See how Jordan & Simone took a slow and steady risk-averse approach to achieve their online goals and start a family within 3 years…
If you’re stuck in a corporate job but want to build an online business with the freedom to work from home, Jordan and Simone’s story is for you.
They transitioned from demanding full-time roles to launching and growing a thriving digital agency, hitting their first $50,000 month—all while planning their growing family.
Today, you get to hear how their careful, strategic approach turned a side hustle into a life-changing business without having to take huge risks.
Click below to discover their steady, strategic approach that helped them achieve both financial freedom and a balanced family life.
Matt Raad: A lot of you are likely in a position where you’re considering transitioning out of a well-paying corporate career, and trying to figure out how to do it in a way that works for you. At eBusiness Institute, we specialise in helping people make that shift, and today, I have an exciting update to share.
This is an interview with a fantastic couple, Simone and Jordan, who have done exactly what many of you may be thinking about. They’ve made a successful transition out of corporate roles, and after three years, they’ve just hit their first $50,000 month. Simone has fully quit her job, and Jordan, interestingly, is still in his full-time position, which he enjoys.
We’re going to explore their journey, because it doesn’t have to be an overnight success. And we’ll see what lessons they’ve learned that can help others on the same path. So let’s get into it. Welcome, Jordan and Simone! Thanks for joining us again.
Simone: Thank you, Matt!
Jordan & Simon’s journey to their first $1,000 online
Matt: Seriously, congratulations to both of you! This is such an exciting time. Last time Liz interviewed you on the podcast, and you had just celebrated earning your first $1,000 online. Do you remember those days back in 2022?
Simone: Yes, it feels like a long time ago now, but it’s only been two years! Earning that first $1,000 was a significant milestone for us. We earned it through our portfolio sites, and seeing that money hit our bank account was a big achievement.
Matt: That’s incredible! Did you make that money by buying websites, or were you building them from scratch?
Jordan: It was a bit of both, actually.
Simone: Yes, we bought a few beginner websites that needed some work. We applied the digital skills we had learned, renovated them. And we also created a few of our own sites from scratch.
They were both managing full-time jobs while growing their website portfolio
Matt: You were both working full-time while doing this. Jordan, you have a pretty interesting job, don’t you? Tell us a bit about your career.
Jordan: I work full-time in cybersecurity.
Matt: That’s awesome. And Simone, what were you doing back then?
Simone: I was working full-time as a senior physiotherapist in the public health sector.
Their first portfolio website investment still pays recurring monthly income
Matt: Let’s talk about one of those early websites you bought. You don’t have to mention the exact name, but roughly what niche was it in?
I think it’s important for our readers to understand how website investment can pay off. How much did it cost, and what have you done with it since?
Jordan: We bought that site for about $6,500 USD. The seller had created the site within an industry he was familiar with, and it had a lot of expertise, authority, and trust (E.A.T) already built into it. We saw the potential and bought it as part of our portfolio strategy.
We renovated the homepage, put on a new theme, added a few articles, and cleaned up some of the existing content.
Simone: Since then, it’s been performing steadily, bringing in about $200 to $300 USD per month. It’s one of those sites that just keeps ticking along without much effort on our part.
Matt: That’s fantastic! I remember when you bought that site, I said that it would probably keep earning for years without you having to do much, and here we are two years later, and it’s still doing exactly that.
Jordan: Yes, it’s been very consistent. We don’t have a lot of time to focus on it these days, but it still generates a reliable stream of income.
Simone: We have plans to do more with it in the future, but for now, it’s nice to have it ticking away in the background.
They practised their digital skills on smaller sites before investing in a larger one
Simone: But we didn’t just spend that amount of money on that site straight away.
We bought smaller sites first for between $200-$500 so that we could put into practice what we had learned first. Then we felt confident to be able to purchase a bigger site.
Matt: I can remember when you bought that bigger site. At the time I said to you, “I bet that turns into one of those sites that just ticks along for 10 years, making $200-$300 per month.” And here we are, 2-3 years later, and it’s doing just that!
Where did you purchase the site from?
Jordan: We bought it on a leading broker platform called Flippa.
Matt: So, it’s an affiliate site. Does it have any other monetisation methods?
Simone: Yes, it also has a membership eBook.
Why Jordan & Simone transitioned into the Digital Agency strategy
Matt: So that was one part of your journey—building and renovating websites. But after your first year of the Champions program, you decided to pivot and focus more on the digital agency side. You created a professional digital agency in Penrith. What led to that decision?
Jordan: We started with the Digital Investors program in 2017, and initially, we were doing some website work for friends and family. It was more of a side hustle. But when we joined the Champions program, we decided to focus on both the agency and portfolio sides.
Our goal was to eventually get Simone out of her full-time job and into the business full-time, so we started to put more energy into the agency side.
Simone: Yes, we realised that the digital agency model would allow us to scale faster, and it aligned more with our long-term goals.
The first year was a learning year rather than an earning year. But in the second year, we decided to focus on the agency and really make it our priority.
They were looking for flexibility for their future family goals
Matt: Simone, for you, was the shift to focus on the agency more about wanting to leave your job, or was it about finding more flexibility in your work?
