Leading and Growing Your Real Estate Business — James Short
Overview
In this episode of "Leading and Growing Your Real Estate Business," Coach James Short, also known as Shorty, welcomes Steve Hui, the founder of iFLYflat. With over 12 years of experience in transforming credit card and frequent flyer points into affordable business class flights, Steve has earned the title of "The Points Whisperer" in the Australian travel industry. His expertise has been sought after by major media outlets, making him a prominent figure in the field.
Steve shares the story of his journey, which began 15 years ago when he first experienced business class travel while working at Macquarie Bank. This transformative experience ignited his passion for maximising the value of frequent flyer points. He explains how he developed a data-driven approach to points accumulation, emphasising that points should be treated like money rather than a random bonus.
Throughout the conversation, Steve highlights common pitfalls that individuals and business owners encounter when trying to earn and utilise points effectively. He stresses the importance of leveraging business expenses to accumulate points reliably, rather than relying solely on flying. He also discusses the evolution of the points industry, noting that while the number of points required for flights has generally increased, the methods for earning points have expanded significantly.
Steve elaborates on how iFLYflat assists business owners in navigating the complexities of points accumulation and flight bookings, ultimately helping them achieve substantial savings on travel. The episode concludes with a light-hearted 60-second quiz, where Steve shares personal insights, including his favourite food, travel destinations, and advice for stress-free airport experiences.
Quotes
"I thought, wow, these points have a real value. Like, it didn't cost me anything to earn them, but now I could get something from them." - 00:04:07
"Points is like money. But what I find very interesting is that many people are collecting points on a random ad hoc basis." - 00:05:03
"If you can get those 300,000 points for less than $12,000, then you got yourself a discount because you're swapping 300,000 points for $12,000 value." - 00:05:38
"The way I approach it is real data driven." - 00:05:14
"If you just rely on earning points by flying, if flying's not very reliable, you may fly once a month, you may not fly once a month, then you never actually know how many points you've got." - 00:07:42
"The ability to get points is unlimited for a business owner, especially even for the individual." - 00:12:01
"If a business owner wants to travel two or three times a year somewhere, basically what we can do, we actually design a method which is tailored towards where they want to go and how often." - 00:13:24
"If more people can travel, bring back great ideas, then that's the goal." - 00:21:15
Timestamps
00:00:00 - Introduction to the Podcast
00:01:19 - Meet Steve Hui: The Points Whisperer
00:02:47 - The Aha Moment: Discovering Business Class Travel
00:03:35 - Realising the Value of Frequent Flyer Points
00:04:52 - Data-Driven Approach to Points
00:06:25 - Common Mistakes in Points Earning
00:08:01 - The Importance of Reliable Points Earning
00:09:16 - Target Audience: Business Owners
00:10:37 - Changes in the Points Industry
00:12:38 - The Future of Travel Points
00:13:14 - How iFlyFlat Simplifies Travel for Business Owners
00:15:03 - 60-Second Quiz with Steve Hui
00:19:54 - Steve's Vision as Prime Minister for a Day
00:20:38 - Best Piece of Travel Advice
00:21:04 - How to Connect with Steve Hui
