new edition of Jack Trout’s “Repositioning: Marketing in an Era of Competition, Change and Crisis” and a passage that I have seen in many of his many books reminded me of what I wrote about in a previous post on fears and how to face and foil them.

Jack Trout basically writes that “behavioural scientists say that there are five forms of perceived risk: monetary, functional, physical, social and psychological.” (page 16-17).

In my case, there are risks of running out of money during the trip or not having enough money to embark on the big journey in the first place. The functional risks are that I may not get Visas (in my case I suspect that I will need an artist visa and not your average tourist visa), that the car would break down and so on.

While I can't wait to travel through deserts, I am particularly hopeful that I will never run out of fuel in such a remote place! I could be in a little bit of trouble!*

The physical risks are very straight forward: I may be injured or face death in car accident or I may contract some serious disease somewhere as a result of drinking tap water (a habit I will apparently have to lose pretty fast!).

Socially of course, the risk is to look like a clown if within a few months, I am back home because the trip backfired or because I maybe found out that spending my life on the road is not exactly my cup of tea. To me, this is actually the biggest risk! I don’t particularly like to be embarrassed or to admit defeat ☺

Psychological risks, I have had them and after ten years have gotten rid of them. I kind of felt guilty to live out my dream while in my opinion, the world was hurting. That’s one of the reason that I chose to make this trip all about giving back and helping feed millions. It’s all about enjoying one’s life while being responsible, two notions that can work together in harmony.

You may find it odd that I write about fears and risks. That’s because all the fears and risks I think I have are pretty unfounded and perceived. I am not scared of death or to hurt myself physically because I know that one day I will pass on that I will probably hurt myself doing something stupid. I am more concerned about what other people will say, think. Stuff that has nothing to do with the success or failure of the mission.

In other words, the number one enemy of this trip is me (was it not Pogo who said something in those lines?) and I must constantly challenge myself to erase all the unfounded doubts. By writing them down and commenting on them, it’s a way to fight them head on and so far, I am winning!

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* Photo: coda

I like what the Vancouver 2010 Olympic committee has done with their torch relay itinerary presentation. Everything from the way they used Google Maps to the way, they blend photos and videos is very exemplary and that is something far fancier than what I had in my mind for my Big Journey hence it’s a great source of inspiration that I will refer to as I schedule my own itinerary.

The other aspect I like about this map is the itinerary itself. I suspect that the Olympic Committee tried to have the torch visit as many Canadian cities as possible. After all, the point of the torch is to light up the Olympic spirit and the organizers want it to be seen by as many people as possible. That’s why I will also carefully study that itinerary and see how I can adapt it to the big journey.

The one thing I would do though is make the map viral by allowing people to share it with other Google Maps users to to be able to embed it on their own blogs or websites. I understand that they may be reluctant to allow this as they like to keep their message on a short leash. They also don’t need the exposure I guess because they already have more than enough to go around.

The Olympic Torch relay map is like winning the lottery for me!

I better study it fully because my bet is that after the relay is done or the Olympics games are over, the site will definitely go offline and that cool resource will plunge into oblivion.

The best way to get over the fears that surround a journey of this magnitude is to confront them head one. I should not say “get over” because some fears can never be dealt with. The proper term is to face them.

Embarking on a world tour that will take me away from home for a few years and in different places and on top of it doing it by car has some risks associated with it hence the constant fears that always crop into my mind.

I have started writing down every single fear or concern that is related to the big journey.

I once heard somewhere that the only two fears that humans are born with are fear of noise and fear of uncertainty or being abandoned. I don’t remember which one exactly or even if I really did read that anywhere but my point is that most fears that humans have are “acquired”.

Just like extra pounds, if you gain them, you can work them off.

I don’t think that I am ready to make my exact fears public but here’s an example of how I am going about my simple but important exercise…

Name the fear: to be stranded in the middle of nowhere without any cell phone signal.

Foiling the fear: take a satellite phone on the big journey

Here’s another one…

Name the fear: public speaking. (I am part of that often talked about group of people who would rather die than speak in public. You will probably observe that for a DJ it’s pretty odd seeing that I perform in front of an audience. My answer: true! But I never have to speak. I am not a radio DJ and never have to MC when I perform because people just want to dance and not hear me running my mouth )

Facing the fear: Take speaking classes or start making speeches to small familiar and friendly audiences such as family members, close friends, fellow DJs and so forth.

Yes, the above examples were a little bit simplistic but you can see the pattern. When I lay down at night after spending my day preparing for the grid skipping expedition and some fears pop into my mind, the following day I write them down into a document named Fear Fool.

I am not going to lie. I am scared of wild animals. The funny thing though is that I love them (from a distance of course!). One of my biggest fears on the Big Journey is to be minding my business outside and have an encounter with a huge animal I cannot outrun!*

Writing down the fears and the possible solutions to the problems that cause them accomplishes two things: 1) It is actually part of the preparation and it allows me to draw a checklist 2) I run out of excuses to bail out of the big journey!

Speaking of writing down things, I will also put on together that I will probably name: Mr Murphy (yes, the one from the Murphy’s Law fame!). I will discuss this in a future post.

* Photo by: claudiogennari