I started with a rock and traded my way—step by step to a year’s supply of fish and chips. No cash, just strategy, story, and the art of understanding value
This is my dream life (old site MyDreamLife.co.nz) use the way back when machine to follow. These trades started in 2009. Good things take time.
The Trade:
It started with the most ordinary thing imaginable—a rock I picked up off the ground. But that rock wasn’t just a stone. It was potential. I pitched it as a “trade-up token,” a symbol of transformation. Someone traded me a sleek pen.
Why It Worked:
People don’t always trade for utility—they trade for story. I gave them a chance to be part of a journey, not just a transaction.
Business Lesson:
🧠 Perception creates value. The story around your product or brand can be more powerful than the object itself.
Ask Yourself:
What “rock” are you underestimating in your business / life?
What product or offer are you failing to wrap in a powerful narrative?
The Trade:
I offered the pen as a unique, handcrafted writing tool, and received a striking seashell in return—natural, clean, visually interesting.
Why It Worked:
The shell was symbolic—reminding people of beach, calm, nature. I created emotional value from a common item.
Business Lesson:
🌊 People assign meaning to aesthetics. Trade up with emotion, not economics.
Ask Yourself: What part of your offer can you make feel “special” again?
The Trade:
This was a quirky move. I took the shell and offered it as an ornament, and someone swapped a ceramic frog figurine in return.
Why It Worked:
The frog had personality. It wasn’t just decorative—it was playful. I framed it as a conversation piece.
Business Lesson:
🐸 Quirky, story-rich items can trade for more than you'd expect if you tap into identity and novelty.
Ask Yourself:
Are you overlooking the “fun” in your product or service?
The Trade:
The frog turned into a healthy indoor plant. A clean move into lifestyle value—something that improves a space.
Why It Worked:
People love greenery. It’s simple, calming, and fits nearly every household.
Business Lesson:
🌱 Living things create emotional lift. Add life to your offer—literally or figuratively.
Ask Yourself:
Is your business breathing life into your customer’s space?
The Trade:
The plant became a flash drive—small, portable, and tech-aligned. I made it about utility.
Why It Worked:
I swapped aesthetics for function. And people always need memory.
Business Lesson:
💾 Functionality sells when it solves a small but real pain point.
Ask Yourself:
What small solution do you offer that’s being undervalued?
The Trade:
The flash drive was traded for a bull’s horn—decorative, rustic, and totally out-of-the-box.
Why It Worked:
It appealed to collectors and people who appreciate natural craftsmanship or cultural items.
Business Lesson:
🐂 The more niche something is, the more valuable it becomes to the right person.
Ask Yourself:
What is your business the perfect solution for—even if it’s not for everyone?
The Trade:
From a rustic horn to something functional—a secondhand car CD player with decent retail value.
Why It Worked:
It had universal appeal, especially for people in need of low-cost car upgrades.
Business Lesson:
📀 Don’t be afraid to go from art to utility. Value flows across categories.
Ask Yourself:
Could your business cross into a new category of value?
The Trade:
The CD player was swapped for a compost machine—eco-conscious and high perceived value.
Why It Worked:
It hit the sustainability trend and offered clear, long-term ROI to gardeners or hobby farmers.
Business Lesson:
🌿 Values-based trading is powerful. Sustainability sells—not just greenwashing, but real tools.
Ask Yourself:
What values are baked into your brand’s identity?
The Trade:
The compost machine became an exercise bike. I tapped into health and lifestyle goals.
Why It Worked:
It made the idea of trading “dirt” for fitness aspirational.
Business Lesson:
🚴 Health and improvement = high perceived future value. Trade into goals, not just needs.
Ask Yourself:
Does your product make the customer feel like they’re leveling up?
The Trade:
Health to creativity—the bike became a semi-pro Canon camera. Big step up in market value.
Why It Worked:
I framed it as “from body to expression”—targeted someone who valued creative capture.
Business Lesson:
📸 Creativity gear holds emotional and functional power. Great for stepping up the ladder.
Ask Yourself:
Are you speaking to your customer’s inner creator?
The Trade:
The Canon became a near-new BMX bike—repackaged as adventure, freedom, and fun.
Why It Worked:
Bikes are classic—especially for kids or families. I sold the story, not the spokes.
Business Lesson:
🚲 Recreational items hold story-rich, gift-giving potential. Position accordingly.
Ask Yourself:
Are you showing how your offer fits into your customer’s real life?
The Trade:
I turned movement into machinery—a free mulcher with high practical value.
Why It Worked:
Home improvement tools always hold backyard value—especially for tradies or hobby gardeners.
Business Lesson:
🪓 Trade upward by leveraging seasonal or regional needs.
Ask Yourself:
Are you timing your offers to when they’re most needed?
The Trade:
Tech again. I took the mulcher and swapped it for a brand-new eReader with e-ink tech.
Why It Worked:
I repackaged the trade as minimalist, eye-friendly digital productivity.
Business Lesson:
📖 Modern, sleek, and wellness-aligned tech is universally desirable. Push the utility + peace-of-mind angle.
Ask Yourself:
Is your offer solving a modern problem in a calming way?
The Trade:
The final trade. A business owner needed a tablet for orders—and I offered the solution in return for food. We also made it a promotional story.
Why It Worked:
The value wasn’t in the tablet—it was in the collaboration. He got tech + exposure. I got food + final victory.
Business Lesson:
🐟 Trade for partnerships, not just goods. That’s how you scale into recurring value.
Ask Yourself:
What business could you partner with, instead of sell to?
The Trade:
I’d made it. A full year of unlimited fish and chips—an outcome that felt surreal. But I didn’t stop. I listed the final offer with a single line:
“What would you trade for a year of fish and chips?”
The responses flooded in. Some funny, some serious, some strange. I’m still holding the offer, still open to a final trade that transcends food and flips the story one more time.
Why It Worked:
Contact: Interested to make a trade. Contact me.
🎯 The best offers don’t always close a loop—they open a door. Your next big win might be one bold question away.
Ask Yourself:
What part of your business could you stop “selling” and start inviting people into?
1 years supply of fish and chips is valued at $5`500 AUD or just over $100 a week. Reach our for other fine print of the trade.