Being real will win you business

If I told you that I went to business school and had a smooth handover to CEO role, or that I had no leadership experience but learned it all in real-time when the business had 6 weeks of cash left, which story would you like to hear more? 

It’s likely the latter, which is my leadership journey. 

Why? Because it’s more human, more realistic, and more captivating. There are probably more tales of tricky transitions like mine, than of the perfect succession plans (especially in small family businesses). 

I was 30. I had no idea what I was doing.

The lawyers and accountants told me to sell the family business. Ironically, it was my past experience of being the best salesperson (not a CEO) that helped me rebuild it over the years. 

Along the way, oscillating between surviving and succeeding, I realised I’d built the same trappings my father had. I was the bottleneck and the one that clients called. 

I want to build something that outlasts me rather than something that collapses when I’m gone. 

I watched my father prioritise the business over his family. It was his identity. As ambitious as I am, I didn’t want that to happen to me, which started my journey transitioning from salesperson/business owner to visionary. 

My intention is simple: Build a business that works without me at the centre of it, while being present in all areas of my life. 

My story + my vision informs everything, including what I write about here. 

Here’s where I actually am right now: I’m still a key performing agent at my own agency. I did 35 appraisals in the first three months of 2026. I wrote a book about not being the indispensable person and I’m still the indispensable person. 

I know that sounds hypocritical, but it’s also the most useful thing I can tell you. Eight years into my leadership journey, I’m still a work in progress. I don’t have everything figured out, and I never will. 

If you’re a business owner too, you don’t need someone who preaches perfection. You need someone who’s in the middle of it, working through problems in real-time, and telling you the truth about what they’re finding.

That’s what I’m trying to do here. 

I share what I’m actually working through… the leadership decisions, the team dynamics, the financial reality, the gap between who I’m trying to become as a business owner and who I still am on a Tuesday morning when a deal needs saving and I’m the one who knows how to save it. 

Your story, including all the messiness and mistakes, is what makes you memorable. Don’t be ashamed of it. It’ll help people let down their guard and create space for deeper conversations. 

Embrace everything that’s happened to you and give your prospects reasons to choose you over others in your community or industry. 

Need a hand working through all of this? Book a free 15-minute strategy call to have a chat about how you’re showing up.