The Wellington Hustle Interview Project

Tim Morrison - timson.co
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  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Wellington entrepreneurs sharing their insights to help and inspire you. Hear their struggles and mistakes. See what fulfils and makes them proud. Learn how their visions have changed.

  1. 14/03/2023

    Interview 18: Michal McCracken

    Meet productivity and life coach, Michal McCracken from Space & Grace. Michal’s aim is to help women achieve their personal and professional goals with confidence. Michal also loves animals and her first business was a dog daycare. Michal’s next business moved her work online, supporting and teaching people to train their own dogs. However, overtime Michal noticed that it wasn’t just the pets who needed help. Their owners also needed support, and so, Michal pivoted into life coaching and Space & Grace was found. Q1 WHAT WAS YOUR VISION WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED YOUR VENTURE? Dogs are a big part of my life. I worked in the pet care industry since 2005 as a dog trainer and I ran a dog daycare. But, it burnt me out and I neglected my own well-being. So, I sold the dog daycare business. Next I worked on bringing the pieces that I loved about my previous business to a new venture, while leaving the stress behind. I settled on an online dog training business. This worked out well, even with Covid becoming widespread. Through helping women train their dogs, I noticed they actually needed support themselves. That's when I become certified as a coach and started helping dog owners with more than just their pets. Now, I work with people who aren't necessarily dog owners, but that's how I made the transition into coaching. It wasn't easy to evolve, but I believed in myself and made it happen. Q2 HOW DID YOU DEAL WITH EARLY SETBACKS? When things don't go well for me, I would talk badly to myself. But I'm trying to stop that now. It isn’t helpful.  These days when something goes wrong, I take a moment to think about it, then figure out how I can learn from this experience to move forward. I struggle with not being so hard on myself. I often tell myself that I should be doing better and that I'm not good enough. But I'm working on changing that. In terms of obstacles, I don't usually let things get in my way. I just keep pushing forward until I figure things out. Coaching is a well-know business category. There’s many successful coaches out there. I know success is possible, I just have to figure it how to do that. When I started my dog daycare business, I didn't have anyone to get advice from, which made things harder. But with my new business, I have more experience and knowledge, so I feel more confident. Q3 WAS THERE A TIME YOU WANTED TO GIVE UP? I've never wanted to give up, but I have changed my direction a few times as I've grown and learned. It can be hard, but having a clear idea of who I want to be and what I want to do helps me get through those tough times. For example, if I'm currently working as a dog trainer but want to be a productivity and life coach, I start making decisions like a productivity and life coach. Since I realise that I wanted to be a productivity coach, I haven't changed my focus. I think many people struggle with being busy, unfocused, not knowing where they want to go. That's where my coaching comes in - helping people with productivity and life strategies, and fixing the negative self-talk in their heads. Q4 WERE THERE ANY TRAPS THAT YOU FELL INTO? I have a problem where I often fall for good marketing. If someone convinces me that I need to buy something, I usually do. This happened a lot when I was trying to learn how to start an online dog training business. I bought many courses without really knowing what I was doing. I even tried to get my friends to stop me from buying courses, but I always found a way around them. When you're building a business and you don't know what you're doing, it's easy to fall for marketing that promises a magic solution. I learned a lot through my experience, and now I'm much more careful about what I buy. I ask myself if I really need it and what I'll get in return. One of my biggest problems is that I tend to watch videos and read books without actually following through with the steps. I know I should be more disciplined, but it's hard. Right now, I feel like I have enough information and don't need to buy anything else. Q5 WHAT INSPIRES AND MOTIVATES YOU? Really making a difference for my clients. Because I know what it's like to be in their shoes. I understand the feeling of moving fast but not knowing where you're headed and having to take on many different roles that you don't enjoy. I wear many hats throughout the day - getting my kids ready for school, transporting them to activities, working as a couch, preparing meals, (it’s my least favourite task. I know I need to change my negative mindset about it. However, I still have to figure out what's for dinner every night.) I love helping others who are in the same place that I was in a few years ago. I know what I needed back then, which helps me think about what they might need now. It's like being of service to myself. Putting yourself first can be a foreign concept to many people. Q6 CAN YOU DESCRIBE A BREAKTHROUGH THAT YOU'RE PARTICULARLY PROUD OF? So, I purchased Stacy Boehman’s life couching course. It took me some time to decide if I wanted it or not, as I didn't want to make an impulsive decision. Once I made the decision, I was excited to start, but there was so much content that I began to feel overwhelmed and stressed. My negative self-talk, which I refer to as my mean girl, started to berate me for not purchasing the course sooner. However, I caught myself and remembered to be kind to myself. I followed the process that I teach others, plotting out the work that needed to be done in my planner. I took my time to go through the content methodically and calmly, and eventually felt proud of myself for the progress I had made. We should all try to be kind to ourselves and stop unnecessary stress. Q7 WHAT DO YOU SEE AS BEING YOUR BIGGEST LESSON? One of the biggest lessons I've learned is that I am in control of my results. My thoughts control my feelings, which control my actions, which then control my results. It doesn't matter what the circumstances are. It could be setting up a business during a recession or dealing with the kids at home. I'm still responsible for how I think, feel, and act. And therefore, responsible for my results. This was a huge realisation. Q8 HAS YOUR VISION ALWAYS BEEN CLEAR AND HOW HAS IT EVOLVED? At first, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. I was working with dogs and I thought, "Could I help dog moms with their lives?" So, I set up a page about it on my dog training website. But when I showed it to people they didn't understand what I was trying to do. So, I decided to split it up. I made one site for dog training and one site for coaching. Now that I've figured out that I want to focus on coaching, everything is clear. I know who I am and who I can help. But it wasn't easy to get here. Q9 WHAT WOULD YOU DO DIFFERENTLY IF YOU HAD TO START AGAIN FROM SCRATCH? If I were to start from scratch, I would hire a coach to help me manage my thoughts and overcome obstacles more effectively. Business coaches are great, but I think having someone who can help me deal with mental challenges would be more valuable. When you start a new venture, it's easy to fall back into old patterns and behaviours, which can hinder your progress. That's why having a coach who can call you out on your negative thought patterns and help you change your mindset is crucial. I might be biased because I am a coach myself. But I've seen tremendous results in myself and my clients by addressing their mental blocks. Changing your thoughts can be challenging, and it's a common struggle that many people face. Even if you've tried various methods, like attending Tony Robbins events, it's important to remember that the responsibility for change lies with you. A coach can provide you with tools and support, but ultimately, it's up to you to take action and work through the process. I'm still a work in progress, and I still catch myself falling back into old habits, but with the right mindset, you can achieve your goals. CONNECT WITH MICHAL If you have enjoyed this article and want to start a conversation with Michal, you can reach out on: Website: spaceandgrace.meInstagram: @space_and_grace_coaching_LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michal-mccrackenFacebook: facebook.com/space.grace.coachingDiscovery coaching call Please don’t forget to tell Michal that I sent you. Find more interviews like this one at the Wellington Hustle Interview Project. Listen to the interview on your favourite podcast app: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher Radio | Spotify | Google

