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Our cover: Enshrouded in traditional symbolism, the 40th anniversary is known as the ruby anniversary. In history, the inner fire of a ruby is thought to represent the burning flame of passion and devotion which we think sums up perfectly the JLF ethos.
CONTENTS The Decades..........................................4 Opportunity in Crisis...................... 12 Dream Team........................................18 Sharing The Knowledge.................. 22 Enduring Partners.......................... 26 Making Dreams Reality....................30 Our Why....................................................35 People Places Events.................... 38 The Next 40....................................... 44 2
FOREWORD I remember it like it was yesterday. It was Monday, January 21, 1980, and I was 16. I left Melbourne with $200 and hitch-hiked to the Gold Coast to begin an adventure that is still unfolding today. Time flies, doesn’t it? I am a firm believer that everything is a gift. I could say I did this and that over the years, but in all honesty, it is ‘God’s plan’. When I look back and connect the dots, my journey has been all about the people that came into my life – ‘when the student is ready the teacher shall appear’ - at an uncannily perfect time, creating a signpost for me so I could adjust my bearings and remain true. Of course, I haven’t always got it right, but with the guidance of my mentors I’ve managed to get it right more than I have wrong. I give thanks for that every day. Mentors are vital and I credit all of mine for moulding my daily habits into a discipline and commitment others can rely on and use as inspiration. My mother who had five children and was widowed at 40 was my best teacher. She introduced me to yoga, a ritual I have to this day. George Margolis, a polish Jew, escaped Warsaw within an hour of the German army’s arrival. He was grateful every single day of his life, as he felt ‘everything was a gift’. George taught me to ‘learn to like your dislikes’ and ‘do two things every day you don’t like doing’. I was honoured to be invited to speak at George’s 90th birthday before he passed in 2017. Michael Hershon was another Austrian Jew who escaped war-torn Europe in the 1940s. He took me in at 23 and backed me with $3 million. When I started to succeed financially, he reminded me money is a thirst that cannot be quenched. ‘Learn and practice humility’, he would say. This sentiment led me to Dr Ron and Suwanti Farmer, whom I met in 1987 – six years after JLF Corporation Pty Ltd was founded. The Toogoolawa School has
become a foundation stone that provides us an opportunity to ‘learn and practice humility’. Toogoolawa means ‘a place in the heart’ and that gift is a heart-felt one. Forty years on our measure of success is people. In the 1980s we evolved from a property company into a property and education company. The Farmers’ navigated our Toogoolawa Schools program and introduced Educare – a truth that differentiated us from mainstream education and one that’s more relevant today with domestic violence, child poverty, and youth suicide on the rise. It’s the silent crisis, but we care. Our venture into education took our property business in a new direction. We developed our own suite of educational books and manuals to share that truth. Today, we have thousands of clients who own almost six-million square metres of urban land in high-growth cities. Most of them paid an average of $326 per sqm, today that land is worth $1,000 per sqm. Our clients have used our strategy to build wealth for retirement. Using our ‘7 Steps’ means they don’t need welfare and can show their kids a different picture of retirement. In the late-90s we became a business focussed on property, education and finance. We’re relevant today because we help people. The challenge for James and Alex and the generations to follow is to remain relevant and inspire with our actions. Our future is in humble hands. That is our gift. We are all teachers Some teachers explain Some teachers complain Some teachers Inspire. As you think you shall be.
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THE EIGHTIES In a decade that was so full of promise, the property market hit its straps to kickstart the 1980s. With the country under the leadership of Malcolm Fraser, a young man from Melbourne took a chance, developed some important relationships, and went on to successfully launch a company that had the art of building wealth at its core.
1985 1981 John Leonard Fitzgerald starts JLF Corporation at the age of 18.
• F irst building built (Aston Lodge).
First Commercial Development Slacks Creek, Brisbane.
• S econd building built (Nobby’s Court).
1982
1984
1986
Property Week Update was launched.
John meets Nev Pask during a land deal in Southeast Queensland.
Partnered with Gold Coast high-rise developer, Dainford.
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1988 • F irst Kimberley Forest lots are released. • J LF buys eight-storey building - Tradewinds Apartments, Coffs Harbour.
1989 Toogoolawa Schools Limited is registered by John with Ron and Suwanti Farmers’ help.
1987 • Kimberley Forest, Shailer Park 1,250 master planned community is purchased. • First joint venture with Dainford. • S outhport Office opens and JLF launches the Broadbeach Housing project. • J LF buys 300 lot sub-division off Nev Pask, Velorum Drive, Kingston.
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THE NINETIES Marked by the effects of the economic and social revolutions of the preceding 20 years, Australia experienced a big change in technology and saw John Howard and Paul Keating lead the country. For JLF it was a period of growth and a decade of milestones.
1990
1991
JLF opens its first of seven daycares (Rocking Horse).
Toogoolawa Charity is registered.
1996 Custodian House was built at Nerang.
1992 JLF builds The Oaks Estate.
1994 The Custodian Wealth Builders program was established.
• C WB offices open in Sydney and Melbourne
First Custodian House and Land Package delivered in Oaks Estate
• T oogoolawa School opens in Pimpama.
• V alue - $151,000, 600m² lot, rental $150 per week • 2 021: Value - $750,000, 600m² lot, rental $525 per week.
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1997
JLF begins Pimpama Rivers 1250 lot Masterplan Community.
1998 John wrote his book ‘7 Steps to Wealth’ and appeared on Australian Story.
1999 Australia Sports Medal for Polo.
• I nvestloan is launched with finance brokers and mortgage managers who specialise in residential investment property loans. • JLF Commenced two estates • 300 lots in Algester • 3 00 Lots in Bunker Road, VIC Point (Woodlands).
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THE NOUGHTIES The Sydney Olympics kickstarted the new millennium in fine fashion, paving the way for Australia’s centenary of Federation celebrations (2001). September 11 cast a horrific shadow over the world and despite the Global Financial Crisis that triggered an international recession toward the end of the decade, JLF continued to forge ahead.
2003 2000 • D ora McBain is named Chief Financial Officer. • S uccess from Scratch Manual & CD launch and TV. • O lympic Torch Relay (John carried torch).
2005
First Custodian Property Delivered in Perth (Canning Vale) . • 2 003: Value - $238,000, lot size 650m², rental $240 per week
• 9 6 lots are settled in Western Australia. • T oogoolawa Hastings opens.
• 2 021: Value - $650,000, lot size 650m², rental $650 per week.
2001 • W e Can be Heroes book launched.
2006 JLF celebrates 25 years.
• C ustodian Construction department is outsourced to Paul Thynne.
First Custodian Property Delivered in Melbourne. • 2 006: Value - $340,000, lot size 576m², rental $310 per week • 2 021: Value - $750,000, lot size 576m², rental $450 per week.
