how to get a good work life balance. | graham sawrey

I love helping others but I have a tough time selling myself. So here are six quick things about me and my work. Quick and easy so no one gets hurt.

1. I've built a series of online businesses that range from e-commerce to content to large online service enterprises. I have dozens of amazing team members around the world that help me to complete this work and have built incredible relationships with them even though we've never met in person. I have helped clients around the world to grow their businesses and inspire them to build bigger than they ever thought possible.

2. I hate social media because I do not believe in self-promotion. My actions speak louder than my words. Unfortunately, my CMO says I have to do this.

3. I started in finance after deciding I didn't want to be a doctor and this gave me the skills to recognize a really strong business vs one that won't stand the test of time.

4. I have two incredible young daughters. My oldest has a knack for voice-over work and is on track to have saved for retirement by the time she will be in her early 20s.

5. Here's how I sum up what I do: I find something I'm interested in, I determine if it is sustainable, I find the right people that I can trust to help me, I empower them to make decisions and then I get out of the way.

6. I am a stickler for principles. This has served me well in my life and those that understand my principles, love me for them. Those that don't get it, struggle with it. I always stay true to who I am.

Discover Morehttps://www.pixeltrue.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/graham-sawrey-29312a14/https://open.spotify.com/show/7e3uz7SFMjCZO2RFDBjkawhttps://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-flawed-dads-guide-to-parenting/id1547060999

Transcript

Josh Bolton: 0:00

Welcome, everybody. Today we have Graham sorry, he'll correct me later if they're wrong. But awesome, dude. Just fun already to chat with him. You know, I don't want to like ramble on too much deliver one about yourself.

Unknown: 0:16

Well, hi, everyone. As Josh said, there, my name is Graham, I work at a work on a company called that pixel true.com. And we are a full service design company. So that's, that's the main, one of the main things I do with my time, etc. On on a couple other websites as well run up, right, those two, but the main one is, is pixel true. So it keeps us busy. For sure.

Josh Bolton: 0:47

I was looking at your website before hopping on and just the the caliber of what you offer up my plow. That's tremendous value for the price.

Unknown: 0:55

Well, thank you. I appreciate it. That that's what we try and do for sure. It's always it's always a careful balance with trying to price offerings, etc. It's it's always a challenge. But I think we've we've met a pretty good to sell sweet spot for it. But thank you for checking out the website and things. Yeah, we've certainly had many, many compliments on the overall design of it, which is always always nice to hear.

Josh Bolton: 1:23

It's very slick clean, just like we're to say it's very modern compared to most websites.

Unknown: 1:29

Yeah, thank you. I appreciate it. Yeah, it's, we have to be a little different being a design company. You know, you gotta ya gotta do something. For sure. So, yeah, I appreciate it.

Josh Bolton: 1:40

Awesome. Yeah, we'll see if I went into a normal like, WordPress basics, or Elena's like, she really designed though.

Unknown: 1:48

That's right. Exactly. Do they really know what they're doing? Yeah.

Josh Bolton: 1:54

So tell us a little about yourself, like your up and coming story, what led to this point. And all that.

Unknown: 1:59

Backstory wise, I, I was originally, sort of career wise, I was in the finance industry, and ended up working for one of the largest mortgage private mortgage groups within Canada here, and did that for quite some time, and just working long hours, put a lot of pressure on myself, I suppose. And just realize it's not really not really something that I was wanting to continue to doing just with the amount of time and effort involved in wanting to jump out and start my own business, etc. So started buying a couple of websites, running and operating those and then came around on to pixel true a little over a year ago, and I've been doing that ever since.

Josh Bolton: 2:55

So what were some of the websites that you started before he got to this

Unknown: 3:00

just a few content sites, there was a computer gaming website how to how to build and construct computers, or different price points helping people Yeah, cuz mainly the content was around constructing gaming computers at different price points. So choose apart and that was back that was back when the Bitcoin mining was was really taking off. So it was actually really very challenging to keep the content updated and fresh because all the computer parts would go out of stock and the place where the price would fluctuate so much in a short period of time that it was when most of the articles were centered around a certain price point $500,000 $1,500 etc. That you know, the the price of the computer parts the build of the construction would change from$1,500 at the time and then it would jump up to 1800 like that, which obviously didn't jive with the proper amount and so you have to reconfigure that and it was it was a it was a lot of work and effort and so end up selling that when realizing ironically, you know got away from my other job because it was so much work and effort to try and keep things up etc and then go to this gaming website where it was ironically the same thing it was it was fine until the Bitcoin the Bitcoin mining really hit and then it was parked for hours out of stock and overpriced and it was it was a wild time. So was it for sure.

