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It was a pleasure to recently catch up with Flynn Bowyer (Class of 2019) and hear about the journey he's been on since leaving Calrossy. One of the great privileges of working with our alumni community is seeing the many different paths our graduates take and learning how their time at school has helped shape who they are today.

In our conversation, Flynn reflected on some of his favourite memories from his years at Calrossy, shared what he's been doing since graduating, and spoke about the experiences that have influenced both his career and personal growth. I hope you enjoy getting to know Flynn a little better through this interview and are encouraged by the impact our alumni continue to make in their communities and beyond.

Michael Wilson
School Development Co-ordinator

Looking back on your time at Calrossy, what are some of the experiences, friendships, or opportunities that helped shape the person you are today?

Looking back, the best thing Calrossy gave me was the people and connections. I was very lucky to go to Calrossy from year 10-12, previously being at boarding school in Orange NSW. If I hadn’t have gone to Calrossy I would have finished school at the end of year 12, and moved back to Tamworth knowing no one. I was involved in sport throughout my time at Calrossy, and that taught me a lot about teamwork in a relatively small year group (at the time). Looking back now, it's those relationships and opportunities that helped shape the person I am today and gave me a strong foundation for life after school.

Since graduating in 2019, you've established yourself in the real estate industry in a short space of time. What initially drew you to property and sales?

I have always had an interest in real estate and property, a lot of people do, I just never knew enough about it, how to get into it or where to start. What drew me to real estate was similar to the attraction to sport in the sense you get out what you put in. Taught by my father at a young age, my number one rule is never burn a bridge. Especially at a young age with a long road ahead of me and at an early stage in my real estate career, reputation is crucial.

Tamworth may be a city, but the network is that of a small country town and everyone knows everyone. It’s exciting that I am in a job where I can access the large network of locals and build relationships with people from all different backgrounds and businesses which only opens more doors of opportunity.

You've recently been recognised nationally with PRD's Neville Wilson Rookie of the Year Award and a Gold Sales Award. What did those achievements mean to you, and what do they say about the journey you've been on so far?

Those awards were incredibly rewarding because they represented a lot more than just sales results. The long hours, setbacks, and lessons that come with building a career from the ground up at a young age. I learnt a lot in a short period of time about wins and losses which I am grateful for. In saying that, it proved that hard work and consistency do pay off but it also reminded me that success is never achieved alone. I have an incredible support network, great mentors, clients who trusted me and family and mates who backed me throughout the start of my real estate career. The awards are something I'm proud of but definitely couldn’t have achieved them without the people around me which is incredibly important to me.

Success in real estate often comes down to relationships and trust. How have the values you developed at Calrossy helped you build strong connections with clients and the wider community?

One of the key lessons I took from Calrossy was the importance of treating people with respect which when I was younger, I probably wasn’t the best at. Not that I was ever intentionally disrespectful but understanding it better and how important it is. When I moved to Tamworth and started at Calrossy there were incredible male academic mentors for young men including myself (at that time on the William Cowper Campus) learning the importance of respect, integrity, working hard and attitude towards school work and sport and I can honestly say from Year 11 & 12 that played a huge part in my values today.

In real estate, trust is everything. People are often making one of, if not, the biggest financial decisions of their lives, where it can be the difference between retiring with additional funds or getting them $50,000 more for their next family home and they need to know that you're acting in their best interest. I always say historically real estate agents don’t have the best reputation, I’ve found that just being honest and genuine from the start can be a point of difference.

Sport in particular Rugby and Rugby League has also been an important part of your journey, from representing Central North Colts to now playing with the Pirates. What has the game taught you about leadership, resilience, and working as part of a team?

For sure. Rugby and Rugby League have taught me a lot about resilience because things don't always go your way. You lose games and typically have 7 days until your next game to work on things and respond. In real estate there is an even shorter response time. Sport has also taught me leadership is about actions speaking louder than words. If you remove just one player from a team of 15, it is no longer a team meaning every roll in a team whether that be rugby union or a sales team, is important and wouldn’t function at 100% without the person next to you. The thing I have found that is another very important aspect in playing your part in a team is to have fun! Be a person people want to be around and watch the magic happen.