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PRANA CENTRE Handing in th
2007- John Fitzgerald receives the keys to Prana Centre
John Fitzgerald and Scott Hutchinson.
2007 Hutchinson Builders started construction on one of the largest office spaces on the Gold Coast, the Prana Centre at Nerang.
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2008 • F irst Custodian magazine is published. • T eam undertakes Tour De Force bike challenge tour for Toogoolawa.
2009 Kostya Tszyu, Jason McCartney and Gregory David Roberts attend the JLF Client Conference as special guests.
2007 Mountain bike challenge of Tanzania tour for Toogoolawa.
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THE TEENS Jobs recovery and growth set the tone for a decade that was defined by technology advances and turmoil. Australia experienced one of the biggest jobs booms since WWII and, as it has done for more than 30 years, JLF Group broke new ground nationally and internationally.
2013 2010 Ngahihi O Te Ra Bidois is the keynote speaker at JLF’s three-day client conference of 200 people.
First trip to China, John lectured at the prestigious university in China (Tsinghua University).
2011 • J LF breaks into the Sydney market for the first time. • J ohn’s mentor George Margolas (far right) helps JLF celebrate 30 years. • F irst Custodian Property Delivered in Sydney. • 2 011: Value - $395,000 lot size 375m², rental $480 per week • 2 021: Value - $960,000 lot size 375m², rental $650 per week.
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2014 • F irst sale in China takes place in September. • S earched for partners in China and conducted first seminar (March). • T oogoolawa receives a government grant for extension.
“
I just wanted to do something different. I thought there must be something more to teaching.
THE LAST 15 YEARS...
2017
Returning to work at a “mainstream” school will never be
“I actually used to refer children there from the school I was at. I liked what they did and saw they were having
an option for Toogoolawa School principal Gerry Moloney.
some success.
Mr Moloney has been principal at the school since 2006, guiding the way for young boys who have been kicked out of mainstream education.
“Some of the teachers in mainstream schools are pretty quick to give up on challenging kids. It can be difficult when you have 25 or 30 kids in a class and one or two of them take up 90 per cent of your time.”
That many of those boys, who without Toogoolawa may have ended up unemployed, homeless or in jail, have gone on to lead successful lives is what drives Mr Moloney to continue the work which started when John Fitzgerald teamed up with psychologists Ron and Suwanti to open the school.
Approval for Largest Waterfront Urban Development Gold Coast, Clear Island Waters 1,550 Apartments, 25ha.
After 30 years of teaching Mr Moloney was on leave thinking about what he would like to do next when the opportunity to join Toogoolawa at Ormeau came up. “I just wanted to do something different,” he said, “I thought there must be something more to teaching.”
“I was a deputy principal at another school when I first heard about Toogoolawa,” Mr Moloney said.
2018
The Toogoolawa model is unique to the school an been designed to revolve around the five uni Human Values of Truth, Love, Peace, Right Conduc Non-violence.
HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
About a third of the boys who have spent tim Toogoolawa integrate back into mainstream scho while others do traineeships or TAFE courses. Abo per cent of the students go to work or further study
Toogoolawa school extension completed, allowing the school to double its student intake.
The school facilities have also grown quite substa in the past few years, financially assisted as always Fitzgerald, and with a State Government grant.
Fortuitously, while on leave Mr Moloney saw a job at the school advertised in the paper he was reading and he decided to apply.
“The old Queenslander building has been refurbishe we now have other buildings for classrooms,” Mr Mo said.
“Back then it was just an old Queenslander which had been done up to be used as a schoolhouse, it was similar to the sort of home I grew up in,” Mr Moloney said.
While the facilities and number of boys may have cha in recent years one thing that hasn’t is the philos which Mr Moloney said is why he can’t imagine working anywhere else.
“When I first started, I think there were three kids there, although it was set up to accommodate 12, the numbers ebbed and flowed. Now we have about 120 boys.”
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2015 • J LF sets up office in Guangzhou in partnership with Fineland in 2015.
“Our philosophy is Educare, which means you take of the heart before you take care of the head, it’s all character building,” he said.
2020 COVID-19 restrictions prompt JLF to embrace webinars and online education.
• J LF spreads its wings, taking a trip to China (August).
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IGNORE THE PESSIMISTS AND MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY CRISIS The year 2020 dawned without the usual sense of hope and optimism that accompanies the arrival of a new year. A heartbroken nation was still struggling to contain devastating bushfires that had burned through millions of acres of land, destroyed thousands of homes and buildings and resulted in 34 deaths. We barely had time to draw breath when ominous images emerged of armed patrols in the streets of Wuhan in China, trying to contain the spread of a new and deadly virus. By late January, the first case of coronavirus had been recorded on our shores.
Things were looking grim, if not dire, according to the majority of commentators. Certainly, the arrival of COVID-19 in Australia was cause for significant concern but not for John Fitzgerald who labelled some of these forecasts as ‘preposterous’. John knew it was time to act. Now was not the time to pull down the shutters, it was time to embrace opportunity and he would ensure JLF clients were the ones to benefit. As the pandemic raged, virtual and online communication became more important than ever.
Within weeks economists, politicians and the media combined forces in an effort to convert us into a nation of doomsday preppers.
This was a tool John and the team at JLF already used extensively but during the pandemic they increased them substantially.
The headlines were filled with dire predictions about COVID-19 cases exploding, with some politicians claiming this country would have millions infected and to expect between 50,000 and 250,000 deaths within 12 months.
John began a weekly webinar series in March to counter many of the claims being made about the likely impact of COVID on the property market and urged clients to ignore the noise, look at the numbers, examine the facts and make the most of the extraordinary opportunities being presented.
The same ‘run-for-your-life’ experts were suggesting the economy was about to fall off a cliff, we were heading for a recession or worse, unemployment would skyrocket and property prices would plummet. 12
Now with the benefit of hindsight, we take a look back at what the headlines said, what John said, and what actually happened.
MARCH-APRIL 2020 The forecasts about house prices were alarming. Major news outlets published articles suggesting they were about to nosedive as the nation watched COVID-19 cases climb, followed by our first taste of lockdown. There was enormous uncertainty and nervousness, with buyers and investors understandably unsure which way to jump in the face of a one-in-100-year pandemic. The impact on health systems overseas was catastrophic and major cities were shutting down. The Federal Government abandoned its hopes of achieving a surplus and began rolling out tens of billions of dollars in stimulus measures but even with a cash injection of this magnitude, the market jitters persisted. The headlines suggested the Australian property market was in for a rough ride, despite record low interest rates and banks pausing mortgage repayments for affected customers. 13
John’s response was out of step with much of the mainstream commentary. He encouraged Custodian investors to not only hold their nerve but capitalise on what was, in his view, an extraordinary opportunity. He was convinced that the stimulus measures being provided by the Government would push the market skyward over the next few years, offering the following explanation via his webinar. “For the market to be strong it needs liquidity, and all the governments in the world are putting money into the markets,” John said. “They’re literally going to print money to buy their way out of it. Printing money means massive inflation, it means house prices doubling. “The $500,000 house will go to $1m in the next three years. “The stimulus the government announced on the weekend shocked me… this is incredible, the most exciting thing I’ve ever seen in my life. “We need to study the numbers and look at the long-term opportunity.”