Josh Bolton: 4:42

Was it predominantly like a blog or video too?

Unknown: 4:45

It was it was mostly blog and it was all blog. It was not. It was not talking about specifically piecing things together on video or anything like that. We stayed away from that we don't have that minicomputers here to try and piece everything together you know, we weren't that established like Linus tech tips, if you know that group etc. Like they, they've been doing it for quite some time they get sent all these parts and do all these things. So they're a lot more established. It's it was costly if you if you try and buy all these parts and put together videos, etc. So just stick to the stick to the blogs. But that was that's how I sort of got started in the content world and transitioned to a couple other websites and environmental website on one and dog website delve a little bit of an E commerce as well tried that. Well. The pixel true is technically ecommerce as well. Of course, it does sell something online. But physical products is more of what I'm talking about. E commerce. So

Josh Bolton: 5:47

was it like a dropship?

Unknown: 5:48

A lot of stuff? Yeah, did some drop shipping? Exactly. Everyone. A lot of people try that too. So they had some success. But it's also just trying to find something that sort of fits with my overall personality and profile, something where you don't necessarily have to, if you have a right team, you don't have to be in the business all the time. And so that's sort of what what I've built towards with the with the design company. No,

Josh Bolton: 6:17

that's awesome. Yeah. So then what was the that? That point, you realize, oh, I should open to the design site? Was it like all your friends get back to you asking you to, like do designs for them?

Unknown: 6:31

Well, actually, the business of the website itself came up for sale. So I didn't actually start the website. But with, after purchasing it, you know, have really worked towards improving our service offerings, the types of offers that we do our customer service and a whole bunch of things. So we've had had a lot of positives, but did not start it myself. Someone else did. And I've sort of took over the reins and and went from there.

Josh Bolton: 7:03

It's very smart to do it that way. You don't have to worry about the foundation, you're just coming in on a prebuilt foundation.

Unknown: 7:11

Yeah, there's positives and negatives to both obviously, you pay for that heavily. Right? I mean, it's, it's, it's a lot of sweat equity, that another person has put in and has now earned something as a result of that. So, you know, it's if you have the time and the know how and the savvy and the Moxie, etc, to do it yourself, then it's it's more profitable to start from nothing. And less risky other than your time, of course, if by buying businesses, if something happens to, to fall off, you know, the traffic starts to disappear, your clients start to leave or something like that, then then you've bought something that that, you know, doesn't, doesn't earn any more money or anything like that. So that's, that can be a problem too. So the risks of everything, you'd have to make sure you're, you're doing the right thing, and so far, so good for us.

Josh Bolton: 8:06

So what was that journey that you went on? That, like you said, you did the hard working with the bank company than your gamer? One? ordinate Did you realize you wanted the work life balance? And how did you achieve it? Hmm,

