Production and design
Commercial print operation, pre-press, finishing, wide format, business stationery, books, banners and customer-ready design.
Alex Tokmakov • Brisbane based • Practical experience • Building forward
Alex Tokmakov — a working life built through learning, service and enterprise.
From newspaper rounds and commercial printing to business ownership, disability support and AI automation, this profile brings together the roles, places and projects that shaped the journey.
- 28+
- years of varied work
- 10+
- support participants
- 20
- app concepts
About
A practical generalist with deep experience in getting work done.
Hands-on roles across hospitality, print production, technical repairs, small-business operations, community support and emerging technology created a broad understanding of people, systems and service.
Life locations
- 1987Born in Blagoveshchensk, Amur Oblast, Russia
- 1996–2001Auckland, New Zealand
- 2001–PresentBrisbane, Australia
Repairs and operations
Phone repairs, equipment handling, warehousing, logistics and the everyday systems required to run service businesses.
Support and service
Respectful, person-centred disability support across multiple providers, alongside extensive customer-facing experience.
Automation and building
Exploring AI workflows, no-code and low-code tools, software programming and startup concepts focused on useful outcomes.
Skills and strengths
Built across industries, connected by problem-solving.
- Commercial printing
- Graphic design
- Pre-press
- Wide-format output
- Print finishing
- Customer service
- Phone repair
- Small-business operations
- Team coordination
- Disability support
- Community access
- Workflow mapping
- AI automation
- App prototyping
- Problem-solving
- Continuous learning
Work history
A timeline of practical work, responsibility and reinvention.
This is a sample public-facing timeline based on the supplied history. Exact months, dates and award wording should be confirmed before publication.
AI automation and startup development
2026–Present · Age 39
Brisbane
Learning AI-assisted software development, automation workflows and product creation, with a focus on practical tools that save people and businesses time and money.
- AI automation
- Workflow design
- App building
Disability support worker
2023–2026 · Age 36–39
Multiple providers
Supported more than 10 participants across daily living, community participation and individual goals, including people with intellectual disability, autism, Down syndrome and varied psychosocial support needs.
- Person-centred support
- Community access
- Documentation
Print factory guillotine operator
2022–2023 · Age 35–36
Commercial production facility
Operated a large industrial guillotine for approximately three months in a factory producing raffle tickets, scratch-style promotional products and bingo books. Cut more than 1,000,000 tickets.
- Industrial print
- Guillotine operation
- Safety
Mining supervisor
2020–2021 · Age 33–34
Lihir Island gold mine, Papua New Guinea
Supervised crews at the Lihir Island gold mine in Papua New Guinea, coordinating daily tasks, safety requirements and site operations in a remote tropical environment. Exact dates to be confirmed before publication.
- Mining
- Supervision
- Remote site work
Lagger, insulation company
2020 · Age 33
Brisbane port and refinery precinct
Worked as a lagger for an industrial insulation company, installing pipe and vessel insulation and metal cladding in new robotic factories near the Brisbane port and the Brisbane oil refinery.
- Industrial insulation
- Lagging
- Site safety
Warehouse container unloading
2021–2022 · Age 34–35
Strathpine
Completed approximately three months of physical warehouse work, emptying more than 200 shipping containers and moving goods safely through a busy logistics environment.
- Warehousing
- Manual handling
House painter
2021 · Age 34
Noosa and Sunshine Coast
Spent approximately six months painting high-quality homes, including exterior work from roofs and scaffolding in demanding Queensland conditions.
- Painting
- Working at heights
- Outdoor work
Volunteer work
2019–2020 · Age 32–33
Church and coffee shop
Contributed time in community environments, supporting practical tasks, hospitality and connection with local people.
- Community
- Volunteering
Solar call centre coordinator
2017–2018 · Age 30–31
Woolloongabba
Coordinated a separate solar-lead call centre operating above the print shop. Held contracts with Macquarie Bank and Brisbane Solar Company, managing around 10 callers, lead qualification and appointment setting.
