When Byron Tzreciak’s full time job started making him miserable, he spent his spare time designing a dream lifestyle business.

Describe your “aha” moment; when did your business idea first come to you?   

I never really had the “aha” moment. I was working full time in a job that was making me miserable and so in my spare time, I became obsessed with finding a way out. I started reading books like The 4-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris, The Art of Non-Conformity by Chris Guillebeau and Crush It! by Gary Vaynerchuk. These books taught me it wasn’t unreasonable to seek a flexible lifestyle that includes family, travel and career; and there were just so many ways of making an income online.

In the end, my business emerged from a number of unsuccessful online attempts; what I learnt from these failings gave me the knowledge and experience I needed, to help prevent my customers making the same mistakes. My first paid work came through family or friends of family and has grown from there.

Describe the “why” of your business:

On average, customers of PixelRush generate between 1-2 leads for every 10 visitors to their website. Our campaigns are  configured to attract customers with buying intent, minimise wasted spend, and significantly impact the revenue of the businesses we work with. We’re passionate about the results and  feel that’s what sets us apart in an industry that has lost a lot of trust, especially from small businesses.

Describe your customer/client. Why do you want to help them?

We love helping to transform online businesses from a mere presence into thriving online revenue streams. We want customers to walk away knowing without a doubt that the ROI of our services was incredibly valuable to their business.

What are  your three biggest challenge right now?

• Striking a balance between hiring new staff and ever growing expenses, which will allow me to spend more time growing the business;
• Scalability and encouraging more growth, while continuing to maintain work life balance and flexibility;
• Diversifying income streams from time based client services into digital products that can be profitable without a heavy investment of ongoing time.

Has anything surprised you about working for yourself?

In terms of salary, I always tell others that there are pros and cons for working for yourself; the income ceiling is very high, but it can also be very low (especially when starting out). While I was always confident that I could replace my old corporate income, it took some time. I was surprised at how much higher the earning potential can actually be.

List your three biggest business goals? Which of them scare you the most?

• Creating a range of digital marketing courses that teaches small businesses how to create profitable online marketing campaigns;
• Scaling client services work while maintaining flexibility and lifestyle balance;
• Create and marketing a range of small business digital workshops.

Once you became a soloist, what about your life changed almost immediately; and what changes have been slower to come?

My wife and I were both able to quit our jobs within three months of each other; so we immediately had a tonne of freedom but very little income (apart from savings).

We moved to Port Douglas for 12 months and my wife worked at a local hotel, while I continued to build the business. At times it could be isolating; and replacing my previous corporate income certainly didn’t happen overnight. While we made some great connections in Port Douglas, who had a significant impact on our current business, it wasn’t till we moved back to Melbourne that things really started to change.

What’s the best part of the life you’re living now you’re a soloist?

Flexibility, I work from home and my staff do too. This saves at least two to three hours of travel time that I can now spend on my clients, or my own business. I can also happily travel and work at the same time, although I realise it’s just as important to travel without working too.

Got a tip you’d like to share with the community about how to simplify the soloist life?

Hire others to help! As solopreneurs we are often perfectionists and think we are the only ones that can do the job. Find others than can help, under your guidance, who are highly motivated about your business and their work.