Notes From The Executive

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<p>Stanley Henry is the founder and managing director of The Attention Seeker, an Auckland-born organic social agency that works with 200+ brands across New Zealand, Australia, the US, the UK and the UAE with a zero-ad-spend model. He spent about 12 years in hospitality around the world before returning to New Zealand in late 2019 to build the agency, and also founded The Nesian Network for Māori and Pasifika business owners.</p>

<p>In this episode he breaks down how he used Claude Code to build a "context brain" of his whole business and turn it into ten digital products, including a $150 workshop he says brought in $95,000 and, by his account, around half a million dollars in 11 weeks.</p>

<p><strong>What I Asked Stanley</strong><br>How do I actually make money with AI instead of just chatting to it?<br>Do I need to be technical to set up an AI system for my business?<br>Why do most New Zealand business owners waste their ad budget?<br>How do I sell a low-ticket product without talking to every customer?<br>Why does trying to be "the best" actually stop you growing?</p>

<p><strong>Follow Stanley</strong><br><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/stanleychenry">LinkedIn</a><br><a href="https://www.instagram.com/stanleychenry">Instagram</a></p>

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<p><strong>Time Stamps</strong><br>0:00 - Intro<br>1:26 - Sponsor: AcademyEx intro for NZ business owners<br>2:14 - How most people use AI vs. how Stanley uses Claude Code<br>2:56 - Building a "business brain" folder that ingests all company context<br>3:53 - Packaging agency expertise into digital products for small businesses<br>7:05 - Using Claude to design workshops and validate offers with Reddit & social data<br>9:53 - Auto-updating AI brain from emails, chats, and meeting transcripts<br>11:24 - Why webinars over courses & the product ladder strategy<br>15:06 - Social "TV show" content series & $20k vs $900 offer for small businesses<br>17:37 - What makes a great workshop: transforming thinking, not teaching tactics<br>20:00 - Sponsor: AcademyEx 12-week hands-on AI software program<br>21:00 - Why one repeatable content idea beats constant new ideas (Friends analogy)<br>24:29 - Workshop structure based on debunking misconceptions (Veritasium method)<br>28:30 - Claude builds the sales stack: Stripe, Klaviyo, Meta ads & ad scripts<br>31:12 - Pricing the webinar at $150 and doing $75k in 2 hours<br>33:39 - Low, mid, and high-ticket offers (Apple, retainers, and volume)<br>35:17 - Why they only run Meta (FB/IG) ads and how much they spend<br>39:12 - 3:1 return on ad spend, scaling ad budget, and advice for business owners</p>

<p>Is New Zealand quietly getting poorer while we tell ourselves we punch above our weight?</p>
<p><strong>AcademyEx</strong><br>Build Business Software Using AI Tools (without becoming a professional developer). With AcademyEx Program. Sign up 👉 <a href="https://academyex.com/courses/micro-credential/understanding-software-development-processes-and-tools-micro-credential/">https://academyex.com/courses/micro-credential/understanding-software-development-processes-and-tools-micro-credential/</a><br>Course Starts 17 September (Applications Close 10 September)</p>
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<p>Phil O'Reilly is one of the most connected business figures New Zealand has. He is the former chief executive of BusinessNZ and has chaired Business at the OECD, the OECD's official business advisory body.</p>
<p>He has sat on the governing body of the International Labour Organisation in Geneva, worked through the B20 and G20 process, and served on New Zealand government review groups including welfare and child poverty. He now runs his own advisory firm.</p>
<p>His sharpest argument in this episode: the "we punch above our weight" story is a comfortable lie that gives New Zealand an excuse not to try harder, at exactly the moment we are getting poorer.</p>
<p><strong>What I Asked Phil</strong><br>Why do you think New Zealand is quietly getting poorer<br>What is the myth Kiwi business owners need to stop believing<br>Has Australia stopped taking New Zealand seriously<br>Why won't a capital gains tax fix what people think it will<br>What should a NZ business owner actually do in the next six months</p>
<p><strong>Chapters</strong><br>00:00 What global business leaders are worried about<br>04:54 Re-globalisation and where NZ fits<br>07:55 Why the world ignores New Zealand<br>10:33 Selling more than food to Europe<br>13:22 Why NZ service businesses get stuck going global<br>18:53 Does the OECD help everyday owners<br>24:22 The case against a capital gains tax<br>25:52 Why the NZ stock market is so weak<br>27:05 Why NZ must invest in science<br>30:47 Is New Zealand going broke<br>39:53 The myths holding NZ business back<br>42:57 What to do in the next six months</p>
<p><strong>Follow Phil</strong><br>LinkedIn: search Phil O'Reilly [verify URL before publishing]</p>
<p><strong>Follow Me</strong><br>YouTube <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@NotesFromTheExecutivePodcast">https://www.youtube.com/@NotesFromTheExecutivePodcast</a><br>Spotify <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4QgZGJdrnfjZ1sEm6MeGcp">https://open.spotify.com/show/4QgZGJdrnfjZ1sEm6MeGcp</a><br>Apple <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/notes-from-the-executive-podcast/id1586953812">https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/notes-from-the-executive-podcast/id1586953812</a><br>Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/minaamso/">https://www.instagram.com/minaamso/</a><br>LinkedIn <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/minaamso">https://www.linkedin.com/in/minaamso</a></p>
<p>Notes From The Executive is New Zealand's no-BS business podcast for Auckland owners running established companies.</p>
<p>I sat down with Phil O'Reilly, former BusinessNZ chief executive, on whether New Zealand is really going broke, why he thinks a capital gains tax is the wrong fix, why we underinvest in science, and why Australia is quietly taking us for granted. If you run a New Zealand business and you want the honest read on the economy, trade, and where the country is actually headed, this one is for you. Grab my free list of NZ podcasts to get booked on: <a href="https://pwrfully.com/freepodcasts?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=shownotes&utm_campaign=freelist">https://pwrfully.com/freepodcasts?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=shownotes&utm_campaign=freelist</a></p>

