Today, Jonny is able to turn his past struggles into relentless motivation and unmatched empathy for his team and business prospects, to build their success as much as his own. In this episode of the Courageous Conversations podcast with Leanne Pilkington, Jonny Warren challenges the notion that one's past struggles are weaknesses to be hidden, asserting that they are, in fact, sources of strength. He also discusses how he goes above and beyond to help clients facing tough times, why he lets his team take five days off every six weeks, and the best way to develop a culture of work-life balance while still scaling your agency. “For a lot of agents, it's all about money, money, money. With us, it's about helping our clients first. And if you do right by people, then you'll be rewarded for the efforts and what we did behind the scenes for our clients.” - Jonny Warren. Some key highlights of this Courageous Conversation, hosted by Leanne Pilkington: * 2:01 - Unlocking triumph: How to empower your team for real estate success. * 2:54 - Perfect harmony: Mastering work-life balance in a hectic profession. * 4:46 - The ultimate weekly plan: Scale your business while reclaiming personal time. * 5:45 - Building dream teams: Leadership and communication skills to give agents more freedom to create success. * 7:40 - Empathy in action: How to stand by your clients when the going gets tough. * 13:01 - The people puzzle: Attracting the right talent to your real estate business. * 15:09 - Comeback strategy: Bouncing back in life and career after hard times. * 18:27 - Launching your business: Essential steps for starting a new agency and going it alone.

She saw firsthand when her brother Shane, who was born with Cerebral Palsy, left school there was no real path for him into adult life. Tragically, Shane died a few years after leaving school, and Laura established the not-for-profit, Fighting Chance, to help build social businesses to ensure other people with disabilities don’t have to face the battles her brother did. In this episode of the Courageous Conversations podcast with Leanne Pilkington, Laura talks about why she feels people need opportunity, not charity, so they can contribute to the world. She also reveals how she has developed as a leader of a large organisation, which she founded at a young age, how to learn on the job and how to survive moments of catastrophe in any business. “I always embrace the really difficult moments and there are lots of them because they are the opportunities for improvement and refinement and clarifying what we're doing, how we're doing it, and getting better at my craft.” - Laura O'Reilly. Some key highlights of this Courageous Conversation, hosted by Leanne Pilkington: * 4:03 - Igniting social enterprises nationwide: Transforming lives of those with disabilities through employment. * 6:08 - The crucial role of skills training for the disabled: A must-hear for employers. * 7:33 - Partnering with industry giants: The inspirational growth of fighting change and why Laura launched Hire Up. * 11:19 - The NDIS revolution: How it's reshaping opportunities for people with disabilities. * 14:13 - Youthful leadership: Proven strategies for running successful businesses at a young age. * 16:39 - Navigating crisis: Resilient approaches to get your business back on track. * 18:05 - The power of transparent learning: Upgrade your skill set while aligning with your purpose. * 20:25 - Crafting the optimal learning ecosystem: The secret to team growth and productivity

The long-term leader, who was instrumental in expanding the brand around the world, was rapidly headed into a dark place and felt he had lost his passion and drive. In this episode of the Courageous Conversations podcast with Leanne Pilkington, Mike talks about why he needed to get back to work and why retirement isn’t for everyone. He discusses why taking on a role at the coalface helped him improve as a leader, how to overcome self-doubt and why there are no time limits on leadership. He also talks about how he is bringing the industry together through Real Estate Industry Partners (REIP) and using data to help agents take back control. “You've got to have purpose and passion in your life. You can't get up in the morning with no real plan or nothing to do.” - Mike Green. Some key highlights of this Courageous Conversation, hosted by Leanne Pilkington: * 5:03 - Exploring the drive: Why retirement is not an option for everyone, especially when the passion for real estate still burns. * 7:55 - Achieving excellence: Tips on living a fulfilling life and reaching your full potential in the industry. * 9:45 - Conquering new challenges: Strategies to overcome self-doubt as you embrace a fresh role in real estate. * 14:10 - Leading with passion: Guidance on the optimal time to spend in leadership roles and why enthusiasm reigns supreme. * 16:54 - Uniting the industry: The essential need for collaboration and putting differences aside for the collective benefit of all agents. * 21:41 - Shaping the Future with REIP: Insight into how the Real Estate Institute of Australia is harnessing data to promote the industry and take control of the future.