    27 min
  2. Interview 17: Dan Mikkelsen

    05/12/2021

    Interview 17: Dan Mikkelsen

    In this interview, I talk with Dan Mikkelsen, the founder of Bicycle Junction Dan worked as an apprentice chef in Copenhagen during the late ’90s. It was in this city he discovered a love for messenger biking and the cargo bike.  After returning home and working in the industry as a chef, Dan was faced with a new problem to solve. How to ride his bike and transport his newborn child at the same time.  Dan reached out to Christiania Bikes, a firm in Denmark, to see if he could buy a bike and have it delivered to Wellington, New Zealand. They said, Yes, you can buy a bike, but, you have to buy four! And so, Bicycle Junction was born. Bicycle Junction is more than just a shop. It’s a community centred around helping people to ride bikes. Dan has combined his enthusiasm for bikes and his experience as a chef to create a bikery.  What’s a bikery? I hear you say. Why it’s a place to hang out with like-minded souls, breathe bike, talk bike, eat and be merry. Q1 WHAT WAS YOUR VISION WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED YOUR VENTURE? I've always had a passion for carrying things by bike. I lived in Copenhagen from 1998–2002, working as a bike messenger and loved all the cargo bikes. I had an old original 80-year-old cargo bike frame that I restored. I also owned an old Thai rickshaw. Every time I rode it, people wanted to hire me. It ended up being a small side hustle. When I started the original business 11 years ago, the vision was ‘how can I buy a cargo bike to carry my firstborn child?’ I would carry him in a sling on my fixie, but it became more uncomfortable as he grew. I called up the only company I knew in Denmark, Christiania Bikes and asked if they could deliver a cargo bike to New Zealand. They said yes, but, you have to buy four due to the way the bikes were packed for shipping. So, I had to sell three bikes and ended up selling four. That meant I had to order two pallets, leaving me with three more bikes to sell. I set up a website and started selling cargo bikes online.  More people bought the bikes, I ordered more and storage become an issue. As things grew, I rented a garage, then while looking for a small warehouse I found a retail space in Newtown. Three weeks later I had a bike shop! The vision for the shop is wanting to help more people be engaged in riding bikes. My realisation here was if I wanted to help more people ride bikes, I shouldn’t appeal to those who already ride bikes. I had always admired businesses that did more than one thing. But all parts need to be integrated and executed well. The idea of a café and bike shop has always appealed to me. I previously worked in the hospitality industry as a chef. And I had been talking about it with my bike shop friends for some time. When the opportunity to take on the retail space came up I thought I had better also sell coffee as I’ve been talking about it for so long. The location was great, right next to Wellington Hospital. The move wasn’t entirely impulsive. As my vision was to help more people ride bikes. The coffee provided a reason for people to come into the store and be comfortable without feeling that they need to buy a bike. It’s a nice Segway into a conversation about bikes. Not that I was trying to convert every customer into a cyclist. But as they become regulars it builds community. People can be daunted by sportbike shops. They are full of lycra, fancy glasses and the salesperson speaks a lot of technical jargon. It's not a welcoming space. So we sell bikes to people who don't currently ride or who wouldn’t think of themselves as a cyclist. We talk about cyclists and cycling. Cycling is a sport. A cyclist partakes in the sport of cycling. But, if you ride a bike for transport, you’re just a person who rides a bike to get from A to B. It doesn’t identify you, it's just what you do. The shop is all about creating a welcoming and comfortable space. A place where people want to linger. I think back to living in Copenhagen. Every morning people head to the bakery. The baker knows them by name and neighbours chat while queueing. That’s the feeling I look to foster with Bicycle Junction. We know our customers by name and our customers know each other. Bicycle Junction has a little community surrounding it. Q2 HOW DID YOU DEAL WITH EARLY SETBACKS? I started the business with my last paycheque.  Everything was new to me. Although I knew a lot about bikes, I had never worked in retail or a bike shop before. There were loads that I needed to learn. When there’s a lot of financial backing available, there’s plenty of room to make big mistakes. And I made some mistakes at the start. But they were quite measured by the nature of not having much money.  