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Scholars in the Spotlight

Rhett Payne

Rhett Payne spotlightGeneral Manager, Country Blinds
General Management Program, Melbourne Business School, May 2015

While most 20-somethings are climbing the career ladder, Rhett Payne (pictured middle) soared straight to the top when he took the helm of the family business at age 25 after his father unexpectedly fell ill. Rhett and his two brothers have turned the modest family business into a household name for window treatments in SA. Almost seven years since completing his ILF course, Rhett says the past few years have been “quite a ride”.

“In May 2015 I completed the General Management Program at Melbourne Business School. The intensive course gave me a framework and tools to improve my management skills. As I was only 26, it helped shape my management style. The opportunity to be involved in a learning environment with other business leaders was fantastic. It’s one of those rare moments in life where you don’t realise how much you are gaining at the time, but on reflection my abilities increased exponentially just by spending intense time with experienced managers and guest speakers. I came back from the course with the confidence to lead the business into its next chapter. 

Since I completed the course it would be fair to say my whole life has changed. As a 26-year-old, leading Country Blinds was my life. Unmarried at that stage with no kids in the picture, life was relatively simple. Some years later, now happily married, with two boys (age three and one) and a more than 5x larger business, I’m starting to understand what busy feels like!

I’m sure many entrepreneurial spirits will agree that the work-life balance is a constant juggle. I love what I do, and I feel privileged to lead my family business, work alongside my two dedicated brothers and with the talented team we have built at Country Blinds. I love my family and spending time with them, so finding the right balance is a real challenge. 

Where is Country Blinds today? I’m pleased to report we have almost 100 employees operating out of stores in Unley, Fulham and Mount Barker, as well as a team of mobile sales consultants across Adelaide. 

We are still bucking the trend of offshore manufacturing. We have increased the output of our Mount Barker factories to keep up with growth. This year we will complete the next stage of our growth plan which includes a new purpose-built factory, tripling our current floor space. 

We’re also enjoying a buoyant home improvement market. With massive increases in new builds and increasing prices of existing homes, there has never been a better time to invest in your property. The future is bright for Country Blinds and I’m more excited than ever about the opportunities that lie ahead.”

Rhett Payne spotlight