Mum-of-four wins through to final stages of X Factor-style competition for property investors
Mother-of-four
Cynthia Odoi from Hackney is hoping to be a millionaire by the end of 2019 after
entering a competition organised by a property wealth education and training
company.
She’s one of
40 contestants who entered the Millionaire Maker challenge at the start of the
year and, after passing an audition, she’s now being mentored by judges before
facing a public vote in December.
The aim of
the contest, organised by Doncaster-based Touchstone Education, is to help as
many contestants as possible to generate a turnover of £1million or more.
The first to
reach the target will receive a VIP package worth £15,000 including an
all-expenses paid trip to a Formula One race weekend with Touchstone.
Cynthia has
been involved in property management all her life – as an eight-year-old in the
1970s, growing up in a large Victorian townhouse in Hackney, she helped her
parents to collect rent from lodgers.
Over the
years she’s co-owned, bought and sold more than 10 properties and managed up to
500 others as a letting agent while also raising four children now aged between
12 and 18.
She hopes to
use the skills she’s learned to top the £1million mark this year and win the
competition.
“When I heard about Millionaire Maker, I loved
the idea and when to went to audition. I was so happy when I got though and I’m
loving the process,” she said. “It’s the best thing I’ve done in my life.
“I believe
that knowledge combined with action creates power and that’s really helping me
pursue my goal of helping and impacting positively in people’s lives.
“My goal is
to become a mentor for other letting agents, showing them how to improve their
businesses and lives.”
Cynthia
added: “I’d like to help as many people to learn how to become free
financially. We teach our children to pass exams and to become good worker
rather than good employers.
“I’d like to
teach inner city children living in poverty that, with the right education and
direction, they can learn how to become financially independent.”
In January
competitors submitted business plans and each was asked to explain what they
wanted from the process and what they hoped to achieve, other than to make
money.
A final
group of 25 was selected by judges, based on the quality of their submissions
and on their determination to succeed.
They have
been split into two teams, one mentored by Touchstone’s Chief Executive, Paul
Smith and Managing Director Abi Hookway, and the other by Paul’s wife and
business partner, Aniko, and the company’s Commercial Director Gordon Dutfield,
with each battling to produce the first millionaire.
After
visiting judges’ houses for an intensive training weekend, the contestants are
now putting their business plans into practice with help and advice from
mentors during weekly catch-up sessions. Each contestant is keeping a video
diary to provide a record of their investment journey.
Touchstone, which
runs courses and seminars across the UK focused on investment in property,
launched the competition as a way of bringing investors together to share their
experiences and expertise.
Paul said:
“We’re always looking for new ways to impart our knowledge and this X-Factor
style competition helps to generate some energy and excitement around the
process.
“By adding a
competitive edge, there’s an added incentive for our investors, with help from
our staff, to push themselves further to make their property portfolios worker
harder for them.”
He added:
“We’ve already seen some early wins for our investors and, even at this early
stage, several are on course to reach the £1million mark by the end of the
year.”
For more
information or high-resolution photographs please email carlos@carlosalbamedia.co.uk or
telephone 0141 637 6399 or 07880505647
Notes:
- Touchstone, founded by Paul and Aniko Smith in 2004, promises ‘freedom through knowledge’ with a series of training courses, ranging from an online webinar to ongoing monthly learning as well as masterclasses and other learning materials.
- It is the first provider of wealth education training in the UK to be certified by the CPD Certification Service.
- The company operates a series of Six figure Summit throughout the year across the UK where learned spend two full days of intensive training with Touchstone Education’s top professionals where they are given access to high value knowledge about proven property investment strategies.
- Delegates who wish to learn more can attend follow-on specialist workshops on topics such as serviced accommodation and commercial portfolio management.
- All the course materials are created in-house and owned by the company. As well as trading in the UK, there are plans to introduce Touchstone courses in the US, Europe and the Middle East.