Why Kickstart Day exists in the first place

Kickstart Day isn’t a reward, per se. And it’s not a box-ticking exercise, either. At its core, it exists to bring our team together and set a shared tone for the year ahead.

After the summer break, it’s easy for everyone to come back at different speeds, carrying different goals, pressures and expectations. Kickstart Day creates a clear starting line – a moment where the entire business presses reset together.

You could boil its purpose down to two powerful questions: What do we want from this year? And how do we want to experience it – professionally and personally?

There’s a reason it keeps happening year after year, after all. It marks the end of the warm-up and the start of the race, with everyone stepping forward at the same time.

 

 

The vibe and venue that set the tone

As a team of real estate agents, it’s no secret we love a beautiful building.

And with Kickstart Day held once again at Carousel in Albert Park, the setting did what it always does best: lifted the room before a word was spoken. The light. The space. The unmistakable hum of summer in Melbourne.

Even driving in – past runners, early-morning energy and the beginnings of Grand Prix season – felt symbolic. A city warming up for its biggest race, just as we were warming up for our own.

Out the front, the Gary Peer coffee vans were already working their magic. Inside, conversations flowed between people who don’t usually cross paths day to day – a deliberate move this year, with assigned seating designed to mix teams and offices.

The result? New connections. And a reminder that Gary Peer really is one team.

Chris Helder and the best year to be alive

Chris Helder, a professional speaker and author, didn’t necessarily ease us into the day. He exploded onto the stage with energy, humour and an unmistakably positive worldview.

His central message was this: how we communicate – with others and ourselves – shapes everything. Not just what we say, but how we say it. Things like body language. Tone. Belief.

He broke down communication in a way that made people sit up and rethink their habits. But more than that, he reframed our perspective. Chris has a trademark line – one he’s been using for years – and it landed just as strongly in 2026: this is the best year to be alive. The best time to be in business.

The best time to be a real estate agent.

It served as a reminder that you don’t need to ignore reality to have a positive mindset. But you do need to choose how you meet that reality. And by the time Chris wrapped up his session, the room was fully leaning in.

 

 

Seth Watts and embracing change

If Chris brought the mindset, 2024 Enterprise AI Leader of the Year Seth Watts brought the moment of truth.

Seth’s session was designed to prepare, more so than motivate. As an entrepreneur, technologist and leader in AI, he drove home the point that change isn’t ‘coming’. It’s already here.

But Seth focused on practical insight, so it didn’t feel so scary. We looked at how AI is reshaping the way we work. How it can help businesses scale smarter – and faster. And, crucially, how choosing not to engage with it is a risk in itself.

The takeaway was by no means ‘use everything’. It was ‘use the right things’. Seth framed AI as a tool for leverage: helping people do more, better, without losing the human touch.

 

 

Ryan Avery and going from A to THE

Organisational Psychologist and Keynote Speaker Ryan Avery closed the room with authority.

His focus was confidence: how it’s built, how it’s communicated, how language plays a bigger role than most people realise – and how stronger words with clearer intent can make a world of difference.

Ryan challenged the room to remove hesitation from everyday language – to replace qualifiers with certainties.

One of the most resonant moments came with his explanation of the ‘three Cs’: champions, coaches and cheerleaders. No one succeeds alone. Every high performer is supported by people who guide them and believe in them – often before they believe in themselves.

During his speech, Ryan broke down what it takes to go from a real estate agent to the real estate agent.

 

 

What the team had to say

We wrap up each year’s Kickstart Day by gathering feedback from the team, with an eye on making the next one even better. And this year, the reviews were glowing.

• My main takeaway from Kickstart is that today’s the day to start changes for tomorrow. The Gary Peer team is so lucky to have access to such a high-calibre event every year. Bernard Mel – Sales Consultant
• Kickstart was fantastic. Hearing from three incredible speakers who shared insight that everyone in the room can benefit from. We are blessed to work at the best company that consistently provides us with these incredible opportunities. Joel Ser – Partner and Licensed Estate Agent
• Everyone who came and spoke encouraged me to look at work and life in a different, more positive way. This was my first Kickstart Day, and I got so much out of it. What a fantastic event. Rebecca Schulz – Property Manager
• The speakers were amazing, but being seated on random tables was the best part. I chatted with people I’d never spoken to before, and I learnt some great things about great people I never would’ve found out about otherwise. Lochie Hardiman – Property Manager
• Each of the speakers was fantastic, all so energetic and positive. It was an absolutely amazing day. I didn’t think it could get any better than last year, but somehow, it did. Tania Crawley – Property Manager

 

 

Interested in joining a team that invests in your growth? Own your career – with Gary Peer.