See how this couple reached $15,000 per month income within 9 months of starting their online business!
We always tell our students that your first year on Champions is a learning year, not an earning year.
Yet, within 9 months of starting their online business, Derek and Courtney hit $15,000 per month.
And they did it while raising 2 young kids and with no technical knowledge.
Want to hear how they did they did and how you can too? Click below to listen to their interview.
Matt: Today, I have two exceptional students from the Champions program, our private online entrepreneurship coaching program. You’ll want to read this story, especially if you’re considering leaving the corporate world.
During a recent coaching call, Derek told me that he and Courtney had just achieved their second $15,000 month within their leading Brisbane digital marketing agency. And the best part is yet to come.
We are now in July, and he said, “Since January, we’ve been making about $10,000 a month.” I told Derek, “You’re not supposed to do that in your first year on Champions. It’s a learning year, not an earning year.”
So, today, they’ll share their story. We’ll see how they have been hitting such huge numbers within such a short period of time through what we’re teaching here at eBusiness Institute.
I want to say a big welcome and thank you for what you’re about to share with us. You both should be very proud because you only joined us in August last year, and your results have been sensational.
Derek: Thank you. It’s a pleasure to be here.
Courtney: Yes, I’m really excited.
Quitting a high-paying corporate job to build an online business
Matt: Derek, what were you doing, and what is your background?
Derek: I come from a corporate sales background with no technical knowledge. However, after listening to your podcast for a long time, we took the leap and ventured into digital investing.
We officially started in March last year, and even before completing the Digital Investors program, we already knew we wanted to join Champions in August. We have been fully committed since then.
So, it’s been a big shift from corporate sales to digital investing.
Courtney was juggling a high-pressure job around being a mum
Matt: And what was your background, Courtney?
Courtney: I’m a Senior Admin Manager and Project Officer in mental health.
Matt: Wow! I imagine that’s a full-on role.
Courtney: Yes, it’s intense and requires a lot of mental energy, but I love it. Twelve months ago, I made the decision that we needed to improve our work-life balance, and here we are.
Matt: You’re in a very senior role in government health. And what about your family?
Courtney: We’ve got two young boys: Noah, who is four, and my youngest, Hugo, who is 20 months. So it’s been quite the juggle.
Matt: It sounds very similar to our other graduates, Pete and Renee, who were also burnt-out corporates with young kids. Did their story inspire you?
Courtney: Yes. Definitely.
Matt: You are starting a new family-life balance.
Derek was burnt out but earning good money in a senior corporate role…
Matt: Derek, you’re in the corporate world. What industry were you in, and what was your specific role?
Derek: I was in Senior Business Management. It’s similar to a GM role for a large liquor company, and I was travelling a lot. I managed the Asia Pacific region constantly in and out of a plane. Balancing this type of work around the family was hard, and I was burnt out. However, I also had a very secure wage.
It was a tough decision to leave, but we were determined to achieve a better work-life balance. The stories we heard from the Champions community inspired us and made us realise, “Why not us?” So, we decided to give it our best shot.
…So he quit his job, and Courtney scaled back to part-time work to focus on learning their digital skills
Matt: Now you’re not meant to do this, so you broke a few rules of Champions. The number one rule is don’t quit your job. So, Derek, when did you quit your job?
Derek: We had just celebrated our 12-month anniversary and Courtney’s birthday when I quit my job. But honestly, it feels like we’ve gained about two or three years’ worth of learning in the last nine months of Champions.
Matt: You quit your job to come onto the Champions program, which we don’t suggest if you’re reading this. But for you guys, it worked out brilliantly.
Also, one of the reasons you quit your job was burnout, and you decided to back yourself for 12 months. That was your choice there.
Courtney, what’s your work situation? You didn’t quit your job?
Courtney: I initially returned to work full-time from maternity leave last year but recently dropped back to part-time.
Matt: And what does it look like for you?
Courtney: It’s four days a week at the moment, with the goal to drop back even more in the next couple of months.
