Notes From The Executive Podcast with Mina Amso

• ZERO to 2000 Clients With a Home Decluttering Business [HERE'S HOW]

  Thinking about starting a service business in New Zealand? In this video, we sit down with Angela McLachlan, founder of Sort My House, a service that help people sort their mess into tidy spaces, to share how she turned her passion for organising into one of NZ’s leading home organisation brands.You’ll learn:◽️09:48 How to find your first customers◽️13:55 Pricing and marketing strategies that work◽️ 24:18 Picking up big contracts, adapting to new opportunities, and scaling processes and staff.◽️ 27:48 Mindset shifts about failure◽️ 32:09 Hiring mistakes, culture challenges, and learning to move quickly on staffing changes. ◽️44:03 Deposit policy, subscription model, and how that affected client quality and regularity. Common mistakes to avoid when starting a service businessWhether you’re planning to start a cleaning company, organising service, or any other hands-on business, this interview will give you the inside scoop from someone who’s done it.Episode Partner:👉🏻 Hibiscus Jet Ski Hire: 🔥 WIN Fee Jet Ski Rides 🔥Enter: https://tinyurl.com/y64efe7aFOLLOW ANGELAhttps://sortmyhouse.co.nz/FOLLOW MEhttps://www.instagram.com/notesfromtheexecutivepodcast/WATCH EPISODEhttps://youtu.be/lq53o3STNakSubscribe for more stories like this: YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@NotesFromTheExecutivePodcastListen on:Apple podcast: [https://shorturl.at/UkJ8v](https://shorturl.at/UkJ8v)Spotify:  [https://shorturl.at/YW7bX](https://shorturl.at/YW7bX)Episode Partners:Hibiscus Jet Ski Hire: 🔥 WIN Fee Jet Ski Rides 🔥Enter 👉🏻 https://tinyurl.com/y64efe7ahome decluttering,decluttering business,entrepreneurship,startup story,small business,business growth,founder interview,female entrepreneur,business tips,New Zealand business,organizing tips,scaling a business,business mistakes,startup advice,founder journey,service business,Angela McLachlan,productivity,business strategy,success story,business mindset,marketing tips,business lessons,solopreneur,work life balance,women in business

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• How to Make Money From A JetSki Business In New Zealand [Step-by-step Strategy]

  Jurgen Kolb is a marine biologist turned entrepreneur who built an award-winning jet ski business that sits in the top 10 percent on TripAdvisor with more than 320 Google reviews. Episode Partner:👉🏻 Hibiscus Jet Ski Hire: 🔥 Enter to WIN Fee Jet Ski Rides 🔥https://tinyurl.com/bdej898hWhat [Guest] explains◽️Best Entrepreneurship tips for those wanting to start a business in 2026◽️How to win business awards and get to be the top on Trip Advisor00:00 – Intro 01:40 – Tourism Business Recognition on TripAdvisor 02:38 – Best Advice for Young Entrepreneurs 03:20 – Marine Biologist turned Entrepreneur and Finding Market Gaps 06:40 – How to Add Value Beyond Jet Ski Rides 07:50 - Location Location Location 09:50 – How to Win Business Awards in Tourism 13:00 – How to Use Your Background to Your Advantage19:37– AD20:00 – How Do You Know What People Want That Took Jurgen Next Level 24:20 – Weather Challenges in Outdoor Tourism Businesses 25:25 – How To Deal With Bad Weather and Revenue 25:50 – Strategies for Seasonal Tourism Businesses 30:35 – Off-Season Activities: Jet Ski Fishing and Oyster Tours 32:00 – Networking and Partnerships for Tourism Growth 32:40 – Sustainable Tourism and Environmental Responsibility 35:00 – What’s The Strategy in The Busy JetSki Season: Hiring Strategy 41:00 – Becoming a Tourism Entrepreneur with a Science Background 45:00 – From Marine Biology to NZ Adventure Tourism 47:25 – Expert Tips for Starting a Tourism BusinessEpisode Partner:👉🏻 Hibiscus Jet Ski Hire: 🔥 Enter to WIN Fee Jet Ski Rides 🔥https://tinyurl.com/bdej898hFollow Jürgen Kolb https://hibiscusjetskihire.co.nz/Follow me:https://www.youtube.com/@NotesFromTheExecutivePodcast Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NotesFromTheExecutivePodcast Listen on:Apple podcast: https://shorturl.at/UkJ8vSpotify: https://shorturl.at/YW7bX

