Keep The Change
Keep The Change is a New Zealand-based financial literacy podcast hosted by Luke, a Chartered Accountant. The show aims to improve listeners' understanding of money, the economy, and personal finance through insights from Luke's professional experience and personal mistakes. Each episode includes a reading of the weekly 'Money Mail' lesson, and listeners are encouraged to subscribe for more content. The podcast is produced by nextAdvisory and is available on Acast.
Episodes
What Will AI Mean For Everyday New Zealanders?
Over 90% of Kiwi workers now use AI, but most companies haven't provided official tools yet. Mikey and I break down what's really happening and what's coming next.We cover the productivity gap where employees are much faster than their bosses realise, using AI for everything from drafting reports to summarising legal briefs in seconds. We explore why GDP hasn't grown despite this AI boom, the jobs
MM 317 - 70% Of Businesses Fail In The First 5 Yrs - True or false?
Every now and then, I see the same scary stat get thrown around. “70% of small businesses fail within the first five years.” I don’t know who started this, but it’s usually said with the same typical Kiwi certainty of those non-players who could coach the AB’s to a World Cup or slot one from the sideline. But because I am slightly unwell, I started trying to figure out where that statistic even ca
MM 316 - Behind The Budget (I Got Into The Beehive)
Budget 2026!!! I went to the live from the beehive. There were hundreds of pages of forecasts, funding announcements, assumptions and political chat. I’ll be honest I didn’t read every page. The challenge was trying to work out what actually matters to everyday Kiwis like you. So a few (not all) of those things…Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t
NZ Budget 2026: What Every Kiwi Needs To Know
Luke caught up with Greg Smith, investment specialist at Generate to break down everything you need to know about the 2026 budget. From changes to FIF rules, to the new infrastructure developments and what it means for everyday New Zealanders.Find Greg: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-smith-cfa-07214215/ https://generatewealth.co.nzAmy from http://Levridge.co.nz has come on as a sponsor of Keep T
Dave Wood on Stress Control: The Skill That Separates Winners from Losers
Dave Wood is one of New Zealand's leading experts on stress control, from working as an intensive care paramedic to coaching some of the UFC's top fighters, and today I sat down with him to understand how to better harness & control our own stress.Dave breaks down the crisis of unprecedented levels of stimulation in the modern age, how to control your stress level and the breathing techniques
The App That Builds Your Wealth As You Spend: Feijoa Founder Mark White-Robinson
Mark from Feijoa built an app that rounds up your spending and puts it straight into KiwiSaver. 3,000 users are now contributing hundreds if not thousands per year extra without thinking about it.Mark breaks down how it works, we cover why they chose KiwiSaver first, the 1.6 million who don't regularly contribute, and how roundups solve the behaviour problem traditional saving can't.We cover the r
MM 315 - Saving Or Investing For The Kids?
The question a grandparent asked me this week. They had been tucking money away weekly for their grandchildren and wanted to know if they were missing something by not investing the money. They currently save it into a bank account. Great intentions but times have changed a bit! Over long periods of time, investing can dramatically outperform cash sitting in a bank account. So how do we go ab
NZ Liquidations At A 15-Year High: What’s Really Happening? w Brent Norling
New Zealand liquidations have hit a 15-year high, the highest since the GFC. Todays guest is lawyer Brent Norling who's receiving 160 calls a month from businesses drowning in tax debt, one of the main driving factors of these liquidations.IRD debt has exploded from $2.5 billion to $9.5 billion, with the next update likely starting with a 10. The pattern is often the same: lose money on a job, do
MM 314 - I Got Access To Thousands Of People’s Wages!
That subject line sounds so sexy. But one of my first jobs out of uni was not so sexy. Being an auditor. Don’t you dare judge me. This meant that in my early 20s, I worked inside councils, universities, government organisations, and powerline companies reviewing payroll systems and employee records. I think this experience mattered more than I realised at the time. Because once you’ve seen th
NZ's Cost of Living Trap: Are You Living in the Wrong City?
Today we're talking about the all important subject of how where you live impacts not only your finances, but your life in general. Answering the questions of should you move somewhere cheaper to save money? Or does it make sense to live in a more expensive area to go after opportunity? Should you buy someone with a long commute, or rent somewhere without one? All of this and more in todays episod
MM 313 - Do You Have To Pay Tax On A 'Hobby'?
