In this episode, he confesses the struggles he faced. Temporarily homeless, juggling multiple jobs and rising at 4am every morning to bake, “Lucky” Singh proves that his nickname is just a charming reiteration of his first name and in no way a reflection of his success story! Finally, hard-working and patient, the better opportunity Singh moved for finds him in the form of a surprising book he found at a gold coin donation event!

Timestamps:
00:01:08 | Meeting ‘Lucky’ Singh
00:02:21 | A Reminder to Stay in School
00:03:13 | A Tale of Two Countries
00:04:41 | Growing Up Punjabi-Style
00:06:23 | The Origins of Learning
00:08:08 | What Next?
00:11:12 | The Roofless Days
00:14:09 | The Hard Stretch
00:16:10 | Baking: a Surprising Prerequisite to Business
00:18:35 | The Cost of Success
00:19:28 | The Business Begins, the Baking Ends
00:21:19 | Inspiration in Unlikely Places: Here!

Resources and Links:

So in 2013 I got married and got a government visa and the thought of having dependents made me look for options. I knew I couldn't keep working two jobs and three jobs. So I thought I have to do something to change this…

This is Property Investory where we talk to successful property investors to find out more about their stories, mindset and strategies.

 

I’m Tyrone Shum and we’re speaking with Lakhwinder Singh, the general manager of Iconic Property Services. In an epic journey from bread to business, he shares the exhaustion of juggling multiple jobs, the lessons he learned from his bakery, and the mysterious book he stumbled on that got him started in property investing!

Tyrone Shum:   

Known as “Lucky” by friends, Singh is a baker-turned-property investor. Possessing a very unique story, Singh shares what he does now. 

I'm a property investor for almost ten years. And I also have a property business where I help people build their portfolios.

Tyrone Shum:  

A day in business looks different for everyone. For Singh, there are two things to juggle: his work and fatherhood. 

Lakhwinder Singh:  

So can they start... I wake up around seven in the morning, and I do have two kids. One is about two years old, and the other ones seven years old. Well, I help them with just getting ready for school and I drop him to school [at] nine in the morning. 

That's when my main day starts. Yes. And my day starts with working on the daily rituals. So I have a list of daily rituals that I do. Like, I have a list of important property topics that I make a list of as I'm going through the day.

And then every morning, when I wake up, I pick up one of those topics and try to expand my knowledge on that. So that's how I  start my day. And then just general business, you know; activities that we do every day. So that's how I start my day.

Tyrone Shum:  

Though I’m sure most of us are probably ecstatic that our days of hard-learning from high school or university are long over, Singh gives us a gentle reminder: there is always more to do if we want to find success. 

Lakhwinder Singh:   

[The] property market is changing. So these rules and regulations, they always keep adding these and that. For example, quite recently, we had South Australian stamp duty rules changed. 

Same happened with new soil. You know the stamp duty exemption? I think they increased from 650 to $800,000 value. So these kinds of changes. I [will] make a list of these topics . As a property professional, you know, I need to be aware of these things, because people do ask about these things. 

So these kinds of topics, I make a list of. And every day I choose one of those and try to expand my knowledge on that. So that's how I keep updated. 

Tyrone Shum:  

Though Singh continues his education here in Australia, it did not always start out that way. Singh’s journey begins all the way in India. 

Lakhwinder Singh:    

I grew up in [a] small village in Punjab. Punjab is [a] northern part of India, and Punjab means land of five rivers. And it's a very rich culture. Punjab is one of the richest in the world. And maybe you heard about Punjabi songs [indiscernible]. 

So that's where I'm from. 

So yeah, I grew up there. I did my schooling there. So initial schooling was in [a] local village school, where I spent around I think, five, six years. Initial five, six years. And then for secondary education, I went to boarding schools.

So I spent quite a bit of time in boarding school as well. And as I finished boarding school, I came straight to Australia for vocational studies. So.

Tyrone Shum: 

Like most immigrants, Singh left Punjab in search of new opportunities. 

Lakhwinder Singh:   

Main reason why I moved here [is] because there's a lot more job opportunities here. I mean, so many people are getting really high education in India, like, we will see some people reading, doing non-medical and engineering and they're not getting the proper job. 

At the time, I'm not sure what's happening right now. It's already 10-15 years. And at the time, I didn't feel that I would be able to get a job there. [A] proper job. So I thought it's better to go to Australia and find more opportunity there.

Despite the ultimate choice to leave, Singh’s childhood was a joyful one. 

