Australian Gen Z under 30 entrepreneurs slam 'boomers' calling millennials lazy ... trends now
Baby boomers have sparked fury describing Generation Z as 'lazy, weak babies' - but three successful young Australians have hit back with the ultimate response: 'Look at us now'.
A female miner, a former surf coach and a real estate co-founder solely focused on helping fellow young people enter the property market are among a host of entrepreneurs aged under 30 to show off their extraordinary success to Daily Mail Australia.
A generational feud recently erupted on social media after a business guru claimed 'old-style boomer managers' are causing younger staff to quit in the wake of a post-Covid jobs crisis phenomenon dubbed the 'Great Resignation'.
The furore prompted boomers to hit back at 'lazy' Gen Z's - a sociological term to describe the generation born between 1997 and 2012 - complaining about their working conditions.
Some 'boomers', those born between 1946 and 1964 during the economic and population 'boom' years, have claimed younger workers are 'weak' with no clue about the real world and often produce 'substandard' work.
But research from GoDaddy/Antenna revealed an entrepreneurial spirit when young Australians aged 18-24 were surveyed.
The survey found Generation Z are prepared to work for themselves and take a pay cut if it means they can have more freedom to pursue what they love.
'They are the most technologically supplied, formally educated, globally connected, and socially aware generation in history,' demographer and social researcher Mark McCrindle said.
Daily Mail Australia speaks to three entrepreneurs who made sacrifices for their hard work pay off and are proving the so-called 'boomers' wrong.
Young entrepreneur Abby Wilson (pictured) still works full-time in the mines after founding her own apparel and accessories company
Bruno Pedruco Novo (right) and Joanne Speckleman (middle) have inaugural The Apprentice Australia winner Andrew Morello (left) as their mentor
Established by millennials to open the door of home ownership for Gen Z
Bruno Pedruco Novo, 28, went into real estate straight from university and quickly rose through the ranks as a senior investment consultant.
He noticed a gap which didn't address the needs of the future of the property market and in early 2019, co-founded One Central Property with fellow millennials Joanne Speckleton and Jordan Zapata.
Millennials are those born between 1981 and 1996.
The Sydney-based real estate investment firm grew to a six-figure business within two years and is on track to hit $1million revenue for the first time in 2023.
'We noticed that the property industry was not adequately serving the needs of Gen Z and millennial clients as many first-time buyers were feeling discouraged and lacked access to a supportive team throughout their property journey,' he told Daily Mail Australia.
'As baby boomers downsize and sell their assets in preparation for retirement, younger generations will become the primary buyers and property owners.
'We wanted to bridge the gap between baby boomer agents/consultants who haven’t been in the same position that millennials have faced when entering the property market.'
His clients have seen an average $70,000 increase in capital growth within the first 12 months.
One Central Property co-founders Bruno Pedruco Novo and Joanne Speckleton hope to hit seven figures in revenue this year
The young trio faced many challenges while developing the company on restricted capital during the Covid-19 pandemic, but working remotely eliminated office space costs.
As Mr Novo focused solely on establishing and reinvesting into the business, his co-founders took on second jobs.
'During the first year of our business, we worked every weekday and weekend and missed social events with friends and family, only attending them for very special occasions,' he said.
'In order to save money, we rarely went out, shopped, or ate out so that whatever money we made, was put back into the business so we could grow each month.'
The Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns also presented a significant challenge but turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
'We were really able to accelerate during this period, we had lower overheads, plus more leads than ever so we really began our business success during this period as people welcomed the idea of purchasing property this way and we were able to build that trust with our clients, even without meeting
