Daniel sold for $4.2 million. He started another business within six months.
Feb 04, 2026Daniel's wife thought he'd finally rest. Travel. Be present. Maybe coach his son's footy team on Saturdays instead of talking about it.
He lasted four months.
By month five he was restless. By month six he'd signed a lease on an office. New venture. New stress. Same pattern.
He told everyone he was "bored." His wife didn't buy it. She'd watched him on those four months off — he wasn't bored. He was agitated. Couldn't sit still. Picked fights. Seemed lost.
Here's what Daniel will never tell you, because he doesn't know it himself:
His father was emotionally absent. Physically there. Emotionally gone. The only time young Daniel got his attention was through achievement. A good report card got a nod. A sports trophy got a conversation. An ordinary Tuesday got nothing.
Daniel learned something before he had words for it: I exist when I achieve. I disappear when I don't.
That's subconscious programming. And it's brutal. Because it means Daniel can never stop. Not because he loves business — he's exhausted. But because stillness feels like ceasing to exist.
$4.2 million in the bank and the man can't sit on his own deck without panic rising.
His psychologist suggested meditation. His accountant suggested he enjoy life. His mates told him he's crazy. None of them see what's actually driving it. Because the link between a distant father in 1986 and a compulsive entrepreneur in 2026 isn't a connection anyone thinks to make.
Except it's the only connection that matters.
Perry Mardon
