Courageous Conversations is a podcast series by Real Women in Real Estate. Hosted by Leanne Pilkington, the series focuses on the tough conversations and/or decisions people have made with themselves or with others that require courage.
Episodes
Wednesday Feb 16, 2022
Wednesday Feb 16, 2022
Welcome to Episode 91 of our podcast, Courageous Conversations, hosted by Leanne Pilkington.
In this episode, our guest is Virginia Brookes, the Director of Resolver Recruitment and Temp Talent.
It’s easy to get so caught up in the day-to-day activity of being in real estate that you can overlook other areas of your life.
In a market like the present that’s particularly the case, where agents and property managers find themselves making one more deal, one more phone call, sending one more email and soon realise they’re working seven days a week.
That was exactly the position real estate recruitment expert Virginia Brookes found herself in back in 2020.
After a tough couple of years, the industry had only just bounced back and as a business owner she was working relentlessly when the first wave of Covid saw 95% of her business evaporate overnight.
She was exhausted before the strain of lockdowns even began.
What she did next helped her regain her perspective, prioritise her family, and allowed her to say yes to her dreams.
In a Courageous Conversation that is all about regaining the work/life balance, Virginia talks about the importance of getting your priorities right, of taking time out when you need to, of saying yes to experiences and no to never-ending work demands.
She shares the lessons she learned by taking time out from her business, along with the benefits it provided her personally, and the tough decisions it helped her make.
Virginia also offers an insight into the strategies she uses now to ensure she doesn’t fall back into workaholic habits.
Through the lens of a recruitment expert, Virginia then talks about the mass exodus of property managers from the real estate industry, and gives her tips on how agencies can help retain staff, assure them of their value and set them up for the period ahead.
“Something else has got to sometimes take priority other than work. Because as a business owner, you just get entrenched and you get obsessed and you always want to do better, and you forget some of the stuff that is going to be there one day after business.” Virginia Brookes.
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Wednesday Feb 02, 2022
Wednesday Feb 02, 2022
Welcome to Episode 90 of our podcast, Courageous Conversations, hosted by Leanne Pilkington.
In this episode, our guest is Lara Moro, a licensed consultant specialising in project marketing, sales and buyer advocacy.
After starting in off-the-plan sales aged 21, Lara Moro has enjoyed a highly rewarding and successful 30-year career in real estate that unites her expertise in marketing and sales.
Along the way, she has worked with some of the country’s best known hi-rise developers.
Now, that leap is well and truly paying off. Just two years after launching her own brand, Lara has been named among 15 property experts to watch by the Australian Business Journal.
Working with developers and buyers, Lara specialises in assisting developers market and sell their project. She also works with buyers to help them make the right decision when it comes to purchasing an apartment.
Looking back, Lara reflects the buyers’ advocate role in the apartment space was a gap in the market that needed filling, allowing downsizers, property hunters and investors to make educated choices.
In this Courageous Conversation with Leanne Pilkington, Lara talks about creating a career that unites her extensive sales and marketing experience with a commitment to mentoring others.
She shares an insight into what finally prompted her to start her own brand, including the unique services she offers.
Lara also discusses how she came to be in project marketing and sales, and why it was a career she was destined for since she was a child.
In a podcast that’s all about finding your niche, embracing your skills and picking the moment to take the leap required, Lara also talks about dealing with the negative voice in your head and the strategies she uses to make tough decisions.
“For years, I said I’m going to work for myself. And then I would work for a developer and work as a channel manager or in their sales and marketing team…but then I just thought, no, enough’s enough.
“It’s been a great experience to work with some of Melbourne’s best developers. I just feel that now I can offer my expertise and be a lot more impartial.” Lara Moro
Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or Google Podcasts.
Wednesday Jan 19, 2022
Wednesday Jan 19, 2022
Welcome to Episode 89 of our podcast, Courageous Conversations, hosted by Leanne Pilkington.
In this episode, our guest is Sherrie Storor, a real estate agent, mentor, speaker, educator, happiness advocate and Best Life catalyst.
