Lifestyle

How I Went From a Wheelchair to a 6-figure Online Business From Home

Published

4 years ago

November 25, 2021

Online and home-based businesses have become an influential alternative to the destabilized jobs market triggered by the rolling closures of the global pandemic.

When the option of working from home when the freedom of movement disappeared, savvy and hard-working entrepreneurs have been quick to embrace ways to make money online.

Australian online business entrepreneur Jaikishaan Sharma – the CEO of Sharmaatricks – believes the first thing to tackle when taking on a new form of business is to change the prevailing mindset that no longer holds significance.

“Our clients are people who want to take control and improve their lives and have real freedom to create their businesses. Staying motivated, being optimistic, and developing a mindset that is not trapped by outdated thinking is a priority,” Jaikishaan said.

The entrepreneur knows a thing or two about changing a mindset and facing down life-altering changes. Jaikishaan turned his own life around from being unemployed and wheelchair-bound for three years to not only walking but also becoming deeply entrenched as a leader in an 83,000-strong community of people building dynamic online businesses.

‘You Will Never Walk Again’

“After being told I may never walk again, I had to rethink everything in my life. I committed to making a profound mindset change to embrace high motivation, be goal-driven, and take on a series of lifestyle changes. Then I took my first steps both physically but also toward creating a home-based business through the online space. This business serves hard-working parents and others who want to run successful businesses from their home as a full-time career or even as a sideline while parenting,” he said.

Sharmaatricks is an educational resource that helps budding entrepreneurs to market creatively on social media platforms, develop and build businesses by attracting high-quality traffic as well as how to leverage pre-built tools such as automated email campaigns.

The operation also aims to connect home-based individuals into social media-based networks that have endless professional opportunities. These are networks where members are all involved in homegrown businesses using accessible and bespoke tools plus layers of informative tutorials, videos, and resources.

“When I finally took my first step in 2019 in front of the same doctors who told me I may never walk again, I decided to share my journey with everyone and wrote my first free guide on How to Change Your Mind. I also started Online Business Coaching where I helped hardworking people to start their own online businesses. The aim was to support them to work from home and make full-time to part-time income online,” Jaikishaan said.

Building A Community

Photo Credit: Melissa Hobbs

One of the foundations of Jaikishaan’s business model is to further develop the progressive and powerful community of web-based business people who are running lucrative operations grounded in his business systems and strategies, including wisdom sharing and implementing emotional intelligence.

“The purpose of this is to bring people in my community to spread digital space business thinking and build online entrepreneurs who are striving to run their online brands with modern strategies. We already have an amazing community of like-minded people all with one goal: to see each other succeed, and this can grow vigorously,” he said.

Sharmaatricks caught the interest of Forbes – America’s leading business magazine – that penned stories about his strategies. His philosophy and methods appeared in features about some of the world’s most interesting celebrities including actor Jim Carrey who fought depression and had grown up in a family that struggled with parental unemployment and debilitating health issues.

Forbes also aligned Jaikishaan’s business values with those of legendary stockbroker, master public speaker, and the best-selling author of The Wolf of Wall Street, Jordan Belfort. It was Belfort who coined the adage that ‘successful people are 100 percent convinced that they are masters of their destiny. They’re not creatures of circumstance, they create circumstance.’

Jaikishaan is a long-time admirer of the American success coach and best-selling self-help author and motivational speaker Tony Robbins, British author, former monk, and popular podcaster Jay Shetty as well as the millionaire sales trainer Grant Cardone. He believes that being part of the rat race dissuades people from leaping into entrepreneurship.

“Being on the workday treadmill can instill fear and overwhelm that strips many people of their innate drive to create their own business. Also, having to focus on one job all day every day can cause a lack of direction that may hold people back from taking that first step to making money online,” he said.

Own Your Own Time

He believes that online businesses deliver unique rewards which include low overheads and high margins, a 24/7 automated cycle, access to global markets as well as massive income and growth potentials. There is also the priceless bonus of time freedom and the ability to work anywhere in the world or become one of those vaunted species of businessperson – the digital nomad.

“More and more people are realizing that one of the best ways to build true wealth, enjoy real freedom, and to wake up every day feeling in full control of their life, is to start their own online business. I have gone from a wheelchair to my dream chair in a few short years. There are so many reasons why one should start digital businesses,” said Jaikishaan, who works from his home in Melbourne, Australia.

One common and potent fear among potential online entrepreneurs is an ingrained terror of technology and the speed at which it changes.

“Many people are convinced that making money online requires a Ph.D. in coding. They have little confidence in their ability to manage online techniques and strategies.

‘Setting up online is not technical at all these days. We have created our platform to include training that is available all day every day so when people need help it is a click of a mouse away. All our community has to do is to watch the appropriate video, follow the instructions and implement the system. It is as easy as that. No one has to disappear down a rabbit hole searching for a fix or further reading on a specific subject because it is readily available,” he added.

While information overwhelm is not unusual when exploring anything online, Jaikishaan recommends sticking with one program to prevent suffocating in endless blogs and courses with conflicting messages.

Another driving force supporting a move to online business is how the pandemic has illustrated a lack of job security. Some businesses quickly died while others thrived.

Among the biggest winners of the Covid crises have been online brands that require no physical contact as illustrated by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos whose wealth has grown exponentially.

“The concept of job security was exposed as an illusion. People were laid off or furloughed and businesses collapsed. Governments even in the richest countries cannot afford to support these losses.

“The pandemic made it clearer than ever before that people must harness their passion into an enterprise and the smartest avenue with the lowest start-up costs and highest margins is online. Traditional jobs and income – even from property investments that may now be devoid of tenants and unable to pay for themselves – are no longer reliable,” he said.

