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

Connect with Colin

Connect with Leanne

There, in her car she heard the heartbreaking story of a young boy with a disability who had invited his friends to his birthday party but no one showed up.

It was a story that resonated with Louise for reasons she couldn’t fathom, and she quickly put her event skills to good use to organise the ultimate party.

That party would go on to be the first event hosted by her not for profit Friend in Me.

Held in a community hall, courtesy of the goodwill of friends and local residents, that first event attracted 350 children.

The next year 700 came and it steadily increased to 3000 before COVID put a stop to in-person events.

In this Courageous Conversation, Louise shares the story of an initiative that’s all about appreciating difference, embracing inclusiveness and has the aim of ensuring no child is left out or left behind.

Since that first humble event, Friend in Me has gone on to become a recognised not-for-profit, which has hosted 700 virtual parties in the past 18 months alone.

Some are for children suffering illness, others are designed to foster inclusiveness, but the aim is to build confidence, resilience and connection in children who are too often forced to the sidelines of society.

In a remarkable leap of faith, Louise stepped away from her corporate career and now volunteers with Friend in Me full-time.

It’s a role she describes as ‘beautifully exhausting’, but is a legacy she hopes will prove a valuable lesson for her children and society as a whole.

She concedes, occasionally it’s hard and there are times she considers packing it all in to return to the corporate world…until she receives a phone call from an appreciative parent or sees the smile on the face of a child.

“A lot of people say to me, ‘why did you leave your job?’ And ‘you don’t even have kids with a disability, so why are you doing this for these kids?’ ‘Why do you care so much about making these children feel included?’ And I just say back ‘well, I’ve got a very big heart and I’m going to create an inclusive world for my kids, as well as their friends. I want my girls to understand what it’s like for people that may be a little bit different or have different abilities.” Louise Larkin

And much, much more

Connect with Louise

Connect with Leanne

Part of a volunteer group who proved the unsuspecting target of cultural conflict, she awoke to the sound of petrol bombs being thrown at her bungalow and the smell of smoke filling her room.

Heidi and her companions endured a night of fear, huddled together awaiting an airlift from the Australian Embassy.

All survived the attack, but the physical injuries faded long before the emotional scars.

Filled with rage, robbed of her purpose and left with lingering insomnia, it would take her 18 months to recover from the trauma that had occurred in an idyllic paradise often referred to as “the happiest place on earth”.

Now an international speaker and resilience educator, Heidi she hit rock physically and emotionally before making the conscious decision to claim back her life and find her joy in the wake of events of 2014.

Ultimately, she would use her harrowing experience to empower others to overcome adversity.

In this inspiring Courageous Conversation with Leanne Pilkington, Heidi shares the strategies she used to find resilience within, and how she further employed those tools when her livelihood was threatened when the speaking industry ground to a halt during COVID-19.

In a podcast that provides incredible lessons about finding strength, joy and quiet in a noisy and sometimes challenging world, Heidi explains resilience is not bouncing back but bouncing forward using the lessons learned.

“What goes in textbooks, doesn’t always work when you apply it to life. And I just felt that due to the fact that I had both of these things, I had science backed education plus real life experience, that it was a great opportunity for me to bring these together so that I could really make a difference hopefully to other people.” Heidi Dening.

And more…

Connect with Heidi

Connect with Leanne

And she’s endured more than her fair share of friction over what has become a highly successful career.

Originally from Mexico, Lorena dreamed of following in her father’s footsteps and becoming an architect.

When he advised it was no career for a woman, she chose another path, moving to the US to pursue an alternate ambition to become an interior designer.

Aged 24, she built her own business, working with Fortune 500 companies and building an international brand.

She’s been through recessions, launched products in China and made a name for herself for her customer focused design.

Still, all this wasn’t enough to ensure cracking the Australian market would be easy.

When Lorena brought her business to Australia in 2016, she found a very different landscape to the one she was used to, where it proved hard to get a look-in as a boutique brand up against the big names.

