Podcasts about bluebridge

KiwiRail admits it may be helping out its competition by reducing its Interislander fleet to two. Aratere will be retired when demolition begins on its decaying dock in Picton late this year or early next, to add infrastructure for new ships. Two new ferries are due in 2029. KiwiRail Chief Executive Peter Reidy told Mike Hosking some passengers may opt now to travel with Bluebridge. He says capacity is spread between the companies when one faces an issue. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The journey to building and scaling a successful business is messy, challenging, and full of lessons. In this special episode of After the First Million, we reflect on the most impactful conversations from the past year, highlighting the key themes that define the entrepreneurial journey.A special thanks to our guests who joined us this year:Tiffany Sauder, CEO of Element ThreeDagan Xavier, founder of Label InsightDevin Bramhall, former CEO of AnimalzRich Hagberg, founder of Hagberg Consulting GroupAdam Weber, co-founder of Bluebridge and EmplifySims Foster, co-founder of Foster Supply HospitalityKevin Bailey, co-founder of DreamfuelLindsay Roselle, COO of BossBabeJeremy Reymer, founder of DriverReach Lindsay Tjepkema, co-founder of CastedNick Smarrelli, former CEO of GadellNetLee Rubin, founder of ConfettiMichael King, founder of KFE Solutions and The CFO AcceleratorBrian Powers, founder of PactSafe (now Ironclad)Mark Caswell, former CEO of ResultantSharon Rechter, co-founder of First MediaSteven Plappert, co-founder of ForecastrChad Peterman, president and CEO of Peterman BrothersJoin us as we reflect on these lessons and carry them into the year ahead.In this episode, you'll learn:Risk and resilience in entrepreneurship: Success comes from embracing failure as part of the journey. Building resilience allows entrepreneurs to push through challenges and keep their vision alive.Leadership and personal growth: Great leadership starts with personal growth. By understanding their strengths and areas for improvement, leaders can evolve alongside their businesses.Balancing work with personal life and mental health: Sustainable success requires balance. Prioritizing wellness enables leaders to show up more effectively for their teams and families.Building and maintaining company culture: Culture is what makes a business thrive. Align your team with core values to create stronger connections and long-term success.Navigating growth and scaling challenges: Scaling is about adaptability. Leaders who stay agile and focus on repeatable processes are better prepared to overcome the complexities of growth.Jump into the conversation:(00:00) Reflecting on a year of business lessons (04:38) Risk and resilience in entrepreneurship(07:29) Leadership and personal growth(11:03) Balancing work, personal life, and mental health(16:28) Building and maintaining company culture(21:34) Navigating growth and scaling challenges(25:45) Here's to the next million