In this episode of the Courageous Conversations podcast with Leanne Pilkington, Romany talks about her passion for her community and how she is focused on raising money for a range of different causes including being on the fundraising committee of Australia's longest running HIV charity the Bobby Goldsmith Foundation. She also reveals how she manages her expectations and mindset when she hears the word “no” in her business, and why you need to develop a thick skin to succeed in the high-risk/high-reward world of real estate. Romany explains why there’s always a solution for every hurdle in a real estate deal, the importance of building a strong office culture and why you can’t play the comparison game. “The only thing I think that is worth pursuing is how you are comfortable with the way you do business yourself. You can only compare yourself to your last performance. Stop comparing yourself to anyone else.” - Romany Brooks Some key highlights of this Courageous Conversation, hosted by Leanne Pilkington: * 1:52 - Romany’s background in real estate and why you need to find your perfect environment. * 3:01 - Why working under a great leader can make you a better agent. * 3:31 - Raising money for community causes and how your auction skills can help. * 9:56 - Why Romany says some personalities have trouble fitting in and what you can do to find your place in the world. * 11:06 - Why trying to help people in all areas of her life led her to being named Sydney Local Woman of the Year. * 13:27 - Why you need to be able to handle someone saying “no” to achieve success in any area of life. * 15:05 - Romany’s clever marketing tactics during Covid times and why they could still help now. * 17:18 - Why you shouldn’t play the comparison game if you want to achieve big things. * 19:14 - The importance of an office culture that allows you to manage your own state.

Nathan Casserly can vividly remember the moment his business and life changed in a split second. After successfully building one of Adelaide's leading agencies, Ouwens Casserly Real Estate, a phone call from his business partner Alex, to tell him Alex's son had been diagnosed with cancer and he needed to step away from the business, shook him to the core. Just a few months later, his sales director’s child was also diagnosed with cancer and Nathan was left to run the business while his colleagues faced even bigger challenges. In this episode of the Courageous Conversations podcast with Leanne Pilkington, Nathan talks about how he was able to hold his business and his life together and the mental struggles he had to overcome. He talks about how he changed as a leader and a person during the hard times, how he restructured his business and why going into “Superman mode” isn’t always the right thing to do as a leader. “Being vulnerable is really daunting, and you may see it as a weakness if you can show vulnerability to the others around you. But what then comes from that is the connection and trust. We have a hell of a lot of trust within the organisation, and that builds your key foundation of culture to a level I've never seen or felt before in any organisation” - Nathan Casserly Some key highlights of this Courageous Conversation, hosted by Leanne Pilkington: * 1:30 - Nathan’s background and building his award-winning business. * 4:22 - Dealing with hard times in business and life. * 7:52 - How to step up and take on leadership roles. * 10:52 - Why going into “Superman” mode isn’t always the best thing for your business. * 15:15 - What a shared leadership model looks like. * 16:12 - How to hand over responsibility for running your business to someone else. * 17:55 - The difficulties of succession planning in business. * 19:50 - Why showing vulnerability as a leader can improve your business and culture.

