SELF-made millionaire Carolyn Wright has built up quite the resume in the past few years.
Wright has constructed an impressive property portfolio, had a family and created her own property management business.
She is also a regular seminar speaker and presenter, backed up by qualifications in real-estate.
Somehow, Wright has managed to fit in time to be mentored, recognising the value in setting aside time to thrash out ideas with someone who has been established in business for longer.
Wright is mentored by Lite n’ Easy’s Victorian managing director, Cliff Gale, as part of Glen Eira and Kingston councils’ Mentor Partners Program.
The program has involved more than 300 small businesses since it began in 2002.
Wright says while their industries are entirely different, the principles are similar and it is experience-sharing with her mentor that has made the most impact.
“Having a business-savvy person to support me has been invaluable,” she says. “Cliff is a fabulous sounding board. He has shared his experience with me and allowed me to learn from it so I didn’t have to make the [same] mistakes myself.”
A licensed real-estate agent, Wright has a love of renovation and property investment. She has built up a portfolio of 15 properties, hitting the millionaire mark in her early 30s. Professionally, her specialty is property management.
She was awarded the Century 21 Victorian Property Manager of the Year award 2007 and was a finalist in the Real Estate Institute of Victoria’s Property Manager of the Year award for 2009.
She founded Your Property Management in 2009 and enjoys working for herself and building a team around her. But she finds the mentoring program invaluable.
‘‘We do talk about goals a lot, but I’ve found one of the best things about talking to Cliff is [figuring out] how I’m actually going to get there,’’ Wright says. ‘‘It means taking on new challenges isn’t overwhelming because we’ve workshopped through what needs to be done and I know I’ll be held accountable the next time we meet and talk through my progress.’’
Wright says she is fascinated to learn about Gale’s experiences, and enjoys a sense of pride when reporting back to him about how she has changed her behaviours and put plans into action.
The Mentor Partners Program is not about providing a business consultant or coach, rather mentors support less experienced business owners by talking through how they plan to achieve their goals.
‘‘I’d definitely recommend it to other business owners,’’ Wright says. ‘‘It is daunting and difficult to start out in business on your own. It helps to be able to call on someone who has already been there.’’
For more information about the Mentor Partners Program, call 9524 3333.
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