“I used to think that my passion was money”.
The man who quoted here is Tim Washington; a business owner, family man, and the future of Australia’s clean vehicle industry.
Tim is the founder of JET Charge, a company that is driving Australia’s transition to low-cost, zero-emissions mobility by providing electronic car charging stations.
His career is now all about enacting his passion for IT and the environment, but it wasn’t always this way.
Tim’s career started as a corporate lawyer. He moved from university straight into a legal career, and from there he was all about long hours and “chasing money”. However, after a while, something his mother said to him forced him to take a step back. He suddenly noticed a disconnect between his career and his true passion and realised he needed to make a radical change.
Tim took a break from his law and instead joined his family’s textile business, Washington Australia Group (WAG).
That career pivot wasn’t as smooth as he expected. Moving from the corporate world into manufacturing challenged his ego, his understanding of business, his leadership, and his relationships with his parents. But after some time, his relationship with his parents transformed. Throughout his decade working with WAG, their understanding of each other strengthened, he learnt their true value in the business and also what he could offer as well.
“A personal relationship is built on more than just blood. It is built on respect.” This experience was the precursor for his next venture. After eventually selling the original family business, Tim started one of his own with his wife, Ellen. JET Charge was born. “I thank my family business background for my philosophy when it comes to JET Charge”.
JET Charge runs like a true family. Tim and Ellen have the long game in mind. Not to make quick, easy money, but to follow their passions of technology and the environment. And this carries through to their team’s culture as well.
JET Charge is now the largest electronic vehicle charging business in Australia and still growing.
“The more you chase money and the less you focus on your core competencies, products, and services that will make you that money. The more you lower your cost because you want to win work, the less successful you are.”
Tim is no longer chasing money now. He’s chasing the passion. But through that, he has seen more success than he could have ever dreamed.
Listen more to Tim’s amazing career journey in Episode 16 of It’s Never About Money.
