from a pathetic drunk in the park, to an Internet success story?
Here’s something I wrote on November 20th, 2007, in putting my application forward for consideration as one of the 20 lucky folks to be gifted the Millionaire Phenomena Wealth Passport.
Just over six years ago, I was a miserable, pathetic alcoholic, lying drunk in a park with few clues about how I got there and certainly lacking any prospect of a happy future.
I was contemplating the futility of my existence, my life was empty, I was a spiritually and emotionally bankrupt and I believed that my life was at an end; there was no point going on - I was a hopeless failure.
Something miraculous happened…
…and on October 5th, 2001 I decided to live and be sober. I have been ever since.
I won’t tell the story of that miracle here - it is truly amazing, but not relevant to this application.
See other postings in the Addiction and Recovery Category for a few more personal words on the matter.
What is relevant to this application, are some words about my efforts to earn a living and make something of myself as an Internet business owner since putting down the booze.
Each year described is roughly October to October.
year #1 2001/2002: over 200 AA meetings, a lot of addiction recovery counselling. Could not work much; surviving on sickness benefits, severe panic attacks, sheer existential terror.
Gross Income ~ $8,500.
year #2 2002/2003: A lot more counselling and meetings, a bit of work; sickness benefits, ongoing anxiety and depression. Playing multi-player online combat games late into the night.
Gross Income ~ $10,000.
year #3 2003/2004: Continued AA meetings and counselling, increased anxiety, less depression, first serious attempts to rebuild my Internet development and hosting business. Walking many miles letterboxing leaflets late at night. Elected as a Greens local government councillor. Completed the Landmark Forum. Came to believe I could have a future worth living. Reading self-help books late into the night.
Gross Income ~ $12,000.
year #4 2004/2005: Ceased attending regular AA meetings and counselling sessions after letting go of much of my past through courses at Landmark Education. Continued working part-time in my business. Serving my community as a local Councillor. Studying Internet marketing intensively late into the night. Optimistic about the future.
Gross Income ~ $17,500.
year #5 2005/2006: Starting to believe I can become the type of person I always hoped I could be. Completed a leadership and presentation skills training program. Continued to work at growing my business. Serving my community as a local Councillor. Studying Internet marketing intensively late into the night.
Gross Income ~ $32,000.
year #6 2006/2007: Returned to part-time university studies, after 11 year absence. Achieved two High Distinctions, first time for that. Continued working part-time in my business. Serving my community as a local Councillor. Starting to get to bed before midnight some nights. Reading a lot of personal development books and financial education books.
Gross Income $48,000.
April 2007: Business Mastery Secrets, Dr Marc Dussault. Met Stuart Zadel. Asked if I could assist on his production crew.
May 2007: Assisted on Stuart’s crew for “Think and Grow Rich” Sydney event. Met Mal Emery, Andrew and Daryl Grant, Paul Blackburn, many other amazing people. Signed up for Andrew and Daryl’s Deluxe Package.
June 2007: Attended Internet Mastery Secrets. Thanks John, Connie and team!! Signed up for Brett McFall’s Lightbulb Experience.
July 2007: Attended Andrew and Daryl’s four day workshop. Met many more amazing people.
August 2007: UDIA four day Property Development Course. A real mind-expanding insight into how people create wealth, employment and economic prosperity through property development
September 2007: Pete Godfrey’s Ca$h on Demand Copywriting Bootcamp. Paul and Mary Blackburn’s Mental Toolbox Weekend.
Completion of a transformational paradigm shift in my understanding of the nature of humanity and the universe.
“True wealth is being a go-giver, not a go-getter.” - Zig Ziglar
The true test of success will be what I can contribute to others, to empower your dreams and have you win in life. If you don’t win, I don’t win.
October 2007: Paul and Mary Blackburn’s Breakthrough to Wealth seminar. Totally mind-popping. Doubled all my hourly rates effective November 1st.
Mal Emery’s Silent Killer 2007; the most incredible line-up of speakers of any business marketing educational event I have attended so far. Spoke at some length with the extraordinary Mr Ted Nicholas, he kindly signed my Gratitude Journal (keeping as per Paul Blackburn’s teachings).
Not taking away anything from other events, such as Stuart’s “Think and Grow Rich” event at all, which had a broader personal development focus, and Internet Mastery Secrets which was Internet-focused.
November 2007: Launched a new e-commerce shopping system for Armidale Business Development Centre. Very proud of the finished website, at http://www.banalasta.com.au.
A big thumbs up to Ash Mehta of http://www.mitash.com for the awesome work on this project.
Most of the websites I have produced prior to this have been primarily informational based, not fully e-commerce enabled.
I started playing the “Double Your Way to A Million” game , as written by Stuart Goldsmith.
Visit “Double Your Way to a Million” for a free report.
I have commenced working with an Internet business mentor on a monthly fee basis for the first time.
I am now working on my long term business strategy of providing easy web business development and Internet marketing services to small business.
Right now, November 20th, making this application.
2008: Ready for a quantum leap in my delivery of value creating services to others in their businesses as a provider of easy web marketing services.
Also continuing to serve my community as a local Councillor.
If I am given a Millionaire Phenomena Wealth Passport, I will hold it as my sacred duty to ensure that five other people also succeed in becoming millionaires with me.
This will be accomplished through their participation in a mastermind group I have established and written the groundrules for.
One of the rules is that everyone must win; ie. succeed in the game.
Another rule is Pay It Forward. Each one of us must then go on to mentor another group of six, to guide another thirty six people to become millionaires.
As Stuart Zadel says, “Every millionaire in Australia creates ten new jobs.”
So that will be 420 jobs as well as 42 new millionaires.
I intend to achieve this by October 2012. That will be a fitting 10th anniversary of sobriety.
So let’s get it started, bring it on 2008!
love and light,
Bradley C Hughes
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kool glad you got the principles of the “12″ dude
me too
i’m doing community work (6yrs now)its taken me to having a baby getting married and being happy, stopped meetings too.
i write hip hop tracks and may be playing ness creek saskatewan this year. not bad for a guy living in london on the streets 10 yrs ago.
good on you