PEOPLE
BROKERAGE INSIGHT
MediCredi: Built on the drive to succeed Determined to run her own business, mortgage broker Toni Stevens overcame the hurdles she faced, arming herself with the knowledge and experience to set up and build a thriving brokerage DESPITE BEING unsuccessful in an earlier attempt to become a mortgage broker, Toni Stevens did not let that stop her. Now, she is the director of MediCredi, a boutique brokerage that provides solutions to the healthcare industry. Stevens joined the industry at just 19 years old, when she started her broking career completing home loans over the phone at iSelect. She went on to contract to a broking firm in Melbourne, but although she had allowed herself six months’ worth of income to survive the commission-based role, she didn’t. But she went on to join Bankwest as a BDM looking after a portfolio of around 400 brokers, a move she says propelled her career forward. “It was the best decision I made for my career at the time,” Stevens says. “I learnt so much about the industry and about great brokers, what they do well and how they run their businesses. It taught me so much more about lending and back-end processes.” Then, after spending some time working at a fintech in the peer-to-peer lending space, she met her now senior BDM through a chance encounter, and it pushed her to “make that leap” and branch out on her own. Armed with the knowledge and experience she had gained, a solid business plan, and enough money to back her business, Stevens founded MediCredi in March 2019.
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When she entered the industry as a young woman, Stevens says she noticed that her male counterparts did not have to work as hard as she did to earn recognition and respect; she says their abilities were never
“I found that pushed me to be better and rise above the stigma. I was fortunate that I had strong women around me in leadership roles who I could look up to for guidance.” MediCredi’s core customer base is medical
“There were times throughout my career where I did have to prove myself, my ability to deliver, my knowledge and experience” doubted as much as she felt hers were. “There were times throughout my career when I did have to prove myself, my ability to deliver, my knowledge and experience,” she says, although she used that as motivation.
professionals who have access to its holistic offering, from home loans to equipment loans, or funding to help with fitouts. The majority of business comes through word of mouth, and Stevens’ own networking.
BROKING AND MOTHERHOOD Running MediCredi throughout her pregnancy and now as a mum to her six-month-old daughter, Toni Stevens is an advocate for the opportunities broking offers women. She says it is a fantastic career choice for females, as it allows the flexibility and autonomy to “run your own show and schedule”. She adds that it is a business in which communication skills and relationship-building are key to being successful – and that is something women are great at. “The industry allows you to scale your business and earning potential depending on how busy you want to be, which is fantastic for women and mothers,” Stevens says. “You are able to set up a home office and successfully be present at home, as well as be available for your clients.”
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