Digital Marketing – He Shoots He Scores

Chapter 1

He Shoots He Scores - Memories of an NHL Player 

Our Backyard Rink

Things all begin by learning something new.

Who would have thought that a young boy learning to skate by pushing a kitchen chair around an outdoor backyard rink would result in that boy becoming a professional NHL Hockey Player!

As I reflect back on my childhood, having access to our backyard rink was instrumental in developing my hockey skills. 

It all started with my Father and Grandfather making an outdoor rink for my two brothers and me in Peterborough Ontario.

Old Enough to Walk, Old Enough to Skate

When we were old enough to walk we were old enough to skate in secondhand skates on our backyard rink. We used our kitchen chairs to help keep our balance as we attempted to get around the rink.

We anxiously awaited the cold and snow to come in early December.  In the early days our Father and Grandfather would do all the heavy lifting.  The snow would be carefully prepared by stomping it down in cross-over fashion so the snow was ready for flooding. 

As we got older the rink became more and more elaborate.  

We had a work crew of  five - our Dad, Grandfather, my two brothers and me. We had four foot high boards around the rink which needed to be in place before the first snowfall.  We had steel goal nets that our Dad had people at his work weld together as well as flood lights mounted on the side of our house allowing us to play after the sun went down. 

Magical Times Magical Memories

Our rink became part of the Murray family culture where my brothers, our friends and I spent hours outside playing hockey without any parents or coaches getting in the way of our fun.  Outdoor hockey on our backyard rink was all about having fun.

Learning to Skate and Digital Marketing

Learning about marketing on the internet with our laptops was similar to the first time I stepped on the ice wearing secondhand skates.  We knew nothing about digital marketing.  Adrienne happened upon a Youtube video where a young man was talking about his sales career and wanting something more.  He talked about not wanting to trade time for money and being unfulfilled even though he was doing well financially. He too began his digital marketing career because he was curious and wanting something more.

Facing Our Fear

As Digital Entrepreneurs we faced our fear and learned new skills.  Similar to learning to skate we on occasion had to fall and pick ourselves up in order to keep moving forward.  With the camaraderie of my brothers and the support of my Father, Grandfather and many others I had the privilege of playing in the NHL, something I didn't anticipate as I was pushing a kitchen chair around our backyard rink. Today, with the support and encouragement of the Six Figure Mentors community we are able to keep moving forward and have learned skills that have changed the way we think, giving us the personal freedom we craved.

Maybe you too will choose to learn new skills that can change your life.