From an early age of 15, Andrew Morello has always had the drive and passion for business. From running dance parties, working in the real estate industry to winning Channel’s 9’s TV series The Apprentice, he now works with Mark Bouris at Yellow Brick Road Management as the head of Business Development.
In this Q & A interview with Alex Pirouz, Andrew Morello reveals the importance of working with the right people, why it’s about the journey and not the goal and why challenges are a vital part of achieving success in business.
What’s the journey been like thus far?
Andrew describes the journey much similar to stepping stones. “The biggest thing I try to partake on people is that sometimes you can be doing the most unproductive of work and think its point less but it leads to building the blocks and foundations for your next adventure,” Andrew explains.
What have been your biggest highlights along the way?
Even with my celebrity status, my biggest highlights haven’t been working with famous people but more so meeting the right people at the right time. I always tell people you don’t know when your next opportunity may come. Always look to pick other people’s brains and gain their advice and experience in life.
How do you face challenges and adversity?
I look at challenges and adversity in life as my opportunity to win; I constantly want to win, not to beat other people but to better myself. If you look at some of the most successful people in the world, at one stage they had failed for several years before doing quite well. But it was there persistence that actually supported their growth and expansion into success.
Many strive for success in business, but very few actually achieve it: why?
To attain success, the main thing isn’t the actual goal itself but the person you become as a result of attaining that goal and having fun in the process. If you want success and to have the grand things in life, you need to be willing to go through the ups and down, because it is only then that you are able to appreciate what you achieve. If it was easy everyone would be doing it.”
My experience in The Apprentice was not an easy journey; in fact at many times I had to step out of my comfort zone in order to push forward through the various stages. I had never been on TV nor had a camera crew follow me around for 10 weeks so at first this was a big challenge for me. But now that I have achieved that I believe I can achieve anything.”
What’s it like working with Mark Bouris?
“Working with Mark (founder of Wizard Home Loans and Co Founder of Yellow Brick Road) is amazing, his mindset is very impressive. For him it is more about changing the financial industry sector then it is about money. He has all the money in the world.
In your experience how important is it to work with the right people?
In order to really excel in what you do, you first need to enjoy and love working with the people around you on a day to day basis. I have been given multiple opportunities else where but because I love what I do and the people I work with I continue to work at YBR. It is important because being fulfilled and happy within your work environment is rated as one of the most important requirements by employees.”
If you could offer one piece of advice to someone who is in business for themselves, what would that be?
Get an accountability partner, someone who will hold you accountable to your word and the results you set to achieve on a week by week basis. If you don’t have a partner, get one because it will grow your business, 2x, 3x and maybe 10x faster within a space of 18 months.
Alex Pirouz is the founder of RIDC Advisory Pty Ltd. A Business and Sales Advisory firm partnering with Australia’s largest and fastest growing companies to further increase their revenue. Visit www.ridcadvisory.com.au for more details.
