Welcome to this episode of the Systems of Business Podcast.

This week, Tony & Damon discuss:

• Million-dollar mistakes

• Forced pivots and knowing when to quit

• How much success really comes down to luck

Business podcasts love talking about wins. This episode is about what happens when things go badly wrong.

Tony and Damon swap stories about businesses that stopped working almost overnight, opportunities that forced them to abandon the original plan, and the uncomfortable moment when persistence starts looking a lot more like stubbornness.

Tony also opens up about a business he persisted with for nearly seven years despite watching it burn through enormous amounts of cash - and why eventually admitting he'd got it wrong was one of the hardest parts of the experience.

They get into the role luck plays in entrepreneurial success, why experience can make you both smarter and more cautious, and the balance between doing your homework and thinking yourself into complete paralysis.

Systems of Business comes out weekly on a Tuesday at 12 pm AEST.

Mentioned in this episode:

• The E-Myth Revisited

About the hosts:

• Damon Simms: ⁠⁠https://damonsimms.me⁠⁠

• Tony Gavin: ⁠⁠https://tonygavin.com⁠⁠

Follow the pod:

⁠⁠Systemsofbusiness.com⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠

Welcome to the Systems of Business Podcast.

Every Tuesday at 12 pm AEST, Tony Gavin and Damon Simms cut through the typical entrepreneurial advice to talk about what actually happens when you build and run organisations.

This week, Tony and Damon talk about the part of entrepreneurship that rarely makes it into the success stories: knowing when something isn't working, when to change direction, and when to shut the whole thing down.

They get into businesses that disappeared almost overnight, pivots forced by circumstances completely outside their control, and Tony's experience spending seven years - and more than a million dollars of his own money - trying to make one idea work.

They also ask how much entrepreneurial success really comes down to good management versus simply being in the right place at the right time, why stubbornness can look a lot like resilience until it doesn't, and whether experience makes you better at judging risk or just better at imagining everything that can go wrong.

About the hosts:

• Tony Gavin: ⁠⁠https://tonygavin.com⁠⁠
• Damon Simms: ⁠⁠https://damonsimms.me⁠⁠

About the Pod:

⁠⁠Systemsofbusiness.com⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠LinkedIn

Welcome to this episode of the Systems of Business Podcast.

This week, Tony & Damon are joined by Eddie Rakanui to discuss:

• Golden handcuffs and walking away from a life that no longer fits

• Getting comfortable with being uncomfortable

• Why other people's opinions carry far too much weight

Eddie left a well paid career with six financial dependants and no job lined up. What followed was not a neat reinvention story. It was a deliberate rethink of money, confidence, fear and what he actually wanted his life to look like.

The conversation gets into Eddie's Be Uncomfortable and Grow philosophy, the strange downside of having a podcast unexpectedly take off, and why gratitude only started working for him once he stopped treating it like another self help exercise.

There are also stories from more than 700 hitchhiking rides around New Zealand, some unexpected lessons about trust and vulnerability, and Eddie's view on the one thing people should care a lot less about.

Systems of Business comes out weekly on a Tuesday at 12 pm Sydney, 2 pm Auckland.

Eddie Rakanui: LinkedIn | lovelifemore.org

About the hosts:

• Damon Simms: ⁠⁠https://damonsimms.me⁠⁠

• Tony Gavin: ⁠⁠https://tonygavin.com⁠⁠

Follow the pod:

⁠⁠Systemsofbusiness.com⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠

Welcome to the Systems of Business Podcast.

Every Tuesday at 12 pm AEST, Tony Gavin and Damon Simms cut through the typical entrepreneurial advice to talk about what actually happens when you build and run organisations.

In this episode, we are joined by Eddie Rakanui, keynote speaker, coach and founder of Love Life More, who walked away from a well-paid but unfulfilling career with six financial dependants and no job to go to.

We get into the golden handcuffs that keep people stuck, Eddie's Be Uncomfortable and Grow philosophy, why deliberately stepping outside your comfort zone builds confidence, and how much of our lives can be shaped by worrying about other people's opinions.

