From arriving in Australia with just $1,500 in his pocket to becoming the #1 mortgage broker for the Nepalese community — Raj Sapkota’s story is one of relentless grit, smart strategy, and playing to your strength.

Rhianna Farnan, Chief Communications Officer at Derwent Finance and mental health advocate, joins Christian Stevens on this week's episode of Beyond The Numbers.

As FBAA Tasmania State President, Artemis Ambassador, and the 2025 Better Business Awards Thought Leader of the Year, Rhianna shares the story behind building one of Australia's leading mortgage broking firms - starting from a bedroom at just 18 years old.

But the journey wasn’t smooth.From a failed Melbourne expansion that nearly brought the business undone, to pioneering TikTok for mortgage brokers and generating more than 150 leads a month, Rhianna opens up about what it really takes to build something over a decade.

She speaks candidly about the mistakes, the pressure, and the moment things almost collapsed - including a time when the business was struggling so much they couldn’t afford to buy groceries.

This episode is a raw look at resilience, rebuilding, and what it takes to keep going when everything feels like it’s falling apart.

If you're a mortgage broker, business owner, or anyone building something from scratch, this one's for you.

5:13 — The Melbourne Expansion That Nearly Destroyed Everything

8:17 — Running a Business With Your Partner: The Honest Truth

11:30 — Why She Founded a Mental Health Event for the Industry

19:07 — How TikTok Became Their Biggest Lead Source (150/Month)

22:29 — Viral ≠ Leads: The Content Strategy That Actually Works

31:42 — How the Back Office Is Structured (Offshore, Settlements, PA)

36:23 — The First Date Was a Disaster — Here's What Changed

39:19 — Balancing Ambition, Kids & Knowing When to Step Back

50:10 — Where the Mortgage Broking Industry Is Heading

Learn more about Flint: https://flintgroup.au/

Connect with Christian Stevens:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/propertyfinance/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cmrstevens/

Connect with Rhianna Farnan:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhianna-farnan-055a2716b/

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/rhiannafarnan/

Melissa Procajlo, founder of Pro Good Finance, began her career in project management within the mining sector, working on large-scale quarry and infrastructure projects across Australia. The role demanded long hours, tough environments, and resilience - lessons that would later shape the way she approaches business.

In this episode of Beyond The Numbers, Mel shares how she transitioned into mortgage broking and eventually launched her own brokerage after nearly a decade in the industry.

But this conversation goes beyond business.

Mel talks openly about what it really takes to build something meaningful while raising a young family - balancing motherhood, business ownership, and the realities of entrepreneurship. She also reflects on the importance of having a strong partner beside you, and how the choices you make as a family shape the life and business you build together.

In this conversation we talk about the resilience Mel developed working in mining, what it was really like leaving a top brokerage to start her own business, and the responsibility that comes with building a team who trusted her vision.

She also shares why the best businesses are built on relationships, not chasing leads, the simple strategy behind the 8-10 referral partners who now drive most of her business, and why consistency beats any growth strategy every time.

If you're a broker thinking about going out on your own, building your referral network, or just trying to show up better every day - this one's for you.

0:00 - From Mining Sites to Mortgage Broking

4:12 - Launching Pro Good Finance: The Leap & The Fear

9:01 - How Mel Became a "Super Mum" (Her Honest Answer)

13:27 - Buying a House Without Pre-Approval (Broker Confesses)

15:44 - Building the Team: Offshore Staff & Hiring Her Brother

18:21 - Biggest Year Ever in Her First Year of Business

25:20 - Why You Need a Village to Raise a Business

33:56 - The Referral Mistake That Wasted 5 Years

38:28 - Social Media, Content & Standing Out in 2025

41:59 - The One Thing Every New Broker Must DoL

earn more about Flint: https://flintgroup.au/

Connect with Christian Stevens: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/propertyfinance/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cmrstevens/

Connect with Melissa Procajlo:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissaprocajlo/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melprocajlo_broker/

In this episode of Beyond the Numbers, Christian Stevens sits down with Ben Robinson, Flint Director, top 1% broker, and the man building Newcastle's first billion-dollar brokerage.

Ben shares his unconventional journey from mustering 20,000 cattle on a 2.5 million acre station in the Northern Territory to becoming one of the highest-performing brokers in Australia. He reveals how he built a team structure that allowed him to take 5 weeks completely off without answering a single call or email, why he's targeting $300M in settlements this year, and the exact tech stack and systems that let his team handle 13 new enquiries in a single day.

Whether you're a broker looking to scale past the $50-100M ceiling, trying to build a team that runs without you, or searching for the habits and routines that separate the top 1% from everyone else, this conversation is packed with actionable insights from someone who's actually done it.