Anyone who thought the ferry debate was over for summer was very wrong. The weekend papers were full of reckons and I reckon it's because it's a bigger piece of infrastructure than many realise. Sure a lot of tourists and locals travel on it, heading on adventures or heading home, but $30 billion dollars worth of freight between the North and South Island depends on it too. So the reckons were about who screwed it up more. Nicola Willis, Grant Robertson or KiwiRail itself. Then there was debate over Winston's hijacking of the job and whether this will play out well or badly for him. The conversation about rail enabled or rail capable rumbled on and whether just letting Bluebridge have the whole job was a good idea, since their boats don't seem to break down or run aground. Steven Joyce commented on the nostalgic choice of Kaiwharawhara for the ferry port, a very earthquake prone reclamation. But if not there then where Steven? Relocating the port to a seismically more stable location could be even more expensive. It was all politically tinged, and that to me is the big problem. The best thing I saw was a comment by the political commentator Liam Hehir, who noted that when Grant Robertson first saw the plans KiwiRail had he told them to go back and try again. Then he failed to put the expenditure into the pre election financial update. That means one of two things. They were going to hide it, but $3 to $4 billion is really too big to hide. Or, more likely, they hated the idea too. In other words no one a year ago knew what to do and no one liked the idea on the table. How refreshing might it have been if that was said openly a year ago. Then we could have had a properly informed debate and made a grown up decision, instead we've had posturing and virtue signalling about who's right or wrong, left or right, while a $$30 billion dollar trade route slowly falls apart. This whole thing is another example of how the best infrastructure decisions are made without politicians. Because they play games that mask the real issues.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Finance Minister Nicola Willis said “I have delivered” yesterday —after announcing the Government's so-called plan for the Cook Strait ferries— what she really meant was: “I've had a gutsful of this lot fighting over it and I'm out.” She was throwing her arms in the air because she's had enough of NZ First and ACT squabbling over what should happen with the ferries, and so she went to the Prime Minister and said, “I'm done”. She said to Christopher Luxon, “if Winston thinks he can do better, then let him do it”. And, as of yesterday, he is apparently going to do it in his new role as Minister of Rail. That's my theory on how things have played out behind the scenes in the lead-up to yesterday, but the evidence is there. Because it's obvious, isn't it, that there's been a spat in Cabinet. Which is why they've managed to do absolutely nothing over the past 12 months. They've been squabbling over whether they should get ferries capable of transporting trains. And they've been squabbling over whether the ferry service should continue to be a government-run thing or whether it should be handed over to the private sector, which is what David Seymour wants. He thinks Bluebridge runs a pretty good operation, so why couldn't another private operator do the same? But, either way, I reckon even died-in-the-wool National supporters can't deny that this ferry thing has turned into a real cluster, and what happened yesterday was a circus. And everyone sitting around that Cabinet table should be hanging their heads in shame. The big negotiators. The big talkers. It's come to nothing and it's going to be the second half of next year before we have any idea what's going to happen, and 2029 before we see any new ferries. And that's probably being pretty optimistic. It was Winston Peters who got the iRex project underway in the first place when he was in government with Labour between 2017 and 2020. On Newstalk this morning he admitted that he's even embarrassed by how it's all played out, but he's the guy who's going to fix, apparently. There was no information forthcoming yesterday about the trains being capable of carrying trains or not. Nothing about the cost. And Winston Peters wasn't budging on that when he spoke on radio today, either. "Help is on its way," is all he would say. All this bravado a year after Nicola Willis pulled the plug on the iRex project, saying it had gone way over budget and she was going to come up with a cheaper alternative. Remember her banging on about getting a Toyota Corolla inter-island ferry service, instead of the Ferrari service she said the iRex project had become? Well, it was all talk. We don't even have a Toyota Corolla. We've got a Hillman Hunter - and that's being kind to the clapped out ferries that are servicing Cook Strait at the moment. It's also being unkind to Hillman Hunters. And we will be using the Hillman Hunters until at least 2029 because of the Government's inaction. What a circus.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Well that was confusing. When Nicola Willis blew up Kiwirail's plan for new ferries she promised a better plan, and yesterday we got that plan. They're going to form a new company to buy some ferries. No news about which ferries and what format they're in. Nothing about what's happening portside. There was also an invitation to private industry to come up with a better solution. So no new ferries, no new ports, no ships ordered, and no idea that private industry already provides a service, that is Bluebridge. It was an announcement of an announcement, which we already lampooned the last government with. It was ideological. It was government spending and this government doesn't like that so they cancelled it without thinking about the long term consequences. It was not based on business practice, or financial logic. It was not on brand and it's harming reputationally. Put this in business terms, they broke a contract for ships that was a good deal. Okay, maybe you thought they were too big, but it was a bloody good price for what they were - $550 million. But breaking the contract puts a flag above our head, not to mention the break fee. Now we have a company desperately in the market and the providers of new boats or second hand realise our weakened position. The government just needs a boat to save their face, and sellers will no longer sharpen their pencils. Meanwhile portside costs continue to escalate. In a government that prides itself in business acumen and ability in mergers and acquisitions they have given themselves a weak hand going forward. I've already said this government knows the price of everything and the value of nothing, but now they're crippled by analytical paralysis. In other words, they don't know what to do and so they do nothing. And when they do finally do something they'll find they don't have a strong position. Meanwhile the bills build up and you and I will have to pay for it with our taxes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cabinet today, and the promise this week is that we're going to get a ferry plan. Apparently there might be an announcement on Wednesday. It's been a year since Nicola Willis pulled the plug on the Kiwirail's ferry plan and it wasn't because the ferries were so expensive, in fact, these ferries were a really good deal. It was because of the cost of the port side developments. And I think this is something that gets lost in the whole debate when we talk about it. The ships weren't the problem. The misconception is that the cost was blowing out because the ferries were bigger than our previous fleet. So the biggest factor in the cost blowout was the relocation and the rebuilding of both the Kiwirail and Bluebridge ferries to get them out of an earthquake zone. There was also the need for the new port to have considerable earthquake strengthening. Look where the Wellington port is and how far away it is from the main fault line. You need to earthquake strengthen this. Our ports at the moment fall down, and they did last what time during Kaikoura. So there's a need for a considerable earthquake strengthening. Kiwirail also wanted a gold plated ferry terminal which would last long term so that you walk into it and it's like, wow, this is amazing. And then finally on top of that, the ports needed to be a bit longer. So, from what I've heard so far, it seems as though the government will pick up some second-hand boats which actually have more life after them than before them, but that's what happens when you pick up a second-hand boat. But that's not really an issue unless of course, unless they start falling apart as soon as we get them. So when we look at this plan that comes out this week, we need to be looking at the port rather than the boats. Will it be relocated? Will it be strong enough to bear up to the inevitable earthquake? Will the terminal be comfy or will the terminal be a chilly shed? And how much do you want to spend on this? Kiwirail was arrogant thinking that the government would provide them with their billions on their say so a blank check. The government wasn't wrong to say tally ho. But the government now has to prove that their plan is not just a second hand option that will continue to provide headaches in the years to come, because the indisputable fact is we are a country that's mostly spread over two islands with 26 miles of very treacherous water between them. And so the infrastructure that connects the two of us together is absolutely 100% critical. So let's see what this plan is coming out on Wednesday, we hope. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Authentic leadership involves balancing composure with vulnerability.Like all founders, Adam Weber started out as a “clunky” leader, unsure of what strategies to use to rally his team. From his experience co-founding Bluebridge and Emplify (which was acquired by 15Five), Adam shares his growth as an executive, the challenges of building a transparent culture, and how coaching has profoundly impacted both his personal and professional life.Tune in to hear how Adam's journey led him to discover a passion for executive coaching and his secrets to staying resilient through the ups and downs of business.In this episode, you'll learn:Lead Authentically for Real Impact: Authenticity in leadership isn't just a buzzword; it's transformative. When you lead as your authentic self, it drives genuine team performance and a thriving culture. Remember, your realness is your greatest asset—use it!Culture Building in Remote Teams: Growing a company remotely comes with its own set of complexities, especially when it comes to establishing a strong culture. Transparency and intentionality are your secret weapons. Clearly communicate your vision and values so your team feels united even while dispersed.Scalable Success Without Losing Vision: Growth can feel like navigating a minefield, but maintaining scalable processes while keeping sight of your original vision is pivotal. Prioritize structures that grow with you; let's turn your dreams into sustainable realities.Jump into the conversation:(00:00) Meet Adam(04:44) The birth of Bluebridge(11:55) Transition to Emplify(16:05) Building a culture company(24:20) The importance of authentic leadership(29:07) The role of peer groups and coaches(36:44) Making and socializing decisions(39:46) Balancing work and family life