- Team coordination
- Lead generation
- Sales operations
Owner, Projector hire
2015–2019 · Age 28–32
Woolloongabba
Built a projector and audio-visual hire service from the same premises, supplying equipment for presentations, meetings and events with setup guidance and customer support.
- Equipment hire
- Customer service
- AV setup
Owner, Phone Screen Repairs
2014–2018 · Age 27–31
Woolloongabba
Ran a dedicated phone and screen repair business, completing more than 2,000 phone repairs including iPhone and Samsung screen replacements, batteries, charging ports and fault finding.
- Business ownership
- Device repair
- Customer service
Owner, Gabba Print Services
2013–2018 · Age 26–31
791 Stanley Street, Woolloongabba
Operated a local print shop using Fuji Xerox production equipment, Duplo finishing, Canon wide format, laminating and binding.
- Business ownership
- Print production
- Finishing
Print technician
2012–2013 · Age 25–26
Norton Rose and Ashurst, 111 Eagle Street
Provided approximately six months of corporate print-room support in Brisbane’s CBD, producing professional legal documents under tight deadlines.
- Corporate print
- Quality control
Phone repair technician
2011–2012 · Age 24–25
Fone King, Brisbane CBD
Completed iPhone and Samsung repairs, including screens, batteries, fault finding, testing and customer handover.
- Device repair
- Diagnostics
Print operator and designer
2005–2011 · Age 18–24
Officeworks
Spent seven years producing flyers, business cards, posters, banners, books and other customer print work, combining design support with production and finishing. Served more than 50,000 customers across retail and trade orders.
- Print production
- Graphic design
- Customer service
Kitchen hand
2004–2005 · Age 17–18
Premium fish and chips restaurant
Assisted with kitchen preparation, cleaning, stock movement and service during busy periods in a quality-focused hospitality setting.
- Kitchen operations
- Service
Delivery driver
2003–2004 · Age 16–17
Neo’s Pizza, West End
Supported an award-winning local pizza restaurant through more than 100 deliveries, kitchen assistance and customer-facing service. Confirm the exact award title before publishing.
- Delivery
- Hospitality
McDonald’s crew member
2002–2004 · Age 15–17
Woolloongabba, Brisbane
Worked in a fast-paced team environment covering food preparation, customer service, cleaning and shift routines.
- Hospitality
- Teamwork
Newspaper delivery
1995–1998 · Age 8–11
North Shore, Auckland, New Zealand
Completed an early-morning newspaper round in Auckland, New Zealand, covering over 10 km each week and more than 1,000 km walked in total, more than 100,000 letterboxes and over 1,000 newspaper distributions, building reliability, route planning and independent work habits.
- Reliability
- Time management
Verification note: exact start and end months, role titles and the formal wording of the Neo’s Pizza award are to be confirmed by the site owner before publication.
Operations experience
Three businesses, one location, end-to-end operations.
A detailed breakdown of the owner-operator role behind Gabba Print Services and the associated print, repair and hire services. The full PDF is available to download below.
Operated and managed three customer-facing businesses from a single retail and workshop location: commercial printing and graphic design, mobile phone and electronics repairs, and projector/audio-visual hire. Served more than 10,000 customers over five years while managing approximately 40 print production jobs, 15 phone repairs and 4 projector hires each week, alongside customer enquiries, quoting, production, repairs, purchasing, marketing, bookkeeping, administration and day-to-day operations.
