Xero Gravity: Big Wins & Massive Fails

Hamish decided to throw a New Year’s party with a few university mates back in 2003. At the time he had no idea that it would go on to become one of New Zealand’s biggest and most successful music festivals. Rhythm and Vines is a three-day music festival, famously located at a vineyard in Hawke’s Bay. It’s also geographically the first place in the world to see the new year. What started out as a small party now attracts crowds in the tens of thousands and artists from across the globe. But it took an amazing amount of resilience, patience and courage to pull it off. “When you’ve got to hustle to sell a dream, you’ve got to talk about where things are really going,” Hamish told Elizabeth. “The ship’s not always going to sail straight.” Hamish has a humble and cheeky way of sharing his journey with us. Hear him talk passionately about the hustle that goes on behind the scenes, and the entrepreneurial pockets of wisdom he’s learned throughout it all. XG #78 - We’ll drink to that.

You’re climbing a gigantic cliff face, it’s 2,300 metres to the summit, and there’s no guarantee you’ll even get to the top… this sounds hard enough as it is, but imagine doing that without the use of your legs… Timmy O’Neill’s outlook in life is shaped by conquering what others would call the impossible. No matter how many times he’s failed, the decision to succeed has always been Timmy’s driving force. “Failure is a way forward,” says the professional rock climber, comedian, and founder of Paradox Sports, a nonprofit that runs adaptive climbing trips for people of all abilities and skill levels. Tune in to learn what it truly means to live life on the edge. Listen along to Timmy’s stories of trial and error, as he opens up about the people in his life who have inspired him to move mountains. He also makes amazing sound effects. Be uplifted with Xero Gravity #77!

From the streets of Melbourne, Australia, to the slopes of Boulder, Colorado, Sarah Riegelhuth is leading the way in an entrepreneurial streak. Sarah’s a firm believer that the old school dreams of owning a house or investing in stock won’t financially make or break us – but starting early and taking control is what makes all the difference.   “Money is just a tool. The only relationship you need to have with it is that you’re roughly in control of it,” she told Elizabeth.   Sarah’s ‘no bull’ attitude has seen her win awards, not just as a financial advisor but also as a best selling author. Sarah’s book - Get Rich Slow – paints financial education as something Gen Y desperately needs to talk more about, striking a chord with readers from the very first page. Tune in to discover what it takes to get rich slow. Hear Sarah share her blunt wisdom around how honesty will help you to build stronger relationships with employees and clients, and why acquiring personal wealth is actually pretty simple. The new and im

Technology keeps many of us in a job, but is it soon to make us redundant? And, If technology is really helping us focus on what is most important to us, what does the future of the world look like? In this episode of Xero Gravity, Elizabeth Ü is joined by not one, but two, guests to discuss the future of work, how we spend our time and the role of technology in taking us there. Listen along as Abhijeet Dwivedi, COO at Zenefits and Jason Mills, director of sales and success at Expensify, join Elizabeth to talk about everything from robots to Kool-Aid. “This is a core commonality [among entrepreneurs], is the refusal to believe that this is just how things are done, the status quo. It's not,” Mills says. “Maybe 90% of just new start-ups fail, so not everyone achieves that, but that is fundamentally the belief that's driving someone to take this step, this leap of faith. It's that, ‘No. What we're doing right now is not the best, and I'm somebody who can effect that change.’ ” Tune in for plenty of fresh insigh

Needs something done? There’s always an app for that - or so the joke goes. But not all apps are created equal. The key to success? Get personal. App and mobile marketing expert Kelly Slessor dug through 40,000 app reviews last year. There was a strong common message: people like apps that are easy to use, and save them time, and can be personalized.   “[It’s] all about personalization,” she told Xero Gravity host Elizabeth U. “A space on my phone that is about me, there’s content for me personally. It's one of the biggest keys to the success of applications going forward.” Listen in to this episode of Xero Gravity to find out what people want in an app, whether you need one, and what’s coming in the future.

Tiring, lonely, tough. Daniel Flynn says this is the honest truth behind entrepreneurial success. And he should know, with a company that’s now worth more than $5 million, he’s no entrepreneurial rookie. “It’s crazy how hard some days are, but I think everyone goes through it,” the co-founder and managing director at Thankyou told Elizabeth U. “I think the illusion is that you're connected with a lot of people. There's all this excitement, but I think actually the process can be quite lonely, particularly when you're failing.” Tune in for a truthful conversation on the challenges of launching a new brand as a teenager. All that plus the inside scoop on the bottled water industry, how to play ball in a cut throat market, and why you should never use a good cause to sell a bad product. Xero Gravity 73 - we know you’ll love it!

