This is a guest post from John Falchetto and is part of The Entrepreneur’s Journey series.
I never thought I would be an entrepreneur. I wasn’t raised in an entrepreneur family like my friend Mark Harai. After I graduated from McGill I worked as a freelance journalist, first in Jordan then in Egypt. In 1999 some friends told me to come and check this new place which was growing out of the desert. I moved to Dubai and worked for Memac Ogilvy PR until 2003.
That is the year I decided I just wasn’t fit for the corporate world.I left in good terms and the chairman is one of my Facebook friends.
The day I left the office for the last time, I had no idea what I was going to do with myself. I did know what I did not want: work for a corporation.
After thinking about it for a few days I decided to setup an outdoor coaching business. I had the outdoor skills and I worked hard to get my coaching certifications at the same time.
My first crash
I hired Sherpas from Nepal (the closest country with a mountain culture) and we ran our operation from a tribal village perched at 6000 feet in the rugged hills of the UAE.
Initially I targeted the retail outdoor market, my clients were individuals who wanted to rock climb, mountain bike but also make some serious change in their expat career. It was great, I setup entire weekend retreats but I forgot one big thing, scaling.
No scaling means no growth: My system was built so that I couldn’t do more than few clients at a time. This meant that in order to grow I had to put in more hours (which are limited) or hire more people to do what I did (which I couldn’t find in the UAE.)
I had built myself into a corner.
Redesigning the business
I looked at the crazy hours I was doing in the hills and at the office. I decided to create coaching groups with a breakthrough event at the end. This became a very popular program with my retail market but more importantly it allowed to accommodate larger corporate clients. The program took participants through a rappel and rope ascent training program and finished with a 600 foot rappel into the world’s second largest open sky cave. We were rocking.
Branching out
In the summer of 2007 I was approached by the Dubai Police Rescue squad to help them train their teams for technical rope rescue. Dubai was growing at an explosive rate and the safety standards on building sites were so low some 800 workers were dying a year from falls alone. I became an agent for Rescue 3 International, and the first year in operation the new training company delivered so many certifications that we became Agents of the Year!
Following our success with the local fire departments and police rescue teams we offered our training packages to private corporations to help them protect their workers. The business exploded and we our biggest challenge was to find enough US qualified instructors to keep up with the demand. I understood that in order to grow I needed to remove myself from the business and trust others to do many things I had been trying to fit in my day.
Turning point
I was now running an outdoor coaching business for expat professionals who wanted to experience a breakthrough in their career, and a technical rescue company. The great part was that I had time to spend 2 months a year abroad on other projects and one of them was project Provence. Life was great but I wanted to find a different way to work.
My schedule consisted of a 2hr commute from 5 to 7am, meetings, training sessions, more meetings, then back in late afternoon to answer emails and touch base with Ameena who was now running the office. Working with your spouse/partner as an entrepreneur should be the subject of another post…
Moving
Ameena and I had been on holidays in France in 2007 and fell in love with the place. We found an old knights Templar farmhouse (including a with secret escape tunnel) and started to renovate it. At that time we also decided that we wanted to leave the UAE and move to France.
Provence
January 2009 we arrived with all our belongings and lived in the farmhouse we were rebuilding for 4 months. As soon as it was restored we rented it for the summer vacationers and rented a house in the village. The rentals provided us with an income and I was still commuting every couple of months to the UAE to lead coaching retreats and help my brother James run technical rescue seminars.
Making the real move
My daughter was born in the Spring of 2010 and I decided I wanted to stop travelling abroad for long periods of time. I redesigned my business to meet my clients online and launched expatlifecoach.com. My existing clients abroad took to the remote meetings and the online coaching. I still run the outdoor retreats in different locations but in the Alps not in caves in Oman!
My advice?
- Being an expat entrepreneur is not for everyone. Many expat entrepreneurs look down at employees, and this is so wrong. If there were no employees, entrepreneurs wouldn’t exist. The only important thing is answering how can you be happy providing something of value to others. Whether you work in an office for a great boss, or you are running your own show as an expat entrepreneur doesn’t really matter.
- I have worked abroad all my professional life and it has helped me define what I really enjoyed doing and what also could pay the bills. Living abroad gives you a real sense for who you are and what you want from life. This is crucial. Once you find out what rocks your boat and helps others rock theirs, you are on to a winning number.