The bottom of the North Island and top of the South Island have been hit by strong winds in last 12 hours, with more bad weather on the way. In Wellington at least 28 flights were cancelled and a Bluebridge ferry required the help of a tug to berth. Meterologist Clare O'Connor spoke to Corin Dann.

A problem with fuel may be behind the Bluebridge ferry losing power in the Cook Strait last month, according to Wellington's harbourmaster. The Connemara blacked out after leaving Wellington and drifted for more than two hours off the south coast before being rescued by tug boats. The beleagured vessel has had even more problems since then - stopping it from sailing as recently as last night. Reporter Lauren Crimp spoke to Lisa Owen.

Tonight on the Huddle, CEO of the Maxim Institute Tim Wilson and Ali Jones from Red PR joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! A sea turtle was filmed struggling in an oil spill near the HMNZS Manawanui wreck site. How much money should we be putting into fixing this disaster? Auckland dog shelters are forced to euthanise more dogs than at any point in the past decade - 11 per day. Sophia Crestani coronial findings and calls for improved safety at student parties. How feasible is this? Tui's 'Yeah right' billboard referencing Philip Polkinghorne falls flat with social media users. Bluebridge ferry Connemara damages a wharf on Picton in a berthing mishap. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the breakdown of yet another Cook Strait ferry, there are fears that lives could be lost if the Government doesn't step in to bring the country's ailing inter-island services up to scratch. The Bluebridge ferry Connemara drifted for nearly two hours after it lost powerlast night, Bill Hickman has more.

The Bluebridge ferry failure is costing one freighter big bucks, with the company calling for a better service across the State Highway One of the water. The Bluebridge ferry Connemara was towed back to Wellington's Pipitea Wharf early this morning, hours after losing power near Sinclair Head and drifting in the Cook Straight. It was on a freight sailing and had 88 people on board, including 24 passengers and 13 commercial drivers. Booth Logistics had four trucks on board the ferry last night and freights across the straight tens of times each week, CEO Dallas Vince spoke to Lisa Owen.

CentrePort's tugs - the Tapuhi and then the Tiaki - had to tow Bluebridge's Connemara back to Pipitea wharf early this morning, when the ship lost power. 

The Bluebridge ferry Connemara lost all power out around ten-thirty, not long into its freight sailing bound for Picton and drifted for two hours. Reporter Ben Strang spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

The Bluebridge ferry Connemara has made it back to Wellington after losing power and drifting for more than two hours in Cook Strait on Thursday night. Reporter Ben Strang spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

The Bluebridge ferry Connemara with 88 people on board, lost all power at out around ten-thirty last night, not long into its freight sailing bound for Picton. Reporter Ben Strang spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

On today's episode, former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark has told the Security Council it has got to be able to enforce its own resolutions on the Israel-Gaza conflict to be credible, the Bluebridge ferry Connemara with 88 people on board, lost all power at out around ten-thirty last night, not long into its freight sailing bound for Picton, an Auckland entrepreneur says he's got the solution to tough economic times in hospitality - tipping, we have our weekly political panel and we cross the Tasman to get the latest from Australia.

The Bluebridge ferry Connemara is this morning safely tied up at Pipitea wharf in Wellington after losing power last night in the middle of Cook Strait and having to be towed back to port by two tugs. Ben Strang spoke to Corin Dann.

Ian Illig recounts his career path and how he transitioned from being the first salesperson at Bluebridge to starting his own company, Stompbox. He shares his experiences in the tech industry and the challenges of finding product-market fit. Ian also talks about his passion for music and being a songwriter in his band, GREGØRIAN. Allison and Ian's conversation flows from navigating work-life balance to finding product-market fit, and focusing on being a good human along the way.

