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Notes From The Executive

Mina Amso
Notes From The Executive
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138 episodes

  • Notes From The Executive

    Why Australia Stopped Taking NZ Seriously: Phil O'Reilly ONZM

    07/07/2026 | 47 mins.
    <p>Is New Zealand quietly getting poorer while we tell ourselves we punch above our weight?</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>
  • Notes From The Executive

    What's Actually Destroying NZ Companies? The Undertaker Speaks Out

    30/06/2026 | 43 mins.
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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.
  • Notes From The Executive

    How to Sell When the NZ Economy Is This Bad (Sales Expert's Recession Playbook)

    23/06/2026 | 57 mins.
    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
  • Notes From The Executive

    Why New Zealand Is Going Broke: 3 Top Economists Explain Why (Plus a Social Scientist)

    16/06/2026 | 22 mins.
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    Follow Me
    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
  • Notes From The Executive

    'Should I Sell My Company?' Could This Be The Worst Time to Sell Your NZ Business?

    09/06/2026 | 1h 10 mins.
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    Hannah McQueen is a New Zealand chartered accountant, financial adviser and entrepreneur. She began at KPMG before founding Enable Me, a financial coaching business built on a mortgage-structuring formula she developed with the University of Auckland.

    She grew it to around 100 staff and 10 offices, worked with roughly 15,000 clients, and exited about three years ago. She is a regular finance voice across NZ media and now runs Age Brightly, a venture focused on improving older person healthcare in New Zealand.

    What I Asked Hannah

    How do I know if my business is actually ready to sell, or if I am still years away?

    You sold when three buyers turned up unannounced. Was that luck, or a signal every owner should be watching for?

    Most Kiwi owners decide to sell on a weekend and list on the Monday. How long does a proper exit really take?

    What did selling actually feel like, and what surprised you about life after the deal?

    If you had to build and sell all over again, what would you refuse to leave this late?

    Follow Me

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

    Mina 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/id1586953812

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

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

    Follow Hannah

    Age Brightly https://agebrightly.co.nz

    Timestamps

    0:00 Is growing a business in New Zealand actually harder than it looks?

    1:07 Who is Hannah McQueen beyond her business success?

    2:48 What's broken in New Zealand's aged care system, and can we fix it?

    8:08 How did getting fired lead Hannah to create Enable Me?

    13:46 Why do smart people still struggle to do "the right thing" with money?

    17:34 How big did Enable Me really get, staff, offices, clients, revenue?

    23:41 What should founders know about scaling from $2M to $20M?

    32:41 What was Hannah's most expensive lesson about hiring and products?

    46:55 How did Hannah juggle 100 staff, a baby, and a growing business?

    1:07:08 How can founders protect their wealth, health, and plan an exit?
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About Notes From The Executive
Notes From The Executive is NZ's no-BS business & entrepreneurship podcast for Auckland owners running established companies - $1M-$10M revenue, 5-50 staff - who want to grow faster, protect their margin, and build something worth selling. Hosted by Mina Amso (Podcaster + Founder), every episode has real NZ founders sharing the numbers, decisions & hard lessons. Topics: cash flow, scaling, hiring, business value & exiting high. Tired of generic advice? This is the show. ๐Ÿ”Ž NZ business | Auckland entrepreneur | scale a business NZ | NZ podcast
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