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

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

Episode Sponsor:

⁠ @academyex ⁠ https://shorturl.at/JLutF

He explains:

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

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

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

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

Timestamps:

00:00 – Intro

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

13:52 – The Core Formula for Consistent Marketing Results

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

17:43 – Turning Customer Pain Points Into Content

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

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

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

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

28:59 - AD

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

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

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

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

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

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

44:16 – Why the Hammer Campaign Worked So Well

45:21 – Using Reciprocity to Increase Your Marketing ROI

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Follow Scott:

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

Follow me:

linkin.bio/minaamso

Listen on:

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

Spotify: https://shorturl.at/YW7bX

Watch episodes:

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

Episode Sponsor:

@academyex https://shorturl.at/JLutF

#entrepreneurmindset #scaleyourbusiness #marketingstrategy2025

#digitalmarketingtips #founderstory #businessgrowthhacks #clientacquisition

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