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• How She Built An App With 10,000 Users in 21 Days (Exact Strategy)

  Michal Garvey Founder of Foodprint - New Zealand’s award winning food rescue app, how it helps cafes and retailers cut food waste in NZ, turn surplus food into revenue, and win new customers.What Michal explains◽️ The exact app launch strategy that got Foodprint 1000 users by 3pm on day one and 10,000 users in 21 days ◽️ What objections Michal gets from cafes and eateries and how she deals with them◽️ The time when Michal had to shut down the business (and how she pivoted) Episode Partners:👉🏻 Hibiscus Jet Ski Hire: 🔥 WIN Fee Jet Ski Rides 🔥Enter: https://tinyurl.com/y64efe7a👉🏻 Podcast GuestDownload Your Free Podcast Guide: www.podcastguest.co.nzTimestamps00:00 IntroFood waste NZ & why surplus food becomes profit01:56 Why Michal launched Foodprint App. The Climate impact of food waste, methane, and emissions06:17 What made Michal think she can start the App. Founder origin story: sales background and startup timing09:12 What is Foodprint11:40 How much do we waste food in New Zealand14:56 Work‑from‑home effect: broken forecasting & inconsistent foot traffic16:10 Vendor growth: 600+ eateries and how the App is expanding into food retail17:15 Supermarkets vs. food rescue orgs; where Foodprint fits19:10 How did Michal get her first 100 venues and what did she do to start21:00 What was challenging in the early days22:41 How did Michal drive early success23:51 AD24:39 How did Michal come up with the money to build the App25:20 What was Michal thinking as an early stage entrepreneur and how she made decisions and strategies to win30:25 What objections Michal gets from cafes and eateries and how she deals with them37:35 How Michal drives profitability for the App, for vendors and users39:20 The exact app launch strategy that got Foodprint 1000 users by 3pm on day one and 10,000 users in 21 days 42:17 Advice on successfully launching an app from scratch45:10 The time when Michal had to shut down the business (and how she pivoted) 50:12 Next 18 months: what Michal investing in and doing to win52:32 If Michal starts again53:25 The biggest mistake lessons Michal made in business and how would she do things differentlyFollow Michalhttps://www.foodprint.org.nz/Follow me:linkin.bio/minaamsoWatch the episode on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@NotesFromTheExecutivePodcastListen on:Apple podcast: https://shorturl.at/UkJ8vSpotify: https://tinyurl.com/fjv2nhcwEpisode Partners:Hibiscus Jet Ski Hire: 🔥 WIN Fee Jet Ski Rides 🔥Enter 👉🏻 https://tinyurl.com/y64efe7aPodcast GuestDownload Your Free Podcast Guide 👉🏻 www.podcastguest.co.nzABOUT THE EPISODEMichal Garvey, founder of Foodprint (NZ), breaks down the real economics of surplus food and climate impact, from solving the two‑sided marketplace cold start to onboarding 600+ eateries nationwide. We get tactical on pricing surplus inventory, consumer adoption (170,000+ users), brand objections, and what actually drives repeat purchase in New Zealand’s hospitality market.

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• $1.5M Debt. I Didn’t Break.

