Professional Journey

Vision & Ideas – What To Do When That Comes Your Way…

Having an idea of what’s coming is an important ability for knowing and planning for a future that’s yet to arrive. ET3 was definitely one of those experiences for me. My initial engagement with Daryl Oster and his company began in October 2007. I began to become aware of the tube transportation concept as far back as February 2006. My engagement and involvement with ET3 is a perfect demonstration of my ability to come up with great ideas, then do something with those ideas in the form of written articulation. Writing needs to promote action. That’s what happened.

ET3 wasn’t something I read about – I imagined tube transportation after reading the words: carbon nanotube. Creativity and imagination can be a funny thing… you never know when inspiration will come or from where. By August 2007, I got that traveling inside a vacuum environment would be the best way going forward into the future. The following September-October, I researched to see who might be doing a project like this… that’s when I found ET3 and called Daryl up. When he answered, I introduced myself and told him I had a story to share…

My engagement with the company ended after the writing effort was completed. It wasn’t until August 2013 when Elon Musk released the Hyperloop tube transportation idea onto the world stage. A very surreal moment. That occurred shortly after Daryl and other ET3 participants visited Musk at Space-X to talk about the future. The hopes were Elon would get out his checkbook since he seemed to get that the idea held great promise… but the outcome of that meeting didn’t meet expectations and the various Hyperloop efforts around the globe have spent considerable money figuring out what ET3 already knew and that ET3 is a better design – which is what Elon’s engineers suggested the day ET3 principles visited him.

Upon completion of my duties in early 2009 with ET3, I was forced to regroup and come out of my semi-retirement due to the financial meltdown in 2008. Although my writing had been highly successful up to that point in generating great ideas while assisting several companies in moving forward by identifying the powerful financial value their intellectual property and technology held and helped them to raise funding for their ventures – I wasn’t focused on the initial paycheck as much as I should have been. I was thinking more long-term in hindsight. I don’t think many people expected things to go as badly as they did after 2008.

An example of one of the companies that I was working with that benefited – the CEO/Chairman was impressed enough with my ideas and work that he offered me a six-figure position in early 2010. The position wouldn’t open up until May though. As things go, the major shareholders decided to clean house… and so went my opportunity! I can laugh about it today. Especially since I fully understand there would end up being a much greater and more valuable outcome beyond that writing job and the stellar income opportunity it presented.

As things turned out, in the strangest and most organic way, I found myself starting an auto restoration business with my son Nicholas who had just turned 17. The whole thing developed completely out of left field and wasn’t something I thought I’d be re-engaging in after so many years. But, there we were. Even further, the most valuable thing that’s far beyond monetary and material things was the experience of working with Nick. I feel so very blessed today for all that seemed like failure at the time until we began our business.

The even greater bonus that I realized after Nick passed away suddenly 6 and a half years after we began our enterprise was how seeming misfortune was actually an incredible gift. That wouldn’t have happened had my financial fortunes from the success of my efforts actually paid off. I miss Nicholas dearly, being aware of my gifts and blessings has helped me through losing him.

Mid-September 2022, I closed the business Nick and I had begun, six years after his passing. It was difficult to let go of our enterprise. My final experiences with Nick were so closely tied to that business. But, it was time to let go. I’ve been studying with AWAI American Writer’s and Artist’s Institute since 2019 to raise my writing game to where it needs to be and am now ready to get back to work helping companies find their best messaging game and approach. I look forward to working with you.

Summer of 2022, I became certified as a Web3 writing specialist via AWAI. I also continue to learn and remain on the cutting edge.

Some of My Past Working Experiences and Accomplishments – Life & Work Bio:

TONY TOIGO – As a young boy growing up in Clover Hill, NJ, Tony was always tinkering around repairing cars and motorcycles with dreams of one-day driving race cars.

At 16, life was pretty good for Tony until one day, while riding his motorcycle, he was struck by a 4500 lb. Chevy Impala center of his right hip. While lying in a hospital bed for 8 weeks with a shattered pelvis, massive internal injuries, and his hip in traction, Tony became more determined than ever to get back to a normal life and pursue his dream of auto racing. He kept looking ahead to the future, toward his dream of driving race cars.

It was Spring before Tony’s doctor told him he could begin walking on his right leg again. At hearing this news, Tony was very anxious to get his life back together and began pushing too hard to the point that his hip swelled and bound up completely.

