Leading Broker Series – Brad Clucas in conversation with Chantal Cutter, Cutter & Co Financial

In this episode, Brad Clucas is joined by Chantal Cutter, Director at Cutter & Co Financial, to discuss her journey from a long-standing banking career to building a successful brokerage. 

With over 20 years' industry experience, Chantal reflects on the pivotal moments that have shaped her career, including her battle with triple negative breast cancer and how the experience transformed her outlook on leadership, business and life. She shares insights into building resilience, trusting her team and creating a business that can thrive beyond the individual. 

Chantal also shares practical strategies on scaling a brokerage, diversifying marketing approaches and delivering client experiences that drive long-term loyalty. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:06

Hello, and welcome to Connective the Talk Series. Today, we're joined by Brad Klukas and Chantal Cutter as they unpack Chantal's journey from a long-standing banking career to building a successful brokerage business.

SPEAKER_01 0:21

Hello, I'm Brad Klukas, head of strategic member engagement here at Connective. And in this series, I'll be sitting on the couch with brokers who have been on different journeys but are all now very successful business owners who have lots of insights to share. So today I'm really excited to be in our studio to chat with Connective's very own broker, Chantal Carr of Cutter Co. Financial Services. Chantal has over 20 years' experience in the finance and home loan industry and is a highly respected mortgage broker. She's worked across major banks, including St. George, ANZ, Bank of Melbourne, and NAT, before founding her own business, which has evolved into Cutter Co. Chantal is known for her deep understanding of bank policy, strong industry relationships, and a client-first approach. Her work has been widely recognised, including winning recently the Bank West Broker of the Year, along with multiple industry award nominations. Chantel brings unique strengths and perspectives to the table, and we're excited to learn from her expertise in today's webinar. Outside of broking, Chantel is married to Emilia, her husband, and has two beautiful boys in Nar Jagger and Kobe. So with that out of the way, I'd really like to welcome Chantel to the studio. How are you?

SPEAKER_02 1:36

Yeah, good thanks, Brad. Thanks for having me today.

SPEAKER_01 1:38

Absolute pleasure. I've really been looking forward to this. We're going to start things off a little bit differently. And this is really important for our listeners at home or in the office. And that is highlighting the recent challenges you've had throughout the course of your career in broking. And namely the biggest challenge on the day, which was Friday the 6th, September 2024, where you were informed of being diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer, an aggressive form of cancer, and as a mother, as a wife, and a principal owner of your own brokerage, you know, you had a lot on your shoulders. And so the last circa 18 months has been an absolute challenge for you.

SPEAKER_02 2:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:23

Talk us through a bit about that.

SPEAKER_02 2:25

Yeah, so you have a thousand problems until you have one problem, which is your health. And I think in this day in life, we just go ahead with all the busyness. We don't have time to really navigate any health issues. We just think we're invincible and we just keep on going until the day that you get the worst news in the world. And that type of cancer literally could have taken me away from this world within 12 months had I not found the lump. Everything rushes through your head. First, you're in disbelief. You can't believe that's actually happened. You and you've heard those words that you'll you have cancer. In one week, you're going to be admitted to hospital, you're going to have a port inserted in your body, you'll start chemo, and then the journeys ahead of you outside our control. Because I mean, we all have choices in life. And for the first time in my life, I had no choice but to listen to what my oncologist and breast surgeon was saying and just get on with it. I think me and Emilio cried for the first week, not in front of the kids, but you know, uh we went on a holiday to the Gold Coast and we were waking up at two just crying till five till the boys woke up. And then I was cried out, I'll be honest. I remember saying to him, like, this is you know, I've got no more tears. I've just, let's just, we've got to get on with this. Let's just, let's just work this out. I was lucky enough um to have Tiana in my business um who stepped up and really ran the day today. Uh, because it's a whirlwind, you don't know what you're having to navigate. You actually don't know what's going to happen. I wanted the boys' lives not to change, so that was very important. I didn't want them to be affected. Yeah. Yeah. So Emilio was fantastic. Um, you know him personally. He was literally nothing was a problem for him. It was very turbulent. Like the first six months, um, I was incredibly ill from the chemo because it was really aggressive. So some days I was bedridden, I couldn't even walk down the stairs. Um, your body feels like you're running a marathon by doing nothing.

