Frankly, it’s much bigger than money alone.
We love the opportunity to help our clients attain the resources and the freedom to bring experiences to life.
What’s your idea of a well-lived life? Everyone’s perspective is different. Yet what many people agree on is that the joy of sharing life-shaping experiences with the people you care about, is more important than money. It matters less whether it happens onboard a yacht or around a campfire under the stars; what really counts is being able to experience the most significant things in life with family and great friends.
Jim
Paul
The Johnsons
- Manufacturer
- Targa Tasmania = Wealth activated
- Corporate lawyer
- Family trip to Patagonia = Wealth activated
- Family Compound
- Byron Bay = Wealth activated
A conversation we often have with successful business owners is about what they hope for next. Building a business from the ground up has been their main focus, but now it’s time to start thinking about living more and working less.
For Jim, thinking about life away from his factory wasn’t easy. He still loves the business and the people who’ve helped him build it. But through many conversations, we’ve been able to give him practical advice on how he can maintain a stake in the business as owner, as well as planning for the travel that he and his wife have always wanted to do.
Jim’s journey has seen him purchase the factory he operates from in his Self-Managed Super Fund, as well as three adjoining factories within the family trust. He has a passion for classic cars and wants to weigh up his options for keeping the business and extracting cash to buy more assets. Simultaneously, he wants to bring in someone to help run the business so he can take more time away or sell outright to highest bidder in five years.
Our conversations have helped Jim to understand the commitment he needs to make to get to the point he wants it to be. With 65 approaching he wants a good 10 years of travelling and living overseas during the winter. He’s taken the first step already, racing in the Targa Tasmania rally – a long-held dream.
The pace and intensity of a career in corporate law has been something of an adventure for Paul. But his real passion has long been adventure of a more physical kind: trekking, surfing off remote islands and exploring untouched corners of the globe.
What’s fuelled this passion is the fact that these trips have always allowed Paul and his wife Katie to spend quality time with their three sons. Sharing these eye-opening experiences together has let them become closer – something Paul appreciates hugely, given his realisation that kids grow up so fast and that his career has sometimes taken precedence.
With his youngest son about to finish university, the time is right for the next big family adventure – before they all head off on their own lives and careers. Their plan is for a major trip to Patagonia first, before trekking the Inca trail to Machu Picchu and the Corcovado in Costa Rica.
Paul’s ability to generate income has not just allowed him to invest significantly and fund a private school education for his children and beyond, it’s also allowed him to realise these life affirming trips with his family. With holidays a priority, we were able to put a strategy in place to ensure money was available for them all to take a significant and not inexpensive trip every year.
Peter and Julie Johnson recently sold their highly profitable business after running it successfully for many years. Now it’s time to forge closer bonds with their extended family of 14 children and grandchildren.
Their plan? To buy a large holiday retreat in Byron Bay so that Peter and Julie can fly direct from Melbourne for weekends away whenever they wish, as well as spend a sizeable part of the year escaping the Victorian winter.
Their priority is that the house will never be rented, so that it can become a living legacy for all the family to enjoy now, and perhaps forever.
With most of the business’s sale proceeds already in the bank, the dream is in reach. Peter also has a three-year commitment as a director, with a further performance-based payout expected to add a further $3-5 million to the sale price.
We’ve helped structure and plan the Johnsons’ financial arrangements to speed the transition from long days and nights in the office, to long, lazy days of surfing for Julie, and for Peter, great days spent with family.
How we help
I want to…
Chances are you’ve devoted a large proportion of your life to building your own success. Despite the long hours and the huge amount of energy and toil you’ve put in, in all likelihood you’ve enjoyed it, so much so that it probably feels like your work is a fundamental part of who you are.
When the time comes to think about stepping away from the day-to-day and doing something for yourself, it’s hard to know where to start. You’re probably asking, “How do I do it” and “What will I do next?”
