‘Blows my mind': Health battle that led to Aussie man's multimillion-dollar idea
When Mr Halliday was 25 years old, his health started unexpectedly failing, and it cost him everything.
At the time, Mr Halliday was living in Sydney and working at an acclaimed hair salon when he became so ill that he could no longer work.
He suffered from chronic migraines, recurring numbness, extremely high blood pressure, nerve pain and dizzy spells.
Mr Halliday went from living his best life to not being able to pay his mortgage because he couldn't work.
'It was such a horrible thing to go through,' he told news.com.au.
The hardest part was that he didn't know what was wrong with him. He was in and out of the hospital and was spending days writhing in pain.
Finally, he was diagnosed with Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome, with doctors determining that it was caused by exposure to black mould that was found inside his home at the time.
Mr Halliday was basically bedridden and focusing on recovery when he came up with the idea to create a tanning product without any nasty chemicals.
'My body was so rundown from the mould exposure and anytime I put anything on my body with chemicals, it was making it 10 times worse,' he said.
'I couldn't find anything that was skincare first, self-tan second, that had beautiful ingredients that were organic and cruelty free.'
Once Mr Halliday identified the gap in the market, the idea for his tanning company, Three Warriors, wouldn't leave his head.
'I was in and out of the hospital and I was so unwell. I was so dizzy and I was in tears all the time and starting to research about tanning was such a good distraction,' he explained.
Mr Halliday came up with the formula in his kitchen alongside a friend, a biochemist, and then he was able to turn his idea into a reality. However, he still needed help getting it off the ground.
At this point, his health struggles had left him in a dire financial situation, which meant he couldn't afford to pay his mortgage, let alone fund a business venture.
'My mum believed in me,' he said.
Mr Halliday's mum she supported him, not just by lending him $10,000 to start the brand, but also by paying his mortgage and attending every one of his doctor's appointment.
'She did everything for me. My family were so supportive,' he said.
In the end, his mum loaned him an extra $50,000 so he could place the first order for his tanning product after he felt the formula was perfected.
It was a slow burn, but now, seven years later, the brand's gradual tan product sells every 30 seconds.
The tanning brand is also stocked in big chains like David Jones in Australia and internationally in Harrods.
It also has a slew of celebrity fans, including Sonia Kruger, who serves as a brand ambassador, as well as celebrities like Daisy Edger Jones, LeAnn Rimes, and Matt Bomer.
It's been a dream come true.
'It still blows my mind,' he said.
'The first couple of years the business was ticking along and now we are selling gradual tan every 30 seconds.'
The gradual tanning product in particular has become so successful that it is now impossible to keep up with demand.
'We can't keep it in stock. Every year it sells out in Australia. It just goes bang and sells out' he said.
The tanning king said in the last three years, and since he has launched his e-commerce business, the brand has sold over $200,000 units of just that product alone and made $6.5 million in sales.
As for his health, it is still a work in progress, but he can now at least afford any treatment he needs.
'If you've been exposed for six years it can take up to 10 years to recover. I started getting sick when I was 25 and now I'm now 38 and I've only started to feel better a few years ago,' he said.
'I still have flair ups.'
Running his own business, though, and building something from scratch has helped him get through rough patches with his health.
'It honestly saved me,' he said.
The now 38-year-old is so proud of what the brand has achieved over the last seven years and also can't wait to do more.
'You never think in your life you're going to do this,' he said.
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