The SCALE Journey to Soul Trader
Dozens of personal and professional connections have reached out to me over the years, feeling uninspired or burnt out. Oftentimes, they want to change industries, enter the mental health world or build their business.
I usually get asked how I made the jump from professional sports bettor, to mental health professional, to sole trader.
I’m always happy to take these calls because they meant SO MUCH to me in my early days when I felt scared, lost and was slogging it out by myself. It feels long overdue to publicly share what I talk about 1–1 with people.
“The fortuitous process I took myself on opened my eyes to a new industry and a new reality… I’ve dubbed it my S.C.A.L.E. Framework ©.”
My brother recently dubbed me an accidental entrepreneur. I don’t really identify as an entrepreneur, but I’ve been called worse things in the past, so I’ll take it. Perhaps accidental sole trader is a more accurate fit.
Across several podcasts & interviews, I’ve shared about what led me here. At its core, witnessing the mental health challenges of mum in my childhood sparked the curiosity within me. Then, losing one of my best friends to suicide was the explosion that created huge change within me. It took 3–4 years of professional grinding and 10+ years of flirting with the idea of how I could do work that feels good and does good.
The fortuitous process I took myself on opened my eyes to a new industry and a new reality. I hope that sharing this action plan I’ve developed will help you make the changes you want in your life or work. I’ve dubbed it my S.C.A.L.E. Framework ©.
S = Self-Invest
During school and university, I used to avoid study because the education systems didn’t appeal to me. At a deeper level though, most of me was just scared to try new things and likely be bad at them. The next barrier in my early twenties was getting over an aversion to the self-development space. What helped me was focussing less on the parts of it I didn’t like and moving towards what I resonated with. It took until my mid-twenties to allow my love of learning to develop as I re-discovered my interests and found the conviction to explore them.
I felt like I was a no one in mental health and I knew little about the space, so my starting point was to get curious and learn about it. I tried to consume as much quality content as possible, and to speak to anyone I knew, who knew more about it than me. Eventually, I put time, money and energy towards practical trainings, events and anything else I could get my hands on to upskill with.
C = Create Momentum
Once I learned a bit, I wanted to get my hands dirty. Firstly, I raised money for NFP’s and charities which felt purposeful as they aligned with me. Over time, I starting to write and share articles online which generated conversations and connections. I also discovered a community group which was revolutionary for me. My growth came from then building that community and facilitating our sharing circles. These proactive steps gave me momentum and helped me fuse this interest into my identity.
“After a lifetime of taking the easier routes, a new voice in my head pushed me to experiment and explore.”
At the time, I hated asking family, friends and connections for donations when I was raising money for charities. I felt gross about the first articles I wrote and released. I thought I was way out of my depth when I started running those circles. After a lifetime of taking the easier routes, a new voice in my head pushed me to experiment and explore.
A = Ask & Offer
The time came for me to speak with more businesses and engage with people outside of my immediate network. Initially I asked questions, but over time I demanded attention by sharing the value I felt I could bring and staying in their line of vision. I also tracked all my communication, self-reflected and refined the process over time.
One of my ULTIMATE life hacks is meticulously tracking things AND keeping them neat & tidy. I record just about everything — travel notes, recipes, workouts, inspiring quotes, business ideas, finances, workshop content, client interactions — you name it. Keeping things orderly keeps me organised, which helps me feel free. I’m also held accountable as the data doesn’t lie, it helps me understand what is and isn’t effective and it takes the bias out of what I think I’m doing vs. what I’m ACTUALLY doing.
L = Leverage
I attended two courses in mid-2020 as a participant, and by the end of 2020, both of those organisations hired me. With these first two roles in mental health, I went from being a nobody in this space to a somebody. Even though my somebody was small, it was all the proof and motivation I needed to cram open other doors professionally.
“Nedd Brockmann says, ‘if your reason to get something done is bigger than your reason to quit, then you’ll just keep going’. That speaks to me… I relentlessly went after it because losing my friend gave me my why.”
Over time, I leveraged working with these two organisations to meet more people and work with other organisations. I turned two roles into four and four into six as I built out my career.
E = Ethical choices
Before I get into ‘E’, I want to slow it down because this was a tough slog for me. Financial stability and security were dashed. Things didn’t progress as quickly as I thought they could. Fears and doubts kept on surfacing. As Nedd Brockmann says, “if your reason to get something done is bigger than your reason to quit, then you’ll just keep going”. That speaks to me… I relentlessly went after it because losing my friend gave me my why.
I didn’t always get it right — and I still don’t — but I constantly reflect on the choices I make. I try to strike a balance of aligning with my values, AND supporting others in the most impactful way, AND sustaining myself commercially.
In the early days, I was a hungry ‘yes man’ and took on any opportunities. I then got to a more established position and had the privilege of organic leads and offers. I’ve felt like a snake shedding its skin as I’ve learnt to say no to what I was once desperate for. ‘E’ feels like the transition letter where I started to descale, maintain, prioritise and focus on quality control.
