How 2 Men went from Broke and Depressed to BRW Fast 100
Announcement posted by Authentic Education 13 Nov 2015
FROM experiencing chronic depression, dyslexia, being overweight, broke, mocked at school and dropping out of university, the Sydney co-founders of a company that has made the Australian BRW Fast 100 2015 have beaten all odds to become successful.
Benjamin Harvey, of Dover Heights, and Cham Tang, of Pyrmont, are the founders of Authentic Education, a personal development and business training company in Australia teaching people how to create heart-centred businesses they love.
The pair defied the odds to turnover $2.3 million in the 2014-15 financial year and grow their business by 84%.
In a recent article in Huffington Post, entrepreneur Alex Pirouz labeled Authentic Education: “the leading personal development training company in Australia helping people do what they love.”
Mr Harvey and Mr Tang have come a long way since Mr Harvey’s 5-year battle with depression and medication overload, while weighing 130kg and being on ‘the dole’, until 2002 and Mr Tang being mocked at school and dropping out of university before they began the business.
Mr Tang arrived to Australia with his parents on a boat from Vietnam in the late 1970s at just three months of age, after his parents were ripped off by people smugglers in their hometown and had the government wanting to take their farm from them.
“We were competing with companies which had over 100 employees and revenues of $100 million,” Mr Tang said.
“We’re stoked about the award considering we have only seven employees.”
BRW editor Michael Bailey said BRW focused on supporting: “Innovators, disruptors and leaders who are at the cutting edge of industry.”
Authentic Education fit the bill perfectly.
Since starting on a shoe-string budget of $10,000 between them on November 1, 2009, they have generated over $10 million in cumulative revenue from stage presentations, trained more than 15,000 people and helped set up over 500 businesses in Australia.
The dynamic duo has achieved 2300% growth since then and run the only personal development company to make the BRW Fast 100 list. The 2015 award follows their BRW Fast Start award in 2013.
“It’s great to get external recognition for something you’ve been working on for so long,” Mr Harvey said.
“It’s undeniable you’re doing something correct.”
Many students have flown into the Authentic Education Sydney city training academy to attend their ‘Programs for Heart-Centred Difference Makers’ (PHD) from all over Australia and as far as South Africa, New Zealand and Hong Kong.
Believing in the power of ‘freemiums’, or giving away plenty of free value to build trust and rapport with potential clients, they run free public speaking and meditation groups as well as Australia’s largest free speed networking event. Founded in July 2010, it now has about 10,000 members combined in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
Mr Harvey said making it into the BRW Fast 100 2015 at number 38 shows a new possibility for careers – that there is a growing trend of people wanting to do what they love for a living and not retire relying on the pension.
Authentic Education’s long-term plans are to create online courses and resources and take their business worldwide.
“I failed at high school because no one showed me a path I was excited about,” Mr Cham said.
“You can do what you love for a living. Loving and believing in it will give you persistence to keep going when things get difficult or if you feel like quitting. The difference maker movement is increasing in popularity.”
For more details, call 1300 887 887 or visit http://www.authenticeducation.com.au
Benjamin Harvey, of Dover Heights, and Cham Tang, of Pyrmont, are the founders of Authentic Education, a personal development and business training company in Australia teaching people how to create heart-centred businesses they love.
The pair defied the odds to turnover $2.3 million in the 2014-15 financial year and grow their business by 84%.
In a recent article in Huffington Post, entrepreneur Alex Pirouz labeled Authentic Education: “the leading personal development training company in Australia helping people do what they love.”
Mr Harvey and Mr Tang have come a long way since Mr Harvey’s 5-year battle with depression and medication overload, while weighing 130kg and being on ‘the dole’, until 2002 and Mr Tang being mocked at school and dropping out of university before they began the business.
Mr Tang arrived to Australia with his parents on a boat from Vietnam in the late 1970s at just three months of age, after his parents were ripped off by people smugglers in their hometown and had the government wanting to take their farm from them.
“We were competing with companies which had over 100 employees and revenues of $100 million,” Mr Tang said.
“We’re stoked about the award considering we have only seven employees.”
BRW editor Michael Bailey said BRW focused on supporting: “Innovators, disruptors and leaders who are at the cutting edge of industry.”
Authentic Education fit the bill perfectly.
Since starting on a shoe-string budget of $10,000 between them on November 1, 2009, they have generated over $10 million in cumulative revenue from stage presentations, trained more than 15,000 people and helped set up over 500 businesses in Australia.
The dynamic duo has achieved 2300% growth since then and run the only personal development company to make the BRW Fast 100 list. The 2015 award follows their BRW Fast Start award in 2013.
“It’s great to get external recognition for something you’ve been working on for so long,” Mr Harvey said.
“It’s undeniable you’re doing something correct.”
Many students have flown into the Authentic Education Sydney city training academy to attend their ‘Programs for Heart-Centred Difference Makers’ (PHD) from all over Australia and as far as South Africa, New Zealand and Hong Kong.
Believing in the power of ‘freemiums’, or giving away plenty of free value to build trust and rapport with potential clients, they run free public speaking and meditation groups as well as Australia’s largest free speed networking event. Founded in July 2010, it now has about 10,000 members combined in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
Mr Harvey said making it into the BRW Fast 100 2015 at number 38 shows a new possibility for careers – that there is a growing trend of people wanting to do what they love for a living and not retire relying on the pension.
Authentic Education’s long-term plans are to create online courses and resources and take their business worldwide.
“I failed at high school because no one showed me a path I was excited about,” Mr Cham said.
“You can do what you love for a living. Loving and believing in it will give you persistence to keep going when things get difficult or if you feel like quitting. The difference maker movement is increasing in popularity.”
For more details, call 1300 887 887 or visit http://www.authenticeducation.com.au