Notes From The Executive Podcast with Mina Amso

Simon Bridges is the CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber, New Zealand’s former Energy Minister, and the former leader of the New Zealand National Party (and thus Leader of the Opposition, 2018–2020). 

Episode Partner:
👉🏻 NZBusiness Magazine - www.nzbusiness.co.nz

What Simon reveals
◽️ The NZ business outlook: costs, competitiveness, and why he’s cautiously optimistic
◽️ Why power bills are high—and the case to split power companies (generators vs retailers)
◽️ AI adoption in NZ: where SMEs get productivity now (and where hype still dominates)
◽️ Data centres, renewables, and building enough generation to power growth
◽️ How an India–NZ FTA could open doors for exporters (horticulture, services, screen)
◽️ His execution playbook: pick 3–4 priorities that “make the boat go faster”

FOLLOW SimonFind Simon via the Auckland Business Chamber: https://www.aucklandchamber.co.nzFOLLOW MEhttps://www.instagram.com/minaamso/WATCH EPISODE ON YOUTUBEhttps://www.youtube.com/@NotesFromTheExecutivePodcastLISTEN ONApple podcast: https://shorturl.at/UkJ8vSpotify: https://shorturl.at/YW7bX

Paul Spoonley is a New Zealand social scientist and demographer who has led research on aging, fertility decline, immigration and regional development. He has advised government and business on long-term planning, productivity and labour markets, and has worked on immigration and settlement policy, social cohesion, and the future of work and education.

Episode Partners:
👉🏻 NZBusiness Magazine www.nzbusiness.co.nz
👉🏻 Podcast Guest www.podcastguest.co.nz

What Paul reveals
◽️NZ’s future is being decided by older voters and a birth rate that’s falling off a cliff. That’s not “demographics” - it’s your operating environment.
◽️Immigration isn’t a plan. It’s a patch. And we keep ripping it off and reapplying it like that won’t hurt.
◽️SMEs aren’t “struggling to hire.” They’re competing for a shrinking pool
◽️Auckland keeps winning because we let it. The regions don’t “lose people”, they get outbid and outbuilt.◽️Productivity doesn’t improve with another report. It improves when businesses adopt tech, retrain hard, and stop pretending our diaspora is irrelevant.

FOLLOW ME
https://www.instagram.com/minaamso/

WATCH EPISODE ON YOUTUBE (for Spotify & Apple descriptions)
https://www.youtube.com/@NotesFromTheExecutivePodcast

LISTEN ONApple podcast: https://shorturl.at/UkJ8vSpotify: https://shorturl.at/YW7bX

Renting vs buying NZ, net worth tracking, and the mindset shift from scarcity to abundance — chartered accountant-turned-entrepreneur Luke Kemeys goes deep on how Kiwis can build real financial well-being without being chained to a mortgage. We cover when renting beats buying, monthly net-worth tracking (assets minus liabilities), using debt (carefully), and the exact habits that unlock growth for founders.What Luke reveals
◽️ When renting beats buying in NZ (and for whom)
◽️ The 1 habit that builds financial progress: monthly net-worth tracking
◽️ How to treat your household like a business (cash in, cash out, decisions)
◽️ The $500 plan that actually changes your life (not “buy this coin”)
◽️ Using debt in business: when it accelerates vs. when it’s dangerous

Episode Partners
👉🏻 NZBusiness Magazinewww.nzbusiness.co.nz
👉🏻 Podcast Guestwww.podcastguest.co.nz

FOLLOW LUKE
Search: “Luke Kemeys”, “Next Advisory NZ”, “Keep the Change podcast”

FOLLOW ME
https://www.instagram.com/minaamso/

WATCH EPISODE ON YOUTUBE (for Spotify/Apple listeners)
https://www.youtube.com/@NotesFromTheExecutivePodcast
LISTEN ONApple Podcasts: https://shorturl.at/UkJ8vSpotify: https://shorturl.at/YW7bX

Luke Kemeys is a chartered accountant, business adviser, and co-founder of Next Advisory. He also hosts Keep the Change, a money podcast/newsletter followed by thousands of Kiwis each week. Luke works with founders on pricing, cashflow, and growth strategy, and is known for practical frameworks that get owners out of scarcity and into action.

