TV3 and 60 Minutes reporter and anchor, Mike McRoberts took part in YES at Christchurch’s Hilmorten High School in 1983 developing a student identity and discount card.
Mike shares his story, the lessons from YES that apply to his role today and tips for doing your own thing.
Connect with Mike:
Twitter | @mrmikemcroberts
Already a successful technology entrepreneur Rod Drury co-founded online accounting software company Xero in July 2006 with Hamish Edwards.
Xero is listed on the New Zealand Stock Exchange, has staff in six countries and recently surpassed NZ$50 billion in transactions and 50,000 business customers.
Rob shares his YES story and tips for making ideas reality.
Connect with Rod:
Website | www.xero.com
Blog | www.blog.xero.com
Twitter | @roddrury
We chatted with Judith Maguire about teaching YES and career changes
YES Teacher | Tauranga Girls College, Otumoetai College, Waiuku College, Strathallan College and Macleans College
Judith Maguire has had a long association with YES through her 30 year teaching career. Not only did YES provide a learning opportunity for her students, but through Judith’s involvement, she admits to picking up a few lessons herself. Currently a manager for a thoroughbred breeding and pre training farm in Karaka, Judith is working with an outstanding entrepreneur- an individual who has attained exporter of the year for 2011 (associated owner of the hanger co. and Sistema).
By surrounding herself in a driven environment, Judith is involved in working with the stock manager to develop and enhance the farm to make it one of the top in New Zealand.
Their aim is to produce top bloodstock as well as an outstanding spectacle. The farm is currently being developed from scratch, to be a world class breeding and pre-training facility.
Throughout her teaching career Judith draws upon found memories; taking two trips to Singapore to experience the rewards of a year’s hard work and dedication; Otumoetai College’s ‘For Kidz sake’ and ‘Akonga Enterprises’. Judith holds great pride in the many teams she was associated with over the years and believes the YES scheme is outstanding in providing structure and discipline, to the creativity of young business people in New Zealand.
As a teacher the benefit she derived from her students was the “uninhibited creativity which was transferred to a business concept, through a structured manner with enthusiasm and focus. Teamwork and self-fulfillment resulted in success which cannot be simulated in the classroom”.
Judith stands today as an advocate for the YES program and has been lucky enough to work with several mentors from communities, contributing to the success of several of her students companies, pertaining that “the structure of YES has evolved to enhance competition and to strive for excellence”.
Judith Maguire’s three tips for budding entrepreneurs:
1. Persistence with an open mind to improve on ideas.
2. Undertake market research which is honest and will stand the test of time.
3. Financial planning is critical!
Commercial Property Investor, Founder of Orcon and current CEO at Voyager Internet, Seeby Woodhouse shares his YES story.
Connect with Seeby
Website | http://www.seeby.com/
LinkedIN | http://www.linkedin.com/in/seeby
Facebook | http://www.facebook.com/seebys
Murray Trim, Decision Support Manager at Foodstuffs South Island shares his YES story with us.
School | Hutt valley Memorial College in Petone
Inspired by what he learned with YES, Murray started his own small business after completing study and he was on plan to run his own traditional accounting business.
Instead Murray now leads a team of eight charged with providing the information requirements of Foodstuffs South Island – a role he prefers “What I am doing now is more exciting and varied. I had no idea the variety of work I am doing was possible in a job”.
Foodstuffs South Island is a New Zealand owned grocery wholesaler with a $2.5b turnover. We supply the New World, Pak ‘n’ Save, Henry’s, Four Square, On The Spot stores as well as hospitality and trade businesses.
Murray has been with Foodstuffs for 21 years and undertaken roles from inwards goods and truck driver to various roles in the accounting team where he completed a BBS part time before settling into his current role.
“I love the variety my role brings. Most of my work is unplanned as it is responding to the changing needs of the business. I could be concentrating a Gross Profit issue with a particular article one day and analysing a multi-million dollar project the next,” said Murray.
Currently a mentor to two YES teams, Murray is a enthusiastic advocate for YES and we’re thrilled to have his ongoing support.
Murray’s top tips for budding entrepreneurs:
Website | www.foodstuffs-si.co.nz
Chris O'Neill at Bats Theatre
Bats Theatre General Manager Chris O’Neill shares his YES story with us.
School | Hillcrest High School, Hamilton
YES Product | Local Classified Advertising Publication
Chris once thought accounts and accountants were really boring but now his varied role as General Manager at Wellington’s iconic Bats Theatre sees him managing staff, the all important finances and growing and managing external relationships.