Unknown: 8:19

yeah. I've, by nature, I've always been quite frugal. And so I sort of came to the conclusion that there are three different main reasons why people end up working. Okay. The first reason is that people work to survive, right. So the Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs type thing, like, obviously, you need to have enough money to be able to buy food, to have a place to stay close, you know, just basic needs type stuff. Awfully within North America, there aren't as many people in that zone. And most people are in the second phase, where I see where most people are working to retire. They want to, they want to stop working, and they want to have enough money to be able to survive and meet those sort of basic needs or whatever it is meet their lifestyle requirements. But they don't want to work anymore. Right? That's largely most individuals, right? They are. If given a lottery ticket, where they won umpteen million dollars, then most people would quit their jobs and not do anything. Right. That's the those are the people that I'm talking about in that group two. And then there's a group three, where there are people that don't necessarily need to work, but work because they very much enjoy it. And back when when I was working before, I didn't feel that I actually met any of those levels. I Because I'm frugal by nature, we had enough savings that we could live quite reasonably, without having any income coming in, etc, just because of our savings and the spending that we have, etc. So I didn't fit in group two, I didn't fit in group one, and I didn't fully enjoy what I was doing. So I didn't fit in group three. So where did that leave me, had to go and try and find something in group three. So that was, that was the reason why I left and tried to go on and do something else I've always been interested in, in computers and the online world, websites, etc. And so jumped into that. And then because I have finance sort of business acumen, etc, the online world of buying businesses isn't a potentially lucrative or attractive place to invest. I mean, again, Google, and there's there are always risks with buying any business, especially an internet based business too. But it's always interested me. So the binder design company is certainly more of an established one. But it's, it's something that had a staff already had, you know, a fairly good base that I could build off of, and use a lot of my expertise, not necessarily the design world. But more in the business management side of things, the growing of the business, client relationships, sales, even to a degree, all of those things I felt like a good tribute to and, and we've done some good work so far, so happy with it. That's

Josh Bolton: 11:50

awesome. What was some of the, I guess, the trials and tribulations when acquiring the new business that you weren't expecting, when purchased, that Rana works, when you purchase the business

Unknown: 12:03

trials, and anytime you, you step into someone else's business, or house, or car, or whatever it is, everyone has their own way of doing things, right. Some people will drive a certain way, some people will make their food a certain way, eat a certain way, run their business a certain way, etc. And so it's always a bit of a call it a challenge to understand the landscape of how things are operating as it stands, and to fight. And avoid making changes rapidly and right when you first come in, because it coming from stepping into a new business where there are staff and other things involved. They don't know who you are, they don't know how you operate, etc. And so the best way to build a rapport and relationship with these individuals. Cuz some of them might be a little concerned, what is this person's trying to do? Are they going to, like me, let me go promote me all these different questions going on. And so I find the best ways to just make sure that the ship is is continuing as is. So you're not really rocking or shifting anything, adjusting things too much. It's just letting leaving almost a status quo for a few months, while you understand why things are done the way they are. If there are maybe some opportunities to change things, but not make them yet just sort of build the rapport etc, etc. So that's always a bit of a challenge is fighting that I think a lot of people's, if they do step into something and they maybe see something that isn't the way that they would do it. You want to jump in and fix it right away, hey, we're not doing this anymore. We're doing this, you're maybe you're you're shifted over here and make big changes. And so that's the was the biggest challenge initially, for sure, is trying to fight that and know that you can make changes, but don't don't want to make too too quick. So that was as a big one. And then later on. I mean, it's always a challenge looking for customers, you naturally want to be growing the business as much as possible. Right now. Over the past, however many months, you know, the global economy has slowed down. So there's maybe a bit of a recession or whatever, there's definitely the word recession is being talked about quite often each other. So that is always a bit of a concern when you're writing a service based business is you know, our our clients going to be suffering as well and so they have to make some cuts for things. Yeah, it's always a bit of a concern to us we've had, we've had maybe a few clients drop off and slow things down. But you know, that's the nature of the business. So there's always that as well is constantly trying to find new new ways to get in front of people reach out to them connect, and gain new customers to so that's, that's, I mean, for every business, if anyone's a business owner listening to this, you know, podcasting, everything right is how can we get out in front of more eyeballs? How can we do better every day? So?

Josh Bolton: 15:40

Oh, 100%? Yeah, that's the biggest one, especially with how everything's shifting. You may have thought you had a consistent client, but due to a shift in the market or trend, suddenly the clients gone, and you're like, but what did I do wrong? Kind of thing.

Unknown: 15:55

Yeah, and sometimes you didn't do anything wrong. It's just, you know, unfortunately, cuts after we made big companies, small companies lay off staff a lot of times, and when you're a service based company that we don't have any commitments, you can go month by month, right, like any sort of software or anything else. And so when you do provide that flexibility, then it's also easy to cut ties, as well. So that's a that's always a concern, but it's the life that we live as a business.

Josh Bolton: 16:33

Yeah, especially in this fast paced tick tock world where shit moves quick.

Unknown: 16:39

Absolutely, yeah. Yeah. It tiktoks an interesting, interesting world, isn't it? It's, it is very, very fast.

