25 Years Ago, I Walked Away From Comfort. That Decision Built Everything I Have Today.
Author: Greg
October 21, 2024
Leaving comfort zone was the best decision I ever made. On October 21st, 1999, I stepped off a plane in California with no car, no phone, no job—and only one person in the entire country who even knew my name.
I was 24. I left behind a six-figure career, a network of friends and connections I’d spent years building, and a life in Vancouver that, by most standards, was already great. I could’ve stayed. It would’ve been easy to stay.
But I didn’t.
Why? Because deep down, I knew comfort was slowly killing me. (And rain – so much rain!)
Vancouver Was Good. But I Wanted More Than Good.
I had it made back home. Good money. Great crew. Could walk into any room in the city and get handshakes, favors, drinks. I was known. I was liked. I was winning.
But here’s the thing no one talks about—winning in the wrong arena still feels hollow.
Something inside me was pulling at a different future. Not clearer. Not easier. Just… mine.
So I packed up, said goodbye to my life, and moved to Carlsbad, California. No plan. No car. No cell phone. Just me, my buddy Jeff, and a deep belief that there was something on the other side of this leap I couldn’t name—but had to chase.
Starting From Nothing Isn’t Romantic. It’s Quiet. Lonely. Raw.
The first year was pretty brutal.
There was no “welcome to America” moment. No big wins. No crowds cheering you on for chasing your dreams. Just quiet mornings, awkward introductions, and long stretches of wondering what the hell I just did.
There’s no way to sugarcoat it—I was lonely. I had gone from VIP in Vancouver to anonymous in California. And in that silence, I met myself.
Most people think the “leap of faith” is the hard part. It’s not.
The hard part is what happens after the leap—when there’s no applause, no safety net, and no one checking in. Just you. Building. Alone.
But that’s also where something incredible starts to form: identity. Grit. Hunger. Humility.
Boom Wasn’t Built Overnight. But It Was Built on That DNA.
What eventually became Boom Marketing Group didn’t start with a playbook or a logo. It started with conversations. Cold calls. Rejections. Small wins. Long nights.
I didn’t arrive in America with a brand—I built one. I didn’t get handed opportunity—I created it.
I earned every inch of ground, brick by brick. And I failed, a lot. I got burned. I got broke. I got humbled more times than I care to count. But I kept building.
Because when you’ve left everything behind for something you believe in, there’s no going back. You burn the boats, and you go forward—no matter what.
The Immigrant Mindset Is the Affiliate Mindset
Here’s what I didn’t realize at the time—my story is the exact blueprint for what we do now at Boom.
Immigrants and affiliate reps? Same beast.
We both:
- Start with nothing
- Get underestimated constantly
- Learn to survive without systems until we create our own
- Chase freedom knowing no one’s handing it over
At Boom, we don’t recruit people looking for shortcuts.
We attract builders. Survivors. People willing to start from scratch and figure it out as they go. People who bet on themselves the way I had to, 25 years ago.
Looking Back, It Was the Best Bad Decision I Ever Made
I won’t romanticize it. The past 25 years haven’t been a straight line up. I’ve lost businesses. I’ve lost money. I’ve made dumb moves, trusted the wrong people, gotten in my own way.
But I’ve also:
- Built teams that feel like family
- Created a life better than I ever imagined
- Helped thousands of people bet on themselves just like I did
Boom Marketing Group was born because I never wanted anyone else to have to do this alone.
I show up for my team every day because I know what it feels like to start with nothing but belief. And I’ll never stop honoring the struggle that built me.
So What’s Your Vancouver?
Twenty-five years ago, I walked away from comfort. From status. From certainty.
I traded it for silence, loneliness, and instability. But also for growth, freedom, and fire.
So here’s my question for you:
What’s the version of “Vancouver” that you’re still clinging to?
The relationship that’s easy but unfulfilling?
The job that pays well but kills your soul?
The routine that numbs you but keeps you “safe”?
Whatever it is—you already know what it is.
And deep down, you also know it’s time to leap.
Final Thought
You don’t build something extraordinary without first tearing away virtually everything comfortable.
I did it 25 years ago. And I’d do it again in a heartbeat.
Not because it was easy.
But because it gave me everything.
What are you still holding onto that’s keeping you from building the life you actually want?
-Greg
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