I found this profile from 2024 and thought I’d share it. It was written by Sophie Amat, an independent consultant with Orange Brick Road, from an interview we did in April 2024. It tells the story of how I got into crypto and why I built OBR.
From music to construction to Bitcoin
I started out in the music industry. I was a session musician, taught privately and in music stores, played solo gigs, filled in for other bands and helped with sound setups. “The reality is that you have to take on multiple roles to stay afloat in the music business.” After 15 years, the pressures of the industry pushed me out.
I then spent 10 years in construction in operator and supervisory roles, until a major injury left me needing a long recovery after surgery. While I was researching new ways to earn an income online, a YouTube ad about Bitcoin caught my attention. “I don’t exactly remember the details, but I do remember the name Bitcoin. I was instantly curious, and started madly researching everything I could find online. It felt like being pulled down a rabbit hole of Bitcoin, decentralised blockchains, and then DeFi. I’m still deep in it!”
Why decentralisation made sense to me
I’ve read widely about economics and philosophy since I was 16. I don’t read to win arguments at a cocktail party. I just want to understand. When people chanted “End the Fed”, I wanted to know what the Fed actually was, who formed it and why. That led me to The Creature from Jekyll Island and plenty more reading on the Federal Reserve and monetary theory. (My full reading list is at the bottom.)
I made my first Bitcoin investment in mid-2016. Its decentralised nature fitted my worldview, and I won’t pretend I didn’t also love the financial gains.
Why people get into crypto
Most people are drawn in by the potential for high gains. I’d say about 90% jump in because they’ve heard about meme coins like Dogecoin, or they’ve been won over by “crypto millionaire” influencers. It’s only after they invest that they start learning about the technology and decentralisation.
The risks are real: volatility, hacks, phishing, fraud and rug pulls (Mt Gox and FTX are the famous examples), and protocol exploits. But once people are in, most stay for the long haul. That’s why education matters.
Building Orange Brick Road
I started OBR in 2020, riding the move from a bull market into a bear market and the COVID crisis. Our promise is simple: “Take hold of your financial future.”
Our clients are a mix: FIFO workers, tradies, traders from traditional markets, high net worth individuals, business owners, executives, bookkeepers, accountants, teachers and retirees. Mostly 30–40+. They don’t have much time to learn the crypto world and just need guidance to get started. “We meet them where they’re at.”
Over the years OBR has grown into a network of independent professionals and companies. Today I work closely every day with 15 crypto companies. Our services cover:
Crypto education courses and onboarding coaching Portfolio set-up and brokerage / exchange onboarding Trading, copy trading and AI solutions Loans, security and custody Bookkeeping, tax, SMSF and trust structuring, and estate planning Real world assets Crypto scam assessment and recovery
My goal is for clients to become as knowledgeable and self-reliant as possible. “We’ve done our job well when the clients outgrow our services.”
On the airwaves and online
I host the weekly OBR crypto podcast and co-host the radio show Crypto Hour of Power. I speak at Perth crypto conferences and meet-ups, including presenting at the inaugural Perth Blockchain Association meeting in 2021.
It’s been quite a ride, and it’s still going. I started with nothing more than a laptop, a vision, and a belief that crypto could open real opportunities for everyday people and businesses in Australia.
Work with us
For everything in crypto, visit orangebrickroad.com.au.
📞 Book a free 15-minute chat: https://calendly.com/brandon-orangebrickroad/15min-call ✉️ brandon@orangebrickroad.com.au
Brandon’s reading list G. Edward Griffin, The Creature from Jekyll Island Hans-Hermann Hoppe, Democracy: The God That Failed Murray Rothbard, Man, Economy, and State and For a New Liberty F.A. Hayek, The Road to Serfdom Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged Milton Friedman, Free to Choose Thomas Sowell, Basic Economics Ludwig von Mises, The Theory of Money and Credit Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations Robert Murphy, Choice Tom Woods, Real Dissent Victor Davis Hanson, The Dying Citizen George Orwell, 1984 and Animal Farm Llewellyn H. Rockwell Jr., The Left, the Right, and the State Nassim Nicholas Taleb, Skin in the Game John Perkins, The New Confessions of an Economic Hit Man
Profile by Sophie Amat, independent consultant with Orange Brick Road, from an interview in April 2024. General information only. Not financial, investment or tax advice. Orange Brick Road does not hold an Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL). Crypto is highly volatile and you can lose all your money.
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General information only. Orange Brick Road Pty Ltd (ABN 92 655 540 480) does not hold an Australian Financial Services Licence and nothing here is financial product advice.