“Sorry mate, not good news.”
And with those 5 words, my twenty year career in Stockbroking came to an end.
I was only 19; naive, and knew nothing at all about Stockbroking. Dad got me 2 weeks ‘Work Experience’, and that 2 weeks quickly morphed into 20 years before coming to an abrupt end in 2012. I was a Principal Trader, and it was a good job. We were paid well, and received huge bonuses. Back in those days, Stockbroking was a booming industry and there was no expense spared. We had lavish Christmas parties, and it was a fantastic industry to be involved in.
Then the GFC hit. Almost overnight, the industry collapsed. Stockbroking firms were hit hard, and good workers, with lots of long-term experience were being made redundant.
I was at the crossroads, my son Alex was 18 months old and my 6 figure salary disappeared. My Stockbroking skills couldn’t be quickly transferred anywhere else, and I had no idea what I could possibly do next. Stressful times.
I somehow stumbled across a Mortgage Broking post on LinkedIn for Masters Broker Group. I had a coffee with Andrew Tan and Mario Borg, and they were both incredibly impressive. I was immediately drawn to their experience, knowledge, charisma…and the fact that they had both made millions from this industry. The downside was I’d get no leads, and that was a concern for me. The other downside was that I didn’t know what an Offset account was, or anything like that. When I got my first home loan several years before, I just signed the papers and didn’t care about anything else.
I also looked at Aussie Home Loans, but the commission split offered was abysmal. Fair enough I’d get leads, but I didn’t want to work like an animal for very little reward.
My decision was easily made; I figured I may as well take the hardest option, which would provide the greatest reward. And since I was going to be mentored, I may as well be mentored by the absolute best in the business. I joined Masters Broker Group in 2012 and I’ve built my own brand, and kept every single dollar without being hamstrung to a franchise model. And I haven’t looked back either.
My business is built on referrals; I never advertise, I don’t run seminars and my social media presence is sub-standard to say the least. I have attended Networking groups in the past but thankfully I have enough work coming in from my existing clients and referral partners so I’m in cruise control mode now. Come to think of it, my referral partners are some of my best mates these days. I’ve also got great support from my BDM’s, who have also become good mates – we catch up and socialise often.
I don’t want to be the ‘Worlds Greatest Broker’, nor do I want to have the headaches of dealing with staff. My goal is to have enough money coming in to support my lifestyle and have one domestic holiday and one overseas holiday each year, that’ll do me.
Mortgage Broking provides me with great flexibility. I work 32-hours per week, and I have stacks of time with my son Alex. And being my own Boss means I can always take time off to attend all the school functions during the day; those sorts of things are important to me. Our school put on a morning tea last year as a ‘Thank You’ for all the parents who had volunteered their time throughout the year. There were about 100 Mum’s and me and 1 other Dad. I’d never have that time if I was still in Stockbroking.
Outside of work my life revolves around my son Alex, and I also love the AFL, classic American cars, and going to concerts. I try to keep fit, and enjoy having holidays as often as I can.
That’s me in a nutshell, thanks for reading my story.
p.s. Any single female Brokers out there? Can we start a Finance, Coffee & Dating group?!?!
