If you set resolutions on the 1st of January, statistically, most of them have already been quietly shelved. Not because you lack discipline or drive — but because most goals were designed to be carried alone. And solo weight gets heavy fast.

When we talk about goals. We treat them like private matters. Personal projects. Things we will get around to when the timing is right, when we have more capacity, when life settles down. But life does not settle down. And 20% of the year has already passed like a lightning strike.

Here is what I have noticed working in a field built entirely on relationships: the things that actually get done are rarely done alone. Every deal I have ever closed involved a network of people — buyers, vendors, solicitors, financiers, advisors — each playing a specific role at a specific moment. The outcome was never the work of a single person. It was assembled.

Your personal goals are no different.

That book you want to write needs a reader who will give you honest feedback. The business idea needs someone who has done it before. The fitness goal needs a training partner who will show up even when you do not feel like it. The investment you keep researching but never pulling the trigger on — that needs a conversation with someone who has already made the move.

The missing ingredient is rarely information. It is usually people.

So with 80% of the year still ahead, I want to ask you something worth sitting with:

You do not have to have it all figured out. You just have to be willing to say it out loud.

NB.

The smarter play is to sell while the business is trending upward. When a buyer can see consistent growth and a strong trajectory, they don’t just price the business on what it’s worth today. They price it on what it could be worth with perfect execution over the next three years — and then they hand you that valuation without you having to deliver it.

That’s the momentum premium. And it’s one of the most underutilised levers in a business exit.

The second part of the equation is what you do with the proceeds. The goal isn’t to keep grinding for a larger number. It’s to take that actively earned capital off the table at the right moment and deploy it into passive compounding assets and/or your next strategic endevor.

From that point, your money works without you.

The cycle is simple: build actively, exit on momentum, deploy into passive compounding, and begin building again. Each cycle stacks on the last. Your net worth grows not from a single massive outcome, but from consistent, well-timed exits that compound over time.

Playing for doubles and triples, reinvested intelligently, will outperform swinging for the fences the vast majority of the time. The goal isn’t the biggest exit. It’s the biggest nest egg.

It’s easy to treat the beginning of the year as a warm-up. A slow start. A series of “I’ll get to it” promises. But the math doesn’t care about our intentions. 5.5% is gone.

We often wait for the “perfect” moment to begin our best work. We wait for the middle of the year, the next quarter, or a clearer sky.

But the plane is already in the air. We are already in motion.

The question isn’t how much time is left. The question is what we do with the 94.5% that remains if we are lucky to see all of 2026.

Go.

NB

Anthony Bourdain once wrote;

“It seems that the more places I see and experience, the bigger I realise the world to be. The more I become aware of, the more I realise how relatively little I know of it, how many places I have still to go, how much more there is to learn. Maybe that’s enlightenment enough - to know that there is no final resting place of the mind, no moment of smug clarity. Perhaps wisdom, such as it is, means realising how small I am, and unwise, and how far I have yet to go.”

I’ve thought about this a lot this year. Two more stamps in the passport - Vietnam and India, and spent a lot of time driving in Australia, and the paradox becomes clearer. The world doesn’t shrink when you explore it. You do. And that’s not a bad thing.

On Letting Go (Or Not)

This year, I realised I have a tough time letting go of people I care about.

There’s no neat lesson here. No three-step framework. Just the uncomfortable truth that caring deeply makes everything else harder. The goodbyes linger longer. The what-ifs stack up higher. The people who matter continue to matter, even when geography or circumstance suggests they shouldn’t.

I’m still working on this one.

On Not Being Alone

For the first time in my professional life, I worked alongside a colleague. Not just shared office space or traded emails, but actual daily mentoring, collaboration, the whole thing.

Turns out the lone wolf thing I’d perfected over the years wasn’t the ceiling. It was just comfortable.

The daily push, the shared wins, the realisation that “what could be accomplished together” wasn’t just motivational poster nonsense - it rewired how I think about work. About capacity. About what’s possible when you stop treating collaboration like a weakness.

On Operating at 60%

Here’s what I know: if I managed what I managed this year, feeling the way I felt, running at maybe 60% capacity on the good days, then god help the world if I get back to full strength.

I wouldn’t bet against me.

That’s not bravado. It’s pattern recognition. It’s looking at the deals closed, the countries visited, the lessons learned, the relationships navigated - all while carrying weight that would’ve flattened the younger version of me - and thinking: “Alright then. What happens when this actually gets easy?”

