“She’s 22, a CEO, and making kids think about the only thing that really matters.

Nicole Gibson, the founder of The Rogue & Rouge Foundation and the youngest National Mental Health Commissioner to ever be appointed in the Commonwealth, is proof that millennials are so much more than the stereotypes.

Gold Coast-based Gibson launched her social enterprise at just 18 years old in hopes of breaking down the stigma surrounding mental health. Her proactive approach to mental health has since helped her cut through over 300 communities and reach 200,000 people across Australia. Two years earlier, Gibson was in an acting academy aspiring for Hollywood stardom, before spiralling into severe anxiety, depression and anorexia nervosa.

“This obsession with success and competitiveness was one of the things that impacted me my entire life and it wasn’t until last year that I actually started to recognise this,” says Gibson. “I didn’t even have a personal definition of success – that was the problem – I had just bought into this idea of what society told me success was.”

Gibson says it took a shock to her system for something to switch inside of her, which came in the form of hospitalisation for anorexia nervosa. On her journey to recovery, she found herself constantly mulling over the state of Australia’s mental health system, where $600 million is spent every year on absenteeism directly correlated with these issues.

What’s more, seven people commit suicide in our country every day.L to R Ashleigh Furnell Nicole Gibson Shannon Love Katie Amos3

“I had 36c in my bank account and called up my best friend and said I was going to tour Australia and visit the most strained communities because I wanted to know the truth about what was really going on – she naturally thought I was crazy. “But the more money spent on mental health correlates to rising incidences so it’s pretty clear what’s been done in the past isn’t working.”

On a shoestring budget, Gibson estimated she would need $75,000 to bring her vision to life. She was fortunate to have a working relationship with SunSuper, who had featured her in their Champions of Change campaign the year before – but that still didn’t make for a shoe-in. “They said no, I persisted, and they eventually scheduled me in for coffee with their marketing intern,” Gibson says. “I was pitching for a speaking tour around Australia and I wasn’t a public speaker or expert facilitator by any means. I didn’t even have a car.

“I walked away with a verbal agreement for funding. It felt like the ultimate score of the underdog.” Gibson found mental health challenges to be epidemic among young people across Australia. The same sentiment prevailed, whether she was visiting an Indigenous community in the Kimberly region, or an esteemed private school in Melbourne.

Some of the schools in remote communities had only 20 per cent attendance rates. “I recognised how much of a problem Tall Poppy Syndrome is in Australia – the kids weren’t feeling connected to each other and didn’t know how to talk about dreams and purpose,” says Gibson.

“I spoke to the school bullies, asked why they did it, and they consistently said because it made them feel powerful and the person they victimise then feared them. “It sounds soppy, but truly the only way to transmute fear is through love. In rough and rural towns where intimacy and vulnerability just aren’t things, we implemented a policy where kids would just hug the bully.

“It’s not about plugging mental health as an issue, but working out how to inject love into a society that feels pressure to be a certain way. We get phone calls saying there’s next to no bullying at these schools anymore because of this hugging trend.” Gibson continues to roll out programs across Australia, most recently a program in partnership with fellow Gold Coast social enterprise, Startup Apprentice. They are focused on equipping kids with business smarts to give a sense of direction and purpose.

The local social enterprises are teaming up for an eight-week and one-day program, Startup Apprentice Express, an experience-based learning session that ‘bridges a gap between book-smarts and street-smarts’ where students come out with a digital business or social enterprise ready for a panel of judges.

“It’s so crucial that young people are exposed to different styles of learning, and encouraged to look at both their values and belief systems to give them solid foundations to thrive in and beyond high school,” she says.

“If you look up success in the dictionary, it will likely say ‘a lack of failure’ – the most subjective definition of success ever. The definition for failure isn’t helpful either – ‘an unsuccessful person or thing’.

“We want kids to realise there’s no tangible definition of success or failure to get caught up in. It’s up to all of us to make up our own definitions.””

“LABOR’s move to water down the Vicious Lawless Association Disestablishment (VLAD) Bill is a mistake, and any changes to the laws are set to detrimentally impact the city’s reputation as a place to live, work and play.

The laws, established in 2013 after the infamous bikie brawl in Broadbeach, have cleaned up the streets and that is evident in the lack of activity around outlaw motorcycle gang members in public places across the city. The inability of gang members to assemble or exercise their influence by wearing club colours has seen a new level of safety in all suburbs of the Gold Coast, from the hinterland to the beaches.

Most importantly, the VLAD laws have made it much more difficult for bikie gangs to gather, thanks to the Rapid Action and Patrols Taskforce (RAP Squad), which was assembled to tackle organised crime. Bikie 3There were eight active club-houses when the RAP Squad was established, now there are none, meaning gangs are unable to take advantage of the strength they have as a club.

