Don’t sweat the small stuff
Today we chat to State Manager for NSW – Steve “Stevie P” Peverett.
Steve is the epitome of starting at the bottom and working up through the ranks. With an extensive background in the finance sector that quickly took a U-turn after the GFC in 2008, South African-born Steve quickly put down roots in Australia after a chance meeting on a Croatian sailboat with now wife Tash.
“Living in Australia was never really part of the plan, but after Tash left the UK where we were living at the time when her visa expired, I decided to take a chance with a tourist visa for 3 months and never left”.
After landing in Sydney with a keenness for a fresh career start, Steve took a role at a local golf shop and soon worked his way up to be Director of Golf.
“I got to a point where I had no further growth opportunities where I was, so it was only natural I started to look at the next step for my career. A role at Moore Park Golf came up in 2014 and I saw it as a huge opportunity”.
Right off the bat, Steve appreciated the different management frameworks he was afforded once joining Moore Park Golf, managed by Clublinks, with the potential reach of new players on a public course far greater than what he had experienced previously.
“The golfing profile was evolving, and we were seeing a much younger and more diverse demographic coming through which was really exciting as it meant new opportunities to try different things and really pivot the profile of the sport”.
When asked why he chose to join MPG / Clublinks specifically, it was the reputation that both brands held and the opportunity to grow with an evolving organisation right from the get-go.
“I went from managing a golf shop which would be lucky to see 50 people in a day, to a fast-paced environment which sometimes has up to 1,000 people through the door in a single day. I went from the bottom and worked my way up to now being State Manager for NSW. Having the ability to grow as the company has grown has been pretty cool.”
“Being given the license to let creativity roam free is a true feature of the Clublinks way, and it’s a key reason I enjoy coming to work every day”.
Steve has cited the people are what makes Clublinks different – that the organisation really understands the true value of good people and nails it.
“Our teams are all great people and we recruit really well and train well. We continuously assess ourselves against our values, and I believe this has been a key driver of growth over the past few years”.
In his life away from having a golf course as the worst office in the world, Steve and his wife Tash are parents to three-year old or “three-nager” Mabel who is a true Daddy’s girl and makes coming home every day from work all that more special.
When asked what his biggest achievements have been since joining Clublinks in 2014 are, Steve cited transitioning new partner UNSW and their Fitness & Aquatic Centre in 10 days as a huge feat he and his team accomplished.
“Watching how a young team just dug in and punched above their weight without any complaint – everyone pulled together and have really knocked it out of the park, which has been incredible”.
On reflection of his career achievements and journey to date, what advice would Steve give the 21-year old self?
“Don’t sweat the small stuff! I was so hell bent on getting a University degree, thinking it was the most important thing in the world and the only channel to having a fulfilling career. On the back of that – number two is to travel more and experience new things.
(Travel) has meant learning emotional empathy and understanding things from different perspectives, which has really aided me in my career successes to date.”
