On a coaching call recently, one of my students said five words that perfectly sum up everything we teach here at the eBusiness Institute.
He said: “Matt, this is the perfect business.”
His name is John. He’s a qualified large animal vet from Ireland. He moved to Australia knowing absolutely no one – no network, no business contacts, no local knowledge. And just nine months later, he’s earning $20,000 a month building websites for local Australian businesses using AI.
Oh, and next week, he’s flying back to Ireland for two months – while the business keeps running.
This is one of the most remarkable student journeys I’ve witnessed in all my years of teaching digital skills, and I want to share John’s story in full – because if you’ve ever wondered whether this is something you can do too, click below to watch the interview or read the article because John’s experience is going to answer that question for you.
How a Podcast in a Meat Factory Changed Everything
Let’s rewind to where this started. About 18 months ago, John was a working vet in Tipperary, Ireland – driving to a meat factory early in the morning and investing his commute time in podcasts. He stumbled across an episode of Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad podcast featuring a bloke with an Australian accent talking about passive investing and building websites.
He went into the factory that morning and told one of the other vets about it. The response? “It must definitely be a scam.”
“I went back home that evening and I watched yourself and Liz’s masterclass – and yeah, that was the start of the journey for me.”
He didn’t just listen and move on. He watched our free masterclass that same night. He showed up to one of the UK meetups Liz and I ran, flying down from Ireland to meet us in England just so he could look us in the eye and get a feel for whether this was real. And then – without telling many people in advance – he packed up his life, moved to Australia with his girlfriend (also a vet), and decided he was going to back himself in digital skills and AI rather than return to veterinary work.
That’s the kind of bold decision that changes your life.
Why John Chose Digital Over Vet Work
John was earning a decent income as a vet – above average for Ireland, by his own description. So why walk away from a stable, respected career to build websites in a country where you know nobody?
“I was always looking to get into business, and I didn’t really understand a way of getting into business without having a huge amount of capital sitting behind you. I was looking for a way to get into business with as little downside risk as possible.”
That’s the crux of it. John is financially smart. He could see that traditional business ownership – buying a franchise, opening a shop, investing in property – required serious upfront capital and carried significant risk. The digital skills model we teach is fundamentally different: you can start from almost nothing, build real cash flow quickly, and create a saleable asset over time.
For a young guy who wanted to get into business without betting the house, this was the most logical path forward.
The First Client: Cold Calling from a Rental Property with a Secondhand Desk
Here’s what I love most about John’s story: there was no secret shortcut. No wealthy uncle. No big business network waiting for him. He started the way most of us have to start – with courage and a phone.
John joined our Digital Investors program and then our Champions program. In those early months, he knew he needed immediate cash flow to cover rent and groceries. So almost instinctively, he started cold calling local businesses.
“The first cold call I ever had, I’ll never forget it – it was to a contractor who done concrete. I was talking to him for probably one or two minutes, and then I mentioned I was a web developer, and he just straight away told me to F off.”
His girlfriend and sister were in the corner, laughing. But John’s response? He looked at them and said: “Girls, by the end of this day, I’m going to have a client.”
By the 10th or 11th call that same day – his first day of real business activity in Australia – John had his first paying client.
No business experience. No local network. Just a laptop, a secondhand desk he found on Facebook Marketplace, and the willingness to make phone calls and cop rejection.
That, right there, is what separates the people who succeed from the people who don’t. Not brilliance. Not luck. Just consistent, courageous action.
How AI Became John’s Unfair Advantage
From the very beginning of his training, John committed to leveraging AI at every stage of his process. This is something we teach extensively at the eBusiness Institute, and John took it seriously.
“From following your exact framework, I just really tried to, every step of the way, leverage AI as much as possible to make it as efficient and as beneficial as possible for the client.”
Where is he getting the biggest wins with AI? In three key areas:
1. Website Copywriting
John uses AI to build out the full copy for the websites he creates – quickly, professionally, and tailored to each client’s business. What used to take a human copywriter days can now be done in hours.
2. Website Design & Infrastructure
AI accelerates the design process significantly. John works with a small team of two developers – but by the time a project lands in their hands, the copy and site structure is already prepared. His team just builds it out.
3. Lead Generation & Sales
Even the front end of his business – finding leads, responding to enquiries, managing sales emails – is increasingly AI-assisted. This frees up John’s time to focus on relationships, strategy, and growth.
Was it easy to get good at AI? Here’s what John says:
“I wouldn’t say it was easy, but I’d definitely say it wasn’t hard. It’s pretty much like learning any skill – you just need hours and reps and reps and reps in the game, and the more time you spend at it, the better you get.”
And for the record – John types with two thumbs. He had zero technical background. If you think AI is “not for you,” John’s story should make you reconsider.
The Numbers: $20K/Month in Revenue, $3K/Month Recurring – and Growing
Let’s talk specifics, because I know that’s what you’re here for.
At the nine-month mark, John is hitting $20,000 a month in project revenue. That’s building and delivering websites for Australian small businesses – HVAC contractors, trade businesses, local service providers.
But the number that really excites me as a business person is his monthly recurring revenue: $3,000 a month – and climbing. He expects it to be significantly higher within the next month.
Why does recurring revenue matter so much? Because it’s the foundation of a real, saleable digital asset.
At $3,000 a month recurring, John’s business costs are covered – rent, groceries, the basics. That’s peace of mind. But more than that, if you apply standard business valuation multiples, even at that early stage John is beginning to build something worth real money. As he grows that recurring figure towards $10,000 a month – his stated goal for the year – the asset value compounds dramatically. Hit $20,000 to $30,000 a month in net recurring profit and you’re looking at a business worth close to seven figures.
