My Journey From Traditional Business to Online Income
If you’re tired of working a 9 to 5 and wondering whether there is another way to build an income, I can certainly relate. My journey into online income didn’t happen overnight My Journey, and it certainly wasn’t something I planned when I left school. In fact, my working life started in a very different place.
Over the years, I’ve worked for other people, started and built my own traditional business, managed staff, dealt with growing overheads, discovered online business, experimented with eBay and Amazon, and eventually became involved in Bitcoin and cryptocurrency. Today, at 62, I live in Thailand and my working life revolves around blogging, affiliate marketing, digital business and trading crypto and forex. Looking back, it’s been quite a journey.
My First Job After Leaving School
I left school in 1980 and my first job was working for a carpet fitting company. I stayed there for a little over a year, but if I’m being completely honest, I hated it. It wasn’t something I could see myself doing for the rest of my working life.
At that age, I didn’t really have a clear plan for what I wanted to do instead, but I knew I wanted something different. Like many people, I simply got on with working and earning a living.
Eventually, I moved into the sign and design industry and started working for different companies.
Why I Became Tired of Working for Other People
The money in the sign and design industry was actually pretty good, and for a while that was enough to keep me motivated. I moved between several companies, often chasing better money and better opportunities, but there was another problem.
Some of the bosses I worked for were difficult, and over time I started to realise that earning a decent wage wasn’t necessarily the same thing as enjoying your working life.
Eventually, I became the person who was constantly looking at the clock and waiting for 5pm so I could go home. That feeling stayed with me and made me start thinking about whether there was another way to work.
I didn’t necessarily want to work less. I wanted to have more control over what I was doing and how I spent my time. That eventually led me to make a decision that would change my working life.
Starting My Own Traditional Business
I decided to start my own business, and at first it was exactly what I wanted. I was working for myself rather than working for someone else, and the business gradually became successful.
Over the years, it grew and grew, and there was a real sense of achievement in building something of my own. I was proud of what I had created, but eventually I discovered something that many business owners learn the hard way: business growth can also bring more responsibility.
When Business Growth Brought More Responsibility
As my business grew, so did my overheads. I needed more staff, which meant more wages and more responsibility. There were times when someone would call in sick and I would still have to pay them.
Then there were premises, equipment, bills, administration and all the other costs that come with running a growing traditional business.
The business was successful, but I started to realise that success doesn’t always mean freedom. Sometimes, a bigger business simply means bigger overheads and more things to worry about.
This was an important lesson for me because I had managed to escape working for a boss, but I hadn’t necessarily escaped the responsibilities that came with running a traditional business. I started wondering if there was another way of building an income.
Discovering Online Business in 2014
Then, in 2014, I discovered something that really caught my attention: working online.
At the time, the idea of making an income through the internet was still relatively new to me. I didn’t know where it would lead, but I was interested enough to start experimenting.
I began with eBay and later Amazon, and those first experiences opened the door to an entirely different world.
My First Online Sales With eBay and Amazon
I managed to make some sales through eBay and Amazon, and those first sales were important to me because they showed me that people were prepared to buy things online and that there were genuine business opportunities available through the internet.
It wasn’t just about making a few sales. I became fascinated by the whole online business world and started learning about digital marketing, websites, affiliate marketing, traffic, SEO and the different ways people were building businesses online.
I made mistakes along the way, as most people do, but I kept learning. For me, this was the beginning of a completely different working journey.
How Bitcoin Changed My Online Income Journey
My online journey eventually took me into another area that would have a huge impact on my life: Bitcoin.
I became interested in cryptocurrency and started learning about Bitcoin and the wider crypto industry, and this became a major turning point for me. My income grew significantly and, within a relatively short period, I became a six-figure earner.
It was an incredible change compared with where I had started, but I also learned some important lessons from the experience. Financial markets can change quickly, and opportunities that appear incredibly attractive at one point can look very different later.
