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We need marketing… let’s hire a junior

Many business owners reach a point where they look around and realise something important.“We need to do more marketing.”Maybe visibility has dropped. Growth has slowed. Competitors seem louder online. The website hasn’t been updated in months. Or there was a LinkedIn page set up, but no posts yet.So the conversation begins. “We should hire someone to handle the marketing.” And very often the next sentence is, “maybe we bring in a junior.”Someone young. Someone digital savvy. Someo...

Your core values shouldn’t sound like everyone else’s

Have you ever walked into an office and seen core values like Trust. Integrity. Passion. Excellence. listed on the wall?I have. And every time, I inwardly sigh.Not because those things are bad, but because they’re not unique.Change the logo sitting above them and they could belong to almost any organisation.And if your values sound like every other company’s values, they’re probably not really your true values at all.And if they’re that generic, are they even memorable? Because if your t...

What a 1-million view reel taught me about marketing

We decided to have a pun party.What’s a pun party, you might be wondering? A pun party is when you arrive dressed up as a play on words.Believe me, the ideas we had thrown around while preparing for New Year's Eve were a whole lot of fun. Ideas like putting a cross around your neck and turning up as a crossdresser, or putting the label 'Richard' on your head and introducing yourself as a dickhead. My 15-year-old son suggested grabbing a cooking pot from the kitchen and putting it on his head s...

Embedding core values into everyday business

Ok, so you have your core values in your reception area. Maybe you have them in the kitchen or down a hallway. Possibly you’ve printed them onto an annual diary too.That’s a great start. Making them visible to your team.The next question is, are they just decoration? Or are they part of your culture?Core values come to life through behaviour.They show up in the way leaders communicate, how people are hired, how decisions are made, and what behaviours are recognised or challenged inside the o...

The marketing unicorn myth uncovered

Have you seen those job ads on Seek?“We’re looking for a creative individual who can design, write content, manage Google Ads, run SEO, produce campaigns, manage social media… and probably make the coffee and empty the dishwasher while they’re at it.”For more than eleven years running a marketing agency (HGB, now Point B), I saw this mythical marketing unicorn show up in job descriptions almost daily.The idea that one person could walk into a role and bring together strategic thinking,...

Fix your marketing fundamentals (before you scale)

“Right team, we’re here to grow.” Sound familiar?There’s a point in most growing businesses where the conversation shifts. You’re not trying to survive anymore. You’re trying to scale.More revenue. More consistency. More breathing room. More of the right clients. And yes, ideally less chaos.And usually, right around then, marketing becomes the thing everyone points at.“We should probably do more marketing.”Maybe. But here’s the truth I see over and over:Scaling doesn’t fix we...

Before you hire in marketing, stop and think

Hiring any employee is rarely just about filling a seat. At a certain stage in business, it becomes one of the most commercially significant decisions you make.I see it often in growing, owner-led businesses. Revenue is steady. The team is expanding. Marketing feels inconsistent. The natural response is simple:“We need to hire someone.”And sometimes you do.But before you advertise that marketing role, it’s worth stepping back and asking a more strategic question.What are we actually hiring...

Why marketing drops off when business owners get busy

You know that feeling when you wake at 2am, and you remember you were supposed to have done something for marketing? You’re not alone.As businesses grow past the start-up phase, marketing can’t survive as a part-time job or an enthusiastic role filled by someone doing their best – often you, the owner.At a certain stage, what’s missing isn’t effort. It’s leadership.That’s what I see, all the time.A growth business hits $2–$5 million in revenue. The founder (yes, that’s you) is ...

Why leaders in Aotearoa should immerse themselves in Māori history

When I worked at the University of Waikato, we learnt about Te Tiriti o Waitangi. That was 20 years ago, and I now realise how much I didn’t understand.While on the board of Sport Waikato, I was invited to participate in The Wall Walk. This was an immersive workshop exploring Māori history and the evolving relationship between Māori and the Crown in Aotearoa.The opportunity presented, and I jumped. Having learnt Māori through school (to current-day Year 11 level), I understand pronunciation...