I grew up designing things, taught myself to code and studied entrepreneurship along the way. I have no idea how you’d define what I do in a single role.
Digital Development Manager @ ZANEROBE and crafting BodyWise.
Early days
- At the age of 15 he coordinated the marketing of his fathers business (Project Performance International), helping it to million-dollar turnover, all based out of the first floor of his family home.
- At the age of 16 he begun forming a leather Macbook sleeve business, sourcing supply in Brazil to fit the booming Macbook Pro market. After setting up his first ecommerce site and building a payment gateway he pulled the pin, citing a combination of manufacturing inconsistency and high international shipping prices.
- At the age of 18 he conducted an in-depth feasibility analysis on starting a Cachaça brand (Brazilian liquor from the sugar cane). The venture was abandoned due to high import taxes after sourcing supply via Alibaba.
Post-teenage years
- After graduating high school, his father told him “You’ll learn more about the world by travelling than you ever will in university”. With that he went traveling around South America, Europe and Asia for 4 months, bringing with him half a suitcase full of marketing and entrepreneurship books.
- Upon returning he was selected as part of RMIT Universities Entrepreneurship degree.
- In 2008 he founded Engage Marketing, consulting on the side of the Entrepreneurship course and working for his fathers business. Engage was founded on a $600 budget and within three years was turning over over $100,000 as a 23 year old.
Growing up
In 2013 I needed to push myself to the next level and kick my learning up a few gears. I exited The Blog Designers and Plan Lab – both to US buyers – and wound down the marketing consultancy after five years.
I moved onto BodyWise & Online Store Guys, two companies that I founded in mid-2013. I pushed myself to progress from a solo-operator to working in teams. One is navigating the waters of capital raising, pitching and creating a habit-forming and innovate mobile product. The other made amazing online stores and consulted with growing brands that needed expert eCommerce knowledge on anything from payments to logistics, hiring, fraud and international expansion.
I went to working with people older, wiser and more experienced than me, getting out and networking, attending startup events and generally putting myself in situations I would have hated in my younger years. I’m making products, creating teams, managing clients, recruiting, designing and marketing on a day-to-day basis. I progressed from shy kid to someone confident and hungry to be the best.
I’m so into what I do it’s crazy. Many people don’t understand it but I can’t get enough of design and technology and how that can create products and experiences that people love to buy, use and interact with.
Away from the office
- You’ll find me fitting in a yearly trip to Canada, Japan or New Zealand with snowboard in tow
- I grew up playing soccer, but just switched to AFL. I’m not very good, but its fun and I love a team environment
- Keenly interested in entrepreneurship and technology.
Speak to me about working on your product or eCommerce business