About me ‘JC’
Director / Financial Adviser
Mortgage – Insurance – KiwiSaver – Coaching
The following is a little bit about me and the road that ultimately led me to set up Success Avenue. This is a compilation of my life experiences which have contributed to shape the person I am today and will hopefully help you decide if Success Avenue is the right fit for you.
A seasoned entrepreneur with a passion for both the financial world and the thrill of watersports. Since diving into the entrepreneurial scene over 25 years ago, in 2016 within the financial services sector, JC has been making waves not only in business but also on the open water. When he’s not navigating the complexities of finance, you’ll find JC harnessing the wind and waves, indulging in his love for kitesurfing, wing foiling, and surfing. A family man at heart, JC enjoys sharing these exhilarating water adventures with his kids, creating a perfect balance between the dynamic business landscape and the serenity of the sea.

Family
I come from a family of 6 kids (3 girls and 3 boys), in a very typical affluent South American family, in Santiago, Chile. We had a lake house where the family enjoyed a multitude of water sports, including sailing, water skiing and wakeboarding. My love for sport has been with me right from the beginning, helping to shape my life and making me a very determined and competitive individual.
Growing up in a large South American family, everyone has an opinion about what you should do or what you are about to do, so when you decide to do something (e.g. start a business), you better be confident that is going to work! When a massive economic crisis hit Asia in 1997, the amount of money my dad had to make to support a large family was staggering. I remember seeing how hard he worked to make sure we had everything we needed and more, and how tough things became following the crisis. This determination has also trickled down to me and is evident today in my strong work ethic and willingness to help others.
My career.
01.
Landscape artist and pool master.
02.
Famous DJ
03.
The restaurant game
04.
Landscape artist 2.0
05.
The Robot rainbow
06.
The Cruise ship
07.
The bar.
08.
The personal trainer
New Zealand
Prior to leaving Chile, a friend recommended I do a carpentry or welding course to bring valuable skills into NZ, and I decided to go for the welding option. I managed to get a job quickly at a reputable engineering company, doing one of the worst jobs on the floor. Given my experience with terrible jobs and working incredibly hard, I did not let that deter me, so I put my head down and worked hard.
My time working in engineering was great as it allowed me to learn a new profession, graduating 3 years later and being one of the top paid apprentices.
JC Kitesurfing is born
In 2007, while in my second year working in engineering, I met my next love ‘kitesurfing’. I saw a bunch of guys getting pulled across the water by these big kites and riding what looked like wakeboards. At that point I knew that would be my next sport.
With my limited income, I convinced a friend who was an instructor to teach me how to do it, and not long after I started my second job teaching kiteboarding, my nickname ‘JC’ was born, and I’ve been known by it ever since.
I met my wife Christie who had to first miss out on dates because I was too busy chasing the wind, until she found the love for it herself and we started my first business in NZ ‘JC Kitesurfing’, growing it to became one of the biggest shops/schools in the country right in middle of a recession. We taught thousands of people how to kite and SUP, while Christie and I welcomed our amazing little boys Lucas and Maxx.
Although a ton of fun, I worked 7 days a week from 2007 to 2016 building that business while I was still working my engineering job, along with teaching and serving thousands of clients through the shop. In the summer of 2015, the pressure of working 7 days a week with two young kids and a ton of financial pressure, prompted the decision to look in a different direction and that is where my career in finance began.
The financial advisory world
In July 2016, I walked into my first day as a trainee Insurance Adviser, surrounded by highly competitive humans with big goals in life. Selling insurance was something I never thought I would do and something that would lead me into finally finding out what I wanted to do when I grow up.
My first year as an adviser was focused on learning the industry well so I could provide good advice to clients. To achieve this when I was under so much pressure, once again I got real focused on the target, set up a solid plan and worked hard to achieve it.
Talking about insurance, being better with money, having the best mortgage structure, focusing on the present as well as the future is very natural to me, given what I have experienced in my life and what I’m experiencing right now with having kids, a mortgage, a business and so on.
As I was getting better as an adviser, I also started adding value to the business itself, climbing up the ranks to training new advisers by 2017, becoming Head of People and Culture, Partner in 2018 and General Manager in 2019. In April 2021 I decided it was time for me to embark on my new venture, one where I could stay true to my values.
During my time I helped to build a business from under 20 people to a nationwide business with over 70 people, while overseeing training and managing the sales team. I started and managed a nationwide relationship with a well-established building company who refers their clients to the business for finance advice. I have a huge amount of appreciation for the opportunity I was given and I’m glad that it came at a time where I had enough experience to help make a difference and fuel my never-ending search for growth, both personally and professionally.


Success Avenue
On May 1st, 2021 Success Avenue was born. The business aims to help people find their own potential, offering financial coaching to make better decisions, and encouraging people to live a full life while they build a solid future and offer each client open and honest advice across all our different financial products.
I consider myself successful as I have lived my life on my own terms, never saying no to a new adventure, spending quality time with my wife and kids, traveling the world, learning new things, and seeing new places. We are very lucky to own a piece of NZ paradise on the Hibiscus Coast, where we will soon build our family home. I love my job and have big dreams to keep achieving personal and professional goals to keep enjoying this life with all its ups and downs.
I really look forward to meeting you and helping you find your Success Avenue.