This is the compounding effect of digital business done right. The revenue grows, the skills improve, and the referrals multiply – all at the same time.
Results for Clients: Real Impact on Real Businesses
One of the things I’m proudest of about John’s work is the results he’s delivering for his clients. This isn’t just about John making money – he’s genuinely transforming the online presence of Australian small businesses.
“Anyone I’ve built websites for – even the first couple I would’ve built in the first couple of months – a lot of them are coming up close to page one. I built a HVAC website when I first came over, and he has got an incredible lead flow out of it so far.”
This is what creates the compounding referral effect. When a client sees real results – when their phone starts ringing because of the website you built – they tell people. John joined BNI (Business Network International) relatively early in his journey, which opened up an entire ecosystem of local business connections and referrals. The relationships he’s built are now feeding his pipeline consistently.
“Putting in your best effort into those first couple of clients gives you the confidence, but it also gives them the results that they want to push your services onto more people. It’s been a slingshot effect for me over here – one thing has just led to another.”
“The Perfect Business”: Freedom to Work from Anywhere
When John said “Matt, this is the perfect business” on our coaching call, here’s what he meant:
“I don’t think people can really grasp how incredibly powerful it is to be able to come from a foreign country, not know anyone, and just have your laptop in your bag – and be able to set up a business, go out and meet people, and really influence other people’s businesses. And then be able to take my laptop and go straight back home to Ireland and continue doing the same thing.”
John comes from an agricultural and veterinary background – work that ties you to a specific location, specific hours, specific physical demands. That world doesn’t travel with you.
His digital skills do. He’s heading back to Ireland for two months, and his Australian clients will still be there when he returns. He plans to network in Ireland while he’s there – and potentially pick up clients in a new market. After that, who knows? America? Canada? He’s already talking about it.
“No matter where I go now, I’ll always carry this skill with me. Even if we go to America or Canada – I think I’ll always just be able to pull this out of the bag.”
That’s a skill for life. And that is literally the mission of the eBusiness Institute.
What John’s Story Tells Us About the University Debate
I want to touch on something John said that I think is incredibly important – especially for parents of millennials, or young people currently weighing up their next move.
John completed a five-year veterinary degree. It was hard. It cost years of his life. And now, nine months into our program, here’s what he says about the comparison:
“Deliverability-wise, it’s probably easier to do your course, because with uni, there’s a lot of fluff – a lot of stuff you don’t really need to know. With your course, you’re getting the precise skills you really need to succeed. That’s why you can do it successfully in a year.”
And the deeper point:
“If you’re between the age of 16 and 30 and you’re thinking about going to college or spending big money on a university degree, you really would want to think – in four years, is this job actually going to be there? Even if building websites changes, the skills from business and just using AI – you’re getting so far ahead of the curve.”
John did it in nine months. Not twelve. Nine. And he started with no business experience, no network, no technical background, and no existing clients. If a large animal vet from Tipperary can do this in under a year in a country he’d never lived in before – what’s your excuse?
The Role of Community: Standing on the Shoulders of Giants
I want to make sure we acknowledge something important here. John didn’t do this entirely alone. He had a community around him – our coaches, our Champions program, fellow students who had already navigated the same challenges.
“The main reason I was able to do it so fast was that in your community and in the labs and in Champions, you’re standing on the shoulders of giants – people who have actually done it before, who are a lot smarter than me and have made all the pitfalls and mistakes. Learning off them, combined with AI – that’s how I’ve probably done it as fast as I have.”
This is the multiplier that most people underestimate. Yes, the skills matter. Yes, the AI tools matter. But being embedded in a community of people who are genuinely doing what you want to do – people who can answer your questions, share what’s working, and save you from expensive mistakes – that’s what accelerates the timeline dramatically.
What’s Next for John: The 12-Month Vision
John’s goals for the coming year are ambitious, but they’re achievable – and they give you a clear picture of what the trajectory looks like from here:
- Hit $10,000/month in recurring revenue by the end of the year
- Reach $100,000 in total revenue for the year
- Continue growing towards $20,000–$30,000/month recurring – the level at which the business becomes a serious, high-value saleable asset
- Expand his network internationally, starting with Ireland during his upcoming visit
These aren’t fantasies. They’re the natural next steps for a business that’s already producing $20,000 a month in its first year. The compounding has already begun.
Could You Do What John Did?
John is quick to credit hard work over talent. He says himself he’s not a high achiever academically, still types with two thumbs, and had zero technical background when he started. What he did have was the willingness to back himself, put in the hours, and keep going after that first concrete contractor told him where to go.
If you’re reading this and thinking “I could do that” – I believe you probably can.
Digital skills are learnable. AI is accessible. The opportunity – particularly in the Australian small business market – is enormous right now. And the barrier to entry has never been lower. You don’t need capital, an office, a big team, or years of experience. You need skills, a laptop, and the courage to back yourself.
John proved it in nine months. From Tipperary to $20K a month in Newcastle. That’s not a lucky story – that’s a repeatable model.
To John – mate, this has been an absolute pleasure to share. You backed yourself when most people wouldn’t have. You made the calls, put in the reps, embraced the community, and showed every person reading this what’s possible. I genuinely can’t wait to see where you are in 12 months’ time.
And to everyone reading: John’s story isn’t an exception. It’s an example.
Ready to start your own journey?
John’s results are the kind of outcomes our Digital Investors Program is designed to create. You’ll learn how to build, grow, and monetise digital assets using the same frameworks, AI tools, and community support that helped John go from zero to $20K/month in under a year.
Whether you’re a professional looking for a way out, a millennial weighing up your career options, or someone who simply wants to build a location-independent income – this is the program that gives you the skills to make it happen.
