ALEX DYKMAN, MAVERICK DIGITAL
In the three years we’ve worked with Zac, we’ve experienced 214% growth – and that’s no coincidence. With his help we’ve taken Maverick Digital from being a two-person business to a 15-person business (and we’re on track to dial that up to 20 by Christmas). Today, we’re a nationwide business with Mavericks in Gisborne and Queenstown and a stable of clients I could have only dreamed of a few years ago.
What did Zac do to light the fuse to this growth? He essentially held our hand and taught us how to go from start-up mode to a viable, grown-up business. Our business was doing well when we met Zac, but it was all organic – there was no tactical approach, no business plans or metrics, no focus on results. We were building a strong brand but there was no strategy behind our growth.
With Zac’s help we quickly realised we needed more structure in the business if we were to grow. Since working with Zac we’ve put in place processes and structure that have set us in good stead for where we are today. With his help we’ve created a compelling vision, mission and set of core business values; our custom recipe for success and the triggers to leverage that; personal and professional goals and the game-plan to achieve those, and more. We’ve also put members of our team on his workshops, which they’ve found valuable.
Early on, Zac got us to clarify who we are and where we want to go, which led to us more strongly defining our offering and our ideal target demographic. Today, we focus on bigger, longer-term contracts that give us peace of mind and continuity. Having clients signed up for 12-36 month contracts has been a game-changer and we wouldn’t have had the confidence to do that before Zac.
Personally, he’s shown me how to show up in a management capacity. The way you act with 2-6 staff is very different 14-20 and at times I’ve needed a bit of a sounding board on this. He’s guided me and Tim on how to become more professional in the way we’re leading but still being authentic about it.
Obviously last year was a challenge for us, given we are tourism specialists. Zac was there for us throughout, especially in that terrible first month of lockdown when we didn’t know what we were facing. Unbelievably, we are 49% up year-on-year since Covid hit, double the team size and in a dream office – all through Zac helping to identify opportunities and teaching us how to be resilient in the face of closed borders and all the tourism challenges that come with that. He helped us to first survive and then thrive.
He has a lovely way about him – he’s this softly spoken introvert who quietly imparts these gems of business advice. I like the gentle language he uses and the way he says “we” instead of “you” so it makes you feel like he’s on your team rather than being a consultant.
Working with Zac is so worth the outlay. Sometimes as a business owner you can’t see the word from the trees; having someone be there to show you the path and help you avoid the mud is magic.