As you grow, you learn. If you learn on a small scale for what those mistakes are, when you graduate to a bigger scale, you’re less likely to fall into those traps. I’d say I’ve been quite lucky, as there was plenty of opportunities to make big mistakes if I had more financial backing. An open slate can make it hard to be creative without the constraints to problem solve. Q3 WAS THERE A TIME YOU WANTED TO GIVE UP? Absolutely. There’s been plenty of tough times. When I started the store in Newtown, on that first day, I only had three bikes on the floor. Two of which were my own! The constant growing pains of cash flow has been quite stressful at times.  Particularly after moving the shop into Wellington’s city centre. We were always modest during the Newtown days. Growing well, but keeping it in check. Moving into town was a big leap for us. Especially with a costly shop refit.  Moving a business is similar to starting all over again. We did keep a lot of our Newtown regulars. There were times that I questioned the move. But, in those dark times, I realise there's only one way out. And that’s forward. There’s a phrase my head chef used when I was an apprentice, “Full speed over thin ice”. You don’t look down, you just know what needs to be done and keep moving. Cheffing prepared me for pressure, stress and long hours.  At home we laugh about buying our first house, having three kids and starting two businesses all at the same time! Sometimes I wonder, “What were we thinking!” Luckily we’re both passionate about our work.  Sometimes I briefly think about giving up. But, it only takes seeing a family out on one of our bikes to remind me of why I started Bicycle Junction in the first place. Q4 WERE THERE ANY TRAPS THAT YOU FELL INTO? I’m wary that manufacturers are eager for their distributers to buy many bikes, making it easy to over-commit. And bike shops need stock on the floor. As a relatively low margin retail business, I try not to overextend my cash flow. Electric bikes in particular are high cost and low margin. One trap I haven’t fallen into is playing the price game. There’s no way Bicycle Junction can compete on price alone against nationwide stores. So we don’t.  We have a different style of service. Providing a higher quality of service as a point of difference. We’ve built up a good base of loyal customers. We’re not the cheapest and that's okay. What you pay at our store ensures the bike that you buy is going to last, servicing will be carried out correctly, fair wages for our staff. You’re also supporting events for Wellington’s greater cycling community. Q5 WHAT INSPIRES AND MOTIVATES YOU? Seeing families on their bikes. I feel enormous pride that Bicycle Junction has played a part in growing cargo biking in New Zealand. They are particularly popular in Wellington. I feel that they are such a good thing for children and families. Of course, there’s the should reasons, such as good for the environment. But generally, cargo bikes are great for having a good time.  My family went without a car completely for a while. We do have a vehicle now, but the kids all much prefer taking the bike. I hear that it’s the same for every cargo bike family. That to me means our kids are growing up favouring a different form of transport and realising that car ownership is just one option. Our customers tell us that electric bikes, in general, become the easiest way to get around. Even in the rain, people will jump on their electric bike instead of taking the car. That’s because it’s still easier than finding a car park. Q6 CAN YOU DESCRIBE A BREAKTHROUGH THAT YOU'RE PARTICULARLY PROUD OF? People in Wellington now know what a cargo bike is. Children can now point them out to their parents.  The first few days after getting our new bike, a photo was taken of us, with our kids in the front, and posted to a website called weird in Wellington. There were comments made such as, “is it a wheelbarrow?”, “Did you make it from a shopping trolly?”. People just really had no idea what it was. It’s gratifying that there’s public knowledge about them now. That's a particularly important breakthrough. It means they have entered the mainstream consciousness. And cargo bikes are not just a novelty for an eccentric family. They’re not just for mad cyclists and eco-warriors. Cargo bikes are a real and attractive transport option for the regular family. Q7 WHAT DO YOU SEE AS BEING YOUR BIGGEST LESSON? Running Bicycle Junction is different from being a chef. I was always working to immovable deadlines. In a restaurant, you can’t go out to a table and say “Sorry your dinner is going to be a few more hours and it will cost an extra $50.” That’s how tradesmen work 😉. You just need to learn how to make those immovable deadlines work. And when you get to the deadline, you’re done. You savour the moment, feel the afterglow and prepare to start all over again. Working on Bicycle Junction, there is never an end. Yes, there can be some projects that start and finish. But generally, I’m not accustomed to the constant nature of being a business owner. I’ve found the lack of completion, relax and back to

