In property, you need a great team of professionals around you. I call them your A-team. And one of the most important members of my A-team is a great quantity surveyor. They keep a keen eye on your project finances by creating tax depreciation schedules and replacement cost estimations for insurance purposes.

As number crunchers, quantity surveyors are typically a dry bunch, but Mike Mortlock is an exception. A former Olympic distance triathlete, he's a passionate property person with a great sense of humour. I hope you enjoy this episode of Small Talk Big Ideas!

Ian Ugarte is joined by architect Rebecca  Caldwell of Maytree Studios, who is designing the kind of world she wants to live in. Her design philosophy combines ethics and social responsibility with the forward-thinking sensibilities of contemporary architecture. 

Originally from New Zealand, she aesthetically leans towards the rich, textured and rugged forms that define this part of the Antipodes. 

Becoming a mother has strengthened Rebecca’s residential practice by giving her a first-hand understanding of the importance of future-proofing homes to accommodate growing households. The sleep-deprivation of motherhood hasn’t affected her tongue-in-cheek humour, though, which remains razor sharp. 

Enjoy this chat about property, business, and the future of adaptable housing.

This episode of Small Talk Big Ideas takes a diversion from our usual hot topic - 'property investing', and into a realm that I find fascinating and personally transformative. Herbalist, healer, and plant medicine advocate, Rachel Gagen, looks to nature and the body to help her clients reach self-acceptance and balance in their lives. I hope you enjoy her knowledge, energy, and honesty in our conversation.

About Rachel:
Rachel Gagen has studied natural therapies since 2014, now practicing as a ZenThai Shiatsu body worker, Traditional Western Herbal Medicine therapist, teacher, musician and dreamer. Spending her time between the garden, the surf, and the health clinics she works at, she looks to nature for inspiration on living harmoniously in self-acceptance.

“Our sessions focus on the the deep inner workings of the nervous system & the emotional body...  By using the diagnostic tool of Traditional Chinese Medicine, I am able to cater the session specifically to your body’s needs; nourishing the adrenals, calming the mind, soothing inflammation & balancing the body."

Top of the list of things that can cause a property investor to come unstuck is finance. Avoiding getting stopped in your tracks and being unable to grow your investment portfolio is about getting prepared. And it helps to have a 'creative' mortgage broker who understands your investment journey. 

This week I'm joined by residential finance expert Paul Steele from Green Finance Group for a frank chat about how to get ready to finance your next property deal.

Rebecca Simon has been a business owner and entrepreneur for over 17 years, but only a few short years ago she and her husband moved into the online space and retired themselves in 5 months. 

They are now helping to change lives globally with a team expanding fast across 50 countries. They now live the life of their dreams living life by design from an island in FIJI. 

Having created a simple success formula, they now share this with others through The Lifestyler Company, founded in 2020, which is unique diary/planner with a built-in Task Management, personal development and goal setting tool inside called "The Lifestyler Planner" . 

Rebecca and and her family now live life doing what they love, helping others and teaching people that miracles really do happen outside of your comfort zone and through planning and goal setting. If that's you goal too, you can't miss this episode of my podcast.

This episode of Small Talk Big Ideas podcast is with my Mum and Dad, Rosalie and Julian Ugarte, and as with all parents their influence in my life has been an incredible experience.

It’s only in recent years that I have realised how the connection between us had to be increased, and that the simple words  “I love you” are easy to say.

Listen in on the stories of their lives, investing in property, and listen as I'm brought to tears watching the pain in my mother's eyes as she relives a traumatic experience through two generations. 

It's an open an honest conversation with some surprises, even for me; including the realisation that my father at 13 years of age was the person who discovered that my grandfather had passed from this earth.

What does a fitness studio have to do with a podcast for property people? Well, fitness (and fitness businesses in particular) require a certain mindset. It’s one of dogged determination, and a drive to succeed. But success doesn’t come without balance. It’s why I’ve always advocated that to be successful in anything (property, business, and more) you need to keep the WHOLE you moving in the right direction. That’s your Wealth, Health, Opportunity, Love, and Evolution. 

That’s why I invited two inspiring business owners and athletes to my podcast. Not only are they hugely successful in business and incredibly nice people, Sam and Bella of Crossfit Movida have kicked my butt around the gym more than once! I hope you enjoy this episode of Small Talk Big Ideas.

If you’ve done a property deal or two, you’ll know that your profit margin can be made or whittled away in the contract negotiation. My guest this week, is a master real estate negotiator, with a unique combination of professional and personal real estate success that make him an enviable resource in contract negotiations. 

Scott Aggett has been a vendor, purchaser, agent and investor, so he understands all sides of the equation. But most of all, he wants to see others thrive in the market. He’s a wealth of knowledge about how to strike a deal and what it takes to be successful in property. I hope you enjoy this episode of Small Talk Big Ideas!