Lakhwinder Singh:  

I was from [a] very small village, and village life is, like, fantastic. Everybody knows everyone. I remember, in my village, I used to go to almost every house to play, like in the evening time, so you generally have friends everywhere you go to.  

I mean, I still remember every house. And yeah, so that's how the village lifestyle is quite open. And I think that was one of the best times in my life that I spent. That's amazing. 

Differing greatly from Australia, the culture in raising kids is vastly different. For Singh, it was not uncommon to freely venture from house to house around the village!

Lakhwinder Singh:   

Everybody is aware [of] that. I mean, everybody pretty much expected that, like [the] neighbor's kids gonna come to our house, and we're gonna go to their house. So that's like, kind of normal understanding there. And when someone is not doing that, that can be a little bit different. Because most people are doing that. 

  

Either they're going to each other's house to play, or maybe they're going to a common ground, maybe a playground, or some way they are playing. And most of the time, you don't even have that supervision as well. Like we have in Australia, there's always a need to have parents supervising it. But back home, nobody really cares. 

Of course, what would a joyful childhood be without games? For Singh, there was no shortage.  

Lakhwinder Singh: 

Most of the time, marbles? Oh, like marbles and the other village game I can't, I don't even remember the name, like how to change that to English. But there was quite a few local village games.

Notably, the differences in upbringing did not end with childhood play-activities. Recounting his education growing up, Singh shares a stark contrast in his youthful education. 

Lakhwinder Singh:  

I think it's quite common to start going to school, around six years of age. It was quite common at that time. And I know recently, they have changed that they've pretty much followed Western culture. And then now they start sending kids to school around four years of age. I remember I went to school around six years of age.

It was about two kilometers from my house, and we used to walk there.

It was very basic. There's no even simple, basic facilities there. I mean, if you have to do your business, you might have to go to your neighbor's field for that. And it's very different. So very, very basic facilities.  

Our teachers were pretty good. Or there was sometimes one teacher [wa]s teaching the whole day. So there is no different teacher for different subjects there. Yeah, so that kind of school [is] pretty simple. 

Tyrone Shum: 

Interestingly, English was not compulsory throughout all of Singh’s schooling. 

Lakhwinder Singh:   

So now the made it compulsory from I think the nursery standard, they call it, and when I was studying in 1990s, then English wasn't compulsory, up to six standard. 

Yeah, they put a lot of stress on math and like a local original language, which is Punjabi Hindi and what else. They [are] also very proactive on religious teachings as well.

Tyrone Shum: 

Having received his high school diploma, Singh decided it was time to make a very big change. So big, in fact, that he found himself across the continent. 

Lakhwinder Singh:   

When I came to Australia, I started as [a] business management. So I, my idea was to maybe do some sort of business later down the track. And I quickly realized I might have to get a permanent visa first, if I want to, you know, do any business here or buy any property, for example.  

And then I had to take a route of finding a course, which will help me get residency in Australia as a permanent visa. So I studied baking. So baking had quite good points at the time. So I studied baking.

 

Baking cakes, breads, and all that stuff.

So, first, I looked for: what are the high demand courses? What are the high demand occupations in Australia, and Baker is one of the occupations where not not many people want to do it, because you have to wake up early in the morning, two in the morning, three in the morning. And nobody really wants that. And that's why baking is in high demand. 

And I mean, you can leave one job today at one bakery, and you can start [a] second one. Maybe tomorrow, somewhere. That kind of advantage, we will still have that demand. So that's why I studied to be a baker, because I knew that it would be very helpful for me to first maybe start a business in a bakery, and also getting points for my residency. 

Tyrone Shum:

For Singh, this was an entirely new venture. There were no birthday cakes or choc-chip cookies buried in his past to offer a helping hand. However, he is a man of actions not just words. Proving his capability to learn at any age, Singh became a baker. 

I actually didn't learn anything in Punjab about baking. I just started here. So when I thought about coming to Australia, I knew what I want to do. I wanted to do some sort of business. But then I didn't have proper knowledge, like nobody really knew. 

Because the rules, they always keep changing the rules like what course has the high points to get residency or... so when I arrived here, that's when I figured out I have to do it by three. But before when I first thought about coming to Australia, I thought I'm going to do business management. And that's what I did in the first year. 

I applied for [a] student visa. Student visa is one of the easiest [ways] to get a visa. And it is longer as well, maybe two, three years. And the Australian Government is actually promoting that because that brings a lot of revenue to Australia.

