How a surf bum and family man earned 3 to 5 times the industry average - in 3 industries - even though he hung with his family and surfed all the time.

As a teenager, surfer and nature lover, I looked at all the adults I grew up with and decided that they lived lives of madness. Many worked Monday to Friday to earn a wage, doing stuff they didn't love just to survive. And their reward for that sacrifice was survival and 3 weeks holiday a year. In the back of my mind the numbers did not stack up. It seemed a meager existence, working so hard for little more than survival.

Others ran business and worked 6 days a week or more and they never seemed to have time with their family and loved ones - it didn't make sense to me on some deep inner level…all this work, with little fulfillment, lots of hassles and so little play.

However being young and impressionable (and with no other role models) I stuffed down my real feelings and followed the party line and trotted off to work and started my career. It was the thing I had been trained to do!

By the time I was 19 I was an assistant manager at a large transport company, with a house and a career. Here I was supposedly on the success path - but in reality I was dying inside, fat and experiencing a deep depression. This was my first taste of a very strong life lesson for me - when you don't follow your heart you die inside.

Even though I was depressed it took deep courage to 1. Fully investigate why I was depressed (doing stuff I did not love - following paths that were not my own) 2. Fully investigate what I did love and own it 3; Turn away from my conditioning and the social construct of how I should live my life and do what I loved.

Much to every-one's dismay, I turned my back on that so called 'successful career path' sold my house and moved to Hawaii, to do what I truly loved; surfing in wild oceans, feeling the heart beat of nature and the pulse of the earth. 

Surfing and being in wilderness gave me a deep sense of meaning, passion, connection and a purpose. My life changed dramatically for the better as a result of making the decision to follow my heart and pursue something as seemingly meaningless as surfing.

Surfing allowed me to live and visit some very amazing and exotic places, all very close to nature and the connection of the ocean. Surfing came first and just gave me so much.

Surfing shaped the people I met, (overseas cultural experiences shaped my interest in people), my interest in health and wellbeing. It allowed me to meet Ann Maree who is now my partner and mother to my children.  Surfing has dictated where I live (always near the beach), how I work, and as you are about to find out, how I ran my businesses.

My life lesson at this point was 1. Do what you love in work and play.

My favorite quotes at the time were -

1. "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation." Henry David Thoreau
2. ""Your mind will tell you that you can live like this, but your heart can't…… it's about to explode." Charley Thweatt

My 'beach bum' personality became a great business adviser.

Years ago, when I first started out in business, I thought that my surfing habit would be a hindrance to my business goals.

However when I look back I realise that my surfing habit actually made me a smarter business person.

My deep fear of losing the ability to do what I loved (surf) gave me a unique drive and motivation when it came to setting up and running a business.

From the first day I was in business every business I owned was ALWAYS set up to give me the freedom and profit to surf ‘immediately’.

I urge you to understand the message here - it’s so important that I will repeat it. The freedom to surf was so important to me - that I designed my business models to give me IMMEDIATE time freedom and profit. (By the way I am not telling fantasy -’the 4 hour work week’ type stories here - when I worked - I worked really hard - and you have to - but only work hard ONCE YOU HAVE BEEN SMART).

Because my business objective were so clear - 1. provide exceptional value to clients 2. work far less hours than the norm while making far more money than the norm (so I could surf and have a prosperous life) I was forced to ask different questions to most business owners.

My questions were.

1. If I exchange time for money as a service provider, how can I position and market myself, and how should I set up my business model so I earn 3 to 5 times more than my competitors only working 3 days a week (face to face with clients)?
    
2. How can I create leverage in every situation? Including how can I work once and get paid passive income? How can I get ongoing semi passive income? What business model allows me to work less for more? How can I get someone else to do this job that I am doing? How can I get really good people to do this job for me so the standard is high? How can I use technology to automate processes in my business so I or staff don’t have to do anything to make that job happen? How can I replicate myself? How can I structure this so I enter the market quickly to large numbers at low cost? How do I attract, build and lead a team that will work perfectly when I am away surfing (my ultimate goal). How can I market this for no or very little cost. How can I ensure continuity of income over the longest period with the least work and high value products? What business model will trap me? What business model will set me free.

The drive to keep my time freedom so I could surf forced me to ask myself  these questions constantly.

THE ANSWERS TO THESE QUESTIONS set me FREE.

The moment a business model looked like trapping me, I would feel sick and start asking these questions again. My whole heart and soul went into asking and finding answers to these questions.

MOST BUSINESS OWNERS PLAN THEIR FREEDOM MANY YEARS DOWN THE TRACK...and because they have not asked the questions early enough, they are usually losing hope, burnt out, smashed about and totally trapped by their businesses before they start asking these questions. That’s madness in my mind.

When I first experienced highly leveraged income (passive and semi passive income) - I never looked back.

I can tell you from experience when you have a lot of semi or semi passive income - anything less looks like hell! Your mind thinks “why would I work that hard for so little”?

Interestingly enough, as a result of coaching, advicing to and teaching business owners I now see that most business owners are hard wired into working far to much. They find it hard to accept or even believe that it is possible to work far less but earn far more.  And because they don't believe it, their energy for really making it happen, is very very low. They get what they really believe about business.