If it wasn't so vitally important, so serious, and so expensive, you would have to laugh, wouldn't you? Interislander's Aratere ferry will be out of action today after it hit a linkspan coming into a berth in Wellington, damaging its hull.   This is not their first rodeo when it comes to making mistakes. A string of incidents, if you will. Aratere suffered a reported staring failure on June 21st and ran aground in Picton shortly afterwards. It had only returned to full service late last month. What do you know? 9th of August, out of action for a couple of days. The Harbour Master Grant Nalder told the New Zealand Herald the ferry had made contact with a linkspan, which is the dock ramp that allows vehicles to access the ferry. The hull was damaged, but well above the water line, there were no injuries and no oil leaks. So, let's be grateful for small blessings,   Transport Minister Simeon Brown spoke to Heather du Plessis-Allan last night and said at this stage they don't know what caused the ferry to bang into the Wharf and yes, there was a strong wind, but hey, you get those in Wellington.   SB: Ultimately, they'll be looking into that and have more to say about that shortly, but there are high wind conditions here in Wellington right now.   HDPA: Yeah, but that's normal Simeon, that's not really a surprise, is it?   SB: We've been making our point very clearly around the operations of that organisation that they need to be lifting the game, and that's why we're refreshing the board and we're setting very clear expectations.   HDPA: Stoked you're doing it, but they, they keep on crashing the boat in the meantime, don't they?    SB: I want to make it very clear to the public that we have been unimpressed with the way KiwiRail has been managing its assets and operations.   HDPA: But this is not an asset management problem, is it Simeon? I mean this is just somebody being dumb.   SB: Well, we don't know all the answers yet.    HDPA: Yes, well, possibly I should say, possibly being dumb. How long is this thing going to be out of commission for?    SB: I think a couple of days is what I've been advised.   HDPA: Man alive. Are you just pulling your hair out at these people?   SB: Ah, well, yes.   “Ah, well, yes.” Well, you would, wouldn't you?  We've had issue, after issue, after issue. I mean is this normal? Is this just part of the process of sailing a great big ferry? That seas are uncertain, and winds are unpredictable. I mean, you would expect the odd strong zephyr blowing up your jacksie if you were sailing in Wellington, but you know, are they unpredictable? Do they need to hang a tennis ball at the end of the Wharf the way older people do to make sure they don't go into the end of the garage? Would that be helpful? Perhaps a big orange buoy suspended from a crane, so they know how far they've got before they hit the dock perhaps? I don't know. Trying to be helpful, because it is part of State Highway 1, and we've said this before, if freight can't get across, that's a problem. If people can't get across, that's a problem. At this rate, because I know our athletes are forever looking for part-time gigs in between the Olympics, maybe we could harness up the women's gold winning K4 team to tow the bloody freight across the Cook Strait because they would get it there faster and they would be more reliable I'm picking, than KiwiRail and the Interislander.   Because how hard is it to run a ferry service? Clearly it is very, very difficult. I mean, we've even got dear old Bluebridge who had a few oopsies in ‘23. Thinking back when I was growing up, the only thing that stopped the ferries back in the day were the unions, who went on strike every school holidays. So, our bi-annual trips to the South Island were all very touch and go. We weren't quite sure if the ferries were going to sail, but that was because the unions went on strike, not because a ferry had run itself into a wharf, or run aground, or had automatic pilot put on, or there was no question that the ship was seaworthy. Perhaps that's why we had unions, they'd go on strike until they were certain that the ships were seaworthy.   But I mean, how hard can it be to go from point A to point B? To go across a channel that we've been going across for more than 100 years. Is it the quality of the ships we have, the quality of the workmanship from the people who work on these ferries? What's gone so horribly, horribly wrong? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I think we've reached the point where people are going to be asking themselves not only “if I book a ticket on the Interislander, how confident can I be that they won't cancel on me?” I think we're at the point now we're people will also be asking themselves how safe they feel using the service.  I was talking to someone who said after this news about the autopilot on the Aratere the other week, that's them done with the Interislander and, if they want or need to take a ferry across Cook Strait, it will be Bluebridge all the way.  And that's not because of delays. This person has lost confidence in the safety of KiwiRail's Interislander service.  I'm not at that point - yet. For me, I think I can say that if I jumped on an Interislander ferry right now, I'd be pretty confident about getting there safely.   The reliability of the service going ahead and not being cancelled at the last minute is another thing. But I'd feel pretty confident about the safety side of things. But there's a key word there: “pretty”.  I reckon 10 years ago there'd be no “pretty” about it and I'd have no qualms at all about safety. Today, I'm still confident - but not as confident as I used to be.  And KiwiRail should be listening to this. Because the reason my confidence in the safety of its service isn't what it used to be, isn't because of what happened just under three weeks ago when the Aratere ran aground.  It's because of KiwiRail's “nothing to see here” attitude.  Which New Zealand First leader and Acting Prime Minister Winston Peters says is nothing new. He says the people running the Interislander are just continuing what's been happening for years. Not being upfront about things.    Now, I know as much as the next Health & Safety and legal person, that KiwiRail has needed to be careful about this from day one. Because the last thing it wants is the crew who were on-board that ferry the night it ran aground feeling as if they've been thrown under the bus by their employer - and KiwiRail finding itself being hit with personal grievance cases left, right and centre.  Generally, what happens in these situations, is employers just clam-up and say nothing. They bang-on about following a process and investigations and not jumping to conclusions and not pointing fingers.  But that all means nothing when you have political parties speculating on social media —as New Zealand First has been— and when you get internal reports being leaked. As has happened in the past 24 hours.  KiwiRail would have been far better to say, as soon as it knew about this issue with the wrong button being pressed, that the ship had been serviced recently, that what happened when it ran aground seemed to be related to the steering, but it looks like there was some element of human error involved. So emphasise that the ship itself wasn't packing a sad.  If they had done that, it would've done wonders for public confidence in the Interislander. But instead, we've now got people starting to question the safety of the service altogether. Not just its reliability - but its safety.  I hope KiwiRail is listening. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More ferry woes with the Interislander Kaitaki ferry's stabiliser fin missing for more than 18 months. This has resulted in sailings cancelled this week due to large swells, while rival operator Bluebridge could continue with a freight-only service. Meanwhile two KiwiRail board directors have resigned and the chairman has retired early. And parents at Wellington's St Benedict's School are taking bullying complaints to the Education Minister.

