I’m in the process of building a business from my lived experience. I already work at a job where I use my lived experience to help other people. I work in a mental health unit as a peer support worker.

Before I started to work as a peer support worker, I was working as a life coach. I’m reopening my coaching practice soon.

In 2018, I decided to become a coach who would work with clients on the autism spectrum.

The mindset I had was about helping other people overcome autism related challenges. I’m on the autism spectrum and have been since I was 5.

I was able to overcome my challenges by gaining social exposure.

Learning how most people think, speak, and behave and was what made me able to emulate normal behavior. I was still myself, but I learned how to fit in with people.

I have had clients who struggled with bullying in school, and also with people who had trouble making friends. The work was focused on being a good friend first and foremost and connecting with the right people.

I was fitting in with new friends in ball hockey back in 2011-2012. At the same time, I was developing into a leader in my Army Cadet unit.

At age 19, I was leaving the Army Cadet program.

I began to play serious competitive ball hockey at this time. A lot of my friendships are from the time I spent playing ball hockey.

I became socially calibrated because of post game hangouts and chilling with my friends.

By 2018, I was 24 years old. I decided I wanted to be a life coach because I wanted to help others.

In 2016-2017, I got to know another life coach, and he helped me realize I would offer a lot of value to clients who are on the autism spectrum.

There’s another motivational speaker who is also from Ottawa who is on the spectrum. He’s fairly well known on YouTube.

I have never met him before, but I would imagine I have a lot in common with him.

The first thing I did for many years was write to share wisdom and ideas.

This isn’t my first blog. But it is the first blog I want to stick with for many years. I now have a good job, so I can afford to keep the site up and running.

To start the hero’s journey of being a helping professional, you’ll want to understand your own story and where your life experience can help other people.

I was able to join cadets a couple years after my Dad passed away in 2004. That helped me learn to be a leader and also made me far better socially. I also had my fair share of trials and tribulations. In 2010 I went through a heartbreak and it took me a good 8-10 years to move on. There was a girl who went to another high school that I liked and got rejected by.

In 2012-2013, I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and needed to take medication to function.

I used this part of my lived experience to become a peer support worker.

Now I’ve been a peer support worker for almost 3 years. Having a job that’s in your element is a foundation for future success. You are very fortunate if you have a job where you get to use your core strengths.

In the future I want to publish books, and share my story by doing speaking engagements.

The more I speak and get content out there the more I’m helping other people grow.

As an author a blog is a good way to start getting your content out there.

You can also do speaking on YT or spaces on X.

The synergy between being an author, speaker, and coach allows you to get your message out there through a few different mediums.

In 2018, I was on a speaking engagement for people on the autism spectrum. I told the audience that I do life coaching for people who are on the spectrum. I got my first offer from someone who listened to my talk. I took on the client and met with him on a weekly basis. We worked together for about 6 months.

My next client saw an ad I put online. We had a phone call, and his family wanted me to support him with high school related challenges.

My 3rd client was already a friend of mine, but wanted formal coaching. I coached him on an as needed basis until he passed away a few years ago.

Writing can get you speaking engagements, speaking engagements can get you clients who may want to do coaching with you.

It’s key to understand synergy and create a business where many different mediums can connect you with your audience.

I can write books on an array of topics that people will gain value from.

I suggest if you want to follow the same path I’m following that you look at your own unique lived experience and create content based on that.

Don’t try to copy another guru, maybe share a concept from another author if you want to help your reader. To build a good personal brand use experience that is unique to you.

You will soon find that other people will be able to relate to you more.

Publishing a free autobiography is something I’m working on right now.

I want to get my full story out there and use it as a means to help my future audience get to know me.

Charging money early on in your business may be counter-productive.

The autobiography is a gift that will allow people to know me better.

In the long run this will bring in more opportunity.

Speaking is a great way to get your message out there as well. Starting with opportunities in your city and then sharing other services you offer is a big part of it.

The more you give away up front the more of a market you will have.

I suggest you look at your life story and use your successes to help other people succeed.

The mediums are just mediums, the message is the part that really counts.

To your success,

Angus

Early Career

I joined the Royal Canadian Army Cadet Program in Feb 2006.

There are 7 ranks in the army cadet program. Private, Corporal, Master Corporal, Sergeant, Warrant Officer, Master Warrant Officer, and Chief Warrant Officer.

Each unit in cadets has one RSM (Regimental Sergeant Major).

It often takes about 5-6 years for a cadet to be promoted up the ranks to become the RSM. And that’s if they even get selected for the position.

I was a young cadet in 2006 (age 12), and I had aspirations of becoming the RSM by the time I would age out of the Army Cadet program.

In 2006 I was a private who had a dream of being one of the best cadets ever.

The goal of becoming the Chief Warrant Officer in my unit was far away, and I would have to be excellent each and every year to have that chance.

My first lesson in Cadets was about rank-structure, and we learned the 7 ranks in the program and the organizational chart.

I was right away set on reaching the top of the organization. My goal was to dedicate myself to being the most excellent cadet I could possibly be.

Naturally I was visualizing my goal, I would draw pictures of my future self as the Sergeant Major of my unit.

I was reading the cadet instructional manual inside out to learn everything I possibly could about the cadet program.

Early in my career I was acing all the exams and getting promoted ahead of what I would have expected.

Acting as If

I would wear my uniform every week and it would look immaculate.

It was important to make sure my boots were shined to the best of my ability and that the rest of my uniform also looked immaculate.

My goal was to be the standard that other cadets follow.

Leadership skill is about influence, and I was expecting to set the example as a leader.

I acted as if I was the top cadet in my unit long before I actually was.

