I partner with Australia’s leading Mortgage Brokers and together we build the most profitable and valuable businesses in the industry 👉 DM or email me to learn more.

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐨?

→ From Practitioner Scars to Value Acceleration Engine, I bring a unique advantage to Recludo’s capital partnerships.

“𝘈𝘴𝘩’𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘣𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘴, 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘱𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘙𝘦𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘰 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘫𝘰𝘣. 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬, 𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦, 𝘒𝘗𝘐 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘯𝘦, 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘯𝘦𝘸 51% 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘦-𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘦-𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵.”
~ Tim Brown | Recludo Group CEO

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬

→ De-risked entry: No trial-and-error phase. Proven systems and governance are embedded from the start.
→ Pre-engineered value creation: Businesses are transformed into scalable assets, not speculative ventures.
→ Aligned pathways: Broker ambition and investor ROI move in lockstep.

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬

→ Access to playbooks, KPIs and safeguards that shortcut growth.
→ Pathways to succession that protect both business legacy and personal ambition.
→ A partner with scars, stripes, and strategy already earned, so they don’t have to.
→ Recludo is not an experiment. It’s an operationalised model of accelerated value creation, led by a practitioner who has lived every step of the journey.

✅ 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬: Growth without guesswork.
✅ 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬: Compounding returns, pre-engineered.
✅ 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡: Trust built on four decades of lived experience.


Reach out for a confidential chat

📞  +61 419 808885
📩  ash.playsted@recludo.com.au
🌐  www.recludo.com.au

Ash Playsted

Most founders learn this lesson too late: 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻’𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲… 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂.

That’s the paradox.

And if betrayal teaches you the wrong lesson, it doesn’t just cost you a relationship. It costs you your future.

Because betrayal doesn’t only hurt emotionally...
...it creates a leadership reflex:
→ Control everything.
→ Trust nobody.
→ Keep it tight.
→ Do it yourself.

And that reflex feels like protection…
…but it quietly becomes a cage.

A business built on low trust always ends the same way:
× the founder becomes the bottleneck
× the team becomes cautious
× the culture becomes political
× growth slows
× energy leaks
× and “scale” becomes impossible
 

And here’s what most people don’t want to admit:
╰┈➤ If you stop trusting people, you stop building anything bigger than yourself.

That’s not inspirational. That’s operational truth.

So what’s the answer?

Not blind trust. And not hardened mistrust.

The answer is mature trust:
✓ trust with guardrails
✓ trust with standards
✓ trust with accountability
✓ trust with structure
✓ trust with clear consequences

Because the goal isn’t to avoid betrayal.
The goal is to become the kind of leader who can take a hit…
…and keep building anyway.

This week’s '𝘓𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥.' newsletter edition is about a time in my life this lesson came home to roost.

If you’ve ever been burned in business and/or life (and you’re still building), this one will land ... full edition below 👇 

#LivedNotLectured #Trust #MortgageBrokers #Founders #Entrepreneurship #Life #Business

Empowering 50 Ambitious Mortgage Brokerage Owners to Create Life Changing Personal Wealth | Co-Founder and Executive GM ​> Broker Business Performance at Recludo

There’s a lesson most people avoid. Not because it’s hard to understand. But because it’s hard to accept. It’s the lesson that sits right at the inter

Open article: The Paradox of Trust: Why You Must Keep Believing in People Even After They Break It by Ash Playsted • 11 min read

The Paradox of Trust: Why You Must Keep Believing in People Even After They Break It

𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐜𝐤. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞.

Not because you’re lazy.
Not because you’re incapable.
Not because you don’t "know what to do.”
But because you keep hiding behind the most expensive sentence in business: “𝘐’𝘮 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦.”

Let me translate that for you.

It usually means:
“I don’t want to be wrong.”
“I don’t want to look foolish.”
“I don’t want to lose clients.”
“I don’t want discomfort.”

So instead... you plan.
You research.
You tweak.
You refine.
You model.
You workshop.
You rewrite.
You polish.
And you call it progress.

But here’s the truth:
╰┈➤ Preparation without execution is procrastination... dressed up as professionalism.

