The Adviser Podcast Network

Starting your own broking business can be a daunting process, but – for many brokers – the flexibility in being your own boss and building a valuable business is more than just reward. In this episode of Elite Broker, we're catching up with the director and broker at South Australia-based brokerage The Finance Room, Kristy de Poel, to find out how she's been building her broking business with her husband Jamie Christie, after more than a decade being branded brokers. Tune in to find out:

• Her journey to becoming her own boss
• How she is preparing clients for rising interest rates
• Why she thinks broking is an attractive career for women

And much more!

Victoria-based broker Nikki Berzin from Cherry Lending & Finance has had a somewhat unusual route into broking. Having been a banker and then a firefighter, Nikki is now happily marrying her two experiences by carving out a niche for herself writing loans for emergency service workers. In this episode of Elite Broker, host Annie Kane catches up with Nikki to find out:

• What Nikki most likes about being a broker
• The importance of having an ongoing mentor
• How she's been building her business to manage growth

And much more!

Whether you're in the first few years of broking, or have more than a decade's experience, there's always one common theme in growing your broking business: the need for support. In this episode of In Focus, partnered by Mortgage Choice, we're speaking to NSW-based Smartline broker Xia Xia Yu and Queensland-based Mortgage Choice broker James Hasselle, to find out the different models they've taken to grow their brokerages, and how they relied on their aggregator to help them do it. Tune in to find out:

• How they've been growing their broking businesses
• The tools and support they've used to ramp up for growth
• What they most value in their aggregator

And much more!

Joining a new industry is daunting at the best of times, but starting a new career and business during a pandemic – and navigating a new world of compliance, business operations and credit policies – is an even tougher challenge. But NSW broker Catherine Denney has been hitting the ground running, building a successful new brokerage in the Northern Beaches. In this episode of Elite Broker, we're speaking to the director of Nook Money to find out what attracted her to the broking industry, what her experience of the industry has been so far, and why she decided to start her own independent brokerage from scratch. Tune in to find out:

• What Cat most enjoys about being a broker
• The biggest challenges she has faced so far
• Why she's already preparing to scale

And much more!

In this month's episode of In Focus, partnered by OnDeck, we are looking at what small businesses are seeking finance for, the challenges and opportunities they are facing at the moment and how brokers can help support them. With small businesses having had an incredibly disruptive few years, the need for specialist advice and financial support has been more important than ever. In this episode of In Focus, Cameron Poolman, chief executive of OnDeck, discusses what small businesses are needing finance for at the moment. Tune in to find out:

• Which industries are particularly booming right now
• What SMEs are needing finance for
• Why the executives decided to buy out the business

And much more!

In this special episode, Momentum Media director Phil Tarrant and MAJGEN (Ret'd) Marcus Thompson, inaugural head of information warfare for the Australian Defence Force, discuss Russia's history of cyber war and how this vector will continue to shape peace and conflict in the future. After discussing a recent opinion piece penned by MAJGEN (Ret'd) Thompson in The Australian Financial Review regarding Russia's history of cyber and information warfare, the duo outline the necessity of ensuring Australian businesses are prepared for cyber attacks and the weaponisation of the digital world. Tune in to find out: - How the Ukraine conflict could impact Australian business - The way malicious actors work in concert with state-sponsored groups to exploit the cyber domain; and - Why cyber remains an integral part of both hybrid and grey zone warfare

And much more!

As we celebrate International Women's Day, we're catching up with ACT-based broker Lucy Blain to find out how she runs her brokerage in the country's capital, her process for writing loans, and the issues she faces as a female broker. In this episode of Elite Broker, host Annie Kane sits down with the former real-estate-sales person-turned-broker to find out how she navigated the entry into broking, how she's built and structured her team, and what she thinks needs to be done to help support more women in this industry. Tune in to find out:

• What she most loves about being a broker
• The challenges she's faced as a female broker
• The huge benefits of having a good CRM

And much more!

Having formerly been a bank BDM before making the move into broking with his wife Jamie, NSW broker Peter Vassilis was well versed in credit when he started his own brokerage, Black and White Finance. But what came as a surprise was the sheer time and effort it takes to write a loan as a broker. In this episode of Elite Broker, recorded at the Connective Conference on the Sunshine Coast last week, host Annie Kane finds out what processes and systems Peter has put in place to help fit all the aspects of broking into a working day. Tune in to find out:

• How he grew and manages his team
• The importance of establishing team values
• His growth plans for the next year

And much more!

In this exclusive interview with shadow financial services minister and shadow assistant treasurer, Stephen Jones MP, join Momentum Media's editor of mortgages Annie Kane as she speaks to the member for Whitlam about the valuable role that financial advisers and brokers play in supporting Australian borrowers and what the Australian Labor Party would offer the financial services, credit and superannuation space should it win the federal election.

Tune in to find out:

• Why he thinks the FASEA education changes have been a debacle
• The reason he changed from going direct to using a mortgage broker
• What he thinks financial and credit advisers need to be focusing on moving forward

And much more!

Writing $80 million in your first year of broking is an impressive feat for any broker, let alone a regional one, but GSC Finance Solutions' Matt Turner has done just that, after hitting the ground running as a new broker. In this episode of Elite Broker, host Annie Kane catches up with the Victorian broker to find out how he found his feet in the broking industry, why he thinks new brokers should join established brokerages rather than going it alone, and how he manages work/life balance. Tune in to find out:

• How he's been building his network and book
• What he attributes to his success so far
• His ambitions for his broking career

And much more!