SPEAKER_01 4:32

Your extended periods of stay in hospitals.

SPEAKER_02 4:34

Oh, yeah. Well, yes, and I had, yeah. So then I thought the chemo was the worst part, and then I had the operation, and um that just all turned pear-shaped. My body was obviously had nothing left to give, so I couldn't breathe. I had three blood transfusions, eight operations, two months in hospital, and even a code blue that nearly ended my story.

unknown 4:52

Wow.

SPEAKER_02 4:52

And so navigating all of that and keeping the business afloat um was was really hard. But because I had Tiana and the team um that were there, making sure everything was moving, making sure our clients were being looked after and you know, really stepping it up, that was um something I learnt uh along the way to let go of control. Because I feel like when you're running a business, it's like you've your baby and you want to do everything, and to release that control becomes hard at some stages, but to be forced to release that, then you realise that you don't need to be doing everything. And it was a good there was a lot of silver linings from going through that illness and coming out cancer-free now on the other side. Uh, I wouldn't wish it um to learn a lesson that way, but I really took a lot of positives, a lot of lessons, and I really changed the way that I live today.

SPEAKER_01 5:46

And um and you so free now, no doubt. Yeah, cancer free, yes, yes. And so how did that change your outlook and perspective as a business owner? I have no doubt, you know, being strong, you know, with him with Emilio for your boys and having a close-knit circle around you outside of work was critical and knowing some of the people that you you know, some of the great people that are surrounded by you, which is great.

SPEAKER_02 6:09

That's so lucky.

SPEAKER_01 6:10

But how did that change your perspective now as a business owner?

SPEAKER_02 6:13

I think I have really good clients and a really good network. I I think at my lowest point when I couldn't actually build, there was people just standing by my side to help no matter what. Um my clients were amazing. They would wait until I had good days to go through with applications, do developments, buy whatever that was. We were navigating that together. Um, we had you guys that would send, you know, presents and little texts. And I mean, when you're going through the hardest period of your life, those little moments that seem nothing to you guys met the most to me when we were fighting. And I just think I need to build a company that is not reliant on me being there. I need to build a foundation, a solid foundation where if I'm there, great, and if I'm not there, it's still thriving. I've got a lot of experience within that sector, and so is my team. So I think it's really important that I'm navigating other channels to drive business, opposed to just being the face of the brand and everyone knowing who I am and all my introducers that refer. I think it's really important moving forward to operate differently.

SPEAKER_01 7:18

Yeah, and it and there's an element, and you touched on it earlier, about relinquishing control when you had Tia who was there and fantastic support, but then the opportunity for her to step up.

SPEAKER_02 7:29

Oh, yeah, and she's done a brilliant job. Like honestly, this is what else I've learned is that when you put your trust in your team and you let them do what you have taught them, they thrive. And you're only holding them back when you're trying to control everything. Well, I I think as the owner, I know what my strengths are, and I'm never gonna do anything like I was doing before. I'm not gonna live in chaos or operate on flop, fight and flight mode. Um, I'm not going to drown in trying to do everything. I've put people in positions for reasons, and to let go and let them like just run themselves has been one of the like one of the best blessings that's come from being sick.

SPEAKER_01 8:09

Yeah, fantastic. Um, you know, in terms of hearing that story about you and how you've changed in terms of operating as a business owner and as a people leader. Yeah. But no doubt if I was talking to any of your team, they would say it was an opportunity for me to really support Chantel because of all the support she's provided me. Um so with that, I have no doubt that we have the the attention of our audience now for the back of you know your story, and there's plenty more to come. So um take us back to 2014. Yes. You were working uh, I think at NAB at the time, and so you know you worked across a couple of the banks, but then you thought, you know, I think I can I think I can make the courageous leap into broken. Talk us through that.

