I’m thrilled to share my story with you. It’s been a wild ride, with lots of ups and downs, but I’ve learned that every experience is an opportunity to grow and learn.
I attended William Edwards Secondary School and Thurrock Technical College studying Sciences, then served my apprenticeship as a Chemical Plant Operator with May and Bakers Ltd. But I realized my true calling lay in firefighting. I joined the Essex County Fire Brigade (ECFB) in 1974. I loved the adrenaline rush of being a firefighter, but after the 1977 Firemans strike, I felt the fire service was changing in a negative way. However, I didn’t let that stop me from pursuing my dreams.
So, in 1981, I took a leap of faith and applied for a crash/fire/rescue officer’s position at the new King Abdul Aziz International Airport (KAIA) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where I was accepted. It was a bold move, but it turned out to be the best decision of my life.
From there I Joined the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) whose mission was to police the camp david accords between Israel and Egypt in Sinai, where I was again a fire officer culminating in the rank of Assistant Chief Fire Officer (ACFO). This experience broadened my horizons and taught me the value of
adaptability and teamwork. It was a challenging yet rewarding chapter of my career, and it gave me the confidence to take on new and exciting opportunities in the future.
But I didn’t stop there. I left Sinai to take up a position as Director of a Communications company installing “Structured Cabling” used to connect telephones and data outlets to office premises. This led me into project management, and as technology grew, so did my career. I went on to teach digital communications to installation technicians for Cable and Wireless, NTL, and then Virgin Media.
In tandem with my training responsibilities, I launched a SKY Satellite installation business, running 15 installation vans, which grew to a company turnover of 4.8 million UK pounds per annum. Unfortunately, circumstances beyond my control caused the business to collapse, and I hit a deep trough in my life. But I didn’t let that defeat me. I found solace living on my converted lifeboat, became a “Water Gypsy” and gradually eased myself out of my depression.
I was determined to make a comeback, and I did. I went back into the communications industry and ultimately project managed the infrastructure installation of over 200 prisons in the UK for Her Majesty’s Prison Service. When this contract ended, I then did a similar role for the probation service. When asked what I did for a living, I would answer, “I’ve just come out of prison and I’m on probation,” which got some pretty interesting responses.
I spent a number of years as a freelance fiber optic network designer with an emphasis on bringing fiber to the home (FttH) in the UK for companies such as Virgin Media, Ericksson, and other smaller companies, all while developing my interest in Internet marketing.
My Internet marketing efforts began in the late 1990s, where I started providing stocks and shares trading chart information via CD on eBay. I ultimately developed this interest into a training course on using Japanese candlestick charts to analyze and trade “digital options.” I ran a number of successful (and unsuccessful) seminars and workshops based on this course, which ultimately gave me the means to move into a marvelous 2-bedroom apartment in Palomares, Spain, where I currently live and work, alongside my dear friend Ernie.
I’m grateful for all the experiences I’ve had, both good and bad, as they’ve made me the person I am today. Even during the tough times, I never lost hope, and I kept pushing forward. I believe that with hard work and determination, anything is possible. So, if you’re ever feeling down, remember that “the only way is up” (baby)! Yeah I also run a radio station 🙂