Inspire Realty founder Colin Lee had always dreamed of starting his own business, but it wasn’t until fate threw a curveball that he found the courage to take the leap.

In November 2019, he was heading up a major division of a property investment services company in Sydney when he was unexpectedly made redundant due to a business restructure.

At the time, his wife was seven months pregnant, Christmas was fast approaching, and Colin was faced with one the biggest decisions he would make in his life.

He could scramble to find another job or take the plunge into entrepreneurship, drawing on the skills accumulated in a 13-year property management, sales and property investment career.

Faced with uncertainty and doubt, but keenly aware of the ambition burning inside him, Colin notes it was a tough and scary decision to make.

Ultimately, he would make it with the assistance of a mentor, starting Inspire Realty in 2020 just before Covid hit.

In a Courageous Conversation that’s all about getting the right help when you need it, Colin discusses the value of having a mentor who asks the right questions to allow you to come to your own conclusion.

It’s a story about finding courage when you need it, taking the risks required to fulfil your dream, and finding the strength to go for it when it could be far easier to play it safe.

Colin also shares why it’s critical to surround yourself with good people when making a major decision, how a mentor was the perfect person to assist, and why he has come to be one since.

He also notes often you have laid the foundations for success long before you have the courage to take a life changing leap.

“I plucked up a bit of courage and I said, ‘you know what? This is it. I have one life. I might as well live it to my fullest’. I kind of felt like I'd started early. I'd been in business for so many years and I kind of take the analogy of the bamboo tree. It takes five years to grow its roots and then for the next five weeks, it just grows by twenty-five metres.” - Colin Lee

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Leanne and Colin also discuss:

* Why life can get in the way of your dreams, but there will come a sliding door moment when you have the opportunity to be brave, face your fears and make those dreams a reality.* The qualities of a great mentor, and why it pays to surround yourself with good people and have more than one mentor to guide you.* How Colin is now paying it forward as a mentor himself and why mentoring is a hugely rewarding and inspiring act.* Why it’s normal to have doubts and insecurities, but sometimes you need to recognize the achievements of your past and draw on them to create a new future.* How the right connections and the right conversations with the right people have been key to Colin’s career and business success.* Why Colin felt he needed to take action, and how he came to make a critical and life changing decision quickly and effectively, without looking back.* Where to find a mentor and what to look for in them if you’re seeking to take action.

Links and resources mentioned:

* Mentoring Men* Ian Westmoreland* Inspire Realty

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