I love the Australian Marketing Institute (AMI) and they’ve been a core part of my life right from the highs of my career to the low points of my life. I was even an AMI Member when I was homeless living out of my car for almost 12 months. I know that this must sound incredibly strange to you; and it is! I’ve had a very crazy life with lots of ups and downs and my experience all started with the AMI post working for the Government.

My military & federal policing career got cut short due to a very bad injury. Following this tragedy in my life, I was very lucky to find a top entry role working for a military supplier. There was one problem with this all, I had no marketing experience, and I had to sell and market products. One of my friends told me about AMI and I joined them originally to fast track my knowledge as much as I could to not only keep my job, but to take off and grow.

This went so well for me in that my career grew due to the new connections, training, and education. Later in life, my military injuries caught up with me. I had a bad case of untreated PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) that led to my life falling apart. During this time, I was living my car as I moved to Sydney.

Even though I wound up a homeless veteran, I still maintained my AMI membership during this time. The interesting part to this whole story is that as I rebuilt my life I decided to go out on my own as a marketing mentor and consultant. I used the AMI Accreditation to really help me win clients. Fast forward to the pandemic days I became a LinkedIn influencer coach & educator which I have loved. The years of AMI training and more have really paid off and I have loved it.

My advice and lessons? All of the knowledge, connections and encouragement AMI gave me totally stacked up. This allowed me to really succeed and win big. I love their work and I highly recommend them. Whether you are a student starting out or and experienced professional at the top of your industry, they have value to offer everyone.

Edward Zia
International Master Coach at Excellence Above Coaching 

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