Some of the best property developers do not start in property at all. Ollie Carruthers spent 30 years as a chef, from Michelin kitchens in London to award winning restaurants in Sydney, before he decided he wanted his time and his freedom back. Today he is a full-time property developer. Here is what his journey teaches anyone thinking about making the leap.
The moment it clicked
Ollie was handed a buyer’s agency proposal that looked good on paper but did not quite add up. Instead of handing his money over, he decided to develop it himself. That decision, and finding the podcast and joining the mentoring program, turned a side project into a whole new career.
Start before you feel ready
Ollie did not wait until he felt like an expert. He took the first step, backed himself, and built a community around him. Momentum came from starting, not from certainty.
Throw away 90 sites out of 100
Finding a good site is a numbers game. You look at a hundred and keep going until you find the one. Ollie now has three developments underway, on opportunities other people walked past, precisely because he was willing to say no ninety times to get to the right yes.
Keep the project moving when it gets messy
Real projects get complicated. The difference is not avoiding the mess, it is having the mindset and the support to keep moving through it. A morning routine and a genuine shift in how he thought about problems were as important as any technical skill.
Listen to the full episode
We covered this in episode 260 of the Property Mastermind Podcast. Listen to the full episode here.
Ready to learn how to run a development from finding a site through to settlement? Join our free masterclass on Saturday 15 August, or come along to our 3-day workshop on 9 to 11 October.