I ran a successful business for 20 years in the health and fitness industry (a private personal training studio, to be exact). I worked a corporate job prior to that and hated it.
I took risks and went off on my own. It took blood sweat and tears and in the end, after 20 years we had to foreclose due to a strenuous economy in South Africa which included having weathered two major recessions in the last 10 years.
In 2007, I was forced to learn how to make the business more competitive as the industry became more competitive. I succeeded in doing that by learning and mastering Google Apps, Google Adwords and Search Engine Optimization. I'm glad I learned these skills because little did I know that working online would become my passion and art.
In the end I lost it all, my business, my car, my apartment and had to get on a flight to the UK to come and stay with my sister in London to try and rebuild my life.
But things happen for a reason. Since arriving in the UK I have done 10 Google Certifications and developed my own online personal training system, which sells - slowly, but it sells - it will come.
My system is a fully automated coaching and mentoring system with full video demonstration. 6 months of coaching for 300 GBP.
This was the level of my determination - no stone unturned.
And yes - I did get verbally crucified from those close to me for my faults and failings.
I took risks, I wanted more - They didn't.
I have also built a sports massage blog since arriving here and have started a private massage practice from home - I get enquiries from my Google My Business listing on Google maps.
I have also helped my old business partner resurrect his personal training business at Virgin Active in Bryanston Johannesburg by building a site for him and getting it ranked on page 1 for google search. He is back on his feet again, has clients again and is making money.
I can provide some excellent guidelines on how to build an intelligent pay per click strategy without spending a fortune as well as how google really responds to site building and SEO techniques without the paralysis of analysis and over-engineering.
It's actually quite easy - just keep things simple, love what you are doing, be passionate and be yourself.
I look forward to working with you in the near future.