On Being SINK

Single Income, No Kids.

The acronym makes it sound like a demographic category or a tax bracket. Really, it’s just shorthand for “designed my life on purpose and it looks different than yours.”

And life is good.

Not perfect. Not without the challenging bits mentioned above. But good in the way that matters - the freedom to say yes to India, to build something meaningful at work, to sit with the hard stuff without needing to have it solved by year-end.

On 2026

If I’m able to take from all of the past lessons learned, I feel like 2026 is going to be the best one yet.

Life is a compounding beast. The longer you stay in the game, the greater the returns. You’ve just got to stick it through the messy middle, the tough quarters, the days when 60% feels generous.

Every conversation that went sideways taught me how to communicate better. Every deal that stalled taught me where to apply pressure. Every goodbye that hurt taught me what actually matters. Every collaboration showed me what leverage really looks like.

The passport’s getting fuller. The network’s getting stronger. The clarity’s getting sharper.

New trips on the radar. New capacity coming online. Same commitment to the people who stuck around through this weird year.

The world’s bigger than I thought. I’m smaller than I thought. The work matters more than I thought. The returns are compounding. 2026 is going to be something special.

NB.

Think about this: fear and excitement produce identical physical responses – increased heart rate, elevated adrenaline levels, heightened awareness. Your body is simply preparing for something significant. The only difference is the story your mind tells about those sensations.

When you’re stuck in the thinking phase, your brain has time to catastrophise. It imagines every possible failure, every way things could go wrong. That’s the mountain of fear you see on the left side of the curve.

But once you cross into doing, something shifts. The same physiological state that felt like fear suddenly becomes a state of growth. You’re too busy executing to catastrophise. The sensations don’t change—your interpretation does.

This is why action is the antidote to anxiety. Not because the doing is easy, but because it transforms the same biological response from paralysing to propelling.

The vertical line isn’t a barrier. It’s a choice.

Stop asking whether you’re ready. Your body’s already given you the same signal it provides when you're excited. The only question is which story you’re going to tell yourself about it.

NB.

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That’s it.

Not grinding 18-hour days. Not being the smartest person in the room. Not having the perfect strategy.

Just being someone that opportunities stick to.

These are the traits that compound to success:

• Be reliable

• Avoid drama

• Help other people win

• Take care of your body

• Take care of your mind

• Live below your means

• Treat your job as if it matters

• Take care of your relationships

Simple? Yes.

Easy? Not even close.

But here’s what happens when you do these things consistently: doors open. People remember you. Opportunities find you instead of you chasing them.

Most people are waiting for the big break, the perfect moment, the right connection.

Meanwhile, the winners are just doing the tedious work consistently and becoming the kind of person to whom good things happen.

NB.

“It’s tempting to want the best of all four, but it’s going to take effort and focus. All of these terms are relative choices, not absolute judgments. Where does your offering fit in?”
— Seth Godin, New and Old, Big and Small

In business and in life, we’re often pulled between scale and focus, innovation and tradition. The real challenge is deciding which mix truly aligns with our purpose — not chasing every corner of the grid.

I’ve been thinking about how this applies to [insert your context — e.g. the accommodation and investment space, or your current projects]. Big brands often chase “new and big,” but enduring operators build strength by mastering “old and small” — refining, not expanding.

The key is intentionality: know your quadrant and own it.

Read the original on Seth’s Blog →

NB.

I’m pleased to announce that I’ve exclusively listed the franchises of Quest Chermside and Quest Chermside on Playfield for sale through ResortBrokers. Together, these two well-established apartment hotels represent one of the most exciting accommodation opportunities currently available in Brisbane’s inner north.

The portfolio comprises 132 apartments — the 54-key Quest Chermside and the 78-key Quest Chermside on Playfield — offered in one line for $6.96 million. The businesses have been operated by the current owner since April 2018 and October 2015 respectively.

Owning both franchises allows an incoming operator to consolidate operations, streamline marketing, and establish market leadership across one of Brisbane’s most strategic suburban hubs. These assets sit in the heart of Chermside’s city-fringe growth corridor — adjacent to Westfield Chermside, major health and employment nodes, and Brisbane’s northern transport links.

Quest has consistently demonstrated strong strategic foresight in site selection, and these two properties are no exception. Both outperform Brisbane’s average occupancy levels — with Quest Chermside on Playfield exceeding the market by more than 10 percentage points.

