#18 - How Blandine Built a £15k p/m Property Business
Hello. Welcome back to another episode of Work Worth Doing with Dean. I am on a mission to help you to escape the dynamic of a 9 to 5 that you hate. I've just, in recent memory, tasted that myself, And with this freedom I am now afforded, I wanna share it with people. I believe this is accessible to all of us.
Dean:We don't have to work a shitty job that we don't like. If you don't wanna hear me introduce today's guest, Blondaine, skip ahead about 2 and a half, 3 minutes, and we'll get straight into the episode. But if you do wanna hear why you should listen to this and what you're gonna gain from it, let me roll into it. So if you are the person who maybe haven't quite admitted to yourself that you wanna do something about leaving and you aren't quite sure where to start, you're looking for ideas or you're looking for belief that it's even possible. So Blondine, like myself, escaped her job in property.
Dean:She now has a property business where she pulls out 15 to 20 grand per month. Not a bad innings at all. And what's also interesting is the fact that she was a p a for 19 years. Yes. 19 years before attempting this.
Dean:And what I want you to pay attention to in this discussion, if you haven't actually attempted anything yet and you are just living in the pain of hating your job, pay attention to the fact that how Blondine tried this as a hobby. She didn't put a whole lot of pressure on it, and she just gave it a go. So if you're at that early stage, just listen to how she took the pressure off herself to actually begin. Or maybe you're listening because you're kinda in the throes of it now. You're building your business, and you're encountering some difficulty.
Dean:What you'll also notice about Blondaine's story is the way she deals with difficult times, and I think she has such a beautifully gentle way of handling turbulent times and still pushing through and still getting herself to where she needs to go to. Or perhaps you're a seasoned veteran, and you wanna learn from someone who is an elite pro in their field like Blondine. She has something for all of us, and I certainly learned a ton from speaking to her. I always do when we have spoken, and I'm excited for you to listen to this. I will come in at the end of the conversation and kind of give a little short summary for you so you can hopefully take away some helpful, impactful things that will help you wherever you're at right now.
Dean:So without further ado, let me send you into the studio with Blondine and I, and I hope you find this one a valuable lesson. Obviously, you've got, like, a massive business, and it's performing better than ever. And you've had a crazy journey. K? But what I wanna go back to is the beginning and what you had to quit in your life in order to start being who you are now, this person who owns their own business?
Blandaine:So, first of all, you have to put into context, you know, it was lockdown, and I've always been very active. Lockdown meant so much like holding everything, and and and I was scared to be bored. So I started to educate myself. I was on different webinars, about everything and nothing. I mean, I even did a meditation one, which straight away I fell asleep, and the next thing I know is, like, I missed it.
Blandaine:But then cut long story short, I eventually got onto the property, property webinars, many different companies, many different, teaching and learning. And I've been investing in property for over 25 years. Right? The very, very traditional way. I had, my very first property back in 1997 where I saw, an advert, saying, why do you rent when you can buy?
Blandaine:And I showed that to my colleagues at the time. They say, absolutely not. It looks dodgy. Don't do it. And just when your parent tell you don't do something, you do it.
Blandaine:So, obviously, I went to do it. I went to view some properties, and it was from completely genuine, family run business, buying property of auction, do them up, and selling them slightly, lower than the high street. At the time also, banks were lending 100%, so I didn't have to have any deposit down. So this is how I started just buying a tiny little flat in South London, back in 1997. Then the year 2000, there was a craze.
Blandaine:Everybody were talking about, buy to let and becoming landlords. So I went to seminars and and conferences at the time and actually enjoyed it. I had, I think, the property bug then. And in a space of about 4 years, my first little flats that costed me £42,000 at the time, 1 bedroom flat in South London, to which, by the way, I was heavily criticized at the time. I was far too young, 23.
Blandaine:It was a lot of responsibility to have a mortgage, and it was too expensive. I still have the same flat. I think it's about worth £280,000 now, and I have the same tenant since 2010. They've been really lovely. So
Dean:Amazing.
Blandaine:But back in the the, 2000, millennium, buy to let becoming, landlords, I learned how to remortgage, something that we don't have in France. But I learned how to remortgage the value of the property from £42,000 in 97 went up to £91,000, in 20 in 2002. So I remortgage released equity and then starting my very first project. And I've done this this format on a very small scale, the very traditional way, and I was quite happy. I became a single mom, when my kids were 3 and 1.
Blandaine:So I was juggling with full time work in the city, and the kids, and whatever I could do. I mean, I don't I don't have any, luxurious things. I I come from a very small village in France, so I've stuck to my kind of roots. But to me, it was a property. Now the trigger property was because my parents got evicted when I was already here in England, but my parents back in France got evicted, and I was horrified.
Blandaine:And I swore nothing like this would ever happen to me. This is actually how I bought my very first little flat, and I saw that advert, why do you rent when you can buy? So that's how I started. Lockdown, obviously, I come across all these webinars about property, and I'm thinking, oh, actually, it's quite interesting. And it had a twist.
Blandaine:It was very different. It didn't have, all this traditional approach and long winded way, which had worked for me so far. But I eventually signed up, to some courses. I went to, to learn plenty of different strategies, and one of them was managing property. So you don't own the assets, but generating cash flow.
Blandaine:We always say cash is king, but cash flow is much better. So I've learned the rent to rent format, which consists of you work with other landlords, and you rent from them, and then you find a tenant. Now just to understand to to visualize, it's like a bit subletting, but legally, it is not purely because we have contract in place. So we become effectively like a letting agent with our chop. So we rent from a landlord, like a letting agent, and then we put tenants in.