    33 min
  3. Interview 16: Jenny Fearnley

    05/07/2021

    Interview 16: Jenny Fearnley

    Find more interviews like this one at the Wellington Hustle Interview Project. Listen to the interview on your favourite podcast app: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher Radio | Spotify | Google

    37 min
  4. Interview 15: Jennifer Young

    31/01/2021

    Interview 15: Jennifer Young

    Find more interviews like this one at the Wellington Hustle Interview Project. Listen to the interview on your favourite podcast app: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher Radio | Spotify | Google This month I’m joined by Jennifer Young. Jen describes herself as a recovered-admitted-lawyer-turned-Workplace-Wellbeing-Specialist, Life & Resilience Coach, Facilitator, Mental Health Advocate, Youth Leadership Development Advisor and Writer. After university, Jennifer moved to Wellington and took up a role in Leadership Development. During this time, she struggled with the transition from study to work. This was compounded by the fact that her initial workplace had a bullying environment. Over time Jen vowed that she never wanted another person to have this same experience and Intentional Generations was created.  Now, let’s listen to this interview with Jennifer Young… Q1 WHAT WAS YOUR VISION WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED YOUR VENTURE? To be a judge and make decisions to help the lives of others. Although, that would be many decades in the future. At the start of my career, I found myself in such a toxic work environment. I developed anxiety and depression. I had to quickly learn to manage my mental wellbeing. Specifically prioritising my mental health. The idea for JenY Insites (now Intentional Generations), was influenced by my first working experience. The reality was so different from what I had imagined work-life to be. I was shocked. I never wanted another person to experience that kind of treatment. This influenced my passion to make changes in organisations. Helping others develop the confidence to bring about the understanding of wellbeing and mental health.  I value variety and freedom. Being able to help a range of organisations from corporates, government to schools is important to me. Impacting people, helping them develop skills to navigate life's challenges. I unintentionally started in 2017 with my blog, JenY Insights. I shared tools, resources and what I’d learnt over the years working in Leadership Development. The vision was to take the training for senior leaders and make it accessible to those less privileged. I also shared my own experience as I trained myself.  After moving from consulting to a corporate learning and development role, I noticed my anxiety starting to return. Part of it may have been the environment, but I had a voice inside telling me to get out. I couldn't ignore it anymore. I had to take my own advice and access my greatest growth by stepping out of my comfort zone. To form a new habit you need to do something for at least forty days before it becomes automatic. So, I challenged myself to a ’Forty days of Facing Fear’ practice. I was scared of rejection, failing and even succeeding. So I did one thing that scared me every day for forty days. It forced me out of my comfort zone, growing my confidence exponentially. Next, I travelled to Italy and taught English for three months. On returning, I knew that I wanted to help people every day for the rest of my life. Everybody gets a sense of looking up to people who seem to be doing great things. Think of an amazing person riding a lion. Those watching are in awe. That person seems so crazy and adventurous. The reality is that person is thinking “Holy shit, how do I get off, I’m going to be eaten alive!!!” That's very much what it is like to be an entrepreneur. I can't take credit for that metaphor. It came from a mentor, Toby Thomas. Q2 HOW DID YOU DEAL WITH EARLY SETBACKS? I have a lovely network of friends, called Founders Supporting Founders. We discuss life beyond social media. setbacks and challenges. I committed to being really honest about my challenges publicly.  For the first year and a half, I earned very little. I was giving a lot of my time away fro free. I didn't know how to charge. I had no experience in running a business. I was wearing twenty different hats. CMO, COO, CEO, sales, networking and delivery. I would get offers to speak at many events, but most would expect me to present for free. Just because I was new. That was an exhausting setback. Nine months in, I was burning the candle at both ends while reminding myself to take care of my wellbeing. It was difficult. People don’t talk about how hard starting a business can be. Especially when you don’t have the luxury to hire help. Working out my worth, another comfort zone challenge for me. Up until this point nobody had openly talked with me about how to charge for my service. I started by talking to people more experienced in their coaching / public speaking journey. It taught me what was or wasn’t normal to charge. The best bit of advice I received was to charge for your worth. Even if it’s uncomfortable. It’s not just the hour I spend with a client. It’s the preparation beforehand and don’t forget all that training and previous experience. I also learnt, that in a corporate market, if I didn’t charge enough, I wouldn’t be taken seriously and I’d lose the contract. I have to be assertive and clear on my worth. Time and energy are incredibly precious resources. There are only so many hours in a day. I can't be everywhere providing my service for free. I’ve learnt to be a lot more discerning.Q3 WAS THERE A TIME YOU WANTED TO GIVE UP? Yes! Two or three times over the last three years. Giving up, or at least taking a break. Finding a job, having a steady paycheque with training, holiday and sick pay. In reality, I may have had challenging days, but on reflection, it's very clear that I don't want to work in a full-time office environment. In those challenging times, I’ve learnt to ask my network for help. It’s surprised me how generous my community is when I share with vulnerability and openness. So grateful for those in my network. Many have become amazing friends.  I’ve learned to step back, reassess the situation, then make decisions that align with my values. COVID has been challenging for my business sense. Many people said that they wanted my services, but didn't have the budget. During the New Zealand initial lockdown, I gave away my services at reduced rates or for free. Not sustainable from a business perspective. Thankfully the last two months have massive. I'm booked out until January 2021. COVID tested my confidence and commitment. Even though I'm supporting hundreds of people, I still need support as well. Luckily, Wellington is the most incredible community.  Particularly over the last year, I learnt that even though I work within wellbeing, understanding all the resources available, I can still struggle. I’ve doubled down on being more compassionate to myself. Just because I work in wellbeing, doesn’t mean I have to be perfect. Q4 WERE THERE ANY TRAPS THAT YOU FELL INTO? I’ve never shared this before. One trap I’ve learnt to navigate learning to see people’s intentions for meeting with me. Some were professional, others would be asking for my WhatsApp number or to take me out for coffee! Being a young female, using social media to authentically share my journey publicly, I have to be careful who I agree to meet. I’ve unfortunately had a few meetings with potential clients where I ended up with a dating proposition instead. The way I dress or how friendly I appear could potentially send the wrong message. I’m strict about only meeting new people in a public setting. Sadly, this is still a thing. Possibly it's because of my caring nature. Maybe it’s from my counselling training and listening skills. Some people may not have experienced this kind of attention.  Q5 WHAT INSPIRES AND MOTIVATES YOU? This podcast gives a great insight into creating a new venture. It’s not all lollipops and rainbows. Being aware of just how privileged I am. My older brother, Alex, passed away from cancer when I was eight years old. He was my best friend. This keeps me grounded. I often give back to communities that support disable kids or those struggling with cancer. My mum. She’s one of the most resilient people that I know. She’s lost a child and last year she beat cancer. That was really hard to go through as a family.  Past experiences. The ones I would hate others to experience. They inspire me to do my work. Training people to be more resilient and navigate life’s challenges. Q6 CAN YOU DESCRIBE A BREAKTHROUGH THAT YOU'RE PARTICULARLY PROUD OF? Completing my forty days of fear challenge. Working out what I wanted from life and taking a stand for it. During the first year, I treated my work as an experiment. The idea of running a business terrified me. I was only 25! Getting that affirmation that my ‘project’ was working was a huge breakthrough, boosting my confidence. Knowing that one insight I share may not just change someone's mind, but in fact, change their life. One lady came up to me after an event and said, “I’ve been to most of your events over the last year. There was one event I didn’t feel like attending. I was feeling suicidal, but I went. You shared how you’re guided by getting up, dressing up and showing up every single day. No matter what. No matter how small. Even if it's just getting up, having a shower and going for a walk to the letterbox and back. You stopped me from taking my life that day.” Now that was an ‘oh shit’ breakthrough. Realising what I do is way bigger than me just saying some inspirational stuff. When I started being vulnerable about my struggles with mental health, everything shifted. It removed the perception that I was perfect and helped people relate. Q7 WHAT DO YOU SEE AS BEING YOUR BIGGEST LESSON? Discovering my vision and what I wanted to do with life. I would rather spend sixty hours per week building my dream than somebody else’s who’s values done align with mine. During my first career consulting, I was chatting with a senior leader who told me, “Don’t waste your life, figure out what cause and impact that sets your heart a

