His first ever client called to threaten a lawsuit. It made his whole business with David Aherne

Every founder gets tested. Most don't get tested by the first client they ever land. David Ahearne runs Across the Ocean, a freight forwarding and customs business that moves shipments between factories and warehouses all over the world, from China, the UAE and the US into Australia, and exports Australian minerals across Southeast Asia. Eighteen years in, it's a serious operation with a team, a strong industry reputation, and the kind of blue-chip commercial accounts most forwarders spend careers chasing. He built all of it starting from nothing: no job, no contacts, and $500 he had to borrow for a website. And the road there is a run of people coming at him from all sides. A first client who rang up threatening to sue him before they'd ever met, a call that somehow became the relationship that got the whole thing off the ground. A business partner whose $5,000 buy-in cost $120,000 to undo. A software venture where his partners sabotaged his website and abused his staff while a rival on the other side of the world spread lies about him through the industry. In this episode he's honest about the loneliness of it, the times his back was fully against the wall, and why he kept choosing to come out swinging. If you're building something and feel like you're getting hit from every direction, this is the one. Follow so you don't miss the next. You’ll hear: 0:00 $500 he didn't have, borrowed for a website 16:13 One apartment, no cash, and a Google ad that started it all 19:23 His first ever client rang to threaten a lawsuit 22:42 How the man who threatened to sue him made the business 25:29 Turning up to close the deal in a $500 car that barely ran 31:17 The handshake that cost him $120,000 to undo 37:27 The one lesson he paid six figures to learn 43:21 A side venture that looked like the big one 51:15 Pitching to 250 rivals with his own reputation on the line 52:31 When his own partners started sabotaging him 59:10 Attacked on two fronts at once, by people he'd helped 1:00:28 Fight or die: the moment he decided to swing back 1:08:00 The two things he'd tell any founder starting out --------- Connect with David over at   / david-aherne-608b7153   See behind the scenes over at   / danmoussa_thirdwayadvisory   Or Linked In -   / daniel-moussa-thirdway   And if you need help to find the hire that will completely change your business reach out over at https://www.thirdwayadvisory.com.au/ Hit follow wherever you're listening so you don't miss a single episode