I would imagine myself racking up accolades for having a great week to week performance.

The law of attraction will work when you start acting as if.

I would think of myself as the CWO in my unit long before I ended up getting that promotion.

Visualization is meant to instill belief that your dream is reachable.

In visualization you want to imagine yourself being the person you want to be. Doing the things you want to do, and having the things you want to have.

Having a presence about yourself that you are important is another thing. The self-belief you need to manifest is key. Telling yourself stories about yourself that line up with your long-term vision.

To manifest your goal, its key to act as if.

What would you be doing if you already had it?

In 2012, I was appointed as the Sergeant Major of my unit and promoted to Chief Warrant Officer.

When you reach a big goal, you’ll wonder what’s next. This is because success doesn’t stop, and I was wondering what my next goal would be after that.

I left my Army Cadet unit as someone who truly cared about the success of those around me. I was also the leader of my unit long before I was in charge of it.

The thing that distinguished me from most was that I truly cared about making those around me better. The example I set as a leader was why I was an effective leader, I didn’t have to speak much to inspire the cadets I was leading.

I also saw it as paramount to grow the leadership potential of those I was in charge of.

When you have a giver’s mindset, the universe will work overtime to actually help you.

Takers on the other hand face a lot of resistance from the universe.

The more you help the universe, the more the universe will want to help you. The universe alredy knows exactly what you want.

You don’t have to try to tell the universe what you want, the universe is already bringing you closer to your desire.

The stronger the desire, the easier it will be to manifest it.

To your success,

Angus

I am no stranger to depression.

The reality is many men and some women go through phases of depression. Part of the road to enlightenment is realizing the inherent meaninglessness of life.

You want to have hope but there is nothing that can give you hope.

Give it time, no state of being is permanent.

I had a phase of existential depression in 2015 where I became a ghost.

I was playing ball hockey at the time and would be on the bench wishing the game was over.

I also went through a similar depression in late 2012 when I got in trouble with the law and thought a criminal record would be the end of me.

I have had phases in my life where all hope was lost and I was living an existence that could be described as hopeless.

On the road to enlightenment you’ll come across phases where you just don’t see any reason to continue on. They call this a dark night of the soul in some places.

The key is to refer back to the law which states that nothing is permanent.

Every phase of life will have its fair share of highs and lows.

You will lose and gain back everything many times over.

The existential notion of nothing having meaning is not going to stick with you for the rest of your life. The depression will subside if you give it enough time.

Some people even suggest leaving your reality by imagining the life you want to have.

They are not wrong because every time you imagine the life you desire, you’ll develop an attracting force that will allow you to bring in your desires.

The best part of this has to be that spending time in your imagination will allow you to escape and think bigger.

Nothing wrong with this type of distraction. If anything you will soon realize it’s better to go after what you want because you will be a person who has nothing to lose.

Having nothing to lose is a powerful position to be in. When you start gaining too much you’ll lose your edge because you now have something to lose. This is the trap that keeps you stuck.

My depression happened at around 21 years old.

I had no future at the time, and things looked pretty bleak. I also had no job, barely any money but I knew what enlightenment was.

You want states of being like joy and peace, but to get there you may have to deal with depression.

I would just sleep all day and maybe go for a walk even if I didn’t want to. The best thing to do when depressed is to avoid stagnation.

If you go lower and lower, you’ll eventually see everything as funny. The way out of severe depression is to wait it out and even allow yourself to feel as much as you can with regards to your pain.

To get out of negative states of mind, allow yourself to be in them.

Through letting go and surrender you will be able to raise your state of consciousness. I eventually found hope again. I was able to see the future in a more optimistic light.

To your success,

Angus

You are The Main Character

Building a business is the ultimate video game.

The goal of business is to build.

You want to make money, but this is only a small part of the game. The ultimate goal of business is to build something that makes humanity better off.

You are the main character, you are no longer working to enrich someone else.

You are now fully dedicated to making the most out of your own life.

You only answer to your customers.

Also, now you have 100% responsibility because you call the shots. You can make as much or as little money as you want.

Money is Just Fuel

You may start out because you want to make a million dollars.

Money is exciting, and the more of it the better.

If you have a mission for your business like helping other people, money is just a byproduct. The point of money is to be able to expand your empire.

Some people actually lose a lot of motivation when they have made it big.

Life is better when you have freedom.

Business is simply doing what you would do if you had complete freedom.

Money is a means to freedom, but don’t see money itself as a power source.

Money is just fuel to continue the game. When you get to the highest levels, the game doesn’t stop.

There are always more levels to reach in this video game.

At some point, you’ll make your first money online, and eventually a huge amount will come in.

You will now have so much money you won’t even know what to do with it. This is where a lot of entrepreneurs will get bored.

It’s important to actually take advantage of the momentum you have and scale bigger.

There are always levels to the game. You need to see every effort that compounds as part of the game. Build an audience, and make your first few grand online.

The point is don’t ever stop.

People like Donald Trump and Elon Musk never stopped playing the game.

They have all the money in the world, but most of it exists as assets and not actual cash. The money you have will only be able to give you so much in terms of material items.

Eventually you will have to transcend materialism and look for spiritual fulfillment.

Don’t check out of the game of capitalism just to get enlightenment.

You want to actually beat the game in your own terms before you look for God or transcendence.

The game is going to have its ups and downs, but I want you to know that the game is winnable.

Put the effort in each day, and you will see returns on your investments fairly easily.

Maybe you want to retire early, but this is a goal set by people who won’t get there.

You have to have a life purpose beyond just leaving the game.

Embrace the game and become a superstar. The extra mile isn’t too crowded.

To your success,

Angus