    37 min
  5. Interview 14: James Bennie

    30/12/2020

    Interview 14: James Bennie

    Find more interviews like this one at the Wellington Hustle Interview Project. Listen to the interview on your favourite podcast app: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher Radio | Spotify | Google Meet James Bennie... CONNECT WITH JAMES If you have enjoyed this article and want to start a conversation with James, you can reach out on: Websites: WellingtonNZFacebook: RAW MentorLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/james-bennie-79850831/Instagram: @raw_mentor Please don’t forget to tell James that I sent you. Interview and photography by Wellington Headshot Photographer, Tim Morrison (all rights reserved)

    31 min
  6. Interview 13: Melissa Gollan

    30/11/2020

    Interview 13: Melissa Gollan

    Find more interviews like this one at the Wellington Hustle Interview Project. Listen to the interview on your favourite podcast app: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher Radio | Spotify | Google Meet Melissa Gollan... Mel is the sole founder of the world disrupting FinTech Startup, RIP Global.  During her past career in sales, Mel learned to loathe expenses. Keeping track, sorting, submitting and looking for missing receipts turned into the pain point that made her think, ‘there must be a better way?’ RIP Global is a contactless payment and expensing system, boasting 100% compliance while enabling customers to never handle receipts again. Mel has successfully raised several rounds of funding from investors in New Zealand and the United States. She has big goals to take RIP Global world wide. Her US venture capital investors are certainly a great indication of RIP Global’s potential and Mel’s largest customer to date just happens to be the New Zealand Government. Q1 WHAT WAS YOUR VISION WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED YOUR VENTURE? My vision was to save people from the boring tasks of processing and tracking receipts. RIP Global is about connecting the payment with the purchase data in a way that has the customer doing absolutely nothing. This is how I want to do it. Every expensing solution in the world has a 50% fail rate. Relying on users to photograph and upload receipts. Nobody wants to do that, so don’t. That’s what we’re saying.   Those who use accounting systems such as Xero, MYOB etc, we can import their different account/expense codes automatically. Some people don't want to code or comment on their expenses, and they don't have to. But we do offer the opportunity to pre-code and justify each of their purchases. A smartphone app is used for a client to log expenses and add instructions or comments about their purchase. Then a dynamically created QR code is displayed and then scanned at the til. It's a little like using a loyalty card. Once scanned and payment has been made the client can just walk away. Their expense report is pre-populated with all the receipt data, the code and the justification.  So we're offering 100% compliance and clients never have to touch a receipt again. It saves phone calls between people and their accounts office. No more missing receipts at the end of the month. This is very useful for those people passing on expenses to their clients or contractors. Disbursement invoices for these expenses can be created and sent automatically. This can save a lot of time. Plus, with 100% transparency, this makes their clients feel good. I’ve been working on RIP Global for nine years now. From the idea phase, being up to my eyebrows in receipts, developing the process, protecting our intellectual property. We’re committed to building a massive financial technology company out of New Zealand. Patents and IP are critical to us. We have a great relationship with Jameson Wells, a boutique intellectual property law firm. They are especially good at protecting property. You can’t get software patents. But the process behind the software can be patented. The process behind RIP Global has been patented in the US. This has been critical for raising capital. In the beginning, I had a Sales and Marketing consultancy while developing RIP Global. With that and some contracting work for Plunket,  I didn't draw a salary from the business for the first five years. Then, after moving to Wellington, I started to pay myself enough of a salary to support myself and my two young boys.  Q2 HOW DID YOU DEAL WITH EARLY SETBACKS? When you do anything new, you're going to get setbacks. So don't sweat it, there's always a workaround.  In the beginning, I was a little naive. I took what I thought was obviously a banking tool to a couple of the banks and got the runaround. I’m still waiting for a Head of Innovation from one bank to call me back from four and a half years ago. Banks have long deal cycles. When you're a startup, you have limited time, money and resources. You can't be flying around to have 50,000 coffee meetings. You need results and signed commitments.  We were supposed to pilot our technology with a bank. But, the deal ended up being blocked. This had me wonder how I going to continue without a big client. I knew that we were building something huge. I just had to carry on, one step at a time. Ultimately your customers are who matter. If you built a great product, present it well, you’ll get the customers. All those other people become irrelevant.  