Business freedom sabotages.

As an example some workaholic business owners I have advised and coached say they want time freedom, but in reality they have poor family relationships and they are not willing to address the issues so they stay at work.

Also there seems to be some shame for some entrepreneurs about working less and having fun (when they should be working - their words not mine) - as though NOT WORKING means there is something wrong with them, that there less than a man! Its probably a good thing - it just means more waves for me. These types will never enjoy their freedom.

I love hanging out with my family and enjoying their company. I have good relationships with them all, they are precious to me - why would I feel ashamed about spending time with them instead of working when I don’t need to?

Quality time with family is a precious thing - probably the most important thing, it is the thing you will think about on your death bed. Quality time with family is the thing you get to enjoy when you have great profit and time freedom.

I have often talked to my friends that have died with cancer and other diseases - and the always talk about their families. Not one of them lay in their death bed thinking I wish I had worked more and spent less time with the people I loved. 

There have been times where I have strayed from this central tenant of following my heart and I have always paid a price.

It's not all been roses. I have made mistakes that have meant I have had to work like a rabid dog trying to get my head out of a hole, often for a year. During these periods I look at my family and feel totally disconnected, numb, guilty, wishing I could share good times with them, but not being able to because I am so caught up in business…however asking myself and answering those questions always returns me to the right equation of money and time -  and I get my freedom back. And once you have done something successfully once or twice it is easy to replicate it again and again.

Other times I have chased big money (and made it) only to want to make more of it. You may relate - (it can be the feminine business owners curse as well). I have at times been struck with a very primal male infliction that drives me to need to kill more beasts than I need (read- make far more money than I need). And then I am not satisfied and I need to go and kill even more beasts. Then I see other people killing more beasts than me - and I say I can kill as many beasts as them so I chase that number too.  It's very primal, like I am driven to prove my worth by being the best hunter, as though money making is a competition. And the world, and marketing reinforces this madness. More and more and bigger and bigger is the mantra. And I have been caught up in that too. Every-time my heart, my family and the ocean brings me back to what really matters to me - as though I need to slay more and more beasts to enjoy the beach and my family. MADNESS!

Great profit and time freedom is the best reward for being successful at business.

I am passionate about helping you work smart. Working smart before you work hard leads to profit and time freedom. Working hard with no insight leads to low profit margins and being trapped by your business.

I love sharing my knowledge and insight with clients - so if you resonate with the idea of growing a very profitable business (regardless of industry) that gives you time freedom to pursue those things that are meaningful to your heart and spirit, come work with me.

Here is how I can help you

1. Recruitment & Team.

To have a business that produces;

1. Excellence in all areas of the business including customer service
2. Time freedom for the owner

You must employ a great team of staff who fully support your business goals, values and standards. The problem is very few business owners know how to attract and recruit high performing staff. Due to their lack of training and knowledge most business owners recruit staff that subtely (or not so subtley) undermine their business goals, wasting hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost profit.

I have a step by step recruitment system that guarantees that you will ONLY attract and recruit high performing staff that can be fully trusted to do their job exceptionally well wether you are there or not. If you are serious about wanting a team of staff that fully support your and your business this is your solution - guaranteed.AND you always need a proven recruitment system that guarantees you high quality staff PLUS

2. Strategy.

The person with the best strategies wins the game of business.

Sometimes you just need a kick ass profit strategy to get cash in quickly, other times you are confused and overwhelmed with emotion and need help choosing the most profitable direction. AND you simply must have a business building plan you stick to so you don’t end up getting trapped working in your business (like most business owners do).

If you just want someone to bounce your ideas off (and your willing for realistic feedback and critqueing), or if you need an in depth analysis of your business, or you have lost your passion for business and experiencing burnout  -  I am your man for all that!

3. Path

You and I are uniquely different - in that we both love and enjoy different things in life.

I am equally adebt at giving you a powerful profit making strategy or practical solution to a problem as I am at identifying the counter productive behaviours and unconscious beliefs impacting on your business performance.

If you'd like some help ... check out this website then contact us!?... but only if you're up for the challenge and sincere about transforming your business!

Time FREEDOM & Profit.

With the right knowledge, principles and strategies you can set your business up so it gives you the lifestyle that is meaningful to you and your family. Building a cash cow business system that does not require your constant input must be your major goal. Your business should give you the profit and the time freedom to live a meaningful life with the people you love.

Your DREAM team.

You can build YOUR dream team when you have the right recruitment processes in place, understand personality profiles, human values, leadership and have a proven step - by - step system to manage it all. Don't let poor performing staff hold you or your business to ransom ever again.  You can only get the free time and profit you dream of when you have the right people to support you.

Self Mastery.

As a business owner - whether you like it or not your business is a total reflection of your habits, character, passion, personality beliefs, attitudes and skills. YOU are the central influence on every area of your business, even those areas led by others. You are the central influence in your marketing, in your recruiting, in your team leadership and in your strategies.

Working on your business also encompasses working on YOU and how you think, act and behave. Self Mastery is a prerequisite for success.

If you are ready for the challenge of transforming you and your business contact me.