So that took me a year, before I figured out I needed to do baking. So as I got my baking study started, at the same time I started looking for work, but because I had no experience it was hard to find work in the beginning. But then I landed a job in 2008. So I arrived in Australia in 2007, and I was already working in a bakery in 2008.  

Unfortunately, the move to Australia was not an easy one. Low on money, Singh proved his nickname true: luck was certainly on his side in evading total homelessness. 

Lakhwinder Singh:  

So where did I land? That's quite an interesting story as well. So I landed in. I mean, obviously, as I landed here I went, I have nobody to look after me, like nobody's gonna see me. And then as I landed, I spoke to one of the guys: where should I be staying? 

I mean, everywhere I look it looks like it's $300 a night. And then he dropped me to one of the you know, backpacker locations in Sydney in Central. And actually, he paid for a couple of nights. My couple of nights. So that was pretty generous. 

I think this guy is from Pakistan. So Pakistan is our neighbor country. Yes. So he dropped me there, paid for my couple of nights and helped me however he could help. So that was pretty amazing. 

So and in this, I heard the one big question: where are you gonna stay? Wherever we're going to find reasonable, affordable accommodation. So I came with, like, a $1,800 travel check. So that's all I had. And I had to use it wisely. Yeah, so I was looking for affordable accommodation.

And then I thought, I think [the] first point would be me going to uni, first, I might find some mates, they're like, someone who wanna be friends with me. And then that's what happened, I went to the uni. 

And then we took three guys there. We started looking for accommodation, it took me a very long time to find a stable accommodation. It also involves me spending two days on the street. So I was pretty much homeless for two days.

Coming up after the break, Singh shares the struggles he faced while balancing multiple jobs in order to save for a career…

I still remember quite a few jobs. One of them was working at Hungry Jack's, working at a car wash delivery driver. Later, I worked in Woolworths as well.

What led to the moment where he finally could start his own business…

It took me almost three years to get the visa. So pretty much after finishing the course, I applied [for a] permanent visa, and I started planning for my business in Australia.

The invaluable lessons he learned while baking that he continues to carry with him in all jobs…

When I was baking I was pretty much doing something else as well which was learning. So eight hours of learning that can never happen in any other job. 

And that’s next. I’m Tyrone Shum and you’re listening to Property Investory.

Tyrone Shum: 

Unfortunately, finding a job was no easy task. Singh was not the only one who immigrated to find better opportunities, and the job market was a ruthless one. 

Lakhwinder Singh:  

As I came here, I already paid the initial fee. So my parents paid for the initial fee for I think around six months. So I knew if I want to change to a different course, I have to collect the fee. So that's where the next step comes in lack of finding a job. 

  

And I pretty much did whatever I could find at the time, because there was a lot of migration happening in 2007, when I came, and everybody, most of the people came from India and China. 

And everybody pretty much had similar skills - pretty much like no skills. Let's see what kind of jobs like going to carwash, looking for delivery driver jobs and all those kinds of jobs. So it was a very competitive market at the time.

Singh was no quitter however. Determined to set himself apart, he proved himself an exceptionally hard worker. 

Lakhwinder Singh:  

I still remember quite a few jobs. One of them was working at Hungry Jack's, working at a car wash delivery driver. Later, I worked in Woolworths as well. And that was the starting and then I started working in that bakery that I'm talking about. I spend like two years in the bakery. 

Oh, yeah. That was in Sydney (indiscernible). Okay.

So after baking, I, that means I had those points that I needed to get to apply for my permanent residency visa, which I applied for in 2010. And it took me almost three years to get the visa. So pretty much after finishing the course, I applied [for a] permanent visa, and I started planning for my business in Australia.

Oh, yeah. So that was part time while I was studying and as I finished my study. Because when you're studying, you can't work more than 20 hours. And when I finished my study, that's when I actually started working full time. And that's where income start to increase a little bit. 

Tyrone Shum: 

Although baking and business seem to have little in common besides their first letters, Singh learned invaluable lessons from his experience. 

Lakhwinder Singh:    

So in 2010, I changed from working in Ingleburn to working in Woolworths. So Woolworths bakery department. So I worked from all the way from 2010 to quite recently until I started my business.

Up I think the Gabon bakery was actually bigger, and the year was a lot more to learn because that was more like a pastry kind. That was more focused on pastry. And who was kind of you know, you're doing [the] exact same thing every day. And it's a little bit more boring and monitoring his work in looking inward the sideway it was very similar. 

So in Woolworths, yes, every store has their own bakery, and generally is one section, one bakery, some bakeries are small, some slightly bigger. And, yes, so we start around two in the morning, sometimes [at] midnight as well. So, two in the morning there, we prepare the bread up to maybe six in the morning. And that's when the girls come in and in the packet and put on the shell. That's pretty much every day.  