We are building a globally scalable technology company and we want big customers. The reality is that New Zealand is a tiny little country. We have small businesses compared to the US, UK or Asian markets. The New Zealand government, as a business, would be our biggest, most internationally respected and the best local customer for RIP Global. An obvious choice that would see us scale fast globally. Everybody told me I was crazy. So I ran a second sales strategy, targeting Small Medium Enterprises also. We've built the best product in the world. Nothing beats us in terms of efficiency and fraud elimination. As passionate New Zealander, I want our government to be using the best tools.  Our development team is based in New Zealand. All of our profits benefit New Zealand. We do have a couple of global shareholders, but we are a 75% Māori owned business.  What we're doing is groundbreaking. The broader benefits to New Zealand long-term are going to be enormous. The government has a responsibility to be considering us during their procurement activities.  The complexity of exports from New Zealand is on par with third world countries. We've really got to pull our finger out on that. Technology is complex and high value. It has high-value employees paying tax and spending in our community. It's time for the rubber to hit the road.  Raising money as a New Zealand based technology company is hard work. The best place to start is with the people that love you. Friends, family, those who understand the problem being solved. As we've got traction and grown, we've been able to approach bigger investors. Recently we just received a follow on investment. We raised $5 million ($3 million pre-revenue), out of the United States.  That's really important for us. With the level of support we receive from Callaghan Innovation and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise our American investors are seeing that our government and agencies are right behind us. It shows that New Zealand is a good place to invest. We build technology at a third of the cost compared to the US. so not only are we doing something in terms of yet, we're building great tech that we're going to export, but we're also facilitating and bringing the attention of American investment into, and to New Zealand technology. The New Zealand tech scene, we're very kiwish, apologetic when talking about money and don't want to overvalue something. But the reality is you want to raise your money to the highest valuation you can. You do have to justify it to retain equity in the business as a founder. But if you don’t put a global valuation on it, you won't be taken seriously. There's a lot of misinformation guiding young New Zealand tech startups suggesting to value yourself at $1 or $2 million. Why should you? If your addressable market is massive and your product is globally scalable, then raise money at valuations similar to the United States. Do your homework, own it and have the confidence to demand that valuation level. There's a science and art to figuring out your valuation level.  We have an expensing app, so we looked at all of the other expensing apps around the world. How much did they raise? What’re their valuations? What's their market share? Then you take stock of your intellectual property. This increases the value of your company. How much market do you think you’ll capture? What’s your revenue projections and then do a multiple of that. Then there's finding the right investors. The ones who believe in and will back you.   I'm the sole founder. 72% of female founders globally get venture capitalists investment. They oftentimes return a 75% better result than the boys. My goal is to inspire other women founders to be aggressive, go out there and really own this space. Q3 WAS THERE A TIME YOU WANTED TO GIVE UP? Honestly, I’ve never wanted to give up. One of my advisors once shared, the thing keeping him awake night was worrying about having to get ‘a real job’. As a founder, you don’t always sleep very well. You do every job and you’re responsible for all the people working for you. There’s a huge amount of pressure. But I can’t imagine doing anything else. I’m purpose-built for this business. Q4 WERE THERE ANY TRAPS THAT YOU FELL INTO? No, I’m old, so that helps. But I would say there's a lot of traps.  Taking advice. Everyone has an opinion. But, nobody knows your business better than you. Don't forget that. Do what you think is right and back yourself to avoid traps such as under evaluations or people looking to take advantage for themselves. Q5 WHAT INSPIRES AND MOTIVATES YOU? This product, RIP Global, and not wanting to touch another receipt again. I’m super passionate about growing New Zealand’s technology space, role modelling for young women and encouraging Māori engagement in technology as a career choice.  I won the MWDI Māori Business Woman Award for Innovation in 2019. I'm really proud that I'm of Māori descent. I come from a family where my mother left school at 13. She didn't own her first pair of shoes until she was 10. I have a framed photo of five generations of women from my family. All these women have working hands. I’m the first generation of women who doesn’t. That’s super motivating. I'm here to shift the needle. I’m particularly interested in young women in technology. When I looked to hire my developers, I found