10,000+
Customers served
5
Years of operation
40
Print jobs per week
15
Phone repairs per week
4
Projector hires per week
Business operations & management
- Managed daily operation of three service businesses from one premises
- Prioritised workloads around deadlines, repair urgency and hire schedules
- Maintained customer records, job schedules and work-in-progress tracking
- Resolved complaints, warranties, rework and supplier issues
- Identified new products, services and revenue opportunities
Large-format printing & print production
- Produced banners, posters, signage, point-of-sale, window graphics and brochures
- Prepared artwork for print: dimensions, resolution, colour mode, margins, bleed
- Managed print queues, media selection and production priorities
- Diagnosed banding, colour inconsistency, alignment and media feed issues
- Performed routine printer maintenance, cleaning and consumable replacement
Finishing, laminating & binding
- Printed and finished vinyl banners with eyelets and edge preparation
- Operated laminating equipment for menus, signs, documents and displays
- Prepared booklets and manuals for binding, collation and trimming
- Scored, folded and guillotined printed stock to specification
- Checked finished products for size, alignment, page order and quality
Graphic design & pre-press
- Created and modified artwork for banners, flyers, business cards and signage
- Recreated unsuitable customer artwork and prepared logos for production
- Prepared print-ready PDFs and managed fonts, images and design assets
- Worked directly with customers to turn ideas into proofs for approval
- Managed RGB/CMYK considerations for large-format viewing distances
Mobile phone & electronics repair
- Completed approximately 15 repairs per week across smartphones and devices
- Replaced screens, batteries, charging ports, cameras, buttons and housings
- Diagnosed charging, power, audio, display and no-power faults
- Tested devices before return and explained repair options clearly
- Managed warranty repairs and maintained customer confidentiality
Parts procurement & inventory
- Sourced replacement parts from China and overseas suppliers
- Compared supplier quality, pricing, reliability, shipping and lead times
- Negotiated pricing, bulk purchasing and calculated landed cost
- Maintained stock of repair parts, print media, inks, cables and accessories
- Balanced stock availability against cash flow and storage requirements
Projector & AV equipment hire
- Managed enquiries, quotations, bookings, collection and return schedules
- Recommended equipment based on room size and presentation needs
- Prepared and tested projectors, cables, remotes and accessories before hire
- Assisted customers with laptop connectivity, HDMI and display configuration
- Inspected, tested and cleaned returned equipment and checked for damage
Customer service, sales & marketing
- Delivered face-to-face service across printing, repairs and equipment hire
- Managed phone, email, website and social media enquiries
- Provided quotations, options, recommendations and realistic turnaround times
- Ran Facebook/Meta and Google advertising campaigns for local enquiries
- Built repeat customer relationships and cross-sold relevant services
Financial administration & workflow
- Prepared invoices, recorded sales and expenses and processed supplier invoices
- Monitored cash flow, outstanding payments and advertising expenditure
- Calculated print, repair and hire costs based on materials, labour and overheads
- Tracked jobs from enquiry through quotation, approval, production and collection
- Prepared records for accountants and assisted with GST/BAS preparation
Business ventures
Small businesses built around printing, repairs, equipment and teams.
Each venture grew out of practical work and local demand in Woolloongabba and greater Brisbane. All imagery in this section is AI-generated and illustrative.
Print shop and phone repairs
Gabba Print Services
A neighbourhood print business combining commercial production, design, finishing and device repairs from 791 Stanley Street.
- Fuji Xerox production printing
- Duplo finishing and binding
- Canon wide-format output
- Lamination and phone repairs
- 10,000+ customers served
- 1000+ phones fixed
Lead generation team
Solar call centre
A separate solar-lead operation run above the print shop. We held contracts with Macquarie Bank and Brisbane Solar Company, using a team of around 10 callers to book solar appointments and qualify leads.
- Contracted to Macquarie Bank
- Contracted to Brisbane Solar Company
- Team of ~10 callers
- Lead qualification and appointment setting
- Separate from projector hire
Events and presentation equipment
Projector hire
A practical equipment-hire service for presentations, meetings and events, supported by setup knowledge and customer guidance.
- Projectors and screens
- Cables, remotes and cases
- Pickup and hire coordination
- Customer setup support
Living and working beside The Gabba
Gabba Central chapter
A Brisbane chapter centred around Gabba Central, the stadium precinct, Stanley Street and convenient public transport.
- Woolloongabba local knowledge
- The Gabba precinct
- Bus and city access
- Local business community
Website design · 2026 – Present
Website design
Selected websites and digital experiences designed and developed from 2026 to present.
