Notes From The Executive

Ashish Saxena is a former executive at Lucent-Alcatel, Nokia and General Electric, an investor, mentors business owners across multiple markets. This is his second appearance on Notes From The Executive.

What I Asked Ashish
Why is a $13M business with a 2% margin more dangerous than a $1M business at 25%

Why is revenue the metric quietly killing most NZ businesses

How do I sell something before I have even built it

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Follow Ashish
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashishrameshsaxena/

Watch on YouTube
https://youtu.be/txiSrqSo7o8

Time Stamps
0:00 – Intro
4:13 – Revenue vs Margin: The #1 Mistake Business Owners Make  
6:40 – Why Net Profit Margin Matters More Than Hitting $1M–$10M Revenue  
8:01 – Stalled Growth? Start by Rethinking the REAL Problem  
9:47 – Marketing & Branding vs Just Having a “Great Product”  
10:20 – Business Goals: Profit, Margin, and Building a Real Asset  
12:28 – Premium Customers, Luxury Brands & the 80/20 Rule Explained  
13:24 – What a Business Really Is: Daily Transactions, Not Busyness  
15:25 – If You Had No Transactions Today, You Didn’t Do Business  
16:22 – Two Core Questions: How to Increase Transactions and Margin per Sale  
17:09 – Example: Media & Airline Businesses, Oil Prices, and Squeezed Margins  
20:17 – Risk vs Uncertainty: What Smart Business Owners Actually Manage  
21:56 – Why Ashish Starts With the Market, Not the Business  
23:29 – Are You in a Growing Trend? How to Read Market Signals  
25:35 – The “Sell Before You Build” Strategy: Validating Offers Upfront  
27:29 – 3 Pillars: Trend, Money in the Trend, and Your Experience  
29:48 – Ad Break
30:16 – Case Study: Selling an Online Course Before Creating It  
31:44 – Pricing Strategy: Why You Should Price High, Then Discount  
33:14 – Established Businesses: Innovating Offers When Margins Stall  
34:17 – Clarifying the Pre-Sale Strategy: Content, Trust, and Timing  
35:11 – Attention vs Credibility: From Attention Economy to Trust Economy  
36:50 – How Much Content Someone Should Consume Before Buying ($1k Offer Rule)  
37:59 – Applying 80/20 to Content: Who Actually Becomes a Buyer?  
39:50 – From One-Off Transactions to Long-Term Customer Relationships  
40:07 – How Long-Term Clients Increase Your Profit Margins  
41:44 – Apple’s Ecosystem: iPhone, iCloud, AirPods & Recurring Revenue  
42:47 – Why Some Clients Leave Programs—and What That Reveals About ROI  
44:19 – Are You in a Collaborative Business Model or a One-Sided One?  
45:42 – Summary: Why You’re Stalled While 38% of Businesses Still Grow  
47:55 – Think Market First: Is the Market Growing While You’re Not?  
51:22 – Shiny Object Syndrome: Chasing AI and New Trends vs Staying the Course  
52:10 – Long-Term vs Short-Term Trends: What Coca-Cola and Toyota Teach Us  
54:23 – Business Models with Built-In Repeat Demand: Supermarkets, Cybersecurity  
55:16 – “I Want to Be in Demand” vs “What Is in Demand?” – A Critical Mindset Shift  
57:15 – If Your Market Isn’t Hot Anymore—Do You Leave or Adapt?  
58:34 – Same Product, New Markets: How Apple Expanded into GPS and Torch  
1:00:05 – Why Apple Launched the Watch & AirPods: Following the Trend + Revenue  
1:01:48 – How Apple Uses Acquisitions (Beats) to Shortcut Experience  
1:03:01 – Final 3 Takeaways: Thinking, Transactions, and Trend–Revenue–Experience  
1:04:26 – How to Connect with Ashish Saxena (LinkedIn)  
1:04:48 – Closing: Applying These Ideas to Your Own Business Growth

