I arrived in Sydney on a warm November morning in 2011. I was 21, I had a degree in accountancy, and my English was good enough to pass the IELTS — but not good enough to understand what a “thong” was (it’s a shoe, apparently).
Starting from Zero#
No Australian experience. No local network. No idea what a TFN was.
My first job was at a gas station. I worked the register, stocked shelves, and cleaned bathrooms. Every night I went home and studied for my CPA.
The Breakthrough#
Two years later, I got my first accounting role. It was a small firm in St Marys — 45 minutes west of the city. I thought it was temporary.
Twelve years later, I’m still here. I bought a house here. I raised my kids here. I built my practice here.
Why Western Sydney Matters#
People think you need to be in the city to succeed. I think the opposite. Western Sydney is where the real businesses are — the tradies, the manufacturers, the small business owners working 60-hour weeks who just need someone to handle their tax so they can focus on the work.
Those are my people. That’s why I built BackPocket OS — to help businesses like theirs run better.
This is the first of many personal stories. If you want to read more, check the Personal section.