MAY-JUNE-JULY 2020 Over the next few months, John reiterated this advice as JobKeeper funds, business support packages, government grants and boosted JobSeeker benefits poured into the economy. In May, he told clients to not be swayed by the naysayers and stick to the tried and true fundamentals of real estate investing. “There is one truth that has proved itself during the last two months; every prediction we have read or heard has been wrong. And therein lays the opportunity of a lifetime,” John said. “How did we know it was all BS? We looked at the numbers and determined what was true and not true, relevant and not relevant.” In June, he compared economists to ‘Circus Clowns’ appearing in between the main acts to keep the audience entertained. John had forecast the arrival of stimulus for housing, which duly arrived in the form of the Federal Government’s $25,000 HomeBuilder grant. “They thought 27,500 would take up the offer in the next six months (but) within six days, 13,800 have registered and 188,000 visited the HomeBuilder website,” John said. “Pretty much the day after the announcement the ‘Circus Clowns’ were saying that this stimulus would cause house prices to drop. “What the???
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“Last time we had a housing stimulus house prices went up 11.4 per cent within 12 months (2010).” Despite the additional measures and signs the drastic predictions may have been overstated, the negative headlines persisted.
AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2020 In August, John’s newsletter to clients highlighted three key points made by the Reserve Bank Governor about the economy that supported his belief in the strength of the housing market. Philip Lowe had said ‘we have already seen the worse of the decline’ and it was ‘not as large as initially feared’; interest rates will stay at record lows for likely three years or more; and the financial system is flush with liquidity and asset prices are rising. “Despite the above, our press wants you to believe we are still going off a cliff sometime in the future, i.e. end of JobKeeper; Christmas (not sure what the logic is here) or just because..... ,” John said. “Agents from all over tell me their biggest challenge is getting people to sell. Vendors are sitting put and listings are down 6.18 per cent in NSW, 9.62 percent in Victoria, 15.04 per cent in Qld, 14.17 per cent in SA and 15.27 per cent in WA. “On the flip side, auction clearance rates (if you include vendor withdrawn) are easily at or above last year’s figure for the same time. 15
“In fact, Melbourne is higher and Brisbane and Adelaide are nearly 30 per cent higher. “Don’t get caught by the noise. Follow the numbers and make the most of this amazing opportunity.” The doom and gloom headlines continued but John doubled down on his predictions of a property price boom hurtling towards the market. John told his clients that prices would ‘explode’, and they would be surprised by how quickly and by how much, pointing to recent records set in Sydney, regional Queensland and on the Gold Coast. “We now know, exactly what we said would happen, has happened: when Australia opened up briefly at the end of July, property prices officially went up in Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra and Perth. “Even the banks and economists are back peddling: “What has genuinely surprised us is the resilience of house prices in some of the other capital cities, considering the negative shock to the labour markets around the country,” a CBA economist said….”
OCTOBER-DECEMBER 2020 John was staggered by the level of stimulus that had poured into the economy over the past six months and the level of liquidity sloshing around world markets as a result of efforts to head off the worst of the pandemic’s impact on the global economy. 16
He noted that long term bonds in some countries were selling at zero per cent or even negative return, and that countries were continuing to print money. John told his clients to brace themselves for massive inflation of particular assets, including Australian house prices, and pointed out that the responsible lending limits ushered in after the banking royal commission had evaporated. “Banks are now doing 90 per cent loans with no lender’s mortgage insurance for certain professions and the expenses and borrowing capacity calculators have been dialed up big time,” he said. “Today the Australian median house price is around $660,000. I expect this to quickly go to $1m and returns on residential property to drop from 4 per cent to 2 per cent. “I can point you to record sale prices in just about every street in every suburb but hopefully you can see this for yourself in your own suburb.” Things moved quickly in 2020 and seemed to be accelerating as the year began drawing to a close. “A lot can happen in a week. Over the course of just seven days, we’ve witnessed: The US election, Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) quantitative easing, UK lockdown, Melbourne free, Queensland election, home loans 1.89% fixed, house prices surge and a vaccine in production!! Yes, it all happened in one week,” John wrote in November.
On Melbourne Cup Day, the Reserve Bank dropped the cash rate to 0.1 per cent while the eyes of the nation were on the race track and a result, banks were offering four-year fixed rates at 1.89 per cent. More importantly the RBA signalled that they are now pumping money into the economy on longer terms than their normal three-year horizon. “Their new bonds will be five to ten years and that’s the golden ticket for us and property, as I expect investors will gain access to longer terms and lower rates,” John told his clients. “House prices are officially going up now – not that they ever tanked, despite what some commentators predicted,” he added. By December, the trend of rising house prices was clear and most commentators had changed their tune. Those with the nerve, knowledge and the means had recognised the opportunity during the year and many others were ruing their decision to follow the pack. “Essentially in the year 2020 – the year of COVID-19 – everything you read or heard was ‘get out while you can’ and ‘doomsday is coming’,” John said.
“Our message, however, was ‘make the most of this crisis’. “Hundreds of Custodians did exactly that by riding interest rates down and buying again. “This year was a defining year for us as Custodians, as it truly shows the resolve needed to push ahead, amidst all the noise.” Summary: Don’t listen to pessimists. 17
THE TEAM THAT MAKES THE DREAM The early 2020s were amongst the most difficult and challenging periods that many Australians have faced, so it’s heartening to see that so many of our valued JLF clients have managed to weather that storm. Our aim at JLF has always been to act as a guiding light for all of our clients, big or small, to provide the expert advice needed to help them emerge on the other side of any challenge, financially stable and on their way to financial independence. 18
We couldn’t have done this without our amazing staff. Over the years the faces may have changed, but the dedication and professionalism has not. Our team is the heart and soul behind JLF, who have guided the business and clients through the rough waters that were the start of the 2020s. To celebrate our 40th anniversary we asked some of the team, past and present, to reflect on what working at JLF meant to them and what working with John taught them.