That experience taught me not to take any source of income for granted. It also taught me the importance of continuing to learn and not relying on one particular opportunity forever.
From Online Income to Financial Freedom
A few years later, my life looked very different from those early days when I was watching the clock and waiting for 5pm.
My online income had created opportunities that I could never have imagined when I left school. At one point, I owned two apartments in Spain and had several expensive cars.
Those things were enjoyable, and I’m certainly not going to pretend they weren’t, but as time went on, I realised that financial success wasn’t just about what you could buy.
Having control over your time became much more important to me. I had spent many years working, building businesses and chasing income, and eventually I wanted something different. I wanted more freedom and more choice over how I spent my time.
Why I Eventually Moved to Thailand
Eventually, I decided to make another big change and moved to Thailand. It was a major lifestyle decision, but it felt like the right move for me.
I had reached a point where I didn’t need to follow the traditional path of working for someone else, building a large company or waiting until a conventional retirement age before enjoying more freedom.
The internet had given me the ability to continue working while living somewhere completely different, and that was something I would never have imagined when I left school in 1980.
What I Do Online Today at 62
Today, at 62, working online is effectively my full-time occupation. My main areas are blogging, affiliate marketing and digital business, while I also spend time trading and learning about crypto and forex.
I still enjoy learning, and that’s probably one of the biggest things I’ve discovered during my journey. The online world changes constantly, so there are always new platforms, technologies, marketing strategies and opportunities to understand.
My website, MattFeastOnline, is now a big part of what I do. I’m building content around online business, blogging, SEO, digital skills and online income, while sharing some of the things I’ve learned along the way.
I’m not sitting here claiming that everything I’ve ever tried worked because it didn’t. I’ve had successes, mistakes, setbacks and plenty of learning experiences, and that’s normal when you’re building something over many years.
What Building an Online Income Has Taught Me
If there is one thing my journey has taught me, it’s that building an online income isn’t a magic shortcut. There are plenty of people online who make it sound easy, but I don’t see it that way.
You need to learn, experiment, create something useful, understand how to attract people to what you’re building and, most importantly, have patience.
I’ve also learned that you shouldn’t chase every new opportunity that comes along. There is always another shiny object promising something bigger and better, and I’ve fallen into that trap myself over the years.
Today, I prefer to focus on building things that I can actually understand and control, such as my website, content, SEO and audience.
What I Would Do Differently If I Started Again
If I was starting my online journey again today, I would keep things much simpler. I would build my own website and learn the basics of SEO and digital marketing.
I would choose a subject I was genuinely interested in and start creating useful content around it. My focus would be on building an audience and learning what works, rather than constantly looking for the next big opportunity.
I would also spend more time learning before spending money. There are so many products, courses and business opportunities online. The problem is that not every opportunity is going to be right for you.
The internet can create some great opportunities, but you still need to do your homework. Take your time and understand what you are getting involved with before spending your money.
Most importantly, I wouldn’t expect overnight success. My own journey has taken decades, not weeks. That is something I think is worth remembering when you see people online making business success look easy.
I’ve made mistakes along the way, and I’ve certainly spent money on things that didn’t work out. If I could go back, I would focus more on learning, building my own website and creating useful content.
That would give me a much clearer direction from the start.
Can You Really Escape the 9 to 5?
That’s a difficult question because everyone’s circumstances are different. I certainly wouldn’t tell someone to quit their job simply because they read an article about making money online. Building an online income takes time, and there are no guarantees.
My advice would be to start small. If you’re tired of working a 9 to 5, start learning about the alternatives while you still have your existing income. You could learn a digital skill, start a website, explore blogging, learn about affiliate marketing or simply begin creating useful content and see what happens.
Over time, you may discover that you actually enjoy building something online. That’s essentially what happened to me. I didn’t have some master plan back in 2014. I simply discovered something that interested me and started learning.