  

And by that if you spend like six, seven months, you start to know, your body starts to remember, these guys are doing [the] exact same thing every day. And I think that that actually helped me because I was doing the same job every day. And I didn't have to think about what I was doing.  

So I always had headphones in my ears and listened to podcasts, books and things like that. And that's where I listened to your podcast cast as well. I've been listening to your podcast for a very long time. 

Yeah, so that actually, that job actually helped me work two jobs at a time because I used to start three, two in the morning in a bakery, and finish just like eight hour shifts. So around 10-11 in the morning. And when I finish, I generally go to my second job.   

And at one stage when I was building my portfolio, I was going to full time jobs. So I finished at 10. Go straight to the job. Finish there around maybe whatever, eight hours later. And then I go home, eat and sleep and then start again.

Tyrone Shum: 

Despite the exhausting routine of two jobs, Singh persevered. It was in no way easy, but it was important. 

I used to do it whenever I needed to increase my borrowing power to buy [the] next property. So sometimes I will do that for maybe a year. And I stop it. And if I need to go back and buy more property then I will do the same thing again.

I still kept baking for a while. And because as I said it [was] actually sewed by so the purpose like it gave me the chance to learn more about other things because I didn't have to learn more bakery, I already knew it. And it is all more monotonous as a job that I can do without thinking about it. And that's what that means for the whole eight hours. 

When I was baking I was pretty much doing something else as well which was learning. So eight hours of learning that can never happen in any other job. So that's why I stick around for a very long time. 

Tyrone Shum: 

Yet no matter how much he learned, Singh could not be a baker forever. Eventually, it had to be time to move on to bigger things. 

Lakhwinder Singh  

So in 2013, when I got my permanent visa, that's when I thought something needs to be changed. In the same year I got married as well. So in 2013 I got married and got a government visa and the thought of having dependents made me look for options. I knew I couldn't keep working two jobs and three jobs. So I thought I have to do something to change this. 

So I look for options. And when you're looking for options from Australia generally, you look for land into shares, maybe crypto maybe properties, but these are the main topics And so you might be able to invest in businesses as well, if you have money, but that was a few options that I had.  

So, one day, I was working in Woolworths in my workplace, and they had a charity event there. And they were actually trying to sell books for the gold coin donation. And you know how those charity events happened. I thought it would be pretty cool. I might want to buy a couple of books. And I look at this book, which the heading actually got my attention. 02 130 properties for three interesting hobbies. Yes. Yes, yeah.  

That's a catchy heading. So I paid that gold, going for that. And I got that book. I didn't really have a lot, not a desire to read books at the time. But I like this heading, and I started reading this book, and that's one of the pivotal moments in my life in Dubai. That book for gold coin donation.  

Rehashing the past, Singh shares a source of inspiration for him: best-selling author Steven McKnight and Property Investory guest!

Lakhwinder Singh:    

I haven't worked. I follow him quite closely. And I believe your podcast had him as your guest. 

That's what caught my eye on your podcast, because I listened to him on your podcast. And I say, okay, I definitely have to listen to this podcast, because he's having pretty good, you know, guests. 

Yeah, so I read the book within a couple of days. I'm not a book person normally. But because [the] book answered so many questions that I had, how the investing works, and how Steve talks about, you know, positive cash flow properties, buy and hold strategies, lease options, renovation flips. 

So there's a lot of information in one book. I mean, some of the strategies weren't really applicable in that market. Because Steve, obviously, we're buying in the 1990s, and 2000s. But, ideas made sense. And those ideas, I wanted to, you know, learn about those ideas. And they're pretty much like forever, you can read that book anytime, and you will get value out of it. 

In the next episode of Property Investory, Lakhwinder Singh shares the struggles of starting a business: the anxieties and risks.

 

That was one opportunity cost. And other than that, that just a stress going through this process, like waiting for the deposit, you're not even sure if you're gonna get it back. And you don't know who to approach to get it back. 

 

He shares the humble beginnings of business and the anxieties that came with it…

 

I didn't really, I didn't really put you know that that fancy benchtop or anything like anything like that. I kept it very simple, because I was clear that it's gonna be [an] investment later down the track.

He discloses the risks that he had to take in order to succeed and set himself up for success…

I said, ‘okay, let's do that’. So I ended up buying [a] second property right after that, as I bought my first property. 

 

And that’s next time on Property Investory.