The Long Game

There's a particular kind of confidence that comes from knowing exactly what you won't compromise on. At Restaurant Hubert, as we order the Escargots XO without glancing at the menu, that clarity is evident. It's there in our wine choice too, whilst JP was insistent he wasn't drinking during the day, we insisted he have a splash of a Servin Premier Cru Chablis, the kind of bottle that speaks to someone who knows Burgundy's minerality and precision, and isn't interested in pretence.

“I'll have the Prime Beef Tartare as well,” he adds, and there's that same decisiveness. Bold choices, unafraid of raw elegance, appreciating the fusion of French tradition with something unexpected. It's an approach that extends well beyond his dining preferences.

JP built his mortgage broking business on a simple but increasingly rare principle: do the right thing for clients, even when it costs you the deal. Especially when it costs you the deal. “Clients want to get the right outcome, but they want to do it the right way as well,” he explains. “I'm thinking long-term in terms of their wealth creation, their goals. My goal is to be the adviser for life - supporting you, and in a lot of cases, your kids. In some cases, grandkids.”

It's the kind of statement that could sound like marketing copy, except JP has the receipts. He's turned down clients, told them they're doing the wrong thing, walked away from deals that would have padded his bottom line. “I had a guy at the end of last year who wanted to buy another property,” he recalls. “I said, the numbers don't stack up.”

That willingness to be blunt - to prioritise the client's actual best interests over a commission - sets him apart in an industry that doesn't always reward restraint. And it stems from an unusual breadth of expertise. With a background in accounting and finance, JP can speak directly to accountants about structuring purchases, timing tax obligations, optimising outcomes. “I frankly think I problem-solve better than a lot of the brokers out there,” he says without arrogance, just fact.

What becomes clear over lunch is that JP occupies a unique space in the financial ecosystem. “You have buyers' agents who focus on property acquisition. Then you have financial advisers who specialise in super and funds under management. You have accountants who handle tax. But if you get the three of them in a room, there's so much that crosses over where they'll go, I sort of know about this, but I don't know about that.”

He's become the connector, the translator, the person who can bridge those gaps. “Because of my background and exposure to it all, I'm a really good middle man. You need to speak to your accountant? Go to this person. We'll speak to these two people. I'm essentially a holistic person that someone can confide in and know that I'm looking out for their best interests.”

That holistic approach extends to understanding what clients actually need versus what they think they want. "I'm working with your accountant, have you thought about super? I know you'd rather have the money now, but mate, think about compounding at 15% tax, adding $30K a year over the next 20 years. What does that mean?” Little nudges that can reshape someone's financial trajectory.

As the Escargots land - that bold XO butter lending an Asian edge to classic French preparation - the conversation turns to the nuances of high-end finance. JP has learned that premium doesn't always mean flexible. “When you're dealing with complex property purchases, sometimes the traditional private banking approach can be quite rigid,” he observes. “They follow established protocols, which makes sense for risk management, but it doesn't always serve the client's timeline or structure.”

His edge comes from understanding that one size rarely fits all. “A good example: some institutions want three years' financials, but many banks will accept one. That flexibility can be crucial for my clients - they can work with their accountants to present the strongest possible picture for that year, move expenses strategically, bring income forward when it makes sense.“

It's practical wisdom born from working in the trenches, understanding both the letter of the law and the art of the possible. This is someone who's seen the gap between how things are marketed and how they actually work - and has built a practice around finding solutions others might miss.

The Prime Beef Tartare arrives, and with it, talk turns to something that matters more to JP than any deal: family. That understanding of resilience, of playing the long game despite difficult circumstances, has clearly shaped JP's approach to both business and life. He's not interested in the quick win, the flashy deal, the impressive title. He's building something that lasts.

Then the coral trout arrives - a special of the day that stops conversation mid-sentence. It's a thing of beauty: glistening skin catching the candlelight, head still attached, yet somehow filleted on the plate with not a bone to be seen. The kind of technical mastery that looks effortless but speaks to hours of practice. The Bourgogne blanc sauce pools around it, delicate and precise. It's the sort of dish that reminds you why French technique endures.

The conversation shifts to travel. Italy is JP's second home. “Milan can be like a second home for me, really. The history, the sport, the art, the culture there. It's fantastic, and so central for Europe as well.” The goal is ambitious but achievable: six months in Italy, six months in Australia, building a life that spans continents without sacrificing what matters most.

As lunch winds down, what emerges is a portrait of someone who's figured out what matters. Not the biggest business, not the most deals, not the industry accolades. Instead: doing right by clients, being there for family, building something sustainable, and leaving room for those unplannable perfect moments.

In an industry that often rewards volume over value, short-term gains over long-term relationships, JP Menin has carved out something different. He's the adviser you call when you need someone who'll tell you the truth, even if it costs him a commission. The one who understands that wealth creation isn't just about the numbers on a balance sheet, but about building a life that actually works.

And much like his choice of the Escargots XO - bold, confident, unafraid to blend tradition with something unexpected - he's built a practice that defies easy categorisation. Not quite a broker, not quite a financial adviser, not quite a wealth manager. Something better: a trusted adviser for the long haul.

Which is exactly what the best unobtanium members are - impossible to define by a single title, united instead by a commitment to excellence, authenticity, and the understanding that the best things in life can't be rushed.