Marisa Fong is a pioneering entrepreneur who transformed the recruitment industry in New Zealand. She co-founded Madison Recruitment and scaled it from a two-person startup into a 100-strong enterprise, all without a college degree. In this episode, she explains:◽️How being underestimated became her biggest edge◽️Sales-first strategies that built a national business◽️Why recurring revenue is non-negotiable◽️What psychological safety really looks like at work◽️The mindset shift every first-time founder needsEpisode Sponsor:Academy Ex - https://shorturl.at/JLutF Timestamp00:00 – Intro02:39 – How Marisa Fong’s Mother Shaped Her Work Ethic and Leadership04:21 – Why Marisa Fong Chose Entrepreneurship Over University08:28 – How Marisa Fong’s Husband Became a Stay-at-Home Dad and Broke Stereotypes09:44 – Starting a Business With the Right Partner: Tips for Founders14:32 – Why Purpose and Values Matter in Long-Term Business Growth17:42 – How Marisa Fong Supports Women Entrepreneurs in Aotearoa19:22 – Why Specialization Beats One-Stop Shops in Modern Recruitment24:45 – How to Pitch Your Startup to Investors in a Competitive Market25:58 – AD28:07 – Mentorship vs Coaching: What Early-Stage Founders Really Need31:06 – Marketing to Female Founders: Solving Overwhelm with Done-For-You Solutions32:53 – Timeless Marketing Principles: How to Look Big and Build Trust34:35 – Investing in Brand and Perception: Why Professionalism Matters36:46 – Physical Offices vs. Remote Work: What Works for Recruitment Today37:39 – Would You Start a Recruitment Company Again? Adapting to AI and Tech39:47 – End-to-End AI Recruitment: The Future of Hiring and Workflow Automation42:36 – Common Mistakes New Entrepreneurs Should Avoid in NZ45:15 – How to Stay Resilient Through Business Highs and Lows48:00 – The Power of Listening and Leading With Empathy50:26 – Marisa’s Personal Growth Journey as a Business Leader53:14 – Creating Opportunities for Underrepresented Founders in NZ56:02 – Business Beyond Profit: Giving Back and Creating Impact59:11 – How Founders Can Align Vision With Daily Execution1:01:04 – Business Basics: How to Understand Your Costs, Profit, and Cash Flow1:04:47 – Why Marisa Fong Chose to Exit a Thriving Business1:07:22 – Final Advice From Marisa Fong to the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs1:10:03 – Where to Follow Marisa Fong and Learn More About Her WorkFollow Marisa:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/marisafong Follow Me https://www.instagram.com/notesfromtheexecutivepodcast/Listen on: Apple podcast: https://shorturl.at/UkJ8vSpotify: https://shorturl.at/YW7bX Episode Sponsor:Academy Ex - https://shorturl.at/JLutF#femaleentrepreneur #scaleyourbusiness #salesmindset #nzculture #founderstory #noclientsproblem #psychologicalsafety #cashflowtips #recurringrevenuebusiness #buildwithoutinvestors #nichemarketingstrategies #cofounderadvice #aiinrecruitment #newzealandentrepreneurs #marisafong #businesswithoutadegree #kiwis #businessleadership #businessowner #businesstips

Scott Wilson is a New Zealand-based digital marketing strategist and expert and the founder of Digital Influence, a Christchurch-based marketing agency in New Zealand.

Episode Sponsor:

⁠ @academyex ⁠ https://shorturl.at/JLutF

He explains:

◽️ How sending this item helped grab attention of high-ticket clients every time

◽️ Why most digital agencies are selling you the wrong thing, and how to spot it

◽️ What’s possibly going to be hot in marketing in 2-3 years time

◽️ What it takes to build a digital marketing company from scratch

Timestamps:

00:00 – Intro

00:30 – Why In-Person Marketing Still Works in 2025

01:25 – How to Know If Your Business Idea Will Work

03:34 – How to Find a Gap in the Digital Marketing Industry

06:50 – How Scott Got Clients by Hosting Free Seminars

07:54 – Why You Shouldn’t Wait to Be Perfect Before Starting

09:23 – Best Video Script for Personal Branding and Trust

10:26 – The Simplest Video Script That Works Every Time

12:31 – Why Spending on Ads Early Helps Your Business

13:52 – The Core Formula for Consistent Marketing Results

15:15 – Creating Your Ideal Customer Avatar (Colin & Claire)