Matt: Awesome. You both were working in corporate, obviously earning very good money between you, so this is a brave move. Well done guys.
There’s a strong driver here: you’ve started a new family while taking a big risk to back yourself by taking a break from full-time employment as a general manager. I’m not recommending our readers do that. This was their choice, but we can see it worked for them.
Why they decided to build a Digital Agency
Matt: When you joined Champions, what was the main strategy you decided to follow?
Matt & Liz Raad teach you how to build cash flow from your digital skills, and we teach two main strategies:
- Digital agency, and
- Buying and selling websites.
Which strategy did you decide, and what is your reasoning behind this decision?
Derek: Well, this has been an interesting reflection for us too. But we made the decision, and I think this has benefitted our situation.
We knew early on that we wanted to start a digital agency and build an asset that we could eventually either step away from or sell. We heard the stories of people like Peter Renee who are having amazing success. It’s not just them; there are so many other Champions. And so that was our strategy from the get-go.
To be honest, it’s been hard at times because there are so many other strategies that work really well. There are always examples of people doing exceptionally well with all the strategies. Still, we have chosen to constantly stay laser-focused on the digital agency, and that’s what we’re doing.
Matt: Well done, and that focus has paid off really well.
And Courtney, have you worked closely with Derek on this strategy?
Courtney: Yes, so Derek’s in there full-time during the day. Overnight, my routine is to put the kids down, and then I’m working from seven until midnight most nights just getting everything done.
Matt: Well done. Courtney, you rock. That is super cool.
Derek: She is a Superwoman!
Matt: Well done, considering the challenges of your daytime work. The two of you are obviously high achievers. You’ve gotten into this, backed each other, and got huge support from each other doing this.
How Derek & Courtney reached $15,000 monthly income within their first year
Matt: Besides learning our strategy, what were the key initial steps you took that contributed to you reaching the point of earning $15,000 a month within three months of joining Champions?
Derek: There were a couple of things.
Step 1: They found paid clients through different types of networking
1./ Approaching local businesses
Derek: We got our first paid client before we started the Champions program. We found her through a photographer, and so I cheekily said to Courtney, “Go see if she wants a website. She doesn’t have one.” And she said Yes! That gave us a lot of confidence, and then we just learned while we earned.
The next thing that happened was a game-changer for us. I was apprehensive about posting about what we were doing on social media. I didn’t have the confidence to put ourselves out there. Whereas Courtney felt differently, and met someone in her mothers’ group.
2./ Facebook groups
Courtney: Yes, so I created a Facebook business page quite early on. From that, I was excited to share with our family and friends what we were doing. So, I just created a Facebook post saying, “Hey, this is what we’re doing. If you need a website or anything SEO-related, just share it with your friends.”
3./ Mother’s group
Courtney: I had joined a mothers’ group a few years back. And so, my friend from that group reached out. I had no clue what her business was about until she called us. It turns out she’s an incredible woman with a small business employing over 20 people and serving the whole country.
Derek: This all happened right when we started Champions. We had just finished the first closed-door Champions bootcamp. And I remember very clearly having a conversation with our coach, Calem, about this. I said, “Far out, we’re just starting. What do we do?” And as always, Calem gives really good advice!
The advice that I heard him give was just to be honest with the client. We were honest that we were just starting and told them what we could and couldn’t do. Also, because of the complexity of the client, we still ended up charging them $2,000.
That really got us going. To be honest, when you start charging that kind of money when you’re learning, there’s no other motivator like it to take on all the learnings and find your way. So that put our first rocket.
4./ Local business networking groups
Derek: Next, we got lucky through BNI with another client there.
Matt: You guys have had great success with networking. You first joined a business networking group called BNI, then Courtney’s networking in a mother’s group, and you also have a private Facebook page. This has been sensational for you. I think that’s something worth pointing out.
Step 2: They used the support of the coaches in the Champions program
Matt: We have amazing coaches here, like Calem, whom you have heard on this podcast many times. He is particularly skilled in operating a successful online business, just like all of our coaches. So, you understand how important he is in helping you through your very first client.
