Exactly 10 years back when I was sitting on a bench out in half moon bay fully devastated with no energy looking up at the sky and asking God what my next move should be. What will I do without a job, how will I feed my daughter and my family? 

A day that comes in all our lives like a lunar eclipse, a moment which we all dread, a moment where we want to feel god’s presence, a moment where all the three f’s (fear, flight and fright) come real. And all the knowledge and readings that we have done over the years, forcefully or with pleasure come to a standstill.  9th November 2012 was that day and moment and time for me when I felt all of the above. We often read so many articles and find online posts and social media about taking the leap from being employed to being self-employed. We read about all of that, however, it never dawns upon us that we will be pushed to jump and take that leap.  A bungee or a tandem skydive has some physical support before you take the leap similarly at this very moment, I had the support of Brian Greer (NZFSG) who I am thankful to forever for being my bungee cord.  I took the leap; I took the jump and wrote my resignation letter with lots of tears in my eyes and shaky hands and then proceeded to take the longest drive of my life from my home to the office and handed in my resignation. 

After going through numerous rounds of discussions with my family we came to a name that appealed to us and we could see a brand behind that name. The amount of pressure one has to name their child, I felt the same amount of pressure to come up with a name like no other.  “The Fundmaster”. 

Typically, you would do the thank you (s) at the end but in this space, I would like to spread my gratitude to the people who were instrumental in helping Fundmaster reach where it is today and encompassing the last 10 years’ journey. 

12th November 2012, day 1. Where should I start? I still remember clearly when I didn’t know where I was going, and I started meeting a lot of bank officials to lay the foundations of setting up Fundmaster. The only thing I can think of was, to make sure that I get the opportunity to become a bridge for those that hold many dreams of having their own backyard and a roof.   This vision of mine gave me a single pointed focus and kept me in line to meet as many people as I humanly could. From realtors, lawyers, accountants, valuers, bankers and all the stakeholders involved through the whole process. 

Consciously, unconsciously like a puzzle piece slowly all the people, and resources that I needed came together to make a life that provided many lessons. In short, the last 10 years gave me an acronym that has now become the value system of the FundMaster family (S.T.A.R.T) 

In FundMaster we have always been (S)olution (s) driven, (T)trustworthy, (A)ccountable , (R ) esilient  with (T)eamwork not only with our customers but also with our external stakeholders. 

There were many lessons and stories which were learnt and experienced over the last 10 years, professionally and personally and if I start encapsulating all that has happened, I will have to make a Netflix series on it. So, from here on not only we will have an article with the property market update and numbers, but I will also share the lessons and the stories linking back to the value system adopted over the last 10 years.  

This month, Fundmaster celebrates 10 years of being in business.  That’s 10 years of making thousands of New Zealanders’ dreams come true!  We have helped our customers buy their first homes, their dream homes, and businesses that create more opportunities and assets to make all of that possible.  We have helped people through hardship, watched families grow and invested in our communities many times over through our financial acumen.  What a journey it has been – and we have enjoyed every moment! 

None of this would have been possible without the support of our friends, our families and our employees of course – both present and past.  Each one of you has endured the trials of a growing business and shared in our highs and lows.  You trusted us and gave us your unconditional love and support.  We will be forever grateful for this.

Thank you for trusting Fundmaster to be an advocate for your brand. But also, our many well-wishers and business partners across the industry – on this auspicious day, as we look forward to the future with excitement and big dreams of our own, we would love to say “Thank you” to all those who made the last 10 years possible.  We owe you so much – partners in our real estate and property management, our legal eagles, accountants and stakeholders for marketing, technology and human resources.  Thank you for making these last 10 years something worth celebrating!

Fundmaster is here to stay.  Now, more than ever, we’re determined to succeed.  We will swim against the economic tide and do our best to find solutions for our customers.  That’s the only goal with which Fundmaster was founded 10 years ago.  And today, we’re even more passionate about making more dreams a reality for New Zealanders.  And we know we’re not alone – we will always have your support and your blessings.

With lots of gratitude, 

Dev Dhingra