Ferry operator Bluebridge has been warned by the Commerce Commission after over compensation for cancelled ferry sailings.  NZ Herald Wellington Issues reporter Georgina Campbell is across the issue and joined Nick Mills for her weekly slot. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Show Description: Join Tim and Slager as they sit down with Adam Weber, the Chief Evangelist at 15Five, a performance management platform focused on driving business results. Adam's journey began as a pastor, leading a church at just 25 years old, before venturing into the corporate world and finding success in sales. He transitioned into entrepreneurship by co-founding Bluebridge Digital, a mobile app platform, and Emplify, an employee engagement measurement platform, both of which he successfully exited. In this episode, Adam shares his unique perspective on leadership, the evolution of workplace culture, and building high-performing teams. He also reflects on his journey through the sale of two companies, the future of work, and his current role as host of the HR Superstars podcast. Tune in for a biographical journey through Adam's career and insights on effective leadership. Show Notes: Introduction and Pastoral Beginnings (5:30 - 7:45): Adam Weber reflects on his early career as a pastor, leading a church at the age of 25. He shares insights into the leadership lessons learned from his pastoral role. Corporate Sales to Entrepreneurship (7:45 - 10:30): From his first corporate sales job, Adam realized he was capable of more. An opportunity to start a mobile app company, Bluebridge Digital, marked his transition into entrepreneurship. Blueprints for Success and Leadership (10:30 - 13:00): Adam discusses the characteristics of his first business partner that led to Bluebridge's success. He also shares how they defined their roles and responsibilities to ensure smooth business operations. Leadership Lessons from Ministry to Business (16:30 - 20:30): Lessons learned from his time as a pastor informed Adam's leadership style and public speaking abilities. He reveals how these skills translated into his entrepreneurial journey and current role. Content Creation and Public Speaking (20:30 - 23:00): Adam discusses his current work as a content creator, public speaker, and podcast host, emphasizing how he's building on his existing expertise while continually learning and sharing new insights. Learning and Growing (23:00 - 28:00): Adam shares his approach to learning and developing content, and then turns the discussion toward Tim and Slager, as they share how 5 years of podcasting have enriched their understanding of their craft. The Four-Day Workweek Debate (28:00 - 33:00): Addressing the topic of a four-day workweek, Adam offers his perspective on its potential to enhance performance management and the evolving workplace landscape. Effective Conversations and Feedback (33:00 - 42:30): Adam dives into best practices for conversations between managers and newly onboarded employees. He details the importance of feedback and how to ensure it's received positively. Journey Through Emplify (42:30 - 49:30): Adam shares his experience transitioning to Emplify, highlighting two surprising findings from employee engagement surveys conducted by the company. Navigating the Sale of Two Companies (49:30 - 55:30): Adam discusses the emotional journey of selling two companies, comparing his experiences and challenges during each sale. Life at 15Five (55:30 - 1:05:15): Adam outlines his role at 15Five post-acquisition, sharing insights from his work on the HR Superstars podcast. Scaling Bluebridge (1:05:15 - 1:08:30): Adam reflects on his experience scaling Bluebridge, focusing on how he maintained composure and leadership during growth phases. Legacy and Impact (1:08:30 - End): Adam concludes with reflections on the legacy he wants to leave and how he aspires to be remembered.

Recorded on January 24 th, 2024 Ian Illig, the cofounder of Stompbox, is an expert in helping B2B founders scale sales. Ian walks us through his “Rules of Sales” that he uses with his clients to accelerate their growth. This is a very thoughtful and fun conversation that can benefit anyone that wants to grow their business. The Rules of Sales (Austin's notes) 1. Focus (on specific customer) 2. Consistent process 3. Prepare the customer (like a doctor tells a patient what's about to happen at the beginning of a visit) 4. Sell to people the way you would want to be sold to 5. Don't mistake having a good conversation with having the right conversation 6. Experimentation – if you consistently lose sales bc of price or a certain feature, bring it up at the beginning to weed people out and disarm, experiment consistently and adjust 7. Companies don't buy stuff, only people buy stuff (target a specific individual at a company) 8. Transparency in the sales process will attract the right buyers (if you have no customers,say so, it's an opportunity for the right buyer 9. Outbound prospecting – plant seeds, it may not be the right time even if you have the right solution 10. Sustainable momentum is found in river currents, not waterfalls – there are budgets at companies for problems they are trying to solve – discover the customer messaging, don't try to create it. Take the customers exact wording about their problem to inform and describe how you are solving it   Helpful Links: Book Recommendation: Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson Product Market Fit: https://growthx.com/blog/5-steps-to-confirm-product-market-fit/ Stompbox: www.stompbox.io Connect with Ian: LinkedIn   Guest Bio: Ian Illig is the Founder & Managing Partner at Stompbox, an Indianapolis-based consultancy that helps B2B business owners grow revenue by developing their sales people, process, and positioning. Before founding Stompbox, Ian spent the previous decade working in various GTM roles at early-stage B2B SaaS startups, two of which grew from $0 >$5M ARR > exit in under 5 years (Emplify and Bluebridge). Outside of work, you'll occasionally find him onstage with his band GREGØRIAN, volunteering locally, and traveling with family and friends. Who are the hosts? Austin Crites, CFA: Austin is a past-president and current committee member of CFA Society Indianapolis. Professionally, he is the Chief Investment Officer at Aurora Financial Strategies where he manages US-focused, all-cap, style-agnostic equity strategies as the core of client portfolios. Austin is a 2008 graduate of Marian University in Indianapolis where he is now an adjunct professor in the Byrum School of Business. Matt Henry, CFA: Matt is a Senior Investment Officer at STAR Wealth Management. He is also a Past President and a director of CFA Society Indianapolis. When he's not managing porfolios, Matt teaches Finance 300 at Ball State University. He enjoys air conditioning, wi-fi, and the conveniences of indoor living.

