I was running around, excited, waiting for her to pick the one she wanted. But then, as I turned too quickly, my jacket brushed against a shelf—and before I could react…

💥 CRASH.

I had knocked over an expensive vase.

It shattered into pieces on the floor.

I looked up at my mum with tears in my eyes... I knew we have to pay for it.

At that time, we were barely scraping by—and my mum didn’t have any extra money to cover the cost.

And I remember, how she, also with tears in her eyes told me "Dan, I'm so sorry, but I suppose this needs to be my gift..." 

So not only did I fail to buy my mum something nice for her birthday…

I had to spend all of my savings on a vase that was now broken into pieces—only to watch it end up in the trash.

At that moment, I felt devastated.

But looking back, I now realize that, even at a young age, I learned a valuable lesson:

​“Things won’t just be given to me—I have to work for them.”
​
​Since the age of 14, I spent most of my holidays and weekends working part-time jobs while other "kids" enjoyed their childhood.

And so, I started juggling every business that crossed my path...

...starting a blog, becoming a beekeeper, car detailing, deep carpet & furniture cleaning, financial advising, trading…

You name it, I tried it. But every single one ended the same way—I spent hundreds of hours, hundreds of dollars, and never even made back what I invested.

​This cycle continued all the way into college, where I was studying to become a physiotherapist while working two part-time jobs just to afford rent and basic groceries.

Then one day in February 2021, I found myself with just $15 left in my bank account… 10 days until my next paycheck.

I was hopeless. Desperate. I didn’t know how much longer I could keep living like this…

But then I remembered a quote I once read somewhere on the internet:

"You’re down? Good. Now you have nothing to lose."

Yup. Spot on.

Instead of focusing on how to survive, I started focusing on how to finally start living.

That was the first time I discovered the world of "making money online."

An ad popped up:
"Build your e-commerce store and make money from home!"

I was hooked.

The business model that appealed to me the most? Affiliate marketing—because I didn’t have to create products or websites. I just had to connect leads with companies and share the profit.

A few slaps, falls, hiccups, backflips, thoughts of giving up, and desperate nights later…

I made my first commission—$6.77! (I was literally screaming from happiness!)

For a few months, I made commissions here and there, but it was just $200 in my first three months.

That’s when I met my first mentor—someone who was CRUSHING IT in affiliate marketing.

So, I sold half of my dorm room, borrowed money from my friends, and paid him $1,000 for mentorship.

ALL IN.

And soon enough…

$100 commissions...
Then $500...
Then $1,000...
Then $3,000 commissions...

One single commission covered my rent for almost an entire year!

I took my first-ever flight trip to London, and that’s when I knew:
"THIS is what I want to do—travel the world and make money at the same time!"

At that point, I was still in college and still had to go to my part-time jobs because of my contract…

But I decided to go ALL IN.

By the end of my first year, I was making $20,000 per month.
Then $50,000 per month.
Then $80,000 per month in my second year.

At that point, I was living MY BEST LIFE.

One day, I’d wake up in Vietnam.
The next evening, I’d be watching the sunset in the mountains of Thailand.
A month later, I’d be living in a penthouse in Spain, driving a convertible on the highway at night…
And then, I’d be surfing in Bali.

I could take care of my parents. Help my friends. Invest for my future.

I finally felt safe. My family was safe.

But there was one problem I had... Most of what I did required me to be heavily involved in the process and often showing my face online.