It can be pretty stressful, right? Dealing with your first paying client when you’re just starting out. This client happens to be one of the mums from the mother’s group, so it’s important to get it right. So, it must be nice to have all of that support from our team behind you. Managing that first client can be quite nerve-wracking, especially when they’re paying you $2,000.
Step 3: They delivered exceptional service for their clients
Matt: So, how did it go? Was she happy with the result?
Courtney: Yes, she is still a client. She is now one of our recurring clients, and we have developed a strong relationship with her. She trusts us, and we are very fortunate to have her as a client.
Derek: She’s actually getting awesome results, and we’re really excited about that.
Matt: Yes, especially for your very first build. You hit the ball out of the park in terms of helping the client, and you got a really good result.
Step 4: They then focused on services that delivered recurring income
Matt: So, obviously, that gave you a lot more confidence?
Derek: Yes, absolutely. Another thing we’ve done is join BNI, just like many other Champions have done. In our region, there were no available seats for web developers or web designers, so I took an SEO seat in a brand new chapter that was just starting up.
This decision helped us focus more on servicing numerous SEO clients, leading to a steady income stream.
While we continue to take on website projects, we focus on developing recurring income through SEO within our digital agency strategy.
Matt: Okay, so you guys are really focused on that, and we’ll talk about that in a minute because it’s a smart strategy in this current market, which you guys are well aware of.
Step 5: As their confidence grew, they started treating themselves as a serious business
Matt: So, in terms of the next steps, you quickly started charging $2,000 for a website build. As you started to get more clients and gain confidence in your abilities, Derek, you decided to do this full-time.
Did the networking take up the most time getting the clients, or was it learning or building the sites or all of the above? I’m guessing things are pretty busy at that point.
Derek: Yes, the process is ebb and flow for us. At the start we got lucky with our first client, and that took up a lot of our time. We then started immersing ourselves in the weekly webinars, etc. Through that, we realised we needed to get more reps in.
There was a phase where we were broadening our networks in BNI, getting website builds and new clients, but we weren’t charging them anywhere near that kind of money, to be honest. The first one was an outlier because she was large.
Not too long ago, we were still building $1,000 websites and charging $500 for an SEO client. Then, once we started getting more clients, we got busy again. So, we’d focus on all the learning and work to get better processes in place. And so, it’s only just now that we’re starting to treat ourselves as more of a serious business.
Derek: This is where the community and the coaches have been incredibly helpful.
The coaches have provided invaluable assistance whenever we start to feel overwhelmed. They share actionable advice that helps us improve our processes so we’re not constantly struggling to keep up.
In our first six months, we often felt overwhelmed and wondered where our next clients would come from.
Derek & Courtney are now charging up to $5,000 a month for SEO clients
Hear how they delivered incredible results just by understanding business needs that other digital agencies weren’t serving…
Matt: Once you found your flow, what was the next trigger that led you to reach $15,000? Can you elaborate on that journey?
You started by building simple websites for small businesses at a standard price, but then you seemed to have significantly raised the bar. What do you believe caused this significant change?
Derek: Earlier this year, through BNI, I received a tier two referral, which means a referral from a referral.
I got connected to an RTO client and had an initial meeting with them. I found out that they had been working with a well-known digital agency, spending over six figures per annum, as well as an additional six figures per annum on paid ads. They were really unhappy with the results and didn’t know what they were getting in return.
And the more questions I asked, the more I browsed their website. Even then, I thought we could handle this. I didn’t expect to land the client, but I made an offer anyway. A few weeks later, they requested a meeting with their CEO, and they pretty much signed on the spot.
That was our first client, worth $4,000, but now we’re charging them $5,000 a month. It really boosted our confidence and credibility. We’re still working closely with them and have managed to help them significantly in a short period.
That experience was a catalyst, showing us that everything we learned in Champions is valuable and that we can deliver much more value than we initially thought. It’s become a regular occurrence for us.
