“That’ll be $48.75” the checkout lady at the grocery store said. I cringed a bit inside but tried not to show it. I racked my brain to remember what my bank balance was but couldn’t say for sure…“This is gonna be close” I thought. 

“On the card, please” I said, mustering fake confidence as I swiped it through and entered the pin. The eftpos machine seemed to be taking forever, heightening my anticipation… “Shit, do I have enough?”…. 

Payment denied.

Oh boy… I then proceeded to make some excuse about how the bank should have transferred the funds I’d requested by now, how I’m sorry for wasting her time and: “How about I just take a few items off so we can get this paid for”. 

The lady smiled. I’m pretty sure she could see straight through me.

I was in my mid-twenties and living in Banff, Alberta, Canada. Tertiary educated in Biomedical Science, a Graduate Diploma in Secondary Education and a couple of years of high school teaching under my belt...

But here I was, working as a cook in a small bistro earning $10.50 an hour, struggling to feed myself.

How did it come to this?

Let’s wind it back a few years

My Story

 

Me as a youngster, learning the deadly arts

Growing up, I was fortunate to have been exposed to many different ways of life. From the high fences topped with razor wire that surrounded our house in tropical, Port Moresby (PNG), to acres of land on a hobby farm near Coffs Harbour, NSW where I could ride dirt bikes and explore the bush. I've lived in the country, next door to amazing beaches with incredible surf, and spent time in some major cities.

After 4 years of tertiary study at the University of QLD in Brisbane, I went up North to Townsville to become a high school science teacher. The teaching years were "hands down" the most frustrating years of my life. 6 out of 7 of my classes were labelled "behaviour challenged" and I spent a lot of my time as a junior teacher metaphorically banging my head against the wall (BIG respect to all the school teachers out there....unless you've done that job, you just don't know).

On a rough day, I'd ride my motorbike home, crack a beer and then go and sit on the grass in the backyard and just stare out into oblivion, all the while wondering "what the fuck am I doing here?"... I felt lost between 2 realities - knowing that I couldn't do this forever, but also not knowing what I wanted to do.

Those years did however teach me a lot about myself (good and bad). I learnt a lot of life skills that actually made it fairly easy to get hired in other jobs where I was coming in with zero experience, but a strong work ethic and a willingness to learn (e.g., cooking, security, mining).

Desperate for a break, I moved to Canada for what was intended to be a 1 year working holiday (away from teaching) but it turned into 4 years of adventure! I let loose in Banff for a couple of years - snowboarding, partying and working as a cook.

Realising I needed to explore more of Canada and change up my lifestyle, I moved to Kelowna, BC. That's also where I met the misses and we hit it off instantly. We moved in to a 1 bedroom downtown unit, and she was initially confused when I rocked up with all my "stuff". At the time, it only consisted of a couple of bags, some snowboarding gear and the clothes on my back.

One year later, when our rental lease was approaching its end we sat down to think about "what next?". Life was good. Carissa was working as an early intervention behavioural therapist for kids on the Autism spectrum (still does to this day, but now she's her own boss - way to go, baby!).

I was working as Head of Security at a fantastic downtown Pub in Kelowna. I loved my job. My boss and the people I worked with were awesome. Our regular punters were also great, genuine humans. They served Guinness on tap at the bar - was this heaven? Not exactly.

You see, I was on around $16 an hr which after sorting the bills and some food, didn't leave much coin in the back pocket. There were days when my bank balance was lower to the ground then a snake's scrotum! It was a great life but not really sustainable. I was nudging closer to my 30's and had a head full of epic memories, bugger-all in the bank and all my possessions could fit in the back of one car.

I needed a plan.

I mentioned the idea of giving the iron ore mines in Western Australia a go to the Carissa. "We can move to Perth, try it out for a year and see what happens." She leapt at the idea and it turns out it was one of the best decisions we had ever made. Mining gave a stable, 6 figure income which financially got us off the ground and replaced the morning's cornflakes with organic granola.

 

 

HOWEVER... there's a catch. In this case it's the very nature of FIFO (Fly In, Fly Out). You work remotely which means leaving friends and family behind every swing to go work 12.5 hour back-to-back shifts in the desert, where temps can exceed 50 Deg C (122 Deg F). I have witnessed a sealed tar road literally melting and caving like a sponge after my boot had pressed on it. It can get bloody hot in summer, and like most deserts, bloody cold in winter.

 

 

I worked for many years as a heavy mobile machine operator (drills, loaders, water carts, etc), all the while volunteering as a member on the mine's Emergency Response Team (ERT). I was voted Captain of the team a year after joining (yikes!) and from there eventually got into the Emergency Services Officer (ESO) role which oversaw the ERT.

 

 

The ESO role is a ‘jack of all trades’ (ahem…master of none) position. Like the 'Swiss army knife' of emergency responders. You and your team of eager volunteers respond to ANYTHING that could possibly go wrong on a mine site.
- Road crash leaving casualties in need of urgent medical attention? Yep.
- Fire involving a warehouse filled with hazardous chemicals and various gas cylinders? Sure.
- Helicopter crashing into a busload of pregnant nuns!?... Highly unlikely... but if it happened then yep, we'd be there.

 

Fast forwarding to today...

My main interest is to be the best Dad I can be and live life with more freedom, meaning and purpose. Additionally, I strive to positively impact other people’s lives so that they are empowered to manifest a better future and walk a path of abundance, self-growth and discovery.

"Erm...sure, but what does that actually mean?" you might say.

Essentially, It means seeking and implementing the knowledge to develop a meaningful online business so that I can live life the life I desire, and guide others on how to do the same.

I believe that a better world could exist with more self-aware and self-reliant people. People just like you (yeah, you!) can experience more joy and freedom in your life by starting an online business that you love. I guide people to the resources that will empower them to acquire the mindset, skills and knowledge to live a fulfilling life based on their own terms. I'm also there to guide them along their journey - you don't need to do it alone!

 

My Family

Carissa and I are kept busy with our two little girls, Caidence and Alethea, and one (not so little) dog - our Weimaraner, Charlie.

 

I have one older brother who is currently living in Canada (strong AU - CAD connection in the family!). He is the muscular unit with a tan, I am the taller one who could get sunburnt during a full moon. We look nothing alike but apparently sound very similar. A successful bloke in his own right, with a skyrocketing career in the mining industry.

 

My Market

Anyone who is serious about investing in themselves and making money online - you are my people! Whether you’re a teenager, in your “golden” years or anywhere in between. Regardless of race, gender or geographical location. If you can navigate the absolute basics of a computer (eg, copy & paste, drag & drop) and can apply yourself to a goal then good news for you, my friend - you can make money online.

With numerous different tried and tested business models, there is something suitable for everyone. You don't even need your own product or unique idea!

Not sure where you would even start? Read this article on why you should stop trading your time for money. Also, click this link for your FREE 4-part video workshop training series >> These videos total ~2.5 hours of training from an expert in his field. Frankly, they're a must watch!

Also, feel free to drop me an email on the Contact page and let's have a chat - I'd love to hear from you. You see, the purpose of this site is so that you can get an understanding of who I am.

I believe in full transparency, so when I endorse a product or service you know that I stand by it. It’s not some robot marketing machine on the other side of this website, it’s a person. When I make a recommendation for a product or service I want you to know that it is something that I truly see value in.

If I wouldn’t recommend it to family and friends, then it simply doesn’t make the cut.

If you are looking to earn an income online, it would be my absolute pleasure to help guide you in the right direction.

Thanks for reading,

Toby