DORA MCBAIN A company must be doing something right when its own staff become its customers. JLF CFO Dora McBain, like many of the team at JLF has invested in several properties through Custodian. And she can understand why their customers are so loyal and keep coming back for more. “We make sure that we communicate with our clients, especially when they need it most, the pandemic was one of those times” she said. “It’s not just set and forget, we are constantly trying to be there for our clients guiding them with their investment journey, making sense of all the noise provided by the media in particular.” After starting out as Group Accountant with JLF 26 years ago, Dora said she was always looking for different ways to challenge herself and learn something new. She completed her Accounting degree at Monash University in Melbourne before making a move to the Gold Coast when she was 26 years old. “I decided to do something different from what I was doing in Melbourne and take a little bit of a risk with John because I had always been interested in property and it was something that I wanted to learn,” she said. “Back then the office was in Southport and there were only six of us. In that first year we settled 25 properties, back when the average land sale was circa $60,000. “I was lucky enough to be part of the development of the Custodian brand and launching the business, setting up offices in Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra and Brisbane. “It’s like I just blinked and then 26 years flew past. It’s been a great experience to work with John to build the business to what it is today and leave a legacy for the next generation: John’s nephew James and his daughter Alex.” That decision to take her first Gold Coast job with a property company was a real ‘sliding doors moment’ for Dora, reinforcing her belief that if you always do the right thing for the right reasons the universe will always have your back. “Don’t get me wrong, there have been many tough times,” she said. “There has been stress and sleepless nights, particularly in 2000 when the GST was introduced and in 2007 when the Global Financial Crisis hit, but that’s what we are here for, to weather the storm and help guide our clients through those tough times.”
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TERRY NASSER When Terry Nasser first saw the way JLF operated, he decided that was something he could really be a part of. He has now served more than 21 years as JLF’s Licensed Real Estate Agent and intends to chalk up many more. “I was working for another company doing similar stuff, when I was introduced to John Fitzgerald,” Terry said. “I liked his approach to business and felt it aligned a lot with how I thought you should treat people, so I came on board.” As the Licensed Real Estate Agent Terry is across all land transactions for JLF, whether it is in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria or South Australia. While there have been some tough times since then, bought on by external factors such as the Global Financial Crisis, one thing has never wavered in the way JLF approaches their clients, which according to Terry is, communication and honesty. “We are fully open and fully transparent, we are like a big family to be quite honest, we involve all our clients in everything we do,” he said. “We communicate with them probably better than any other company in the country on a variety of channels.” Terry said it was the long-term relationships he had built and the f riendships he had gained over his journey at JLF that he enjoyed the most. He said the fact that he was still dealing with clients now that he met when he first joined more than 21 years ago showed they were doing something right at JLF. “Sometimes the hardest thing to learn is you have to be comfortable with asking an uncomfortable question,” he said. But he said it’s John Fitzgerald’s philosophy that you should always strive to be better which really stuck with him. And what is the funniest story he has about working at JLF? Well, that’s something Terry won’t reveal other than saying, ‘Christmas parties’, those who know will know, he reckons.
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“John had a lot of inspirational sayings: ‘There’s only truth in numbers’, ‘Success is repetition’ and ‘Learn to like your dislikes’, were three that really struck a chord with me. JLF is family – I still stop by head office once or twice a week, it’s like I haven’t left.”
CHRISTINE BOUNDS Christine Bounds was proof positive that once you are part of the JLF family you are always part of the JLF family. Sadly Christine, a former Director at JLF, passed away in 2020 and while she had left JLF in 2000 the contribution she made will never be forgotten. “Christine was there with me in the trenches from the start,” John said. “We built a great working relationship based on mutual respect and trust, so much so that when Christine left JLF she would still get in touch with me about blocks of land she thought I would be interested in buying.” Christine’s spirit is still very much remembered in the JLF offices in the building at Nerang that she managed the construction of. “I very much miss Christine’s wise counsel,” John said. “I respected her opinion and treasured her friendship and those are things that I will really miss.”
Cory Palazzolo, Former JLF Finance manager
“I use a lot of what I learnt at JLF still today and not just the workrelated things. I learnt a lot of life skills as well, the team at JLF really embraced me, it was a like a family.” Ramon Palomar, Former JLF Development Manager
“(John) taught me to have faith in the numbers, and most importantly not just to read them, but to understand what the numbers mean, understand how they got there and develop a deeper knowledge of what you are looking at.” Fletcher Davies, Former JLF Qld acquisitions manager “During my four years at JLF I learnt that you should always bring a proposed solution to any challenge or problem that you need to table for discussion. It was a very inclusive and collaborative work environment full of opportunities and that there’s only truth in numbers.” Tessa Calver-James, lawyer
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SHARING THE KNOWLEDGE
AUSTRALIAN BILLIONAIRES
“EVERY AUSTRALIAN .” MUST READ THIS BOOKEll,
Bob Top 100 BRW Billionaire
John Fitzgerald has always acknowledged his good fortune to be mentored by some of the best in the real estate business.
“BEST BOOK... SHOULD BE TAUGHT IN SCHOOLS.”
Nev Pask, Top 100 BRW Billionaire
For John, the opportunity to learn from George Margolis and Michael Hershon, and later business titans like Nev Pask and Maha Sinnathamby, was priceless and lifechanging and sharing knowledge to provide others an opportunity to achieve their dreams became part of his DNA.
“COMPELLING INSIGHTS.”
Maha Sinnathamby, Top 100 BRW Billionaire
Over the years John has collaborated with key international and national figures to tap into their knowledge for the benefit of our clients and partners. Justin Jones, Maria Konnikova, Bernard Salt, Tim Lawless, Michael Matusik to name but a few, have participated in informative events for clients designed to fulfil our goal of continuous learning. A successful author, motivational speaker, webinar host and educator, John has actively sought out new channels to engage with audiences to pass on the critical lessons he has learned about real estate investing over the past four decades.
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RECOMMEND
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“SUCCESS IS REPETITION”
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- John L. Fitzgerald,
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sevenstepstowealth.com
John’s debut as an author was an instant hit, with the launch of ‘7 Steps to Wealth’ in 1998 becoming a highly-acclaimed best seller. more text here more text here more text here more text here more text here more text here more text here more text here more text here more text here more text here more text here more text here more text here more text here more text here more text here more text here here more text here more text here more text here more text here here more text here more text here more text here here more text here more text here more text here here more text here more text here more text here here more text here more text here more text here here more text here more text here more text here here more text here more text here more text here here
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Just three years later, he followed up with his second book, ‘We Can Be Heroes’, cementing his reputation as a popular author and educator. John clearly had the writer’s bug and his fans couldn’t get enough, snapping up Signposts to Success when it was published in 2005 and then
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Justin Jones John Fitzgerald
John Fitzgerald Maria Konnikova
Maria Konnikova Bernard Salt
Bernard Salt Tim Lawless
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Tim Lawless Michael Matusik
Michael Matusik
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Maria Konnikova
Bernard Salt
Tim Lawless
Michael Matusik
‘Success from Scratch’ in 2007. His ‘7 Steps to Accelerated Wealth’ was released in 2008, and the first edition of Custodian Magazine was published later that same year. John’s books were also converted into CDs and audio books in several languages, allowing him to reach an even wider audience, and he has been a highly sought-after public speaker and media commentator throughout his career.