And it’s quietly killing your business.

Because while you’re waiting for perfect timing... someone else is executing at 70% certainty — and taking your market share.

Here’s what I’ve learned coaching mortgage business owners:
╰┈➤ Strategy is common. Execution is rare.

Every broker already knows the big levers:
↳ re-price your book
↳ build referral partner systems
↳ tighten conversion
↳ document workflows
↳ hire leverage
↳ remove yourself as bottleneck
↳ install cadence + rhythm

That’s not the gap.

The gap is this:
╰┈➤ 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗱𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆’𝗱 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗲 “𝗯𝘂𝘀𝘆” 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲.

They’d rather be certain... than be successful.

And here’s why this matters:
Investors don’t buy ideas. They buy proven doers.

Buyers don’t pay a premium for:
● your plan
● your vision
● your strategic roadmap
● your “potential”

They pay a premium for one thing:
╰┈➤ Proven execution.

Because #execution reduces risk.
Execution creates #momentum.
Execution builds #systems.
Execution creates #transferability.
Execution creates #enterprisevalue.

So if you’re serious about building a valuable brokerage...
Stop waiting.
Stop perfecting.
Stop researching.

Here’s the only framework that matters:
╰┈➤ Pick 2–3 moves that will change the business. Then execute them daily before the day steals your oxygen.

Not weekly.
Not “when things slow down.”
Not after clearing your inbox.

Daily.
Because the “perfect time” never arrives.
And the market doesn’t reward hesitation.
It rewards #speed, #discipline, and #momentum.

So I’ll ask you a question most founders avoid:
→ What strategic move are you analysing... instead of implementing?

That’s your #breakthrough. But only if you act.

I've written about this in detail in the latest edition of my 𝘈𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘝𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘦 𝘊𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 Newsletter 👇 

#AcceleratedValueCreation #MortgageBrokers #Success #Action

Empowering 50 Ambitious Mortgage Brokerage Founders to Create Life Changing Personal Wealth | Co-Founder and Executive GM Broker Business Performance at Recludo

View newsletter: Accelerated Value Creation

There’s a quiet killer in the mortgage broking industry. It’s not commission compression. It’s not lender policy volatility. It’s not compliance, claw

Open article: Perfect Timing Is a Myth. Execution Is the Advantage. (Why the market pays for doers, not dreamers.) by Ash Playsted • 10 min read

Perfect Timing Is a Myth. Execution Is the Advantage. (Why the market pays for doers, not dreamers.)

Melbourne based Brokers, want a lender totally focussed on fast, flexible solutions? See you at The Garden Room, Crown Casino Friday Feb 6th 11:00am onwards!

The team at Recludo is proud to announce Thry Group as our newest business partner. Thry (pronounced Three) was formed expressly to serve Mortgage Brokers looking for speed, flexibility, and direct access to decision makers who will always collaborate with you to make deals work.

To celebrate the launch of this broker focused, specialist Mortgage Management business, a grand celebration launch event has been arranged at The Garden Room at Crown Casino Melbourne.

So if you’re a Melbourne (or Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth) based Broker looking for fast, reliable solutions for your clients, come along on Friday Feb 6th for some good company (and free food and drinks!), event details are on the invite attached.

Tim Brown | Ash Playsted | Chris Slater | Layne T.

Thry Group Grand Opening

Helping You Build Wealth Through Property | Available 7 days 0404242033 - christianstevens@shorefinancial.com.au 🏠 🏠 🏠

As the Best Residential Mortgage Broker in Australia, I help people build wealth through property by providing tailored solutions to suit your needs and objectives.

I am passionate about helping first home buyers achieve their dream of homeownership, and I have founded First Home Buyers Australia, the largest support group for this segment in the country. I have also been recognised as the Best Mortgage Broker in Australia and the winner of multiple industry awards, including Broker of the Year three times. 

I'm always open to growing my professional network and sharing my expertise in property investment, online marketing, and customer relationship management. You can connect with me on LinkedIn, email me at christianstevens@flintgroup.au or book a call with me directly on my calendar.

