I inherited the family business with 6 weeks of cash left and millions in hidden debt. I was 30, with no management experience. I saved it by being the best salesperson and learning leadership along the way.
I'm the principal of Nitschke Real Estate in the Adelaide Hills. Eight years ago I took over the business at 30 with no management experience, no succession plan, and more hidden debt than I knew about. I rebuilt it from the ground up.
Today the business is profitable and I lead a team of 18. I'm also a keynote speaker, the author of Leading Out of Loss, and a mentor to business owners working through the same problems. The challenge I'm working on now is the same one that trips up every operator who's ever built something real: getting the business to run without needing me in the middle of everything.
"I want to build something that outlasts me, and actually be present for the life I'm building while I'm still in it."
This site is where I document that process. Real decisions. Real numbers. What I know, what I'm learning, and what it actually looks like to build a business you're not the centre of.
Real decisions. Real numbers. No ghost writers. Updated when something worth saying happens.
Leadership
A lot of people are hurting right now, including businesses. The fuel crisis and general living costs are causing great uncertainty. Whether or not you’re directly affected by petrol prices, there are likely flow-on effects to your business. Real estate, for example, isn’t an office-based role. Our agents are attending open houses, client meetings, property […]
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I have some lofty business goals for 2026. I want to continue pivoting from salesperson to CEO, hone our operational continuity and team growth, chase efficiency over headcount, and make decisions for the long-term. While 2025 was about simplicity and challenging my faulty beliefs around ‘productivity’, this year is all about leaning more into being […]
Read →Leadership
The business school version of your story is forgettable. The one where you had six weeks of cash and no idea what you were doing - that's the one people actually want to hear.
Read →30 things I wish I knew when I became CEO at 30. Short, tactical, and honest. Just what actually worked, and what didn't.
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I documented my entire leadership journey, turning the failing agency into a thriving profitable business. This is the 'playbook' I never had. Part memoir, part business book. It's the most honest leadership book out there.
I'm not a coach or speaker relying on slide decks. I'm a business owner working through issues and opportunities in real-time. Just a couple of steps ahead. Here's how we can work together.
One email a week. What I'm working through, what's not working. What I'm learning and leaving. Subscriber-only frameworks, systems, strategies, and insights.
For business owners who are stuck, overwhelmed or know something needs to change. We tackle and solve your actual problems in real-time. Think 'second CEO' support.
I speak at conferences, leadership events, and team training days. Sharing real stories and strategies from inside a real business.