In March 2020, he expanded his online presence with the launch of his weekly COVID webinars, debunking some of the myths being perpetrated by the media about the potential impact of the pandemic on real estate values and sharing his own take on how the future would unfold. John’s trailblazing and passion for educating audiences about real estate investment has also been passed onto the next generation at JLF.
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In 2020, his daughter Alex and nephew James launched ‘The Double Shot’ podcast, offering ‘Real Estate & Investment Bites for Millennials’. Cousins Alex and James, both young, successful real estate professionals in their own right, host the weekly podcast where they digest the business and investment headlines through a millennial lens and focus on how Australians can most effectively use real estate as their primary investment strategy. And in 2021 aged just 31, James had his first foray into print, publishing ‘Bulletproof Investing’ to help everyday Australians regain control of their finances in troubled economic times. James told the story of how he had transformed his personal finances over the past decade, f rom being tens of thousands of dollars in debt, to owning a booming property and investment portfolio. The book received rave reviews and captured media attention across Australia and New Zealand – proof that Bulletproof provides an invaluable roadmap for people struggling to get their money and their lives back on track. John Fitzgerald believes we are all both students and teachers and he made a conscious choice to coach and inspire others early in his career. His influence has been far-reaching and profound but his underlying message about real estate investment has always been simple and consistent: the key is numbers, strategy and repetition.
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PARTNERSHIPS THAT LAST A LIFETIME The one thing we have all learnt at JLF over the past 40 years is that we wouldn’t be where we are now without forming so many meaningful partnerships along the way. These partners they have become very much a part of the fabric of JLF and are instrumental in not only our success, but more importantly that of our clients. Notable partnerships that simply can’t got without acknowledgement are KPMG Brisbane, our external accountants for two
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decades; National Australia Bank, who has been JLF’s biggest lender; and of course, companies like Insignia Homes, Callaway Homes, Winslow Constructions, Little Real Estate Group and Mitchell Brandtman, with which we have had longstanding relationships over the past 40 years. From those who were alongside John before the company even began, to those who have worked side by side with him along the way, we pay tribute to our business partners who chose to come on the JLF journey with us.
PAUL THYNNE MANAGING DIRECTOR MELTHORN PTY LTD Paul Thynne remembers well the day he dropped John Fitzgerald off on the edge of Melbourne as he set out to hitchhike to Queensland in search of a new life. The pair had been friends since primary school, their families living a few streets apart. “When we were about Grade 5 or 6, John’s father died and he and his two brothers were later sent to boarding school in Ballarat while their mum looked after their twin sisters, who were still toddlers,” Paul recalled. While their contact was then limited to school holiday catch-ups, the two remained good friends. “John got into martial arts, and he was a tough little kid,” he said. “When he was 16, he took off for the Gold Coast. His brother and I dropped him off in the northern outskirts of Melbourne as he prepared to hitchhike north on the Hume Highway.” John got a job in real estate in Miami on the Gold Coast, and in 1996 when Paul moved to Queensland, they reconnected and their long friendship continued. By then, John had established his own business and two years later, Paul joined JLF Corporation as general manager, before establishing his own residential property development company in 2001. Melthorn Pty Ltd produces land estates and housing targeted at the property investment market. For the past 20 years, Paul has also been the managing director of Custodian House & Garden Care, which helps interstate investors with the maintenance and upkeep of their assets. He said his friendship with John has stood the test of time because although they have moved in different directions it remained constant and they were able to successfully blend their business relationship with their friendship. “I have really valued John’s mentorship. He is loyal, innovative and a strong leader who is always happy to share his knowledge,” Paul said. “He genuinely likes to help others succeed.”
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GARY DEANE GARY DEANE INVESTMENTS It always had the makings of a solid professional partnership but the relationship between Gary Deane and John Fitzgerald has evolved into so much more over the past three decades. The pair first came together on a development in Brisbane’s Daisy Hill in 1992 bringing different, but complementary, skills to the project and have since forged a lasting bond based on trust and mutual respect. “We’re quite, quite different,” Gary explained. “John’s the ever-optimistic salesman with marketing flair and vision, and my background is engineering, contracting, and resolving day to day dramas. “John had a contractor working for him on the Kimberley Forest project in Daisy Hill who kept letting him down and someone said: ‘You should speak to Gary Deane, he’s four or five years into a major enterprise running a business and he doesn’t let people down’. “That was the start, he was a client of mine and I was his contractor there. I was 42 and he was 29.” Gary had recently bought the contracting business and both men were determined to make their mark in property development. He also recognised the value of forming good relationships directly with clients in order to secure their long-term business and bypass the usual tendering hurdles. “I got as close to John as I could while we were working on that project and we met on site regularly,” Gary said. “That was new to him because he had always dealt with the consulting engineers before and he was just starting out. “I remember him saying ‘I want to learn from you as much as I can’, because at that stage we had 200 people working for us and quite a big presence in the development industry.
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“We started out as client and principal and there was a little bit of mutual mentoring going on in the early days.” The pair went on to complete dozens of successful projects together and became partners in a major development on the Gold Coast around 1999-2000. Most of their work has been confined to South East Queensland, particularly on the Gold Coast and in Brisbane, although there has been the occasional project interstate. They’ve experienced the highs and lows of their respective personal and professional lives over the past 30 years and have always been there when one or the other needed a leg up. “When I was short of work John brought work forward to help,” Gary continued. “And when John had a cash flow issue, we didn’t put the pressure on, we continued the work knowing he would do the right thing in the end. “Those relationships are fairly rare, to have that much commercial trust in people.” Gary has great admiration for John’s sense of purpose, his determination to do the right thing by those who do the right thing by him, and his enormous commitment to children and their welfare. “John really, really is very kids focused,” he said. “Some people see him as this ‘Gold Coast marketer’ but when you skim off that layer, he has this absolute, unequivocal love of children – his own obviously – but also kids generally.” Gary added that John is also fiercely loyal to his friends and passionate about creating a worthwhile legacy – something he learned from one of his earliest mentors, Michael Hershon. “The issue of legacy has been an underlying theme of John’s for a long, long time and he values his relationships extremely highly,” he said. “I would say they are John’s three most outstanding characteristics: Loyalty, legacy and an endless supply of optimism.”