Josh Bolton: 16:49

There was one time I stopped using it a while ago, like, I know, I should use it for marketing, but it's the how the algorithm algorithm tickles my brain, I just don't like it. But in five minutes watching, so maybe like, five, eight clips, they went from one trend to Amelia Nuland was starting by the 10th. One, this, this one's already dead. And this one started and I'm like, Oh, that was so as

Unknown: 17:16

this. Yeah, you, you have to be on it for sure. You have to use it. It's fascinating. The different platforms just, you know, from our capacity as well, we have, over the past few months really made more of a push to get into putting our brand out on social media, etc. So we use tick tock and we use YouTube shorts as the main tool that we use. Just because our line of work is more visual. So the video platform does make sense. Instagram, maybe a little bit, but the reels haven't been as effective for us. But wildly different platforms between concepts of YouTube shorts versus tick tock. And when one thing does reasonably well on tick tock, it doesn't necessarily translate over to YouTube, and it's just different audiences with different opinions. And it's, it's very interesting, tick tock is, I feel like the more controversial the more way. Like it's like any publicity is good publicity. If you've heard that before. That's sort of I think the same thing with with tick tock is my experience is that as long as you're, you're polarizing or making some type of opinion, then that gets the algorithm going. It's, it's interesting.

Josh Bolton: 18:44

It is, I went on a trip in Italy, and my sister had her tiktoks on her phone, and she mentioned that, wow. In New York, the tiktoks different because we landed there for men and shake, but in Italy, it's even way more different.

Unknown: 18:59

Yes, they are very location specific. For sure. It's. And that's one thing that we realized as well, because our staff is global. And, and so different people posting on our channel, on tick tock for us, they would post from different countries. And the results or the views would be wildly different. We're trying to understand why. And we realized that was the case. And so it actually, it actually depends on where you upload the video as well, which is fascinating. How it changes things. So we now use a VPN and just make sure it's always from the same location every time we upload. It's the things you learn over time, right? Yeah,

Josh Bolton: 19:47

yeah, it was when I was doing that vacation. I took a GoPro video of me like jumping off a cliff. And I saw I uploaded on YouTube short. That's where I was like chuckling in my head. That thing like viral got like 10,000 views like almost under an hour and was like, I've never seen that before. Like, what the hell kind of thing? Yeah. And then, but I put on my Oh, I'll upload it to tick tock kind of thing. flopped dead in the water delivery like 50 views?

Unknown: 20:11

Yes. Yeah, what's happened here? What's, what's the I know? It depends on the market YouTube. Yeah, it's, we can talk for hours on things. But that's been my, my experience of of it is that YouTube was it's just entirely different. As I said like one video you think, Oh, well this is done well, and there's for sure it will be as like, how, how different can the people be from one to the next is the same concept shorts versus Tiktok? It's, it's got to be the same, right? No, no, not at all. So yeah, it's it's an interesting world for sure. And just trying to navigate the branding aspect and trying to trying to keep the algorithm happy, but also being able to promote our brand as well. Like, you know, you put content out you want to see something from it to not just pat on the back that you got some views out of it.

Josh Bolton: 21:11

You got two views as you f5 in the page. is enough for you Sure. Yeah. I know we got that hard. Stop coming up here soon. So I wanted to just take it away. Is there anything specific I might have missed that you want to cover? I obviously you got like five minutes, though. Well, I

Unknown: 21:33

can I can talk. I mean.

Josh Bolton: 21:38

We got to we definitely got to reschedule one.

Unknown: 21:41

Thank you. Yeah. But for it, I mean, what what is it your audience is largely looking for? Because I'm happy to you know, are they are the business owners themselves?

Josh Bolton: 21:54

The business owners probably overworking themselves listening to one too many podcasts or tiktoks. Yeah, does not have a work life balance. Yeah.

