TAFE

AIS (Australian Institute of Sport)

The road less traveled

Founder at Feel Good Bananas

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Wouldn’t it feel good to live in a world where we could eat something like ice cream every day and still take good care of our mind, body and planet? That is our mission at Feel Good Bananas!At Feel Good Bananas we source hyper local farm ripened organic bananas where the rainforest meets the reef in Mission Beach, Australia. At our solar powered production facility (Coming Soon) we flash freeze them to create a delicious natural ice-cream like texture and seal in organoleptic goodness. We dip them in delicious, fair trade, organic chocolate resulting in a single serve frozen stick-line desert that is beyond compare. We DO NOT use plastic packaging! Instead we use the latest eco-friendly packaging technology, state of the art Futamura Natureflex which is 100% biodegradable! All this means that the environmental footprint of our business will be among the lowest in the world. Now that is something we can feel good about!Feel Good Bananas challenge the way we think about ice cream by giving us a healthy choice that tastes great, makes you feel awesome and is good for the planet. Frozen Organic Choc-Top Bananas!

Feel Good Bananas

Founder

Economically  speaking: : Flying skydivers to 14000ft and getting back down as efficiently as human, machine and the laws of physics will allow. Personally: Like my colleagues  I am intrinsically motivated. Me by using science to take  humans to a certain point in space at a certain point in time so they can accelerate themselves as fast as physicists allows. Terminal velocity...

Skydive Australia

Pilot

With 11,000 skydives to my credit since 1988 and instructing since 1997 I have taught as a tandem and Accelerated Freefall instructor at more skydive centers in more countries than any other instructor in the world. With a level 2 Sports coach accreditation through Australian Institute of Sport, from 2000 to 2005 while on the Australian skydiving team I made part of  my living as an international level sports coach working with advanced skydivers in various countries across several disciples, many of whom went on to become National Champions for in their own right.

International (USA, Europe, Australia, NZ)

Skydiving instructor and sports coach

I am fortunate (and grateful) because I truly love what I do everyday. I do not have a job but a calling which is sharing my passion for human flight and teaching people to fly. Living for my passion and making that passion pay has been a wonderful way to live and has allowed me to grow in ways I could never have imagined. When I was offered the opportunity to become the Education Facilitator at iFLY Downunder (Australia’a first vertical wind tunnel) I was in the early stages of putting together my next attempt at an internet startup company. The choice between two great passions (internet entrepreneurship or sharing human flight) was a difficult one, but in the end it came down to one simple question.  Q: If I made enough money, what would I do with my time? A: I would continue to teach people how to fly! So once again that is what I have chosen...Heading up the school excursion programs at iFLY Downunder I have the pleasure of working with schools and education groups from K-12 to develop, market and deliver education packages centred around human flight that incorporate physics, engineering, PDHPE (Personal Development, Health and Physical Education) and humanities. Like skydiving the price point for flying in the tunnel is a barrier to entry for many people ($30-$50 per minute initially) But unlike skydiving the tunnel allows people to eventually share that cost once they have the skills to fly together. Thus potentially reducing the cost to less than  $3 per minute of flight, making it economically viable for everyone in Australia. Based on this economic paradigm shift I hope that human flight may become as popular in my lifetime as passenger air travel is today.

iFLY Australia

Education Facilitator

NSPC (Newcastle Sport Parachute Club) is Australia's oldest skydiving club and the 2nd oldest in the world. NSPC is a NFP (Not For Profit) organization now operated in partnership with the largest and fastest growing commercial skydiving company in the world, Skydive The Beach & Beyond.

Skydive the Beach and Beyond

Chief Instructor - NSPC (Newcastle Sport Parachute Club) Hunter Valley

Skydive Oz Surfside to Outback is Australia's premier skydive training facility located at Moruya airport in NSW. The company also offers tandem skydiving in Batemans Bay, Merimbula, Canberra, and across outback Australia.

Skydive Oz Surfside to Outback

Marketing Consultant

Always up for a something different. Working as an extra in Sydney is a great way to have some fun, improve my communication skills, meet new people and grow in new ways.

MCTV Model And Talent Management (NSW)

Actor Model Extra

Vision and team leadership behind the worlds first Antipodal Skydive. Can two skydivers be in free-fall and moving in opposite directions at the a same time? If so, is one of them falling UP?This role draws on my research and development, team leadership, project management, communication, marketing, social media and entrepreneurial skills. And this is before the jumps even happens!  Visit the Skydive Earth Sandwich website for <a href="http://detailshttp://canwefly.com/antipodal-skydive/">detailshttp://canwefly.com/antipodal-skydive/</a>

Skydive Earth Sandwich Project

Initiator - Colaborator

Audience speaker at TEDx Canberra 2012delivered a 3 minute presentation to 600 TEDsters entitled "Can we fly"? <a href="http://tedxcanberra.org/presenters/mike-mcgrath/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nf15E6gGgfc">http://tedxcanberra.org/presenters/mike-mcgrath/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nf15E6gGgfc</a>

TEDx Canberra

Presenter

I began my Private Pilot Licence in Switzerland in July 2008 at  37 years old.Due to my world travels, before I had reached 150hrs total flying time I held Private Pilots licences in 3 countries.  Switzerland, Australia and the USA. Countries I have flown in include:SwitzerlandAustraliaCyprusUKUSA. Endorsements and authorizations include:fixed wing aircraft up to 5700kg MTOWCSURetractailwheelJPATotal time as at 1.7.2012300.7 hrs