    27 min
  7. Interview 12: Lotty Roberts

    31/10/2020

    Interview 12: Lotty Roberts

    Find more interviews like this one at the Wellington Hustle Interview Project. Listen to the interview on your favourite podcast app: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher Radio | Spotify | Google Meet Lotty Roberts... Through her business, ‘Mind U’, Lotty helps both companies and individuals use mindfulness to navigate change. She also hosts The Vulnerability Effect podcast. Interviewing people, sharing their stories of vulnerability with the purpose of showing how vulnerability can be a point of strength and connection. Lotty is originally from Suffolk in the UK, but after 16 years, now calls Wellington home. Her past career focused on implementing transformation and leadership in the corporate world. In 2018 Lotty endured a spell of burn out, took some time off to think and ‘Mind U’ was created. Oh, yes, Lotty has also worked her way through the challenge of recovering from a double hip replacement. Q1 WHAT WAS YOUR VISION WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED YOUR VENTURE? My business is called MiND U. I left my previous job, taking time to think about what I wanted to do next. I knew it would be connected to mindfulness as I was training as a mindfulness-based stress reduction teacher. In my past career I was really passionate about change and facilitation. I loved being a catalyst for positive change and transformation in others. But I didn't know what that would look like. I certainly hadn't thought I would start my own business. I did what was very unusual for Lotty. I just slowed down and did nothing to see what would pop up. I was in Bali at the time, and decided to start my own company. I updated my LinkedIn profile and straight away somebody approached me to talk at an event with their senior leaders. I agreed and they said, “it's in nine days time”. That’s how I started. I’ve learnt a lot about leadership and change. I have also made a lot of mistakes. This has shown me how I can be of service to people independently, rather than working as part of an organisation. Normally I'm a real planner. A lot of my career was focused on vision, being intentional and putting it into words and goals. Instead, I did something that was quite counterintuitive. I decided to just dabble for a while. I was fortunate enough that we could survive on my husband's salary. So, I had the freedom to discover what I wanted to do with my business. I knew I wanted to help people navigate change. What evolved is how I help people with their self-reflection and mindfulness. Guiding them to be more present in their life. I like to say, “Mindfulness and change go together like cheese and crackers”. Change done well is Mindfulness in action. This stood out to me as being a little different, but really useful to help people and organisations land change better. Everything I do has different aspects. I do a lot of work around emotional culture, independent mindfulness work, coaching, change and mindful leadership courses. Although these seem quite different, they all achieve the same thing. To help people navigate change. Change is the one thing you can't stop, it happens all the time. A beautiful quote I love by Jon Kabat-Zinn, “You can't stop the waves, but you can learn how to surf”. I like to think that I'm helping others learn to surf those waves of change. Sometimes they might be doing crazy, awesome flips. Sometimes surfing those waves of change is just literally clinging to the board. It's not about everything being fluffy. How can you stay on the board through the bad? It doesn't need to be pretty. It's just about survival. So, whether it’s helping people to perform their best or navigating adversity, that's my purpose and how I’m of service. Q2 HOW DID YOU DEAL WITH EARLY SETBACKS? I've been really, really fortunate, I don't think I've had any major setbacks, but perhaps it’s a matter of perception. Starting your own business is a journey of discovery. What I've learned is it’s normal to feel a bit bipolar. Some days are awesome; clients book in, you meet some amazing, inspiring people or you create something from scratch and feel so proud. There's nothing like those days, they are amazing. And then you have days where you feel like no-one is interested, you feel a sense of lack, feeling not feeling good enough (that old Chestnut!) and that it is all so tiring. All you see is other people doing really well and you don’t feel you are doing as well as them. What has been really useful for me is being really aware of what’s going on as it arises. I notice, “There’s that self doubt again” or “Oh, there's that judgment”. Whether it be judgment of myself or judgment of other people. I've learned I'm somebody who's always had quite high expectations for myself and others and expectations are disappointments waiting to happen. So when I really started to become aware that when there are setbacks, it's not going to last. I notice the thoughts are coming up from that setback. I try to be with them and ride it out. I’ve done a lot of work on myself to not beat myself up. I got to a point where I was burned out in my career because I was too much of a try-hard, always trying to be perfect, driven by the ego. That was when I started my business. I have had setbacks like a double hip replacement and divorces but they all ended up being points of growth for me. This is why I'm really passionate about the subject of vulnerability, being with the emotions and thoughts and seeing what you can learn. So the other thing that I do on the side (I’ve got lots of side hustles for the Wellington hustlers!), is run a little podcast called the Vulnerability Effect. It has been running for about 18 months now. I interview people around their stories of vulnerability and what they think about it, with the purpose of seeing vulnerability as a point of strength and connection. When we don't face our vulnerability, it can really compromise our mental health. A few years ago I would have in no way liked to be seen as vulnerable. I was asked to speak at a mindful leaders conference and to share my story. I realised I can't stand up on that stage and talk about my journey without sharing the mistakes I've made. Until then I'd always wanted to show up as shiny and awesome. I knew I had to be real, honest and true to myself. I had been in leadership a long time, but I don't think I was always a great leader. I pushed other people as hard as I pushed myself and I broke, so I could've have nearly broken them. I possibly wasn't the best listener. I wasn't sometimes the most present. I shared all these things on that stage. I felt physically sick when I walked off. I thought people were going to think I'm so naff now, but the opposite happened. People thanked me for my authenticity… “Thank you for being honest, because what you were saying is what we feel inside, but we're too scared to say”. That experience and Brené Brown work inspired me to do a little event, which was called the “Vulnerability Project”. We got some people to share their stories of vulnerably. It was a sellout, people loved it and they wanted more, which is why I ended up doing the podcast. Q3 WAS THERE A TIME YOU WANTED TO GIVE UP? I've had some real low points. Nine and a half years ago I had chronic pain from an autoimmune condition, psoriatic arthritis. I was injured, my pelvis was inflamed and arthritic, it felt at time like my body was rotting. I was told I wouldn't be able to run and they had no idea how long for. I had two children and my second child was only five months old. I was completely burned out and I started suffering from postnatal anxiety and depression. Until then what had served me up to then was always being busy, I could never sit still. I saw a counsellor who asked me to consider mindfulness. I asked, “what's that?”. She described it to me but I didn’t get it. I went home and researched the word mindfulness. I thought it was really weird. I'm still wasn’t getting what this mindfulness thing was, being present, accepting what is without judgment and all that. I happened to be sitting in a waiting room for an appointment and saw a flyer on a wall advertising an eight-week mindfulness course. I signed up immediately, being a good student as I am. What really got me to that point was, I was driving in the car, feeling totally burned out, physically exhausted, in pain - such mental anguish. I had always seen myself as a very resilient, strong person, but all of my go-to’s weren’t working. I was searching for something that would make me feel better. I didn't want to take antidepressants. I've got nothing against them, but I just didn't want to do that. I had to stop the car in a lay-by and I cried. I had two children in the back. My three year old was asking me what was wrong. I didn’t know what to do. I felt like I'd been sucker-punched with a bowling ball in my stomach. I knew the way I was living and my life wasn’t working. I needed to do something different. That would have been my lowest point. Not my double hip replacement because of the mindfulness practice which has helped me. Through mindfulness and a lot of work on my general health, I’m in a good space now. I've had little wobbles in my career where I wonder if I’m doing the right thing, when it seems like so much effort. What I've realised, it's just your mind, your thoughts and your feelings. Sometimes you're going to have funky days and they pass because. Nothing ever feels as low as it probably would have done in the past with mindfulness. Q4 WERE THERE ANY TRAPS THAT YOU FELL INTO? The trap I have to be really aware of is comparison. I have a saying, “Comparisons is the thief of joy”. It's not my saying I stole it from someone else. Every time you compare yourself to other people and what they're doing, you’re not really celebrating what you have to offer and it's not helpful. I’m really aware of that comparison habit now and dampening d