“The company has always been terrific to work with, exuding great professionalism, work ethics and the integral importance of building trust in relationships.” Rob Portaro, Luxton Homes
“We have had the pleasure to work with John and his team for over 20 years to build the new homes for their clients. We have always admired their customer focus to achieve wealth creation for them and is testament with so many repeat customers.” Craig & Paul Millson, Orbit Homes
“What you will learn from John Fitzgerald is how his clients have been building wealth over time using his ‘7 Steps to Wealth’ strategy. We are very excited and look forward to seeing our own clients’ portfolios grow, thanks to an education method that simply works.” Robert Green, Ray White Aspley
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MAKING DREAMS REALITY Respected leadership author Michael S. Hyatt once wrote: “When you know your why, you’ll know your way”. Across the 40-year JLF story, our ‘why’ crystallised very early on in the journey – we wanted to share our knowledge in a way that would uplift and empower others. So, our ‘why’ became our way with our clients. In the past four decades, JLF has helped thousands of clients invest in property across Australia. We now have more than 3,600 clients and 8 per cent of them own five or more investment properties and 1.2 per cent own 10 or more. That’s impressive when you consider Australia has 2,207,905 property investors and of them 71 per cent own just one property and only 1 per cent own five or more.
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Proudly, we also now have a multigenerational client base, working with the sons, daughters and sometimes grandchildren of our loyal and supportive clients to create lasting wealth. Every day the JLF Group aims to help clients to set themselves up to be financially independent and fun the retirement they dream of.
THE TISANO FAMILY The Tisanos have become a family of property investors with all three children following in their parents’ footsteps to buy property through Custodian. Parents, Antonio and Teresa made their first foray into buying property in 2003.
Since then, the couple have bought nine investment properties, in Queensland, NSW and Victoria. And now their children have joined in, with Cinzia, 26, Chiara, 21, and 24-year-old Alessio all buying their first investment property through Custodian this year. In fact, Cinzia has already settled on her second, and she along with her siblings hope to continue building on her investment portfolio in the coming years. After seeing the example set by their parents, Cinzia and her siblings had been keen to get into the market. The family members bought four properties all next to each other in the same street at the start of this year. “We were interested in doing it for a while,” Cinzia said. “We probably first spoke about it a couple of years ago and we started the process last year, settling on the properties this year. “I think after we saw our parent’s experience, we felt investing through Custodian was a good way to get into the market. “We felt like we had a team of experts helping us and they made us feel confident and comfortable about what we were doing.”
Fortunately for the Tisano children, their parents helped them with the deposit for their first property, something James Fitzgerald advocates in his ‘Bulletproof Investing’ book, that is to use other people’s money to help you get into the market whether that is a bank, family or a friend. Cinzia and her siblings will continue to invest in property and try to build a solid portfolio in the coming years. “I think that will be the long-term plan,” she said. “We don’t want to go too quickly we are just starting out in our careers, but that is the goal.” They learned that it was not as difficult to become a property investor as many young people believed. “My advice would be to find out about it and see what realistically you need to do, when you have the experts behind you that takes away the fear,” she said. “It’s about getting the knowledge and the support. The one thing I really learned from working with Custodian was about looking for areas of growth, areas where there is new development and infrastructure and schools. Areas where you can buy land, that is where the values come in and where you can achieve good returns.”
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THE POLITO FAMILY The Polito family are a close bunch. The three adult children, Stefania, 25, Natalie, 23, and Robert, 21, all live in the family home with their parents Maria and Vince (below). So, when it came time to think about investing in property it was only natural that the whole family decided they would do that together as well. All three children have bought an investment property in Queensland’s Augustine Heights through Custodian, in fact they are all next to each other in the same street, while Maria and Vince have bought an investment property a few hundred metres up the road.
meant Robert had to put on hold his plans for buying his dream car. Stefania said the family took the first step toward investing on the recommendation of their long-standing accountant. “We were always very keen to get into the market somehow and we went to our accountant who was also a long-term client of Custodian,” Stefania said. Natalie said while they knew they wanted to invest they weren’t sure how to go about it before they were introduced to Custodian. “Once we met them, they really helped us make that dream come true. It is simpler than you think, if you want to get into investing, then Custodian makes the process a lot easier.”
Investing in property was something Maria and Vince had always wanted to do and they encouraged their children f rom a very young age to save so that once they had a deposit they could invest too.
Stefania has already followed the Custodian model of repeating success and adding more properties to her portfolio, purchasing a second property in South Australia.
That time finally arrived in September 2019 after the family was referred to Custodian.
The family will most likely next invest in an area of South Australia which has strong future population growth.
“Since the kids started working, they have been saving. They have been saving since they were 13 or 14 with every part-time job they had. I have always said to them, ‘save for your future’ so that you have a good deposit and you can invest in property at a young age.” Maria and Vince were able to use the equity in the family home for their investment property. However, for Stefania, Natalie and Robert, they each used their savings to fund their individual deposits, even though it
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“If you can invest in property, then why not,” Natalie said. “Eventually one day you can live off that.” The family treats investing in property as a business – they don’t live in the properties and buy with their heads not their hearts. “It has to be something that works for everyone, something simple and nice which would be rented out quickly,” Stefania said.
Natalie said many of their f riends who were buying investment properties were investing in units, which Custodian didn’t recommend, as it was the land component which increased in value over the long term, not the building.
process of buying two more investment properties together in Adelaide.
She said the family lived by John Fitzgerald’s mantra, that there is a difference between real estate and property, and it was important to buy something with a good land component for future price growth.
“I just think – why wouldn’t you be investing all your money and making it work as hard for you as possible? Just get in there and go for it. Once you’ve got skin in the game, it gets you over that hurdle of not knowing how to do it.”
JADEN & LUN
GEOFF & THERESE Jaden’s parents bought their first two investment properties through Custodian in Brisbane in 2001. “After that they continued to invest through Custodian for a long time, and dad is still active today,” he said.
“My investment philosophy is to go as passive as I can, and to invest in positively geared properties,” Jaden said.
Geoff and Therese bought their first property through Custodian when their accountant told them they needed to invest. “We had money sitting in the bank that wasn’t doing anything. We just hadn’t taken that next step,” Therese said. “Geoff went and bought about 50 books – he read all of them and then he handed me one which was ‘7 Steps to Wealth’. John’s book stood out because he had a moral purpose.” “It worked for us. We learnt from what he said we didn’t try to reinvent the wheel.
In 2017, when Jaden was 21, he decided he would like to invest too. He initially thought he would go it on his own but found he kept getting beaten at auctions and couldn’t get a foothold anywhere. “The properties were also selling for more than I thought they should, which wouldn’t make them a good investment,” Jaden said. “So, I went to Custodian to see what they had to offer, and they were looking at some of the same growth areas that I had been researching and was keen to buy in. “They were able to find me a good investment at a fixed price in Melton in Victoria. “It was a little bit of a rocky start for me as the land release was delayed but eventually the sale went through and in April 2020, I purchased my second property, a dual occupancy at Augustine Heights in Queensland.” Jaden and his partner, Lun, are in the
You’re best to diversify around the country which is what we did,” Geoff said. “We’ve ended up with eight investment properties through the help of John. It certainly made us a lot less worried – in terms of how money was going to come in. It opened up the whole concept of having experts help you. “We trusted John. We chose that path rather than worry about the ups and downs of the stock market.”