This offering follows my recent sales of Quest Townsville on Eyre, Quest Woolloongabba, and Quest Toowoomba, underscoring the strong and ongoing demand for quality Quest operations across Queensland.

If you’d like more information about the Quest Chermside portfolio or wish to discuss acquisition structure and timing, please get in touch.

As first published in The Hotel Conversation on 27 October 2025.

NB.

“Intelligence isn’t just about what you know. It is also the ability to avoid being your own bottleneck.

• If you lack the skills, be willing to look foolish while you learn them.

• If you lack the connections, be courageous enough to reach out and build them.

• If you feel uncertain, be bold enough to figure it out along the way.

Many people have the ability, but they talk themselves out of trying.”

In any business, especially one driven by relationships and momentum, this is a reminder that overthinking can be the biggest drag on progress.

Start before you’re ready. Learn in motion. Build while moving forward.

You can subscribe to James Clear’s 3-2-1 Thursday newsletter here.

Cheers,

NB.

Winning all the time might sound ideal — but it rarely is.
We learn more from challenge than we do from comfort, and that truth has stuck with me ever since I first saw The Twilight Zone.

It’s strange to say, but some of the most enduring life lessons have come not from mentors or books, but from that iconic black-and-white series. It’s even where I first saw Robert Redford act — long before the movie-star polish. The stories in The Twilight Zone had a way of simplifying complex truths.

One episode in particular stands out.

A man — a criminal — is shot and dies. He wakes up in what seems to be heaven. Every woman he meets says yes. Every hand at the blackjack table is a win. There are long queues at the best restaurants, yet he’s ushered right in without waiting. He has everything he ever wanted, instantly.

But before long, the thrill wears off. He becomes restless. Frustrated. He turns to his mysterious host and says, “Come on — this is supposed to be heaven.” The host smiles and replies:
“My brother, this is not heaven.”

That’s the point.

The greatest “yes” moments in life — the most meaningful wins — usually follow a string of no’s. Without resistance, growth stops. Without contrast, pleasure fades. When everything comes easy, nothing feels valuable.

✦ Takeaway

If you’re not hearing “no” often, you’re probably playing too safe. The good stuff — the life-defining wins — only land when you’ve earned them. That’s what makes them stick.

Earn your wins.

Cheers,

NB

At the recent Best Western Hotels Conference held in Brisbane 2025, I sat on the sustainability panel and shared some insights on what we are seeing in the market. Operators who have been investing in sustainability aren’t just doing the right thing — they’re seeing real financial rewards.

In a market where operating costs are rising across energy, labour and waste, vendors with solar, smarter waste systems, and streamlined housekeeping are running leaner — and selling stronger.

And buyers are paying attention. These moves are now bankable — improving NOI and enhancing sale price at exit.

Sustainability’s not just a checkbox. It’s a business edge.

I recently jumped back behind the mic with Trudy Crooks and Paul Chiu for another episode of RB Radio – the ResortBrokers podcast – and this one’s worth a listen if you’re in the thick of the accommodation game, looking to buy, or just curious about what’s happening across the hotel, motel, and Management Rights markets right now.

🎧 Listen here:

RB Radio Episode

What’s inside?

We cover a bit of everything in this one:

• - My own shift from Central Queensland to the Brisbane accommodation market – what’s different, what’s the same, and how the buyer pool’s evolving

• - Some big-picture insights from Paul at CLAS Financial – a legend in the finance game with 20+ years under his belt

• - Why finance conversations need to start early in any deal (and how good packaging makes all the difference with the banks)

• - How management rights are tracking, how caravan parks are trending, and where buyers are getting caught out in the current market

It’s a relaxed chat but packed with useful stuff for brokers, buyers, owners, and anyone keeping an eye on how the sector is shifting.

If you give it a listen, let me know what you think – always keen to hear how others are navigating things out there.

Catch you soon,

Nathan

Risk, discipline, failure, patience, and sacrifice—these aren't options on a sliding scale. They're toggles. They're either fully engaged or they're off.

Procrastination and excuses? The same rules apply. They're either on or off. You can't partially procrastinate your way to success, nor can you sometimes make excuses and expect meaningful results.

Success demands clarity. It requires the decisive flicking of switches, with a full awareness of what each action means.

So, check your settings. What have you left on, and more importantly, what should you finally switch off?

I'm rooting for you.

NB.