My Advice If You Are Tired of Working a 9 to 5
If you’re currently sitting at work watching the clock and waiting for 5pm, I understand that feeling because I’ve been there myself. But I also know from experience that building an online income doesn’t happen overnight.
Don’t believe every income claim you see online, and don’t assume that one opportunity is going to change your life tomorrow. Instead, take your time, learn, experiment and build something of your own. Give yourself time to understand what works for you rather than constantly jumping from one opportunity to another.
My own journey went from leaving school in 1980, working for other people and starting a traditional business, to discovering online business in 2014 and eventually building significant online income. Today, at 62, I’m semi-retired and financially independent, but I’m still working.
The difference is that now I’m working because I want to. I’m blogging because I enjoy it, I’m involved in affiliate marketing because I understand the model, I follow crypto and forex because I find the markets interesting, and I continue learning because I enjoy the online world.
For me, that’s what escaping the traditional 9 to 5 has really meant. It isn’t about never working again. It’s about having more choice over how you work, where you live and what you spend your time doing.
Frequently Asked Questions About Building an Online Income
Is it possible to build an online income?
Yes, it is possible, but there are no guarantees. My own experience shows that it can take years of learning, experimenting and building before you reach a level of income that gives you greater financial flexibility.
What are some alternatives to a 9 to 5 job?
Some alternatives include freelancing, online business, blogging, affiliate marketing, ecommerce, digital services and other forms of self-employment. The right option depends on your skills, interests and circumstances.
Can I start an online business while working full time?
Yes. Starting part-time can actually be a sensible way to learn and test an idea without immediately giving up your existing source of income.
Can blogging become an income source?
It can. A blog can potentially generate income through advertising, affiliate marketing, digital products, services and other methods. However, building traffic and an audience takes time.
How long does it take to build an online income?
There is no fixed timeframe. My own journey has taken many years, and I’ve gone through several different stages. Anyone promising guaranteed income within a specific timeframe should be approached with caution.
Final Thoughts
When I think back to the young man who left school in 1980 and started working for a carpet fitting company, I could never have predicted where life would eventually take me. I’ve worked for other people, watched the clock waiting for 5pm, built a traditional business, managed staff and overheads, discovered eBay and Amazon, and eventually found my way into online business. I’ve experienced the highs and lows of Bitcoin and cryptocurrency, built significant online income, owned property in Spain, moved to Thailand, and now, at 62, I’m still building.
The journey hasn’t always been easy, but I wouldn’t change it. If you’re tired of working a 9 to 5, you don’t necessarily need to make a dramatic decision tomorrow. Start learning, start exploring and start building something on the side. You never know where that first step might eventually take you.
My Recommendation: GOD MODE
One thing that interests me about the online world today is how quickly AI is changing the way we work. When I started exploring online business in 2014, I didn’t have AI bots to help with different tasks.
That’s why I’ve been taking a closer look at GOD MODE. The concept is interesting because it uses AI bots or agents to carry out different online business tasks for you.
In simple terms, it’s like having digital assistants working in the background. This could save you from doing everything yourself.
I think this could be particularly useful if you’re starting an online business and want to save time. AI agents can potentially help with research, content, marketing and other repetitive tasks.
My recommendation is to take a look at GOD MODE if you’re serious about exploring how AI bots could help you build and manage an online business.
I like the concept because it fits with where online business is heading.
Explore GOD MODE NOW!
AI is increasingly taking care of some of the workload. You still remain in control of the important decisions.
Of course, I wouldn’t look at this as a magic button for making money online. You still need to know what you’re trying to achieve. You also need to check the work produced by the AI.
The idea of having AI bots helping with some of the workload is something I find genuinely interesting.
If you’re already exploring AI and looking for ways to make your online business more efficient, GOD MODE is something I personally recommend taking a closer look at.
For me, that is the real value of AI. It is not about replacing the person running the business. It is about giving you more leverage, helping you get more done and freeing up your time to concentrate on the things that matter most.