June 1942 I was born to a Canadian mother & Australian father, who met during RAAF air corps wartime training in Canada.

Traveled by ocean liner with other war brides with children at tender age of 3, arriving 1945 in fast-evolving Sydney, Australia (OZ). A great place to hone my entrepreneurial skills during my father’s absence, as he continued to serve in the war effort in Burma.

Growing up “Down Under” further defined my character. Active pursuits of beaches, surfing, sailing & rugby (football) found balance when combined with a good academic grounding in private school (The King’s School). Holidays (which in Australia are numerous and concentrated!) were spent being a jackaroo (basically the Aussie version of a cowboy or stockman) in “the bush.” I learned a lot of valuable life lessons while in the Outback, and gained unique insights about the aboriginal culture.

Military involvement included training in the Australian Commando Regiment RNSWR1 in Sydney. Due to timing, I was fortunate to have missed assignments in active combat, Korea and Vietnam.

Like many who live on islands, no matter how large, I felt the need to explore the world! I left the OZ shore in 1963, exploring the Commonwealth first through India, then heading to Europe. Connecting with relatives in the British Isles, I living for a time in Durham where my uncle was the local Squire. I also had the opportunity to explore my proud Scottish heritage through contact with aged great aunties in Calendar, Scotland. I eventually made it my roots in Montreal, Canada.

There, I became involved in business interests that included modeling, and being a Stockbroker. Taking an American wife, with whom I have 2 children, brought us to life on the East coast, where I added manufacturer’s rep & stainless steel salesman to my resume. I have continued to maintain my membership in the Royal St. Lawrence Yacht Club great yacht club on the shores of the St. Lawrence River. My grandfather owned fleet of ships that ran up and down the Great Lakes.

A second marriage moves me from Boston, to Savannah then Seattle. After a serious, but thankfully successful treatment for prostate cancer and a decade of commitment, focus & hard work resulted in the establishment of the largest mailing house in the Pacific Northwest. In ten years had swelled from 5 to 85 employees and $20,000,000 in sales. Passing the reins on to my business partner, I was now able to pursue my simple hobbies… sailing, reading, music and travel. {still not a golfer}

My third serious partner and I have also tackled emigrating Down Under, and a number of trips to look at properties in Australia which finally turned into a decision to build in New Zealand! A picturesque country, it offered much of what I enjoy, but the process is not as simple as it originally seemed. We chose to build, in a South Island community popular for Kiwis on holiday. The commute has become more challenging as my daughter has opened the door to grand parenting, so we are now splitting time between hemispheres!

I have basically been an entrepreneur most of my working career and am looking at the new challenge of SEO marketing as this is the new frontier for any serious marketers. Especially in the coming financial storm clouds.

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