From 2 Properties in 10 Years to 6 Deals in 1.5 Years

Sam (0:05)

Big Ash Manuel, mate, welcome to the Scouting Australia Podcast. Let's bring him a round of applause.

Now mate, this all kicked off.

This was actually earlier in the year. Mate, you sent in a handwritten letter to the team to obviously pass on to me as well, which was obviously missed in the big rush of what last year was with the summit and the boot camp and everything and lead up to that. And then, mate, when I was actually given earlier in the year, man, I reached out to you after, because there was some very kind words said in there, man. I think also the view that you have around people succeeding and wanting to succeed and again, man, even like wanting to fly over and see the different potties and stuff, man. And I think it's super inspiring. And again, such a massive part of the culture at APS as well of wanting to see other people win. So man, I want to give you a shout out on that. And do you remember well what you wrote in the letter too?

Ash Manuel (0:56)

It was a while ago, it might have been in 2000, it might have been in 2024 even, because it was a while. But I've got in the habit of doing that for about the last two or three or four years.

Sam (1:05)

Yeah, right.

Ash Manuel (1:06)

Like writing, like you have received one, but a lot of other people have too. So.

Sam (1:11)

All right, I don't feel special.

Ash Manuel (1:13)

No, no, I do it on a Sunday. I'll just sit there at a cafe with a coffee and just think about someone who has a positive impact on me. And I'll just write them like the reason why I appreciate them and also why I admire them.

Because it's two reasons like one is to remind myself that the people in my life that have an impact. I might have never met them before, like yourself never met you in person when I wrote it, but you've had a positive impact, you created APS. Yeah, to achieve some like, I guess, goals that I didn't think I would be able to do. But you've set that up and but also you've built a massive business, like and that's something to admire. And I think I've heard you talk about this before, but sometimes we don't appreciate people enough. So like celebrate other people because like, we don't want to bring people down, we want to build people up. Because if you're building people up, well, you're gonna have a more positive mindset rather than like worrying about the negative and what other people are doing, like build them up, like make them feel good.

Sam (2:09)

I don't understand, man. And I think it like, it further increases the circle of people that are around you that are also thinking, talking, acting on an elevated level and in a positive level rather than the negativity. And I think we all would know people that come into our sphere and they bring that negative energy and they bring that negativity and you feel it sap you and drain you.

And so I think when you can be the bringer of the other side of that and a big part of that and bring the energy, man, bring the good vibes and the positivity from that end, I think it carries so much weight. And that's why, man, when I read it and then, you know, regardless of where, if anything, man, that's mad that you sent it to plenty of people that are in that scenario as well. And I think it's cool because then it kicked off obviously our conversation, which obviously led into the podcast as well and sharing the story, man. I think it's really cool because the headline will read, you know, two properties over in whatever was 15 years or whatever, and then you've done six properties in one and a half years. You know, so it's like, again, man, sharing the love, sharing the story around how that happened, how that was possible. And again, man, the positivity and the positive energy. And I think this is where so many people get hung up on worrying so much around what other people are doing or where other people are sitting as well, rather than just worrying about their own stuff and then celebrating that other success. Because when you celebrate someone else's success, they're more likely to also help you sort of get to those next levels as well.

So hats off to you, man. I love it. And in terms of what you actually do too, because you said you run a business that effectively thrives off that, right?