There is no hard and fast ‘business or hobby?’ number, so let’s explore how it works. To start with, let’s keep it simple. A hobby = done for fun. Probably one off or done rarely. A business = done to make money. Consistently. However, it’s not what you call it. It’s how it looks.Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a produce
Michelle Morfett Is Building A Baking Empire: Content, Cookbooks, Ecommerce & A Bakery
Michelle Morfett has a cake shop, a self published cookbook, an ecommerce site, a thriving social media presence and manufactures her own baking tins. Today she breaks down how she built multiple income streams, we cover why she turned down publishers, and why diversifying income streams gives her confidence.We cover the loneliness of entrepreneurship, why she lost all shame about posting content,
MM 312 - I Invested $50k Into This Kiwi Start Up
Today, I want to tell you about a new Kiwi fintech called Feijoa. But first, full transparency: after being a customer, I ended up investing in their recent funding round and am now a VERY, VERY small shareholder. So yes, you could 100% argue I’m biased. It is my first 'Fintech' investment, and I am looking forward to taking you on that journey of how that space works, where appropriate also. With
How To Turn Your Side Hustle Into Your Main Thing
Sign up to Money Mail for free weekly emails to improve your finances: https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/moneymailFollow on Instagram for more content: https://www.instagram.com/keepthechange_nz Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
How To Get Started Investing In New Zealand: Sharesies Founder
Create an account with Sharesies using the code 'KTC10' and they will match your first $10 deposit with an additional $10 to get you started investing: https://sharesies.com terms and conditions applyInvesting involves risk. You aren’t guaranteed to make money, and you might lose the money you start with. Any information we provide is general only and current at the time prepared. For advice we pr
Sawmill Brewery Owner on Perseverance, Surviving Disaster & Building Culture: Mike Sutherland
Mike Sutherland bought a tiny brewery in Leigh with very little brewing experience. Now, Sawmill produces almost 2 million litres a year and employs 50+ people.Mike breaks down the journey from learning to brew from a textbook, competing against Lion and DB's exclusive contracts, and building the business through farmers markets and word of mouth. We cover the 1am phone call that changed everythin
MM 311 - NZ Has A Growth Problem. (Not What You Think)
New Zealand ranked last out of 11 Asia-Pacific countries for business growth for the second year in a row. And I don’t think it’s JUST because of the economy. The data suggests it’s because of who’s running it. One factor is something we are scared to talk about. Let me explain. Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a pro
How This Kiwi Teacher Built a Global Following & Income Online
Andrew Rooney started making drum videos as a personal library for his students. Now he's got 177,000 subscribers and makes more from YouTube than he ever did gigging.Andrew breaks down the accidental journey: from "Coffee with Rooney" Facebook lives during COVID to viral drum reaction videos that hit 3.5 million views. We cover why he gave up thousands of gigs to focus on content creation, the lo
MM 310 - BNPL: Times Like These Are Why You Don’t Want It
I know I’m flogging a dead horse because there are now a million users of it and over 40% of the users have multiple accounts. But anyway, I enjoy pushing sh!t up hill for the few who will listen. When you’ve already pre-spent and committed that buffer on repayments, you don’t have cash to absorb the shock so you feel it immediately. The buffer in the budget is gone! That makes you vulnerable. No
Sharesies Founder: How Kiwis Can Build Their Wealth
Alongside six others, Leighton Roberts co-founded Sharesies back in 2017. Sharesies is a wealth app that's helped make investing simpler for one million users. He breaks down why most people struggle with investing and how to actually get started.Leighton explains why Kiwi can get overwhelmed by choice, the journey building a startup, how to overcome analysis paralysis when it comes to investing,
MM 309 - This Bank Says You Need $55 More A Week In 2026
ASB just dropped a number that made me look twice to see if it was right. They say that ‘households will likelThat’s hard enough for most people. But then an accountant like me says no you don’t. You need MORE! Because that $55 a week is after-tax money.y face a $55 per week increase in the cost of living over 2026'. Let's explore how that works.Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of a
MM 308 - Here We Go Again? (Recovery Cancelled?)
