Biography
1980 – The year of the Monkey according to the Chinese. Also the start of a magnificent decade filled with fluoro, hairspray, leg warmers, break dancers, Michael Jackson, Mr T., Knight Rider, synth-pop and John Hughes movies. On the 10th of June, also known as Mad Hatters Day, I was born in Stockholm, Sweden, not to be confused with Switzerland. It is well known for its tall beautiful blondes, perpetual summer sun, never-ending winter nights, and IKEA.
I was lucky enough to catch the travel bug early in life. Before the age of 12 I had already spent a few years overseas, mostly in countries such as the United States and Germany. It was also at the age of 12 that I first started taking a real interest in Personal Development. My first memories include my Mother giving me two books, no more than 100 pages each, but I remember them very well. The first book described the basic concepts and life story of Albert Einstein and the other was Sigmund Freud. To date I’ve read hundreds of books on Psychology, Health and Fitness, Personal Development and Spirituality.
During these early years I was also heavily involved in sports such as Soccer/Football, Handball, Grid Iron, Water Polo, Aikido, Jiu-Jitsu, and generally being a very active child. This changed during High School when I spent more time reading books and really escalating the computer skills I had learned since the age of 4.
Nearing the age of 17 I luckily fell into my first job, as a proof-reader for a Swedish IT company, RXK Konsult AB. It quickly led to an authoring job, writing “quick guides” on how to use Microsoft applications, and even customising one of the titles for telecommunications giant Ericsson.
In 1999, after finishing high school I moved to Brisbane, Australia and started studying at Queensland University of Technology (QUT).
At QUT I studied my Bachelor of Information Technology (Major in E-commerce) while supplementing my electives with Psychology and Fitness, Health & Wellness. I found an effective way of studying during my years at University, which meant I could stop going to lectures and tutorials, but still managed to complete my degree. This gave me plenty of time during the week to fill my time with other activities. I decided to continue my interest in Martial Arts by studying Hung Suen Wing Chun Kung Fu under Si-Fu Alfredo Del-Brocco.
The other activity I focused my time on was work when I applied for a part-time job as a Web Designer in September 1999. This job eventually led me to eight years of employment with Ireckon Pty Ltd. Those eight years taught me everything from design, business processes, to managing employees, customers, and projects.
In 2001, about half way through my university studies, I also discovered a different side to me when I was introduced to a street dance class. After about six months I became so obsessed I wanted to learn more at a higher level. I enrolled in a full-time dance course studying an Advanced Diploma of Dance at the Australian Dance Performance Institute in 2003, just after I finished my Bachelor’s degree in IT.
Five days a week for the greater part of the day I would learn Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Contemporary / Modern, and Partnering while working late nights as an IT Professional. My days were long, starting at 6am and finishing at midnight. I’ve been blessed to be able to perform some amazing choreography and dance at the Sydney Opera House during those years. From this course I have gradually been expanding my interests in the Creative Arts from dance to dabbling in photography, writing, music and circus arts.