This is how our students are beating bigger digital agencies…
Matt: Thanks for sharing that story, Derek, because this is a common theme within the Champions community. We’re all talking about it in our private Facebook group and with the coaches.
Calem and the other coaches often say that we out-care the competition. Even first-year Champions do better work than big, established digital agencies because you care so much about the clients and get them great results.
For our overseas readers, RTO stands for Registered Training Organisation, a significant national company in Australia.
And so, in your first year with Champions, your boutique digital agency in Brisbane is delivering better SEO than established digital agencies. Well done! And you’re doing it at half the price while the agency was charging six figures plus another six figures for paid traffic.
Why being upfront & having past corporate experience has helped Derek do business with larger corporations
Matt: Here’s a mindset question: How did you handle dealing with the CEO? Did you tell him you’re a boutique agency and not the size of a big digital agency? Were you upfront about it? How do you approach the sale?
Derek: Yes, we were upfront about being a young agency. I didn’t specify how new we were, but I mentioned that we were a husband-and-wife team, which they could see. This is where my corporate sales background came in handy.
I’ve had a lot of experience preparing proposals and dealing with clients, so I was able to put together a solid proposal, ask the right questions, and give him confidence in us. To this day, the feedback we get is about how hands-on and caring we are. I know I’m echoing what you said, but it’s true for all our clients.
The feedback we’ve received from this RTO client, for instance, highlights how their previous agency was unresponsive and didn’t provide reports. They had no idea what was happening, but we shared everything we did, for better or worse. It’s worked out well for us.
Matt: So, you can position yourself this way, and for anyone reading, you can do this in business, especially with a digital agency. You can present yourself as a boutique, high-end husband-and-wife team that simply gets the job done. And yes, we’re expensive for a reason—we’re good at what we do.
They are very close to achieving their first $20,000 month in recurring income
Matt: One thing I admire about what you’ve achieved is that you’ve picked up a few other clients (no need to mention names).
Can you share some numbers for your recurring monthly income? For example, Derek and Courtney charge $5,000 monthly with just one client. What are some of the other big clients you’ve got, and what are you charging them?
Derek: There’s a broad range. Some of our clients are paying $500 a month, and we treat them like every other client. Interestingly, while we were away for the weekend, we got a call from another client who owns a series of vet clinics, and he’s accepted our $ 3,000 per month offer.
So, we have a variety of clients paying based on the complexity of their businesses. We’re now just one or two smaller clients away from reaching $20,000 a month in recurring income, excluding website builds. Our next goal is to hit that $20,000 threshold from recurring income alone.
Matt: Well done! So, if you’re reading this, that $20,000 a month doesn’t even include the website build projects. You guys are a lot like Pete and Renee, who focus more on recurring revenue than website builds.
How Courtney & Derek operate their online business as a couple
Matt: You’re about to hit $20,000 monthly as a couple working from home.
1./ They’ve outsourced their marketing to a local team member
Matt: To reach this $20K a month milestone, what staff do you have?
Derek: Yes, it’s been a learning curve for us from day one. We’ve tried everything, like Upwork, and gained different kinds of experiences along the way. We’ve had a couple of virtual assistants that didn’t quite fit, but those experiences were invaluable lessons.
We realised we needed reliable people who could respond promptly. So, despite the higher cost, we took a calculated risk and hired someone locally. Our first client actually introduced us to a young marketer who was looking for work.
We offered her a position, and she’s been a great addition. She handles a lot of the groundwork and is eager to learn. We’re keen to develop her skills further through our program.
2./ They then hired a techie to help with their website builds
Derek: Additionally, we have a tech expert from Upwork who assists us part-time with all our tech and web development needs.
Matt: Where are they from?
Derek: She’s from India.
Matt: So, you have an all-female team?
Derek: Oh, I didn’t even think of that, Matt!
Matt: This is quite impressive. If you’re reading this, there’s no need to rush out and hire a lot of staff.
3./ They rely on each other’s strengths when running the business
Matt: In reality, it’s just the two of you who are very hands-on. You’re building sites from scratch, starting as total beginners, and I must say, your sites really stand out. Both of you create beautiful sites individually. Courtney, do you also give it a go during your late nights or any Fridays?