Ferry Pilot

Entrepreneur and founder of RealXstream PTY LTDACHIEVEMENTS AND MILESTONES    * 2004 / 2006 secured 360k in angel funding    * 2005 Launched adventure tourism online video start-up RealXstream PT LTD    * 2005 Developed company brand, logo and public image.    * 2005 Managed team of 5 independent software and web developers     * 2005 Conceived and released RealXstream media delivery system (patent pending) a world first industry specific adventure tourism media production and delivery system    * 2005 / 2007 Managed International sales, marketing advertising and PR for RealXstream PTY LTD     * 2005 / 2006 $100,000.00 in revenue    * 2005 / 2007 40 business clients in 9 countries    * 2005 / 2007 40,000 videos hosted    * 2005 / 2007 700,000 video views shared    * 2007 Insufficiently managed business and technology factors related to high growth and scalability    * 2007 lead company restructure across management, director and shareholder levels    * 2008 Secured Austrade Export Marketing Development grant (EMDG) of $45k (approved for up to 5 more annual claims <a href="http://www.austrade.gov.au/exportgrants">http://www.austrade.gov.au/exportgrants</a>    * 2008 Placed top 10 finalist for Australian Small Scales Offerings Board (ASSOB) Pitch 08 capital raising event <a href="http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=9546177263&topic=4659">http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=9546177263&topic=4659</a>    * 2009 Placed top 10 finalist for Australian Small Scales Offerings Board (ASSOB) "Stepping up" capital raising program     * 2009 secured $40k in angel funding    * 2009 negotiated IT partnership with <a href="http://www.xminds.com">www.xminds.com</a> to develop "Video Factory" and "Video Share" a new suite of  video products aimed at adventure tourism industry    * 2009 / 2011 project managed X-minds team using Jira project management software  <a href="http://www.atlassian.com/software/jira/">http://www.atlassian.com/software/jira/</a>    * 2010 Soft launched "Video Factory" and "Video share"    * 2011 Launched at Parachute Industry Association convention. Follow up marketing lead to over 100 trials of  "Video Factory" and "Video share" in 6 months.

RealXstream PTY LTD

Founded Team XL - a high performance canopy piloting team sponsored by Pacific Aerospace subsidiary XL Aviation to promote the first PAC 750 aircraft in the EMEA region.

Pacific Aerospace

iPOC.com Skysurf team

Camera flyer

3 time Australian Gold medalist Skysurf video flyer. As part of the iPOC Skysurf team, Skysurf Australia and the Australian Canopy Piloting Team I represented Australia at 4 International competition securing 1 Silver medal for Australia at the 2003 World Cup of artistic skydiving in Vienna Austria. Represented Australian skydiving in the media on several occasions including 2 live TV interviews, several recorded National and International TV spots and numerous print publications.

Australian National skydiving team

Team member

In1998 a friend and mentor introduced me to the concepts of network marketing. I signed up to 3 companies products and marketing plans.I made some money and learned a lot from this experience but chose not to continue network marketing as it doesnt suite my style. One company I participated in, Skybiz 2000 offered a personal web publishing tool for the simplest of users. Kind of a GEO Cities for network marketing. As with a lot of MLM products there was a lot of sizzle and not a lot of steak, but it didn't matter in this case because most people were still scared of technology and a minimalist approach was exactly what most people were looking for at the time. Skybiz 2000  wanted their product to be as simple as possible because they wanted everyone to use it. They sold it for $125 and paid 70% commissions to people in the "downline".  I think that most people missed the real value proposition of the Skybiz model.  For $125 a year someone would  hold your hand, mentor you, introduce you to the idea of online publishing and help you to become a fledgling content creator. Back in 1999 a lot of people didn't dream that they could do that.  Several young  people around me got to "test their wings" as entrepreneurs with that company. Many have gone on to make a career in the online space as developers or marketers.  Some as entrepreneurs have gone on to found multiple real world businesses, nothing to do with MLM.  In this respect it i think that the Skybiz model was a  good thing for some people even if it was in essence a pyramid scam.

Skybiz 2000

Associate

Not many people meet the shady number 1 top dog of a pyramid scheme, but I met the founder of Skybiz, an American named Jim Brown, on two separate occasions in 48hrs. First in Sydney at a meeting of 4000 people I approached him with a sponsorship proposal for my skysurf team. The next day I booked a flight to Brisbane so i could follow up on person at his next presentation. I had to sleep on the floor of the Brisbane bus station that night  because at this point in my life hotels were out of the question, as was anything that ate into my jump money. I forget why but I was late for that presentation so I tried to discreetly sneak in and take a seat. Discretion being difficult when you have bright blue hair, he noticed me and instead of letting me take a seat, he got me up on the stage in front of all those people and  had me explain to the 4000 strong crowd that I had started a small business using their product to build hundreds of websites that shared photographs of  first time skydivers experience over the Internet and that because of our business these people's family and friends could share there experience shortly after the event takes place. I think Mr J Brown sold half a million dollars in websites that night because Skybiz 2000 quickly  became the fastest growing MLM company in history. Later that night Mr Jim Brown told me, not in front of 4000 people, that MLM  companies "don't do traditional advertising" so they would not be able to sponsor my team.Looking back I think that strategy of adhering strictly to an MLM model was their biggest mistake.It didn't take long for Skybiz to attract the attention of the US Government and in 2001 the FTC shut skybiz down as a illegal pyramid scam.Scam or not, I think I learned more about the power of social media in a few months with Skybiz than a lot of analysts know today.That was the end of my network marketing  story  but the beginning of my journey as an internet entrepreneur.

Mike McGrath

Mike McGrath