Tim, Chris, Hugh, and I (Nathan) recently travelled to Sydney for a series of meetings to strengthen industry relationships and uncover new opportunities. This trip reinforced the importance of face-to-face engagement in fostering meaningful connections with key players in the accommodation and investment sectors.

Over two days, we met with various funds, investment firms, and hospitality groups to gain insights into their acquisition strategies and growth plans. These conversations highlighted the evolving landscape of hotel and caravan park investments, clearly focusing on scale, long-term value creation, and strategic branding. Investors seek well-positioned assets that align with their broader portfolios, and brands actively seek expansion opportunities.

Tim, Chris, Hugh, and I have consistently gone the extra mile to deepen relationships and position ResortBrokers as the go-to brokerage for quality opportunities. Our proactive approach ensures we remain at the top of our minds when deals arise. Whether exploring new funding avenues, aligning with the right buyers, or identifying branding potential, their commitment to growing our network is evident.

Sydney was another step forward in solidifying these partnerships, and we look forward to turning discussions into valuable deals for our clients.

#weareeverywhere

Cheers,

Nathan

Investing isn’t about predicting the future but ensuring you don’t lose when wrong. That’s where the Margin of Safety comes in.

This principle, popularised by Benjamin Graham and Warren Buffett, is simple: buy assets at a significant discount to their intrinsic value. The bigger the gap, the more room for error and the lower your risk.

One of the best real-world examples is how the Patel community in the U.S. built a motel empire using the Margin of Safety.

The Patel Motel Strategy: Low-Risk, High-Return

In the 1970s and 80s, thousands of Indian immigrants from the Patel community began acquiring run-down, underperforming motels across America. Here’s how they applied the Margin of Safety:

• Buying at a Discount: They targeted struggling motels that were heavily discounted, often buying them from distressed owners.

• Reducing Costs: Instead of hiring staff, they worked as a family to run operations, significantly lowering expenses.

• Cash Flow First, Growth Later: They prioritised positive cash flow from day one, ensuring the business could sustain itself even in tough times.

• Low-Risk, High-Reward: They built wealth without taking excessive risks by buying below market value and making minor, cost-effective improvements.

Over time, this approach turned small motel investments into multi-million-dollar hospitality businesses, with many Patel families owning entire portfolios of motels.

Case Study: The $5,000 Motel That Became a Multi-Million-Dollar Business

In 1976, Kanti Patel, an immigrant from India, arrived in the U.S. with little money but a sharp business mind. Instead of renting a home, he and his family purchased a struggling roadside motel for $5,000 with seller financing.

How He Applied the Margin of Safety:

1. Bought Below Market Value—The motel was failing, and the owner was desperate to sell. Kanti negotiated a price well below its potential value.

2. Sweat Equity Instead of Overpaying – Instead of hiring staff, the Patel family ran the front desk, cleaned rooms, and managed operations.

3. Cash Flow from Day One – The mortgage payments were low, and the business generated steady income with minimal overhead.

4. Reinvested Profits into Expansion – Kanti used the motel’s cash flow to acquire more discounted properties, applying the same model over time.

Fast forward a few decades, and his family now owns over 20 hotels, with assets worth tens of millions.

This strategy wasn’t about luck but making smart, low-risk investments with a built-in safety net.

Applying the Margin of Safety in Investing

You don’t have to buy motels to use this principle. Here’s how it works across different investments:

• Stocks: Buy quality businesses trading well below fair value, ensuring a built-in cushion against market downturns.

• Real Estate: Acquire properties at a discount or with strong cash flow from day one, reducing reliance on appreciation.

• Businesses: Invest where returns significantly outweigh the capital at risk, minimising the potential downside.

A margin of safety gives you confidence during downturns and maximised returns when the market corrects. It’s not about timing—it’s about discipline.

The best deals are made when others panic.

Are you investing with a margin of safety?

We all know those conversations where you walk away feeling like you really connected with someone. I love those. They are moments when you go beyond the surface and get a glimpse into who someone truly is—their story, dreams, and struggles that shaped them into the person they are today and give you an inside look at where they are going. But I’ve realized that connection doesn’t just happen by chance. It happens when you ask the right questions.

This list of questions almost always leads to deeper conversations. These nine questions have been game-changers, whether with a close friend or a new acquaintance. Let me share them with you.

1. What’s your story?

Allowing someone to share their childhood, career, or pivotal moments. It gives them space to define themselves from experience.