Tim Warren is the Co-Founder of Ambit, a New Zealand AI software company serving Financial Services, eCommerce, Retail, Telco and Utilities. Before Ambit, Tim was a COO at JBWere and an executive at Goldman Sachs. He is an angel investor with more than 15 investments and was previously on the board of Flying Kiwi Angels.In this conversation he tears apart New Zealand's government AI strategy, questions the $76 billion Microsoft and Accenture forecast, and tells NZ business owners why most AI consultants are wasting their money.What I Asked TimWhat is actually wrong with New Zealand's government AI strategy?Is the $76 billion AI forecast a real number or marketing copy?How do I know if my AI spend is strategic or just expensive noise?What is the worst AI mistake NZ business owners are making in 2026?What should I ignore that every AI guru on LinkedIn is telling me to do?Episode SponsorsAcademyExGet ahead with AIhttps://discover.academyex.com/minaPwrfullyGet Your Free Podcast Listhttps://www.pwrfully.comFollow MeMina on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@NotesFromTheExecutivePodcastMina on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/4QgZGJdrnfjZ1sEm6MeGcp?si=c12e08e33f604916Mina on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/notes-from-the-executive-podcast/id1586953812Mina on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/minaamso/Mina on LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/minaamsoFollow TimTim on LinkedIn https://nz.linkedin.com/in/tswarrenTIME STAMPS00:00 INTRO01:02 why does NZ's AI strategy feel weak to business owners03:08 how do I tell if the $76 billion AI forecast is realistic06:30 why is AI making bad work worse instead of better08:20 how do I avoid AI generated misinformation in my industry14:30 why do I feel behind every other business owner on AI16:07 how do I actually define a strategy for my NZ business25:30 how do I know if my AI investment is strategic or tactical34:30 how should a small NZ business approach AI without wasting cash44:30 how do I tell a good AI consultant from a bad one52:00 is hiring an in-house AI lead worth it for my business55:00 what are the worst decisions NZ business owners are making right now58:00 what should I be doing today that pays off in five years1:02:00 how do I grow without chasing every shiny new tool1:09:00 what should I ignore that everyone tells me to do with AI1:11:00 how do I reach Tim Warren on LinkedIn

Nicki Osbaldiston is a NZ marketing strategist and founder of Client Focused Approach. She has spent years repositioning founders whose marketing was never the real problem and built a framework experienced operators use to win back premium clients without producing more content.

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Follow Nicki Osbaldiston
Website: https://www.clientfocusedapproach.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicki-osbaldiston

What I Asked Nicki
Why are experienced NZ founders getting underbid every week despite being active online?
What is the framework you walk founders through to fix this?
How do I stop competing on price and start being chosen?
What do my best clients actually want to hear that I am not saying?
How do I get found without producing more content?

Timestamps
(rebuild after final edited runtime — placeholders from current cut below)
36:55 — How does networking actually grow a service business?
38:24 — How do strategic partnerships work in practice?
41:21 — Why should I celebrate what is already working?
44:13 — Who is in my network that I am not talking to?
49:29 — How do I find my ideal client through second-degree connections?
54:47 — How do I track relationships when I am too small for a CRM?
56:27 — How do I build a positioning framework from scratch?
1:00:06 — Why does Nicki want NZ businesses to win?
1:00:30 — Where can people find Nicki Osbaldiston?

Brent Coleman is a New Zealand personal finance YouTuber who built a channel generating the NZ median income while working full-time. He has a finance degree, lived and worked in Singapore for six years, and brings a numbers-first, no-fluff approach to topics most Kiwis avoid talking about publicly.

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Asked Brent Coleman
Should NZ business owners actually move to Australia, and what does the tax math really look like at different income levels?
Why are nearly 1.4 million KiwiSaver members registered but not contributing, and what does that tell us about the scheme?
What does the Australian superannuation system do that KiwiSaver does not, and why does the gap matter?
What should NZ business owners be doing differently right now to grow profit in a constrained economy?

Follow Me
Mina on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@NotesFromTheExecutivePodcastMina on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/4QgZGJdrnfjZ1sEm6MeGcp?si=c12e08e33f604916
Mina on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/notes-from-the-executive-podcast/id1586953812Mina on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/minaamso/
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Follow Brent Coleman
YouTube: Search "Brent Coleman" on YouTube
Instagram: @brentcolemaninvesting