Blandaine:This is what we'll we, we talk about rent to rent basis.
Dean:This is, like, a pretty common business model outside of just people who do rent to rent businesses like if you actually think of WeWork WeWork have the same business model on a massive scale, they just rent a block from developers
Blandaine:Absolutely.
Dean:And then they rent it out to smaller companies and so on. And that that's why I, I mean, obviously, I'm intimately aware of this business model myself having been able to segue from my job because of it, because of the cash flow. Right? It's a cash flowing business.
Blandaine:And and the format is very much similar to Uber. Uber doesn't own any of the cars. Right. Airbnb doesn't own any any properties. Amazon is just a plus a selling platform, but they don't create any products.
Blandaine:So, yes, WeWork is absolutely the same format.
Dean:And what I love about what you were doing there is and this is something I am steadfast on, is just education. Yes. Like, acquiring knowledge Yes. That you otherwise don't have. Because that is really the chasm between being a successful business owner of a very modest size and where you are now, it's just information.
Dean:Right?
Blandaine:Yes. And you can't the thing is it's not anyone's fault. You don't know what you don't know. Mhmm. But there's so much knowledge out there and so many people who are willing to share, but absolutely amazing.
Blandaine:I mean, it it it's almost mind blowing.
Dean:So going back to, like, COVID then, like, were you still working in a company when you decided to do this? Like, what was going on in the life of Blondeyne at that time?
Blandaine:Yes. So I was so obsessed. I became obsessed with learning. I I didn't watch TV much at all and I could hear background noise and, yeah, kind of understood that something was going on. But, I was busy learning so much so that I had to do my own work nighttime, pretty much.
Blandaine:Now I was working as a personal assistant for nearly 19 years in a high street bank in the headquarters. I started with different directors throughout the years. I've made my way up to very senior executive directors. My last role was, PA 2, so personal assistant to the CEO and the chairman of the corporate market. So the the non ring fenced side of the bank.
Blandaine:So I've I've gradually with hard work, strong ethic, ethical work, I was managing, like, big cheese. Yes.
Dean:That's such a long time, 19 years in the same, like, space, like, what was going through your head and, like, what I wanna actually ask you specifically because a lot of people who don't like the career path they're on, they'll dislike it for their reasons. They just maybe feel this is not what I was put here to do. This is not what what was going through your head?
Blandaine:So, I think there's a lot of, the upbringing, obviously, is something that stick with you. In France, you have a job, you have it for all your life. So I'm used to that. I first came in the UK in 1993 as an au pair. Right?
Blandaine:I was due to stay only for a few months to learn English because I couldn't understand Jack. Now I can waffle a bit, you know, better, but initially, it was just to learn English. And from one thing, there was another, from being an Au Pair during the day. Evening, I was working as a waitress in the in in a in a local restaurant. After, so morning, I was looking after the kids, in the Au Pair family.
Blandaine:Afternoon, I I would go to the little Au Pair school to learn English. Evening, as a waitress, in a local restaurant. After my shift, I would go back, study English. And in those days, you have that big dictionary translator, you know, translating every single word, and you had, you know, long list of vocabulary. So, yes, from day 1, I've been always busy nonstop.
Blandaine:Then I wanted to work in the travel industry, and this is why I had to come to England to learn English. And then I realized I could do a 2 year course travel and tourism in Hendon College in North London. So I did the 2 years, travel and tourism course. I had work experience on the back of it. They kept me, and then I went on to work for JTB, Japan Travel Bureau.
Blandaine:So very odd because me, little French, you know, in London working for Japanese people. But it was the most extraordinary experience. And then I moved on, still in travel and tourism, and then somehow, I wanted to change career. I got married, and then I had my first child who was born. Then I changed career, and because of my background with organizing travel, somehow, I ended up as a PA, personal assistant, which at the time, I didn't really want to do because in France, anyway, it's there's this stigma of yeah.
Blandaine:Yeah. The secretary always has a different director. And I hate absolutely hate that that image. But it's, it worked out quite quite okay.
Dean:But you did it.
Blandaine:I enjoyed it. I I did it. The thing is whatever little job I did throughout my career, whatever it was, even waitress or anything, I would give 100%, and I always enjoy what I did even if it was not okay. But still so from the start, I think if you're being positive and just
Dean:Okay. So let me ask you then. Right? So you're 19 years into this career. You enjoy it, as you just said.
Dean:You're literally enjoying it. You enjoy things you do, and you try really hard at it. Why not just say?
Blandaine:So and and bearing in mind, I mean, for my parents working for a high street bank, you know, they are they they in the meantime, I divorced, but, my parents were, my mom wanted me to find a banker, you know. I just like, leave me alone, you know. Nothing wrong with the bankers, but it was, like, something quite prestigious for for, somebody coming from the countryside. And I and I did enjoy, and I thought, you know, that's it. That's that's I'm quite content.
Blandaine:Always broke, you know. But, yeah, I I like my colleagues. I like what I was doing.
Dean:This sounds like the best job ever. Why why stay why not stay?
Blandaine:I wanted to stay. I wanted to stay. And then and then the learning and the implementation of the learning got the job got in the way.
Dean:You weren't, like, dragged or you weren't pushed, I should say, by your job maybe having dissatisfaction. You just saw what life could be like when you saw these courses and then said, maybe that's I want a bit of that.
Blandaine:I have to admit, I didn't know where it would take me. To me, it was a hobby. I did the the the courses as a hobby.
Dean:Wow.
