“There is a healthy way to build a business together.”
This month we wanted to shine a spotlight on Tennille Grech, who works alongside her husband Mitch in Allure Building Co on South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula, and has been part of our Partners Group from early on.
So much of what happens in a building business runs through the person standing right beside the builder, and that side of the story rarely gets told. Tennille and Mitch joined Live Life Build early, with big ideas for Allure and a clear goal: grow the business without burning themselves out.
Along the way Tennille found her own place in the Partners Group, and with it a bigger role in the business than she expected.
We caught up with her to chat about what the Partners Group has meant to her, what’s changed for her and Mitch, and what she’d say to other partners.
Tell us a bit about yourself, your role in Allure Building Co and where you’re based.
I’m Tennille, Mitch’s wife and the person lucky enough to be building both a life and a business alongside him. We’re based on the beautiful Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia, where we’re growing Allure Building Co with a big vision for what building can look like when you put people, health and the way we live at the heart of it.
Mitch is the brains and hands behind the building side of things, while I’m gradually finding my feet behind the scenes, supporting the business, helping shape our direction and being his biggest cheerleader along the way. I still work outside of Allure as well, so life can be a bit of a juggle!
What did the business, and life around it, look like for you and Mitch before Live Life Build?
We made the jump and joined Live Life Build quite early in our journey, before we necessarily needed everything it has to offer.
We had big ideas for Allure and were trying to work out what the next steps looked like. Our main drive to join was working out how to scale and grow the business without completely burning ourselves out in the process.
What made you want to get involved yourself, and what have you got out of the Partners Group?
I’ve always believed in Mitch and the potential of Allure, and I wanted to understand more about the business and, just as importantly, the building industry itself.
When you’re both juggling so much, it can feel almost impossible to find the time to sit down together for Mitch to teach me and answer all my questions. There’s also a lot to learn, and sometimes you don’t even know what questions to ask until you’re exposed to something new!
The Partners Group has been huge for my growth within Allure. It’s been just as much a learning tool as it has been a community. Being able to learn from other partners’ experiences and ask my own questions in a space where people genuinely get it has been invaluable. Without the Partners Group, I don’t think I would have had the same opportunities to understand things on a deeper level, learn and grow.
What’s changed since, whether in the business, in your role or at home?
I think one of the biggest changes has been recognising that there is a place for me in the business that goes beyond supporting Mitch from the sidelines. I’m becoming more involved in the behind-the-scenes side of Allure, and I’m developing my understanding of the business and the industry as a whole.
It has also helped us recognise that there is a healthy way to build a business together! When you see and hear the horror stories of families working together, it can be so easy to wonder if you’re setting yourself up for trouble.
What would you say to the partner of a builder who’s thinking about joining?
Do it! Even if you’re not directly involved in the business, or you’re not sure what you’d get out of it, I think there is so much value in having a space of your own within your partner’s world.
You don’t need to understand every part of the industry or have all the answers. I certainly don’t!
Sometimes just being around others who understand the juggle can make a difference. You might also surprise yourself with how much you learn, and how much more connected you feel to the bigger picture.
Plus, it’s a really great opportunity to meet some amazing women and wonderful people who are all on their own versions of the same journey!
What’s next for you both?
We have some pretty big dreams for Allure, and we’re excited to keep bringing them to life. We want to grow a business that challenges the way people think about building by creating beautiful, high-performance homes that support the health and wellbeing of the people living in them.
We’re focused on our next step, which is building the right team: a team that is driven by purpose and our vision just as much as Mitch and I are.
On a personal level, we’re also building a future together, and I think that’s what makes the journey so exciting. We’re not just building a business, we’re building the life we want to live too. There’s a lot to look forward to!