In a short space of time, Avi Khan has been able to create one of the fastest-growing agencies in Brisbane, driven by his personal leadership style. Avi puts much of his success down to building the right type of culture - one that empowers his agents to be leaders themselves. In this episode of the Courageous Conversations podcast with Leanne Pilkington, Avi talks about his journey from lawyer to agent, to now operating five rapidly growing offices in South Brisbane, including 39 agents. He reveals why he wanted to put his own spin on leadership in the industry and why it’s important to build your own leaders as a part of a strong company culture. He also discusses the value of being community-focused and having a local presence, how to manage and structure a large team and the importance of transparency in workplace culture. “We are not just there to list and sell real estate. We are actually there to foster better communities. We're actually there to connect better communities. We're actually there to help people as well. I think the beautiful thing about real estate is you can make as much money as you can, but we forget along the way that it's someone else's journey. We should be humble and grateful to be a part of it.” - Avi Khan Some key highlights of this Courageous Conversation, hosted by Leanne Pilkington: 2:38 - Why real estate is harder than it looks.4:20 - How Avi survived without getting a listing in his first 12 months.7:08 - How Avi learnt what not to do as a leader through his early experiences.8:40 - Why you need to create other leaders, build a strong culture and foster a team approach in your business.11:14 - How Avi uses peer-to-peer learning to help improve his agency.13:13 - The value of face-to-face interactions and a local presence in an era of technology.15:16 - How Avi helps build his local community through sponsorships.16:31 - The way Avi is able to structure his business with 39 agents and the importance of transparency.21:27 - How Avi was able to manage the decision to stop selling himself and focus on the business.22:00 - Why agents were so keen to join Avi when he was just getting started.24:00 - How social media helped launched Avi’s business.

Navigating your way through life and in the process trying to find yourself, are some of the biggest challenges we all face. Nicole Davidson knows this journey well, having spent many years travelling and working overseas as she sought a fulfilling life in every aspect. In this episode of the Courageous Conversations podcast with Leanne Pilkington, Nicole talks about her journey of self-discovery and how walking 750km along the Camino de Santiago, led her to start her business Growth to Success, which is dedicated to helping individuals and businesses create purposeful lives.  She talks about why people need to stop looking externally for validation and spend more time focusing on developing their emotional self. Nicole also discusses why she likes to surround herself with people from different backgrounds and the reason she left social media. “We choose where we use our gifts in this world. Real estate is the industry that people choose to use their gifts through. Not just as somewhere where you go to get a pay cheque or a commission. It's your life and your soul and your decision about where to spend your time. And we've got one life to live.”  - Nicole Davidson Some key highlights of this Courageous Conversation, hosted by Leanne Pilkington: * 2:41 - Why when you’re trying to grow as a person, you need to choose what part of you to leave behind. * 3:20 - The key realisations Nicole made when she was young that helped shape her life for the better. * 7:08 - Walking the Camino de Santiago and how it helped Nicole decide what she wanted in her life. * 11:10 - How Nicole laid the foundations to help people grow. * 13:44 - Why having a wide circle of people around you helps generate different ideas. * 14:42 - Why you need to stop looking externally to find love and validation. * 16:47 - Why Nicole left social media despite it being a helpful tool for her own business. * 19:04 - Why people numb themselves with things like social media or alcohol instead of focusing on things that are good for them. * 18:40 - How to stop looking externally for validation by getting curious. Links mentioned Growth to Success

With all the demands that real estate puts on you, it can be difficult to start a career as an agent later in life. Principal of Stone Upper North Shore, Anna Cavill, might have started out as a sales agent later than others, but through hard work and constantly looking to improve, she has been able to quickly establish herself as one of the top performers in the country. In this episode of the Courageous Conversations podcast with Leanne Pilkington, Anna talks about why she waited until the age of 43 to get started in real estate and how she was able to break into the industry as a mum working part-time. She discusses what she did to get established early in her career and the reason she started building a team and working with a coach very early on. Anna also talks about the importance of building a strong base when you’re new to real estate, so you can lean on that skill set throughout your career. “It's about forming a really good, solid base and then you can bounce from that base. Because if you get the base right, whatever market we are going through, you've got that base to rely on.” - Anna Cavill Some key highlights of this Courageous Conversation, hosted by Leanne Pilkington: * 1:15 - Why Anna made a late start in real estate. * 4:31 - How Anna built a property business, helping people without a deposit get into a home. * 6:57 - How Anna was flipping properties in New Zealand and spotting opportunities where others saw problems. * 8:20 - How Anna managed to get a job as a real estate agent at the age of 43, as a mum, and while working part-time. * 10:09 - What Anna did to out earn full-time agents when she was working as a part-time assistant. * 11:15 - How Anna was able to find opportunities when she first started in the industry. * 12:26 - The benefits of working with a coach when you're finding your feet in real estate. * 14:29 - Why Anna focuses on growth and improvement every single day. * 15:10 - The challenges of running a business and dealing with finding good people to service clients in the right way. * 16:44 - Why people considering working in real estate just need to jump in and get started. * 17:25 - The key reason Anna decided to stay longer and learn instead of going out on her own earlier. * 18:30 - The importance of having a great team around you even when you’re starting out on your own. Links mentioned LinkedInStone Real EstateCaroline BolderstonHeadstart Home Loans