If you want to read more about expat life and work, and how to build a great life for yourself abroad subscribe to my blog Expat Life or give me a shout on Twitter @johnfalchetto.
image: Niklas Barsk
I missed this one as well John. Fascinating to read the whole story! Love how you evolved.
Secret tunnel, farmhouse in Provence! Divine.
And thanks for commenting on how entrepreneurs look down on employees. I say build the balance in life that you want, employee or entrepreneur.
Thanks Troy for publishing the whole story!
Best,Rajka
John, how did I miss this post? I know...busy week and not much time on the 'deck. So glad Griddy put it in her SuperPost Sunday Roundup - I catch up on what I miss out on during the week!
I just knew you had a story to tell and man, what a story. I must say, I'm envious. Since following you on Twitter I've reconnected to that part of me that wants to live abroad. Always envisioned me with a family in the South of France (truly). Just mentioned it to my husband yesterday and he gave me that usual "Oh no, where are we going now" look. I think for him the journey of being the husband to a crazy entrepreneur is quite enough...but we shall see.
Loved your summary point: "Once you find out what rocks your boat and helps others rock theirs, you are on to a winning number." Check! Now, if I can just get a handle on scale, we'll be good to go! That's a real kicker for me right now and one that I know must be dealt with ASAP. Thanks for the reminder and for sharing more about yourself and your awesome path!
I first met John when he was at the height of his outdoor coaching business in the UAE. At the time I was miserable on my corporate throne working for a multinational totally oblivious to the possibilities that lay before me. John made me feel incredibly inspired, and at times, although I hate to admit it, terribly intimidated! I quit my job, started my own consultancy which was immediately successful. His energy propelled me to realise my true potential. With John's support I was achieving more than I had imagined in such a short space of time - it was incredible - I was hooked - I knew I had to always be my own boss ...
The buzz of working with John ended up with us getting married (I couldn't let him go!) and we formed our own dream team! Together, our projects are winners ... two heads are better than one but thankfully John has be spared the baby brain!
That is just plain awesome Ameena. I've known you and John were special people from the first time we all chatted on Skype. We must do it again soon : )
Cheers to you and John!
John, I absolutely loved this man. Wow. Talk about a rich life full of experience. Now I can fully understand your passion behind the Expat Coaching you do, and also why I'm sure you're dang good at it.
For me, the final line you said was exceptional:
Once you find out what rocks your boat and helps others rock theirs, you are on to a winning number.
A big, fat amen to that brother. :-)
Well said and well done John. Looking forward to continuing to get to know you and all you have to offer this world.
Marcus
Marcus, just came from your excellent post, the feeling is mutual my friend. Thanks for stopping by and giving your support.
In the end we are nothing if we don't have others, and I look forward to our Skype call!
HEADS UP TROY - Long comment coming your way ;). Get comfy!
And here I thought I knew a little about you John lol. Wow - the learning never stops and the admiration only augments! Truly impressive and inspirational - to say the least.
Shoot I forgot to say Hi up there.
Hey John haha ;)
I'm pretty lucky cause I know the 4 places you mentioned here. Egypt - well as you know - quite a few years there. Amman- ummm...what roundabout lol? I like the Dead Sea though - can't get enough of the floating! Dubai - I've spent quite some time there actually - and although it's impressive and I take my hat off to them for what they've done - it lacks a soul. But business wise - it's (or it was) the place to be. I actually like to call it a kinda Vegas meets New York but without the casinos and without the same heart and soul. But still pretty cool.
As for France - well, that's in a league of it's own. And Provence is a great place to raise a family - good decision on you and Ameena's part.
Had no clue that you helped train for technical rope rescue - unbelievable! You must have had your share of crazy hours though seeing the amount of cranes in that little Emirate. Now I know that many of the construction workers (on the actual sites) there are from India - did you train some of these workers directly or just the Dubai Police Rescue Squad teams? Any language barriers?
And Mabrouk on being Agents of the Year :).
I greatly respect you and your journey so far. And I think it's pretty impressive (sorry can't think of a synonym lol) how you shifted your lifestyle around to better accommodate your new family. Kids do have a way of making parents do things they wouldn't normally do. Ask my parents lol.
You possess such great experiences and knowledge and I hope you're able to pass that on to as many clients as possible. Living the expat life has its perks but I think there are quite a few things to learn beforehand and being easily adaptable to the change is a must - whether as an entrepreneur or an employee.
