LMG comes together for Movember

For more than a decade, broker Mark Winter has been helping men to open the lid on issues they’ve bottled for ages.

He and a couple of mates launched Springfield Mo-Men in Queensland, providing men in the region a forum to share their thoughts and struggles in an understanding and non-judgemental environment.

“Men don’t feel they can talk to their partners - not because they won’t understand, but because they don’t want to burden them with their problems,” said Mark, Managing Director of Loan Market Greater Springfield.

Recently, LMG launched its own male mental health community, Best Interest Mates. Just as the Best Interest Duty guides brokers on how to support their clients, Best Interest Mates provides the forum for brokers to support their peers.

On November 1, men from LMG around Australia will gather for morning walks, followed by breakfasts with guest speakers, bringing into the light the topic of men’s mental health. All funds raised go to Movember’s endeavours.

Since unveiling Best Interest Mates, Community President Leigh Tsoumerkas said there had been an outpouring of feedback from the LMG network.

“The response has been massive - so many people have reached out to contribute,” said Leigh. “It’s been great to have Mark as a sounding board as well ahead of Movember.

“Broking can be an all-consuming beast and an occupation that can test your mental health. We all have a reason for what we do but, a lot of the time, we can get caught up with the stress and challenges of the day-to-day. We can take that stress home with us and don’t find an outlet to release the pressure.

“LMG is backing Best Interest Mates to provide a forum where men can take a breath, connect with people that are looking for support and looking to support each other, and benefit from some fitness activities or simply take some time out for a chat over a coffee.”

At Springfield Mo-Men, Mark deals with men from different occupations, nationalities and age groups. He said a dedicated group for brokers was especially pertinent.

“Best Interest Mates is really important. There are so many brokers running brokerages on their own who feel lonely. They don’t have someone to talk to about the mental weight of running a brokerage,” Mark said.

“They’re dealing with clients who have come out of Covid and into a cost of living crisis, so they’re managing a lot of client anxiety. Relationships between clients and brokers are tighter than ever, and sometimes brokers can take on a lot of their stress and anxiety as well, which has a bearing on mental health.

“Brokers, themselves, are likewise going through the cost-of-living crisis, as well.

“Leigh and the Best Interest Mates community are about bringing men together to talk through these things which is so important to ease the pressure.”