Change is inevitable, but embracing it? That’s a choice. For Cara Haynes, the business owner behind Loan Market Cara Haynes, shifting her mindset has been the most impactful change in her business over the last year.
By stepping outside her comfort zone, surrounding herself with like-minded professionals, and focusing on growth, she’s shown how a simple shift in thinking can lead to major business transformation.
On a recent episode of Broker Bulletin, Ms Haynes told Loan Market’s Head of Business Performance Michael Karpathakis she had found herself in a rhythm post-COVID; comfortable but not necessarily growing. “I definitely stayed in a bit of a bubble post-COVID with my young children and just really embraced that and kept doing what I was doing, but I probably was a little tapped out,” she shared.
Growth mode
In the last 12 months, something shifted. After 13 years in the industry, she had all the skills and experience she needed. Now, it was about pushing herself to grow, “to change the business and change that status quo.”
For Ms Haynes, this wasn’t just about business growth. It was about giving herself permission to focus on what she wanted, separate from family responsibilities: “It was just that stepping out… and probably my own mum guilt, which I’m sure we can all relate to.”
And once she made the decision to prioritise her own ambitions, everything else fell into place.
A key part of Ms Haynes’s mindset shift has been her decision to surround herself with people who push her to be better. Through Loan Market’s Elevate program, she connected with like-minded brokers. “Instead of having every broker at a different stage of life, it was a bunch of people who all wanted to be growing,” she said.
The Elevate advantage
Not only did she learn new strategies – like improving client follow-ups – but she also found motivation by being surrounded by others with the same drive. “It was just really cool to connect with people that you wouldn’t normally have exposure to because of geography or experience,” she said.
Now, change is no longer something to fear – it’s something to embrace, said Ms Haynes. “You’ve got to be comfortable with being uncomfortable,” she confirmed. Whether it’s trying new business strategies or stepping into the spotlight, she’s learning to push through discomfort.
Just one year ago, the idea of doing a podcast would have been unthinkable.
“I would have said absolutely not,” she laughed. But now, she’s stepping into new opportunities with confidence. “Everything is uncomfortable. Everything is change. But you just go, ‘Okay, well, I got through last week. This week’s no different.’”
For brokers, or any business owners, who feel stuck, Ms Haynes offered simple but powerful advice: “You’ve got to want it for yourself.”
For years, she said she had resisted the pressure to grow because it wasn’t what she wanted at the time. “There was growth as the big buzzword… and I was constantly going, ‘I don’t want to grow. I’m happy where I am.’ And that was fine for that time in my life.”
When she was finally ready, change happened naturally.
The right mindset
Her advice? Define what success looks like for you, without worrying about industry noise. “There’s numbers, settlements, lodgements, profit, revenue… but you’ve got to decide what success looks like for you and commit to that.”
Ms Haynes also hailed one small daily habit as having a huge impact on her recent success – and it links in with mindset.
“If you don’t start your day right, then… it’s going to flow through to your clients,” she explained.
For the business owner that means making time for things that bring joy, “even if it’s a crazy day” – whether it’s exercising, stretching, or even just playing the right song in the morning.
Her message was clear: “Find the joy in what you do. If you turn up to work and go, ‘I hate this,’ that’s going to set you up poorly. But if you turn up going, ‘I feel good, I’m going to have fun today,’ that energy flows through to your clients and your team.”