Just when it felt like things were improving, here we go again. Multiple conversations I had over the week cited the same thing. People back in fear. People delaying decision making. People not wanting to invest or take out debt. Business confidence has tanked quickly too! Inside my business I’ve noticed business planning inquiry drop. It’s hard to plan for 12 months' time when you can’t see certa
What Kiwis Need To Know About Buying or Selling A Business
Chloe McKnight sells businesses and sees the same patterns: the businesses that sell well are organised, have systems, and can prove consistent income. The ones that struggle are hoping someone will pay for their potential.She's seen young people selling e-commerce empires they built as side hustles, and baby boomers shocked their 30-year business isn't worth what they thought.We cover vendor fina
How Mikey & I Both Became Millionaires
Mikey and I have both become millionaires through building million dollar businesses alongside traditional investments. Mikey left a million-dollar income to start Guardian and is only just coming out the other side after four years, whilst Ive grown my accounting & advisory firm alongside my business partner to $2m/year in revenue. We cover the valley every entrepreneur faces, why most people
How To Win in New Zealand: Momentum
Most people are letting momentum and compounding work against them. They're compounding the wrong things... Debt, bad habits & negative thinking, instead of building momentum toward their goals.Luke and Mikey break down why momentum is like compounding but for your daily life: once you get it rolling, things become easier, but you have to get your foot on the gas first. We cover the stages of
MM 307 - Do You Still Insert Your Debit Card? I Do
The other day I posted a photo online. It was just a payment terminal with a small sign: “CREDIT/PAYWAVE 1.5% surcharge”. It blew up. HUNDREDS of thousands of people saw it. Hundreds of comments. Over one thousand people voted in a poll asking if they do the same. In the comments, people were debating, agreeing, asking questions. All over one simple statement: “I still insert debit card to avoid 1
Lessons From Taking A NZ Startup From 0 To 4,000 Paid Users: Renata Wiles
Renata built Roam with Kids from zero to 4,000 paying subscribers while raising three kids. Her secret? Posting every single day for two and a half years, even when no one was watching.Renata breaks down the reality of building a startup in New Zealand, whilst juggling work & kids. We cover the loneliness of building something while everyone else has normal jobs, and how consistency beats perf
Kiwis Think Business Is Too Risky & Immigrants Don’t. Why?
Immigrants often arrive with nothing to fall back on so “safe” feels different.Why are so many newcomers in NZ are willing to start businesses, take bigger risks, and end up hiring Kiwis? While locals often see business as too risky. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
MM 306 - The ‘I Can’t Afford To ‘Save/Invest/Do’ Trap
This time of the year can be where the new year's energy has died down, and we waver from goals, or we realise we didn’t do what we said we were going to and now there is no point. For some inspo, I asked some KTC listeners what it was like to ‘think they can’t’ but ‘do it anyway’ and what they noticed. Perhaps NOW is the time. What do you need to start doing?Hey thanks for listening! Please take
The Simple Way To Build Wealth with James Blair of Lighthouse Financial
Most Kiwis are overthinking wealth building. They're waiting for the perfect election result, the right market timing, or the ideal economic conditions. Meanwhile, they're missing the simple fundamentals that actually work.James Blair from Lighthouse Financial breaks down why money is actually straightforward: earn as much as you can, don't spend it all, pay down debt, buy shares, buy property. Th
5 Non Financial Habits That I Used To Go From Debt To Millionaire
Sign up to Money Mail for free weekly emails to improve your finances: https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/moneymail Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
MM 305 - Always Reason To Feel Nervous About Investing
Well here we are again. More volatility + vulnerability and a sense of not knowing how long this could go on. I am not going to explore that too deeply, but I do want you to reflect on 2025. Because if you want to invest, you have to accept risk and therefore understand that risk is not a bug in investing, it’s part of the process. Markets are constantly reacting to something.Hey thanks for listen
New Zealanders Are Wasting Their Time & Money
Most people misallocate their time worrying about share platform fees when they should be asking their boss for a raise. They're trying to optimise $3 in fees instead of increasing their income by $10,000.Luke and Mikey break down the hierarchy: time allocation first, income allocation second, capital allocation third. We cover why when you're young, time is your capital, and when you're older, ca
Is $35 An Hour In NZ Good Money? How Much Can You Save? Or Hello Aussie?
