The world has entered a new epoch.  However, the fundamentals remain intact.

What are the early chapters of your story?:

In the sixties, there was an abundance of employment opportunities for the young. Rates of unemployment were low and productive workers were valued by most employers.  I moved from a printing apprenticeship into sales quite easily. I had experience in neither, but I was prepared to give it a go. When I was at school, I had never met a person who had been to university, and so I had no concept of the importance of a sound education. In the Sixties, anyone who was prepared to work got on. The same applies today except there is now more competition from better educated people.

I was fortunate (some say unfortunate), in that I was called up for National Service (conscription) on my 20^th birthday. During my service, I was sent overseas twice. It was my choice as I believed the experience would help me later in my career.

On completion of my National Service, I met and married a woman from an expatriate life who introduced me to a number of new career opportunities. With newfound confidence garnered from my military experience, I applied for a position to work overseas.

Twelve years later, I returned to Australia with a broad employment record, having worked in three newly- independent Pacific nations.

My newly found confidence acquired while working abroad steered me toward business. I began with corporate promotions, and later participated in the management buy-out of a company that had previously employed me. I then finally established my own family business.

My business journey took me all over the world and my success was at times financially lucrative but overall modest.  The knowledge I gained on the journey was invaluable and informs much of what I do today.

Sometimes we must take ourselves beyond our comfort zone to achieve success and on my journey, that was assuredly the case.

Any heroes or villains in your journey?

I encountered many along the way whom I would describe as heroes. They were mainly Pacific Island leaders from all walks of life and some from my military career. The villains ranged from teachers to businesspeople who lacked moral fibre and loyalty.

I have had many battles; firstly, in a war, but the worse skirmishes occurred in the corporate world and they were far more stressful than my experience of real war.

I learned quickly that rapid success often brings conflict with your peers, and at some stage you have to make difficult decisions about who you are and how important your principles are to you.

I have enjoyed numerous successes and a few failures, but I can say that I have never “burned my bridges” with anyone. I have taken several risks: most paid off – some didn’t – but I take ownership of them all.

The morale of your story?:

One of my life lessons was that money comes and goes, and I like to say: “you can be a rooster one day and a feather duster the next”, but every day is a new day.

I have achieved every goal I set, and I even managed to educate myself in later years, so my mantra is: “you can never stop learning”.

How can we learn more about you and your story of reinvention?

If you feel you would like to know more about my story, my book can be accessed from this site: Shop (ianweeksconsulting.com).  Or if you’d like to follow my journey I can be found on the following website or on my LinkedIn profile.

www.ianweeksconsulting.com