0:00 – Why KiwiSaver Is “Broken” for Everyday New Zealanders  
0:56 – What NZ Viewers Will Learn: Stay or Leave New Zealand?  
1:45 – Message to New Zealand Business Owners Making $1M+ Revenue  
2:25 – On $80k in NZ: Should Business Owners Move to Australia?  
3:10 – New Zealand Cost of Living Crisis, Fuel Costs & Small Business Pressure  
5:00 – Best Business Ideas to Start in New Zealand Right Now  
6:26 – Building a Personal Brand as a NZ Business Owner  
7:28 – Earning $250k in New Zealand vs Australia: Tax & Take‑Home Pay  
8:53 – Making $500k+ in New Zealand: Is Moving Your Business to Australia Worth It?  
10:00 – The Truth About Moving From New Zealand to Australia for Money  
12:22 – Is New Zealand Now Cheaper Than Australia? Cost of Living Comparison  
13:20 – What’s Really Going On With the New Zealand Economy?  
14:33 – Rising Interest Rates, Inflation and Impact on NZ Businesses  
15:45 – Is Immigration Good or Bad for New Zealand’s Economy?  
20:00 – How Can We Build a Stronger New Zealand Economy?  
21:11 – “New Zealand Feels Like a Penal Colony”: Real NZ Homeowner Struggles  
22:29 – Practical Ways Kiwis Can Earn More and Save More Right Now  
24:20 – Why KiwiSaver Is a Hot Topic for New Zealanders in 2026  
25:00 – Five Key Problems With KiwiSaver for Kiwis  
27:01 – How KiwiSaver Works Now: Contributions, Employer Match & NZ Government Top‑Up  
28:46 – “Total Remuneration” in NZ: How Employers Package KiwiSaver  
29:56 – Why 1.3 Million New Zealanders Aren’t Contributing to KiwiSaver  
32:29 – Has KiwiSaver Helped NZ? $145B Saved and First‑Home Buyers  
33:15 – Why KiwiSaver Feels Over‑Complicated for Most Kiwis  
34:51 – Australia’s Super vs KiwiSaver: What NZ Business Owners Must Know  
37:00 – Tax Advantages of Australian Super Compared to KiwiSaver  
37:51 – Compulsory Super in Australia vs Optional KiwiSaver in New Zealand  
40:00 – Why Brent Coleman Doesn’t Use KiwiSaver (NZ Investor Perspective)  
42:16 – Finding Unique Opportunities in the New Zealand Market  
45:08 – Using LinkedIn, YouTube & TikTok to Grow a New Zealand Business  
46:48 – First Steps for Kiwis With No Personal Brand Yet  
48:35 – Brent’s Journey: From Overseas Finance to NZ Money YouTuber  
51:30 – What 7% Interest Rates Mean for NZ Landlords and Investors  
52:20 – Losing $10k on a Rental: Real Numbers From a Kiwi Landlord  
53:44 – Not All NZ Landlords Are “Greedy”: The Accidental Landlord Story  
54:32 – Wrap‑Up: Where NZ Business Owners Can Follow Brent (YouTube & Instagram)

ASB's Chief Economist Nick Tuffley delivers the warning most NZ business owners do not want to hear: rate cuts are over and the Reserve Bank is likely to raise rates as soon as September. He calls this a 9 out of 10 shock, worse than the GFC. If your mortgage is coming up for refix, this is the episode you need before you sign anything.

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ASB Economic Research 
https://www.asb.co.nz/documents/economic-research.html

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0:00 – How big is this shock? Comparing crises (Asian crisis, GFC, Covid, war)0:45 – Who is Nick Tuffley? Chief economist introduction1:17 – Why watch this episode? What you’ll learn2:01 – The listener in mind: stressed NZ business owner with a mortgage2:40 – “Less optimistic”: how the 2026 outlook has changed3:25 – What is the current global energy shock?4:38 – Rating past shocks vs this one: why this is a “9 out of 10”6:09 – 20% of global oil and gas offline: what that means in practice8:38 – How NZ households and businesses are already feeling it10:00 – Fuel costs, freight, shipping and export disruption11:14 – Covid vs this crisis: why this time is harder to fix with policy14:20 – Inflation risk and memories of 2022–2415:34 – If the war ended today: how long until fuel prices ease?17:18 – $3.50+ for petrol, $3.90+ for diesel: price impacts explained18:02 – Our deep dependence on oil and why it’s so hard to replace19:10 – Ad break: disruptive technologies, AI, Sora and blockchain21:45 – “We’re fragile”: NZ’s starting point and why RBNZ may hike22:32 – Why raise interest rates? Plain‑English explanation24:23 – Fuel vs interest rates: what’s really driving prices up?25:42 – CPI basket explained: how inflation is actually measured26:50 – Wage–price spiral: why the Reserve Bank is worried29:09 – Forecasting interest rates: why nobody really knows30:00 – Scenario planning for businesses, not date‑picking30:29 – Which sectors are hit hardest: transport, logistics, agri, manufacturing32:40 – Mortgages in uncertain times: generic guidance and trade‑offs36:08 – Fixing vs floating: risk tolerance and peace of mind38:38 – “Feels like a lottery”: framing mortgage decisions as risk management39:54 – Matching loan terms to life plans and rental leases40:52 – How banks test your servicing at higher “stress” rates43:18 – Nick’s forecasting track record and awards45:24 – Growth forecasts: from 2.5–3% down to ~1–1.5%47:29 – Quarterly outlook for 2026 and why data lags so much49:47 – Two scenarios: war improves vs gets worse50:00 – If the shock drags on: oil, gas, fertilizer and farming impacts51:49 – Who goes without? Developing world, Asia and energy scarcity55:00 – Can other countries replace Middle Eastern oil? Limits and lags56:27 – Risks of social unrest and priority fuel use57:59 – How fragile the world feels: a few governments, global consequences59:25 – From post‑WWII stability to geopolitical instability1:00:00 – Political shocks vs economic/health shocks: a new risk era1:01:08 – Globalization, free trade and why NZ can’t easily “go it alone”1:02:36 – Final thoughts: scenario planning and focusing on what you can control1:04:24 – Don’t get lost in the headlines: understand your real business risks1:05:10 – Where to find Nick’s work and closing thanks