Gee McCracken is the founder of Secrets to Success Global Funding Solutions, an Australian-based company that provides global funding solutions that are all non-bankable, streamlined, and easily processed.
Their target market is larger loans for public companies, family offices, high net-worth individuals, property developers, and commercial real estate agents who help their clients grow. Since the company’s inception in 2019, they have turned over more than $3B in funding to help businesses launch and expand.
For more information, visit their website or connect with them on LinkedIn.
In this interview, we sit down with Gee to learn some more about her journey as an entrepreneur.
Q. What inspired you to become an entrepreneur?
Gee: I was a born entrepreneur and started a little side hustle washing cars at 8 years old. Whilst still at school in my late teens, I was also running 2 businesses on the side, this made me realize that my future was to be a career woman.
My mother also had a very successful business and I watched her day & night running 2 businesses, one was a retail outlet in the heart of Melbourne CBD and then she would do her other job during the night from home.
I knew what hard work was at a very young age. I was also very much a decision-maker from a very young age. I remember my parents asking my opinion on major family matters when I was just 10 years old.
Q. How did you get started?
Gee: I had been running businesses since I was 18, but my first serious business was in my late 20s. I saw a huge opportunity in the Australian security industry, which was then dominated by 2 juggernauts, and the prices for home and commercial security systems were exorbitant. So, I decided to take them on and it was a huge success; within a few short years, I helped transform a massive industry and effectively challenged the status quo.
That venture grew into a national business for home and business alarm and CCTV installations. Thanks to my innovation, security became available to everyone because it was affordable to all. The business was acquired by a global leader after 5 years.
Q. What was your biggest startup challenge? What steps did you take to overcome it? What did you learn?
Gee: The biggest start-up challenge for me was when I pioneered a new beauty trend that I discovered at a Las Vegas beauty expo – eyelash extensions in 2007. Eyelash extensions didn’t exist in Australia, so I decided to introduce them. However, there was no blueprint, so I had to create systems, source manufacturers to improve the inferior products I was working with, write training manuals, etc.
It was a huge undertaking to pioneer a new fad. Then, shortly after I started the business, the other major obstacle I hit was that every beauty therapist I trained ran off with my idea and worked from their homes. We had people queuing up at the door from 6 am through to 10 pm to get their lashes done, so they saw it was a success.
As a result of that, I decided to franchise the model and it became a national success within its first year. That franchise is still running today and is the only eyelash extension franchise in Australia. Creating a business from a seed in your head and turning it into a national success is very rewarding, but it is relentless and curve balls come from everywhere, so it is not for the faint-hearted.
Q. What is the most memorable thing you’ve done since you started your business?
Gee: My finance business Secrets to Success is a culmination of decades of entrepreneurial experience of knowing the struggles of cash flow and the issues with traditional lending methods from banks. So, rather than coming from a finance background, I come from a business background and walk the walk and talk the talk. I know what businesses are going through and have managed to source a truly incredible resource pool of lenders that work swiftly and efficiently to help my clients solve their financial issues.
This is a feel-good business and I love it, so no one story stands out. They all matter to me and they have different reasons for seeking funding. They all experience growth whether it be personal or business-related, and that is what my business is all about.
Some stock loans to family offices purchase lear jets or superyachts, which may make some people cringe. But it’s important to keep in mind that their business has been in the making for decades with massive sacrifices along the way. So, if they get to a stage where they can afford to purchase a company jet, yacht, or helicopter, they have earned it. Others are experiencing growth and in desperate need of funding for expansion, it always feels memorable and good to me to help these people when they need it.
Q. What is one book you recommend, and why?
Gee: Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. I have read this book 25 times and I still read it every once in a while. It’s the kind of book that makes you learn something new every time you read it. Particularly about how to become successful and how so much of that starts from your mindset and belief system.
Also, this book taught me that if you don’t like what you do, get out of it and start something you love. When you wake in the morning, you need to be excited and passionate about what you do. Otherwise, it wears you down and everything else in your life will suffer.
Q. What are your top 3 favourite online apps, tools or resources and what do you love about them?
Gee: My top 3 are:
Chat GPT is a phenomenal tool. It’s a bit scary sometimes because of how much it knows, but I turn to it for absolutely everything.
Synthesia is a new video app that uses humans to talk through your script. So, it’s another AI tool. This one saves a fortune on video production.
Last but not least, Jasper is another AI tool I love for content writing. It is crazy how you can put anything in there and it turns it into an instant blog or content for absolutely anything you need. It’s like it is in your head and knows what you need to say.
Q. In terms of legacy, what is the mark you’d like to leave on the world?
Gee: In everything you undertake, strive for excellence and embrace opportunities that can truly shape the world we live in. Whether it’s championing environmental causes or revolutionizing entire industries with improved affordability and superior services, aim to make a tangible difference. Let your actions pave the way toward a brighter future for all. That’s what I want my legacy to be.
Q. In one sentence, what’s the best advice you’d give to someone just starting out on their entrepreneurial journey?
Gee: As an entrepreneur, start by taking off the rose-colored glasses and realize you are in for the ride of your life. Buckle up and be in it for the long haul and believe in yourself and your project. Business is a tumultuous but very rewarding roller coaster.
To keep up to date with Gee and her journey, connect with her on LinkedIn.