0:00 - Introduction: Meet the top 1% broker building Newcastle's first billion-dollar brokerage

1:39 - From jackaroo mustering 20,000 cattle to mortgage broking

5:02 - Inside his team structure: The "pod within a pod" model

12:02 - How his team handles 13 new enquiries in a single day

20:24 - The hardest part: Transitioning from broker to leader

28:59 - The "Third Space" concept: How he switches off after work

35:09 - Announcement: Ben is now a partner at Flint

44:43 - 2025 targets: $300M settled this year, half a billion next year

Learn more about Flint: https://flintgroup.au/

Connect with Christian Stevens: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/propertyfinance/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cmrstevens/

Connect with Ben Robinson: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben--robinson/

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/benrobinson_flint/

In this episode of Beyond the Numbers, Christian Stevens sits down with Eric Dill, the co-founder of Quickli - the tech platform that has revolutionised how over 13,000 mortgage brokers assess serviceability across 35+ lenders.

Eric shares the unfiltered story of building Quickli from a spreadsheet proof-of-concept to the industry's most essential tool, why he's never raised a single dollar of outside capital, and how he's been working Australian hours (6pm-2am) from the US for three years straight. He also reveals what's coming next with Quickli Pro, including their AI-powered credit analyst "Jiffy," and why becoming an aggregator is NOT on the cards.

Whether you're a broker curious about the tech transforming your workflow, or an entrepreneur wondering how to build something essential without outside funding, this conversation delivers.

0:00 - Introduction: The man who revolutionised a $400 billion industry

5:43 - Quickli Pro launch: AI tools, Jiffy, and what's coming next

11:35 - Will lenders return to asset finance? The future of the industry

24:28 - Early days: From free trial to flipping the payment switch

27:17 - Never raised capital: How they bootstrapped to 40+ employees

31:48 - Business partnerships are a marriage: How Eric and Angus make it work

40:45 - How Quickli is levelling the playing field for smaller brokers

Learn more about Flint: https://flintgroup.au/

Connect with Christian Stevens: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/propertyfinance/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cmrstevens/ 

Connect with Eric Dill: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericraydill/

In this episode of Beyond the Numbers, Christian Stevens sits down with Sinead Grant - a FlintDirector and one of the most exciting young brokers coming through the industry.

In this episode of Beyond the Numbers, Christian Stevens sits down with Max Harris, Associate Director at Azura Finance - one of Australia’s leading brokerages - and a 7x Top 100 Broker.

David Hyman - Co-Founder, Lendi Group, reveals how AI is fundamentally reshaping the mortgage broking industry. With a $107 billion loan book and 1,400 brokers under management, David shares the inside story of merging two major brands, building AI agents that analyse 600-page contracts in under two minutes, and why brokers who don't adapt may not survive the next five years.

From taking top brokers on study tours to Anthropic, Nvidia and Salesforce in San Francisco, to deploying AI voice agents that increased customer engagement from 17% to 80%, this episode breaks down the practical reality of going "AI native" in financial services.

Whether you're a mortgage broker, business owner, or just curious about how AI is changing traditional industries, this conversation offers a rare look inside one of Australia's most innovative financial services groups.

0:00 — Stepping down as CEO to go all-in on AI

5:01 — The painful reality of integrating 1,400 brokers

15:54 — What AI agents actually are (and why they're not replacing brokers)

19:04 — Contract Analyser: 600 pages reviewed in under 2 minutes

28:24 — "If you're not using AI, you may not have a job in 5 years"

33:30 — The vision: Redefining how Australians buy property

44:10 — How to actually use AI in your workflow (practical tips)

If you want to build a sustainable, profitable broking business and learn from the best in the industry, subscribe and never miss an episode.

Learn more about Flint: https://flintgroup.au/

Connect with Christian Stevens:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/propertyfinance/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cmrstevens/

Connect with David Hyman:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dhyman/

Aaron Christie David went from corporate banking at Commonwealth Bank to building one of Australia's top-performing mortgage brokerages in just 10 years.

In this episode of Beyond the Numbers, Christian Stevens sits down with Dana Blewitt, founder of The Lenders Club and one of Australia's top mortgage brokers specialising in SMSF lending.

Dana discusses why women are entering broking but failing to stay beyond five years, why new brokers spread themselves too thin trying to do everything, and how mastering the basics in one niche creates more success than being a jack of all trades. She shares her advice on setting boundaries, building referral partnerships, and the crucial role of communication in managing high volumes, a practical blueprint for brokers at any stage.

If you're looking to scale your brokerage, master a specialist lending niche, or learn how successful brokers balance business growth with family life, this conversation delivers actionable insights from someone who's built it from scratch.

0:00 – Introduction: Dana Blewitt, one of Australia's best brokers

2:00 – How Dana accidentally fell into SMSF lending

7:20 – 300-400 deals a year with a team of just 7 people

11:45 – Why women leave broking within 5 years (and what needs to change)

17:50 – "Master the basics" – the mistake new brokers keep making

22:10 – Biggest regret: Not hiring sooner and backing herself

25:55 – 2026 vision: Expanding digital ads, Europe trip, and moving house

38:30 – Why a supportive partner makes or breaks broker success

If you want to build a sustainable, profitable broking business and learn from the best in the industry, subscribe and never miss an episode.

Learn more about Flint: https://flintgroup.au/

Connect with Christian Stevens: 

LinkedIn:   / propertyfinance   

Instagram: / cmrstevens  

Connect with Dana Blewitt: 

LinkedIn: / Dana Blewitt née Fraser
Instagram:  / danaf1