Case Study

From Burnout to Break through: Rebuilding a Business and Creating a Legacy

Much Of The Loan Book Was Ageing

By late 2020, Peter, owner of Toowoomba Home Loans, was mentally and emotionally exhausted. After surviving the Royal Commission (as he was an adviser and broker), deciding to step away from advice (and bringing in new partners to re-build this arm of the business), and sustained years of slow but steady decline of his loan book, Peter found himself adrift. From a peak loan book of $605M in 2015, the business had slid to $485M by early 2021—and projections showed it was on track to decline even further. This was all while writing new business every year.

Much of the loan book was ageing, with a growing number of long-term clients downsizing or entering retirement. New business generation had slowed to a crawl. The team of four brokers was only writing $80M annually—primarily from refinancing existing clients - reactively. Peter himself wrote just $30M in that final year before reaching out. Internally, there was no clear strategy, no momentum, and no clear path forward.

challenges

Lacking Motivation & Structure

Rebuilding A Business
Peter reached out to Success & Broker after hearing about Ruan’s reputation for rebuilding broking businesses and his own success in business. From the first engagement in late 2021, Ruan stepped in as a quasi-General Manager—not by title, but through action—bringing strategic direction, accountability, and structure that had long been missing.

the game-changer

Working with Success & Broker

Together, they tackled:

  • Lead generation & prospecting: Implementing structured systems to re-engage existing clients (reviews and referrals...) and generating new leads through successful, well structured and mutually beneficial new partnerships.
  • Broker performance: Identifying capability gaps and setting clear expectations. A mindset of trail being earnt through maintenance, not ignorance was a big shift.
  • Scalable systems: Instituting processes for client engagement, meeting management, follow-up, and advocacy from the very first interactions.
  • Mindset shift: Re-energizing Peter as a leader and instilling a sense of direction and purpose in the team.
  • Peter also embraced the concept of succession—developing his next generation of brokers and preparing the business to thrive without his daily involvement. Initially, we were brought on to support Peter to exit the business within a defined time frame. Years on, he’s now even more motivated than ever to continue in his role.

Peter recalls:

THE POINT ISN’T DOING MORE — IT’S BUILDING PEOPLE WHO CAN DO IT THEMSELVES.

Mentally I was cooked. Now, I bait the lines while they fish—they’re learning to catch on their own. That’s the point.

results

Explosive Growth & Business Expansion

Loan Volume: From $80M/year at the lowest point to $155M/year. Despite losing a broker, THL is now aiming for $200M with two new recruits in place.

Loan Book: Recovered from a declining $485M to $520M, with a 12-month target of $600M. This has been achieved despite natural amortization and an ageing client base of downsizers.

Broker Productivity: Peter is on track 3x his $30M annual settlements by the end of this Financial Year

KEY BUSINESS WINS:
  • Lead Flow: Strategic partnerships have created a sustainable and mutually beneficial lead pipeline.
  • Processes: Meetings are shorter, more effective, and systematized, with clearer expectations and better client outcomes.
  • Leadership: Peter is focused on mentoring his team, setting a clear culture, and planning an exit strategy that rewards his legacy.
  • Vision: THL now has a pathway to continue beyond Peter—well-structured, values-led, and high-performing.
LESSONS & TAKEAWAYS:
  • Peter is focused on building out a highperforming team of brokers who will eventually take over the business. With a keen eye on succession, he's creating an environment where future leaders can thrive, and the THL brand can continue for generations.
  • Recruitment, systemization, and efficiency remain key themes—and a new broker is already onboarding under a flexible, future-focused model.

final thoughts

Control the process. Align with partners. Win the game.

The whole prospecting piece is the game-changer Ruan instilled in me.

Now, I control the process. It would be hard for anyone to tell our business apart from our referral partners—we’re that aligned.

cross linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram