So who am I really!

Not a question I ask myself everyday but like many who just passed the milestone of his mid fifties a question which requires some self reflection

My back story

My journey started like many growing up in a small rural community with hard working parents who wanted only the best for their sons ( I am the youngest of 3). A focus on education led me to academic success but also served to determine my future path in many respects. Secondary education, work hard, find a good job and live happily ever after. That was what was expected.

My career followed my eldest brother where expectations of a "safe" and secure job lead to 6 years of university education culminating in a Mechanical Engineering degree in 1990

After working 25 years in Northern Labrador (North Eastern Canada if you're wondering) filling various roles within the local Mining Company from Engineering Design, Supervison and Maintenance Managment I left in 2015 and joined a Metals Refinery on the Island of Newfoundland where I have been working in Management and Maintenance Data Systems Support for the last number of years

These traditional roles have taught me many life and professional skills, rewards and personal development learnings but has also served to really question whether it was the right path for me. I'll get to that later!

During this period I married my pilar of strength and support and raised 3 great kids while working a steady and safe job working 'time for money". Life rolled along with the usual trials and challenges that we all face and overcome every day while pursuing the dream of working long enough to see the fruits of my labor turn into a healthy nest egg to allow a comfortable retirement before I became too old or sick to enjoy it

Lo and behold life had different plans!

I forgot to mention this critical piece of information! The move in 2015 was the result of the business closing resulting in a loss of secure income, interruption in pension contributions and security for 4 years and a loss of medical retirement coverage.

Probably a common story with many of our generation as we can no longer depend on pensions to provide us with a standard of living that will allow for the "dream life" in our golden years. If you are like me and in your mid fifties with less time left to build that confortable nest egg in a world of increaing expenses and market uncertainty what I have to say might resonant with you.

But I digress! Talk of pensions easily distracts me!

Lets continue.

Good fortune led me back to the work force with a new and larger mortgage, increasing expenses and a fading dream of early retirement yet I was fortunate to have secure work at a good salary, great work colleagues a supportive wife and family and fantastic neighbours in a great community

What more could anyone ever want. Right?  BUT like many of us who having been either going to school or working for our entire lives we begin to say to ours "Is this it".

Will I ever be in a position to "retire" knowing that retiring is not really what we want. We just want to have greater "leverage" of the time we have left. Time to pursue other passions, travel, help our children get a better start in life and strengthen the relationships with those we love. Sounds simple right?

But how do you start? I'll get to that. Back to my story!

Now comes the curve ball life always seem to throw at us! 

It was 2021 and I was deep in the clutches of trying to figure out what a path to a more comfortable life might look like for me. I remember one morning in August of 2021 asking the world out load (yes I asked the world for help in my outside voice) to give me a sign if I am meant to make a change in my life. A month later I had a massive heart attack which if it wasn't for the quick thinking of my wife who wouldn't listen to her stubborn husband and the help from great neighbours who happened to be heart attack survivours and an emergency room nurse things may have ended much worse. It was obviously not my time. I think the world was trying to tell me something

So like a kick in the stomach I started my journey of self discovery, self development and an overall obsession with finding a path forward to that dream life. I began to read everything I could get my hands on around online businesses, personal growth and development, and building financial security. Changes to my morning routines and long evenings ensued. (Remember I was still working a 40 hr work week in my regular job)

My Side Story

Lets back up a little to give you a bit of an insight into another part of my life which had a huge impact on me over the years. More than I truly realized to be honest

I always enjoyed the idea of selling products even as a teenager so in 1993 I transformed a hobby and passion into a side hustle selling fly fishing and outdoor related gear. This migrated over the years to a brick and mortar store and back to a home based business with a number of years being dormant while life got busy raising kids and dealing with the many challenges of life.

I eventually turned to the online world in 2012 selling on facebook and other social media platforms and migrating to a full website and E-Commerce store in 2016. This was updated to a Shopfy store in 2022 with a renewed focus on turning this hobby business into a supplemental income source and hopefully a path to early retirement from my day day job.

After completing some business planning and consulation work in early 2022 it was apparent to me that a lack of a defined marketing plan and system was preventing the business from growth and unless I made a dramatic change in direction and focus the business would never become more than a side hustle.

This where the Launch You program came in. It is providing the knowledge, learning and mentorship critical to understanding how to leverage the internet and online marketing to transform a hobby into a business. Although still working through the program the path to a successful business is clear. Hard work and determination is the only things standing in my way!

My Future Story

My future is yet to be written of course but for the first time I have a clear path and direction on how to achieve my version of success where control over my financial growth is mine alone and where the journey will provide personal growth and an opportunity for a digital education I could never have before imagined

Can't wait to see where this stage of my life leads!!

If you managed to get this far in my story and maybe it resonants just a little with you then maybe I can help

My desire is to take what have learned over the years both in my professional career as well as my journey with online business and now with the Launch You program and share that knowledge and maybe trigger some positve change in your life

I am just getting started so stay tuned!