I think the new Government's actually done at least one thing right this week.  Backing out of the Interislander funding deal was a no-brainer really, if you have any doubt about that, have a look at the piece on the Herald site under the title ‘How to blow $15b.'  That digs into the Auditor-General's report on some of the previous government's insane spending.  Back when Grant was splashing money about like a drunken sailor, anybody with a half-baked plan to burn up a couple of billion was welcomed with open arms.  Cost no object, value for money? Doesn't matter. Possible overruns, blowouts if you like, worry about that later.  Just spend it.  The main reason these new guys don't want to pour buckets of your cash into the Cook Strait ferries is they don't trust the numbers.  Much of the money would have gone on terminal upgrades, and Nicola Willis said she reckoned the numbers were undercooked.  In other words, they think KiwiRail deliberately went in with a low-ball cost in an environment where they knew they could go back for more.  Look, there's no question the Interislanders are at the end of their useful lives and becoming increasingly unreliable, and maybe there's an argument for some level of public contribution. It is after all, a vital transportation link.  Some people see Cook Strait as part of State Highway One, and if you take that view then sure, it's public infrastructure.  And if you think it's right to publicly subsidise rail freight up and down the country, then you have to include crossing the Strait.  But there's also a private operator, BlueBridge, charging more or less the same to take people and cars.  Founded by a New Zealander who saw a need, took a risk, invested, and built a profitable business.  Now look, I'm not saying KiwiRail shouldn't have any state backing, but maybe it needs to try a bit harder making a business case to outside investors.  During the campaign, National talked about finding new ways to fund infrastructure projects.  If ever there was a project that could attract private investment, surely this is it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fierce winds had South Island fire crews dealing with more than 80 cases of ripped roofs, tossed trees, downed powerlines, capsized campervans, and several wildfires. First, there were gale north-westerlies, MetService said gusts topped 120kmh across both Otago and Canterbury. Then, the wind turned - with south-westerly gales hitting 140kmh in Dunedin. The biggest gust - 172kmh - was recorded at Cape Turnagain. Power outages have been reported from the far South to North Canterbury. Bluebridge has cancelled Tuesday's Cook Strait sailings, and Interislander cancelled Monday afternoon's sailings of the Kaiarahi - and none of the fleet is crossing the Strait Tuesday. The disruption is affecting school holiday travellers on the land, sea, and sky with dozens of Air New Zealand flights disrupted. Air New Zealand chief operations officer Alex Marren spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Introducing CoFounder and CEO Brian Spracklen and Retired Police Chief Ken Hohenberg • The concept and backstory for the BlueBridge Alliance program. • How BlueBridge Alliance provides the infrastructure and ongoing support to help put the program in place and be successful.• Discuss in terms of funding the goal to have each agency establish an ongoing program to become self-sufficient via local and community donations.• How the funds are used for community outreach. Brian Spracklen has over 20 years in business strategy and innovation and has worked with some of the world's largest companies, including Samsung, CocaCola, Hershey's and MasterCard. Serving almost 10 years as Managing Director of Maverick Innovation Strategies – a boutique consulting house – he specialized in helping small to mid-sized technology start-ups scale from concept to exit through acquisition.Chief Ken Hohenberg (Ret.) is a 43-year veteran with the Kennewick Police Department. He was appointed Chief of Police in 2003, retiring in 2022. He completed his bachelor's degree in law and justice at Central Washington University and did postgraduate work at the University of Virginia while attending the F.B.I. academy in Quantico, Virginia. Besides being an FBI National Academy graduate, Chief Hohenberg graduated from the Police Executive Research Forum's “Senior Management Institute for Police” at Boston University and the FBI's Law Enforcement Executive Development school. He was an active member of the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs serving as an active member and Past President.Website: https://www.bluebridgealliance.org/Brought to you by J.C. Cooley Foundation  "Equipping the Youth of Today for the Challenges of Tomorrow."Support the show: http://www.cooleyfoundation.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Getting across the Cook Strait has been a logistical challenge over the last few months. The Detail looks at why the ferries have become so unreliable.

