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INTRODUCTION

I wrote this book originally in the four days of Easter 1994 and at the end of the book I said, “This is not the end, but the start of new beginnings.” It’s now Easter 2011 – 17 years later and I’m still finding the Easter break, the only time I have to write.

In 1994 when the book was distributed nationally it was an overwhelming success, an instant best seller and I thank all who read it and rang or wrote to me, because you inspired me to create a business opportunity for you.

So many women said they had been to Citibank to secured a “Mortgage Power” loan against their home, then purchased a top quality, business suit from Liz Davenport and were now ready to go into business.

The only problem was, many who contacted me didn’t know what business to start. Every Easter for the following six years I sat down and wrote out business plans and books detailing my various business ideas, but none seemed to be right!

In 1995 the NSW Department of State and Regional Development invited me to live in Sydney to assist with the implementation of a mentor program for women in small business. I jumped at the opportunity to live in Sydney again, because I had lived there in the seventies, when I had my computer business, the Key Punch Centre, operating in three states.

When I wanted to move to NSW my husband who was from Sydney didn’t want to move back. We ended up divorcing and my son Steven and I moved into a furnished unit on the waterfront in Drummoyne, which was only 8 kilometres from the Sydney CBD.

Steven was only 12 years old at the time and it was very difficult for him to lose the father he loved and all his school friends. I felt guilty for many years for moving to Sydney but our marriage was not a happy one and I decided at 48 I was not only wasting my life, but my husband deserved to find happiness with another woman. It didn’t take him long to get married again so I was right!

The mentor program was very successful and it expanded throughout the suburban and country areas of NSW during the following five years with the assistance of independent women’s networks and the small business associations.

I had wanted to purchase the unit directly above the one I was renting in Drummoyne when it came onto the market in 1995, but at the time going through my divorce I didn’t feel confident a bank would lend me the money so I didn’t submit an offer.

SYDNEY OLYMPIC GAMES

One of the main reasons I wanted to be living in NSW was to be there when the Olympic Games began in 2000. I wanted to meet international businessmen and women. My dream came true, because of the mentor program. I was in the right place at the right time and was invited to join ‘Business Club Australia’.

It had been a virtual club on the Internet for two years prior to the commencement of the Sydney Olympic Games. Business people from all over the world were invited to meet at Darling Harbour to attend functions for the 17 days of the games. I met hundreds of top executives, politicians and organisers of Olympic Games in other countries.

While attending breakfasts, luncheons and dinners every day I met Sydney businessman, John Rich. He was a brilliant networker and he collected hundreds of business cards and wanted me to write a book with him about our experiences.

I told him I had only two days to write the book when the Games ended because I had to go back to Adelaide to live. John was Polish and he talked in his broken English while I typed on my laptop computer for two solid days. The third day I drove back to Adelaide.

BACK IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA

I had commercial property at 105 – 107 Carrington Street, Adelaide and while I was living in Sydney it seemed no one could make a business pay. Two different photographers had rented the property during the five years I was living in Sydney and both left owing me thousands of dollars in unpaid rent.

My credit cards were maxed out. I owed about $45,000 in credit card debt. I had re-financed my properties and couldn’t get any more cash out of them, so I really had no choice but to drive back to Adelaide and try to create a business of my own, in my city offices.

It’s a long story and I wrote about it in the book entitled, ‘AWARE – A Business in a Book’. Thanks to Steve who produced the paperback book and the e-book, you can now buy the book from both bookshops and on-line stores. I’m so proud of my talented son.

When I first arrived back in Adelaide I worked on the networking book I had written with John Rich and got it published. You can now buy ‘Networking Games – Making Profitable Connections’ as a paperback book and as an e-book.

AUSTRALIAN WOMEN AND REAL ESTATE

I had absolutely no idea what type of business I was going to start in my Adelaide offices, but while driving back from Sydney to Adelaide across the flat, boring Hay Plain in the middle of the moonless night, I heard a deep, comforting man’s voice say, “Go into real estate.”

Worried sick about leaving Steve in Sydney to get through his Higher School Certificate on his own, I suddenly felt relaxed, peaceful and not concerned about the future. For the next 8 hours I focused my thoughts only on what I could do for women if I did start my own real estate business.