Blandaine:It's and I would have never absolutely I never ever imagined where it would lead us.
Dean:Okay. So let's because I wanna stay on this transition period because the transition period for somebody, whether they love or hate their job Yeah. If they want life to be different, they know they must go through this period of gritty, uncertain, lack of knowledge, and so on. So how did you let's say financially, I think because that's an important one. That's How how did you financially manage that period?
Dean:Were you juggling both, I presume?
Blandaine:I had yes. Never open your parachute, you know, when you when so, the financial side of it was was very key, and the time also. So I had to have my job anyway, and actually, I had to have my job, right, to secure my my usual income. And then as I learn more and I started to implement, now I've got a fantastic business partner, JV partner, Jason. I wouldn't be here without him, really.
Blandaine:We've worked incredibly hard. But when we were started to implement what we were taught, and we saw that it started quite well, my job got in the way. I mean, physically, I had no physical time to do my normal day to day job. And, and when the cash flow started to come in and we could kind of see where the benefits of benefits of it, then that's it.
Dean:So you did both. Right? You just said
Blandaine:Oh, yeah.
Dean:You just treated it as this thing that you could nurture, and then it eventually starts to get a bit of speed, and then you can gracefully exit.
Blandaine:Yes.
Dean:That's what I recommend people to do.
Blandaine:Oh, yes. Absolutely. Absolutely.
Dean:What I did was somewhat more I opened my parachute, as you said, a little bit too early. Yeah. Don't do what I did. Do what blondie is.
Blandaine:It's yes. I mean, I I had to think of the kids and and and and most probably, I would have carried on doing both if I could have, but it's the physical time. But now it comes to a stage where even if I really like my my the job, the banking job, my colleagues, I've tasted freedom. And I'm not talking about financial freedom. I'm talking about we're in the middle of the afternoon or Wednesday evening, you invited me.
Blandaine:I gladly came along. Yesterday, I was at a conference. Tomorrow, I'm going to Mastermind.
Dean:That is, like, what's on the other side, you know, I I when I frame this to people I'm saying like, hey, look, this isn't gonna solve all your problems, but it will solve the problem of you showing up to something every day that you don't wanna do. And that's that's not not it's not world hunger, but it's still a problem for the individual who feels that.
Blandaine:Do you know so I was a single mom. My ex husband never contributed even when we're married. I've always worked. He never or very, very little. And then when he disappeared, the last time we actually saw him was in 2010, I think, or 2011, but never never contributed.
Blandaine:So when I say I raised my kids, I really did. And although I had a prestigious job in the bank with, like, quite high up, as a personal assistant, you know, I'm just behind the shadow. I'm no one. I'm just here to to, to support, big directors. And I mentioned earlier on, I was, I was always broke.
Blandaine:People people would tell me, oh, you're slim, you're fit. The number of time I didn't even have lunch, everything went to to the kids, as in, you know, their their lunch, their activities. They've been to all the schools school trips that they could could be. So my money was on on on on on on the kids, trying to manage all the bills at at home. It was tough, you know.
Blandaine:Now I come out, like, all, like, glamorous, and people, most of the time, they think, oh, yeah. That's alright. She had it.
Dean:It's easy for you.
Blandaine:It was not. It was not. I had my struggle. I left France. My dad was violent.
Blandaine:You know what? I
Dean:I think because you have done I I a lot of people who are like my age, like, I'm I'm 31, right, and who are, let's say, late twenties and they we get bombarded online with look how cool your life could be and this is what's on the other side and all that stuff. And, you know, a lot of people might not wanna be Jeff Bezos on a super yacht. Maybe some people might wanna just have what you and I have, which is like a large degree of flexibility week to week. Right?
Blandaine:Yeah.
Dean:But what stood out to me in what you're saying is you did this as a single mom, you did this in your forties, you're 19 years into your career at this point. That recipe right there would probably have most people thinking, well, no, just just stay as you are, but you didn't.
Blandaine:Yes. And no family around, so I I really never had any support, and I had to to do everything myself. But the thing is, I'm by then, I'm so used to it. That's, you know, just get on with it. There's you know, when when I when I hear people sometimes moaning or they're not happy, I just think, just get a grip and get on with it.
Blandaine:But it's tough. It really is tough, and but there's there's there's this drive, and it's what you want to do out of your life. You know? There are so many different elements, so many different components that, yeah, blocks you. But whatever blocks there is in life, I'm thinking, ah, ah, I recognize that.
Blandaine:That's a test. And, yeah, test me what would you like, and I'll I'll I'll I'll do it.
Dean:But even those times, I can remember when things were really difficult, and I'm not saying this as a guy who's, like, made it, like, necessarily, but fuck me. I had some tough times
Blandaine:I swear.
Dean:Excuse me moi. Had some tough times in the beginning, like, really tough, dark days. And one of the things that I'm curious about you is you seem to do this with a smile and you don't seem to get stressed, but I'm sure that's not true and Right. You have your demons and things like that. And that's what I wanna ask you about.
Dean:In those tough times, how did you stay on course?
Blandaine:So, yes, I do have sometimes I'm down, sometimes I'm fed up, sometimes I cry and and it's hard and and there are many imagination. It's a big it it's a very, very huge tool.
Dean:Do you visualize stuff?
Blandaine:I do. Yes. But sometimes you've got bad bad things coming in your head. Now I really stress this is normal because imagination is such a big tool, big thing. Right?
Blandaine:But then it's how you switch it, how you control it. And, yes, you will have things coming in your head, but how do you actually react to that? Now I've let no one no one controls me, and I don't say that as a arrogant way, but I'm in control. And I know sometimes when when I've got down day because because it does happen. This is normal.
