Patrick Nhim

My story is very similar to the many born in early the 80’s and echoes the amazing opportunities Australia has given to us. As Anh Do, the comedian once said, we are a generation of coconuts. What is a coconut you may ask? Well its is brown on the outside however white (Australian) on the inside. Yes that is undeniably us, and that is undeniably me.

Our family came to Australia in September 1984, after 2 years fleeing war ravaged Cambodia and then a further 4 years in a refugee camp in Thailand we were very excited to come to Australia. We were one of the fortunate ones. We flew with Qantas. Thank God for that, none of us could swim.

Life in Sydney in the early 80’s came thick and fast. Imagine a cultural smash of bombastic 80’s music and Asian food. We loved the new found liberties and freedom.

I remember mum and dad slaving away day and night sewing clothes in our 1 bedroom flat for the department stores; yes it was a real sweatshop in our house. I ask now why they did that? The answer was straightforward the economics was quite simple. Working on as a labourer dad could earn $30 - 40 a day. Working at home both mum and dad could push out $150 worth of work and was also home to look after 3 kids. Yes we were one of those families that had 5 living in a 1 bedroom flat.

With hard work they saved up and opened a grocery store. My fondest memory was working on the cash register. I started when I was 7. It was here that I learn how to sell; I learnt how to deal with customers and where I learn how to speak 2 languages.

In the mid nineties a career change was in order, after 8 long years of slaving away 7 days a week. Mum and Dad left Sydney and moved to Adelaide. They sold up everything and bought a farm in Adelaide.

I finished my schooling in Adelaide; Adelaide was a breath of fresh air compared to Sydney. Where Sydney was already very multicultural. In Adelaide I was the token Asian kid for our school. Yes the one and only in a school of 600.

Adelaide to me is hot scorching summers, and amazing fishing, jetty jumping and river adventure with stupid mates.

My years at Adelaide University were eye opening. If I thought my Aussie mates were crazy my university friends were even more outrageous. University was a rite of passage, it was also where I learn to drink beer, lots of beer.

Formal education is a right for all Australians, most importantly it was made accessible to every Australian. It was this wisdom of our leaders that made it so. It was with this very decision and belief that allowed me to afford a place amongst the privileged.

I learnt how to think, I learnt structure, I learnt that one must have an opinion & have evidence to support that opinion. Most importantly I learnt that one must make decisions.

Equally importantly I learnt the value it has in the market place.

It was time to graduate and get a real job. I worked for Ford motor and later in my career Adelaide BMW. I gave 10 years to the cause, worked for big business and immersed myself in the culture, both of leisure and work. With work and amazing friends we all prospered, we learnt and we grew.

In my 30’s I realize that working hundred of hours is not so important. I quickly learnt about work life balance. The birth of my daughter taught me that very quickly.

With the assistance of an amazing man whom had over 40 years in the industry I made a career change in to property & real estate. It is very few opportunities that we get to learn from mentors of this caliber. This would be my second time in my second career. Again Australia & Australians have provided such privileges. I soaked it up like one would the rays of the sun on a summer’s day.

Needless to say I loved my new career and with all my skills excelled in the experience.

In 2014 Adelaide Property Network was born. Why Adelaide, because I love all that it means to me. Why Property, it is what we do. Why network, because I feel that all agents and professionals should collaborate, educate and work together.

Adelaide Property Network is young, were are fun, we are now a team of 5 and growing.

Someone once told me that when you become a leader, it could either be a chance for you to get back at all the managers in the past and make your staff suffer. Or it can be a chance for you to give your staff freedom and flexibility to be creative and foster their growth.

I choose the later. It is with this ideal that we are defining our culture in the work place.