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Damien Grant is the principal of Waterstone Insolvency and one of New Zealand's best-known liquidators. He has run Waterstone since 2006 and writes a weekly column for Stuff.

His firm has handled some of the country's most public collapses, including Waikato construction firm Stanley Group, Ponsonby restaurant SPQR, and Burger Burger, the gourmet burger chain placed into receivership owing around $1.8 million.

In this one he argues it is not the economy closing good companies. It is the Inland Revenue Department, and a mistake most owners do not see coming.

What I Asked Damien

Is the economy really what is closing NZ businesses, or is it something else

Why is the Inland Revenue Department quietly forcing good companies into liquidation

If I cannot pay my tax bill, what is the first move

Can a profitable business buried in old debt still be saved

Why do so many owners hold on until it is too late

Chapters

00:00 Intro

02:35 Is the NZ economy as bad as the news says?

04:06 Is it the economy or bad business decisions?

06:03 Why are company insolvencies spiking right now?

06:28 Is the IRD forcing NZ companies to shut down?

08:25 Why is the IRD chasing unpaid tax so hard now?

09:23 Which NZ industries are failing the most?

11:42 What do you do when you cannot pay your tax bill?

13:20 Is not paying the IRD a crime in NZ?

16:06 What mistakes are honest business owners making?

21:18 Why do more men fail in business than women?

25:50 What is the biggest mistake in business?

26:34 What does losing your business actually do to you?

28:33 When should you call an insolvency practitioner?

32:04 What happens in the first insolvency meeting?

37:02 Can you restructure a business to survive the debt?

41:13 What to do after one bad business decision

42:02 Where to find Damien Grant

Follow Me

Mina on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@NotesFromTheExecutivePodcast

Mina on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/4QgZGJdrnfjZ1sEm6MeGcp

Mina on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/notes-from-the-executive-podcast/id1586953812

Mina on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/minaamso/

Mina on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/minaamso

Follow Damien

Damien on LinkedIn https://nz.linkedin.com/in/damien-grant-a7463317

Notes From The Executive is New Zealand's no-BS business podcast for Auckland owners running established companies who want to grow faster, protect their margin, and build something worth selling. New episodes weekly.

3,023 NZ companies closed in the past year, according to Centrix. This episode looks past the headline to ask whether the failures are a temporary dip or a structural shift, why the Inland Revenue Department is driving the spike, and what an owner buried in tax debt can actually do about it. Subscribe for weekly breakdowns of the New Zealand economy, business failure, and what it means for your company.

Get in front of your ideal clients, start for free!Check out: www.pwrfully.com(REPLAY) New Zealand sales expert Bill James breaks down how to win sales when the economy is against you and buyers have gone quiet.He shares the Rule of Two No's, the referral process that returns 105 leads for every 100 clients, and the one word that is silently lowering the value of everything you say.If you run a business in Auckland and selling has got harder this year, this is the conversation that gives you something to do on Monday morning.Follow 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/minaamso

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Mina 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/minaamso