Bluebird founders Claire O’Rourke and Riye Arai-Coupe discuss their partnership and friendship with You & Me in QWeekend.

Claire O’Rourke, co-founder and partner of Bluebird Property, 38, Bardon

How did you meet Riye? 

We met in 2010 when we started at Mirvac (Australian property group) on the same day. We were in our early 20s and instantly became best mates. We both shared an incredibly strong work ethic but always balanced it with plenty of late nights dancing at Fridays. 

How and when did you consider going into business together? 

Riye and I have decades of experience working for leading property companies and we've delivered thousands of apartments. In 2018, we decided it was time to jump off the corporate ladder and find a new challenge. We saw a gap in the market for an outsourced development model for companies to have the right resources at their fingertips when they needed them. So, Bluebird was born! Riye is the ideal business partner, she's a visionary and a strategic thinker. I'm more process driven, so we complement each other. 

Biggest challenge you've overcome together?

Riye and I have been through the floods (twice), a market oversupply, a pandemic, and now record inflation and a slowing global economy. We're veterans when it comes to navigating our way through challenging times. On a personal level, we both had babies in the early years of Bluebird. At one stage we had four kids under four between us so the sleep deprivation was tough. The juggle between parenthood and running a small business is something we continually try to manage. Riye has been an incredible support to me when I recently became a single mum. 

Best advice Riye has given you?

"It will work out. It always does." Riye has such a positive outlook on life and business. I can get overwhelmed, but she always focuses on the positives and has unwavering confidence that we will come out on top. 

What do you admire most about Riye? 

Her ability to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to design, innovation, and sustainability. She's got a strong eye for detail and is a driver of change in our male- dominated profession. Riye also actively promotes diversity in the workplace, female leadership and is an incredible role model for young people starting in the industry. Every day she amazes me with how she can handle the most stressful situations with such poise and usually on very little sleep! As a friend she has really helped me to find the right balance between work and home.

Riye Arai-Coupe, co founder and partner of Bluebird Property, 37, Paddington

First impressions of Claire? 

How excellent she was with people and building rapport. She was also incredibly hardworking and committed to whatever she put her mind to. 

How do you complement each other as business partners? 

I always say we're on the same page, just on opposite sides. We have a unique way of doing business and working together on projects. Claire and I see things from completely different angles but we're always able to take the best of both positions and meld them. Of course, it can be challenging at times but it means that we are constantly pushing and pulling to get the best outcome. As long as we keep trying to see and understand the other person's perspective, we know this can result in great things. We both have young children, so we understand the demands and challenges of family life while running our own company. It's not easy but because we are living it every day we both
try to keep a balance.

What do you hope to achieve together? 

We are both incredibly proud of what we have been able to achieve from the creation of Bluebird so far. It has been a rollercoaster journey. We started the business in late 2018 which has seen us grow through the impacts of Covid, a property boom and now record escalation Our growing business has pushed through each impact.

What has Claire taught you? 

To be more resilient and focused through the challenges we have faced. She's fast to put plan in place and to get the right people in the room to set the course. Claire's ability get through an incredible volume of work while achieving great outcomes and maintaining excellent relationships is also inspirational-something I continue to aspire to and work to equally achieve.

How has Claire changed your life?

Claire is my business partner and my best friend. A highly practical person her grounding influence is imperative to my tendency to live in the clouds. We also have an ability to switch between sharing personal and business highs and lows, giving and taking advice, and having lots of fun on the way.

Interviewer:

Jane Armitstead