Living the life of an entrepreneur is a lifelong journey which involves a lot of ups and downs. For me, it wasn’t an overnight decision, but a lifestyle which has developed over time. I’ve always had the goal to be able to work for myself, and do what I am passionate about doing rather than just working to pay the bills. But how did I start and what advice can I give you? Read a little bit more about my story and I hope that this inspires you in some way to keep reaching for your goals and living with passion.

Growing up on a dairy farm with two older siblings meant I knew the meaning of hard work from a very early age. I understood the value of money and had developed a strong work ethic from my very first job, which I started even before I could legally work! Once I turned 14 though I started working in a proper job at the local pizza store making pizzas. Sure, it wasn’t my passion, but I was working and earning money and this got me thinking at a young age of how to make an even bigger impact in the workforce. I was naturally inquisitive in business, and even as a young employee I looked at the chain of command above me and realised I could either work for years to try and work my way up the chain, or I could start a new business at the top and hire people under me to create my own empire. I chose the latter!

Many people only see the positive side of being a business owner - the fun events, the travel, the independence and the control. These are all amazing benefits of being a business owner and an entrepreneur. But there is a lot of hard work behind each successful entrepreneur, and usually a history of hard knocks and failures.

My main business, VO Group, was born as a small business out of a gap in the market. While running another business, I was paying graphic designers and web developers to work on my branding and marketing, and quickly realised I could hire my own in-house team for much less. I decided to do this as a separate business. Working alongside these new staff members I discovered just how much I loved the creative design and web development world, and a few years later I closed the first business to concentrate on this smaller subsidiary which has now grown into VO Group.

VO Group has come an extremely long way since first opening the doors in 2010. We have launched various new brands, supported hundreds of local businesses and business owners, and worked with thousands of successful companies across Australia and New Zealand.

What makes me an entrepreneur as opposed to just a business owner is, partly, my mindset. I don’t just work regular hours and then go home and ‘switch off’ when the office has shut down fo the day. My mind is programmed to be constantly on the look out for new ideas to develop and new revenue streams to create. If I can’t find a product or service, I immediately work out if it’s something I can create or import. If I am paying too much for a service or product, I investigate if I can offer it at a cheaper price and do it myself. I love networking, too, and find that many ideas and contacts come from my ability to strike up a conversation with other businesses owners and chat about ideas and projects.

Entrepreneurs can’t be successful unless they are willing to take risks, accept that sometimes they will fail, and be willing to do long hours with minimal rewards. It’s all about long-term goals and long-term gains to an entrepreneur.

So, what advice can I give to you if you want to either start your own business, develop your own idea or maybe just inject a little more passion into your work and your life?

Be open minded. Try saying ‘yes’ a little more around the workplace. Don’t be scared to learn a new skill - perhaps take a TAFE course or study online and then work out a way to market yourself. Maybe start an eCommerce business and build your own website to sell what you have built, or write an eBook based on your knowledge and market it from your social media platform. There are so many ideas out there now and with the incredible connectivity on offer with social media you can market yourself anyway you want!

I’m not here telling you it’s an easy path. I myself have suffered some pretty hard blows, even in the last few years. But rather than letting myself get down and feeling negative about the situation, I always take the good from each mistake I make and move on quickly to the next step. Accept your mistakes, without regret. This is so important! As cliché as it sounds, it’s important to remember that everything does happen for a reason.

Are you ready to take the leap into a new business or develop your skills as an entrepreneur? Stay tuned on my Social Media channels as I release more articles that will help you smash your goals and live your life with passion and energy

About VO Group

VO Group is a creative agency headquartered on the Gold Coast and has offices in Melbourne and Auckland.

VO Group has introduced PR to its list of services with national clients.

The VO Group PR remit includes event management, content development and scheduling, cultivating relationships with media at all levels, and assembling new campaigns.

VO Group handles marketing, social media engagement, event coverage (video and still photos), IT support, and app development.

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