The beginnings of success
Success, this story beginning five years ago aged 37, burnt out, bored with my life and career. I was a successful 18 year veteran of the retail industry winning awards and growing retail stores to unprecedented levels. I managed numerous retail stores including my own Tandy franchise for 8 years. We made brilliant money, living in a big house, driving a fast sports car and having three kids with a loving wife. What more could a man want? We thought the lifestyle would last forever.
Change
Within the three years that followed things changed, and changed fast. Firstly, our Tandy store closed and our money was gone. Secondly, I went through four jobs struggling in every way imaginable continually asking myself why am I unhappy? My wife and I found ourselves spiralling downwards both financially and in life. Literally the shit hit the fan! We were now on the skinny branches, with three kids surrounded with uncertainty. How could we have messed it up?
Realisation
During this time I was managing a new U.K electronic games store arriving in Australia. I was employed to grow it quickly and establish a foothold in the market. Deep down there was a problem, something was missing. An emptiness existed, an unhappiness even. Soon life was pulling me along and I was allowing it, I had no control over my destiny, I was totally owned. The realisation came, I was lost.
Inciting incident
One night, out with a friend and heavily intoxicated, I injured myself. Later learning I fell of an ocean tidal wall, landing heavily on the sand fracturing my back. I can’t even remember how I did it. Luckily, my friend was present managing to get me to hospital. For a week I lay in hospital feeling the embarrassment that I caused to my wife, family, parents and friends, not forgetting the friend that helped me. In conclusion, I will never truly know what I put these people thru, including my work colleagues forced to carry the weight in my absence. I was officially a dumb arse!
Grandmother
Upon arriving home, I was to receive a phone call that would radically change my life. It was my grandmother! With five short words she reminded me it was time to grow up and put my family first. I was shocked, my heart sank, remembering distinctly the feelings felt in being told off by my grandmother! I was 39. WTF? My own parents didn’t even go there. My grandmother (you learn some shit about handling kids when you raised five of your own!) had made her point like a psychologist. That really threw me.
Message
Chatting a while longer we spoke about her passion for the piano, as a child she wanted to master the piano but her father couldn’t afford the lessons. To her own regret she let the dream pass. I was soon to realise the true meaning of the piano when she passed away a year later. The message left was simple, play you’re fucking music, no matter what it takes. Never give up on the dream, never. It is a conversation that will stay with me forever.
Snap point
Upon recovery and returning to work, I felt this uncanny sense today was my last day as manager. I called another store manager touching base feeling out any news. One thing in life I know for certain, if nothing changes, nothing changes! Hanging up the phone a decision was made there and then. I decided to resign and walk away from retail after 18 years of service. Notifying the company of my intention, they sent in the area manager for damage control. But there was no changing my mind. I would leave that day never looking back. Later I would learn the U.K Company had hit financial difficulties closing most of its stores including the one I ran, with all losing their jobs. The irony.
Reaction
Returning home unemployed my thoughts turning to my wife’s possible reaction? It did not end well! After all, here I was, with no safety net, no bungee cord, no rope, no backup, nothing! Man what balls. With three small children under the age of eight, now was hardly the time to be unemployed and chasing a dream, whatever that was? Foremost on her mind was survival, especially the kids for which I had no immediate answers. She wanted to know my plan, I didn’t have one. Looking back after the dust settled courage and determination would see us through. It wasn’t easy, but to her credit she stayed when the alternative would have been easier, to leave. That’s when you find out a person really loves you. And so it begins.
Dream
Knowing I could draw really well and loving aerospace and mechanical stuff? I wondered if I could join the dots and make something happen. I had seen some unbelievable automotive 3D animations by Daniel Simon after trolling through Google I immediately felt a connection to 3D. I had absolutely no idea how this stuff was created let alone what path was needed to enter the industry. So I enrolled in an online animation course with Qantm. It was here I discovered what I really wanted to do, 3D product visualisation. And a dream begins.
Road ahead
August 2013, we decided to start my own company in the field of 3D product visualisation. Currently, I am working tirelessly improving my creative skills whilst developing exciting 3D aerospace products and collaborating with a Melbourne film writer on CGI film named Bastion. This post is a first, in sharing my many thoughts and feelings on subjects and look forward to talking with you. As a family we have completely turned our lives around and look forward to the journey ahead, regardless of how long it takes. It is worthy of our lives.
Lastly, never forget the message… play your fuckin music.