SPEAKER_02 8:53

Yeah, well, so my background's credit. So I worked at the banks really approving or declining my applications until I was headhunted to NAB, and then you didn't hold your DC your own DCA at NAB.

SPEAKER_01 9:05

Delegated commitment authority for both at home.

SPEAKER_02 9:08

So um it was really hard to navigate what I knew was a deal that I couldn't get across the line. It was very frustrating for me to be honest. And I had a lot of um like firms that followed me from Bank of Melbourne at the time to NAB, and it was so disheartening knowing that there was deals that should have been approved that was not, and it was because of the lack of experience um in the assessment team because it was all I'm old school, I've learnt from like working out the numbers with a calculator, you know, not entering into a computer and giving a yes or no answer.

SPEAKER_01 9:41

It's it's old school creditable decision.

SPEAKER_02 9:43

Yeah, so I really I found it really hard to navigate that, and hence why I just decided um enough, I'm just gonna start my own firm. Worst case is it doesn't work, and they're gonna hire me back, the bank's gonna take me back. And um, yeah, I just just didn't left and I thought, oh geez, I should have done this sooner. But it's always yeah, it was like no turning back. I could help all my clients, I could navigate all the different policies. Um, there was not one deal that I couldn't actually help with. And my clients like my family, like I care about the outcome. I want to, you know, I want to navigate where I can place that depending on the policies and you know, and obviously getting the best terms, rate, and structure for them.

SPEAKER_01 10:24

Yeah, because you are um at an organization, it's not uncommon, some of our or many of our brokers, that you know, working at a at a at a bank and that you're you're somewhat confined to you know the the credit appetite of the bank, the commercial appetite of the bank, the um the understanding of policy from that assessor that could be interpreted differently. So you know, you've gone to that too. There's not a deal I can't place to get the right answer.

SPEAKER_02 10:49

Yeah, exactly. I and I think I've seen the writing on the wall. I was thinking, how long is this gonna last where I can be successful at that bank being a lender with just one product? Like how how is that gonna grow um and make me thrive and be able to really do what I should be doing to help my clients? Yeah. So it was it's a pretty easy decision, and worst thing that could happen was it failed and I went back.

SPEAKER_01 11:11

You know, but that that's what it is, yeah. It's not you you have that, but more often than not, six months in I'll ask a bank at a broker and say, Would you ever go back? And they're like, No chance. Um you started the first brokerage, um trusted finance solutions with an ex-colleague at the time, and um and things got busy quite quickly. Yeah, so what did the early years look like, you know, under that um that business?

SPEAKER_02 11:34

So um yeah, trust trusted finance solutions was uh the first baby before I rebranded. Yeah, we got I got really busy really fast. I didn't really think that everyone was gonna just move across and follow. Um and yeah, I needed someone with an assessment background, the same knowledge as me. Um, so yeah, I I ended up combining with a business partner. Uh he was my old manager, and you know, he yeah, he really taught me a lot of what I knew back at St. George in assessment. Uh, and it just yeah, it was it was perfect for them. Um we both worked as hard as one another, we put in the amount of time, there was a huge respect for each other because we'd worked together like not just at the bank but at another brokering firm. Um, and it was great because he was a broker and he'd been doing that for a couple of years before coming on board. Um took me a while to convince him, but again, he thanks me every day now that I I forced him, yeah, I got him out. Um yeah, so it was it was really good, but again, um not all partnerships work and there come a time where we both wanted different things and we respected each other enough that my, you know, the visions that I had for the business, I wanted to grow and do it my way. Um, and he had and you know, something else that he wanted to do. And I, you know, I just don't think it's fair for me to lose my dreams or for him to be, you know, doing something that he wasn't wanting to do or wasn't ready, ready to do. So um we just ended up like partnering ways and kept operating under that same entity. Um, it was very civil. We worked through like, you know, work in progress and whatnot, and then eventually it was time to rebrand and then just yes, start over.

