Back in 2014 I took the daunting step of firing myself and stepping away from the day to day running of my business. Accepting my own limitations and relinquishing control was one of the hardest business decisions I have ever made. On balance, it was probably one of my better […]
Marketing moves fast—blink, and you’re already behind. Staying ahead in 2025 isn’t about chasing every new trend; it’s about embracing innovation, staying agile, and focusing on what actually delivers results. For entrepreneurs who want more than just survival, these five strategies will help you stand out, stay relevant, and turn […]
Tom Fishburne, founder and CEO of Marketoonist, once said: “The best marketing doesn’t feel like marketing.” I love this quote because it encapsulates a very important facet of communication that doesn’t always get the attention it deserves. It will be interesting to see if M2 reads this column before it […]
The digital marketing community (especially the geeky ones) have been up in arms about a massive data leak that shows some of the workings of the Google Algorithm. The cynic in me thinks the data leak may have been a deliberate attempt by Google to change the narrative around the […]
I don’t think a year in the last decade has promised to disrupt digital marketing as much as this one. The rate of change and availability of new tools and automation are changing the game. Here are my top 6 things to consider when embarking on your strategy for 2024: […]
I recently attended and spoke at the M2 AI Summit in Auckland, the room was packed with more than 400 entrepreneurs, business leaders and technology enthusiasts. Apart from closing the event with my thoughts on AI and business, I spent a lot of time just chatting with attendees and other […]
I often reflect on my life and time on this earth. I realise how much I have changed over the last decade—let alone four and a half decades—and how many of life’s lessons I have learnt. You can choose your attitude and how you respond to things. Whilst not […]
How to delegate effectively and grow your team as an entrepreneur I studied a BSC (Hons) in Business Computing in the UK many years ago. Going to university taught me many things, it helped my critical thinking, how to manage a budget (first time living away from home) and honed […]
Companies can easily absorb the cost of mistakes and inefficiencies when growing quickly. As entrepreneurs, however, we learn through failures as much as our successes. The public-facing image of most companies and entrepreneurs is largely dominated by their successes and praises, so it is difficult for people starting out to […]
When you succeed in business and life, the external persona you display is often lauded and held up as a beacon for others to emulate. What you often don’t hear is the other side of the coin: the loneliness, isolation, pressure, and uncertainty that comes with being an entrepreneur. I […]
People are often quick to share their advice and/or opinions about business matters. If I had followed a lot of the advice sent my way, my business would not enjoy the success it enjoys today. Conversely, if I had not followed some of the advice I have received, there is […]
As a business, Pure SEO spends about $6k a month on Google Ads and $3k a month on social advertising. Despite this significant paid media spend, about 80% of the leads we get through our website are organic through Google search. For a business to benefit from organic (non-paid) visitors […]
A certain amount of personal discipline and drive is critical for success in both business and life. A couple of years ago, I spent time with Warren Rustand, an exceptional individual, who shared with me how he stayed focused and motivated. His principles of personal discipline have guided me through […]
In my day job as the founder and CEO of Pure SEO, I get to see first-hand what New Zealand businesses are doing to adapt and thrive during what has been one of the strangest periods in our lives. Here are five digital tips I’ve seen have the biggest impact. […]
From a measly $200 in 2009, I have built a company that turnsover more than $10m a year. While it has not always been easy, many of the strategies I’ve used could be applied successfully in almost any business. 1. Bring out the Jazz Hands. I’m a natural introvert […]
Coach M2woman: What advice would you give your younger self? I was recently asked to give a presentation to a bunch of entrepreneurs detailing the successes and failures of growing my business over the past 11 years. In today’s world, the impetus to stop and really reflect about the journey […]
I believe every business is a sales and marketing business. Even with the best product in the world, if no one knows about it, the business will fail. It’s taken years to build and improve Pure SEO’s sales process, and we are still constantly refining and honing it—it’s one of […]
People are often quick to provide advice or opinions. Sometimes you receive a nugget of gold, and sometimes you have to roll your eyes in disbelief. It’s up to you to decipher what to take on board, and what to discard, but the effort is worth it. Seeking the counsel […]
The past few months have created a huge upsurge in online traffic and communication. Throughout March, April and May, Google in New Zealand saw an increase in use of approximately 70%, and Facebook saw about a 60% increase in traffic. This massive increase has pawned various opportunities and underlined the […]
This month, I decided to have a chat with a fellow entrepreneur, Win Charlebois the founder of The Diamond Shop. Win is an expat American, having graduated from the University of Denver in 1966. Win began a career in jewellery in 1983 as a director of Walker & Hall, working […]
A lot of entrepreneurs celebrate failure and attribute a lot of their success from the lessons they have gained whilst going through tough times. Personally, I don’t like failing one little bit and therefore try my utmost to avoid it. Despite my best efforts however, some of my businesses have...