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ROBYNNE Robynne had always been interested in investing in property. She owned her own home, but it wasn’t until after she was left a small inheritance when her mother passed away that she was able to even contemplate investing. “Prior to this, I had recently separated from my husband and didn’t come out well financially, so when I inherited some money from my parents, I decided that I really needed to be careful with how I managed my funds,” she said. “I can’t really remember how I heard about JLF and Custodian, but I attended about five or six meetings in Canberra. What they were saying resonated with me. “After much research and soul searching, I decided to dive in …. and I hoped that everything would work!” Robynne said at first it was very scary because once she had made the decision to invest, she didn’t have a lot of accessible funds. “I literally sat on the edge of my seat and held my breath while contracts were signed, construction was completed, tenants were secured and the first rental money was deposited into my bank account,” she said. That was in 2013 and Robynne breathed a long sigh of relief that all was going well. “I was so excited that this venture was working. I could see a glimmer of hope towards becoming more financially stable and wondered how long it would be before I could possibly buy another property,” she said. By 2019 she had a second investment property, again in Queensland. Just a few weeks ago Robynne settled on her third investment property, this time in South Australia.
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“Everyone I have worked with at Custodian has just been absolutely amazing. They have kept in touch with me since day one and have always been on the other end of the phone if I had any questions no matter how insignificant or if I needed to seek their advice,” she said. “As a teacher, I hold a special place in my heart for our young Australians and am inspired by John Fitzgerald’s unwavering faith in our youth. “Through his massive ongoing commitment to education to Toogoolawa School it is easy to see how passionate and dedicated he is to guiding these students towards confidence and faith in their own abilities. “With this evidence of devotion, he has certainly inspired me to believe in myself, and in that placing my faith in his method of investing in property will serve me well.” Robynne said the investments were her retirement money, her superannuation. “Although I have worked as a teacher, the separation wiped out a lot of my finances. It was like I was pressing the reset button financially and going back to square one,” she said. “My inner peace and contentment have continued to flourish since I started investing. It is satisfying to know that I have taken charge of my financial future. I have unwavering faith and confidence in myself to know that I can secure my financial future on my own. “Maybe somewhere down the line, my children will also be inspired by my journey to invest as well.” “We trusted John. We chose that path rather than worry about the ups and downs of the stock market.”
OUR WHY At JLF the ‘why’ was never solely about money – it was about doing some good. Helping people to improve their lives is proudly at the core of our ‘why’ and where better to start than our future generations. When Sydney clinical psychologists Ron and Suwanti Farmer received a late-night phone call from a young John Fitzgerald back in 1987 they didn’t realise how life changing it would be – not only for them, but for more than 1500 teenage boys in the decades to come.
As Ron recounts ‘this young bloke called and said he had a fair bit of money and wanted to help street kids. I thought he’s either crazy or he’s a very wise, but I don’t which’. That phone call was followed by a pivotal meeting on the Gold Coast which sent the trio on their more than 30-year ‘spiritual journey’ together. “John said to me, ‘I would like you to be my navigator and make this dream a reality’,” Suwanti said. And with that, the dream became something of which all three are still incredibly 35
committed to today – the Toogoolawa School at Ormeau. Since 1991 the school has helped thousands of boys aged from 8 to 15 who are struggling in variety of ways and have been ostracised from the mainstream school system. Some boys have depression, or have been bullied, are autistic, have ADHD or anger issues and social anxiety. The school’s educational model has been designed to revolve around the five universal human values of truth, love, peace, right conduct, and non-violence. For Ron those key values are like having a blueprint for living. “What we provide for students and teachers we want to live by,” he said. The school’s name was chosen because of its Aboriginal meaning ‘place in the heart’. At that first meeting John told Suwanti: “God has given me this gift of being able to make money, lots of money, but it is not really my money – I believe I have a responsibility to help those in the community who are struggling”. And he’s remained a very much a hands-on part of the Toogoolawa School since it was founded, visiting every Monday to meet with the staff and students. “They all love John. He’s still a boy at heart, but he’s a real hero to them,” Ron said. That affectionate bond is also strong between John, Ron and Suwanti, with the couple counting John among their dearest friends. “I always see something in him like the personality of a warrior. He’s a spiritual warrior with a shield and heart of compassion for humanity,” Suwanti said. “He’s very selfdisciplined, a fearless man, who loves to learn – his sees his children as his gurus who teach him to be a better person.” Despite the obstacles he’s encountered in life, the couple say the JLF founder is still brimming with positivity. John will turn every catastrophic event into something that is an opportunity, they say. 36
“He’s been this constant reminder to be more loving, considerate and respectful, and I think those are traits we can all live by,” Ron added. All three may be a little older than when they started the Toogoolawa School journey 30 years ago, but none of them are showing any signs of slowing down. In fact, John has plans in place for another 30 schools right across Australia.
GERRY MOLONEY TOOGOOLAWA SCHOOL PRINCIPAL Returning to work at a ‘mainstream’ school will never be an option for Toogoolawa School principal, Gerry Moloney. Mr Moloney has been principal at the school since 2006, guiding the way for young boys who have been kicked out of mainstream education.
That many of those boys, who without Toogoolawa may have ended up unemployed, homeless or in jail, have gone on to lead successful lives is what drives Mr Moloney to continue the work which started when John teamed up with psychologists Ron and Suwanti to open the school. “I was a deputy principal at another school when I first heard about Toogoolawa,” Mr Moloney said. “I actually used to refer children there from the school I was at. I liked what they did and they were having some success. “Some of the teachers in mainstream schools are pretty quick to give up on challenging kids. It can be difficult when you have 25 or 30 kids in a class and one or two of them take up 90 per cent of your time.” After clocking up 30 years in teaching it was while Mr Moloney was on leave considering what he’d like to do next that the opportunity to join Toogoolawa at Ormeau came up. “I just wanted to do something different,” he said. “I thought there must be something more to teaching.” Fortuitously, while on his break Mr Moloney saw a job at the school advertised in the local paper for a position at Toogoolawa and he applied. “Back then it was just an old Queenslander which had been done up to be used as a schoolhouse, it was similar to the sort of home I grew up in,” he said. “When I first started, I think there were three kids there, although it was set up to accommodate 12, the numbers ebbed and flowed. Now we have about 120 boys.”
