Why I’m building Build Your Exit

Where I started

I grew up in a small village in Croatia. I was working full-time by 18, and I moved to Ireland at 20.

It took me a while to recognise what I had to offer. Being trusted to manage a business that had been running for 40 years helped me see it. That was a serious responsibility for a young man, and I gave a lot of myself to it.

Eighty-hour weeks

There were weeks when I worked 60, 70, even 80 hours. One more project to get over the line. One more customer to win over. Often, it was straight on to the next thing.

I learned a lot and gained valuable experience. Over time, though, I realised I’d invested so much in that business and not enough in something of my own. I needed to value my own time and give some of that effort to myself.

Why BYE

That is where BYE began.

I believe there are a lot of capable people who aren’t getting the room to show what they can do. Smart, creative, diligent people who work hard and have plenty to offer. When everything has to fit inside the same box, that spark can slowly fade.

I believe everyone deserves a chance to show what they’re capable of, to their community and to the wider world. Giving your abilities that chance can be an act of self-respect and self-belief. A way of caring about your own life, and the people who share it.

I want BYE to be for people who are still working out where to begin. Someone who wants to make a living from useful work. Have time to enjoy life with their family. Do something that matters to their community. A small business can be worth building for those reasons.

What I don’t believe in

When I look at business advice online, I see a lot of Amazon arbitrage, dropshipping and recycled templates. Or I see people talking about what they’ve achieved once their business is already established.

I have little patience for courses that sell the idea of business but leave out the business itself. How do you get your first customer? How do you handle a customer dispute? Which rules apply to what you’re selling? Those are practical questions someone starting out needs to consider.

Starting should not have to be expensive. You shouldn’t have to spend thousands on a programme or course, only to be told to change your mindset and stay motivated.

“Escape the matrix” gives you very little to work with when you sit down to begin. You need a first step. You need to understand how to take it, and what comes after it.

One brick at a time

I’m building BYE alongside my job. Keeping a job and wanting to build something of your own can both make sense. You might want to leave one day. You might build something small and choose to stay. That choice belongs to you.

I think about it like building a house. There is a lot to do, but you work through it one brick at a time. A small business should be something you can approach in practical steps too. Something you can work on a little each week, around the life you already have.

I want the guidance to respect the time you give it. When you make room for this, you should have something clear to work on. When you’re unsure, you should have somewhere to turn for help.

Never letting you walk alone

That is what “Never letting you walk alone” means to me.

You will do the work and make the decisions. My aim is to give you useful guidance along the way, while respecting your pace and what you want from it.

Your time matters. Your abilities deserve a chance. I built BYE to help you give some of that time and effort to something of your own.