Courtney: Yes, it’s probably me who will be building the websites. I enjoy working on that side of things.
Derek: We currently have four projects in progress. I’m focusing on one right now, which is more central. Courtney really enjoys it, and I do, too. The way we work is playing to our strengths, and I feel like I’m more on the data side of things.
Courtney: That’s right. So, I build the website and then pass it on to Derek to review from an SEO perspective to ensure everything’s in order.
Matt: You sound like you work very similar to Amish and Avani. Hopefully, though, you weren’t giving birth while building a website!
Derek: That’s funny.
Matt: Those guys are legends, aren’t they? They were very hands-on initially when building a digital agency and started seeing results like yours in their second year. Amish handled the front end with clients, and in the evenings, Avani worked on building the site while they were starting a new family.
How this husband and wife balance working together and lifestyle
Matt: So, even though both of you can build sites, how have you found working together?
Many readers come from similar backgrounds, working full-on corporate roles from five to nine. Liz and I take it for granted, but how are you two managing it? I know it’s still new, but how’s it going so far?
Courtney: It’s pretty good. There are times when we have our challenges. We butt heads like any other couple, but I think we bring the best out of each other. We push each other past our strengths, and I think we bring the best out of each other.
Derek: We listen to each other and usually take on board what we both say.
Coming from corporate, we never really had this level of connection. Yes, we talked about work, but it’s different when you’re actually living the business. We’re connecting on entirely new levels.
For Courtney’s birthday, we went to the Yarra to celebrate our first year in business. There, we mapped out our plans for the next five years, both for our lives and our businesses. We could have done that before, but it’s completely different now.
Yes, I think I might annoy my wife sometimes because I’m quite opinionated and like to get my own way, but I think we work pretty well together.
Matt: Well done, guys. That’s really cool, and it’s good to see that. I love what you guys are doing because, similar to what we teach here, you’re celebrating your wins. So, you’re celebrating 12 months together in business, which is really important.
And the cool thing you said is you picked up a new client when you guys left.
Derek: Yes, it was lucky. We weren’t sure if that one was going to come through, but it did.
Courtney: Yes, that was good.
Matt: While you were celebrating, you also did some planning together, which is fantastic as you’re now planning as a family. Plus, you’re building an amazing asset with recurring revenues.
They’re building a highly valuable asset together as a couple
Matt: I want to highlight for both of you that you’re not just putting in the hard yards and earning money, but you’re also creating a highly attractive asset for the future.
So, if you ever wanted to sell—not that I’m suggesting you do—we know from our coaching calls that you’ve got a five-year goal.
You could potentially sell for three to five times your profit. Unlike the old days when you worked for a wage and only had your Super when you left, now you have a valuable asset.
Now, you’ve got an actual asset here that you can sell. And I think the two of you will do really well with this.
Buying up digital agencies now is very popular because they’re so leveraged, particularly these recurring revenues. And I want to say a big congratulations to you both, for you’re already building and focusing so much on recurring revenues in such a quick amount of time.
And it’s all thanks to all the other Champions out there; not just Pete and Renee, Amish and Avani, but all the others we’ve interviewed here. We’ve heard success stories from Richard Perrin, Nathan Alexa, Greg, and Chris. And we have all the coaches, Toni in support, and everyone else who’s helped. You have a good model from which to work.
And I think now, to see the result that you guys have achieved so quickly I think it’s a conglomeration of everyone who’s gone before you guys.
A powerful way of generating new leads
How a simple challenge turned into a weekly routine to turbocharge how Courtney & Derek get clients…
Matt: Let’s talk about one of the top-secret things you are doing because it’s actually driving a lot of leads and success. And it’s something that we teach here in the Champions because it’s so powerful.
I love what you’ve done with this challenge, Derek. So, what did we get you to do?
Derek: Yes, it was the 100-Call Challenge.