There seems to be a common thread throughout your story of community, mateship, and personal growth. Why have those qualities been so important in both your sporting and professional life?

I think life is far more enjoyable when you're part of something bigger than yourself like a team or a journey that you’re involved in. Having someone or a team of people around you to celebrate the wins is a win within itself whether that’s family, a partner, mates, colleagues etc.

I've learned that relationships are what matter most in real estate and life outside your occupation. You can have all the money in the world, but if you have no relationships around you, you’re the opposite of rich. Personal growth is very important to me and always has been whether that is my physical health, mental health, or of course growing relationships with a credible reputation to therefore service more clients down the track. The more you improve yourself, the more value you can bring to your team, clients, family, your partner or community and I love that!

Every successful journey has people who have influenced it. Who are some of the mentors, teachers, coaches, or teammates who have encouraged and supported you along the way?

I wouldn’t say I am successful, but it doesn’t mean people haven’t influenced me along the way to do better from many different networks and environments and it has evolved as my WHY has changed.

Growing up and still is my parents because they always supported me no matter what. My time at Calrossy was Conrad Starr & Bart Leech, they are also very respected at Pirates Rugby Club where I play, and I could still call them today and ask for advice and they would be happy to help. Now in addition I find I look up to local business owners because I understand to an extent on what they have had to do to get their businesses to where it is because there is no get rich quick scheme its all based off a foundation of hard work. I am also very lucky to work in an office surrounded by high performers and work closely with Mandy Walker my coach I have been working with for nearly 2 years.

Whether they have taught me, been my boss, coached me or worked with me I have been pretty lucky over time to be inspired by a large variety of people.

As a young alumnus already making a significant impact across the Tamworth Region, what motivates you to continue pushing yourself and looking for opportunities to grow?

There are still so many things I want to be better at and goals I want to achieve for myself and my future family. We are in a great country town full of opportunity which keeps me excited and motivated.

( Hopefully) you're pulling on the boots for Red v Blue 2026 alongside fellow alumni. What does it mean to reconnect with classmates and represent the school community once again?

It has been a well organised event in the past and I have no doubt it will be another success. Whether or not I’m putting the boots on that is still being determined! Haha. The boys have had great success in rugby over the years, and it would actually be very cool to play with those boys again. We won a Grand Final back in 2019 at Scully Park so it would bring a few memories back to be playing with a similar team on the same field. The Friday night rugby competition days are up there with some of my favourite memories.

If you could sit down with your Year 12 self at Calrossy, what advice would you give, and would you have imagined the opportunities and achievements that have come your way in such a short time?

I'd probably tell myself not to worry so much about having everything figured out with what you want to do. There is a lot of pressure on young adults especially through social media and having it ‘figured out’. But it is totally normal to not know what you want to do. Focus on working hard if that job doesn’t work out try something else. I tried about 6 different jobs by 22 years old before real estate and each job puts you closer to knowing what you want to do, it’s worth a shot.

I have learned that if you're willing to back yourself, (because there will be people that don’t) stay patient, and keep showing up every day, things can happen much faster than you expect. The harder it is, the sweeter it will taste! Looking back I am grateful for the journey so far which feels like a lifetime, but its only just the beginning.

A big thank you to Flynn for taking the time to reconnect with us and share his story. It is always inspiring to see where life takes our Calrossy alumni and to celebrate the many ways they continue to learn, grow and serve in their communities.

If you're a Calrossy alumnus and would like to share your journey, we'd love to hear from you. Whether you're just starting out, pursuing further study, building a career, or making a difference in your community, every story is worth telling. Get in touch with our Alumni team through the Alumni page on the Calrossy website, and let's continue celebrating the incredible people who make up our alumni community.