SPEAKER_01 13:16

So just appreciating that, you know, hey, look, we've had a great, you know, four three or four years, um, but now we it seems like we both want different things. So just a transparent, upfront, honest conversation between two directors.

SPEAKER_02 13:28

Yeah, it's not that it's not always that easy, but I would say if you are going to go into business with anyone, you need to have a clear heads of agreement. Yeah, I think most businesses uh don't have that ease of transition if ever each party's not upfront with what they want or the visions or what happens in the event. Like you need to have clear, clear exit strategies, basically.

SPEAKER_01 13:49

Yeah, it's it's it's something that we don't wish occurred, but at times it does.

SPEAKER_02 13:54

It does, it happens like 80% of the time. I think it would it happens.

SPEAKER_01 13:57

And you just want it to be as amicable as possible where we go, okay, we appreciate, we respect each other. Yeah, there's plenty out there. Yeah, you know, so we can we can go in our ways and hopefully cheer each other on to the sideline.

SPEAKER_02 14:07

Yeah, which we did, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 14:08

Yeah, which is great. And so um, for you now, then you've rebranded cutter and code. So what does the team look like now?

SPEAKER_02 14:16

So two brokers and two admins. Um, one of my admins does want to become a broker, so we're in transition training him up and um getting him to like help with all our assessments. I we are going to grow. Obviously, uh, you know, I really truly believe in hiring before the growth hits your pipelines because you want to have, you know, a real strong chance to train them properly and for them to settle in without too much like overkill because in this job it's so fast-paced, like it's so overwhelming. I think a lot of people get really overwhelmed with all the moving parts. Like being a banker at one bank is totally different to being a broker and needing to know a lot of policies, have a lot of relationships, have a lot of connection. So I think that's really important with the onboarding and just make you know being 10 steps ahead.

SPEAKER_01 15:05

It can be a common theme that we see from some of our brokers to say, well, at what point do I put on a back of house or a second broker? Yeah. And you know, your point is obviously, you know, if you build it in preparation, yeah, then because if you're running it a million miles an hour, it's very hard to slow down to stop to train someone to give them the level of training that they inspire to give.

SPEAKER_02 15:25

Yeah, I agree. Yeah. Because it's not easy, and when we're making like the biggest decisions for our clients, we need to get it right. So I need to have my full faith and trust that I have trained them the right way. What the same advice that I would give a client, and I think that's important. I just yeah, we can't rush through uh this experience, and so that we can't rush through the training either.

SPEAKER_01 15:46

Yeah, which is great because then you've got people that feel more enabled because of the training.

SPEAKER_02 15:52

Yeah, we want them to be confident, yeah, correct.

SPEAKER_01 15:54

And because the customer also wants to see that too.

SPEAKER_02 15:56

Yeah, yeah. Which is great. Uh, with so much uncertainty in the world, I think making clients feel comfortable and confident with every decision just is a necessity in today's market.

SPEAKER_01 16:06

Okay. And so you've built the business up with a strong, um, strong focus in the SME space or commercial space as well.

SPEAKER_02 16:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 16:14

So how or why did you find that niche? Uh and why has it worked for you, do you think?

SPEAKER_02 16:19

Um, I like a challenge. I mean, not like the last 18 months challenge. I yeah, I could have done without that. Um, but I I just really like uh pushing the boundaries. I'm a bit of a rule breaker type of person. I like to think outside the square a lot. So that's really like a niche um market. There's not a lot of people that know the ins and outs of all financials and tax returns and all the policies that surround that. And I think, you know, everyone thinks that it's harder to get a loan if you're self-employed, and it's not. It just depends on who you're deal dealing with and who you're speaking to because it's not it's not as hard as everyone thinks if you've got someone that really can navigate that. I dealt with a lot of financial planners and accounting firms that referred, and majority of their clients were SME space, so I just kind of fell into that. But I love it because it's you know, majority of our clients might have like three and upwards of like 15 companies, and you're you know, you're working out where all the funds are like distributing to and yeah, it should be quite complex, yeah. It is, but I love it, yeah. I love it. Like, I mean, because obviously with when you have P A Y G clients, like you could probably do that in 10 minutes.