Christian Stevens - Mortgage Broker

The #Flint Brisbane office has a clear goal - to build a $1B brokerage over the next 24 months.

But the real reason behind that goal is simple.
It means being able to help so many more people make smart, confident property decisions.

Brisbane is our fourth office nationally, and our first in Queensland.

We didn't rush this.
We waited until we had the right people on the ground, the right support behind them, and a model we knew could scale without losing what matters.

This office is just the start of our Queensland journey.

We'll be opening multiple other locations across the state this year, all built the same way - locally led, properly supported, and focused on long-term outcomes for clients.

Growth only matters if it's done the right way.

For us, that means helping more Australians make better decisions around property.

Queensland - we're just getting started 🚀 

Thank you for the feature The Adviser Magazine! Link to full article with James Green, Diego Aguirre-Davies, Margaret Glazebrook, William Tucker and Mitchell Donnelly in the comments.

Christian Stevens 

Building Australia’s First $10B+ Brokerage! We’re Looking for Great People to Join the Flint Journey. Be Part of Something Bigger 🚀

Had a really good time shopping for our bathroom renovation.

It’s honestly wild how many suppliers and options are out there - tiles, tapware, vanities, finishes - all slightly different, all with their own personality.

But instead of feeling overwhelming, today felt fun because I was doing it with an expert.

So many good ideas, and that great feeling when you can actually picture it all coming together.

Really enjoying the process and the quality time spent with my beautiful wife Nikolina Stevens - Interior Designer.

No alternative text description for this image

We’ve had a few things go wrong recently.

Nothing dramatic.
Just the usual operational stuff that comes with growth.

What I’ve learned is not to overthink it.
Fix the issue.
Improve the process.
Move on.

Big businesses aren’t built by avoiding problems.
They’re built by getting better at dealing with them quickly.

Helps to have Ana Souza on the team, who is one of the best operations managers in the industry.

I’ve learned this the hard way.

Big energy weeks feel productive.
They also burn people out if that’s all you rely on.

Teams don’t need constant intensity.
They need consistency.

Knowing what’s expected.
Knowing decisions will be followed through.
Knowing the standard doesn’t change depending on mood or pressure.

That kind of leadership isn’t exciting.
But it’s what people trust.

This was some of the Sydney team having lunch together yesterday for Toastie Tuesday - our favourite day of the week!.

We’ve just hit our first 100 videos through #FlintMedia, and we’re genuinely proud of what the team has built so far.

Not because of the number itself, but because of what it represents.

Brokers finding their voice.
Building confidence.
Sharing their knowledge in a way that feels natural, not forced.

FlintMedia has become a big part of how we support our brokers beyond just deals and numbers. We now have a full-time videographer and editing team working closely with them to turn everyday conversations, client insights and experience into content that’s easy to share and easy for people to connect with.

This isn’t about being polished or perfect.
It’s about being real, consistent, and helpful.

The first 100 videos are just the start. Our goal is 250+ each quarter, but more importantly, it’s about helping our brokers build long-term personal brands they can be proud of and that clients can trust.

That’s what this is really about.

Back to work today after the Christmas break.

I always find this week interesting.

Some people come back refreshed.
Others come back distracted.
Most come back somewhere in the middle.

Leadership really starts here.
Not in planning days or strategy decks.
But in how you reset your standards once the break is over.

That first week back matters more than people think 💪🏼

The break gives you distance.
And distance gives you perspective, if you let it.

It’s easy to come back and do things the same way because it’s familiar.
Harder to ask whether those habits are actually helping anymore.

Leadership is often just deciding to do a few things differently, early.
Clearer expectations.
Better conversations.
Less tolerance for things you know aren’t right.

Those small decisions compound faster than people realise.

taplio

The Battle

Ash Playsted

Christian Stevens - Mortgage Broker

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreAsh Playsted's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreChristian Stevens - Mortgage Broker's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Ash Playsted

Christian Stevens - Mortgage Broker

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Ash Playsted's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreChristian Stevens - Mortgage Broker's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreAsh Playsted's LinkedIn Performance