The confessions of a ‘growth junkie’

MELISSA Warbrick, chief executive of Ownit Conveyancing, describes herself as a “growth junkie”.

Early on she realised the business she purchased from her boss in 2015 would hit a ceiling if it relied on her alone.

“There was definitely a time where I was a jack of all trades – I did everything from trust accounting and drawing a check, to running files, to going out and variation of mortgage work,” Warbrick said.

But Warbrick soon realised that scaling required investing in the right people, processes and technology without compromising service quality.

“That’s been a huge change and allowed us to scale. You need an aerial view rather than being in the day-to-day-weeds. There’s just no way you can scale and do that at the same time,” she said.

Being an early technology adopter also positioned the firm well for challenges such as Covid.

“I love the idea of doing things differently,” she said.

“Our willingness to embrace change and invest ahead of the curve has been one of the biggest drivers for our success. If we can dream it, we can build it.”

Leadership has taught her every new stage of growth requires a different version of herself.

“A big lesson was to continuously learn, adapt and grow so I could support the team through that scaling process,” she said.

Integrity, she adds, is non-negotiable, with trust taking “years to build and a minute to lose”.

Regular team meetings focus on learning rather than blame.

“If something goes wrong on a file, we will have a huddle. There’s no blame here, it’s a learning opportunity.”

That mindset extends to continuous improvement.

“We genuinely believe there’s always a better way and curiosity is the most valuable leadership trait I can adopt,” she said.

Investing in people is another core value, particularly creating opportunities for those with the right attitude rather than the right qualifications.

“Investing in your people is the biggest impact you can have,” she said.

“People have been in very difficult situations and we’ve given them an enormous opportunity.

“And they’ve stayed with us for years and shown incredible loyalty. We’re not always bound by ‘you must have a degree’.

“If you’ve got a great attitude and willingness to learn, we will invest in you.”

Listening to frontline staff, who are closest to customers, has also been “invaluable to our growth”, helping shape decisions and improve the business.

Her work day begins by identifying two to three priorities, while protecting time for strategic thinking.

“It’s very easy to spend the day reacting to problems. The real value comes from taking a moment to think ahead, identify opportunities, and how we chase those down.”

Running a business can be isolating, so Warbrick relies on a network of mentors through a business group where members share advice.

“When you’re able to be vulnerable and open with other leaders, the support you have across different industries is quite phenomenal and profound,” she said.

Key behaviours of highly effective people

• Believe there is always a better way
• Investing in people delivers the greatest impact
• Integrity first
• Own outcomes

MICHELLE WARBRICK

My first car: A Suzuki Sierra soft-top that my friends I would scoot to the coast in.

My Dream on wheels: It’s gotta be a Mercede G Wagon