17:43 – Turning Customer Pain Points Into Content

20:30 – Don’t Build a Fancy Website First – Do This Instead

21:42 – Shy Entrepreneurs? Join Toastmasters to Build Confidence

24:47 – Teach Only What You’ve Done to Build Authority

27:25 – How Conversations at Events Can Turn Into Clients

28:59 - AD

30:09 – Red Flags: How to Spot Bad Clients Early

32:17 – Signs a Client Isn’t Ready or a Good Fit

33:25 – How to Qualify Clients Who Want to Win

35:42 – How to Price a Strategy Session at $499

36:44 – What Happens in a High-Value Strategy Session

41:51 – Genius Direct Mail: Sending Hammers to Get Clients

44:16 – Why the Hammer Campaign Worked So Well

45:21 – Using Reciprocity to Increase Your Marketing ROI

47:39 – Why Face-to-Face Events Will Dominate in 2025

49:19 – Building a Product Ladder: Free to High-Ticket Offers

51:47 – Why the Word ‘Audit’ Doesn’t Work in Sales Offers

53:33 – What’s Inside a 45-Page Marketing Strategy Report

55:57 – Hiring Mistakes: Lessons from My First Employee

58:08 – Biggest Mistakes I Made as a Marketing Founder

1:02:03 – If I Lost Everything, Here’s How I’d Rebuild

1:04:00 – Start With This: Talk to the Market First

Follow Scott:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottwilson10x/

Follow me:

linkin.bio/minaamso

Listen on:

Apple podcast: https://shorturl.at/UkJ8v

Spotify: https://shorturl.at/YW7bX

Watch episodes:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLV02UOsnqLn4F2Ekrg_xUFvnl-tStCh14&si=C0j5h87OrmIcStUK

Episode Sponsor:

@academyex https://shorturl.at/JLutF

#entrepreneurmindset #scaleyourbusiness #marketingstrategy2025

#digitalmarketingtips #founderstory #businessgrowthhacks #clientacquisition

#startupadvice #highperformancebusiness #growyourbrand #marketingforservicebusiness #marketingfunnel #leadconversiontips #trustedmarketingadvice #buildabusiness #zeroresultsbigmistake #marketingcaseexample #noclientsproblem #digitalmarketingagencylife #salesandmarketingstrategy#valuefirstmarketing

Frances Valintine is a leader and disrupter in tech and education. She's changed learning for over 100,000 people through AcademyEX and The Mind Lab in New Zealand.She's an award winning futurist and innovator with a focus on digital technology, she helps mid-career professionals adjust to technological changes in their careers and businesses.

She's helped deliver postgraduate qualifications to over 8,000 Kiwis and trained more than 100,000 people through short courses and online programs.She explains ◽️ Why AI is bigger than the internet ◽️ Why if you're 40+ you need to gear up◽️ How to shift from analogue business model to a digital business model◽️ The #1 Mindset Shift for Learning New Skills in Your 40sEpisode Sponsor: @academyex MasterClass - https://shorturl.at/JLutFTimestamps: 00:00 – Intro01:31 – Quick Message From the Host02:05 – Representing New Zealand on Global Tech Delegations03:14 – What Legacy Really Means to a Visionary Educator04:44 – How a Shy Farm Girl Became a Global Education Disruptor06:32 – What It’s Like to See the Future Before Others Do07:03 – How to Spot Trends Before They Happen: Francis’ Research Method08:26 – Lifetime Achievement Awards Too Soon? Reflections on Success09:30 – How to Handle Rejection and Pushback as a Pioneer10:36 – Does Imposter Syndrome Hit Women in Tech Harder?12:34 – The #1 Mindset Shift for Learning New Skills in Your 40s15:00 – How Francis Avoids Distraction and Stays Focused16:42 – The Power of Grounding Relationships and Personal Cheerleaders18:34 – The Origin Story of AcademyEX & The Mind Lab20:46 – Why Education Must Adapt to the Digital World23:40 – AI Is Bigger Than the Internet: What That Means for You26:18 – Why You Need to Learn AI or Risk Becoming Obsolete29:21 – What to Do If You’re 40+ and Feeling Stuck in Your Career32:14 – How to Reinvent Yourself in Midlife: The “You’re Not Done Yet” Mindset32:55 – How to Choose the Right Type of Learning for You36:31 - AD37:24 – From Media Design School to Building Lifelong Learning Institutions41:24 – Post-Covid Learning: Rebuilding Human Connection Through Education42:11 – How Learning Communities Solve the Loneliness Crisis46:50 – Finding New Purpose and People After 40 Through Collaborative Learning46:56 – Why Midlife Is the Most Powerful Time to Learn and Grow48:29 – How Collaborative Classrooms Drive Real-World Innovation50:00 – Why Shared Learning Experiences Stick Better Than Solo Study52:30 – Frances Will Personally Teach the AI Masterclass at AcademyEX53:02 – How to Future-Proof Your Business With AI & Disruptive Tech55:00 – Digital vs Analog Business: What’s Holding You Back?57:51 – Why Most Small Businesses Are Falling Behind Digitally59:32 – Hard-Earned Entrepreneurial Lessons for Business Resilience1:00:55 – Final Thoughts and Farewell From FrancesFollow Frances:MasterClass Aug 16 - https://shorturl.at/JLutFPersonal Website: www.francesvalintine.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/francesvalintineEpisode Sponsor:​ ⁨ @academyex MasterClass - https://shorturl.at/JLutF