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 with the owner to transition...
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 not gone to plan. Even...
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 for success clouds what we...
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 sponsoring events, to traditional media...
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 DIY SEO. Released on the...
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 and health. Looking forward to...
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 lot of time on –...
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 along the way, to help...
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 and the value of each...
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 suspected. The knowledge that you...
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 handsome prince. Having both a...
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 mistakes I could have done […]
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 star at Pure SEO over...
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 those around them. This month, […]
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 of months after coming to […]
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 search shows how prolific the […]
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 when conflict is involved, we […]
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 challenges she’s faced. Donielle was […]
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 – aged 5 to 95”. Although […]
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 Facebook’s humble beginnings in a […]
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 longer stock her brand. So […]
The world of search is often thought of as being shrouded in mystery – and acronyms such as PPC, CPA, CTR. As well as strange-sounding software like Crazy Egg and Screaming Frog do little to dispel this notion. However, despite the jargon, a lot of what it takes to succeed in search is actually based...
Since Pure SEO was started in 2009, we have grown at an astronomic rate; we have been listed by Deloitte in the 500 fastest growing tech companies in the Asia Pacific for the past 4 consecutive years. All that growth has meant that time management has become a crucial aspect of my day to day […]
One of the best things about being an entrepreneur is the learning from the amazing people I meet, many of whom are extremely open to sharing their personal experiences in a very candid manner. On a recent trip to London where I attended the Entrepreneurs Organisation (EO) London University I was privileged to meet Debra […]
Whether you’re lighting the business world on fire or building your own personal brand, it’s all about leading from the front. This could be tackling a new way of doing something, or being innovative – after all, you don’t have to actually be in a leadership role to lead from the front. Read on for […]
In an age of increased competition when it comes to available products and services, how do you make it to the top of people’s consideration set, and ensure that they want to do business with you? 1. Quality, keyword-rich content First you need to make sure people know about, and can find, you. A quality […]
Making a dream a reality has no doubt crossed the minds of many people, but only a few actually set out to live the dream. This is often due to the restraints we put on ourselves and the fear of the unknown. But if you do decide to stop sleeping with your dreams and instead […]
For some, throwing money around is an easy way to make their team feel valued. While money is a great motivator for many of us, it can only do so much. To ensure your team works to their greatest capacity, it’s important to ensure they feel valued around the clock (not just on payday). Empower […]
When running a business, it’s easy to focus on day-to-day tasks and get wrapped up in what’s happening right here, right now. But can you create a truly successful business if you’re only able to view it from one angle? Stepping back and getting a more holistic view can help mitigate problems before they arise […]
We live in exciting times. The current rate of disruption is unprecedented – industries are morphing and evolving seemingly overnight with the aid of technology. Who would have thought that the largest taxi company in the world would own no taxis, or that Airbnb would be valued at $25.5 billion, again, without owning any accommodation. […]
Having a great company culture is not an option; it is absolutely fundamental to growing a thriving, successful organisation. It is important to understand however, that as a company grows, the culture evolves with it. As an organisation evolves it develops in a direction that is good for both the business and its people. An […]