Blandaine:I'm just saying that to emphasize to people who sometimes feel depressed, you know, I mean, that's obviously something to to consider seriously. But sometimes you have to think, sometimes it's normal to have all all these negative thoughts. It's part of all the emotions
Dean:Part of life.
Blandaine:That we have to sense because it prepares us, but it's how you react to it. So, yes, sometimes it it was tough. Sometimes, but sometimes just leave it a day or 2 and be in that mood in in that mood. I call it grieving. I don't exactly how to to describe it, but grieving.
Blandaine:Yes. I'm on my grieving day and I'm I'm feeling crap like a turd.
Dean:I had one of those yesterday. Before I came here, recorded an episode, the whole world felt different and I realized I was getting clouded by these emotions. And sometimes you just gotta let it let it out.
Blandaine:Yeah. You have to accept it. The more you know how to tame your demon, the better you can control them afterwards. So, yes, it it would it would come and then and then get a grip and then just just do stuff. Because the thing for me that works really well, it's curiosity.
Blandaine:Okay. I know it's cropped. Yes. I know. You know, at times, there are different things, there are events in in in my time that I thought, okay.
Blandaine:Fine. I want to even finish it. What's the point? Curiosity. I wanna know what I look like or what I'm doing or what it's gonna be like, you know, in 5, 10, 30 years time.
Blandaine:And curiosity itself will not deter anything else because I know everything is temporary. By the way, all the things, it's only temporary, always, and there's always something new. And if sometimes it's, yeah, it's tough. Again, it's the testing thing, and you'll see be curious because what's behind that different dose that you'll take. So I'm always very excited.
Blandaine:I mean, people think I'm I'm I'm cuckoo, and I'm fine. Let them be. You know, I don't drink. I don't take absolutely 0 drugs, I don't do alcohols, I don't, you know, but it comes from from within you.
Dean:I love the element of curiosity coupled with the knowledge that things are temporary because every in those moments, that fact, if you were told that that fact, hey, look, this is gonna pass. It's actually very helpful to just remember that.
Blandaine:Yeah. But the thing is when you're being told that you think yeah.
Dean:Yeah. Yeah.
Blandaine:You don't wanna listen to it.
Dean:I wanna move by the way, sorry, just to go on to somebody the person who's listening right now will probably be thinking, okay, Blaine has a large degree of freedom. She's worked very very hard to get there. She has been through these difficult periods that probably are pale in comparison to how maybe easy a lot of people's lives actually are and you still made made it through. I think it's also
Blandaine:Sorry. Equally pea I'm fully aware people have even worse For
Dean:sure. There's struggles. Right? You know, there's there's probably one way where stories as well. But the the the average person will probably have less responsibilities and maybe an easier path than that.
Dean:And I think it's helpful for somebody to conceptualize from a financial perspective what might be on the other side if they work hard and get to somewhere like that. So could you comfortable be comfortable sharing, like, what that looks like for you guys now that you're this far into the business?
Blandaine:So it's it's it's one thing to ascend to some level and then you have to maintain that level. And because in the industry, we have established ourselves, it's almost, like, tricky to make sure that, yeah. Yeah. We're still we're still okay, but we are. The first 2 like any any business, first of all, it took me a long time to say the word business.
Blandaine:To me, it wasn't a business. I had a job, you know, for for a year. I was doing my my full time job with the, the property staff, rent to rent. So it took me the mindset was gradually establishing. Nothing is straightforward, you know, straight from from from the start.
Blandaine:And it's it's just as you go along, there's many things. You you learn the principles, you learn the theory, but then you have to apply. You have to, you know, get the negotiation across with the, the landlords. You have to find the people. You always have the day to day running of it.
Blandaine:But before that, you have to set up to, you know, the painting. Whatever property we managed to to get from our landlords, you know, some some of them were pretty much run down, but we were so happy they entrusted us. So the painting, the decorating, the assembling of furniture, the overnight long hours, I've actually neglected my children when when we started up the business. By then, they were, they must have been 16 and 14. So they were not young kids anymore, but, I was always if if not getting this the, the units ready, I was still learning.
Blandaine:I was still carrying on learning. And most of the time, they had to to to cook themselves. I haven't really interacted for the first, yeah, 2 years of the business. I neglected my kids. I neglected my home, the garden.
Blandaine:Oh my gosh. It's such a state. But now it's all the focus and and and everything that has been poured in, now we reap the the the reward. But it's a gradual thing, and it's how much you you you're involved. Again, we didn't know where it was going, but there is absolutely no way I would go back.
Blandaine:I can't I I just can't. I I can't And I would even if they pay me a £1,000,000,000, £1,000,000,000 or euros, absolutely not. I can't go back to a place and use my time for somebody else's freedom. I don't want to be dictated by the by the time, of I have to be in in an office or before, I used to have an alarm clock just to make sure I was on time to work. I have no alarm clock.
Blandaine:And if anything, I wake up actually even even earlier. It's the drive. It's to see how it it it flourished. Again, it was hard at the beginning, but it's the people you meet also because so I remember, when I was employed, I thought, oh my gosh. All this self employed, how do they how can they get money?
Blandaine:You know, how do they get paid? To me, I thought having a salary, at least it was some something sustainable, and and and set in stone, and it's not. And then it's when I really realized that I we could multiply my own income by 2, 3, 4, I'm thinking
Dean:Beyond?
Blandaine:Well, and much beyond. I thought, well, that that that's it.
