Episodes
On this episode host Paul Spain is joined by Mitchell Pham, a Vietnamese-New Zealand Tech innovator and Strategic Advisor. Mitchell shares his remarkable journey from escaping Vietnam as a refugee to becoming a prominent entrepreneur and reflects on the pivotal moments that shaped his approach to business, including navigating crises, building resilient teams, and fostering international trade connections. From his early struggles to the challenges of steering his businesses through economic...
Published 04/12/24
Misti Landtroop is the managing director for Palo Alto Networks in New Zealand, a key global cyber security leader. Misti has spent over 20 years in key leadership roles ranging from early stage start-ups through to Fortune 100 companies, including over a decade at Microsoft. Listen as Misti shares her insights on leadership, career challenges, and personal growth.
Published 03/15/24
Jamie Hunt, founder of Pressio, co founder of 2XU and professional triathlete, shares his journey from athlete to entrepreneur. Discover how Jamie's unwavering passion for retail, ethical business practices, and innovative product development have propelled his ventures to international success.
Published 01/05/24
Join host Paul Spain in conversation with digital marketing innovator, Ben Guerin, co-founder of the international agency Topham Guerin. Listen as they dive into the challenges and successes of agency growth, the power of social media marketing, and the emergence of platforms like TikTok. Ben shares insights on leveraging data, reaching new markets, and the lessons learned from political campaigns. Discover how businesses can stay ahead of the curve in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
Published 11/24/23
In this episode, Paul Spain is joined by Michael Rebelo, CEO of Publicis Group in Australia and New Zealand. Michael takes us on a journey through his fascinating career, from his time in London's advertising industry to his current role with Publicis Group. Join us as we delve into the challenges and opportunities of marketing and digital transformation. Hear Michael's thoughts on the evolving media landscape, consumer expectations and fostering a culture of collaboration within a diverse...
Published 09/06/23
In this episode, Paul Spain chats with Adrian Palmer, general manager of Common Good Coffee and Joyya Collective. Adrian shares his journey of using business as a force for good and building connections globally. Discover the secrets behind their community coffee business, the challenges they face, and their dedication to a better world, where business plays a crucial role in social service provision and the fight against modern slavery.
Published 08/16/23
Paul Spain is joined by Vaughan Fergusson - Founder of Vend, a thriving POS business, which was acquired for US$350 million. He is also co-founder and trustee of The Pam Fergusson Charitable Trust, which teaches kids to innovate with programs like OMGTech! and Institute of Awesome. Join us as we learn from Vaughan's experiences as an inventor, innovator, and leader.
Published 05/19/23
Richard Conway, founder and CEO of Pure SEO, shares insights into scaling a business and the significance of inflection points in business growth. Richard stresses the importance of comprehending the lifetime value of customers. He emphasizes the need for leveraging technology to enhance efficiency, offer better value to customers, and remain ahead of the competition. And the benefits of creating a culture of continuous learning, surrounding oneself with good people, and being open to...
Published 04/21/23
Paul Spain is joined by Lindsay Zwart, Chief Enterprise Director at Vodafone New Zealand. Lindsay shares her career journey, leadership skills, and challenges in implementing change in a large organization. Lindsay also discusses the importance of company culture, feedback, career development plans, and networking to grow in a role and prepare for the future.
Published 03/06/23
Ian McCrae, founder and former CEO of Orion Health, shares his journey to creating one of the leading providers of health care software. Ian reflects on the challenges they faced in their growth, including transitioning to a larger team, establishing credibility, and bidding for large international tenders.
Published 02/03/23
Dr. Paul Woodfield, a senior lecturer at Auckland University of Technology, discusses his background and research in entrepreneurship and innovation in family businesses, traditional industries, and science for technological innovation. He talks about his own family's history in the wine industry and the importance of family businesses in New Zealand's economy.
Published 01/20/23
Paul Spain is joined by Cecilia and James Robinson, co-founders of My Food Bag which they grew to be worth over $100m in under 3-years, and more recently launching innovative healthcare start-up Tend Health. The Robinson Duo have a proven track record for start ups and high growth business.
Published 01/06/23
Paul Spain is joined by Julian Smith, head of Global Marketing at Rockit Global. Julian shares what it's like to work with some of New Zealand's leading brands and his recent success with Rockit Global.
Published 12/16/22
Queenstown business owner Matt Wong has a background in wildlife conservation before stepping into tourism as manager of i-SITE visiting centre in Queenstown. Matt also managed Glacier Southern Lakes Helicopters a mix of aviation, tourism and the film industry and more recently owning and managing iFLY Indoor Skydiving NZ in Queenstown. Matt shares the importance building a strong team and stepping out of your comfort zone.
Published 12/02/22
Ed was Chief Executive of WestJet in Canada. During Ed's leadership, WestJet was acquired in a deal worth over $6 Billion. Other highlights in his career include launching a disruptive travel business for Richard Branson, senior roles at Air New Zealand and running Airways New Zealand.
Published 11/11/22
Entrepreneur, Author, CEO and ONZM Tony Falkenstein, joins host Paul Spain, sharing lessons from his immense wealth of knowledge and experiences, both the ups and the downs of his business adventures.
Published 10/14/22
Kathryn Wilson joins Paul Spain, and shares insights from her journey of perseverance, passion, creativity and entrepreneurship in the fashion industry. Her story is provides current and fresh inspiration for those in business and leadership - highlighting the importance of being open-minded to learn from those around you and of pushing through the challenges that inevitably come our way.
Published 09/22/22
Dave Ferguson Co-founder of Nuro, joins Paul Spain to discuss his journey as a global leader and innovator achieving breakthroughs in Robotics, Autonomous Vehicles and Artificial Intelligence. In recent years the company he co-founded, Nuro has grown to attract US$2B in today's investment, and has reached a US$8.6B valuation. Dave Ferguson was announced as KEA World Class New Zealander 2022 Winner, September 2022.
Published 09/01/22
Soar Print is a family-owned business that has been in operation for over a hundred years and has therefore learnt how to survive - and even thrive - through decades of ongoing change, reinvention, and improvement.
Published 07/13/21
Paul Spain sits down with Stefan Powell of Dawn Aerospace to learn a little of what it takes to establish a new space startup in New Zealand. Stefan delves into a wide range of topics including the Aurora Spaceplane.
Published 06/14/21
Rod Drury (Founder, Xero) talks with Paul Spain about shaping the future of New Zealand - including initiatives and practical ideas for both business leaders and government to get moving on now.
Published 04/16/20
A open and wide ranging discussion with Jason Paris about life inside Vodafone NZ during the COVID-19 era, along with insights on leadership, communications, culture and of course telecommunications.
Published 04/13/20
Jolie Hodson leads one of the NZ's largest and strongest businesses. In this NZ Business Podcast chat we hear insights on operating and leading during challenging times.
Published 04/01/20
Chris Quin kindly shared his Saturday morning to reveal what's been happening behind the scenes at Foodstuffs NI (New World, Pak n Save, Four Square) during the #COVID19 crisis and offers advice for NZ organisations - including one (of many) reasons why laying off staff should be avoided.
Published 03/28/20