Simone: It was a bit of both, but flexibility was a major factor for me. As a physiotherapist, my work required me to be physically present, and I didn’t have a lot of flexibility in my schedule.
In terms of our future vision, especially thinking about starting a family, I wanted a job that would allow me to work from home and have more control over my time. I want to be able to be at home and help with the kids. And if there’s something fun at school, I want to be there for it.
Matt: That makes perfect sense, especially with a growing family. Speaking of which, what’s happening in November?
Simone: We’re expecting a baby girl!
Matt: That’s wonderful news! Congratulations! It’s fantastic to see both of you here today, and you’re glowing. I love how you’ve set a clear vision for your life over the next two to three years, and here you are now starting a family.
It’s a great example for our listeners—you’ve transitioned out of your corporate roles, built a successful business, and now you’re preparing to welcome a new family member. That’s inspiring!
How the digital agency is helping them to fulfil their family goals
…AND Simone & Jordan have reached their first $50,000 month!
Matt: Let’s talk about the financial side for a moment. You’ve reached some impressive milestones. Rather than swapping time for money, and earning the money you earn as a physio, you’ve now been able to quit your job building a digital agency and a portfolio of online assets.
You mentioned earlier that you recently hit your first $50,000 month. What’s the consistency like now in terms of monthly income from the agency?
Jordan: We’re consistently bringing in between $15,000 and $25,000 each month, depending on the projects we have going. But recently, we hit a huge milestone—our first $50,000 month.
Right now, we have about 10 website builds going on, so there’s a lot of work coming in.
The moment Simone was able to quit her job to focus on growing their digital agency
Matt: What do you think triggered that big jump in your business? What’s been happening in the last year to cause this growth?
Jordan: A lot of things aligned for us.
We got married last November, went on our honeymoon in December and January, and then when we returned, Simone didn’t go back to work. That was a major turning point for us.
Simone: Yes, I resigned from my job between our wedding and honeymoon. After we came back in January, I started working full-time in the business.
That was a huge shift for us, not just in terms of time, but also in terms of mindset. It was a bit of an identity shift for me, having been a physiotherapist for over 10 years. But once I was fully committed to the business, things really started to pick up.
Simone went part-time before she quit her job. So, she was doing five days a fortnight. She had one foot in the door and one foot out.
But once we started hitting $10,000 consistently, we knew that was the right time for her to step into a full-time role with the agency. We always had my job and income as a safety net. So, it all went according to plan.
They chose not to rush the journey to reach their ultimate goal and vision
Matt: That’s incredible! I know there are a lot of readers who are trying to figure out how to set up their lives so they can achieve their goals and vision. But you guys have done it perfectly here, in only three to four years.
And your life vision is not so much about the money, but being about to work online as a new mum. This is perfect; it’s the best way ever to raise your kids.
Jordan: It was a gradual but consistent journey. We always knew we were going to take the longer route because of our particular vision and goals. There are Champions who do it in their first year, and that’s always exciting to see. There are lots of different ways to do this.
But I like the ladder analogy of just taking little steps at a time. We want to be able to build our business over time, and do a little bit to improve each day. It’s cool to know we can take our time and go about it in a longer-term approach.
Matt: Well, Jordan, I know working in cybersecurity, you’re much more risk-averse. There are a lot of professional people out there who don’t want to take big risks at this stage of their lives. So, what you’ve done is really cool to see.
They complement each other, work together as a team in their online business
Matt: You two have built an incredible business together, and I know you’ve had a lot of fun doing it.
How has it been working together as a team? Do you have similar approaches, or do you complement each other’s strengths?
Simone: We definitely complement each other. Jordan is more focused on the technical side, while I handle the creative aspects like SEO, design, and content creation.
Jordan: Yes, I take care of the admin, technical setup, and project management, while Simone handles the design and content side of things.
Matt: It sounds like a perfect balance. It’s clear you’ve figured out how to leverage each other’s strengths in the business.
Simone’s confidence grew through business networking
Matt: Simone, I remember when you first joined the program, you were quite shy. But you just got out there and made it happen. You’re now out there, leading your business and even getting involved in business networking through BNI.
You’ve done a complete 180 since you first started learning your digital skills with eBusiness Institute. So, how did you make that leap from being shy to confidently representing your business?
Simone: It was scary! Especially when I look back at our first year of Champions. There was one bootcamp where we talked about networking. You encouraged us to get out there and talk to businesses about what we do. I just felt sick to the stomach just thinking about it.
And I can still remember Matt Raad saying, “If you want to grow your business, you need to get out there and network.”
So, after a year of deliberating, I decided to reach out to a local BNI chapter. I was ready to just go and visit to see what it’s like. You get to sit back and listen, and then you have your opportunity to speak. So, I really liked that structure.
I eventually joined a BNI chapter, and I’ve been part of it now for two years. It’s really helped us grow our business. But it has also helped so much from a self-development point of view, and growing my confidence in public speaking.
Matt: That’s so inspiring! And look at the changes it’s made for you. You started your journey with zero digital skills. But now you’re building websites and talking to business people.