At this, Tony’s father took him to Manhattan to see a specialist, a pioneer in hip replacement surgery. After discussing Tony’s case the doctor determined that Tony would not be able to walk again without the aid of a cane or crutches for the rest of his life.

Although he didn’t show any emotion, at hearing this news Tony became livid and was more determined than ever to walk normally again. After returning home he started a daily swimming routine and was able to walk again within a year. In all, it took 18 months for Tony to walk again without any assistance. In 24 months, he was running.   

The rest of Tony’s life story and work experience is nothing less than remarkable. His is one of hard work, determination, and doing what very few have the guts to do: take responsibility for their actions, never give up despite the odds, and apply common sense thinking to life’s challenges.  

• September 1978 – September 1980

Opened a BMW restoration business in hopes of funding his career in auto racing. To earn more advanced training and further his automotive career Tony worked in the BMW dealer network and independent shops gaining experience with BMW’s latest systems.

• September 1980 – January 1988

Tony Attended BMW Training at BMW NA in Montvale NJ and Pleasanton CA where he excelled in learning the latest BMW systems. Tony soon became known as a Master BMW Technician expert in the automotive service field. His abilities inspired confidence. As a result, famous people and celebrities had their cars serviced by him. Among them was Mrs. Johnson of Johnson & Johnson’s, Jackie Onassis, World Series Champion Bucky Dent, and others.  

• September 1982 – April 1984

Raced Formula Ford class in the Skip Barber Eastern Series with a first career win at Mid Ohio Motorsports Park.

• August 1985 – September 1986

Raced in the U.S. West Coast Jim Russel Formula Mazda series. Tony has 3 career wins. He raced competitively with John and Jeff Andretti, Wally Johncock, and other top-tier talents: Eliott Forbes Robinson, Johnny O’Connell, and Jon Beekhuis.

• July 1987 – February 1991

Start-Up – Automotive Alarm and Cell Phone Business.

• March 1991 – August 2001

Start-Up – Business Cellular Services (BCS), Fremont California. A first-of-its-kind provider of discount wireless telephone services. Despite having to compete in a challenging, cutthroat-predatory environment, the business grew to become a multi-million-dollar company and was sold in 2001. Notable customers included the likes of Jose and Ester Canseco, Peter Gordon Crystal Geyser Water Co, and others.

• 2001 – 2006

Co-founder and CTO of Always On Network in Portland and Chiloquin Oregon. A test-bed operation for San Francisco-based SOMA Networks Non-Line of Sight. NLOS wireless internet technology became the first wireless internet provider in the world to provide service using a licensed spectrum. Under Tony’s guidance as CTO, he built a demonstration network in Portland, OR for pre-WiMax technology. The demo successfully achieved its goal and was later awarded a wireless spectrum license in Bangladesh valued at $400+ million.

• 2006 – 2010

As Tony’s role with AON began winding down he perceived the idea of high-speed travel between continents, inside tubes, and under the ocean. In August of 2007, Tony conceptualized that the travel environment inside the tube should be a vacuum. In September 2007, Tony net searched and found ET3, a Crystal River Florida company with concept patents dating back to 1999 for such a project.

After connecting with ET3 CEO Daryl Oster, Tony was personally invited to learn from Daryl, about the company’s technological approach to hypersonic tube travel. During his time with Daryl, both had the opportunity to exchange with one another. Daryl was so impressed with Tony’s knowledge and approach to solving problems that he was assigned the task of developing and writing the necessary communication pieces to present to potential investors. Seizing the opportunity at hand, Tony quickly identified two potential investors: Richard Branson and Elon Musk. Tony and other ET3 participants messaged both individuals which led to the eventual engagement of both parties in developing Hyperloop – similar to ET3

Tony’s ideas and efforts help spread awareness to many early adopters that would become drawn to ET3’s technology and elegant approach to tube transport.

• 2010 – 2022

Along with his son Nick, started a Subaru automobile restoration and repair business in their hometown of Bend, Oregon. Their approach was simple and effective. Do the necessary repairs to get the cars to drive for another 100K miles.

The business continued growing at a steady rate until Nick passed away unexpectedly in September 2016. Struggling with the loss of his son has not been easy. Eventually, he chose to close the business in September 2022.

Bio Written and Narrated by John Harmata