I could make women AWARE of the benefits of investing in property and in doing so create the business I’d been trying to develop for six years for women. That was it, the birth of AWARE Properties Pty. Ltd. and the AUSTRALIAN WOMEN AND REAL ESTATE network.

I booked into a Traineeship course at the Real Estate Institute (SA) as soon as I arrived in Adelaide and spent the next 18 months working and studying 24/7. I gained my full Real Estate Manager’s Licence in that time and was working out of my own offices.

The amazing thing that happened was a huge property boom, the biggest boom SA had ever experienced. By 2003 my debts were paid off and I was able to refinance my SA properties again. My homes and offices had almost doubled in value since I’d refinanced them in 1999.

In 2008 I refinanced two Christies Beach homes I had purchased in 2003. The bank’s value of the two homes was almost double what I had paid for them. I paid $303,000 and they were now worth $600,000 enabling me to purchase a $1 million waterfront home in Port Noarlunga South without using any of my own money.

Just imagine I’d gone from being flat broke to owning 11 homes and one worth $1 million within 8 years. It’s amazing what study, dedication and hard work can create for you. I had turned my life around in only eight years.

AWARE Properties Pty. Ltd.

Back in 2000 as soon as I started my real estate course I started writing my next book, ‘AWARE – A Business in a Book’. I wanted women to learn from my real life experiences. Its OK to write a motivational book when you’re already successful, but I wanted women to know what its like when you’re down on your luck, broke, a single mother and you have to start all over again.

Going back to school at 55 years of age and having to study difficult Law subjects, wasn’t easy. Working day and night, seven days every week was frustrating and I was exhausted most of the time.

But I did what I set out to do and now a decade on I’ve launched my national real estate business for women. This is the third time in my life I’ve gone national with my own businesses. At 25 I expanded my Adelaide based Key Punch Centre to Melbourne and Sydney employing over 100 women on my permanent payroll.

At 45 I expanded my Australian Executive Women’s Network to 19 locations across Australia with the financial support of MLC Life limited and now at 65 I’ve expanded my Adelaide based real estate business Australia wide.

Its an exciting time, men had owned most of the real estate companies when I started in 2000, but now there’s been huge changes and more women have gained their full Management Licences and started their own businesses. Women of all ages are investing in property.

In 2000 I introduced unique services to the public that no other real estate company was offering in Adelaide and in doing so, I created a part-time income for women (or men) who wanted to work from a home office without needing to study for their real estate licence.

Because of our unique services we had all the other real estate firms in South Australia recommending AWARE Properties to their own clients. Hard to believe isn’t it? But it’s true!

Read ‘AWARE – Business in a Book’ and the business opportunities are explained in the book. I’ve given away all my success secrets.

DRUMMOYNE – HERE I COME!

Life has a funny way of paying you back when you work hard. The waterfront unit in Drummoyne that I wanted to purchase in 1995 was advertised for sale in December 2010.

Steve had spent over ten years in Adelaide working with me in real estate and building his own successful photography/design business. He wanted to move back to Sydney to expand his business, so we flew back together and within 48 hours we had purchased both the Drummoyne unit (which I fell in love with all over again) and a modern unit for Steve right behind Darling Harbour in Pyrmont, within walking distance of the Sydney CBD.

AWARE PROPERTY INVESTOR TOURS

I was very fortunate to secure a sponsorship with Nordic Honda in Adelaide, when I purchased a new Honda Odyssey to use for our AWARE Property Investor Tours. Honda had just reduced its car loan rates to 2.99% interest on the luxury Odyssey, the very vehicle I wanted to purchase. Sales Manager, Michael Turner kindly arranged for ‘decal’ advertising on the vehicle and 10,000 full colour promotional brochures to assist us to advertise our real estate business.

You could be one of our ‘tour guides’ in future or attend our regular AWARE seminars held in the fabulous Million Dollar waterfront property in Port Noarlunga South. AWARE Associates and Members network, enjoy fabulous South Australian weather and the breath-taking ocean views each time they visit us in Adelaide. Holiday accommodation is available at the property, so let us know if you’re coming to Adelaide from overseas or interstate and we’ll ensure you have a wonderful stay in SA.

I’m looking forward to hearing from you when you’ve read this book please email me, lucille@aware.id.au.