Lifestyle

The Future of Education Through Patricia Vlad’s Eyes

Published

4 mins ago

December 12, 2025

Michelle Langton

The traditional systems that once defined learning, rigid curricula, standardized testing, and a narrow focus on academic performance, are increasingly being questioned. And why is that?

Starting in the 1880s, thinkers like John Dewey advocated for a shift in teaching methods, leading to the rise of progressive education. Unlike traditional models that emphasize rote learning and job preparation, progressive education puts students at the center of the learning experience. Changemakers like Patricia Vlad also believe that hands-on, experiential learning is the key to deeper understanding. This approach prioritizes critical thinking, curiosity, and personal passions, encouraging students to become lifelong learners who actively engage with new ideas and problem-solving. Schools and parents that embrace this model focus not just on what students need to know but on how they can continue to grow and adapt throughout their lives.

As the world changes, so do the skills, knowledge, and adaptability students need to succeed. The future of education is about personalization, inclusivity, emotional intelligence, and meaningful learning experiences.

With years of global teaching experience, Patricia has seen firsthand how different education systems approach learning. She believes that the future of education must embrace neuroscience, technology, and self-awareness to create a system that is not just efficient but also empowering for students.

“Education should be about more than just passing tests. It should equip students with the skills to navigate life, understand their strengths, and feel empowered in their learning journey,” Patricia emphasizes.

The Future Belongs to the Emotionally Intelligent

Unlike technical skills that may become obsolete with automation, EI – our ability to understand and manage emotions, build relationships, and navigate challenges, remains uniquely human. It plays a crucial role in self-awareness, resilience, effective communication, helping individuals excel in both personal and professional life.

When it comes to EQ, think of it like this: Kids with strong emotional intelligence are better at handling stress, resolving conflicts, and overcoming challenges. Studies suggest that EQ is a stronger predictor of long-term success than IQ. And let’s be real, no matter how advanced AI gets, it will never replace the depth and impact of human connection.

How LevelUp Cultivates Emotional Intelligence Through Patricia’s Coaching

1. Learning Will Be Personalized and Strength-Based

Instead of forcing students to fit into a system, education will be tailored to each child’s learning style, strengths, and interests. Neuroscience-backed methods – such as learning based on attention spans, emotional regulation, and brain development research – will be used to create adaptive learning environments, allowing students to progress at their own pace.

Through tools like LevelUp, which incorporates the Big Five Personality Model, teachers and parents will have a better understanding of a child’s cognitive profile, enabling them to offer more personalized support.

2. Emotional Intelligence Will Be a Core Part of Learning

The future classroom won’t just cover maths, science, history, or even language – it will also focus on self-awareness, empathy, and social skills. As research shows language doesn’t just communicate thought; it actively shapes it. The intentional use of language can influence how the brain processes emotion, memory, and social connection – making it a powerful tool for developing emotional intelligence.

LevelUp integrates EI into its framework, ensuring students not only understand themselves better but also build confidence, manage stress, and develop strong interpersonal skills.

3. Education Will Be More Interdisciplinary

The future of learning will move away from isolated subjects and toward interdisciplinary education, where concepts from different fields are connected and applied to real-world problems.

For example, students might blend neuroscience with psychology to understand learning processes or combine technology and art to develop creative solutions.

4. Technology Will Support, Not Supplant Human Connection

In the classroom of the future, meaningful engagement between students and teachers will remain at the heart of learning. Peer collaboration, hands-on projects, and real-time feedback from teachers will continue to be irreplaceable elements of education.

Technology will play a supporting role enhancing, rather than dominating, the learning process.

Whether through gamified modules, virtual simulation, or adaptive platforms, tools like LevelUp will be used intentionally to deepen understanding and personalize feedback, always in service of human connection, not as a substitute for it.

5. Schools, Parents, and Students Will Work Together

Education won’t be confined to the classroom. Parents will play a bigger role in guiding their children’s learning, using tools like LevelUp to track progress, support emotional development, and encourage curiosity at home.

By strengthening the parent-child-teacher connection, education will become a team effort, ensuring every student receives the support they need to reach their full potential.

A Future Built on Empowerment

By combining neuroscience, technology, and emotional intelligence, Patricia is helping to reshape education into something that prepares students not just for exams, but for life itself.

A truly effective education system values each student’s creativity and passions—not just their ability to recall information. Instead of just delivering information and expecting rote memorization for test scores, teachers encourage active, hands-on learning through projects, experiments, and peer collaboration. This approach allows students to explore topics that genuinely interest them, making learning more engaging, meaningful, and personal.

The LevelUp platform, developed under Patricia’s leadership, is contributing to a growing shift toward education that is rooted in self-awareness and real-world readiness. Additionally, emotional intelligence is a core part of learning, not an afterthought.

One story that sticks with Patricia is that of a student named Ethan, who had always been labelled “distracted” in class. His teachers described him as bright but inconsistent, often zoning out or fidgeting during lessons. When his LevelUp profile revealed high reactivity and strong openness, a new picture emerged: Ethan wasn’t disengaged—he was overwhelmed by too much information at once and thrived when topics were explored through hands-on, creative activities.

With this insight, his teacher began breaking tasks into smaller steps and introducing art and building projects tied to the curriculum. For the first time, Ethan started raising his hand during class and even stayed back after school to show his work. “We’d been trying to ‘fix’ him when all we needed was to understand him,” his teacher later shared.

It was a small shift, but for Ethan, it changed everything.