I left school shortly after my A-levels and went straight into dead-end jobsville! I didn’t have a clue what I wanted to do so worked for warehouses, supermarkets and had several driving jobs into my 20’s when I was signing on unemployed in between jobs. I knew there was a time limit to this lifestyle so I tried to make the most of it and trained in new things as much as I could. I did several ‘stage A’ and diploma type qualifications but didn’t really have a career focus.
My main interest was in martial arts at the time and so I pursued it with all my might. Of course money was the main problem and I worked as a delivery driver, building site hand, and pretty much anything that came my way. In my early 20’s I met a stuntman and it lit a fire in me. I sent off to Equity – the Actors Union, and found out the qualifications I needed to become a Equity registered stunt performer. There was a lot involved and I set about doing my training which covered 6 disciplines to pretty much instructor level. I also needed to gain experience in front of the camera so I worked as a TV extra for much of the time.
After 4 years of training in various disciplines, including my martial art – Wing Chun Kung Fu and several other styles also, I managed to join the Equity Stunt Register. It had been a long slog and during all of which time I had been pretty much broke. The constant issue with money had led me to try pretty much every vocation I could lay my hands on and I discovered the internet around this time. I was using ebay to sell items I had picked up in charity shops to help subsidize my training and the extras work which paid very little.
After joining the stunt register very little changed for a while and my fist job didn’t come in until 2 years later. I worked as a taxi driver earning just enough to get by. The first job came in and I managed to get about a week’s worth of work which paid off my credit card! It was a great experience on a film called Enduring Love doubling Rhys Ifans. After that it went quiet again and I turned to the internet as a source of income.
 (With the late Peter O’Toole on Casanova)
Still to this day the work is sporadic but the income I have made has allowed me to look into other career paths of which affiliate marketing has intrigued me more than all the others. Â The main reason I took to working online was the flexible nature of the work. I had had many jobs to fit around the stunt work but employers are never too pleased to allow you to drop your job at a moments notice and disappear for several days or weeks at a time. Â The internet allows you to do this. You can drop it and pick it up whenever you like.
Only recently after joining the SFM have I really seen the huge potential of affiliate marketing and how it can change lives. To find our more and join the 7 day video course sign up here.
I still do the Stunt work and also teach Kung Fu which I balance out with working as an affiliate marketer. To anyone who doesn’t have a career focus I would say do what you love and you’ll never ‘work’ a day in your life!
Great story Tim, this is your X factor as many people will relate to your story and would want to know how you developed your digital life! Good luck!
Many thanks Irving!
Love the photos Tim and the post! 😉