Let’s run the numbers on someone earning $35 an hour trying to “get ahead” in NZ.Full-time is roughly $72,800. After tax, ACC, KiwiSaver (3%), you’re left with roughly $55k take-home.Here are the real costs one person shared (good starting point: 29, single, no kids, flatting):Rent: $350/weekFood: $150/weekFuel: $45/weekInsurance (car, contents, health): $60/weekGym (CrossFit): $50/weekPower: $60/
MM 304 - ‘How I Made $20k In One Night'
In accounting, one of the most important reports is a ‘profit and loss’. This report shows you the total sales, less the expenses, which equates to profit. In a world of ‘I do a million a year’ they typically mean they have sold $1million worth of something. ‘How I made $1million in 2025’ was probably $1mil of sales. There are always expenses to create the sales. Sales - expenses = profi
The CEO Of New Zealand's Largest Gym Franchise (60,000+ customers) Cameron Ward
Cameron Ward runs 62 Anytime Fitness gyms across New Zealand and has seen what separates successful franchises from failures. The stats are brutal: 1 in 20 gym franchises fail within 2 years, but 1 in 5 independent gyms don't make it.Cam breaks down what it really takes to succeed in franchising: follow the systems religiously, have proper capital (not just for setup, but working capital too), and
6 Expensive Headwinds Of New Zealand 🇳🇿 (Young People MUST Know!)
6 expensive headwinds of New Zealand 🇳🇿 1. New Zealand has an ageing population.Cost = super + healthcare.2. Health issues rising. I.e. Obesity and point 1.Cost = system strain.3. Infrastructure deficit.Cost = rebuild or maintenance bill.4. Brain/worker drain.Cost = lost taxpayers to fund the above.5. Capital stuck in property.Cost = low productivity and low risk tolerance.6. Education slipping.Co
MM 303 - "Writing Off A Business Expense’"
“It’s a write-off that’s why businesses do it”. You’ve seen it online where non-business owners and non-accountants suddenly educate you with 100% confidence on business ‘write-offs’ and how business owners pay no tax. So let’s clear this up. Because a tax write-off is not free money. It’s not a refund. And it’s definitely not the IRD wiring you back the full amount.Hey thanks for listening! Pleas
'There Is So Much Opportunity In NZ' with Conner Harding
Conner grew up on a council estate where people end up stuck in the same system. He came to New Zealand with $2,000 in his pocket and is now running a successful landscaping business in Queenstown.Conner breaks down his journey from addiction and destruction in England to finding purpose through running and gardening in South America, then building a business in New Zealand. We cover why he's lost
MM 302 - Am I Being Penalised For Working Harder?
They want to earn more. They want to start something small. They want to build skills and income outside their job. But then they look at tax and it kills the motivation. They won't be the first or last Kiwi to get p!ssed off by this. However, maybe the bigger risk isn’t paying 33% the bigger risk is not exploring where you could end up with another income stream.Hey thanks for listening! Please t
NZ Pension Spending, Sticky Inflation & Rate Hikes: What Will 2026 Look Like For NZ? w Brad Olsen
New Zealand's economy is patchy, spending fell 0.5% in December, Boxing Day sales down 12%, and job ads are still 30% below pre-pandemic levels. Meanwhile, electricity is up 12% and gas up 16% - the highest increases since the late 1980s.Brad Olsen from Infometrics breaks down what's really happening and why the economy isn't magically turning around like everyone hoped.The biggest challenge? We'v
MM 301 - The Whole Financial System Could Collapse This Year
That’s according to the comment section of just about every social platform I use. The sad thing? Many of these people leaving comments so desperately want to be right. ‘I told you so’. Cool bro. Now what? Nothing. They won’t do anything, just like they never have before. Some of the people most worried about a stock market collapse have $0 invested. Make that make sense. Let's try...Hey than
Buying Your First Home in NZ in 2026? Watch This First
Most first home buyers are back with low deposits and record-high debt, often borrowing with less than 20% deposit.Luke and Mikey break down the reality: people are stretching themselves thin with low equity loans that cost more in interest. We cover why you need to understand the true cost (not just the mortgage payment), the risks of buying with minimal deposit, and what happens when house price
Money Mail 300
Today marks 300 episodes of KTC Money Mail. 300 editions ago I was sitting in my one-bedroom apartment during lockdown, getting started. Hitting send on edition one. Today this will go to tens of thousands of people across various platforms. So how to we summarise the 300 editions? Let's try!Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, beco
What Every Kiwi Needs To Know About Financial Planning: Amy Po Ching
Amy breaks down why most people feel confused about money... They know what to do but don't do it, they can't articulate what they actually want, and they're stuck thinking "we want to create wealth" without knowing what for. 80% of people know what's good for them but don't follow through. They want passive income but can't explain why. They want to build wealth but haven't defined what success l
MM 299 - HOW They Cleared $100k Of Destructive Debt (Pt 2.)