We did this challenge after the bootcamp in February. Many Champions jumped straight on that and did it, but it’s actually part of our weekly routine. No kidding, it’s still part of our routine now.
Every Monday morning, we come in, map out a target niche, look online, and reach out cold. We prioritise this every week. Courtney also does some cold outreach on social media. When you tie in BNI, too, it’s hard to say where our new clients predominantly come from.
I feel like BNI is still the biggest contributor. But just getting out there and doing the hundred-call challenge and continuing—it keeps us focused whenever there’s an opportunity. For example, the guy with the glass. We needed our car’s glass tinted, so it’s just a habit for us to bring up what we do. Now he’s a client. So yes, it’s not rocket science, but it’s equally easy not to do these things as it is to do them, right?
They take regular, consistent action to continue to grow their online business
Matt: Absolutely. Yes. Like we always say, GST (Get Stuff Done), and Reps, Reps, Reps. So, if you’re reading this and aiming for these kinds of outcomes, it’s about setting an intention and committing wholeheartedly to it.
And I must say, you both embody that perfectly. You’ve taken it seriously to the extent that you’ve quit your job and decided to back yourselves for 12 months. You’ve gone all in to see what you could achieve. That commitment extends to what I admire about both of you: your accountability emails and how you work closely with your coaches.
You’re both incredible implementers, taking every lesson to heart and giving it your all. Take, for example, the hundred call challenge, which we know isn’t easy. Liz and I have seen it grow many businesses, and you’ve achieved the same by sticking with it consistently on a weekly basis, not just as a one-time effort.
Congratulations on your remarkable success. It’s truly impressive how well you work together as a couple, implementing strategies flawlessly, and the results speak volumes.
Derek: Yes, thank you.
Three Key Factors for Success
How Courtney & Derek juggle raising a family with corporate work AND running their Digital Agency…
Matt: Do you have any final words? I think you’ve shared so much already. It is just amazing, but do you have any other final words of wisdom for anyone reading this who’s starting out on this journey?
Derek: For me, the key factors that have really helped us, almost in priority order, are:
1./ Maintain clarity
Maintain clarity in your strategy instead of being pulled in different directions. Being absolutely clear and focused has been crucial for us.
2./Trust the process
There have been times, like during the hundred call challenges or the guest posting challenge, when doubts crept in, but we reminded ourselves that each strategy serves a purpose. We’ve put our best efforts and trust in the process.
Take consistent action every day
Your “don’t think, just do” mantra has been incredibly simple yet powerful for us. Whenever doubts arise, Courtney has encouraged me to pick up the phone, take action, or dive deeper into learning—whatever is needed to keep moving forward.
Matt: I love it. You know, they say, Derek, behind every great man, is an equal or greater woman. And you’ve got Courtney there.
I really want to extend a heartfelt congratulations to both of you, and of course, a huge thank you for inspiring so many people today.
I know how difficult it is to raise two kids under five. Courtney, you are working in a very challenging senior role. You’ve got that going on, and then you come home, and you’ve got to drive Derek and work as a couple in a whole new sphere you’ve never been trained in. Seriously, well done.
Derek: It’s been an incredible journey. We’re really pumped to see what the next 12 months have in store for us. We can’t wait!
Matt: I’m sure it’s going to be a great thing, guys. You just need to get out there and buy up some new digital agencies as well to add to what you’re doing. For go-getters like you, that’ll be a no-brainer.
I think once you lift off and build your team, that’s the next step because, really, you’ve done it together. That’s the other inspiring thing from your story. You can do it just by working from home as a couple and getting to the point where you’re at.
How can they grow their business even more?
Matt: I recommend you start to build a team a little bit more so that you can go to the next level.
And I would definitely, in this marketplace, be looking at buying up other digital agencies to start adding in. Even just quite small agencies, just find those opportunities out there. Even businesses that are achieving under $10,000 or under $20,000 are quite significant. And I believe the combined impact of all these achievements will be even greater.
Your dedication to working towards that five-year plan and vision for your family is truly commendable. Beyond that, you’re giving your all in everything you do. Well done, guys.