Unknown: 22:03

Yeah, the work life balance is always challenging when you're a business owner and trying to kind of get going on things. I it's always a challenge when it is your own business. And any extra time that you put into the business, you shouldn't see something from it. So it's difficult to pull yourself away entirely. And then equally say if there are some stresses too, how do you how do you decouple that work stress or stress in general, potentially and and not bring that home to your loved ones and family members, if you have the MC cetera? It's, it's always a challenge. I recognize that it's no expert on my end, as well, unnecessarily but just taking a moment, I think in at least for me, if there are times where I'm maybe a little stressed, or whatever it is, I find like, frankly, just I guess I choose a word that sort of like a hot word, I suppose acknowledging your stress or whatever it is, and just saying like, okay, yeah, this is this what it is, is there something that I can do about right now on this? Or is Am I just stressing about it, and if there's nothing you can do it right then and there then there's not much you know, there's there's not any point in continuing to stress about it in that time. But that's less stress on work on actions that we can do after the fact. And if you're with your, I mean, I've got a family, two kids and wife, etc. And if you're there with your two kids and your mind is somewhere else then yeah, you may as well not be there or you may as well just focus on them and have their time because they don't they don't want to or care too much about your stress. I mean, I think ultimately, your family members probably do but they have their own things going on etc and so just enjoying the time and realizing that it's it's not necessarily their pressure as well and just trying to enjoy time with them at that time and then focus on things that you can actually take after the fact too so that's from a work life balance that's a very important part is almost a compartmentalize your, you know, you park your stress for the time being live in the moment and then go back to something and and try to actually take action instead of just stressing and not doing anything at all. Focusing more on the stress side of things, but I find that stress or whatever the thought of work life balance of your own was thinking about work. If you're always thinking about this one thing, then it will detract and pull away from your other. Your loved ones or your life outside of work, which is, can be a challenge after a bit of time, right? If you're you want to have healthy relationships, you want to have a life outside of work eventually, I mean, that's going back to my like three phases, right? You want to be able to enjoy what you're doing too. And so if you're always thinking about it, and not spending time and enjoying with friends and everything else, then what's what's almost the point of why you're working to begin with so?

Josh Bolton: 25:40

Absolutely. Like for me, I do martial arts on the side. I'll talk about like the 15 other things I already do. And then the biggest one I've told my instructors that I you thank you for doing what you do because you he he said very bluntly, he's like when you come through because he has a cool like Japanese keyhole entrance. Okay? Is it when you come through that keyhole, all your shit is lifted outside of that keyhole? Right view when you hear it's here. And then when you leave, you can pick it up. But usually when you leave, half of them are gone because you didn't attend to them. Right? I've told them of like that that like mindset of like, if I establish if I walk through this room, all my problems are outside that door until I reopen it kind of thing.

Unknown: 26:19

Yes, exactly. Yeah, it's a great way. It's just another way of saying what I was getting at. It's a shorter version of it. But yeah, if you can work on exactly parking it, some physical barrier, where you just imagine leaving something behind and work on the present, or whatever's in front of you. Enjoying those moments, savoring your food, enjoying what it is you're eating, rather than just laughing

Josh Bolton: 26:48

it down. It's

Unknown: 26:49

quick. Yeah, well, that's it, there's so many small things that we can do. And I mean, when we talk on podcast, it sounds like we're all experts. And we're doing it all the time. I'm I'm don't do it all the time. But it is a reminder that I try and even doing these discussions, etc, that you realize, like, yeah, you can enjoy meals a little bit more not think you're not thinking about whatever else it is, while you're eating, you can really enjoy the banana that you're having, and really focused on that. And there's so many things you can just be more aware of, I think, and it's an exercise, like martial arts, like a job, like whatever it is, always practice and everything with balance, it's important, extremely important.

Josh Bolton: 27:39

I want to say our heart stops coming up here, I don't want to bump into anything else for you. So where can everyone contact you at?

Unknown: 27:49

Well, certainly, we do have the company has social media presence, etc. I personally don't do a whole bunch of social media, we focus more on the business side of things. So if anyone has reached out to me specifically, happy to my email is just Graham gra JM at pixel true.com. But we have a contact us page on our website as well. Pixel two.com. And if there's anyone out there that's interested in actually looking at trying to help one need some help with the design work, etc. Then obviously happy to help in that regard. We we know a thing or two about design, so Oh yes, they can help there.

Josh Bolton: 28:32

Alright, absolute honor and pleasure to have you. We definitely need to come on again.

Unknown: 28:36

Yeah, well, thanks so much, Josh. Appreciate it. Appreciate you