There is hope for a smoother sailing for passengers looking to cross Cook Strait over the coming months. Interislander's Kaitaki ferry is returning to service today after being out for more than a month due to a gearbox issue. Both the Bluebridge and Interislander companies have suffered mechanical breakdowns in recent months, leading to hundreds of passenger bookings being canned. Executive General Manager, Walter Rushbrook told Tim Dower it's great the ship is back on the Strait, and it's a perfect day for sailing. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin Milne joins Jack Tame to chat about the irony of our interisland ferries' mechanical problems just when Bluebridge and Interisland ferries were finally offering first-class on-board service. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

KiwiRail and StraitNZ are in the early stages of being investigated. The Commerce Commission has opened investigations into both Cook Strait ferry companies after months of cancelled and delayed sailings. This investigation will examine whether consumers have been accurately informed of their rights to refunds or reimbursements following the disrupted trips. Jon Reeves from the Public Transport Users Association says it's likely that these ferry companies will face a penalty, but the $600,000 fine won't make a difference. "If the average punter who's been affected spent $1000 on their other alternative fares and accommodation, you'd only need 600 punters and that's $600,000 bucks. In reality, it's really not a lot of money they could potentially be fined." LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the Easter weekend and school holidays just days away, things aren't looking good for those trying to cross the Cook Strait. For the third day running, one of Bluebridge's ferries has been stuck sitting in the dock with engineering troubles - leaving passengers with refunds, but no way to rebook. It follows more than a month of cancellations of the Interislander's Kaitaki sailings while it fixes a dodgy gearbox. Our reporter Lauren Crimp and cameraman Angus Dreaver have the story.

An Australian couple have had to cut short their bucket-list New Zealand tour because they can't get on a ferry. On a campervan tour, twice they've had crossings from the South Island to the North Island cancelled, first by the Interislander, and then this week by Bluebridge. Chris Banney and Jenny Cassells planned to spend four weeks in the South Island and two weeks in the North, before flying home to Queensland.  Banney says the trip was extra special because his partner has motor neurone disease, and the couple aren't sure how long she has left. This morning they're heading home, two weeks early, because they're stranded in the South Island. Banney spoke to Corin Dann.   

Days out from the Easter school holidays Bluebridge has again cancelled 4 sailings across Cook Strait today with those affected unable to rebook after cancelling sailings yesterday. One Tauranga woman is facing big bills after her Bluebridge sailing was cancelled yesterday, forcing her to abandon her car in Blenheim and pay out for airfares home to Tauranga.  Gisella Warmenhoven says she's had no luck trying to rebook or even get someone on the line at Bluebridge, and will also have to pay to fly back to Blenheim eventually to pick up her car - a situation she says fces many other cancelled ferry passengers. Warmenhoven spoke to Morning Report.

The Cook Strait ferries have hit yet more troubled waters. Four Bluebridge sailings are cancelled today, leaving more than 1000 passengers on the wrong side of the strait. It's the latest in a string of cancellations by both ferry companies. Soumya Bhamidipati reports.