Balancing family and multiple careers isn't easy - especially when you're not on your home turf. But it seems like you've successfully found the time and ways to do so.
I've rambled enough (sorry Troy - but I gave you a heads up - you can read the rest during commercials lol) but I simply wanted to thank you for sharing your story with us. It was a pleasure to read, learn from you and get to know you a little better.
To your continued happiness and success.
Cheers Mr. Falchetto
Ingrid,
It's not a comment stream unless you leave a novel length comment LOL!
Troy
Bonsaiiii LOL
But it wasn't as much of a stream as it is a river - I'm thinking the Nile ;).
Dear Ingrid the Great, thanks for the really kind words, my head is slightly slowen now but hopefully this wont' last.
Amman in 96' was very different from now, it was super quiet and things had to be kept on mute. I lived in Khelda, just on the road towards Hashemiya. Compared to Beirut it was pretty dead.
You are spot on about Dubai, a business centre but lacks a soul. I miss how the place was in 99', since the real estate collapse in 2007 it has changed. I love your comparaison to Vegas, it is Vegas without the shows.
You are right most the workers are from India or Pakistan, my instructors always worked with a translator. Before the rescue teams were in place their solution was to cut the rope when someone was stuck...as you probably know the value of your life in Dubai is linked to your skin color. Yes, there are many stories, some funny, some sad.
Provence sounds great but like any other place you have tough days. Taxes aren't kind to entrepreneurs in France and sometimes I feel like packing up and moving to a place where taxes are a bit better. Then I remind myself that I do get some great free healthcare for my family so it makes the tax pill go down a bit better.
Thanks for your Nile length, Ingrid the Great comment. I always enjoy reading them as I watch you take over the blogging world :)
John,
thanks for the incredibly inspirational blog. Here's what strikes me: clearly there were bumps along the road, but the idea is to redesign or restructure your life to fit those new wrinkles. I tend to see them as negatives but I I have to remind myself that it is an invitation to improve whatever is not working to fit the needs of everyone in your life.
Thank you.
Lisa, thanks for your kind words. Yes they were bumps, dips and some were pretty deep. I think I now see them as lessons teaching me that I was going about things the wrong way.
Change is a pain, we like to be comfortable in a routine. But you are right we don't improve and get better by staying comfortable. Moving abroad is one of my favorites because it forces us to really think about what we want to do, since we all loose all traces of our familiar routine.
I don't think you are alone to see change as negative, everyone does, except babies.
Thanks for stopping by and I am waiting impatiently on project JB!
I'm with Troy - I'm completely blown away! I didn't know about the first business. I was impressed before...now I am SUPER impressed! Anyone who spends that much time outdoors and building a business around it is a hero to me. Hey Ameena? Can I marry John?! :)
The scalability of business is also a lesson I learned. It's not easy to run a business when it's reliant on your time, let alone grow one. I admire the fact that you recognized that and looked for ways to contribute to your life balance.
Awesome story...thanks for being so open about sharing it!
Hey Gini, thanks this means a lot coming from you, Chicago PR Superwoman. Yes the outdoor business was an out of this world experience, it taught me some very powerful lessons, both in business and in life. But I guess you would probably say the same of AD?
Yes I think lack of scaling is the most common sin for an entrepreneur. On one side we need the courage to go out and create something, build it and put in the hours, on the other side we also have to learn when to delegate some of the work away without feeling like we let our business down. This was a really tough one for me, there were a lot of things that I actually enjoyed doing which I had to delegate. I did keep some of the most interesting clients for myself...;)
I think it boils down to choices and priorities, both for ourselves and our business. Sometimes we can't dissociate ourselves from the business and this creates issues.
Thanks for stopping by Gini, I will make sure to relay the marriage proposal to Ameena :)
Hey Gini,
Sure, but you'd have to find a way to convince John to move back to the sandpit where polygamy is legal because I'm not giving up my mentor/husband/muse EVER!
Hey John,
Yet again, I'm blown away.
What an amazing story John. It's one that shows tenacity, dedication and pig headed determination for success.
I love how kids can have such an impact on our lives, they almost force us to take the steps we normally wouldn't take, they fuel our fires (so to speak)
Thank you so much for your post, it will inspire many.
Cheers Bud!
Troy Claus
Hi Troy,
Thanks for hosting me on your blog. The Bonsai Boys do rock in a big way.