SPEAKER_01 17:32

Yep. Yeah, so it's yeah, but it's it's it's doing what you really enjoy. Yeah, and um, in many cases, when we speak to some of our brokers who look after that similar type of clientele, they're quite sticky as well.

SPEAKER_02 17:44

Oh, I think I I think that's what you want your clients, you want them to know like it's not that easy to navigate this area anymore. And I think it's very important that you choose wisely and right with the right mortgage broking firm. And you want someone that's had a lot of experience in the industry because it's too easy to get into this space, unfortunately. We don't have the rules and guidelines around probably where it should be. Uh, but yeah, I think just always keeping ahead of all the policy changes. I mean, when the majors rolled out that they're not going to lend to company and trust structures, I'm like, how can they just pull out of this segment? But then Connective come to the rescue and you know, fix that all up for us. So yeah, exactly. But I mean, this is what I love because this is why I started to be a broker in the first place, to be able to offer things outside the majors. I would love a shakeup where the majors don't hold like all the capital. Yeah, I I would love if like the smaller players that are really trying to help clients get ahead and achieve like financial wealth instead of instead of like just being hamstrung all the time. Well, this is great. I'm loving that this is happening because it's a it's a bit of an aggressive change in the market that really needed to happen and we can see it like, yeah, everything's moving now.

SPEAKER_01 19:01

Yeah, and the you know, for them, many funders that have been created and joining our panel are seeing these are opportunities where perhaps in the past it might have been a sorry, we can't help you to we can absolutely help you and you're going to go here, which is different from the majors. But then there's also those times where the majors absolutely suit the best right fit for the customers as well, right?

SPEAKER_02 19:21

Yeah, I mean it's uh it just depends on the clientele and what they and what they need. And you know, because obviously the majors are great for certain aspects, but you know, we we can't just say no to lending like that overnight, which is exactly what happened to us. And we can't expect our clients that hold, you know, some of my clients might have $50 million in company and trust assets. They can't move 50 properties out into an individual name and pay stamps. We needed to have this space filled, and it was great that you guys rolled out, you know, the alternatives, which are you know very aggressive and great interest rates and you know, just exactly what our clients need.

SPEAKER_01 20:02

Yeah, and that's um we normally do that as a result of what our brokers tell us. Yeah, you touched on before working with and having referral relationships with financial planners and accountants. So um, are you at the moment, do you have a regular operational rhythm that you have with them? Uh are you still on the lookout for new referral partners or are you comfortable with who you have at the moment in terms of a business relationship with them?

SPEAKER_02 20:25

Yeah, I'm always keen for growth. Yeah, I like obviously the ones that we currently hold um are great and they know how we operate. I mean, most of them I may have worked with. Um, so it's it's quite easy. They now operate, and um, you know, on many occasions they're like, we knew you'd get this done. We had a little bit of a doubt, but eventually you got there, you know. Um, but yeah, I definitely always want growth. We are trying to hit new targets of 20 mil a month. Yep. Uh and we're, you know, getting very close each month. So um growth is definitely what we're wanting to do. And we we want to obviously hire younger people and then keep upskilling the team that we've got. I think it's very important that within a small firm that there is still growth. We want to make sure that we're not, you know, people aren't getting bored in the roles that they're doing. I I find it hard to get bored in this industry though, because you're always learning.

SPEAKER_01 21:17

There's always something to learn. There's new policies or new structures or new lenders. Yeah. Um, and that's what can keep it um engaging as well. So you're obviously bringing in the team you mentioned before, one of the your support staff. Yes. You've brought them in with a view to go, I'm not hiring you for this role, I'm actually hiring you to be a broker.

