Meet Coraline Dufroux | Self Made Millionaire, Serial & Social Entrepreneur, Risk Taker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Coraline Dufroux and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Coraline, how do you think about risk?
Risk has been my middle name since I can remember. This potent four letter word has allowed me to explore depths of myself I never knew were there. It has catapulted my knowledge of business and life in ways that enrich how I make decisions today. The way I assess risk is now very differently to the way I did, say, 10 years ago.

In order to gain anything from life, risk plays a part. Let’s face it, daily life is a risk in itself too. These days I ask a lot more questions than I did in my younger years and trust my intuition 100% of the time. It’s also handy understanding my risk profile, knowing my boundaries and understanding my appetite for risk in certain aspects of life.

I firmly believe that you have to give things a go, because nothing comes from sitting around and waiting for it to come to you.

You will fail… it is inevitable! And through the getting back up, there will also be wins. These are so much more satisfying when you’ve kept giving it a go and didn’t give up. That’s when the high fives and the pats on the back have more meaning.

Beyond the the failures and the wins of taking risk; is the knowledge you gain, the confidence that comes from this knowledge of having taken the plunge and understanding your stretch points. This is what I find absolutely delicious, that’s what entices me to continue to take risks.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Business is a never ending journey of learning, picking yourself back up and giving yourself pep-talks every other moment.

From my 20 + years in business, I believe my sustainability has come from mastering the art of pivoting. Industries change, customer expectations evolve and nothing ever stays constant.

In my opinion, that is the art of business; staying relevant.

I call myself a gypsy in business, there is the core of what I practice and love – supporting women to build personal and generational wealth – and then there is the other part of me that explores the science of business. Applying everything I know in differing industries to build income streams that work for themselves. I spend 3-5 years in an industry, know it well, invest and then explore another.

I began my professional career as a HR Professional in large international companies, dealing with aggressive unions and polarised and entitled workforces. My side hustle was building a property portfolio that saw me become a millionaire in my early 20s. Leaving my successful career was one of my greatest achievements because it is so easy to get caught up in that world, the ego loves it and the perceived security is toxic.

I leapt into my side hustle full time and became a full time property developer having multiple projects on the go up to $60 milllion. It was lots of fun, extremely risky (I was leveraged to the nines) and the rollercoaster of learnings were immense. One small turn in the market, however, and I was on the wrong side of a timeline in some projects and the dominoes fell against me. I lost everything – this story isn’t a new one. Many successful business owners have been here.

The darkness that proceeded this experience is nothing like I have experienced and through this I realised that making it and losing takes you to a place where few go to and get to explore. My gypsy self took it in my stride and explored this space intimately, understood every nook and cranny. This experience has equipped me with so much gusto, appreciation for building and keeping wealth and now I am back re-building in a more wholesome way.

This is what I needed to go through to truly be able to support those who want to make true wealth in their lifetime, keep it and put in place structures that stand the test of time.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I live in North Queensland and it is one of the most beautiful places on earth. Having grown up in Tahiti, I can atest that the beaches and water are on par here. So with that said, I would take them on a trip to Bowen and Hydeaway Bay. Quiet and quaint little towns along the north Queensland coast with unprecedented beauty – like no other. It’s quiet, away from the hustle and bustle and the water is magnificent. The Daintree Rainforest up in Cairns is also one of my top 3 places to explore – give me ocean, sand and rainforest any day of the week. My nervous system goes to a place like no other there.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?

There are some key people in my life who have picked me up in times where I didn’t feel that moving forward was possible. My dearest friends and confidantes – Angela Gallo, Kate Moloney, Hollie Layton and my mentors Tanya Cross and Deb Cooper. These women were my possibility agents and reminded me that it takes a village to arrive where I am today. They loved, supported me and stayed by my side no matter what. It isn’t one of the easiest things being around someone in their time of dismantling and heavy learning and yet our friendships have weathered the test of time. Have friends in your life who stick by you no matter whether it is sunny or cyclonic in your world!

Website: www.coralinedufroux.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coralinedufroux/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coraline-dufroux-90b67315b/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coralinedufroux-324001271842373

Image Credits
Kristina Wild, Jess Williams, The Latest,