‘It wasn’t until I was older that I realised how much fun a role utilising accounting can be’, says Chris of his previous opinion. Always with an eye for a challenge and developing growth Chris recommends YES to students to give them a taste of being a entrepreneur in a small, managed scale. ’A key learning from YES for me was to have no fear, to just go out and ask for what I want.’
Chris’s top tips for budding entrepreneurs:
Connect with Chris:
Website | www.bats.co.nz
LinkedIn | nz.linkedin.com/in/langsphere
CEO and founder of design, advertising and communications agency The Church, Paul Soong shares his YES story and tips for young entrepreneurs.
School | Hutt Valley High School
YES Product | Bright Ideas survival packs
We chatted to Commonwealth Gold Medallist Alison Shanks about YES and the life of a professional cyclist.
School | Queen’s High School, Dunedin
YES Product | Sweet & Saucy – red capsicum sauce
Professional track cyclist Alison Shanks YES company created a profit with their capsicum sauce crafted from a local cooks recipe and this good start in business inspired her to complete a Commerce degree majoring in Marketing. Now Ali continues to apply her business and marketing skills working with her team of sponsors to develop and promote their brands including Ballance Agri-Nutrients, Avanti Cycles, NZ Beef & Lamb, Mizone and 2XU Apparel.
“YES gave me an understanding of all the different components that go into a company to produce one product and the importance of using each individuals expertise in their specialist area to get the best results. At that age you have to make decisions about your future and there are so many options. The YES experience unveiled an area that I found I was passionate about and it helped me decide to go on and do my degree” says Ali of her YES experience.
Ali continues to apply her marketing skills as an ambassador for the New Zealand Olympic Committee helping to promote the London 2012 Games.
As a professional athlete Ali trains around 400km a week on the bike both in the velodrome and on the road along with regular weekly gym sessions. Ali undertakes frequent international travel to races and to training bases (we spoke to Ali from her current base in the USA) but still calls Dunedin home.
“It was always my dream to be a Silver Fern netballer, but I got sick of too much time sitting on the bench so I jumped on a bike and turns out I was pretty good at it!”
Ali’s three tips for budding entrepreneurs:
Connect with Ali:
Website | www.alisonshanks.co.nz
Twitter | www.twitter.com/alisonshanks
2011 YES team Moemoea Records, the combined Queen’s High and King’s High School team.
We chatted to Jo Bishop about her YES experience and the unexpected path it has lead her along.
School | Queen’s High School, Dunedin
YES Product | KABL AD-Ventures
KABL AD-Ventures – the winning group for 2001 produced playing cards that had a different tourist attraction on the face of each card. At the forefront of this business was Jo Bishop, who as a budding entrepreneur at that time thought her future, might be in business of some sort, but then discovered a passion for education.
Jo never thought she would be in the shoes of an education provider passing on her first-hand knowledge from her days involved in the YES, but that’s exactly what happened. Currently living in Dunedin, Jo is teaching Economics, Enterprise and Business Studies passing on her knowledge and experience – especially in Enterprise as a previous 2001 national winner.
Jo has fond memories of going to business meetings, having a waiting list to become involved as an advertiser on their project, cold calling businesses and most importantly winning the Fletcher Challenge Young Enterprise Company of the year.
Jo Bishop’s three tips for budding entrepreneurs:
1. Passion about your product – if you don’t love it why would anyone else?
2. Confidence – then people will believe in what you are doing and support you.
3. Don’t go into business with friends (go into business to make
friends). No matter how good you think it will be at the beginning,
it is very hard to be honest with them, especially during the hard
times. This is something everyone says to young people, but they
often think that they know better and don’t listen, then later on when
they have been let down it can ruin friendships and be difficult to
confront them about issues.
Partner at Movac, Mark Vivian shares with us his YES experience and tips for budding entrepreneurs.
School | Scotts College, Wellington
YES Product | Lap Trays
Mark has created and grown successful businesses in New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States. Along the way, he has experienced two highly successful IPOs on the NASDAQ and London Stock Exchange. Mark has also founded an award-winning venture to harness New Zealand’s expat community and worked with 150+ New Zealand businesses to access global markets through this network. He has held senior management positions with an iconic New Zealand business, managing commercial contracts worth more than $US500 million.
Movac is an investment manager that backs New Zealand businesses with the potential for rapid and large-scale growth. The philosophy of the Movac Investor Group is to back high growth potential businesses that will provide the foundations for the next wave of prosperity for the New Zealand economy. Movac has a track record of investment success, most notably in Trademe.
Website | www.movac.co.nz
