For some, finding your niche can take a lifetime. For others, it can happen in a single moment of illumination. When Natalie Irvine embarked on a career in banking, she looked forward to indulging her love of achievement.

“I set out to be useful, helpful. I like to get stuff done,” she tells The CEO Magazine. “But early on, I noticed a disconnect between how institutions were built and how real people – especially business owners and women – actually live, earn and build wealth.”

In her eyes, smart, capable people were being shut out of the path to wealth by rigid systems and outdated thinking. Irvine knew there had to be a better way.

“I was curious; I asked a lot of questions, and I didn’t wait to be told what to do next,” she says.

This was the start of her journey to RedZed Lending, a financial services firm that loans exclusively to self-employed Australians. By narrowing its focus on one particular demographic, the company has been able to stand apart from the crowd as both a brand of integrity and a champion of influence.

As RedZed Lending’s Chief of Sales and Marketing, Irvine feels she’s found a professional home that closely aligns with her values and ambitions.

“My journey wasn’t linear or gentle, and I certainly didn’t set out to be a leader,” she explains.

“But over time, I earned leadership through results, resilience and a willingness to step into many uncomfortable conversations. I’ve led through growth cycles, restructuring, public scrutiny and personal change, and I’m better for all of it.”

Leadership direction

Irvine stepped into her role with the specialist lender in late 2024 after a 15-year career in finance. Aware of the uniqueness of RedZed Lending’s offering and keen to help it reach its full potential, she’s hit the ground running.

“We have a very deliberate plan over the next 18 months,” she reveals. “We want to deepen our position as the lender for self-employed Australians, not by being louder but by listening to what our customers want, doing it faster and being more human in how we serve this segment.”

The finance sector – and especially the big banks – have long faced criticism that humanity is purely a marketing tool, a weakness RedZed Lending is eager to exploit both at the coalface and internally.

“We’re working to build leadership capability and succession within the company,” Irvine says. “Scale only works if leaders at every level are empowered, accountable and aligned. That’s a non-negotiable for me.”

RedZed Lending has also tried to avoid the silo problem: compartmentalizing various departments beyond the reach of clear communication.

“To translate the brand into measurable growth, brand, product, distribution and digital must work together, not as silos but as a single growth engine,” she points out.

“We’re seeing early green shoots of our investment into our RedZed Lending brand, and that’s driving us forward to rolling out our refreshed brand nationally.”

A balancing act

Established in 2006, RedZed Lending has steadily built its reputation among self-employed borrowers as a trusted lender. The 2024 Mortgage Professional Australia survey on non-bank lenders agreed, with the company landing in that year’s top three best non-bank mortgage lenders in Australia.

It hasn’t come easy. Irvine admits balancing pace with people is the hardest part of her job.

“High-growth environments reward speed, but sustainable success requires trust, clarity and consistency,” she says. “I’ve had to slow down at times to bring people with me, communicate more and with clarity, listen harder and sometimes recalibrate decisions.”

But Irvine insists her goal isn’t perfection.

“I’ve aimed my solutions at transparency, accountability and staying anchored to what actually matters,” she adds.

Irvine says her experience as a single mother weighs heavily on her approach to her role.

“In the early years, when the children wouldn’t sleep and the world felt heavy, I took comfort in knowing the period would pass and I’d have grown from the experience,” she recalls.

“I found the same to be true in my career. Financial results matter, but belief is what sustains momentum when conditions change and doubt sets in. That’s the difference between a good business and a durable one. It’s also the difference between a happy life and an unhappy one, in my opinion.”

Purpose-driven work

Purpose stands tall beside that belief as a pillar of Irvine’s professional outlook.

“If purpose doesn’t influence decisions, investment and behavior, it’s not purpose. Whenever I feel off track, I remember why I’m here and what my purpose is. I find it always recenters me,” she says.

In an industry as volatile as finance, that’s a valuable tool to have in one’s belt. Meanwhile, Irvine is hard at work developing several others among her team.

“At RedZed Lending, efficiency is our key to success,” she notes. “The real opportunity we have is to use technology to remove friction for teams, brokers and customers while delivering faster insights and better decision-making.”

That means smarter data, better digital journeys and systems that flex with how people actually work, all in line with the company’s humanistic approach to the business of lending.

“Self-employed and non-traditional income streams are on the rise,” Irvine explains. “We believe we have strong foundations, but with the high percentage of people earning income through side hustles, even we need to think about what products are needed and how to best serve a client base that’s always changing.”

How this is achieved comes down to what Irvine believes is one of the most successful traits of leadership: resourcefulness.

“Get stuff done! I don’t wait for perfect information or permission. I ask better questions, test ideas, learn quickly and adjust,” she says. “Progress beats perfection every time.”