Just over a year ago, I relocated interstate — something I recently wrote about as one of the best decisions of my life. I had to sacrifice a beloved part-time role and some epic casual gigs though. My total income in Melbourne was barely adequate to support myself with, and then most of that income vanished with my move.
I emotionally committed to relocating before I decided what I’d do with my work… Then, reality hit. I didn’t want to look for a job, nor did I feel ready (are we ever…?) to go it alone as a sole trader. In my heart of hearts, I can’t say I did the sole trader thing because ‘oh, it just feels so right!’ — a big part of it was reacting to my bigger choice of heading interstate.
During the process of leaving our home, downsizing and getting prepared to move, two organisations stumbled upon my online course listings. Engaging them was enough impetus for me to go all in as a sole trader.
“As I settled into my new surroundings, I literally felt space was being created in my life — free from constraints, distractions and obligations.”
As I settled into my new surroundings, I literally felt space was being created in my life — free from constraints, distractions and obligations. There was also more energetic space as I felt more healthy, balanced and productive than ever before. Semi-consciously, I cycled through another round of my S.C.A.L.E. Framework © as I turned those two clients into plenty more.
Now, I feel absolutely blessed to tick the ‘E’ box as a sole trader, creating impact for others and doing what I want to do.
Here’s a bunch of great stuff that has helped (and still helps) me:
Sole Trading
Squarespace — to construct a slick website from their templates (my website). Square — to design a simple online shop with a low rate of sales commission (my online shop). Canva — for all sorts of imagery.
Zoom and Google — IMO they have significantly better functionality and aesthetic than MS Teams and Microsoft.
Voluntary super contributions — I maximise this as it compounds over time and lowers my tax rate.
Courses
The Man Cave’s Working With Boys course supported me to run high-impact workshops for all sorts of people, particularly boys and young men.
The Rites of Passage Institute’s (ROPI) Leadership Training was transformational for me as I saw holes in modern society and how we can fill them.
batyr’s Being Herd workshop was very cathartic as it helped me develop my lived experience story.
Finally, I must shout out Mental Health First Aid (MHFA). Doing this training built my confidence and gave me real-life skills to support people suffering with mental-ill health. It has genuinely enabled me to help others in my personal and work lives. Today, I absolutely LOVE teaching it, and you can check out more about my MHFA training here.
Ping me any time if you’re curious about being an instructor, or if you’re interested in doing the training for you, your community or workplace.
Books
Lost Connections by Johann Hari helped me understand how our lifestyle, community and purpose can impact depression, anxiety and many other health issues. His other books are great, but I’d start here. Atomic Habits by James Clear enabled me to build good and remove bad habits with a bunch of clear and practical tools.
For a full list of books I read, check out my regularly updated list here.
Podcasts
The Imperfects and Better Than Yesterday are two of my favorite mental health podcasts. How I Built This and The Diary of a CEO are two of my favorite business podcasts.
For a full list of podcasts I love, check out my regularly updated article here.
Documentaries / TV / Film
The Wisdom of Trauma speaks beautifully to the process of individual healing. Stutz shares a really unique and visual model of therapy. You Can’t Ask That creates empathy for marginalised and misunderstood groups of people.
Directories
Life In Mind and this post from Tandem are really useful directories to check out mental health and suicide prevention organisations. Mr Perfect has a great directory for grassroots men’s health. Ethical Jobs has… A bunch of ethical jobs :)
There are so many crossroad moments I can reflect on. Sometimes, I made intentional choices. Sometimes, I made my own luck with an open mind. Sometimes, I got lucky.
- The first time I met that sharing circle community was in my own home. I was casually asked by a sub-tenant if I was open to hosting the group and my reaction was “yeah, this seems kind of strange and different, so let’s do it”. This community built my future vision for how I wanted to work.
- Very soon after my friend passed, I experienced what I can only describe as an epiphany. I had a knowing in my body to carry forward her legacy and I’m bloody happy I chose to listen to it. This realisation brought my future vision into the present.
- While staying in an AirBnB, I met my host in passing and shared my passion for MHFA with her. Turns out, she was a MHFA instructor too. She connected me with her organisation, and they got me my MHFA instructor runs on the board. MHFA built my career.
- It took 3 attempts and 6 interviews across 18 months to get my shot at The Man Cave. I didn’t fully get why, but I just KNEW I had to be there. The Man Cave built my character.
- For my 30th birthday, I was asked what I wanted from close family and friends. I requested they help me attend ROPI’s Leadership Training in the Byron shire. Not only was it transformational, but the experience deepened my connection to living up here and I now volunteer with ROPI. Living here has infinitely changed my life and career for the better.
Everything is a choice, and we can shape our reality. I hope this stimulates you to best shape yours.
