The Property Couch 583 | The Boring Way to $10 Million: How She Built Freedom from Bankruptcy – Chat with Kirsty
Jan 29, 2026
Kirsty Dunphy, Tasmanian investor and former Telstra Young Businesswoman of the Year, built a multimillion-dollar portfolio using conservative, long-term strategies. She recounts teenage bankruptcy lessons, starting businesses young, and sticking to “safe and sustainable” investments. Conversations cover local buying, when to sell, lifestyle-by-design priorities, and teaching kids financial responsibility.
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Childhood Bankruptcy Shaped Risk Profile
- Kirsty watched her parents go bankrupt in her mid-teens and saw both what worked and what failed.
- That experience shaped her conservative, safety-first approach to money and risk.
First Business: Market Stall Hustle
- At 15 Kirsty used $1,000 saved from two jobs to buy wholesale jewellery and started a market stall.
- She turned an initial $300 sale and $150 profit into a sustained teen business selling and wholesaling jewellery.
Early Ownership In Real Estate
- At 21 Kirsty became a one-third owner of a real estate agency after getting her manager's licence.
- Fortuitous market timing in 2003 accelerated their growth into a highly successful boutique agency.
