Mark Bouris - My Humble Beginnings

The star of ‘The Mentor’ reflects on the work ethic and family unity that set him up for mega success

- Karina Machado

 A yellow brick road of possibilities opened up for Mark Bouris when he was around 13, thanks to a savvy classmate selling his mum’s toffees in the playground for a few cents each. “I’ll never forget this kid,” says Bouris, who lived in the south-western Sydney suburb of Punchbowl. “I thought, ‘Wow, that’s good. He’s making money!’ ” Duly inspired, he crafted a classic-style wooden pipe out of an old cricket stump and showed his friends. “I started making them and selling them,” the celebrity businessman tells WHO. “It took off.”

Call it a glimmer of his Midas touch to come. Today, the former host of The Celebrity Apprentice Australia, founder of Wizard Home Loans and executive chairman of the financial management company Yellow Brick Road, is helping transform the fortunes of struggling small-business owners in Seven’s new series