  Steve Ballantyne is the Founder of Brand IQ helping prominent national brands like Serko, Speedy Signs and Purex build their brand story in NZ. He shares how he clawed his way out of two big business disasters, one of them was $1.5M.Steve is the brother of Mike Ballantyne, the founder of a travel firm that was sold for $85M.Episode Partner:Hibiscus Jet Ski Hire: https://hibiscusjetskihire.co.nz/WIN! To Enter: https://tinyurl.com/y64efe7aTimestamps: Business Failures & Resilience01:50 - Which business failure broke Steve the most? The clothing business disaster story03:40 - Surviving $1.5 million debt: The Telecom Yellow Pages crisisEmotional Control & Business Decisions09:00 - Why emotional control matters in business (and when to let it go)10:22 - The pitch meeting walkout: When Steve called out a CEO's behavior12:33 - Standing up to clients: Preserving dignity and self-worth in businessPersonal Challenges & Growth14:02 - Dealing with grief: Losing four family members in 18 months07:51 - Lessons from divorce and learning to pick your battlesBuilding a Lean Business Model17:08 - Why lean business models win: Steve's transition from 23 staff to lean operations17:38 - The future of business: One-person billion-dollar companies with AI18:15 - How to start building a billion-dollar business from scratchMarket Size & Positioning19:40 - Why New Zealand vs US market size matters for entrepreneurs21:38 - Success is about positioning, not just hard workAI in Business & Marketing, Custom GPTs & Workflows28:05 - Getting started with AI automation: First steps for entrepreneurs29:00 - AI is augmented intelligence, not artificial: The 10,000 hour principle still applies31:30 - Steve's 30-minute AI product development workflow revealed33:17 - AI workflows vs Custom GPTs: Understanding the difference34:14 - How to get AI to help you brief the AI (the secret to better prompts)43:50 - Making money with AI consulting: Opportunities in niche expertise23:27 - Launching an AI art business: 120+ sales in 8 months40:20 - Steve’s favourite AI platform and why59:32 - Athena: Steve's AI business coach that sends daily mindset tips48:00 - Democratisation production, AI disrupting the branding processBrand Strategy & Being Different To Stand Out49:24 - The most urgent thing businesses need for their brand right now51:26 - How do you get attention?52:00 - Being different is better than being better53:00 - Category norms framework: How to disrupt any industryStorytelling in Business1:04:36 - Why storytelling is the most powerful form of business communication1:05:22 - Stories are 20x more memorable than facts and data1:06:35 - The Hero's Journey framework: Key ingredients of powerful stories1:07:40 - Why conflict and tension drive great brand storiesStarting Over & Life Philosophy56:29 - What Steve would do if he lost everything tomorrow58:17 - Building from zero at 35: The simpler model approach1:01:13 - What industry would Steve invest in right now?1:02:41 - The story Steve's most proud ofPractical Business Advice06:00 - When you're in a hole in business, there's always a way out07:00 - Standing up to corporate bullies: Confidence and bravery matter45:56 - Daily rituals for business success: Be a chameleonResources & Contact1:08:36 - How to connect with Steve Ballantyne on LinkedIn and emailEpisode Partner:Hibiscus Jet Ski Hire: https://hibiscusjetskihire.co.nz/Be in to WIN! To Enter: https://tinyurl.com/y64efe7aFollow Stevehttps://www.brandiq.co.nz/ Follow me:www.linkedin.com/in/minaamsoSubscribe To My YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@NotesFromTheExecutivePodcast Watch on YouTubehttps://youtu.be/aho75bHK2-g Listen on:Apple podcast: https://shorturl.at/UkJ8vSpotify:  https://shorturl.at/YW7bX

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• 3 Costly Marketing Myths NZ Owners Still Believe

  Fran Bellingham, Founder of Virtual Marketers, is an expert in taking new ideas, products and campaigns to market. With a 25-year background across advertising, media and marketing including TradeMe in New Zealand and the UK, she breaks down the myths costing owners time and money and shows the metrics that actually move revenue.💬 What's one marketing lesson you wish you'd known before launching your product or service? Comment and let me know.Episode partner: AcademyEx Sign up to The Masters of Technological Futures Today: https://academyex.com/courses/master/master-of-technological-futuresWe cover:How to market a service business without burning cashHow to launch into a new market (NZ or AU) with evidence, not guessworkHow to use digital products to attract clients and build recurring revenueThe core SaaS metrics that matter (beyond vanity numbers)00:00 – stop wasting money on marketing 01:45 – meet fran bellingham (virtual marketers) 02:52 – marketing strategy that actually works 05:56 – hard truths about honest marketing 09:08 – what is saas (simple) 09:50 – how to validate a saas product 11:36 – enterprise vs self-serve validation 12:48 – pricing and cac basics for saas 15:29 – steps to product-market fit 18:01 – market sizing with search + ai 20:44 – onboarding, activation, retention tactics 21:24 – how much budget to test a channel 23:36 – channel testing that actually works 24:30 – nz vs australia go-to-market 26:47 – seo + ai optimisation before ads 27:44 – behaviour-based onboarding emails 29:29 – top marketing myths to avoid 32:18 – metrics that matter 39:42 – kpis that move revenue (saas, services, ecommerce) 43:15 – if you lost everything: restart plan 46:13 – awards, momentum, wellington scene 47:21 – best advice for owners (don’t take it personally) 48:50 – how to contact virtual marketersFollow FranVirtual Marketers: https://www.virtualmarketers.co.nzFollow MeAll links: https://linkin.bio/minaamso YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NotesFromTheExecutivePodcast Apple Podcasts: https://shorturl.at/UkJ8v Spotify: https://shorturl.at/YW7bX

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