Dean:And it's for a lot of people, it's generally not about actually being a bajillionaire. It's just I'd love to have the ability to pop over to Hackney on a Wednesday and do a podcast.
Blandaine:Do you know what? I mean, we could we had ample I'm very, active on social media, which, created a sudden reach whereby developers of landlords are, reaching out, and they want to to work with us. We don't we could have exponentially grown and throughout the UK. We don't necessarily want to. We want to be in the area where we are to monitor and to give that end to end service.
Blandaine:I find that once once you become a big company, big corporation, you lose that touch. And we've worked out. We have a sweet spot. We've worked out, and we don't want to go over that because we have sufficient income anyway. I still don't have a car.
Blandaine:I still don't have jewelry or anything, and I'm quite content. I haven't changed, I don't think. If I do, you know, big headed or whatever, by all means, bring me back on earth because it's it's wrong. As long as we have that ease, and I go very often to charity. Last, last, Saturday, I was at the, kidney funds charitable.
Blandaine:And I I contribute quite a lot because there's a time when when you're happy within yourself and what you can provide to your family, the next step and this is very natural course, natural way of then you want to start helping other people. Now I didn't understand that at first, you know, when when I was looking into learning, to do a business, I thought, well, yeah. Why why why do they do that? You know what? If I if I have a business, you know, I'll fine.
Blandaine:I'll do my business and that's it. But no. There's there's something happening. Because also as you meet with other self employed, but all of entrepreneur as they say, there's like a lifting support and not for ourselves, but a kind of appreciation that you give back to the community or something that is, close to your heart. And that's quite nice.
Blandaine:And that's something that you can't feel, you can't sense it when you are in a normal job. And there's nothing wrong, by the way, to have a normal job, but there's there's so much more out there.
Dean:It's like you can have a job like, there's nothing wrong objectively. It's only wrong if you think it's wrong, if you think you shouldn't be there, if you want your life to be different, if you know or feel
Blandaine:But it's hard, you know, it's a big step.
Dean:Yeah. It's
Blandaine:a big step because it's like, yeah, but what do I wanna do and and how does it work, and how do you make it work? There's so many question. But remember, if it was that easy, everybody would do it. So I would suggest so I went into property, and I, you know, hopefully, you know, I'll I heavily encourage as well, but it can be any side hustle hustle, not hustle, hustle. Sorry.
Blandaine:And any hobbies.
Dean:Yeah.
Blandaine:That but start with something that you actually enjoy because that's the drive.
Dean:So you enjoyed property from the get go. You're like, this is actually a bit of crack, as we say in Ireland.
Blandaine:Yeah. Yes. Property purely because I want to provide a home, roof over people's head, and that goes back to my trigger, initially. So that's why that for me, it's such a satisfaction.
Dean:So on an average month then, because, obviously, this is if I was in the shoes of somebody who wanted to leave now, I'd be thinking, well, my income's this, but what could it be? Like, on an average month, what would you and Jason, who I wanna talk about, like, pay yourself?
Blandaine:Right. The first few months, it doesn't nothing comes overnight. The first few months, nothing. Nothing. Nothing.
Blandaine:Nothing. Right? That's this is why. Don't don't
Dean:Very keyed up. Very keyed up.
Blandaine:And then according to the income the cash flow according to the cash flow that was building up, and just to make sure that we have sufficient staying in the in in in the bank and paying all the bills that we have to do in the business, we started off of £1,000 at first, and that was cute. But still, it was good. Then as we we grew, £5,000 and then 6 and then 10, And this is just dividend, and then we went even higher depending on the the months. So we have a minimum salary
Dean:Mhmm.
Blandaine:Because we are employed by our company.
Dean:That is to anyone who has a salary, like, let's be real here, a salary can only kinda go so high unless you're, like, the CEO.
Blandaine:You you can have a big, big salary but then you pay a lot of tax.
Dean:But dividends
Blandaine:is There's there's there's a threshold, that you can have a normal salary where you don't pay tax because because because it's a very low salary. We have to have a salary because we are directors of the company. So we we can have I mean, you can even get, like, 500, you know.
Dean:That's what I pay myself. I pay myself, like, £700?
Blandaine:Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So I think, at the moment, I think it's £1,047 a month that you get paid. You don't pay tax on it.
Blandaine:And then the dividends, you do pay tax on it, but it's at a lower rate.
Dean:That's amazing. And, like, that is life changing money for people if they had a business that was paying themselves that much. Life is very, very, very different.
Blandaine:So, yes, I mean, there are so many ways also to, to be clever how you you do things. And instead of getting paid yourself and you pay tax on it and then you buy stuff, there are many things that can actually be considered, being expenses through your company.
Dean:It's one of the perks. Right?
Blandaine:Yes. But, again, when you don't know, you don't know. There are many things that I've learned throughout, the last few years.
Dean:I didn't realize that, like, a lot of my software that I pay for now, a lot of, like, my phone, my laptop, I just put that through the business.
Blandaine:Yes. Absolutely. Absolutely.
Dean:One of the things you said earlier which has been an impactful part of your journey is your business partner, Jason.
Blandaine:Yes.
Dean:And oddly enough, he's been a big part of mine. He's been very helpful in giving me a helpful phone call when I needed it, and I genuinely do attribute a lot of where I am to him. But getting into business with somebody and being a partner, a 5050 partner with somebody is, like, effectively like being married.
Blandaine:Oh my gosh. Even worse, you can't really sharpen them.
Dean:You it's such a big decision and, you know, you see people getting into joint ventures all over the place. People are in business partners with this person, that person, and I don't think people realize just how significant it is who you're getting into bed with and if you work together. My question is, how did you determine that when you were meeting him?
