Hi, I’m Annie Mussell from Trigg, WA. I’ve been a broker 2 years and started my career as an Accountant (until I realised, I had a personality) and then spent 15 years in commercial and industrial property development and sales.
I love property development, especially when working with big companies, big budgets, big profits and big machinery. It’s thrilling seeing a well-planned development come out of the ground and as the Senior Development Manager I worked on multiple industrial developments including Enterprise Park, Wangara and Gap Ridge Industrial, Karratha.
So… it was a bizarre transition becoming a mother. Give me high-vis or a tailored suit any day!
Shortly after my first, I started my own company project managing residential subdivision and found it a natural progression to move into broking. My start in broking wasn’t great, the first year was basically a write off until I found a good mentor (what a difference they make). Then I started Blue Oceans Finance and I’m so proud of how its progressed.
When I became a mum, I joined a national group called Surfing Mums I’m now a co-ordinator of the Perth group, the largest in Australia. We basically tag with other mums on the beach to go for a surf. Surf Mums support multiple charities, one of which was SurfAid who improve the health of people living in isolated regions and train midwives. We raised $13K+ and then had to participate in a competition on one of Scarborough’s biggest swell days of the year; 3-4 meter waves, hail, rips/backwash etc. It was hideous.
I have always been involved with charities; a gift from my very compassionate parents. So when Dad asked if I’d like to go to Myanmar and visit orphanages and leprosy communities run by nuns to see what he and my mother had contributed to for the past 10 years, I thought….no way, I’m not religious, nuns freak me out, what if I get leprosy, I can’t handle any more gastro (thank you daycare), my work needs me……but in late October this year I went anyway. The synopsis;
- I fell in love with the nuns (never thought I’d ever say that in a sentence). Smart, capable and well educated their humour was witty and dry, and I actually miss them.
- I was cuddled to death by orphans and in return taught them useful life skills such as the ‘Baby Shark do-do-do-de-do’ song and painted their nails 2-3 times (they couldn’t decide on the colour they wanted).
- Saw about a billion Buddhist pagodas (there are 4000+ in Myanmar!).
- Spent quality time with my Dad, who has always been successful business man however blew my mind with his generosity and compassion and I now understand what he means when he said he’d found his purpose in life.
- And… saw a better version of myself.
Don’t get me wrong, I also saw incredible poverty and alarming diseases that shouldn’t even exist in this day and age. It was certainly an eye-opening trip, but overall it made me feel buoyant, proud and purposeful simply to give. To that end I’m currently trying to link up a small school in Myanmar with a local primary school in North Beach, who will hopefully share curriculum and materials to bring these kids education into the 21st century and broaden their opportunities.
I have met quite a few brokers over my time in the industry who are involved in charity work, far more than any other industry I’ve been in. Perhaps it’s only natural for a customer service industry to have people in it who are apathetic and generous. I’m certainly a proud broker.
If your interested in knowing more about the charity (www.rndm.org) PM me. Dien and the F&C admin team … thank you for allowing me to share my story with our fabulous group