SPEAKER_02 21:35

Yeah, yeah. I just need them to learn. You need to, I like I really think that learning from the bottom up makes you the best broker you can be because you've done it all by that stage. So I think I think it's very important that they learn, yeah, exactly what documents, exact policies, the reasons why we're navigating this, why we're working out these strategies, why we're recommending this product. I'm all about educating the client. I don't like clients just to say yes and not have any idea about why they're doing something. Yeah. So um yeah I I wouldn't feel comfortable without like you know making sure that they're just like me and Tiana who's had you know years of experience. I want them to be exactly like that and confident with the advice that they're giving.

SPEAKER_01 22:20

Yeah great. And they would feel better for that and their customers again would feel that all right well I if I used to deal with Chantal I'm dealing now with someone else as part of cut cut and co but it's still the same level of expertise and service.

SPEAKER_02 22:33

Yeah exactly yeah great.

SPEAKER_01 22:35

One of the things I know you've mentioned the past was um you know setting lofty goals and and what you you know what you want to achieve and you're really clear in terms of we do this as a team which I love. But one of the things that um you also did off the back of you know recent health struggles was you pushed yourself to be more prominent out in the in the industry and um even public speaking for yourself but um you're looking to market the business better. And you know through that that's you know Google ads um a lot of social media as well as even your own YouTube channel. So talk a bit about why you're doing that and what's working for you at the moment through those channels.

SPEAKER_02 23:17

Yeah so I think when you have time to stop and really stop and think about your life and where you want to be and how you see see that I knew that I had to change the way that I operated from day to day and I think you know social media is an avenue that we need like everything's evolving AI you know everyone's researching and on their computers or iPhones and I think we need to social proof our business as well. You know word of mouth has got the company so far and I'm not I'm not gonna lie we've not done this before in the past because we're not needed to but I just seen the right again the writing on the wall with making sure that you are known for like a niche in the market. Our competitors are no longer the banks there are other brokering firms so we need to be a standout and I think that's very important. So navigating that and also I want um leads to come in from all different channels. I don't want them just to come from like one source. I'm doing business coaching at the moment so we're navigating exactly where the leads are coming from what the conversion rate is measure measuring like the appetite of the clients um you know the um how much it's costing us per lead and really like honing in on what's working what's not working and when I was unwell I did I really do want to step into keynote speaking gigs. I think the challenges that I faced um you know I thought to myself the chemo was hard enough and then when God decided to like just teach me a few more lessons with being in hospital and not being able to heal and having to have emergency ops one after the other I was just I and the code blew I think my whole life could have been over and then everything I had like dreamt about I you know would never have come to life. So I decided from that point um and it was very scary but just to not not worry about failing just taking a risk like worry more about like not doing what you want to do instead of worrying about if it fails like I don't even care about that anymore. I just I'm going to do what I said I would do and what promises I made to myself in hospital um God didn't give me a second chance just to rise to the same alignment it's given me he's given me a second chance to like really make a difference and that's exactly what I want to do.

SPEAKER_01 25:39

Yeah again you know your public speaking um really pushing yourself into that even today's you know today's webinar uh your lofty goals for the business growing you know putting the right people in there the right structure in place yeah I've no doubt you'll achieve all the goals you set because I've I've seen the journey that you've had over the last uh last couple of years especially one of the things that's um that's obviously really strong in your business is you have a strong app to set ratio application to settlement ratio a lot a lot higher than than normal so um why do you think that that is what what's part of your process through a customer coming to Cutter and Co. where more often than not they are saying they're they're coming going through with with the application through to settlement?