Blandaine:Potluck. At the time, it was absolutely potluck.
Dean:So you just roll the dice?
Blandaine:And I'm very lucky. I've altogether, I've dealt with 4 people in terms of transaction or JVs. One is actually an investor, so he's he's okay. But my 2 other peep the 2 other people that I work with, it went it it went sour and, really sad, stressful, and you must absolutely must do your due diligence before, yes, doing a business, and pure luck with Jason. I was lucky he asked me if I wanted to work with him, because I'm quite happy, you know, I would at the time, I would work with anyone or or I wouldn't even call work.
Blandaine:At the time, it was just exchanging, you know, ideas and do things together. But having a JV partner now, oh my gosh. I mean, yes, extremely difficult. First of all, the skills have to be different, very, very different. And Jason, he's more into sourcing landlords, sourcing properties, the clients that we have.
Blandaine:I hate shopping. You have no idea. So whenever we have a new unit, he would be the one. He's amazing. He walks into into a place, and I can see in his brain, it's it's like thinking, oh my gosh.
Blandaine:Yep. And he knows exactly the the color theme, what kind of, furniture he will he will choose. I I but I do I do the DIY, and I would happily assemble all this. And because of my background with, admin, I do all the kind of the, well, all the the the back office things and all the spreadsheets and accounts reconciliation and voicing and all this. So back office, a lot of networking, social media.
Dean:You're the face of the business. I see you.
Blandaine:So, combining our skills work really well. Never work with somebody who does the same thing. Otherwise, you just duplicate.
Dean:Online, right, there's a lot of people who are in property and they just post online and they say, look at me and you do it and because I know you and I've met you several times, I I trust you. Right? There's a lot of people online that I don't trust and that's kinda
Blandaine:It's very sad. It's very sad. The thing is, I think they post when they think something's gonna happen and it's a done deal. And the number of time it's misleading because it fell through. So whenever I've posted something that has really happened and it's it's sealed, We always say don't don't believe everything on social media.
Blandaine:Sadly, it's always the nicest things and, yeah. But time is key, you know. Time is key because if if you really see, the the people trajectory and their journey and what they've executed, how they they did it, what they achieved, and how they achieved it, Because there's some slides
Dean:Sneaky boys.
Blandaine:Yes. Time for anything, time is key because then you can observe all this.
Dean:How do you distinguish? Because alright. I'm gonna frame this question. Because a lot of people who have never built a business will require knowledge to build that business
Blandaine:Yeah.
Dean:They will very likely go down the route of buying a course, going down a mentorship route, or getting a part of a community, let's say. That's usually like some of the avenues you can do. Right? And in doing that, you meet or you follow people online and in order to get to that point. And staying with the theme of people being maybe not quite trustworthy, shall we say, how could the person listening distinguish who is and isn't trustworthy and make sure that they're investing their money on mentoring with the right type of person?
Blandaine:Yep. So, in whatever industry there is, there will be different, companies or different teachers or gurus or whatever. And even before I went down to the one that I've ended up signing up with, I looked at everybody else.
Dean:Did you?
Blandaine:Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, gosh. Yes.
Blandaine:And even before I signed up, I actually watched the same person about 6, 7 times just to make sure. But I have all the other competitors and everything. I wanted to see, how they were delivering stuff, the reviews, the comments of people. Again, there's a lot of observation and and try to find out, but most of it and some of them, I knew from get go, absolutely no chance I will sign up with them. There was something that didn't didn't gel.
Blandaine:I didn't like their attitude or the way how they were doing things. So that was, like, no way. And then they were 2 or 3. I thought, yeah. Actually, I like them.
Blandaine:They have the history behind them, you know, the length of time that they've been teaching other people, the success story as well. And then he really went down to the character of the mentor. And my mentor today, oh, so forget, you know, when I used to work at the bank, I really, appreciated and and really respected the directors because, you know, they were there. They were like big people, and I respected them. But now I think, yeah, but they're still employed.
Blandaine:Now, again, there's no nothing wrong with being employed and everything. But just to say that it doesn't have to be like a CEO or whatever to be successful. And by the way, some people, they're really successful. They have zero, absolutely zero academic recognition. You know, they don't some, they didn't even have GCSEs.
Blandaine:And you think, but how? You know, how? It's so amazing. And you and you meet people, they have an incredible path. But my my mentor is is above absolutely everyone.
Dean:You go with Rob Moore. Right?
Blandaine:Well, so Rob Moore Rob Moore is now my mentor, but my first first first mentor.
Dean:Who's your first?
Blandaine:Kevin McDonough. Art. The guy the brain the brain is is
Dean:He's got some great energy, doesn't he? Yeah. Yeah.
Blandaine:So yes. I love I love his enthusiasm. Of all, I've done many, many courses subsequently, And of all the the mentors, the teachers, Kevin is definitely one of the most genuine. He's Irish. So sometimes I had, yeah, I had to adjust, you know, my my my my earring just to make sure Annie speaks so fast.
Blandaine:I think that's why I had to to watch him about 6 or 7 times before I sign up just to make sure. But I love his enthusiasm, his passion. He's really helping people. He's got such a drive. And his mind, you know, the the strategic, way of doing things, it's it's incredible.
Blandaine:I never thought never thought it was possible.
Dean:I think the key thing here that you've just said that stood out to me, the 2 key things is do your fucking due diligence.
Blandaine:Yes. Oh, yeah.
Dean:Make sure you research. Do not buy impulsively or emotionally from a mentor.