AutoBusiness
autobusiness.com.auA consultancy site for automotive AI agents and workflow automation, aimed at mechanical workshops, dealerships and service businesses in Brisbane and South East Queensland.
Visit website
TV Apps
tvapps.onlineA smart TV app guide and directory that introduces beginners to television apps, with category cards, platform badges and interface previews.
Visit website
FitScreen
fitscreen.appA television-first home workout experience offering guided workouts, exercise programmes, timers and trainer-led video sessions.
Visit website
Local Lens
locallens.liveA television travel-discovery platform for hotels, resorts and accommodation providers that lets guests explore nearby attractions, food, activities and local experiences.
Visit website
Little Galaxy
littlegalaxy.appA safe educational smart TV application for young children, with interactive stories, learning programmes, quizzes and parent-controlled content.
Visit website
iCreative Studio
icreative.studioA creative tools site for turning ideas, product photos and business content into polished images and short video without complicated editing software.
Visit website
Paint Quote
paintquote.auAn online painting quoting concept built from practical painting experience, with a simple step-by-step calculator for room size, surface type and finish.
Visit website
App and website concepts
Twenty sample concepts drawn from real working experience.
These are sample concepts prepared for this profile, not completed commercial products. Each one is only described as built once it has been separately verified.
Showing 20 of 20 sample concepts.
Visual chapters
Illustrative scenes from the places that shaped the work.
Every image here is AI-generated for illustration only. They are not documentary photographs of real people, workplaces or events.
Hobbies and interests
Time away from the workshop and the screen.
Outdoors, cameras, books and long rides — the habits that keep the working weeks balanced. Sample content for layout purposes. Replace with real details before publishing.
Hiking and the coast
Weekend tracks around Mount Coot-tha, the Glass House Mountains and long drives up to Noosa.
Photography
Night photography around the Story Bridge and Eagle Street, mostly long exposures on a small tripod.
Cycling and fitness
Early morning rides along the bikeway, plus a simple strength routine that fits around work.
Reading and research
Business history, Russian literature and anything about how small operations actually run.
Art
Painting, sketching and design as a steady side practice.
Years of print and pre-press work built an eye for layout, colour and finish. That carries over into a small personal art practice at home. Sample content for layout purposes. Replace with real details before publishing.
- Acrylic on canvas, mostly landscapes and city scenes
- Ink sketching in a pocket notebook
- Digital illustration and poster layouts
- Restoring and reframing old family photographs
Music
A guitar in the corner and a playlist for every task.
Self-taught guitar and keyboard, plus a growing interest in recording simple tracks at home. Sample content for layout purposes. Replace with real details before publishing.
Late-night synth and ambient
For long build sessions
Russian folk and choral
Family roots listening
Classic rock and blues guitar
Weekend practice
Australian indie
Driving up the coast
Practising most eveningsLearning basic home recording
Current focus
Building useful tools with AI, from Brisbane.
Learning AI-assisted software development, automation workflows and product creation, with a focus on practical tools that save people and businesses time and money.
AI-assisted development
Learning to design, build and test small applications with AI tooling, version control and modern web frameworks.
Automation workflows
Mapping repeated business processes and identifying the steps that can be safely automated with human checkpoints.
Practical product creation
Focusing on tools that save people and small businesses time and money, built from firsthand operational experience.
Next step
Keep the story accurate, personal and useful.
Add verified dates, a preferred portrait, current contact details and links to live projects before publishing tokmakov.info.
Email hello@tokmakov.infoReview the concept list
Contact details are placeholders until confirmed by the site owner.
Social media
Where the work and the everyday get shared.
A light public presence: build logs, photographs and the occasional behind-the-scenes look at a project. Sample content for layout purposes. Replace with real details before publishing.
Instagram
@alex.tokmakov
Brisbane river walks, workshop shots and works in progress.
LinkedIn
in/alex-tokmakov
Operations, print production and AI automation notes.
YouTube
@tokmakov-builds
Short build logs of small tools and automation experiments.
GitHub
@atokmakov
Prototype repositories and weekend code experiments.