A resident of Birmingham, who was asked to leave sixth form at the age of 17, has shared how he turned things around and started making substantial earnings by shifting his focus from school to social media.
Max Brown, now 21, was a frequent troublemaker as a teenager.
Despite his academic aptitude, he displayed a lackadaisical attitude toward his future and often disrupted classes with his unruly behavior.
After being suspended several times, Max was eventually expelled from school, and one of his teachers even went so far as to call him “a disappointment to his family.”
In the following months, Max, a native of Walsall, embarked on an apprenticeship that ignited his entrepreneurial spirit, leading him to start his own business.
Today, he has completely transformed his life, managing three successful companies and maintaining a significant online presence.
He shares his journey to underscore that traditional schooling is not the sole path to success.
“When I was in school, I was quite intelligent, but my behavior was always a problem,”
Max, who boasts 92,900 followers on Instagram (@maxbrownyo), told Absolutely Business.
“I would frequently get distracted in class and cause disruptions around the school.
“I didn’t genuinely care about my schoolwork or future career; I was just living in the moment.
“When I was asked to leave school, I knew I had to make changes and find another path.”
Initially, Max was content after being asked to leave school.
However, his mother, Joy Brown, who is 52, delivered a reality check that prompted him to confront his situation and find a new direction.
He explained, “I always knew I wanted to achieve more in life, but at the time, my lifestyle didn’t reflect that.
“My mom was devastated that I had been expelled from sixth form.
She had hoped I would go to university and pursue a stable career.
“Nevertheless, she remained supportive and assisted me in figuring out my next steps.”
Max started by taking on a low-paying design engineering apprenticeship.
As he observed other influencers making substantial earnings by sharing their interests online, he followed suit, posting about his passion for fitness, rugby, and comedy.
He also created humorous videos with his 79-year-old grandmother, Chris Thacker, involving her in his content and playfully naming her ‘GymNan.’
Social media users quickly embraced his content.
Max said, “I dedicated over 80 hours weekly to learning, growing, and developing my skills to build an audience.
As my following grew, it motivated me to keep going.
“It was this motivation that kept me posting daily, with the goal of expanding my audience as much as possible.
“My grandmother made an unexpected appearance in one of my videos when she FaceTimed me while I was filming in the gym.
“I kept the cameras rolling, and our conversation turned out to be quite humorous; the video went viral.
“From that point on, ‘GymNan’ was born.”
Max’s journey to success had its share of challenges.
He experienced heartache a few years ago when he lost his number one fan, his grandfather, Eric Thacker.
Max recalled, “He loved everything I was doing and was always the first to watch my videos.
“My grandad was an exceptional man with a broad range of talents. He could do just about anything.
He had a keen interest in photography and video effects and even had his own YouTube channel over a decade ago.
“He loved seeing the creative ideas I came up with.”
In the early days of building his online presence, Max had amassed 20,000 followers and had a solid audience, but it wasn’t an immediate source of income.
“Initially, I didn’t make much money from social media.
I still worked part-time at David Lloyd’s Gyms and a local pub.”
Max has become a self-made entrepreneur, earning income through content creation, ad revenue, and brand partnerships.
In 2021, he launched his first online coaching business, and the venture required minimal capital since he utilized his knowledge and free software to coach others.
His other two businesses include Robur Academy, a fitness rugby app aimed at performance enhancement, and his social media management agency, where he applies the skills he’s acquired.
Max added, “Having an online following is incredibly rewarding, especially when people appreciate my content.
Every day, I receive messages from individuals who share how I’ve inspired them to embark on their fitness journey or take up rugby. It’s a gratifying feeling.”
His three businesses generate substantial monthly income, with impressive figures appearing in his bank account.
“Monthly earnings can vary based on the businesses and the time of year, but on average, I earn a five-figure income each month from all of my ventures.”
After transforming his life and building a reputation, Max employs his platforms to encourage young people to pursue their dreams.
He advises, “To any young people aspiring to start a business, my advice is simple: Just begin! Many people like running a business or spend much time talking about it, but few take action.
“Build a positive reputation with everyone you encounter, as it holds great value for the future.”
Max believes his success story is only the beginning, expressing, “I still feel like I’m just starting this journey. I enjoy the growth process, and it still feels like the beginning.
“I plan to continue this journey for a long time and am excited to keep pushing forward to see where it leads me.”