Much like a professional athlete, real estate is a high-performance activity that rewards the people who are prepared to work harder and never give up. Performing at a high level is something Harcourts Smith owner, Kate Smith knows well after spending her teenage years playing elite junior basketball at the Australian Institute of Sport. In this episode of the Courageous Conversations podcast with Leanne Pilkington, Kate talks about how she overcame the heartbreak of being cut from the AIS for “not being good enough” and why that helped build resilience in her career in real estate. They also talk about the importance of getting out of your comfort zone if you want to be an elite performer and why being able to handle rejection and turning “no” into “next opportunity” is something you always need to work on. Kate also discusses how she is able to manage being a working mother with two young children and how to make real estate and family life work. “You are going to be told, 'Sorry, you're not good enough' or 'No, we've gone with someone else', or whatever it might be. But you need to turn it into a positive and use that information to make yourself better. It's a continuous game of personal growth.” - Kate Smith Some key highlights of this Courageous Conversation, hosted by Leanne Pilkington: 2:41 - Kate’s early life as an elite-level basketball player and training with the Australian Institute of Sport.4:35 - Dealing with the heartbreak of not making the cut and being told she wasn’t good enough.6:05 - The similarities between sport and real estate and what it takes to be an elite performer in any field.7:03 - How to get over the constant rejection in real estate and how to turn momentum into opportunities.6:28 - How to have hard conversations with vendors and why it’s vital to tell then “what they need to hear”.9:00 - The best way to coach your team to get the best out of them.10:03 - Getting out of your comfort zone and speaking at industry events to help further your career.11:20 - How to manage being a working mother with young children while trying to maintain your career in real estate.16:02 - Why Kate moved to Harcourts and how it helped her build a team of 20.16:44 - The challenges of owning a business compared to listing and selling and how to overcome them.17:21 - Why you don’t want to build a team of people that are exactly like you.18:41 - How to set your goals effectively so you will be able to achieve them.19:44 - Why Kate thinks you need to be a great negotiator in the current market and how putting in face-to-face time with vendors will need to increase.

Fifteen years ago, Renee Reynolds was told that a standalone property management business would never work. Now, after building her rent roll to more than 1300 properties as director of Release Property Management in Geelong, Renee has proven that not only can the model work, it has a lot of advantages. In this episode of the Courageous Conversations podcast with Leanne Pilkington, Renee talks about why she was quick to start her own property management business and how she grew from zero to more than 1300 properties and three offices. She also takes a deep dive into her steadfast focus on customer service and how she's built a team that also lives and breathes this ethos. Renee also shares with Leanne why she’s now starting to add sales to her business and why legislative changes are pushing many landlords to sell. “What hasn't changed from the day we opened the doors 15 years ago is building relationships with your clients.” - Renee Reynolds Some key highlights of this Courageous Conversation, hosted by Leanne Pilkington: 1:16 - Why Renee started her own property management business and why she eventually added sales into the mix.4:00 - Why people told her not to go into property management.5:05 - The reason Renee chose to buy a rent roll after years of building her own.6:07 - How to make sure your staff have the same customer service values you do.7:17 - The most effective way to train new staff so they can fit into your team culture and work in multiple roles across the business.9:10 - How Renee manages staff holiday periods and how to create work/life balance for your team.10:44 - The new legislation causing property investors to sell and what type of buyers are purchasing the homes.12:03 - How Renee launched her business and the way she was able to grow her client base.13:45 - How Renee implements change in her business and gets her team onboard.15:00 - What the future holds for property management and how Renee encourages in-person contact with her clients.17:05 - The most effective way to keep your clients up-to-date with current issues in the market by running 'investor nights'.18:56 - The best and worst advice Renee has received. Links mentioned Release Property ManagementLinkedIn