NZ property investment strategy that built a $20M portfolio. Ilse Wolfe shares the BRRRR framework, renovation tactics for cash flow + capital growth, and how leverage accelerates wealth building in real estate.

In this episode, Ilse Wolfe breaks down:
• The BRRRR framework (Buy, Renovate, Rent, Refinance, Repeat)
• How to achieve both capital growth AND cash flow
• Leverage strategies for property investment
• Renovation tactics that maximise returns
• Zero to $20M path
• From portfolio to coaching

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS
0:00 - Zero to $20M property portfolio story
1:14 - Welcome and introduction
3:02 - Starting in NZ real estate investment
4:13 - What is leverage in property investment
5:00 - Leverage: jumping on shoulders of giants
5:22 - Shortcut time with leverage strategy
7:07 - Health and wealth mindset for investing
8:18 - Learning from property investment mistakes
9:18 - Negative cash flow hole disaster
9:53 - Moving in with in-laws to save portfolio
10:51 - BRRRR framework explained (Buy Renovate Rent Refinance Repeat)
11:57 - Finding solutions for capital growth AND cash flow
12:43 - BRRRR cycle breakdown
13:05 - Building property business while renovating
13:27 - Teaching clients to copy-paste portfolio success
15:05 - Specific skills needed to build property wealth
16:03 - Catalyst: losing mother and going full-time
18:39 - First renovation: Mangere over-capitalisation mistake
20:00 - Builder coaching on renovation skills
22:01 - Every property performs better than the last
22:37 - Scaling from houses to ex-motels and unit blocks
25:05 - Key decision that set trajectory
26:06 - Surrounding yourself with right people
27:20 - Overcoming intimidation in networking
28:31 - Sitting next to future PM John Key
31:05 - Building connections with education business founder
33:46 - Property negotiation skills development
34:38 - Four key lessons for scaling property business
35:00 - Lesson 1: Lean into your top skills
40:00 - Selling properties at a loss for long-term gain
42:54 - Biggest property investment mistake
43:47 - Council changed minds causing delays
44:10 - Project cost $140k and took 10 months
45:33 - Problem-solving: paying 3x for fire door
48:59 - Turning property portfolio into coaching business
50:24 - Passive income exceeding active income
53:06 - Choosing the right property mentor
55:16 - Struggles as a woman in property investment
57:34 - Buying out partners and going independent
59:41 - Stop overestimating yearly goals, focus on long-term
1:00:09 - Don't sweat the small stuff in property deals

🔗 FOLLOW ILSE
Website: https://www.wolfeproperty.co.nz/
Instagram: @wolfpropertycoaching

📲 FOLLOW MINA
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/minaamso/

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🤝 EPISODE PARTNER
NZ Business: www.nzbusiness.co.nz

#NZPropertyInvestment #PropertyInvestingNZ #BRRRRStrategy #WealthBuilding #RealEstateNZ #IlseWolfe #PropertyPortfolio #CashFlowProperty #CapitalGrowth #PropertyCoaching #NewZealandBusiness #Entrepreneurship #PassiveIncome #PropertyRenovation #NotesFromTheExecutive

Four of New Zealand’s most experienced business leaders join this episode:
Tony Falkenstein (CEO, Just Water Group)Ashish Saxena (Wholistic Leadership Coach)Richard Conway (Founder, Pure SEO)Lloyd Budd (CEO, Bayleys Auckland)
Together, they break down the real fundamentals of scaling a business. From the controversial strategy of "looking bigger than you are" to the psychology of presence, the power of storytelling, and why moving too fast can quietly destroy growth.
What The Experts Explain
Tony Falkenstein - Why he does not set goals, how to look big before you are big, and why execution beats ideas every time.
Ashish Saxena - Why business is ultimately about asset creation, not just income, and why listening may be your most profitable skill.
Richard Conway - The $10,000 lesson on storytelling, transparency, and why vulnerability builds stronger teams.
Lloyd Budd - The danger of "Ready, Fire, Aim" and the three pillars of building client trust: time, network, and value.
Episode PartnerPodcast Guest
Download your free podcast guide:www.podcastguest.co.nz
Follow Mina:linkin.bio/minaamso
Watch the episode on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@NotesFromTheExecutivePodcast
Listen on Apple Podcasts:https://shorturl.at/UkJ8v
Listen on Spotify:https://shorturl.at/YW7bX