We also explore how an accidental podcast success nearly sucked the fun out of podcasting, why gratitude became one of Eddie's most important tools, and what hitchhiking in more than 700 vehicles around New Zealand taught him about vulnerability, trust and human connection.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Eddie Rakanui: LinkedIn

• Love Life More: lovelifemore.org

About the hosts:

• Tony Gavin: ⁠⁠https://tonygavin.com⁠⁠

• Damon Simms: ⁠⁠https://damonsimms.me⁠⁠

About the Pod:

⁠⁠Systemsofbusiness.com⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠LinkedIn

Welcome to Episode Four of the Systems of Business Podcast.

This week, Tony & Damon are joined by Julian Bishop to discuss:

• What businesses can learn from managing volunteers

• Recognition, motivation and getting people engaged

• Repair culture and the right to repair

• ADHD support and diagnosis in New Zealand

• Community, housing and the rising cost of living

Julian spent nearly three years running the day-to-day operations of Volunteer Great Lake Taupō before moving into governance, and the conversation starts with what it takes to lead people when there is no employment contract or pay cheque keeping them there. They discuss why understanding what motivates someone, how they want to contribute and even how they prefer to be recognised can make a huge difference.

From there, the conversation moves to Taupō Repair Cafe, where volunteers use their skills to repair everything from electrical appliances to broken plastic parts that can be recreated with a 3D printer. That leads into a wider discussion about disposable products, the right to repair and why so many things that could be fixed simply end up in landfill.

Julian also talks about helping establish the Taupō ADHD Support Group, the importance of having somewhere for adults with ADHD to talk openly, and changes that are making diagnosis and treatment more accessible through primary healthcare.

They finish discussing the pressures facing families in New Zealand today, including the cost of living, insecure housing and what Julian sees through his work in the local community.

Systems of Business comes out weekly on a Tuesday at 12 pm AEST.

Mentioned in this episode:

• ⁠Julian Bishop⁠

• ⁠Volunteer Great Lake Taupō⁠

• ⁠Taupō Repair Cafe⁠

• ⁠Taupō ADHD Support Group⁠

• ⁠Community Marketplace & Garden Exchange⁠

• ⁠Wedding Dance New Zealand⁠

• ⁠Basestep⁠

About the hosts:

• Damon Simms: ⁠⁠https://damonsimms.me⁠⁠

• Tony Gavin: ⁠⁠https://tonygavin.com⁠⁠

Follow the pod:

⁠⁠Systemsofbusiness.com⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠

Welcome to the Systems of Business Podcast.

Every Tuesday at 12 pm AEST, Tony Gavin and Damon Simms cut through the typical entrepreneurial advice to talk about what actually happens when you build and run organisations.

In this episode, we are joined by Julian Bishop, whose background spans consulting, sales, compliance, community leadership, automation, offshore staffing and, somewhat unexpectedly, teaching dance.

We get into the challenge of leading volunteers when there is no employment contract or pay cheque keeping people engaged, why recognition and understanding what makes someone tick can matter more than money, and what businesses can learn from the volunteer sector.

We also explore Taupō's Repair Cafe and the fight against disposable culture, the changing landscape of ADHD support and diagnosis in New Zealand, the role community plays in helping people thrive, and why the cost of living and housing insecurity are putting increasing pressure on families.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Julian Bishop
• Volunteer Great Lake Taupō
• Taupō Repair Cafe
• Taupō ADHD Support Group
• Community Marketplace & Garden Exchange
• Wedding Dance New Zealand
• Bastestep

About the hosts:

• Tony Gavin: ⁠⁠https://tonygavin.com⁠⁠
• Damon Simms: ⁠⁠https://damonsimms.me⁠⁠

About the Pod:

⁠⁠Systemsofbusiness.com ⁠⁠| ⁠⁠Linkedin

Welcome to Episode Three of the Systems of Business Podcast.

In this episode, Tony and Damon talk about:

• Why marketing is a systems problem.
• How professional services firms get found.
• The future of SEO

They unpack the engine room of modern marketing and explore why most professional service practices don't have a marketing problem - they have a systems problem.