These words stood out to me and should for you too. “It’s been a slog, and I've made many mistakes, but I have grown so much I feel like I'm a completely different person’’. That’s the real win. Becoming the version of yourself that you know that you could be! So HOW did they do it?Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a produ
How To Obliterate 2026 with Mikey Smith
2026 is going to be wild. AI will start eating jobs, currencies might collapse, and New Zealand has an election that could get divisive. The question is: are you ready?Luke and Mikey break down how to dominate 2026: take action now while others wait, build psychotic belief in yourself, and use AI as your unfair advantage instead of fearing it. We cover why the people who prepared in 2024-2025 will
MM 298 - Clearing $100k Of Destructive Debt (Pt 1.)
As we close in on Week 300, I want to share with you an email I received recently and some of the key principles. ‘’For a long time, I let my lack of education and some really destructive self-talk become my narrative. I spiralled into a lot of debt - managed to rack up over $100k worth of the stuff and I have no one to blame but myself. I was spending money recklessly and committing my future wea
What To Expect In 2026: Stocks, Inflation & Kiwisaver w Greg Smith of Generate
2025 was a strange year for investors, but 2026 could be even stranger. Generate's Greg Smith breaks down what every Kiwi needs to know.We cover the investment trends shaping 2026: why diversification matters more than ever, emerging markets and the political chaos that's coming with Trump's new policies. Plus the New Zealand outlook, why our market hit record highs but still disappointed compared
How Much YouTube Paid Me For 1.6M Views In New Zealand
Sign up to Money Mail for free weekly emails to improve your finances: https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/moneymail Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Capital Gains Tax Will NOT Lower House Prices (here's why)
Labour recently announced a 28% capital gains tax on rentals, batches and commercial properties. Politicians say it'll make housing affordable, but the data says otherwise.Luke and Mikey break down why this won't work: no country has ever lowered house prices with property taxes, wealthy people will just borrow against assets instead of selling, and the revenue projections are fantasy. To get $965
MM 297 - 2026 On Easy Mode! Get Good, Get Known
‘If no one knows you, money won't flow to you’ - simple but confronting words that stopped me in my tracks a long time ago. Unfortunately, for many, many Kiwi people we are allergic to getting known. But you’re getting in your own way, over complicating it all. All you have to do is be good at something and have people know that you are. That’s all it is now. Keep it that simple to win and pr
NZ Property Predictions For 2026 | You MUST See Last Years Too!
Everyones favourite to predict...and get wrong!See what happened in 2024 and 2025 here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTvtdNmI7gU Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
How I Make 'Passive' Income In New Zealand
Its not as glamorous as some make it out to be, but here's the truth as to how I make genuinely passive income from New Zealand.Sign up to Money Mail for free weekly emails to improve your finances: https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/moneymail Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What Every Kiwi Needs To Know About Wills, Prenups & Protecting Wealth: Holly Egerton
1 in 2 New Zealanders don't have a will. That means when they die, their family gets chaos, uncertainty, and massive legal bills to sort everything out.Holly from Succession NZ breaks down what actually happens: default rules kick in that split assets between partners and kids (not how most people want it), court applications cost thousands, and families fight over who's in charge. We cover the $4
How To Invest Your First $1,000 in New Zealand
Today Im breaking down exactly how to get started investing in New Zealand, and why it may not be what you think... Sign up to Money Mail for free weekly emails to improve your finances: https://www.keepthechange.co.nz/moneymail Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
MM 296 - How To Create A Budget In New Zealand
New year, new you yada yada. But 'budgeting' is highly searched at this time of the year. I want to show (or remind) you how I think about budgeting, and it’s the exact system I used to go from credit card debt to building over $1m in assets. And a warning, sorry there are no apps or fancy dashboards. Step 1: Stop “budgeting” and start tracking cash flowHey thanks for listening! Please take some f
What You're Not Changing, You're Choosing: Sarah Robb's KTC Unplugged Talk
Sarah breaks down the uncomfortable truth: you're gaining something from your problems. Whether it's safety, comfort, familiarity, identity, or an excuse, if you weren't getting something from them, you'd easily let them go. We cover the three ingredients to change (awareness, action, accountability), how to access your intuition, and why your internal narrative is the most powerful thing you have
