Tony Melvin

I’ve never had writer’s block. I’ve never sat down and stared blankly at a screen. I’ve never felt the need to do something else instead of write. I don’t think I have any special ability. I believe the reason is because I know exactly what hat I’m wearing. hat noun , used to refer to a particular role or occupation of someone who has more than one. — Source Apple Dictionary I know I have a dad hat, another for being a hubby and many different hats in my businesses. The trick is to know what hat you are wearing and to not wear the wrong hat. I know from experience being “hubby” doesn’t work while I’m still wearing my “CEO hat.” And my kids don’t respond or enjoy my company if I don’t have my “Dad” hat on. Understanding this concept of hats early in my writing career, I identified 3 different hats I wear when writing a book. As long as I know the hat I’m wearing and don’t mix them up, the writing process is smooth, easy and fun. The hats of a writer are: The Writer or Crea...

My favourite word in the English language is “Insouciance” — pronounced in-shoo-see-ance. It means a casual lack of concern; indifference; playful. It comes from an 18th-century French word that means ‘not’ and ‘worrying.’ It encompasses a great philosophy and attitude for life as a whole. There are lots of ways to apply it. Several years ago I was undergoing a business mediation, although not a formal legal process it was nevertheless a distraction and annoying. In my rebuttal of the accusations against me, my written reply was done so with an attitude of insouciance. I wrote my response as a second-grade kid, pointing out things I didn’t understand and writing with “me thinks there is sum’mut wrong wid that.” It was hilarious, although the mediator didn’t really get it and my accuser became madder. The more insouciant I was about the whole thing, the madder and more threatening he got. I guess that was his aim, to make me  less insouciant  or to  make me worry mor...

I’ve long planned to extend my business interests to the United States. In terms of scope, the market is more than 10 times that of Australia. After several trips to the USA, I decided the best visa to apply for was an E2. The E2 is an investment visa that requires you either buy an existing business or start a new one. Our initial trips were done on a B1/B2 visa, which allows for a stay of up to 6 months, with a possible 6 month extension. This visa is rather easy to obtain (I wrote an article on that here ). The assumption is that you intend to violate the B1 and try to stay in the USA in some way, so the main focus of the application process is providing enough proof that you have ties in your home country and intend to return. It’s a case of assumed guilt and the need to prove your innocence. The E2 application process is a bit more daunting, so I initially employed the services of a reputable lawyer to handle the paperwork and process. Their fee was around $6,000 USD with ha...