Tearing while Writing this Article about Starting my Life Again

The Awesome Greg Mason and Myself Edward Zia – Early Days of 4Networking Sydney CBD! Glad we won in the end!

Hi Everyone! I like to think I am a real man, but in some parts of writing this article I was crying like a baby 🙂

This article I have written for the upcoming 4Networking Australia Leadership Guide and I thought, wouldn’t it be perfect in my blog too? Hope you like it and thanks for reading this:

“Being part of the 4Networking Leadership Team helped me get my business off the ground and start my life again with support, friends and financial success”.

In being an huge success in my 20’s as a Corporate Marketing Manager and feeling somewhat indestructible, my world changed forever the day my Fiancée left me due to my own failings to really appreciate her.  Over a period of a few months (and feeding into the Global-Financial Crisis at the time) my life fell apart and I went from being able to buy whatever I want to being unemployed for almost 12 months.

As we both have shared Social Groups, many of my “friends” moved on at the time as well and I ended up losing all of my money, was $20K into Credit Card Debt and lost my friends and support network.  My life ended as I knew it and I endured some dark years.  It was filled with isolation, regret and remorse for a future I almost had but will now never see.

I started to humble up and came to Sydney to start my life all over again.  Things weren’t quite working out the way I hoped, but eventually I came across this “British 4Networking Group”.  After meeting this quirky man by the name of Grant Dempsey, he inspired me in his vision to create 4Networking Australia as a Business Community.  I barely even knew him and already I felt there was something unique about 4Networking and him personally.

I came to one of the first meetings of 4Networking in Liverpool and I was immediately mentally part of it.  For the first time in a long time, I could see myself leading a normal life again and within one meeting I was Operations Assistant.  This involved collecting money and helping run things. It was a great way to rebuild my confidence and Self-Esteem surrounded by truly kind people on my side.  I also felt for once in a long time I was actually helping people and needed.

I started speaking before the group and before I knew it – I was inviting people to 4Networking and even Group Leading a few months later.  As my skills, confidence and renewed faith in life returned I started picking up clients from within the Network and started gaining a steady stream of referrals.  For the first time in years I felt like I was contributing to society yet again and I had a vision to build myself a brand new life.

As the early 4Networking was emerging I helped market lots of groups, invited everyone and then became Area Leader looking after about 4 Groups.  Then I even helped start new groups and within 2 years I had the lucky honour of being Regional Leader for Metro Sydney.  The roles gave me the confidence and exposure I needed and before long, I realized I built a 6-Figure Consulting Business from Scratch with 4Networking.

Would I ever change anything looking back? No way.  My quality of life is the best it has ever been for me in terms of friends, support and finances and based on my journey I now have the daily opportunity to help people who were just like me and just need someone and a group of people believing in them.

4Networking was a lot more than money to me, it was my second chance in life and I sometimes pinch myself to make sure it’s not a dream.  These days I work with fantastic clients and tell my story publicly as much as I can and am doing my best to get across all the groups.

I hope to see you soon and if we don’t get to meet anytime soon, feel free to add me on Facebook, LinkedIn and say hello!