I loved every moment of the renovation process. I haven’t felt that kind of satisfaction from a job in a long time, maybe ever. I didn’t want to regret not trying this out, not following the passion that I had – and now this is my job! I couldn’t have done it without Bernadette’s amazing training.
If you had told Kim Glen a couple of years ago that she would soon be purchasing properties and renovating them for profit, she wouldn’t have believed you. Kim thought, like many, that her future livelihood would involve and depend on working for someone else.
“I didn’t have the confidence to pursue property renovation. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Bernadette’s Bootcamp training. It gave me the self-assurance and tools to really do this.”
Kim has spent the majority of her working life in office administration roles and has always had a passion for interior styling and decorating.
After divorcing her husband, she continued working in administration positions to support herself and her children. For years she thought about quitting her job to do something more creatively satisfying, but the timing never felt quite right. After trying out a couple more administration jobs and facing the same challenges and frustrations, Kim realised that the office life just wasn’t going to deliver on the experience she wanted for the rest of her working years.
“I procrastinated for the longest time about whether to seriously pursue renovating as a career…I guess it was self-doubt…I was so used to working in offices, it was all I knew, so to think I could make property renovation my actual job, something I really enjoyed, it just didn’t feel possible.”
Once her children were grown up and out in the world, Kim really started to question what she wanted for herself. It was while working a casual job in a homewares store that her passion popped up again. Kim knew in her heart that renovation and styling was something she wanted to pursue professionally. She just wasn’t sure where to start.
“I completed a few short courses and seminars with a variety of people in the industry, and while they were lovely and informative, I just didn’t feel I had exactly what I needed to take the next step, that big leap into making this my profession.”
Kim discovered Bernadette Janson and The School of Renovating on social media and saw that there was a free seminar coming up, which she decided to attend.
“The pivotal point for me in my property renovation journey was discovering Bernadette Janson. I attended a seminar where she shared details of her Renovation Bootcamp and I was quickly convinced that it was something that I wanted and needed to do.
I suspected that this Bootcamp would hold the information I wasn’t able to find in the other directions I had previously taken…and I was right.”
From Administration To Renovation
It was during a chat with her kids about the Renovation Bootcamp that Kim decided it was time to invest in herself.
“Both of my kids have always been really encouraging of me and what I want to do…they could see a positive change in me when I spoke about renovating, so when I mentioned Bernadette’s Bootcamp, they were completely supportive in me making the investment for myself and my future. I’m so very glad that I did.”
Kim felt that the training she received was well worth the financial investment she made; every aspect of the renovating process was covered in-depth and all questions were answered, which was the reassurance that Kim needed.
“Bootcamp is fundamental to where I am now – Bernadette goes into the finer details of what you need to know and research every step of the way – from doing your due diligence on the actual property purchase through to selecting tradespeople, accountants and all of the steps between. No stone is left unturned.”
“I initially used the training to renovate the family home, to increase the value and then put it on the market. I used some of this sale to purchase my first property. I put all of my training into action and got great feedback on the results of my hard work; I just loved it. The final moment was when it sold and I made a profit, all during COVID!”
Kim loved the fact that she was able to project manage the entire renovation on her own using the skills from her training, combined with her organisational expertise from years of office administration and parenting. Plus, she also got to style the property.
“I was calling friends from homewares stores as I was selecting items to style the place, telling them I felt like a kid in a candy store – I was doing what I set out to do and loving every moment of it.”
The confidence issues that held her back from diving into what she was truly passionate about now seem a thing of the past, with Kim well on her way to commencing her next renovation.
“The Bootcamp gave me the conviction and resources that I needed to take the leap and purchase my first place to renovate – I couldn’t have done it without that rock-solid foundation Bernadette provided me with in the training.”
“I had other training options that I was considering and I attended the seminars, but there was something more that pulled me to Bernadette and The School of Renovating. What she offers definitely outweighs others in the industry…more of everything: resources, study options, opportunities after training and ongoing support.”
An added bonus for Kim during her time doing the training was the people she met along the way. “I have met some of the loveliest people during my training, one woman in particular who has now become a great friend and we help each other out with our respective renovation projects – it was an unexpected and lovely bonus to have found that friendship…”
Would Kim recommend Bernadette’s training to others?
“Completing the Renovation Bootcamp and renovating properties has changed my life for the better in so many ways. I want to keep doing this for as long as I can, I just love it. The only regret I have is that I didn’t start sooner. Anything Bernadette offers with The School Of Renovating – just do it – you won’t regret it.”