Blandaine:No.
Dean:And the second thing, go with your gut and listen to your gut.
Blandaine:Your gut Always.
Dean:Your gut knows some shit that you don't know.
Blandaine:Do you know sometimes you've got your gut feeling and so, for example, my first flats, you know, my family, we they were they were so against when I was divorcing in 2008, I was about to I was buying 2, properties. And people that have valued their opinions, they said, no. No. Don't do it. But my gut feeling thought, no.
Blandaine:I think I need to do it because then at least it's in place. They were saying, oh, you can do it later on, but it never later on. And thank god thank god I didn't listen to people, and they were close people. So gut feelings, I mean, don't do something completely drastic, obviously, but just ascertain the gut feelings, definitely. And what what drives you?
Dean:The blueprint isn't that hard, really. It's not it's not rocket science to,
Blandaine:you know Condition conditionment. We're we're so conditioned into certain ways of doing things. And, again, sorry to talk about the bank, but 9 nearly 19 years of, you know, compliance, obedience, and it's heavily regulated. So it's actually that freedom when I stepped out, and I didn't have to watch of what I post, you know, because of, reputational reputational damages. Not that I wouldn't have put anything, you know, wrong, but you had to constantly be very careful and
Dean:You have to be how somebody wants you to be.
Blandaine:Yeah. And when you come out of that, I realize, oh my gosh, we are being so oppressed. Well, You know what? It's like having a salary. To me, it was it was something so important because I needed to feed my kids.
Blandaine:So I, you know, I was so grateful to have a salary.
Dean:Like, the thing that it comes back to for me, like, I've got friends who are still in jobs doing what I do in companies I used to work at in sales earning unbelievably good money, but they just hate every aspect of carrying out that job, and the idea of never changing is a daunting
Blandaine:So for those who don't like even more the, their job, and the time we spend on the actual job, I mean, it's incredible because even I like my job, and I I used to do long hours, in the office, just to make sure that everything was was done. So can you imagine when you don't like your job? Find something that drives you, that you really like, and and make it work. You know, start as a hobby. Don't think, oh, business, this, or that, and the other, but at least start something, because the job is never secured.
Blandaine:And this the salary thing, when when I was thinking, you know, it's, it's so important. I've got a salary every month, and and and and it's great. And you know what? We've been almost grateful to have that salary.
Dean:Oh, thank you. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Blandaine:And then when you realize that out there you can double, triple, quadruple it, you think, oh my gosh. You know?
Dean:What was I doing?
Blandaine:So there there are things there are things, but I I was the first one to I I never really thought of it. It it's almost like like a a luck thing
Dean:that would be like from enjoying this interview. London. So I
Blandaine:might learn
Dean:about it. Main thing that stood out to me as I was having this conversation with her that I would love for you to remember is that no matter how late it may appear to you and how many compelling reasons that your brain might give you to not attempt to leave a shitty job that you don't like doing, you can, under seemingly impossible odds, do this and with relative ease. What you'll notice about Blondin's and my story as well is that all we did was acquire new information and implement it. That is it. And now, as you can see, Blondine is in a different place in her life.
Dean:She's transformed everything to do with her life just because she has done the work. So if you would like to kinda get into the world of property, you can tap me up. I'm part of a community. We help beginners from right the way up to advanced who are building complex systems and operations and all that good stuff in between. So if property is something you wanna get into, tap me off.
Dean:Regardless, I would like you to just remember that even against seemingly difficult odds, you can still do it. You absolutely can still get away from a shit job that drains your soul and that makes you question where you're at in your life. And maybe you've taken the first step, maybe you're on the way. Maybe you're kinda in the throes and it's a bit difficult for you right now. Let Londin's story be a reminder that you can weather this storm and that you can keep going and that you will break it out and be able to size.
Dean:So I hope you've enjoyed this. I'm gonna send you back in for the last few minutes now. All I would ask if you have enjoyed it is that you rate the show on Spotify or Apple or subscribe if you're watching on YouTube. It really, really does help, and I greatly appreciate it. The thing about your story that strikes me is that I just I know I said this, verbatim earlier, but, like, you did this when the odds were sort of stacked against you.
Dean:You were, like, 19 years in this job. You've got 2 kids. You're a single mom. You know, you've you've got you're you're kinda just so in you're so far in. And I think that's super inspiring.
Dean:That's very powerful to hear that. And I'm I I wasn't quite aware myself the degree of time that you were in there. And to kinda round things off here, I wanna ask you a question. A question that you would say to old Blondine or rather younger Blondine in the PA position. If you were to tell her to focus just on 2 skills that she should master in order to make this crazy journey she's going on a little bit easier.
Dean:And of course, this question is designed for the person listening as well. But what do you think is the most important things?
Blandaine:Believe in yourself, you know. But I think it's the condition when you you have it. You've got a rule that you have a task and you have to fulfill. But have that drive, have have that, you know, fire in the belly. You
Dean:know, Arnold Schwarzenegger was asked that question before he said, what's the biggest, the best piece of advice that you've been given? And he says, believe in yourself.
Blandaine:Yeah.
Dean:That's Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Blandaine:Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I have that.
Dean:So powerful.
Blandaine:Yeah. I know I know he said I'll be back.
Dean:So you're you're basically on the same page as Arnie. So believe in yourself.
Blandaine:Am I older than him? Maybe I told him.
Dean:As wise.
Blandaine:I think yes. And and, oh, I wanted to to say 2 things.
Dean:I honestly think believe in yourself is because I don't do it enough, if I'm being honest, if I'm being totally honest. I always doubt myself.
