Mental health and wellness were topics of frank discussion in Melbourne recently when more than 1000 real estate agents, office owners and property managers gathered at the RiSE Conference.
And the impressive line-up of speakers did not disappoint.
Many shared heartfelt personal stories, talking of how to find resilience when times are tough.
There was much content to take home and unpack, so here we share just a few of the gems of inspiration delivered on the day.
“Take on the big challenges because, while not easy, they can make life delightful.”
Mark Bouris
“If it doesn’t feel right, you will know it. And if you take that leap of faith, I promise, someone will catch you.”
Jacqui Felgate
“Slowly I’ve built a team around me, who I can really only describe as Golden Souls. Now a Golden Soul in my business is someone who develops the culture of the team, they have the same values as me, a real team mindset. They are highly, highly capable at their jobs of course, but they are also so kind, and so loyal that they not only build me up, but everyone else in the team. And, as it turns out, you can take on an unbelievable amount on your shoulders when you have good people around you. The strength of the wolf is in the pack.”
Lisette Schults-Rand
“Make your wellness program part of your business plan, and keep adding to it.”
Maria Findikakis
“The magic happens when you really put all the different people together. And they respect and celebrate each other’s differences, different cultures. You have this … happy group of people who will do their life’s best work.”
Sunil Kumar
“Don’t be afraid of a mid-life correction” and if you want to be successful in the real estate industry, “there is no Plan B”.
Shane Hicks
“It’s easy to feel judged. One of the things that’s essential for a high-performance team is psychological safety. So people need to feel safe when they are actually having those conversations. And we’re geared through social media algorithms, we only ever see things we agree with, and so when we’ve got a voice in our business that challenges us, has a different view, it is challenging to take a step back and listen. Quite often the leaders, or the high-performing salespeople … we’re the ones who need to take a step back and have a listen.”
Leanne Pilkington
“We have to find the time to have fun. In the midst of every crisis lies a great opportunity.”
Nathan Casserly
“We no longer remain narrow minded, or single-vision. We no longer rely on platforms like Seek or LinkedIn to find the right people. In our customer-service team we have a vision imparied woman who operates from home and is part of our concierge team doing a wonderful job.” The team also employs a teenager, who suffers mental health challenges, to do odd office jobs for a couple of hours each week. “Even when he couldn’t come in, we would still pay him, so he is allowed to feel part of something. But it’s not just about … those two examples, it’s what they give to the team. The benefits back to the team is where the real advantage is. The team realises they are part of something inclusive.”
Adrian Butera
“There is so much that impacts our wellness that we don’t understand, that we don’t think enough about.”
Dan White
“Diversity and inclusion is not just about diversity of demographic, it’s about diversity of thought, diversity of experience, diversity of community. With 300 different ethnic groups represented in Australia, I think diversity is a fact. But inclusivity is a choice. And I hope that is a choice that everyone will take home from the learnings today.”
Sarah Bell
“I challenge all of us to build an environment based on mutual respect. I challenge all of us to champion fairness, not aggression. Watch for and encourage respectful language. Know there’s a difference between being assertive and being aggressive. We want assertive women. Assertiveness goes hand in hand with respect, it’s a wonderful leadership trait.”
Holly Longmuir
“One thing that I have recognised, being a professional mental health worker on the front line during the pandemic, is there’s very few people who have escaped without severe anxiety.”
Jules Allen
“I value time more than material things. I value my friends. I value my health.”
Piers van Hamburg
“The last few years have taught us we can’t control everything. But what we can control is our mindset. These are the five principles that our team and our office of 30 people live by: Let’s be problem solvers; Know your limits, and know when it’s time to take a break; Celebrate us – this is about understanding everyone’s definition of success; Be aware and; Love what we do.”
James Labiris
“It’s about creating an environment … What are the most important things for people to become the best versions of themselves?”
Phil Harris
“There is no success without failure. We have to make mistakes otherwise we are not trying hard enough, we’re not growing, we’re not improving.”
Leanne Pilkington
“In our anxiety, in our scariest moment, that is when we find our super power. And that power is resilience.”
Jahan Kalantar
“We can all fly. The question is, where are we going? And who are we taking with us?”
Craig Foster