All entrepreneurs have a bit of ego, we are often intrinsically competitive, driven and have an unwavering belief in what we are trying to achieve. I believe you need to be a bit eccentric and maybe a bit crazy to live the life of an entrepreneur. Sometimes however, our drive […]
My day job is owning and running Pure SEO, New Zealand’s largest and most awarded search marketing agency. It is therefore not surprising that I am obsessed with marketing strategies and measuring their results. Over the past decade, we have tried lots of different strategies, from zany radio adverts and […]
I’ve been involved with SEO since 2002. Throughout that time, there have always been people trying to ‘game’ the system or take short cuts that can risk getting their clients’ website a Google penalty. This was the reason behind my decision to writing a book for Penguin Random House about […]
Last year was a phenomenal year for me both professionally and personally; my business grew dramatically, my work load lessened, I connected well with my family, I visited countries on my bucket list, I wrote a book (to be published in April) and I worked hard on my physical fitness […]
Having just completed writing a book about SEO for Penguin Random House, I spent much of the last six months doing a deep dive into how to create a winning digital strategy for businesses in New Zealand and Australia. Through this research, I discovered one thing that companies spend a […]
I have been lucky enough to have a business that has grown every year since its inception. There have been times where things have been difficult and I have had to dig in and work all hours to steady the ship. These times helped me learn a number of lesson […]
At Pure SEO we measure everything. We look at the source of all our inbound leads, the conversion rate of those leads, the cost to acquire them and the client duration. Over the last 9 years this has given us a valuable insight into what actually works, why it works […]
In her commencement address to a graduating class of Harvard, distinguished novelist, philanthropist, film producer, television producer and screenwriter, Joanne Rowling, said: “Failure taught me things about myself that I could have learned no other way. I discovered that I had a strong will, and more discipline than I had...
It’s very easy for us to conform to stereotypes and to inadvertently mould our children with these preconceptions. Boys are usually given action figures, guns and the like and girls are usually often dressed in pink and surrounded by dolls, princesses and fairy tales where they are rescued by the...
Twenty years ago, I stepped into the business world. Today, I wouldn’t change a day of it. That’s not to say it’s all been plain-sailing—there have certainly been challenging times. It’s these challenging times that have taught me the most, especially about how to lead people. However, there are certainly […]
2018 is well underway and, hopefully you’re still full of the energy and enthusiasm you had when first setting your goals or resolutions for the new year. For many, that will mean an eye on a promotion, so this month I wanted to highlight Ashley Williams, who’s been a shining […]
I turned 40 the other day. As an entrepreneur in the digital marketing space, I thought I was young, trendy, and at the forefront of new thinking. Turns out, I’m no longer quite so young. So, I did what anyone would do when they have this realisation: Live vicariously through […]
Moving to a new country can be fraught with challenges. So, what about those people – the entrepreneurial types – who emigrate and start a new business in a foreign country? I can speak from experience on this one, having set up Pure SEO with just $200, only a couple...
The idea of authenticity is not new; Shakespeare wrote, in Hamlet – back in the early 1600s – “to thine own self be true” and much more recently, it’s become a buzzword in the personal development space before taking root in our work lives and leadership culture. A simple Google...
I once heard it said that a successful negotiation is when both parties feel a little aggrieved. Put another way, this is the idea that if both people feel only a little hard done by, then the negotiation was probably fair. The reality is that negotiation involves compromise and, especially...
My appreciation of the efforts of young entrepreneurs is no secret. This month, I wanted to introduce you to Donielle Brooke, Founder and Creative Director of Designer Wardrobe. I was an early investor in Designer Wardrobe, and I never cease to be impressed by what Donielle manages to achieve, despite the...
Many marketers think the wider their potential market is, the greater the opportunities for marketing. But, the options for more specialised, niche businesses also abound. Successful marketing is all about appropriate and relevant targeting and it’s hard to do that if your market is “anyone – men and women –...
As part of my role in the Entrepreneur’s Organization (EO), I’m part of putting on the annual Global Student Entrepreneurs Awards (GSEA) and, each year, I’m absolutely blown away by the talent and ideas that some of these young people have. There are many ‘student in business’ success stories; from...
We’re not all Ivanka Trump who has the backing of her ‘daddy’ to help her set up a business of her choosing, nor are we likely to be surrounded by the politics that she experienced in February this year when her father called out Nordstorm for their decision to no...
