Yup. That’s me. You probably wonder how I ended up in this situation — building a social media presence from scratch in my late forties — let’s start at the beginning.
How I Got Here
I’m forty-eight, and after two decades of working my arse off, I’ve gone back to old hobbies — reading, photography, travel. I also decided it was time to stop ignoring the world of YouTube, podcasts, and social media.
The goal? Build a modest, sustainable income from an online presence — and document the whole thing with 100% transparency. The real numbers, the mistakes, the follies, and whatever wins come along the way.
Why Bother?
I might not know the inner workings of an Instagram Reel (yet), but I do know how to build and run businesses. Over the last 30 years, I’ve started and managed companies across three continents:
- Consulting firms in Europe, Africa, and East Asia — some still running after 20 years.
- A tech business with a six-figure annual turnover.
- An industrial manufacturing plant with seven-figures revenue and 150+ employees.
I’ve served as CEO, CFO, head of marketing, sat on a non-profit board, and worked my way up from the trenches. (Literally — I also spent time in the military.)
The Mission
This isn’t theory. Zen Against The Machine is a live case study. The aim: document the building of three distinct brands — this blog, a long-form narrative History Podcast, and a Photography Channel on YouTube.
You’ll see everything:
- Wins, losses, and inevitable blunders.
- Full stats, KPIs, and financials. — the kind of radical transparency that’s rare in online business.
- The actual systems I use to keep it all moving.
The Setup
The brands will stay nameless here, so each can grow on its own merits — no cross-promotion. That way you’ll see the raw, unfiltered journey of small channels trying to get traction, just like yours might be.
For now, I’ll refer to them simply as:
- ZATM – this blog.
- The History Project – my long-form narrative history podcast.
- The Photography Project – my photography YouTube channel.
The Rules of Engagement
Here’s how I’ll share the journey:
- 10th of each month – Monthly report: KPIs, financials, lessons.
- 25th of each month – In-depth posts on strategy and tactics.
- Every Monday – Weekly check-in to review progress and set priorities.
The Call To Action
Every piece of content needs a clear purpose. This one’s simple — to get you to follow the journey.
If you want to see what it really takes to build an online business without hype or shortcuts, stick around.
Subscribe for updates. Watch the wins, the mistakes, and the long stretches of unglamorous work that make or break a project.
Take what’s useful for your project and ignore the rest.
The work starts now.
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