The Toogoolawa model is unique has been designed to revolve around the five universal Human Values of Truth, Love, Peace, Right Conduct and Nonviolence. About a third of the boys who have spent time at Toogoolawa integrate back into mainstream schooling while others do traineeships or TAFE courses. About 85 per cent of them go to work or further study. The school facilities have also grown substantially, financially assisted as always John, and with a State Government grant. “The old Queenslander building has been refurbished and we now have other buildings for classrooms,” Mr Moloney said. While the facilities and number of boys have changed in recent years, one thing that hasn’t is the philosophy. Mr Moloney said this is is why he can’t imagine working anywhere else. “Our philosophy is Educare, which means you take care of the heart before you take care of the head, it’s all about character building,” he said. The changes he has seen in boys coming to Toogoolawa constantly lifts his spirits. The school now has 43 staff and runs six different classes, each with a registered teacher and two or three youth workers. While they can’t expand the Ormeau campus anymore Mr Moloney said there are plans to open similar schools in South East Queensland next year.
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PEOPLE PLACES EVENTS CLIENT FUN Whether at annual conferences, seminars, or while rubbing shoulders with some of Australia’s greats, JLF has always valued its client base. We’re proud to have been there to see dreams come true, offered advice and education along the way, but most of all we’ve enjoyed great client relationships at events peppered with fun and panache.
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COMMUNITY EVENTS The collective JLF family is as much about community involvement as it is wealth-building, so throughout fourdecade history we’ve certainly enjoyed plenty of good times out of the office too. We’ve joined corporate golf days, frocked up for Melbourne Cup, and immersed ourselves in plenty of events, like the Toogoolawa Cup and polo that foster a sense of togetherness and commitment.
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TEAM BUILDING When it comes to success in business it’s often said that it’s not about the place, it’s about the people. What started out as a one-person operation is today far more than that and that’s credit to the dedication of the staff and their willingness to believe in the company and its future. We believe that building a great team should be as fun as it is serious.
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TRAVEL Tanzania, India, China, we’ve ventured near and far. Whether on two wheels or two feet we have ascended mountains the Himalayas, were welcomed by the Tanzanians in Africa, all in the name of raising awareness and funds for Toogoolawa. What an incredible privilege and memories that will last a lifetime.
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CELEBRATING 40 YEARS We did it! On October 27 the incredible team at JLF, our fabulous clients, and our most supportive industry colleagues and partners converged on Custodian House to celebrate a company milestone. The smiles were flowing as fast as the champagne as the team kicked up its heels on what was a fabulous celebration. Here’s to the next 40 years!
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THE NEXT 40 YEARS Few people have the foresight when starting out a business at 18 years of age to think about what its long-term legacy will be. But then again, few people are like John Fitzgerald. When John first created JLF Corporation in 1981 he was already thinking ahead – a hundred years ahead in fact.
“When I started my first company, it was probably a pretty bold thought but It was very clear in my mind that we weren’t just going to be a company that might come and go or anything like that,” he said. “It was going to grow and grow and grow and it was important to me that whatever we did it had longevity. It still needed to be relevant in 100 years time.”
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John’s inclusive language is reflective of his attitude to the now 34 companies which make up the JLF Group. From the very start it wasn’t just about John, it was about ‘we’. It was always going to be a team sport and John wanted to bring f riends and family along for the ride. “My philosophy has always been that the people who work within the company are like family as well and while I’m thrilled to have the next generation of Fitzgerald’s working in the company, everyone is treated as if they are part of a big extended clan,” he said. Those family members, John’s daughter, Alex, head of Acquisitions in Victoria and South Australia as well as Special Projects, and his nephew, James, the Managing Director of JLF, are now well and truly entrenched in the family firm. Joining the family business wasn’t something John pushed, but he said both Alex and James couldn’t help but become immersed in what they were doing. “They would always have been involved in the business either passively or actively because they were always around it, but it was just a matter of time until they put their hand up to become a part of it,” he said. “It’s great to have both Alex and James on board now and they are both well aware that they have been entrusted with a very important duty: to lead the business until it is time for the generation after them to take it on. “I envisage that they and their children will be working with the children and grandchildren of our clients today.” For Alex that’s a responsibility she takes seriously. “Joining the family business wasn’t really front of mind for me until I was about 18 or 19,” she said. “I had finished school and was trying to figure out what I wanted to do in the world. John had always invited me along
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on business trips so I could see what he was doing and be a part of it, but it wasn’t until I was a little bit older that it started to make sense and those pieces of the puzzle fell into place. “I remember being on a plane trip back from Melbourne, travelling with John – and I wasn’t working in the business yet – and he suggested I just give it a go for three months. That was nearly 10 years ago and I’ve been giving it a go since!” Alex doesn’t feel the pressure of the responsibility to take the next level of JLF and Custodian clients on, she feels an enormous sense of pride. Pride in helping people achieve their dreams, pride in helping people become financially secure and pride in what John has done not just for clients but the community. Anyone who meets John knows that what really drives him is his commitment to helping young people find their path – and the Toogoolawa School is a testament to his mission – helping boys who have been kicked out of mainstream schools find their way into society again. John created the school with the help of clinical psychologists Ron and Suwanti Farmer in 1989 and since then it has helped thousands of boys aged from 8 to 15. Continuing that commitment is something that John sees very much in Alex and James, who is already chair of the board of the school. “The Toogoolawa school is a very important part of our why,” James said. “And it’s important to not lose sight of that. Not everyone has an easy journey in life, so it is up to use to help those who don’t along the way. At JLF I think one of the most important things we do is take the stress and worry away from owning real estate. Every day I see how that helps people and how we are helping them build their own legacy for the next generation.
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John said 2020 and the beginning of the Covid pandemic reinforced many things at JLF. It showed him that both James and Alex were steady hands during tough times and it reinforced their key message to clients, that investing in land was what would help provide financial security for decades to come. “Last year was an amazing and testing year for many reasons,” John said. “James and Alex were both tested. James had to shut down some sections of the business which were no longer relevant and Alex had to operate out of the world’s most locked down city. “It was a baptism of fire in so many ways for us, but it was also a real turning point, a moment when I realised this business was in good hands and they will carry that custodianship into the future.” The past two years have helped cement the way forward for both Alex and James. “More than anything now, I recognise that as a company we need to evolve,” Alex said. “We need to ensure we stay relevant and the past 18 months have shown us how to do that. It’s not just about ensuring JLF continues to grow and thrive, but more importantly that our clients continue to grow and thrive. Without them we are nothing. “We need to also ensure we take Toogoolawa along on the ride with us, it may have started as John’s dream but it has definitely evolved to be our ‘why’ as well.” For James it’s about ensuring that they continue to help everyday Australians take control of their personal finances and set themselves up financially for the rest of their lives. “Hopefully that will evolve into creating more multigenerational groups of Custodians, we have a few already but we’d like to see that carry on further. We want to continue to promote and have success helping all of these families who have put their trust in us.” With sentiments like that John is confident that the next generation of Fitzgeralds have what it takes to carry forward the 100-year legacy that John had in mind when he started out as an 18-year-old. Watch this space …
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‘As you think, so you shall be’
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