The Labor Government’s review into Organised Crime Legislation, which includes the much debated VLAD laws, was handed to Attorney General Yvette D’ath today, although it won’t be released to the public until next week. The Queensland Taskforce on Organised Crime Legislation, which conducted the review, was instructed to ‘advise how best to repeal, or replace by substantial amendment’ the legislation.

It is obvious the agenda of Labor, and it is expected the review will recommend the VLAD laws be repealed by the Palaszczuk government, igniting concerns outlaw gangs will regroup and again exert their power throughout the city.

YP Gold Coast shares these concerns, with fears the most prominent groups including the Hells Angels, Bandidos, Nomads and Finks, are set to receive a leg up from the weakened laws. The question YP Gold Coast wants to ask is why fix something that isn’t broken? Since the inception of the laws, there is greater certainty flowing through the city.

Tourism is on the rebound, which of course is a reflection of a bunch of different factors, however it is partly due to returning confidence that the Gold Coast is a safer environment for visitors. The bikie brawl in 2013 was broadcast by news outlets all over the world, damaging the reputation of the Gold Coast as a place to holiday. Now, these motorcycle gangs are not even given the opportunity to mingle, let alone brawl on the streets of the city.

In addition, international education is now a major contributor to the city’s economy and it is vital the Gold Coast portrays a safe and stable reputation in order for this growth to continue.

In 2018 the city is set to be launched onto the world stage, as the Commonwealth Games hits the shores of our city, and the image projected must be one of safety and security. YP Gold Coast is in full support of the VLAD laws and urges the Labor Government to continue a tough and strict stance on organised crime. Should the VLAD laws remain or be repealed? Have your say on the issue and comment below. 

“ENTREPRENEURSHIP is in a league of its own in terms of its ability to generate economic growth, create jobs, and transform society.

That is why investing in entrepreneurship and innovation is important if the Gold Coast and Queensland wants to move forward as a leading business destination.

Last year, the Premier recognised this direction and invested $40 million in establishing a flourishing start-up culture in our state.

The business development fund is set to inject money into start-ups, entrepreneurship and innovation in Queensland with the aim of turning great ideas into commercial realities. YP Gold Coast believes that this sort of investment is pivotal in the Gold Coast’s establishment as a worldly city. No longer is the Gold Coast just the ‘theme park capital of Australia’ – it is a city with endless opportunities for development, investment and business. That isn’t to say that tourism is not vital to our economy, it most definitely is, and should also be nurtured and further invested in.

But, investment in people leads to entrepreneurial and business benefits. By investing in the people of the Gold Coast, particularly the young and ambitious talent that is coming out of our universities, we are sending a message that the Gold Coast is a great place to lay down roots.

The aim is to encourage more and more entrepreneurs to recognise the Gold Coast as a launching pad to a prosperous future – we do not want to see business professionals moving from the Gold Coast to start up businesses in other cities.

YP Gold Coast aims to help create conditions that allow more entrepreneurs to start businesses and will work to nurture an environment that allows these businesses to grow. “

“LEGAL eagle Melissa Coleman says future city leaders cannot be frightened of change in order for the Gold Coast to move forward as a flourishing city.

The Vice President of YP Gold Coast is encouraging the up-and-coming talent of the Gold Coast to be ‘YES’ people, saying the city needs strong leaders that are forward-thinking to tackle the Gold Coast’s unprecedented population growth.

“There are too many voices opposed to the city’s progression, yet they are the same people who complain about the lack of employment opportunities, traffic congestion and property availability,” says Coleman.

“Our city leaders, while taking into consideration the voices of the minority, cannot be frightened of change.”

Coleman graduated from Bond University with Honours and made Senior Associate at Rose Litigation Lawyers at the ripe age of 26 where she has been involved in multi-million-dollar Supreme Court litigation cases.

The young lawyer is well on track to achieving her vision of becoming partner of Rose Litigation Lawyers before 30, and talks to YP Gold Coast about her vision for the city, explaining why the coastal city is the best place to live, work and play.

What makes the Gold Coast a great place to live and work?

The Gold Coast is a growing city. As young professionals we have the unique opportunity to shape our city into the environment we want to live and work in. We know we have a great work-life balance, but what we also have is the ability to create a city that is cultural, progressive and innovative. No other city in Australia can offer its younger generation that opportunity.

As a YP Gold Coast committee member, why are you so passionate about educating future generations of city leaders about the Gold Coast’s potential?

