Life As We Know It - #introduceyourself

  Hi 

My name is Gary Curtis I am 50 years old and originally from what used to be a great country in Africa called Zimbabwe, a simple person with the determination to be successful in my life whilst helping others along the way. I am what many call a “serial entrepreneur”!  

My family was not wealthy, we had to earn our pocket money with tasks and odd jobs with family and friends. 

(Although my original father who passed away when I was 3 years old, was an entrepreneur, a butcher by trade who ran his own butchery. So deep inside my genes there has always been an entrepreneur trait)  

My life has seen many changes and challenges since being a child, whilst growing up with a civil war around me to becoming a teenager playing with great friends and growing up in the great outdoors in Africa, both Zimbabwe and Botswana.  

(Living in Zimbabwe caused many of us to depart the country later in life due to economic ruin, therefore I have many friends and family scattered all over the world) 

Africa life was living with nature combined with city life... It was awesome!!  

Victoria-Falls

Fitness and health is one of my priorities in life, as much as keeping a level head and opening my mind up to everything. 

"One cannot progress in life if you do not self-educate"... 

As a young boy I always had the passion for cars and motorbikes, so I pursued the career as a Motor Mechanic / Technician, did my apprenticeship back in the mid-eighties and been in the Motor Industry now for 30 years whilst progressing into management. The industry was and is still great from an outside point of view, but deep in my heart I have "had enough" of it. It is totally controlled by the "Big Cheeses" as we should be driving electric cars, trucks, buses and motorbikes 20 years ago. Hey that's my views and I'm sure many would agree! These times are slowly changing, thank goodness for people like Elon Musk. 

Anyway my trade and skills have taken me too many countries, where doors have opened because of the "skills shortage" just like many industries are facing today. BUT it has not made me a million dollars and will never, whilst earning a measly wage! 

Over the years of me growing up, my entrepreneur genes started to kick in. I began to see various situations and opportunities where I could set up my own business to make money and help the automotive industry, and I did so... Created a car parts business back in Africa for 4 years, which was doing so well, but my country (Zimbabwe) and government dragged it down just like it has done for many. 

I ended up in London UK for 9 years and set up a Motor Cycle Parts delivery service, grew it to 21 bikes, it was also doing well but the great "recession" in the mid to late 2000 affected it. So back to the "being employed" status again. At least I have a trade and skill set to earn me bread and milk money! 

Then in 2008 I decided to head to Cape Town in South Africa where my immediate family had settled, tried to make a go of life but things had changed and I witnessed signs and symptoms of the great Zimbabwe depression again. After many applications to secure a job in my old automotive industry, things were tough. To my amaze I stumbled upon a new start-up company venturing into Biometrics, fingerprint access control and retina scanning technology. This blew me away as I always love the latest technology and keep up with it daily. The company tried to educate and introduce the technology to the country, but people and businesses were skeptical, so growth was stagnant although it was during the great recession. Time moves on and I moved to New Zealand for a few years, once again tried to escape the normal job and salary story. So my entrepreneur blood started to pump again, and my old “motor cycle courier” business which was a tool for the motor industry was born again. Capital, money, machinery and tools stalled me therefore it could not progress. Although during my 8 years in New Zealand I met my wonderful partner (girlfriend) who is German, we both have the same attitude of being self-employed.  

“We are both sick and tired of earning a wage and not going places with our careers, as employees. After being made redundant numerous times like many of my family members & friends, it just tells us how we are just a number in the work place now” So don't be fooled about your job anymore it will never be secure, and the days of "loyalty" are gone! 

My partner and I have the "Entrepreneur" attitude built in us... So we embarked upon creating an eCommerce business, trading on Amazon! I traveled to China and Hong Kong in 2014 to meet manufacturers, and secured some small deals on products. Although we are still in 9-5 jobs keeping the bread and milk coming in, we are still building our business, dreams and future! It’s exciting stuff… 

Roll on a couple of years and talking of today 2017... We now live in the UK for a short period of time, as we wanted to expand our business into the EU market.  

The world has changed, technology, environment, jobs, future etc...  

During the last few years I have been studying and learning the “Internet marketing”... It has been mind blowing for a simple but eager person like me to grasp. In fact it is absolutely amazing I must say! We still have the e-commerce store and slowly but surely it is growing... It still cannot afford to pay us a wage yet! 

My partner is running that side of the business and I decided to learn about "Digital Marketing". We now run a digital marketing agency that provides services to local businesses helping them with all their marketing needs. Video marketing, website creation, seo, mobile apps are just some of the wonderful services we provide.  

I love teaching and helping people in any way possible, it is in my blood. There is nothing more satisfying than participating in the growth of a person or business, or contributing to world changes. 

Enough of me WAFFLING ON about my life and my journey, you must be bored by now? 

It now brings me to STEEMIT which makes me ecstatic and excited to be part of, as it has so much potential for the future and all who are in it “will make it happen”! 

By the way for future reference, I will be posting on various topics in my posts as I love all these niches, but they will all have value of which hopefully many will appreciate. 

As I am an open book that likes to follow and educate, topics will be –  

Technology  

Automotive 

Health + Fitness 

Internet Marketing 

Crypto Currencies + Blockchain   

Thank you for reading my story, much appreciated! 

Let’s build a great platform together. 

Kind regards 

Gary