My story
I’ve built it, burnt out and rebuilt it.
From a video shop counter in my teens to running an agency from a laptop in Bali – and the lessons I learned the hard way along the way.
Hi, I’m Nick.
I’ve spent more than 20 years running my own business. I’ve had the version that looks great on Instagram – business class, infinity pools, working from Dubai and Bali – and the version nobody posts, where it all runs through you and slowly grinds you down.
Both taught me something. This is how I got here, and why I now help other business owners build freedom that actually lasts.
The journey so far
How I got here
Age 15
Behind the counter of my dad’s video shop
My first real job. It’s where I learned promotion, upselling and how to keep customers coming back – lessons I still use every week.
University and nights out
Business, technology, decks and a microphone
I studied business and technology, DJed, ran club nights and even did stand-up comedy. All of it taught me how to read a room and hold attention.
Teaching
“I get it – but can I just pay you to do it?”
I taught web design one evening a week at university. In every class, a handful of students would tell me they understood it, then ask to pay me to build it for them.
20+ years
Building WebAlchemy
My marketing and technology consultancy, working with businesses across the UK, UAE and Bali – including two years as Marketing Director at EPIC Hospitality.
Liverpool · Dubai · Bali · Ibiza
Working from anywhere
Pool-side offices in Bali, weeks in Dubai, summers in Ibiza. Proof that a business really can run from a laptop.
The crash
Success without systems
From the outside it looked like freedom. Underneath, everything still depended on me. Without the right systems, success turned into burnout – and a few tough years.
Now
The rebuild
I’ve rebuilt WebAlchemy around proper systems, and I’m rebuilding me too – training, cooking, walking and reading again. I named it after my favourite audiobook, Jim Rohn’s “The Day That Turned Your Life Around”. I’m sharing every step on Instagram.
Freedom isn’t a place you fly to. It’s a business you build so you don’t have to be everywhere at once.
Nick Hatton
What I’ve learned
Systems beat hustle
Working harder only got me so far. Building things that run without me is what created real freedom.
Your health is the business
When I stopped looking after myself, everything else slipped. Rebuilding starts with the basics.
Freedom needs a plan
Time, place and money all need managing on purpose. Leave them to chance and they end up managing you.
Want to build your version?
Let’s talk about where you are and what freedom would look like for you.