Being in the professional services industry, I can see first-hand the difficulties of recruiting and retaining quality employees. There has always been a connotation that to succeed in the legal industry, you need to work in London, Sydney or Melbourne and that there is no career longevity on the Coast. We have exceptionally good quality work on the Coast, not just in professional services, and it is so important that we encourage our best talent to see a future for themselves here.

What do you believe are some of the challenges the city is facing, and what can the Gold Coast do to overcome these?

The Gold Coast has become a victim of its own success. We have unprecedented population growth and our city’s infrastructure cannot sustain it. There are too many voices opposed to the city’s progression, yet they are the same people who complain about the lack of employment opportunities, traffic congestion and property availability. Our city leaders, while taking into consideration the voices of the minority, cannot be frightened of change. All residents must focus on the future of our city and the needs of the population and this needs to happen now.

What needs to be done to create more jobs on the Gold Coast, and grow the city’s corporate culture?

We need to become a city of ‘yes’ people. We should be saying yes to cultural precincts. We should be saying yes to initiatives that promote entrepreneurship and we absolutely must say yes to projects that improve our day to day lives and liveability of our city.

What is the city missing?

The Gold Coast is incredibly disjointed. The geographical nature of the city naturally divides between the northern, central and southern areas and with that, come competing interests for the city. There is a real opportunity for a collective Gold Coast voice which promotes the city in its entirety. YP Gold Coast is focussed on bringing together the young professionals of the city as a whole, but our current city leaders and other established community forums must take a collective approach for the betterment of the city.

Author: Melissa Coleman

“Derek Cronin, lawyer, owns prominent law firm Cronin Litigation and has achieved outstanding success through application of exceptional professional skills, savvy market analysis and working hard to take advantage of opportunities presented in his much – loved City of Gold Coast.

While thriving in the cut and thrust commercial litigation space, Derek is also strongly driven to do all he can to make the Gold Coast a better city by focusing on issues not associated with “bricks and mortar.” He balances the robust nature of litigation by caring for others and crusading on behalf of worthwhile causes.

He is a “people person” with a passion for progress in human terms. Derek wants to see the emergence of a more caring Gold Coast with greater cultural diversity – a city with more tolerance with more effective plans in place that address social issues alongside plans for City development.

The City must maintain strong growth but not to the detriment of a lifestyle Derek cherishes and rates as the world’s best. Derek is much more than a leading commercial litigator, he is a committed citizen who ‘wears several hats’ including working with Gold Coast project for Homeless Youth and campaigning for marriage equality.

A third generation member of the local and highly respected Cronin family of professionals, Derek looks into the city’s heart and takes action to help those who need it most, or whose voices are not heard.

Aged 43, Derek says he can no longer be classified as a ‘young professional’ – but he was certainly youthful when he started his practice on the Coast in 2006. He brought with him a professional package that included years of experience as an associate and then partner in a Brisbane law firm – achieved while still in his twenties. “While I was with the Brisbane firm my partner, ABC Television reporter Tom Forbes and I, found that every weekend we were either travelling to the Gold Coast, or to his parents’ place on the Sunshine Coast,” said Derek.

“It dawned on us that we were living where we didn’t really want to be and the Gold Coast was calling out for us to come home. “I am a third generation Gold Coaster – my grandmother is aged 100, my grandfather was the chief civil engineer at the Gold Coast City Council for many years, my father David, is a medical specialist, and uncles Brian and Barry are prominent lawyers.” “I was raised on the Gold Coast, went to TSS, was in the original student intake at Bond University and then worked initially as a solicitor at Primrose Cooper Cronin and later at McLaughlins, before moving to Brisbane.

“I got to know as lot of locals in the legal profession and in business, so in 2006, I thought it was a good time to back myself and give it a go. “We sold our house in Brisbane and used some of the money to start the practice – and the phone simply has not stopped ringing since day one. “The practice grew quickly and today employs ten lawyers and 5 support staff – we have been consistently busy for what will be ten years in January. “Unlike many lawyers, we don’t do criminal law, family law, personal injury law (or other more common areas of practice).

“We have a very strict business model that focuses solely on commercial litigation – business disputes, partnership disputes, debt recovery, insolvency, bankruptcy and franchising disputes.” Derek is among the new generation of smart professionals that have emerged during or soon after the global financial crisis. “When we started the global financial crisis was driving up demand for work in insolvency and I had good relationships with some local insolvency practitioners, producing a lot of referral work. “Then as things got better and insolvency declined, business people with discretionary spending moved to pursue litigation regarding issues that they have had in a “back drawer” for a while; issues from the property sector also started to rise.