Public speaking is such a valuable skill, especially at a young age, and it’s clear that you’ve grown in confidence. You’ve come a long way.
They now get a lot of their leads through business networking
Matt: So, three years down the track, where are you getting most of your leads from now?
Jordan: Around 30% of our leads currently comes from BNI, and 70% comes from our agency website. We have SEO’d our site, and so our website generates us leads and contacts. We also get some leads from Facebook and Facebook groups.
Actually, we recently had a client sign on last week. He’s a chiropractor based in Brisbane, who found us through a Facebook group. Someone in the group recommended us, so we jumped in there and he contacted us.
Matt: Great! And you’re interstate in Sydney, so there are no borders here when we work online.
How Jordan & Simone are growing a seven-figure business
…and how they recently signed a new corporate client worth $60,000!
Matt: You recently told me about a big job you received. Where would a lead like that come from and how big was it?
Jordan: Yes, so this business found us through our website. They were looking for someone local, and they really liked our website. We have a lot of information about ourselves on the About Us page, so they felt like they had already formed a connection with us.
We went through the process with this; it was like a tender process because it’s a large company. But they ended up choosing us because they resonated with us and like working with someone local.
It is quite a large website redesign job, which we’ve split over two phases. But overall, we are being paid $60,000 for the two phases.
Matt: Well done guys! This is awesome.
They’re making regular income from providing ongoing recurring services
Matt: And so, you also offer regular website maintenance and SEO services. What’s the recurring revenue stream for your agency now?
Jordan: We currently earn around $8,000 a month through website maintenance and SEO. But this is growing every month.
Matt: Yes, you’d expect it to start getting a bit exponential now.
Jordan: It’s growing fast. When we finish most of our client website builds, they opt into a maintenance plan with us. That’s where we host and maintain their website for them. We’re also picking up SEO clients, too.
Matt: This is perfect. And you’ve achieved this in three years, doing it part-time as a side hustle.
You’ve landed your first $60,000 client, you’ve had your first $50,000 month, you’re earning $8,000 a month from recurring services, and you’re consistently turning over $15,000-$25,000 per month income.
There are not a lot of marketing costs for your business. And so, the flywheel’s dialled in and is getting bigger and bigger now.
Just imagine, Simone, if you stayed on as a physical therapist, you would still be earning $100,000 a year and that’s all you’d have to show for it. But today, you’re sitting on an asset that will one day be worth seven figures.
As we know in our community, once you hit around $30,000 a month in recurring revenue, the business is now worth around $1 million. So, in a way, you’ve built a digital asset which is just as good as real estate.
You’ve also created a life for yourselves where you are working together, and you’ve had a whole bunch of mindset changes which is awesome.
Simone: Yes, it’s pretty cool to look back and see how things have evolved. Today, we’re building these great assets for a whole bunch of businesses. We are helping them build their brand and connecting them to their ideal clients.
Simone is focusing on her background specialty with Allied Health clients
Matt: What kinds of clients are you working with these days? Are you specialising in any particular industries?
Simone: Yes, we’ve started focusing more on allied health clients, particularly because I have a background in physiotherapy. I understand how clinics operate and what they need from their websites. I can speak their language and help them connect with their ideal clients. So, we specialise in physiotherapy website design.
Matt: That’s such a smart move. Specialising in a niche you understand deeply is a great way to build trust with clients.
Simone: Exactly. We’ve helped one of our allied health clients significantly improve their online presence, and their website has positioned them as a leader in their field. Now, they’re even getting approached by other physios for mentoring opportunities!
Simone can now work from home while raising her new family
Matt: It’s amazing to see how far you’ve come. You’ve achieved your vision you set three years ago, which is so inspiring for our community. And you’re about to start a new family, just like so many other Champions have done over the last year or two.
I think this is a perfect way to start a family. For Liz and I, our business took off once the kids came along. It’s a wonderful thing, especially for mums to be working from home while raising your family. So, congratulations to you both.
They’ve formed good relationships within the Champions community and are constantly inspiring others
Jordan: Thank you. We are good friends with a lot of other Champions, including Amish and Avani, who are also building their digital agency. Although, Simone has already said she is not taking her laptop into the hospital like Avani did!
Even though this was our first year of Champions, we are still very connected with the community. We talk with a lot of Champions and formed good networks there. It’s been a really good environment and a great community.
Matt: Well, Jordan, Liz and I have noticed you help out other Champions with your cybersecurity tips. Even though we teach security, you’ve been able to help students with important updates and guidance. And you even posted a really good tip around email management, which helped a lot of our students out, too. So, we’re very thankful for having you in our private Facebook groups.
Jordan: I like to give back to the community because I know how daunting it can be for some people. It can be very confusing. I find that when you give back to others, opportunities will come. So, if you’re able to, always give. And I really enjoy being able to help!
Matt: Well, thank you for all your help, and for inspiring so many people with this awesome update.
If you’re ready to build a digital business that fits your lifestyle—just like Jordan and Simone—start with the right skills and guidance. Register for our free training to see how you can transition from your 9-to-5 and start generating consistent online income: Watch the Free Training Here.