We look at everything from the hidden traps of data hygiene and regional compliance that break CRMs to the absolute necessity of instant lead response times.

We also dive deep into the future of search, explaining why traditional SEO keywords are dead, and exactly how to frame your website so AI platforms like ChatGPT and Gemini start recommending your business over the competition.

Every Tuesday at 12 pm Sydney, 2 pm Auckland, Tony Gavin and Damon Simms cut through the typical entrepreneurial advice to break down the actual systems and mechanics that make businesses work.

About the hosts:

Tony Gavin: ⁠⁠⁠https://tonygavin.com⁠⁠⁠

Damon Simms: ⁠⁠⁠https://damonsimms.me⁠⁠⁠

About the Pod:

⁠⁠⁠Systemsofbusiness.com⁠ ⁠⁠| ⁠⁠⁠Linkedin⁠

Discussed in this episode:

• touchpoint.systems
• HighLevel*

*This is an affiliate link, The Systems of Business Podcast may receive a commission if you make a purchase.

Welcome to the Systems of Business Podcast.

Every Tuesday at 12 pm Sydney, 2 pm Auckland, Tony Gavin and Damon Simms cut through the typical entrepreneurial advice to break down the actual systems and mechanics that make businesses work.

In our third episode, which goes live on the 8th of September, 2026, we dive straight into the mechanics of marketing automation, exposing the data hygiene disasters and regional compliance traps that break most CRM systems before they even launch.

We also unpack the death of traditional SEO keywords, explain exactly how to feed AI the hyper-specific context it needs to actually recommend your business in modern search results, and wrap up with a chat about why the world needs far less Prince Harry and a lot more Dolly Parton.

About the hosts:Tony Gavin: ⁠⁠https://tonygavin.com⁠⁠Damon Simms: ⁠⁠https://damonsimms.me⁠⁠

About the Pod:⁠⁠Systemsofbusiness.com ⁠⁠| ⁠⁠Linkedin

Welcome to Episode Two of the Systems of Business Podcast.

This week, Tony & Damon discuss:

• The BPO meat grinder
• Extreme mimalism
• Why AI won't take your job

Damon breaks down the ugly side of offshore hiring agencies and the legal dangers of remote workers successfully suing Australian employers through Fair Work.

From there, the conversation jumps into the massive skill shortages driving New Zealand tradies across the Tasman.They discuss the freedom of extreme minimalism, swapping stories about moving across Asia with nothing but a 20 kilo suitcase and abandoning everything they owned.

Finally, they get into why people need to stop stressing about AI destroying the labor market and start paying attention to their own mental health.

Systems of business comes out weekly on a Tuesday at 12 pm AEST.

Mentioned in this episode:

• VentureX: https://venturex.co.nz
• Outsourcer: https://outsourcer.co.nz
• KiwiTradies: https://kiwitradies.au

About the hosts:

• Damon Simms: ⁠https://damonsimms.me⁠
• Tony Gavin: ⁠https://tonygavin.com⁠

Follow the pod:

⁠Systemsofbusiness.com⁠ | ⁠LinkedIn

Welcome to the Systems of Business Podcast.

Every Tuesday at 12 pm AEST, Tony Gavin and Damon Simms cut through the typical entrepreneurial advice to talk about what actually happens when you build and sell companies.

In our second episode, which goes live on the 1st of September, 2026, we dive straight into the toxic reality of the BPO meat grinder, including the hidden legal dangers of offshore hiring and a landmark Fair Work lawsuit that caught Australian employers completely off guard.

We also track the massive skill shortages driving the trans-Tasman tradie drain, discuss the absolute freedom of extreme minimalism when abandoning everything you own to move across Asia, and explore why you need to stop panicking about AI stealing your job and start protecting your own mental health.

About the hosts:

• Tony Gavin: ⁠https://tonygavin.com⁠
• Damon Simms: ⁠https://damonsimms.me⁠

About the Pod:

⁠Systemsofbusiness.com ⁠| ⁠Linkedin