SPEAKER_02 26:21

I think um both like I said me and Tiana both come from credit um background and even Kate who was most recently with us um so when we speak to a client in the first five minutes we're like asking and prompting questions to know whether we're going to be able to help or not help right so we're already navigating how this process we're already thinking about the banks that we can position this with. And what we like to do is we get policy waivers up front. We're never going to work on a deal like I recently had like a 10 million refinance where I had to navigate security acceptability and obviously that's when the majors pulled out a company and trust and I was just navigating all this stuff. So I made sure that I had everything in writing before we lodged which we do on every file. I mean we're not going to put our name to something that's not going to get approved at the other end. Yeah and we're not gonna waste our clients' time or our time pretending that a deal's going to go ahead if we know it's not. We're actually going to guide our clients and say right now we're not there, we can't get this done you know income isn't at the level that it needs to be at or we haven't got enough security or whatever the scenario might be or we're not servicing in the current climate and we just navigate that to make sure that we do like call to actions and follow up the clients because we don't want to ever engage with the client and then and not follow through and like Ryan Sirhunt said like he would be chasing clients up for 10 years and then eventually they'd buy or sell or whatnot and we have a similar process thanks to Mercury. It makes it easy like everything's tasked automatic prompts for my team and I mean that's I mean we use all different systems to make sure that the it's nothing's ever missed and that we're across absolutely everything. So there'll be a lot of times that we'll ask for extra stuff knowing that that's going to be in our submission notes and that potentially the bank's going to ask us for that. But again I'm a big believer in like give them their basics of what they need and if there's something else that we need to give them we've got it on file. But um I think you know sometimes people overkill things don't know what they're doing give too much information then a thousand questions get asked. I think it's just about you know knowing knowing your staff knowing the policies having good relationships with the BDMs because that's really important. That's important as well. And then making sure like you have credits like you know go ahead and sign off before you actually lodge your application.

SPEAKER_01 28:45

Right so you've you the process up front is leveraging your your expertise and experience already piecing together where could this go and what may I need what's the information I might need now in many cases you can go and get that directly from the accountant or we can go and get it directly from someone else with the customer's approval of course and if you don't need it you don't need it but you've still got it.

SPEAKER_02 29:05

Yeah I always ask for more to have on file because I'm writing those submission notes. So I want to marry up everything. If someone's saying they earned this I want to marry up with an income statement. If I want to see the salary credits like it's my it's my compliance like I just I pretend I'm credit again and so I'm not going to put my name to anything that I wouldn't sign off on myself. Yeah so I just that's how our firm operates.

SPEAKER_01 29:28

And you're leveraging um thanks for the plug by the way you're leveraging Mercury Nexus in terms of it's set up with your process of there's a constant contact point from you or one of the team to stay close to it's mostly not me. I'm no good with tasks but my team are ACE's in their class yeah exactly but that's that just means that there's constant contact and engagement with the customer own uh and one of the good things that that it was good to hear you say was sometimes a hard thing can be where you have to tell a customer no or not yet and here's what we need to see which is you know the financial education of we can get you to this goal a little bit later but this is what we need to see.

SPEAKER_02 30:08

Yeah well that well that 10 mil one that took me three months to to prompt that to get that all ready and like I know I know it seemed like a long time but if I hadn't have spent that time doing all the groundwork up front we wouldn't have had that same outcome. I mean we recently helped another commercial client um refinance a hotel and we save them like $380,000 interest a year. You know now he can invest in another hotel if he wants in a few years. So I think I think really just staying ahead of the game and making I want to make a difference like if if you come to me and all I'm gonna save you is one or two grand and I'm not gonna really help I'm gonna be saying you know what let's just try and get a better rate it's not really worth it. I'm not gonna I'm not gonna do anything I wouldn't personally do. If there's if there's a I mean most of our book we can't refinance because we have like a six month touch point where we do new pricing so we're not moving our clients we're really just keeping them where they are uh hence why we need to generate and and like get more acquisition up front um yeah because we're not a firm that hasn't done the right thing the whole way through and when you know so most 10 nine times out of 10 they're on the best rate we can't get them a better one.

SPEAKER_01 31:17

You've got the best structure up front but it's also that touch point to go you're still on the best structure. Yeah because as a customer they're probably thinking wow I I get continually called from cutter and co. I'm in great hands and the next time they speak to someone that says do you know a great brokerage they're like absolutely right so I know we want raving fans all the time that's what we want.