Blandaine:Yeah. Sometimes we don't even have time because because we are being conditioned again, you know, this is how how we have to do things.
Dean:But that's, like, when I do believe in myself, I feel so different. Life is so different. I show up so differently.
Blandaine:So I remember now when I started doing this business, it was locked down. Right? So don't think that, oh, yeah. It's okay. She managed to do that because it was lockdown, but now it's no more lockdown.
Blandaine:So therefore, I can't do it. It's never too early, too late. It's part of your journey. If this has planted a seed, that's brilliant. And this this if this stuff doing it like a little kick up, a little jerk to YouTube to start doing something, that's brilliant.
Blandaine:Whatever your journey is, it's meant to be, but just think about it. And it will grow gradually, gradually. And, also, you know, our struggling and everything and sometimes when you've got, you know, many bills and and you don't know, You you just know. You you you don't see any any any any way out. I'll tell you what, it's actually at that moment also that kicks you up, and you have to find a way, and you make you work.
Dean:I So
Blandaine:there's all the case scenario, basically, all case scenario.
Dean:I think you've shown to your efforts alongside Jason that, you know, even if the odds are stacked against you, you can change things, and you can create a better life for yourself. And I just hope the person who's listening is moved by that, and I've really enjoyed getting inside your mind today, and I've I've thoroughly enjoyed it. And thank you very much for joining.
Blandaine:Very, very welcome. It's been life changing, you know, straight away. Even even at home, you know, when you don't have that financial pressure, I became a lot chill. And and and my children, they've seen the transformation. We're talking transformation as in me being more relaxed because I don't have that pressure of, oh my gosh, you go to a shop and you don't have to scrape the pennies, literally.
Blandaine:I'm I'm not kidding, you know, or what kind of food you can afford or or not. You know, now you just go and and and you pay, and it's like, wow. We're so privileged. Yes. I did work for it and and many hours and everything.
Blandaine:But, wow, I'm not screaming. I'm not stressed anymore at at home. The kids seen that. The first thing, I took them to, January for holiday, and then we went to a gymnastics retreat in Egypt. I mean, life changing.
Blandaine:Absolutely life changing. And peculiarity curiosity.
Dean:I I there was a question I was gonna ask you as well. Cool. Being in property historically is obviously quite a male dominated space, generally speaking. Right? That's not a rule of thumb, but generally speaking, it's quite a male dominated space.
Dean:How have you found being a woman in what is predominantly a male space?
Blandaine:So there are some some ladies who are in constructions. There are developers. But all this, I didn't know because they're kind of in the shadow still, but there are there's there's a big female influence, you know, on-site, and and more and more so, I was actually impressed. I didn't know. But, yeah, like, I'm nothing.
Blandaine:You know? They're women. They're like, they're developers. They're they're doing such a great job. I'm actually at the, cons of the women in construction awards on the 26th September in London.
Blandaine:I was invited already last last year, so I'm going again this year. So, yes, it's actually the the women population in construction, in property is definitely growing. But also, I would like to to go back, you know, for the cycle of a of a woman. You know, you you grew up, you get married, you've got a job. Usually typically, you call for a career path, for many years.
Blandaine:In my case, anyway, it was just work and the kids, work and the kids. And then you feel like you you don't have time for yourself. You don't have time at all, and we lose that identity. But, again, it's only temporary. And I've been speaking to other women, and it's exactly the same pattern.
Blandaine:It's normal. There is a duty of looking after the children. Make sure that you've got the job also covered. The kids, they're growing up, and it's a bit harsh because, eventually, they go and hang out with their friends, and then you end up, you know, being on your own with the dog at home and you think, oh, at that moment, you have your time back because all these years, you didn't have any time for yourself, really. When you have your time back, because you will come back, that fire that you had when you were younger, that drive and everything is still there.
Blandaine:It's so still there. Again, maybe by listening to me, you either you don't realize, maybe you're gonna start realizing that it's there. Just ignite it. Ignite it. Ignite it again.
Dean:Fuck yeah.
Blandaine:Because because it's there and just do it. And years back, I I wouldn't be so driven and everything. I was I was like a servant. I was a servant to my to my directors, to my kids, to, you know, the the school run and everything. You see me now, I'm 50.
Blandaine:I'm I'm like, it's there. And and the and the fire has never left. If anything, you come back even stronger. Having implemented all this that you have to in in life, you have the experience to know exactly what you know what? I love absolutely love getting older as well because the amount of experience that you go through, good and bad, good and bad, but the amount of experience, you you become more, yeah, kind of certain wisdom.
Blandaine:You know exactly what you wanna go for. You know what works. You've learned by then how to say no. Oh my gosh. That's that's you learn how to be silent when needed, which before, you know, it's like, I want to have the last word, you know, to to, to win the fight.
Blandaine:But it's all part of the the flow of the journey, but it's still there. So women I'm not a feminist, but women are there even for you, you know, just go for it because you have it. And, gentlemen, come on.
Dean:Everyone go for it.
Blandaine:Absolutely. Everyone.
Dean:Nice. That's amazing. And I'm so pleased for you that it's worked out this way, truly. And I would encourage anyone who's listening to follow you, have a look at your LinkedIn. You could go back and see all this crazy journey.
Blandaine:I'm even on TikTok, you know.
Dean:TikTok. Cool. Get on TikTok. But, really, it's been a great ram tickell. Yeah.
Dean:It's been a great conversation today, Thank you for joining.
Blandaine:You're very welcome. Thank you for having me. Thank you for having me.