Sherrie Storor is widely regarded as one of the best coaches in the industry. Renowned for her can-do attitude and positive mindset, she has worked hard, achieved success as an agent, lost it all then reinvented herself to emerge as a sought-after real estate coach.
But as this Courageous Conversation with Leanne Pilkington reveals, behind that bright, smiling demeanour is a personal struggle that Sherrie has been navigating for the past couple of years.
And it’s forced someone who views herself as an ‘agent of change’ to accept a situation she may not be able to alter.
In this deeply personal podcast, Sherrie reveals the hidden struggle she has been grappling with and how it has affected her personally and professionally.
She shares the thought process that has allowed her to push through, despite riding an emotional rollercoaster that vacillates between hope and loss.
With her new-found perspective, Sherrie offers essential tips on self-care, finding the positive, and seeking out the space and support you need when times get tough.
She offers an insight into what this experience has taught her and how it has allowed her to emerge stronger, more resilient and with exciting plans for her business ahead.
Sherrie also takes the time to share her expert advice on where agents should be focusing in the year ahead, why real estate should shake off the mantra of ‘hustle and grind’, and how industry professionals can achieve a work-life balance.
“There is something about pushing through and the show must go on. And really, you know, honestly, one of the big things that I have noticed in working with agents and high-performers and high-performing business owners, is that they also have this skill too. They are able to be completely broken, receive the most tragic and terrible news and go into a listing presentation within the next hour.” Sherrie Storor
Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or Google Podcasts.
Wednesday Dec 15, 2021
Wednesday Dec 15, 2021
Welcome to Episode 88 of our podcast, Courageous Conversations, hosted by Leanne Pilkington.
In this episode, our guest is Colin Lee, Founder and CEO of Inspire Realty and a Property Advisor and Buyers agent
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
Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or Google Podcasts.
Wednesday Dec 01, 2021
Wednesday Dec 01, 2021
Welcome to Episode 87 of our podcast, Courageous Conversations, hosted by Leanne Pilkington.
In this episode, our guest is Louise Larkin, Chief Inclusion Officer (CIO) of Friend In Me and a Passionate Advocate of Social Change & Mental Health.
Louise Larkin, a successful event organiser, had a high-flying career and her future all mapped out when she tuned into a radio interview that changed her trajectory.
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
Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or Google Podcasts.
Wednesday Nov 17, 2021
Wednesday Nov 17, 2021
Welcome to Episode 86 of our podcast, Courageous Conversations, hosted by Leanne Pilkington.
In this episode, our guest is Heidi Dening, speaker, educator, and the author of a best-selling self-leadership book called ‘Her Middle Name Is Courage’
Heidi Dening was working for a children-focussed NGO in Vanuatu when a night of terror changed her life forever.
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.
Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or Google Podcasts.
Thursday Nov 04, 2021
Thursday Nov 04, 2021
Welcome to Episode 85 of our podcast, Courageous Conversations, hosted by Leanne Pilkington.
In this episode, our guest is Lorena Gaxiola, an internationally acclaimed interior architect and designer with more than two decades of experience creating functional bespoke spaces for property developers and individuals.
Lorena Gaxiola is a firm believer in one simple truth: without friction there cannot be change. 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.
Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or Google Podcasts.
Wednesday Oct 06, 2021
Wednesday Oct 06, 2021
Welcome to Episode 84 of our podcast, Courageous Conversations, hosted by Leanne Pilkington.
In this episode, our guest is Danielle Boyd, Wiseberry Taree General Manager.
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.
Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or Google Podcasts.
Wednesday Sep 22, 2021
Wednesday Sep 22, 2021
Welcome to Episode 83 of our podcast, Courageous Conversations, hosted by Leanne Pilkington.
In this episode, our guest is Samantha Barlow, Laing+Simmons Real Estate - Licensed Agent & Auctioneer.
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.
Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or Google Podcasts.
Tuesday Sep 07, 2021
Tuesday Sep 07, 2021
Welcome to Episode 82 of our podcast, Courageous Conversations, hosted by Leanne Pilkington.
In this episode, our guest is Jacqui Crapp, Director and Sales Consultant in Raine and Horne.
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’.”
Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or Google Podcasts.