5 Questions with Josh Harkness

Our business owners aren’t just corporate heads or visiting business people; they’re local residents who are truly invested in their own communities and inspired by the people and places that surround them. Discover what makes our Business Owners tick in our latest Spotlight with Josh from Quest North Sydney.

 

What brought you to Quest?

Myself and my partner Samantha were both brought to Quest primarily due to philosophy of ownership. As we had been working in the industry collectively 7 years in management positions & thought what better way to have a bit more freedom to create an environment in our chosen professions than with Quest.

By taking the leap of faith into Franchising with the network we have been able to work with seasoned business owners to get great experience as young operators. But also an opportunity to create self-wealth. We were also really fortunate to have good mentors who had been with the network for a long time that were able to show us the prospects of purchasing with Quest & supported us strongly through the accelerator program.

What sets Quest apart from other accommodation providers?

Our biggest point of difference isn’t in location, price or product as we tick these boxes.. but its more that our ownership philosophy flows through to all of our team. There is a greater level of sincerity, gratitude and desire to help when people book our locations; it’s demonstrated in the way we serve our customers.

You will and never should be just a confirmation number with a Quest property. We had a strong motto here at the property which was come as a guest and leave as a friend. And I believe we go above and beyond for our customers. It’s why from a relocation perspective in North Sydney, many of our guests have moved into the apartments above because of the experience they have had in our location.

What do you love about North Sydney?

I love being able to walk around the harbour daily, the warmness of the people that work in our area & the openness of the city in our location. North Sydney has everything you need and is so easy get in and out of to anywhere in Sydney. But primarily I love the walks around us, so many nature walks, great harbour spots & hidden gems in our area. It truly is a very warm and welcoming city.

What do you like to do outside of work?

Being from Adelaide I’ve been trying to discover as much as I can while we settle in, we’ve taken to Kayaking in the mid harbour in the summer. But also playing soccer with the local travel agents down the road on a Wednesday Afternoon is great fun.

For Sam & myself we joined the National Parks memberships for the past two years and have been finding walks around Sydney that just out of this world. The grand canyon track for example in the blue mountains, 40 mins from North Sydney is one of the most stunning treks I’ve done in Sydney or just as good the spit bridge to manly walk is also stunning as the walk hugs the coastline with great views over the Northern beaches and Harbour.

Do you have any favourite go-to local picks?

Couple of special picks for me would be our little French bottle shop Le Pont that did wine pairing and still do, The North Sydney Markets are always vibrant, fresh and lively on a Saturday. But nothing compares to watching the WBBL at North Sydney Oval! This historic location is great to sit back & watch a bit of cricket, WBBL is always a spectacle & entertaining for the whole family.

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