From $20 Car Washes to $42K Months: Max Tebb's KTC Unplugged Talk
Max breaks down the journey from age 13 fundraising for refugees to building a proper business: getting his first van at 14, learning to price properly, and connecting with successful clients who became mentors. We cover the loneliness of entrepreneurship, why he's lost friends who don't understand the grind, and how cleaning cars opened doors to learn from millionaires. Hosted on Acast. See acast
The True Cost of Death in New Zealand: President Of NZ's Funeral Association Bradley Shaw
Bradley Shaw has been around death since he was 16. Now he's the youngest president of the Funeral Directors Association of New Zealand and sees something most people don't: life is way shorter than you think.Bradley breaks down the brutal economics of death, how funeral directors getting stuck with debt from unpaid funerals and why 1 in 5 people are skipping funerals entirely.We cover why people
The Goal Setting Formula That Actually Works: David Niethe KTC Unplugged Talk
David Niethe breaks down the goal setting formula that actually works: Belief + Imagination + Conviction + Expectations = Results. We cover why 95% of people live in blame, excuse, and denial while 5% take ownership, accountability, and responsibility. Plus his journey from dyslexic failure to coaching champions.Sign up to Money Mail for free weekly emails to improve your finances (and get notifie
MM295 - Do This Simple Financial Exercise To Smash 2027
How much money do you want in your hand each month? That’s your goal. Next, get clear on your starting point…How much do you actually have after tax in your hand each month right now? The difference between the two is your gap. Let's close it and get closer to your goal before 2027 gets here.Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, beco
Mikey's KTC Unplugged Talk: Getting Engaged, Building A Business & Lessons From 2025
Luke & Mikey reflects on the year that changed everything for them at Keep The Change Unplugged, including the business lessons that came from years of grinding and how success changes your perspective on risk and relationships. Building something meaningful takes time, and most people never see the struggle behind the success. Luke & Mikey share the vulnerable moments, the breakthrough d
Your ‘Messy Mind’ Could Ruin 2026
Most people's minds are a complete mess. They're worried about Bitcoin, day trading, Trump's 50-year loans, and whether they should invest or pay down debt. Meanwhile, they haven't finished chapter one of getting their finances sorted.Luke and Mikey break down why messy thinking kills progress: you're trying to get from chapter one to five without reading two, three, and four. If you can figure ou
MM 294 - How Would You Sum Up YOUR 25?
Out of interest, I asked the KTC audience how their year was via Instagram. Let's go through some replies. Some raw ones there! And interestingly, 66% said that 2025 was better than expected. For all of us, let’s have a moment to reflect. Ask yourself, was 2025 better than you expected? Next, ask yourself this ripper… ‘What would I need to do in 2026 to have a GREAT year?’.Hey thanks for listening
The 21 Year Old Kiwi Making Millions With Ecommerce
Blake Evans is 21 years old and generated $1.7million in revenue last month (November 2025). He's running a global e-commerce empire from his bedroom.Blake breaks down the reality of making serious money online, selling his car to fund his business, losing most of his friends, and the journey from working at Wendy's to earning more in a month than the top 1% of Kiwis make in a year.We cover the lo
MM 293 - Will You Unsubscribe?
Earlier this year a statistic from a Censuswide survey said Kiwis are checking their devices up to 50 times an hour. Another report said people get around 146 notifications daily. Recently, Gmail rolled out a new feature: you can now see all the email lists you’re subscribed to in one place. One glance, and you’ll probably realise you are subscribed to way more junk than you thought. I am!Hey than
What If New Zealand Bans Consumer Debt In 2026?
Half the stuff you buy, you can't actually afford. But debt dealers have found a way to break down payments so your future self can pay for today's bad decisions.Luke and Mikey explore what would happen if all consumer debt was banned tomorrow: new car sales would drop 80%, white wear would last 15-20 years instead of 7-10, and people would focus on skills and experiences instead of stuff they can
They Don't Teach This At Uni... So Im Doing It
I headed into BDO to talk with their interns about what uni doesn’t teach you:- How not to get stuck in survival & status mode- How most people don’t like their jobs (and how to avoid that)- Using your interests outside work as your advantage- Money traps: debt, status spending & trying to look successful- What freedom really is and how to start aiming for it nowIf you’re a student or grad
Reflecting On KTC Unplugged 25
Thanks to everyone who came along to KTC Unplugged 2025. Here's some thoughts from behind the scenes and some insights from the night. Hope to see you at the next one! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
MM 292 - Do You Risk Enough To Expect Reward?