Yes kids and the environment they grow up was the #1 decision factor for us. We always said we didn't want our kids to grow up in the UAE and as you say forced us to take a huge step. Funny how sometimes big decisions in life are taken by choosing for someone else and not ourselves.
We never regretted it. It could have been Montreal but Ameena hates snow and cold...
Pig headed, me? Not as long as I get what I want :)
Cheers Troy :)
Many, many thanks John! Andrea :-)
That's what attracted me to you John - your thirst for danger and adventure :P
Funny - that lines up pretty well with the entrepreneur lifestyle!
You have some great experience and knowledge to help others break out of the box so to speak and jump into a life of adventure and excitement. It's becomes much easier when you have a professional coach to assist you along the way.
I appreciate all you do John... There isn't a day (literally) that goes by that you're not inspiring me in some way : )
What a great place to settle down with Ameena and the kids - the most beautiful wine country in the world and one of the most romantic places on the planet -- I'm jealous and visiting soon LOL!
Hey Mark, you keep promising you will come now I am going to hold you to it! ;)
As for my thirst of adventure, yes, danger, umm not so much. It does line up with the entrepreneur lifestyle, this is why I used the big rappel into the cave as a breakthrough moment back then. It's not about not being afraid. It's all about using your fear to move forward without making fatal mistakes.
As entrepreneurs we all have this ball in the stomach somedays, and it can be different things, payroll this month, growing a new venture, investing a significant portion of time and money into a project but in the end do you listen to your gut or just keep going?
I love reading your blog because it motivates me, period. I think maybe you brought the winning attitude from football to business and it shows in your blog.
I get knocked down but I get back...great song and words to live by :)
Hi Andrea, thanks for the kind words! I have been hearing a lot of great feebdack about the new look of your site. I love how clear and easy to navigate it is now
Thanks for stopping by and your encouragements.
Awesome post, John. Thanks for sharing what you did right, what you did wrong, and what you're trying now. You really are an inspiring expat entrepreneur. Congrats! Andrea
Hi Patricia, thank you for your kind words. I wish you all the best in your business start up. I live in a lavender growing area and it definitely is a special plant. I never knew lavender grew in Australia.
Yes meeting amazing people is why I blog, thanks to platforms like Troy's blog we get to meet people we would never meet otherwise.
Thanks for taking the time to stop by and share your thoughts, I really appreciate it. As a nurse you are a hero to me. I have slept on hospital room floors many times because of someone who was in surgery and I don't think there is a more selfish profession in the world. Don't get me stated on MDs ;)
Cheers
John
Hi John
What an interesting journey you have been on. Really enjoyed the read. i definitely was brought up in a 9-5 job security mindset. I didn't do 9-5 as with my nursing career I worked shift work and also went overseas to work.
For me it was to the UK and I loved it. So close to Europe and all that history we so don't have here in Australia. Went for one year and stayed for twenty five! Only came back to a warm climate on doctor's orders after a long illness.
Now I am on another adventure with my fledgling business start up. Another journey has began and I am really enjoying it. Meeting so many amazing people in the blogosphere that I would never have connected with offline.
Thanks for sharing John. Much appreciated.
Patricia Perth Australia
John,
My story is different but so much the same. I was raised to be an entrepreneur, and for the most part, I always have been. But recently, I'm learning my definition of the word is changing. I used to envision myself building a company from scratch to the point where I was dominating board rooms and excelling in hard ball negotiation. To me, that seemed like the image of success. However, the longer I linger on the blogosphere, and the more I learn from other innovative thinkers and daring individuals, the more I realize that I can become that same successful entrepreneur, but I can do it in flip flops, frayed shorts, and with a beach comers tan.
I'm definitely giving you fair warning next time I'm bound for France... and together we can overcome my god awful fear of heights. Repelling 600 or so fee should do the trick.
Take care,
Jamey
Hi Jamey, love the realisation you came about. Often I think we model our definition of success on others, but nothing is more personal than success right? hate the one size fits all approach to life,shorts and beach comers tan sounds like a great way to go, I burned my suit years ago. But this doesn't mean others can't find success and happiness in the corporate world.
If you pass by France do give me a shout, and fear of heights is a great thing. I always say I would never go on a cliff with someone who has no fear of heights. We are all born with a fear of heights, it's hard coded in our DNA to keep us alive. The tough part is to work with your fear, learn from it.
Thanks for pointing me to the Allman Brothers, Jamey, great to meet you. :)
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