“The business model has worked and the practice has grown along with communications technology and engaging young and highly capable graduates who at the leading edge of today’s digitally serviced legal world.”

“Growing congestion on Gold Coast roads should be addressed by multi-modal transport solutions as opposed to a “Band-Aid fix” widening of the M1, according to the city’s leading advocacy group.

Responding to the State Government’s announcement this week that it will spend $5 million forming a business case for widening the M1 between Varsity Lakes and Tugun, YP Gold Coast says the money would be better spent understanding the most effective ways to move people around the city now and into the future.

YP Gold Coast President Sean Braybrook is calling on the State Government to undertake an evidence-based cost benefit analysis rather than a business case to justify the politically popular option of widening of the M1.

“What we need to do is understand what the options are, whether that be extension of heavy rail, more light rail, more cycling infrastructure, or more bus infrastructure,” he said.

“We are the fastest growing Australian city and we need to figure out how best to deal with congestion, not just now, but in years and decades to come as our population continues to grow.

“Our resources are limited, both in land supply and funding. Cities around the world are reprioritising their infrastructure spend away from roads and we should be doing the same.” Mr Braybrook says transport solutions should be preferenced based on modes that move the greatest number of people in most efficient way.

“So this is walking, then cycling, buses, trams, trains and ferries. Private car usage is the least efficient and should be prioritised below other options,” he said.

“We need to stretch our infrastructure dollar as far as possible and use it in ways that serve the greatest number of existing and future residents as it can.”

An Infrastructure Australia report, titled Our Infrastructure Challenges, shows that without smart investment in sustainable transport infrastructure, the annual cost of congestion across Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast is expected to increase from $1.9 billion in 2011 to $9.2 billion in 2031.

“We want to promote smart, long-term investment, not a quick solution that serves a political agenda,” he said.

“Widening the M1 may be necessary based on current transport options, but it only deepens car dependency.

“If we widen the road, more cars will use it, and then in a matter of time we’re back at square one.

“There is a real desire to make the Gold Coast a world-class city – and we have the potential to be one – but we need world-class infrastructure.

“Look at our canals – we have more manmade waterways than Venice and Amsterdam combined but we’re not using them – a ferry system could be a great way to take cars off our roads.

“We applaud the State Government’s decision to invest in the Cross River Rail project, but we need to properly consider all investment decisions in transport infrastructure to maximise benefits of the spend.”

Author: Sean Braybrook

“THERE’S a new real estate brand on the Gold Coast block, headed by two young guns with real estate pedigree and focused on changing the face of property.

Mitch Lambert and Jesse Willcox (pictured left-right) don’t come with traditional brochures or window cards. They also avoid the nine to five and, despite their youth, say they ‘won’t take’ social media in the workplace.

Hard sells, 23-year-old Lambert and 26-year-old Willcox sharpened their business savvy while learning under the best.

Lambert is a former McGrath agent and son of property developer Rod Lambert, who co-owned and operated Lambert Smollen Estate Agents in the 90s. Willcox quickly made a name for himself as a top 1 per cent agent for McGrath in Queensland holding record suburb sales in Paradise Waters and Chevron Island to boot.

Willcox says the risk of leaving McGrath and opening Lambert Willcox was ‘leaving it on the table’.

“You can get really favourable commissions working for an agency without any real risk, but I didn’t want to work for a company forever – I wanted something greater,” says Willcox.”I found out since leaving that working for the big brand name is definitely not as attractive as I once thought. “I don’t just want to be a real estate agent and then groom my kids to follow in those footsteps, so when the opportunity presented itself to work with my best mate, I grabbed it with both hands.”

Willcox says the Lambert Willcox pledge starting on day one was: ‘honest, ethical and will outwork the competition’.

He says a lot of people in the beginning doubted their abilities to build on the momentum achieved working for someone else, but the same people became supportive ‘almost overnight’. Setting up shop at Surf Parade, Broadbeach just last week, Lambert Willcox has already made one sale at Surfers Waters under the hammer and can currently count three listings.

“Our female readership in particular on realestate.com.au has gone through the roof,” says Lambert, adding it’s not just the charm of the founders. Lambert Willcox Norseman Court Surfers Paradise Gold Coast property real estate
“We present every home like it’s being featured in Vogue Living from an interior design perspective, so imagery is real life and not staged. That means the family dog will feature candidly, and we won’t relent on a property having video footage.

“The market was calling out for more transparency and authenticity, and we think the big players in the industry really haven’t changed for decades.” Willcox spent time in Sydney, London, Paris and the US before taking the leap, and says Lambert Willcox has taken marketing inspiration from other boutique firms. He says working the industry from the ground up also delivered ‘invaluable’ experience.