In this Courageous Conversation, Lorena shares her story, including how she overcame the major setback of breast cancer shortly after arriving in Australia, and why it wasn’t going to deter her from serving her clients in both Australia and the US.

She also discusses why she’s committed to empowering women in a male dominated industry, and how she is working to shape a new generation of business leaders.

“This is it. I’m going to just completely devote the next 10 years in mentoring and building the next generation of female creatives and giving them a place in a position where they can gain recognition early in their careers.” Lorena Gaxiola.

And more…

Connect with Lorena

Connect with Leanne

Ruma Mundi might have carved out a highly regarded career as an agent and leader of First National North Western (and since this story was first published she has moved on to become Group Partner at McGrath West I North West I Hills I Hawkesbury), but like many, the road to real estate success hasn’t all been smooth sailing.

Instead, it has involved thrilling highs and bitter lows, including the loss of a profitable business, a high court battle over the demise of a professional partnership, and the end of her marriage.

Now a sought-after industry speaker and award-winning agent, Ruma says, with the benefit of hindsight, she wouldn’t have it any other way. Each of the decisions she’s made ultimately led to a better place, even though she may not have known it at the time.

In this Courageous Conversation, Ruma offers a candid and thought-provoking insight into her journey, including the lessons she’s learned and the change in mindset she has made as a result.

Whether you’re a real estate leader, property manager or agent taking the first steps on the ladder to success, her story offers key takeaways about resilience, self-belief, internal reflection, and the wisdom gained through experience.

Ruma has always been the type of person who walks into a room driven to work the hardest and achieve the best outcome possible. She notes though that while her ambition to succeed remains, her decision-making process has changed.

Her experiences have led her to seek stillness and calm when weighing the options before her, while being mindful of the self-talk that happens within.

“The only thing I’d do differently now is make big decisions in a state of stillness and calm. To sit still with something has been a lot of hard work, but it’s paying off,” Ruma Mundi.

And more…

Links and resources mentioned

Ruma on Elite Agent

Connect with Ruma

When Wiseberry Taree general manager Danielle Boyd was told she had a long-term life-threatening illness at just age 13, she could have wallowed in self-pity and let fate define her future.

She didn’t. Instead, she shifted her mindset, set goals and used personal experience to help her create a fulfilling life that she’s grateful for each and every morning.

Danielle has Crohn’s disease and living with it has involved countless operations, trial treatments including chemotherapy, and three instances where she’s come very close to death.

In this Courageous Conversation about the power of gratitude and the importance of mindset, Danielle shares the story of why none of that stopped her carving out a successful real estate career.

After initially struggling to find her first rental home, Danielle turned to real estate as a career in the belief the industry has the power to change the life of the people she works with.

She notes a large part of her subsequent success comes down to gratitude and resilience. It also involves drawing on a series of mentors who she turns to for advice and the insight she needs to hear, but may not necessarily want to.

As a result, she’s now living her dream, running a Wiseberry office after just over a decade working in real estate.

“Practising gratitude and positivity is something that I done that for such a long time. No matter what it is that happens, I can generally pull the positive from it. And one of my biggest things is, you know, don’t stress over things you can’t control, but that’s taken years to get that mindset,” Danielle Boyd.

Links and resources mentioned

Danielle on Elite Agent

Connect with Danielle

Connect with Leanne

How do you reclaim your life after a horrendous twist of fate leaves you fighting to survive and robs you of your dream vocation? 

You try a different path, stay focused, and ensure one event doesn’t change the person you are, says Laing + Simmons agent and auctioneer Samantha Barlow.

In 2009, Samantha was living her dream as a Sergeant in the NSW Police Force when she was brutally attacked by a random stranger and left for dead.

The young mum, who was married to a fellow officer and had two small children at home, spent months in hospital and a year in recovery, determined to return to the police and achieve all that she had planned to.

With courage, resilience and sheer determination, Samantha achieved that aim, but ultimately it ended her police career.