If everything you do is safe and predictable, then the outcome will be safe and predictable too. This was a tough life lesson for me to accept. But it seems to be very common nowadays that a lot of people expect extraordinary outcomes with zero actual risk. There’s nothing wrong with these choices, but they’re safe choices. You can’t reasonably expect unsafe rewards from safe behaviour. Our lack o
Building Wealth Through Buying a Business in New Zealand: Ryan O'Connor
Ryan breaks down his journey from employee to business owner: 12 years working for others, multiple failed attempts at partnerships, and finally finding a seller in Ashburton. We cover the 8-year vendor finance deal that made it possible, why his house losing $45K in value didn't stop him, and how he's now building the practice he always dreamed of.The reality? Most optometrists stay employees for
NZ's Shared Home Ownership Scheme: The Solution For First Home Buyers?
Most first home buyers think they need 20% deposit and will take 8-16 years to save it. Meanwhile, house prices keep rising faster than their wages.Jared from Tamaki Regeneration breaks down shared home ownership. We cover how it works with banks, why it's not a scam, and how families are getting keys to new homes in 2-3 years instead of waiting decades.There is hope. You just need to know where t
MM 291 - Why Your Boss Drives a Ranger & You Don’t
Most employees think their boss is “making a killing.” In this episode, I break down the hidden costs of running a business, the real risks owners carry, and why comparing your hourly rate to what the client pays is a massive misunderstanding. Strap yourself in.Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, become a producer! Make sure you’re
Has NZ's Economy Hit Rock Bottom? What's Next In 2026?
"Survive to 25" was bullshit. We're halfway through 2025 and it still feels brutal. But the data is starting to tell a different story.Luke and Mikey break down what's really happening and why 2025 might be looked back on as the economic bottom. We cover the fatigue everyone's feeling, why people are leaving at record levels, and the regional differences across the country.The reality? Some are cr
MM 290 - Why I Went To Queenstown To Plan The Next 12 Months
We hit pause on the day-to-day noise and take a step back to ask ourselves the big questions. Where do we want to be in 12 months? What about in 5 years? What needs to happen this quarter to get us moving? We talk openly about what’s working, what isn’t, what work we want to do, and where we want to push ourselves. Summer and the end of a year is great time to do this. Take it seriously too! You d
The Strengths Coach Who Helped Change My Life: Suzanne Oh
Someone once told me to focus on my strengths. I said how. They showed me the Gallup’s StrengthsFinder to figure out what I’m actually good at, and what to stop wasting time on. Then the maximiser in me wanted to go deeper on this so I linked up with an incredible human. In this episode, I’ve convinced my secret strengths coach, Suze Oh, to join me for a deep dive into how understanding your natur
MM 289 - Overtaxing Kiwi Leads Them To Want To Work Less
Every week in NZ, people turn down overtime, stop pushing for bonuses, or refuse side work because they think it’s not worth it. Is that right? Some are even convinced they received less, for working more. The old accountant in me couldn’t help but step in and ask a few questions to try to help.Hey thanks for listening! Please take some form of action from this content, don’t just be a consumer, b
New Zealand's Population Crisis: What's Really Happening w Professor Paul Spoonley
For 12 months, 70,000 New Zealand citizens have left to live overseas. 60% went to Australia. That's the highest we've ever seen.Our most popular guest yet, Professor Paul Spoonley is back to break down what's really happening: we're losing young graduates, skilled workers, and even 30-somethings who've been in our workforce for years. Meanwhile, net migration has dropped to just 10,000, we've "em
MM 288 - Only 21% Of People Are Engaged In Their Work (Why?)
Only 21% of people globally are engaged in their work. That means almost 4 out of 5 people are turning up each day to something that doesn’t really light them up. Crazy, right? Well, probably bloody normal based on the stats. But for me, that’s hard to relate to. So I asked the Keep The Change audience: “Why stay in work you’re not actually engaged in?"Hey thanks for listening! Please take some fo