He thought that there was no way to make a living doing the thing he loved most of all. Seven years later - he’s proving them all wrong! “There's the old Joseph Campbell saying of follow your bliss. But the other part of that I've found is to market your bliss... figuring out on an entrepreneurial sense how to connect your work with other people you will value that work.” In this episode we speak to Tom Fishburne, CEO at Marketoonist, about the power that internal and external pressures can have on taking the entrepreneurial leap of faith. Drawing on 20 years of marketing experience - and a lifetime of cartooning - Tom shares insight into the collision of marketing and illustration, and how he learned to be comfortable going against the norm. Xero Gravity #72 - don’t miss it!

They told her she couldn’t be an artist but she did it anyway. So how do you rebel against your upbringing, build a company with no business experience, and live to prosper? Founder and creative director of publishing and design consultancy agency The Press Room, Kelley Cheng is a pop culture junkie who credits passion and perseverance as the key to her success. Although she says she’s slowed down a little now, she hardly slept while building her design agency. Now she’s on top of her game and her biggest challenge is mentoring those who are coming up after her. “I made so many mistakes in my younger life. I just wish that I had someone that I could ask all these burning questions.” Tune in as host Elizabeth Ü talks to Kelley about tough love and great advice. Small Business Resources: Jack: Straight from the gut by Jack Welch Carousell app - snap to sell  

An entrepreneur tends to work on their own, an intrapreneur launches new stuff from inside a company as an employee. How can each worldview work for you? GM and head of small business NA at PayPal, Amit Mathradas thinks they’re pretty similar. “It’s about passion, it’s about a desire to change the status quo, it’s about the ability to go drive a new wave or new form of thinking.” In this episode, Amit takes his passion for small business, and shines a light on digital payment innovation ahead of the approaching holiday season. Listen for some practical insights on seeing payments different during the silly season, and some incredible advice from Amit on innovating from the inside, out.   Xero Gravity #70 - check it out!

She’s a female leader in a male-dominated industry, mixing business with pleasure, and losing sleep. While Elvina Farkas is often described as a rising star in the creative scene, she’s also a woman with a lot on her plate. The young creative director and co-founder of Anue in Singapore talks openly to Elizabeth about walking the well trodden path between being liked and being tough. “As a woman in the creative space, there’s a line between trying to be respectful, and trying to be a good business owner and leader.” It’s an interesting dynamic, elevated by the fact that Elvina’s business partner is also her partner in life. Mixing business with pleasure isn’t always recommended but Elvina admits it’s been a driving force in the success of her business.

“Technology in the workplace is more of a dialogue now than ever before... It’s much more important to have a device you’re happy with, and the cloud is the reason for that.” Meet Angus Kidman, editor-in-chief at finder.com.au. He’s a self-confessed tech geek with an eye on just about anything IT. You name it - he knows about it! Tune in to Xero Gravity #68 as Angus gives the 411 on making the right tech choices for your business - and whether the rise of interconnectivity makes the Apple vs. PC debate redundant. Angus shares his insights on why technology has never been so important, and how businesses can leverage this to provide a flexible workplace for their employees and a better experience for their customers.

“Most of us are conflict averse and would prefer to hide under the doona at home than to approach a colleague to discuss something that's challenging.” Meet Nicole Cullen, she’s not afraid of a good argument - and as a mediator (and mum) she’s sure seen plenty of them. On Xero Gravity 67 Nicole shares her dispute resolution smarts to help you face conflict like an absolute boss. You’ll hear plenty of simple tips to help you ward off those awkward watercooler moments - from avoiding first-person language to embracing a good old informal conversation. You’ll also learn just how much conflict could really cost your business bottom line as it threatens productivity, diminishes workplace morale and snowballs extra resources. All that with a healthy side dose of motherly advice and a few aikido moves.

“We went from talking about boys and what our plans were for the weekend to our projections, who we have to talk to, opportunities that just came up.” Emily Moon and Kelsey Carlstedt are not your conventional business partners. What started as a shared dream in high school has led these best friends on an entrepreneurial mission - one that’s employing, educating and empowering women across three continents. On Xero Gravity #66, Emily and Kelsey, co-founders of By Grace Designs, chat about how they manage to keep their working relationship - and their friendship - in check. From having clear roles and responsibilities to constant communication, you’ll learn a lot about the pros and cons of working interstate, across continents, and with friends.

