Running his own race: Meet Julian Millman
Julian Millman’s never been one to follow the crowd. Raised with a self-sufficient, fiercely entrepreneurial spirit, Julian – now Director at Gary Peer, and leader of our New Projects division – has always cut his own path. Below, we trace that path – from Wesley College to Balaclava Road and beyond. Along the way, Julian shares his story, his secret to thriving in the project marketing game – and the skills that’ve seen him soar.
Julian’s early days: and an unusual claim to fame
As a student – first at Armadale’s The King David School, then at Wesley College – Julian gravitated to maths and science, rather than humanities.
Academically, Julian thrived. But his real claim to fame came on the sporting field.
While at Wesley, Julian beat Emma Carney – the world’s number-one triathlete between 1995 and 1997 – in a cross-country race.
And, though his cross-country career may have been colourful, his approach to life was anything but. Forever forward and uncompromisingly honest, Julian’s always thought and communicated in black and white. Never shades of grey.
Choosing not to pursue his competitor’s foray into athletic stardom, Julian progressed to La Trobe University, then RMIT – earning degrees in science and business.
Having laid the foundations of education, it was time for the promising student to build a career.
Julian’s way.
From oil and toil to being his own boss: Julian’s career begins
Throughout his career, Julian’s worn a lot of hats. (He got his start, while at university, replacing the oil in the industrial deep fryers of Melbourne’s pubs and eateries – a job which scarred him, literally and metaphorically, for life.)
One thing he’s rarely been, though? An employee.
From an early age, Julian was inspired by the entrepreneurial spirit and self-sufficiency of his dad – a self-employed physiotherapist. It left him with an enduring admiration of the small business owner. And infatuated with the idea of ‘being your own boss’.
“I admire people who’ve grown businesses; who’ve blossomed and become successful off the back of their own hard work. As for me? I’ve never had the employee mentality.”
So neither family nor friends were surprised when 28-year-old Julian – following a five-year apprenticeship in a small Elsternwick-based financial services firm – went into business for himself.
Next Level Financial Services was born. Three years later, Julian took on a business partner. And, for the next six, the company excelled.
But fate had other plans for Julian.
Industry changes and the tightening of compliance sapped his enjoyment of the work. Julian and his business partner wanted to take things in different directions. And behind it all, a call was beginning to ring out; the tidal pull of an alluring, all-new career.
Real estate.
Julian sold the business, and started afresh – unveiling Next Level Property to the world.
And it didn’t take long for the company, which marketed property to the advisor community, to gather momentum.
“We soon got a big break with a large, high-profile development,” Julian remembers. “It was basically our first gig! It went well, and we just ran with it from there.”
Julian would spearhead Next Level’s personal, professional approach to property for a decade.
But bigger, better things lay in wait.
‘If you build it, they will come’: Julian’s own field of dreams
Raised from an early age in Caulfield, Julian was no stranger to the Gary Peer name.
He was well familiar with our Balaclava Road-based office in particular. He’d drive past it, every day, on his commute to his old office in Collingwood.
Behind the wheel, gazing out at the then-empty building, Julian was forever plagued by a single thought.
‘What are they doing in there?’
Julian’s questions became a quest to learn more – and a meeting, in early 2019, with Phillip Kingston, Director and Co-founder of Gary Peer & Associates.
“Back then, Gary Peer didn’t have a project marketing arm,” recalls Julian. “I knew they needed one; so did Phillip. So we got talking, and here we are – four years later!”
Julian’s remit? To disrupt southeast Melbourne’s project marketing space. And establish the Gary Peer name as a recognised, reliable brand.
Soon, the office Julian once drove by – formerly an underutilised space reserved for corporate functions and sales meetings alone – was his domain.
“It’s like that movie Field of Dreams – ‘if you build it, they will come’. A lot of money has been invested here in some fantastic facilities: like an amazing showroom where we meet buyers.
“It’s definitely a point of difference.”
From solo to so high: embracing the Gary Peer brand
Throughout a career spanning three decades, Julian confesses that he’s only been an ‘employee’ for five of them.
