I didn’t come from money. I didn’t finish school with a grand plan. I left at the end of Year 10, missed out on an apprenticeship because I didn’t have my license, and took the first job I could get, working as a storeman until I was old enough to get behind the wheel.
Once I had that license, I started a trade apprenticeship in air conditioning and refrigeration. It was supposed to be just a job. But it ended up laying the foundation for everything that came next.
In my fourth year, three senior managers at the company were starting their own business and asked me to join them as their first employee. That was a turning point.
Over the next five years, I helped grow that business into a team of 15, learning the ins and outs of leadership, operations, and client management, not from books or theory, but from being in it every day.
It taught me what to do, what not to do, and the kind of business I wanted to build.
But I hit a ceiling.
There was no opportunity to step up, no room to grow. So I did what most people don’t, I left, and started something of my own.
In 2009, my wife and I launched Valley Air-Conditioning from our small home.
We were 25 years old.
We were newly married, working full-time jobs, and building a business on nights and weekends.
We didn’t have investors or a safety net, just a clear vision for what we wanted our life to look like. We knew we wanted more control over our time, more financial security, and the ability to create something meaningful.
The early days were tough. Our first office was a repurposed TV cabinet and a fax machine.
Deliveries filled the driveway. We outgrew the home setup fast, and within two years, managed to secure financing to buy our first commercial property.
That move changed everything.
Over the next several years, Valley AIR grew rapidly.
We then built a new, purpose-designed facility, expanded to a team of 50, and ran a fleet of 30 vehicles. We hit over $10 million in sales.
From the outside, it looked like success.
But behind the scenes, I was juggling multiple businesses and learning some tough lessons. Not every partnership worked. Not every project turned out how I’d planned. But through it all, I kept refining what mattered: focus, leadership, structure and building businesses that could run without me.
In 2018, I joined a business coaching program, not to become a coach, but to grow as a leader. That’s where everything shifted.
I started learning more about my mindset, leadership, accountability, and personal development. I became more self-aware, more intentional, and started sharing what I’d learned with my team.
I kept building Valley Air while taking on a handful of coaching clients. But then 2020 happened. Like it did for many people, that year changed everything. It reminded us that life can change in an instant and forced us to look at what really mattered.
My wife and I had always talked about traveling Australia as a family, we just kept putting it off. But after that year, we stopped waiting.
I kept building Valley while taking on a handful of coaching clients. But then 2020 happened. Like it did for many people, that year changed everything. We experienced loss, uncertainty, and a lot of perspective.
My wife and I had always talked about traveling Australia with our kids, we just kept putting it off. But after that year, we stopped waiting.
We packed up our lives, left the business under management and hit the road in early 2021. It was one of the best decisions we ever made.
That trip gave me space to reflect, to reconnect with my family, and to realise that I no longer wanted to be in a business that didn’t light me up anymore.
When we got back, I made the call. I sold Valley Air and focused entirely on ARC Business Development and enjoying life more.
ARC isn’t your typical coaching business. I’m not here to motivate you for a day or give you generic advice that sounds good but changes nothing. I work with business owners who are ready to think differently, make better decisions, and build a business that gives them more profit, more control, and more choice.
I’ve built and sold multiple businesses. I’ve experienced the highs and the low, lows, made plenty of mistakes, and learned what actually works.
Everything I teach comes from real-world experience, not theory, and it’s designed to help you build a business that lasts.
I coach a select group of clients, one-on-one, created an online education course for business owners, and continue to create tools and content that help owners take action. Because I believe that with the right structure, the right mindset, and the right support, anyone can build a business that works for their life, not the other way around.
And if there’s one thing I’ve learned along the way, it’s this:
If nothing changes, nothing changes.
Like I said before, you’ve got two choices:
1. Keep spinning your wheels, hoping things “settle down” and magically improve.
2. Or take action, get clarity on what you really want and back yourself with someone who’s been there and done it to ensure you achieve your goals.
If what you’re doing isn’t getting the results you want for the effort you’re putting in, then it might be time to look at changing a few things.
Book a call with me to have a chat or check out ARC Business Development.