“We’re clear with our team about what we want but we also offer… the ability to work remotely. So if someone wants to go and live in Bali for a month and work from there, then we’re fine with that.” A passion for working hard and playing hard is what inspired Meryl Johnston to build her small business, Bean Ninjas. Less than 12 months on she has a small team of global employees, a growing client list and a shrinking timesheet. Tune in to Xero Gravity #65 as Meryl joins Elizabeth Ü for a conversation on crafting a well-balanced week. She’ll share tips on spending less time in the office and making more time for the good things in life, like surfing. And yes, it is possible.

“Crowdfunding is really useful - you can use it to assess market demand, you can use it to profile a customer audience that you know almost nothing about.” Meet Brian Quach, co-founder of Tree To Tub, and a guy with a love of berries that’s led him down a very unique business path. An entrepreneur with some serious crowdfunding game, it took Brian and his business partner all of 15 hours to quadruple their Kickstarter goal. On Xero Gravity #64 Brian shares the secret sauce to his crowdfunding success, with a few sneaky hacks along the way. He also shares insights into funding options for startups and entrepreneurs, giving tips to turn your business idea into a venture that’s worth backing.

“There's a couple of different hats that small business owners wear. In the beginning it's important to educate yourself on marketing and to have a certain level of knowledge.  In saying that it's also important to bring on the right experts at the right time.” Meet Emma Sharley, a small business marketing consultant with a big passion for savvy brand marketing that won’t cost the world. As an entrepreneur herself, Emma truly understands the value that comes from marketing your business right, from day one. “Unlocking your brand story is something that's incredibly powerful - it has incredible benefits to your brand particularly when you're competing against a larger brand that may not have that story.” Tune in for Emma’s practical tips and relatable insights that will help you get ahead in the marketing game, without breaking the bank.

Looking to get the most out of your small biz team? Want to build a vibrant and thriving working culture, but not sure how to go about it? In this episode of Xero Gravity we chat to Matt Rissell, CEO at Tsheets, about how awesome workplace culture and passionate people make for a truly magnificent day at the office. A people-first leader, Matt explains that great culture comes from encouraging feedback and listening first. “You have to trust each other enough to fight. The truth is if you're going to go fight and tell somebody why you disagree with them on something there's a level of vulnerability that takes place,” Matt says. “So I'm a big believer in having confrontation; good, healthy conflict face to face with each other.” Listen in as Matt shares tips on building a wonderful place for his employees to work, complete with open door policies, book clubs and even fly fishing.

Turns out that paid search marketing is a lot like marriage. At least that’s what Fernando Gomez, CEO at SpargoConnect LLC and paid search marketing expert, has come to believe.   “You don’t go up to somebody and say, ‘Hey, we just met.  Would you like to get married?’  That’s creepy.  But that’s the same thing we do with our ads or our marketing and so our customers will think, ‘I don’t even know you. We haven’t gone for coffee.’” In this episode of Xero Gravity, Fernando shares his secrets to paid search marketing success, with tactical tips on how to get the most value for money for your small business. Tune in to learn more about the phases of paid search marketing, how to ethically leverage competitor campaigns, and choosing the right platform for your audience.

Cyber security is the biggest threat to small business, often because - unlike large corporations - they lack the resources to commit to security. With an onslaught of modern security breaches, crooks are compromising business in order to attack or obtain customer details. Felix Shi - product security specialist at Xero joins host Elizabeth U on this week’s episode of Xero Gravity. Felix’s enthusiasm for cyber security will challenge listeners to really consider whether their own small business security is up to scratch. Anecdotes galore, Felix’s unique insight into the world of cyber security is educational and highly engaging. “Corporate espionage is a major problem and also scamming and ransomware in the recent years. There's been quite a few scams and ransomwares going around.”

Someone wise once said, “Busy is a state of mind, not a state of being”. Perhaps that person did not know the time challenges of running a small business. From very early on in his career, organizational and executive coach Tim Kitching has maximized his time well to fit in more of what he loves - spending time with family and playing ice hockey. “In anything that I want to do I've just got to set my mind to doing it and pursue it with everything I have and it will actually happen. Once you've done it once there’s a turning point because you realize you can do it again.” Tune in as Tim joins Elizabeth U to talk all things time management, and how to get the most out of your day as a small biz leader.