SPEAKER_02 31:37

I just get because I do Tony Robbins obviously they're the courses I'm doing and he just says like the way to grow is just have raving fans like just have people talk about you because you're great because you're over delivering because you're thinking outside the square like that is how you build a business that's you know people want to come to and that's what I want I want people wanting to work with us not me like hunting for business. I just want it to all like flow through because we're doing the right thing.

SPEAKER_01 32:03

And you're doing it through a multitude of channels as well right which is great. And the other thing you touched on as well which I love is you're measuring it. Oh yeah you're measuring where are we getting these leads from what's the conversion what's the price profile all of these things which it can be super critical yeah but allows you to determine right we're going to reduce investment here to place it here because we're getting the best return on investment.

SPEAKER_02 32:23

Yeah well you can't you like I learned while Elsa was sick is that I can't manage what I don't measure. Yeah and before getting sick I was not managing any of that I was just working in the business instead of on the business which was another thing that I I want I don't want to be an operator anymore. I want to be an owner I want to be yeah I want to be like client facing having that initial appointment and having a whole team behind me that just gets it moving. And I want to do all the keynote speaking gigs I want to do more of this media stuff. I'm also starting the new brands so yeah there's heaps of stuff happening and also I just want to enjoy what I'm doing. Yeah I just want to do what I'm good at that I that I love and you know because you we don't know how long we've got on this earth so you do not want to be drowned in trying to carry a thousand hats when you're running a business. You want to put the right people in the right spots to make sure that everything's happening like you would do that but it's not all on you anymore.

SPEAKER_01 33:29

And a lot of what you are also doing is giving back. Oh you're a humble person but I know that you are you always say to me I'm willing to help any other broadcast I'm willing to guide them all into it. Because we always we all start from nothing correct or somewhere yeah so you've spoken throughout the course of today you know one huge adversity over the last you know couple of years uh building a business going through business change and separation um how you are marketing through different channels what you're measuring your process what would be two two tips that you would give our listeners today around any of that if you just shared two tips what would they be?

SPEAKER_02 34:09

I think um relationships key you need to not have a relationship from taking you need to really give and have relationships that are meaningful because then everything just falls into place and people help you um navigate like you know running a business and I think really if I had my time again I would have hired quicker. I would have backed myself in hired quicker and grew the business with the right people instead of like always fumbling at the last minute and hiring when we're too under the pump and you can't yeah it just it doesn't work because it's pressure on you it's pressure on them and it's not it's not the right culture that you're trying you know trying to achieve the whole reason I left the bank was because I wanted to grow a culture where we all work together everyone knows that they're making bonuses based on a team target and I just want that environment where everyone's lifting each other up and nothing's a problem for the each party. I mean if you're not that type of person it's you're not gonna really last at cutter and go. Yeah yeah um because that's what we're all about is like nothing's been beneath us below us we're training everyone to be able to navigate the whole process and um yeah just I I say get it right make decisions fast don't if you if you've got a feeling that it's not going to work out or something's not right or you need to navigate and change change something quickly I say like making a non-decision will cost you business a lot more than making a decision.

SPEAKER_01 35:39

And sometimes that's trusting your instinct your gut feeling it's um I'm sure Chantel I could sit here and talk to you for hours and hopefully people would listen but you know you are you know stronger and more determined and clear with both you know personally and professionally with what you do and I've no doubt when you're saying you know I'm going to achieve this you will there's also your own YouTube channel which people can subs subscribe to if they want to see a bit about not just your story but your story now of uh again being a a a mother a wife and a business owner with some lofty goals as well so a bit of a plug there for your YouTube channel which is uh which is great feel free to follow it it's been so fantastic to chat with you uh today and so for more updates and insights you can find us on Instagram at connective broker recently we've set up the page I think it was you Chantal who said you know you guys have to get on Instagram so we're on we're live jump on as well so we'll share our latest news tips and highlights thank you for everyone uh for your time today and wish you every success in the future thanks