Mick Hawes is a Queensland-based business owner who runs Builder’s Business Black Belt, a coaching company for residential builders throughout Australia. After years of thinking he understood investing, and a few lucky property deals that made him feel like “a bit of a legend,” he realised the depth of what he did not know. He met Jackson through a coaching group about 12 years ago and, after watching him run sessions for Mick’s own members, he knew a wealth coach was exactly what he needed. Together with his wife Julie, Mick has spent the past 3-4 years working with Aureus to build a clear, strategic plan for their financial future.
Mick and Julie approach their finances as a team. Julie’s involvement and support have been central to their progress, with both attending meetings and making decisions together. Their shared commitment has made the journey smoother and every milestone a joint achievement.
Before meeting Aureus, Mick described his business as running on a “money in, money out” cycle with no real structure or financial direction. After nearly a decade of operating this way, he realised he needed a better system to make the business work for him, rather than being stuck working in the business all the time.
SIMPLIFYING BUSINESS AND FINANCE
Before Aureus, Mick assumed he understood his financial situation. A few successful property flips gave him false confidence. “The reality is I didn’t understand the nuances of investing,” Mick admitted. “I thought I knew what I was doing, but the more I learned from Jackson and the team, the more I realised how little I actually knew.”
He had worked with a longtime accountant, even a business partner at one stage, for over 18 years. But when introduced to Rakesh at Aureus, Mick quickly discovered gaps in what he had been doing. “Just because someone is an accountant doesn’t mean they’re great at advice for the future,” Mick explained. “They know tax law. They tidy up the mess you’ve made at the end of each year. That’s different from strategic wealth advice.”
TURNING YOUR BUSINESS PROFITS TO PERSONAL WEALTH
Mick had already learned to accumulate profit through the Profit First method. The challenge was knowing what to do next. “There are so many options,” he said. “You need to be an expert before you can be certain you’re doing the right thing.”
With Aureus, Mick and Julie purchased their first investment property through the team. He described the experience as “ordering Uber Eats.” No emotional involvement, no stress. The team found the property, handled conveyancing, arranged finance, and connected them with property managers. “I looked at the photos of the house after we settled,” Mick laughed. “I didn’t know where it was. I didn’t see it beforehand. Everything was taken care of.”
They are planning to do it again.