    38 min
  8. Interview 11: Joel Bouzaid

    26/09/2020

    Interview 11: Joel Bouzaid

    Find more interviews like this one at the Wellington Hustle Interview Project. Listen to the interview on your favourite podcast app: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher Radio | Spotify | Google Meet Joel Bouzaid... Joel is a facilitator of growth and student of hard conversations. He helps people see their possibility, remove their limiting beliefs and guides them to become empowered, confident leaders. Joel started his career as an International Operations Manager for Full On in Italy. Next, he Co-Founded a Health Facility with his brother. Now Joel is a keynote speaker and coaches culture development and leadership for large organisations across New Zealand. Q1 WHAT WAS YOUR VISION WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED YOUR VENTURE? My vision has always been clear. Whatever mode I'm in, leading a class, keynote speaking or one-on-one coaching, I’m there to create a sense of possibility and a guide to remove limiting beliefs. That's always been the vision. It's vague, but that’s okay, as long as it's exciting. I teach leadership. Over time, I’ve found that the most important work for leaders, before they start leading others, is to learn to lead themselves. Some people are into that. Others want to jump straight to building trust and performance in their teams. What’s become particularly evident when dealing with a mix of leadership perspectives, is understanding the environment. So when I go into a business, I’ll help a small team distil their culture. Clarifying how their business chooses to execute and perform at its best. Once team members are crystal clear with a sense of identity, they then have an actual shot of fully expressing their leadership. But until then, people operate by walking on eggshells, trying to lead, but not trusting colleagues to have their backs. They’ll always be holding back. To create possibility, I really want people to show up and give it their everything. Then they're actually associate being at work with a sense of positivity. They know work is psychologically safe, they're accepted and included, and it’s encouraged for them to lead fully. The main leadership issue is uncovering what prevents a person from being able to fully express themselves. Often people are stopped by difficult conversations. My aim is to create ways to approach those difficulties. Ultimately gaining clarity and possibility for those conversations to happen. Establishing what can we achieve together. Working together to figure out the next few steps, so you can achieve your goals. This is an engaging, vulnerable, open, honest and candid conversation. Mostly I train small teams, but I also love jumping on stage to work with hundreds of people. Coaching one-on-one is limited in terms of my impact in the world. Although, it is effective at testing ideas, asking questions and quickly receiving feedback. It helps me gain an intimate understanding of what drives ambitious team leaders. Q2 HOW DID YOU DEAL WITH EARLY SETBACKS? I worked with my brother, which was immensely rewarding. But switching back and forth between family and professional relationships was challenging. It wasn't a setback. It was a growth opportunity for me. At times, it felt like we weren’t moving as fast as we could. Dealing with this was ongoing with difficult conversations and consistent communications. Looking back, I now feel more experienced to have those harder conversations with anyone. But at the time, they were certainly challenging for both of us. My brother and I have a deep respect for each other. We were never going to let anything professional get in the way, but that takes a lot of energy. Time and energy are two of the greatest resources in life. Everybody has their own version of, “I don't have enough time.” When energy runs low, it makes for a challenging lifestyle, sense of fulfilment and purpose. You have to protect them well. I believe it's been good for my brother and me, now that I’ve fully committed to teaching leadership outside of health and fitness. Feedback tells me that I have good energy. But when life decelerates or isn’t what I expect, it gets me down. So, I have a few daily rituals that help maintain a high level of energy. My aim is to have a similar, if not greater amount of energy for my kids at the end of the day, as I had for the workshop that morning. It’s only fair. I believe that the measure of a great father, like a great leader, is that we can give our energy to the people that need it. “I’m tired,” that's the discussion around energy. The most commonly used phrase. I would love to have people thinking about how to add more energy into their life. So when they are getting tired, it’s 8 pm as opposed to 3 pm and they don’t fall apart for the evening shift. Earlier in my career as an Operations Manager, I really rated myself in terms of delivering great service for the client. I believed it was a reflection of my leadership. I poured all my eggs into this basket. In 2010, my boss observed me for the day and provided feedback. I was expecting him to say, “Joel, top job!”. But he blew me up. It really shocked me. I actually felt like throwing in the towel. I thought I was doing a really great job. He then demonstrated that I wasn’t only doing a poor job, I was also falling down in other areas and it just wasn’t good enough. Many of those difficult conversations ended up serving me well for the future. Not to press harder necessarily, but to ask good questions about how I’m doing and how I can do better. That hard moment 10 years ago was instrumental as a setback. Q3 WAS THERE A TIME YOU WANTED TO GIVE UP? Thinking about giving up reminds me of how resilient humans can be. I have a deep belief that no matter how hard it gets, human beings have an amazing capacity to deal with deep adversity. We’re experiencing that now, halfway through a pandemic. One time in Italy, I was setting up our abseil site. I forgot my safety line and leaned out over the 35-meter drop. Afterwards, when I realised my mistake, it really hit me how close I could have been to my end. As the operations manager on that site, I shouldn't have been setting up in the first place. I was trying to do everything. Often this is what operations managers have to do. It made me realise the importance of having the right people around me. Trusting in them to do their piece, allowing me to contribute to the bigger picture. Q4 WERE THERE ANY TRAPS THAT YOU FELL INTO? As human beings, we’re consistently worried about being good enough and accepted by others. It’s very natural. My common traps are trying to please and being likeable. Especially as a leader. I want to do a good job and part of that is about getting on with people and building trust. But in reality, I can't be everything to everybody. And at some point, it just ends in frustration for them. If you want to grow and develop as a leader, you must first develop principles that serve you really well in different situations. When I first started in Italy, I wanted to be the popular operations manager. Everybody should want to come to my site. They’d be inspired by my ability to communicate. I wanted our sales to be the best ever. So, I’d do whatever it takes to achieve those targets. This impacted my energy, wellbeing and family started to suffer. It wasn’t sustainable longterm. Then after 10 years of travel between New Zealand and Italy, I began to wonder who I was as a leader. What’s my leadership philosophy? Is it built around pleasing people? Meeting targets? Do I have a deep sense of way strengths and what works for me? That experience taught me to put myself first. All those times flying to Italy, I never watched more than one movie per flight. Instead, I would spend time getting clear on my vision. I would write out how I wanted every aspect of the trip to unfold. So, when I’m asked a question about the operation, I can clearly communicate my vision with deep conviction. So often in leadership, we don’t know what we want. The same applies to our individual lives also. This applies to me too. A big part of my personal development is getting clear on how I can serve others and best live my life. Q5 WHAT INSPIRES AND MOTIVATES YOU? Helping people unlock their personal insights. That moment when someone says “hang on”, and there’s a sudden shift in their thinking and language. Being part of that process and creating a space where these shifts happen is just huge for me. It's a beautiful thing when you can bring insight into the conversation. This is why I’ll spend hours perfecting my craft. I want to create that moment for people. When they grow, they engage. Engagement is one of the worlds biggest challenges right now. Not just in the workplace, but at home. Just think, how hard is it to engage with your family and friends? People have their cell phones everywhere. So we're fighting engagement. Q6 CAN YOU DESCRIBE A BREAKTHROUGH THAT YOU'RE PARTICULARLY PROUD OF? Four years ago I ran a pilot program for a large organisation in New Zealand. I presented to 12 people. They were tasked with deciding whether to make me part of their national training. I thought the workshop went great. But, at the end of the day, they couldn't see any value. It was super awkward and I took a few days to reflect. As it happened they did provide me with feedback. I adjusted the program and they accepted me into their national training. My program ended up with the highest feedback rating ever received for an external trainer. This experience reinforced to me that we don't always see things ‘as they are’. Remember, we’re looking through the filter of ‘as we are’. It’s important to keep this in mind when working with others. I now believe that positively reinterpreting that experience has taught me that I’m able to shift my perspective on almost any situation. Given the opportunity, I can do some amazing work. I must continue to believe and

    39 min
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Wellington entrepreneurs sharing their insights to help and inspire you. Hear their struggles and mistakes. See what fulfils and makes them proud. Learn how their visions have changed.

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