Conversations with us can be a great way to come to terms with a range of contradictory feelings and create some real clarity. We often ask:
- What does working less look like to you and your partner?
- Are your finances in a position to make this a reality?
- Do you have any time or financial commitments which could work against you?
- Are you fearful that the work won’t happen if you’re not on-site every day?
- If you’re an executive, how could your role change? Could you work part-time or consult in your area of expertise?
We can work with you to develop a strategy that lets you control the transition from full-time work to a more balanced life where your needs and those of your family play a bigger part.
A life outside of work that’s not just indulgent but which is energising and personally fulfilling, can depend on the choices you make. And while financial success gives you a far greater range of choices, channelling your energies into a passion is a way to set yourself up for a rewarding life when you finally decide to step away from work.
We call this ‘activating your wealth’. The first steps may include:
- Assessing your cashflow and plugging the gaps in your expenses
- Reviewing your assets to ensure they still serve a purpose and generate an income
- Providing options to manage your current level of debt
By first understanding what you believe are the greatest (and sometimes simplest) pleasures in life, what helps you unwind, and who you most like to spend your time with, we can help you develop a plan that focuses on the outcomes you desire. Providing the opportunity for the rich life experiences that will be remembered forever.
‘What should I invest in? Should I focus on shares or property? Should I look further afield?’
The answers to these questions are not so simple and will depend on why you’re investing, how long for, and most importantly, what you want to achieve with the money earned.
When clients come to us for investment advice, we start the conversation by discussing their current and potential income sources, their desired outcomes and what money really means to them.
By focusing on what’s most important to you, we can provide you with an appropriate investment strategy best matched to your needs.
Understanding and making the right investment choices today will give you the comfort that your money is working as hard as it can be for your future. And the best time to start is now.
For many successful people, it’s not so much the fear of the unexpected – sudden injury, illness or a life cut short – that keeps them awake at night. It’s the fear that they may not have everything in place to support those they care about.
How would your family cope financially? Would they have to sell the house? Could your children’s school fees be paid? Discussing questions like these is critical.
By fully understanding you, we’re able to offer you practical recommendations which may include a review of estate planning documents such as your Will and Power of Attorney, as well as life insurances to ensure your family is taken care of if life changes dramatically.
The Australian attitude of ‘She’ll be right’ is an admirable one in some situations. In reality, it’s far better to have the confidence that if something was to happen to you, all your debts could be paid out, your kids’ school fees are paid, or the annual holiday could continue.
‘How much is enough?’ isn’t an easy question to answer. But if you have a clear idea of what you want to achieve short and long term, you’ll get closer to an answer that can help you develop a strategy for the future. When you have a financial strategy in place that will enable you to retire when you want to, rather than when you can afford to, you’ll gain a real sense of satisfaction and confidence.
How do we get the ball rolling? Through conversations such as:
- What does ‘a life well lived’ look like for you?
- Is retirement something you really want to do? Or is it your priority to have more choice around the work you do?
- Do you want to give up working altogether? If you love what you do, it’s hardly work!
- Who are the people in your life that you value most and what do you want to do for them?
We can help by looking at your financial situation now and determining the options available to start building the funds required to meet your objectives. It’s never too early or too late to start planning for the life you aspire to.

Our team

David Murdoch
Principal Advisor
David prides himself on working closely with individuals, families, and businesses to help them activate their wealth. David holds a Bachelor of Business (Banking and Finance), a Graduate Diploma of Marketing and an Advanced Diploma of Financial Services (Financial Planning). Married with four children, David understands the need to balance a budget that caters for today’s needs, as well as future aspirations and any challenges that may arise along the way.
Penny Hannan
Operations Manager
Penny has a background in project management and contract administration, and plays an integral role in delivering quality service to our clients.
Sharon Terkelsen
Marketing Co-ordinator
Sharon has worked in marketing and campaign management roles across various industries. Her role is to manage customer communications and assist with office administration.