2. If your next five years were a chapter in a book, what would the chapter be about?

This question sparks creative thinking about the future. Are they pursuing a dream, creating something new, or enjoying the moment? Their answer reveals their passions, goals, and vision for the next phase of life.

3. What would you do if you weren’t afraid?

This question reveals a desire they’ve held back due to fear. It’s powerful, tapping into hidden wants they may not admit to themselves.

4. What has gone really well in your life so far?

Sometimes, people get so caught up in what’s wrong that they forget to celebrate what’s right. This question is like a little flashlight—it helps people shine a light on their wins, big or small.

5. What’s a lesson you learned the hard way?

This is one of the best questions to bring someone down to earth. People often share stories of failure, heartbreak, or tough decisions, but there’s always a silver lining. In those stories, I see their resilience and growth.

6. What’s the best thing about being you?

This question is unexpected and can catch people by surprise. However, I appreciate it because it encourages them to reflect on their uniqueness. Their responses are straightforward yet meaningful—such as their kindness, curiosity, or sense of humour.

7. What’s something you wish other people knew about you?

This question is fascinating because it allows people to share something they might feel misunderstood. It could be a hidden talent, a part of their personality, or a struggle they don’t discuss often. It’s a window into the part they don’t usually share.

8. What’s your favourite thing to do in the world?

Everyone lights up when they talk about their favourite thing. Whether it’s a hobby, a place, or just spending time with loved ones, their answer reveals what brings them the most joy. And who doesn’t love hearing someone talk about what makes them happy?

9. What’s one mistake you learned the most from?

This question often leads to some of the most honest answers. Mistakes are part of being human, and how someone talks about them tells me a lot about their character. It’s not just about the mistake—it’s about what they took away from it.

Let me know what questions you have the most success unwrapping the complex humans we encounter.

Cheers,

NB.

My brother James and I are different in many ways. He’s a free spirit, unbound by location or routine. He lives life on his terms and explores the world with curiosity as his compass. He thrives on the thrill of the unknown and embraces the freedom to chase his next adventure wherever it leads.

Then there’s me. I’m the focused planner, building something solid and calculated. I trade youthful freedom for discipline, prioritising progress over spontaneity. My path is about creating a future with intentional steps, sometimes at the cost of living fully in the now.

Neither approach is right or wrong; they’re just different. James reminds me to pause and appreciate life while I show him the satisfaction of deliberate effort. Together, we prove that life isn’t about one-size-fits-all. It’s about finding what fulfils you, even if that means walking vastly different roads.

Same destination, different journeys - probably to the same pub. 🍻

NB.

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By turning a backlog of client content into a dynamic podcast using Notebook LM (or an equivalent tool), we realised there’s potential to create engaging, evergreen content for her clients.

The Granite Belt opened our minds to the direction of technology. It taught us that one flooded road can be crossed, but the next cannot!

It wasn’t just a hike in nature. We collaborated and found inspiration for work and life in the simplest places.

NB.

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Since I took on the Quest Apartment Hotels sales for ResortBrokers in Queensland earlier this year, I’m excited to announce the successful settlement of two significant deals: Quest Woolloongabba in Brisbane and Quest Townsville on Eyre in Townsville. Both properties generated substantial interest, with over 200 buyer enquiries, highlighting the strong demand for quality stock in high-growth areas. With Brisbane’s booming corporate and leisure market and Townsville’s rapid expansion, these properties are well-positioned to leverage future growth. It’s an exciting time for the Queensland hotel market, and I’m thrilled to be part of it.

[Link to the full article]

Cheers,

NB

Travellers Group has acquired the 44-key Burnett Riverside Hotel in Bundaberg in an off-market deal through ResortBrokers’ Nathan Benjamin. This purchase marks the group’s third regional acquisition, following the 31-key Emerald Inn in December 2023 and the 24-key Bluegum Dubbo in July 2024.

Craig Smith, Managing Director of Travellers Group, praised the hotel’s prime location and views of the Burnett River, calling it a perfect fit for their regional hub strategy. “Bundaberg was a key target for us, and this hotel offers a solid foundation for growth,” Mr Smith said.

We identified and facilitated the sale, noting that the property was an ideal match for Travellers Group’s goals in the Bundaberg market and achieving one of the highest per-key rates for a Central Queensland leasehold hotel.

This acquisition strengthens Travellers Group’s regional presence and their focus on adding value to regional communities.

Check out the full article here on Hotel Convocation.

Cheers,

NB