Business Interests
Who am I? (Describe yourself in 140 characters- note not words)
I am passionate person, and firmly believe in loyalty.
24/7 - my obsessions
Movies, XBOX, Group Fitness, and playing guitar..... oh and spending time with my wife.
You have endured and succeeded throughout uncertain economic times since -what has been your secret to maintaining inspiration and cash flows in your business?
There is no secret. I stuck to the basics of business, which is keeping the overheads down and focusing on revenue generation. I challenged the market to see market research in a new way, while avoiding the dreaded “discretionary spend” title. I worked hard on repositioning what the business does, to align with the market, and I had the best team on board to help do that.
My biggest mistake
Not reading up enough about the many mistakes start ups make (before I started up)
How I used the learning’s
I have applied my learning’s to the business in several areas, including pitching, marketing and overall business development. The biggest impact of all has been in the way I recruit staff. Recruitment mistakes plagued the business early on, so this was a major change, which immediately affected the businesses overall performance.
My source of pride
I enjoy making my parents proud. My dad has been my hero, both in business and in life in general, so in a way my source of pride is a by-product of his.
Is balance possible?
Yes, I find mine in the love of a good woman. Seriously though, having a true partner in life is where I believe the balance is possible.
How did you come up with our concept? What was the spark?
I was working on my Masters thesis when I uncovered the concept. My supervisor Prof. Brian Murphy kindly supported me, by allowing me to commercialise the model. We were not successful but this was where I got the idea to back myself. Brian continued to give me support and guidance, and introduced me to Steve Corbett at the e-Centre at Massey University. The rest is history.
2 Myths in business
- If you survive up to year 3 you will be fine.
- If you build it they will come
3 Rules I live by
Be loyal to all stakeholders, to thine own self be true & always treat people with respect
Don’t Ever... (do this to me)
Lie
My first job
A waiter at the good old Cobb & Co.
I knew I was onto something when ...
I was quoted as “an expert” on TV
How I turned lemons into lemonade?
I squished them into a container, blended them whole, and drank their juice. And yes I am talking about ex-employees not lemons.
How do you personally handle failure
One of my favourite quotes is, “if you take life to seriously, you will never get out alive” – Van Wilder
The next big thing in my life will be...
Probably starting a family, in at least three years or so (not that you can always plan these things)
My secret to managing people
I employ people who are of a calibre that they do not need managing. I look for people who can share a vision, not do a job.
I set goals that...
I am goal oriented. I set goals that are SMART.
If I had my wish I would have unlimited....
Money
I believe education is...
The single most important thing in building a strong foundation for life
People are often irritated when I
Make them do push ups
People admire me for...
Being stubborn enough to see my vision through
My favourite charity
Leukaemia and Blood Foundation, Kids with Cancer & CBM
Now that the recession is easing off I will...
Act as though it isn’t
Parting Shot
I’m not that special, I just surround myself with special people, and bask in their ambience.