Ferry services across the Cook Strait are one of Aotearoa's most vital transport links.  They're also one of the most prone to failure.  Recent issues with Interislander and Bluebridge ferries – including failing ships and mayday calls in the middle of storms - have shone the spotlight on the years-long issues with the ferry services that link our country's two islands. So how did this major transport link, once pitched as the key part of a summer vacation, become such a national embarrassment? Today, Damien is joined by senior Wellington reporter and host of the On the Tiles – Local Edition podcast, Georgina Campbell, to discuss why these ferry services have become such an issue.   Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network. Host: Damien VenutoProducers: Shaun D WilsonExecutive Producer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1993, I headed off on a crazy adventure, travelling from Hong Kong to Paris via the Trans-Siberian Express.  I spent about 4 months travelling through China, a country which had only opened up to foreign tourists in the late 1970's. By the late 80's the tourism industry was taking off, but there were still restrictions on where you could go and where you could stay, it had to be in foreigner approved accommodation, and what currency you could use. Needless to say, we didn't always stick to the rules, and the locals didn't mind.  There were plenty of areas where foreigners were exactly that – very foreign, very novel. I was travelling with Carol, a beautiful renaissance looking blonde, and the simple act of her buying a watermelon could draw a crowd of a couple of hundred people, all witnessing the transaction with utter fascination.  When it came to buying a ferry ticket in Chongqing to get to Shanghai, being foreign was a nightmare. We would queue – if you could call it that – from early in the morning, only to finally reach the ticket booth and have the operator draw down a shutter to avoid dealing with us. It took 5 mornings, and the offer of English lessons as bribery to get a local to help me buy the tickets.  Finally, we had a second hand berth – there was no first class - on a ferry that would take us down the Yangtze through the Three Gorges. Our room had two wooden planks for beds and a basin with water which looked and smelt like it came straight out of the Yangtze. The only other thing in the room was a rubbish bin, which we stopped using after watching the staff take the bin from our room and empty it straight over the side of the boat into the river.  It was an incredible experience.  It dawned on me this week that I had a better chance of getting a second class ticket on an old ferry in the middle of China in the 90s than some people have of getting across the Cook Strait in New Zealand in 2023.  Normally six ships travel the Strait, but earlier this week there were only two passenger ships operating, one each by providers Bluebridge and Interislander. This inter-island ferry disruption - due to breakdowns, servicing, cyclones, and a busy summer period - has been going on for about a month now, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded on the wrong side of the Strait. This would be inconvenient if it meant your sailing time was delayed by a day, but re-bookings are limited and the wait time can be as long as a month. A month!  As we can all appreciate, it's a big problem if you and your car on one island, and your life and obligations are on another.  KiwiRail has apologised for the stranding of passengers. They assure us they're doing all they can, communicating as well as they can, and refunding as quickly as they can.  But none of these solves the problem of people needing to make alternative arrangements, that are at best inconvenient and for many uncomfortably costly. Some are finding themselves living in their cars on the streets of Picton or Wellington.  Kiwi Rail is on the process of replacing these ships with new ones which are bigger and have more sophisticated technology, which is excellent news. But these new ferries will not be active until 2025. Yip, two years away. The blame is being laid at the feet of the former government for not investing early enough to replace the current ferries. And that's probably fair enough.  But that doesn't give the current management a free pass. If they know their fleet is not up to scratch they have a duty of care to restructure their service to be as reliable as possible.  It may mean scheduling less sailings and more maintenance. It may mean one ship is scheduled less so it can be used to fill in when needed. It may be something else.  None of these options are ideal, especially during the busy summer season, but if you are not going to offer compensation you need to offer a reliable service.  I reckon people would prefer the certainty of a less frequent but reliable service, rather than flipping a coin to see if they'll make it across. It sure feels like they're offering those kind of odds at the moment.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mechanical issues on Cook Strait ferries are having a ripple effect on passengers. At one point today only one ferry was carrying passengers between the North and South Islands, with a number of engineering issues at Bluebridge and Interislander. It's triggered a wave of cancellations, with two more Bluebridge sailings being canned tomorrow. Passenger Robert Cross says he travelled from Tauranga to Wellington before finding out his trip across the Cook Strait wasn't going ahead. He says the lack of customer support is surprising, given he received no notification his journey would be cancelled. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The worst of the bad weather is over, but there is more trouble on the way for next week. Thousands of people have been left stranded around the country after wild weather cancelled flights and ferry sailings yesterday. At Wellington Airport, wind gusts of up to 150 kilometres per hour means it was unsafe for baggage handlers to work, and flights were grounded. Interislander and Bluebridge ferry sailings were also cancelled, with swells measuring more than seven metres, and waves up to nine metres. Rivers burst their banks and flooded roads in Christchurch, and an evacuation was ordered near Pleasant Point. MetService says the worst of the weather is over for the moment, but more heavy rain is expected early next week.  Meteorologist Lewis Ferris told Morning Report there will be a brief window of calm. 

It wasn't just flights cancelled due to the bad weather. Rough seas forced a number of Interislander and Bluebridge ferry sailings to be cancelled on Thursday. Although swells have dropped from their overnight peak of tumultuous weather conditions continue. Interislander ferries executive general manager Walter Rushbrook spoke to Corin Dann.

Forecast swells have forced the cancellation of the 11:00am and 2:15pm Interislander sailings from Picton, as well as the 8.30pm from Wellington. It's a similar story for Bluebridge, the 1.30pm and 8.30pm Wellington to Picton sailings are cancelled, as well as the 2.00pm and 7.15pm Picton to Wellington crossings. Snow is also affecting a number of mountain passes. NIWA meteorologist and forecaster Ben Noll spoke to Morning Report.

We spent too much money in Wellington and had to visit an ATM. Will we have enough cash to pay back $20 Karen. Hear our $20 Tour adventures at Parliament and on the Bluebridge ferry over the Cook Strait to Nelson. It's World Chocolate Day Jono loads us up with facts and if you could only save 3 chocolate bars what would they be? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

High demand and a shortage of vessels are putting pressure on Cook Strait ferry services this Easter weekend and into next month. The Interislander's Aratere ferry is unavailable until Anzac weekend. It's in dry dock in Sydney for routine maintenance. The two remaining Interisland ferries, Kaitaki and Valentine, are operating at maximum capacity, forcing bookings to be canceled. BlueBridge has its Straitsman vessel in for "scheduled servicing" over the Easter period until the second week of May, advising "availability on other sailings is limited over this period". Kathryn speaks with InterIslander's Executive General Manager Walter Rushbrook.

Snow down south and heavy swells, winds, hail and snow flurries in Wellington. While Gisborne also got heavy swells along the coast and some snow on the hills around the city. It's been wild weather the past 24 hours and the cold snap is set to continue today. All Cook Strait ferry sailings for both the Interislander and Bluebridge were cancelled yesterday, and Interislander confirmed today's sailings would be as well. MetService forecaster Stephen Glassey spoke to Corin Dann.

Snow down south and heavy swells, winds, hail and snow flurries in Wellington. While Gisborne also got heavy swells along the coast and some snow on the hills around the city. It's been wild weather the past 24 hours and the cold snap is set to continue today. All Cook Strait ferry sailings for both the Interislander and Bluebridge were cancelled yesterday, and Interislander confirmed today's sailings would be as well. MetService forecaster Stephen Glassey spoke to Corin Dann.