Which begs the question. For someone so wedded – and accustomed – to working for himself, how did Julian, and his clients, find the switch to Gary Peer?
“All my relationships with local developers came across,” explains Julian. “They were happy to – nothing changed on their end. As for me, I found myself with more support, a beautiful office, and a wealth of back-office systems to rely on. It was an offer I couldn’t refuse!”
Julian’s also quick to acknowledge the role the established Gary Peer brand plays in attracting – and reassuring – buyers.
“Buyers are a lot more comfortable knowing that there’s a big brand behind their purchase. They assume, correctly, that all due diligence is being done with the developers. And that, if we’re representing it, it’s good.”
Another thing Gary Peer has given back to Julian? A team.
“When I was running my own business, it was always hard to find good salespeople. So I was effectively doing everything: selling, meeting buyers, and prospecting new projects. There was never room to grow the business – and chase new business.
“But here, I’m working with extremely talented salespeople (Rafi Joffe, Jacob Kingston and Kane Nissenbaum). I’m able to do the stuff I love doing, too – growing the business!”
With all the right ingredients to thrive and a recipe for success, Julian has turned Gary Peer’s New Projects arm into a mouth-watering prospect.
In July 2022, he became a director at the company; and is looking forward to many more years leading our new projects to new heights.
“We’ve achieved a lot in the last four years. To go from no recognition in the project marketing space, to being one of the key players? Yeah, I’m proud.”
Chameleons, chess and ‘commercial animals’: Julian’s formula
When Julian came to Gary Peer, he brought his phonebook-sized stack of developer contacts with him. But he also made the switch with a skillset – and mindset – tailormade for the project marketing space.
So how does Julian’s patented ‘black and white’ approach set him up for success in the role?
“The developer, as a vendor, is a businessperson. Unlike someone selling their home, a developer is a commercial animal – there’s no emotion caught up in it. Basically, they don’t want any bull!”
The other ‘must-haves’ for anyone considering a role bringing new projects to market?
According to Julian, it’s a keen eye for detail. A knack for selling. An intimate knowledge of your product. And an ability to put yourself in the shoes of both buyer and developer.
Fortunately, Julian’s self-confessed chameleonic nature allows him to do that.
“I’m a good reader of people,” he says. “I can tailor my personality around who’s in front of me.”
But the new projects game requires more than sensitivity, or shapeshifting. It requires strategy.
“It’s like chess,” he explains. “You have to know where the next move is, then the move after that. You have to be one step ahead – and you have to know your stuff.
“Of course, you need to be able to sell, too. Selling new-build property presents its own challenges. You’re convincing people to sign on the dotted line for bricks and mortar that don’t actually exist yet – so psychologically, there are hurdles that need to be overcome.”
Family and football: why Julian will always be ‘Mr Caulfield’
Building relationships. Remaining patient. Conveying empathy.
They’re all skills that’ve put Julian in good stead not only in projects. But in parenting.
A father of Daniel, 20, and Ethan, 14, Julian can be spotted on a green stretch of local grass watching them kick a football around. Julian – a man with tight family connections to WA – also journeys with them, and wife of 25 years Shani, to watch their beloved West Coast Eagles on the road.
“I can’t remember the last time I’ve missed an Eagles game in Melbourne!”
But though the Millmans may soar with eagles, Julian’s feet are planted firmly on the patch of Caulfield the family calls home. So is there any place he’d rather be?
Not likely.
“I love Caulfield; I know it. I like the community; I like being around so many people I’ve got things in common with. There’s nowhere I go where I don’t see someone I know – and I like that!
“Plus, everything’s here: there’s nothing missing for me.”
Family, food, fun – and, of course, friends. Of the latter, Julian has plenty at Gary Peer.
“It’s one of the things I love most about working here – the people. Our personalities all just seem to fit; we’re on the same level.
“I love the team, I love the status and standing the company has in our – in my – local community. I love that I’m one of the leaders here, and that I’m able to play a part in mentoring the next generation of salespeople. I love being here!”
