IB Woman
Issue No. 52 - April/May 2010
Happy clients keep Elle on the run
Elle Whyatt started her Running in Heels personal concierge business because she really likes the challenge of staying two steps ahead of busy clients.
“I’ve had careers in the travel industry and, most predominantly, in real estate. The past six years was as an executive assistant/salesperson to some of Adelaide’s top-performing real estate identities,” Elle says. “Within these roles I worked very closely to build professional relationships with vendors and purchasers during the marketing and sales process.
“I noticed after a while there was a limit to how much assistance I could provide. I’d often get the comment ‘Can you come work for me?’ or ‘I need someone like you to help me with my personal life’.
“I’ve always had a passion for helping people. I also enjoyed supporting the salespeople I worked with by making their life easier and freeing them of the details so they could concentrate on the bigger picture. I am proficient at organising people and pride myself on being two steps ahead of the person I’m assisting.”
After 12 years Elle felt she had gone as far as she could in real estate and a new line of work had caught her imagination.
“They were called Personal Concierges and Lifestyle Managers, and I thought ‘Wow, this is EXACTLY what I want to do’,” she says. “Building on my extensive experience and my natural organised nature, I decided about a year ago to begin Running In Heels.
“I think being a business owner has always appealed to me. My parents have had their own business for 25 years, my husband is self-employed and I knew I had the drive, determination and belief that I could also be successful in my chosen passion.
“I wanted to build a brand with my own vision and personality behind it, rather than conform to someone else’s. I want people to know Running In Heels, but more than that, I think Adelaide likes to know the person behind the company. I think I provid...