After studying journalism, Willcox went through five interviews to become a real estate agency receptionist, was accepted on the sixth, and in a couple of years worked through a traineeship, administration, property management and sales manager roles. Lambert says flux in family life informed his decision to go out on his own at 22 and ‘take my destiny into my own hands rather than waiting for someone else to handle it’.

“We think a lot of salespeople lack the discipline needed to handle the industry because of the freedom it provides,”” says Lambert.

“There’s a huge focus on personal sacrifice over personal productivity in western culture and a lot of real estate agencies honestly become adult day-care centres.

“We hate ‘busy being busy’ – an agent will finish the week and sigh ‘big week’ but didn’t achieve any sales or listings. It happens all the time. We don’t want our agents sitting there doing that.

“Don’t just turn up at nine and leave at five. We don’t have set hours and just want our staff working whenever it suits them best.

“We put our names on the door and that’s what we keep coming back to. When someone goes out into the marketplace, they don’t just have their name on the business card, but mine and Jesse’s too.”

Lambert Willcox will begin hiring in January, slow and steady, prepared to take on a pipeline of work that will be as long as can be managed. And they are gearing up for a big pipeline.

“The Gold Coast market is better than I’ve ever seen it professionally and we speak about it a lot,”” says Willcox.

“I started in real estate when the market was falling, during the GFC, and you learnt tough lessons then.

“Now what the market is doing and the speed of offers coming in, I think it’s an easy time for real estate agents.”

Images three, four, five and six taken at Willcox Lambert’s recent listings in Broadbeach and Surfers Paradise.

“The Griffith Business School, as a strong supporter of Young Professionals Gold Coast, is well aware of the talents of the new generation of highly motivated and capable individuals moving through the ranks.

Impressed by the achievements of young professionals who have established thriving businesses and reached the upper ranks of enterprises and major organisations vital to the future of the Coast, the university has undertaken to boost the profiles of just some high achievers through this series of articles.

It has been my privilege to prepare these articles and while I anticipated the discovery of some inspirational stories I was more than impressed by not just the business achievements of this new generation of leaders, but also by the ethics and community spirit of all that are featured.

All love the Gold Coast and are determined to not only build on their successes, but to ensure that the city’s enviable lifestyle is sustained – and they also want to help others, less fortunate.

I have no doubts that these qualities prevail throughout the Young Professionals Gold Coast ranks.

Many have graduated from the city’s burgeoning tertiary education sector, others have learned from experience, all I dealt with are well travelled, all are strategic thinkers, all are hard workers and the products of the post global financial crisis, from which they learned valuable lessons.

My work on this project followed my production of a Gold Coast business history, working in collaboration with Professor Alan Blackman. This presentation is prominently featured in the new Griffith Business School and includes dozens of images and content on significant happenings in the past driven by forward-thinking individuals.

The Young Professionals Gold Coast project has enabled me to tell the stories of the leaders of today – to capture their vision and enthusiasm from a perspective gained having previously documented what shaped the Gold Coast since the 1850s. I have looked back, looked at today and looked forward through the eyes of those who are taking big stakes in the Gold Coast’s future.

It is my belief that the city has never been in more capable hands.

Written by Rod Spence, a former news media executive and public relations consultant who has worked on the Gold Coast since 1978.”

“KM Sales & Marketing is a specialist residential property sales and marketing group providing tailored project marketing solutions for property developers, financiers and government bodies throughout Australia and overseas.

“KMSM” has achieved particular success with the Chinese real estate buying phenomenon that is a major driver of growth in the Gold Coast economy.

The business draws on the collective experience and skills within its national team of qualified real estate specialists. It produces and executes sales and marketing strategies for residential and mixed-use development projects. KMSM has offices across the Asia Pacific, including Australia, Singapore and China.

Jayde, 37, has been involved within the real estate industry for more than15 years and is a leader in his field.

He has a proven capability in positioning developments to maximise their potential and has a wealth of experience in the creation of integrated sales, marketing and place management strategies for property assets.

Jayde is a strong supporter of YPGC. “YPGC provides not only a voice for younger members of the Gold Coast business community, but a forum for them to be exposed to the highest levels of business leadership in the city, “ said Jayde. “Being part of YPGC is extremely empowering for young people and it most certainly expedites professional growth.”

Watch the recap on the YP Gold Coast cocktail event with National Retail Association CEO Trevor Evans. As CEO of Australia’s largest retail industry organisation, Trevor leads the Group in representing the interests of the retail, fast food and broader service sector, delivering critical information and advice to thousands of businesses nationally. Trevor is an economist and lawyer with a background in regulation, compliance and advocacy.