Prosperity Podcast with Nicole Bremner
The Prosperity Podcast is for ambitious individuals—entrepreneurs and professionals—who want to take control of their finances and create a life of freedom, security and meaning. It’s for those who believe that wealth is about more than just money, it’s about having the freedom to choose how you live, work and give.
Whether you’re just getting started or you’re looking to rebalance your approach, this podcast is your guide to building long term, sustainable wealth. We talk about investing wisely, creating multiple income streams and designing a portfolio that reflects your values and your goals.
Prosperity Podcast features honest conversations about money—how to grow it, how to keep it and how to enjoy it.
Nicole Bremner is an investor, certified financial coach, author and mum of three. Having had a successful career in investment banking, like many women who take a ‘career break’ to have children, she found herself at a crossroads, not entirely sure what path to take next.
Combining her financial knowledge with her passion for good architecture and design, Nicole was able to build on her experience and expertise to develop a new career, which fit around her children and spent the next decade building a multi million property portfolio in London.
Newly relaunched as Prosperity Podcast, Nicole interviews some of the interesting people she has met while navigating her (sometimes turbulent) voyage through professional and family life. From charity founders and travelling investors to authors and young entrepreneurs, these are the real tales of real people finding their way in business. Join Nicole as she listens to their stories and the lessons they have learned along the way.
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Prosperity Podcast with Nicole Bremner
Bricked It: Forewarned Is Forearmed Chapter Three #183
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The five risks every property investor needs to see coming — from chasing shiny pennies and dressing up bad deals to running out of contingency, getting trapped without an exit, and flying too close to the sun.
If Chapter 2 was what went wrong, this chapter is how you see it coming.
I open with the hardest lesson I learned: mistaking luck for skill. When I started out in Hackney, everything I touched turned to gold — and I believed that was talent. It wasn't. Hackney property prices rose 104% between 2009 and 2016, and I happened to be standing in the right place. Hindsight made that painfully clear.
From there I walk through the five risks that catch almost everyone out, mapped to the SAFER system. Shiny Penny Syndrome — chasing the latest strategy whether or not it suits your life (like Maria, who wisely walked away from rent-to-rent). Being honest about a deal's real numbers instead of putting lipstick on a pig. Holding a proper contingency, because every project runs over. Staying flexible on your exit — I tell the story of a South Kensington project that fell from a £5.25m valuation to a £3.2m sale during lockdown. And resisting the urge to scale too fast and fly too close to the sun.
I'm not anti-property. I'm pro-property — just no longer evangelical about it. Realistic, awake to what can go wrong, and determined to make you aware too.
In this episode:
- Why mistaking luck for skill is the most dangerous trap of all
- Risk 1 — Strategy: Shiny Penny Syndrome and choosing what actually fits your life
- Risk 2 — Appraisal: being brutally honest with your numbers (the "yellow cars" problem)
- Risk 3 — Funding: always hold a 10% contingency and 3–6 months of cash
- Risk 4 — Exit: planning multiple exits so a market shift can't sink you
- Risk 5 — Repeat: slow and steady, and knowing when a strategy has stopped working
A note on the voice: what you're hearing is an AI-generated version of my voice reading my own words. It's me — just not in the room. I'd rather be upfront about that than pretend otherwise. Every word, every lesson, and every mistake is mine.
Have a risk you keep running into? Tell me on Substack at nicolebremner.substack.com, where paid subscribers get early access, extended commentary, and the chance to ask me anything.
Subscribe wherever you listen so Chapter 4 lands automatically.
Next week: Chapter 4 — It's All About Balance.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast belong solely to the host and guest speakers. The view and opinions of the guest speakers do not represent that of the host. Always do your own research.