In this raw and inspiring Courageous Conversation, Samantha shares her story, including the mindset she drew on throughout her recovery, why giving up was never an option, and how her passion for helping people as a police officer translated into a successful real estate career.

“I’m still thankfully helping everyone, but just in a different way – whether it’s finding something for them to live in or to help them sell it. People are so vulnerable when they’re buying or selling a home. They need someone they can trust. I’m as transparent as anyone could be coming from what I did. And I love that aspect of it.” Samantha Barlow.

Connect with Samantha Barlow

Connect with Leanne Pilkington

This episode of Courageous Conversations contains sensitive subject matter regarding mental health and potentially confronting or triggering topics. If you, or someone you know, is struggling with mental health or anything mentioned in this episode triggers you, please remember that help is available 24 hours a day from Lifeline on 13 11 14.

What would prompt a corporate banker to abandon their high-flying career for real estate? One conversation at the right moment, according to Raine & Horne Berry director Jacqui Crapp.

Jacqui had come off the back of a couple of tough years when she decided to take the plunge into property management, having lost both her parents to cancer. At the time the words of her dad were echoing in her ears: “Whatever you do, do it with passion, and if you don’t enjoy it, do something else”.

That’s not to say her real estate run has been easy. A partnership that didn’t go to plan proved a learning curve, as did a car accident that left her with a blood clot.

Prior to that she and her husband had also been forced to abandon their dream of dairy farming due to industry deregulation.

In this Courageous Conversation, Jacqui shares her real estate journey, including the discussions you need to have before entering into a business partnership, and how she transitioned from a property manager to a principal and sales agent who is renowned for her no-nonsense approach.

“I just call it how it is. You know, if people are talking to me about their wants and their needs, I’ll ask as many questions as I need to, to get to the bottom of it. And sometimes I’ll just say to them, ‘Hell no, you don’t want that’.”

Connect with Jacqui

Connect with Leanne

Leading a team right now is not without its challenges. Between lockdown fatigue and a landscape of business uncertainty, motivation can be in short supply.

So who better to tackle the issue than two of the industry’s most respected leaders – renowned real estate coach Michael Sheargold who has more than 63,000 collective hours of coaching and presenting to his name, and Leanne Pilkington who has 25 years of experience in leading teams.

In this podcast, Michael engages in a Courageous Conversation with Leanne about leadership and motivation in the current climate.

Michael explains right now the focus should be on what winning looks today or this week rather than the long-term view. It should also shift from what people can’t do to the things that they can.

Michael also offers some great tips on giving your team the energy and support they need, along with how to set up a winning day.

He also poses the question every leader should be asking their team members to foster accountability and turn goals into action.

“Often when I’m talking with great agents and leaders, there’s this perception if there were 100 things you could do pre-COVID there’s only 90 you can do now. So there’s 10 things you can’t do.

“Are you going to focus on the ones you can’t do or become really, really good at doing the 90 that you can?” Michael Sheargold.

Links and resources mentioned

Michael on Elite Agent

Connect with Michael

 Connect with Leanne

In a career that’s spanned almost 30 years, Marnie has enjoyed the stunning highs of real estate and endured some soul-destroying lows, including losing her father in the same year she lost her marriage, her thriving business, and her ability to earn as an agent.

Faced with the option of walking away from real estate or rebuilding from scratch, Marnie took incredible adversity and turned it around.

She got back up when it was tempting to stay down, summoned faith in herself when self-confidence was in short supply, and focused on hard work that reaped swift results.

In this episode of Courageous Conversations with Leanne Pilkington, Marnie shares the story of how she overcame losing it all to rebuild a business, reignite her real estate career, then reinvent herself as one of the industry’s most sought-after coaches.

“At the end of the day, I did it, and when I got to that point, I knew that the sky was the limit again for me. There was nothing, nobody or no thing that was ever going to stop me from doing what I wanted to do.” Marnie Beauchamp

 And more…

Connect with Marnie

Connect with Leanne

Leanne Pilkington on Elite Agent