2 Commas: The $multi-million exit show with Josh Comrie

Before getting into goals, it’s worth pausing. This first 2 Commas episode of 2026 is a curated compilation of insights from Linda Jenkinson, Jessie Stanley, and Debra Hall , drawn from different conversations and connected by a shared focus on mindset, ambition, and long-term thinking. The discussion stays away from tactics and frameworks, and instead returns to the internal side of building. How...

This business started with eczema, a barbershop, and a lot of trial and error. In this episode of 2 Commas , I sit down with Shane Young to unpack the long road from mixing hair wax in a flat to building, scaling, and ultimately selling a multi-brand consumer business across haircare, skincare, and natural beauty. We talk about solving your own problem first, learning manufacturing the hard way, s...

Most founders fear board meetings. Marc Stöckli documented more than 200 of them and turned the lessons into a playbook for builders. In this episode of 2 Commas, Marc walks through the lived reality behind Totemo’s two-decade journey. It is a story of rebuilding after a fractured founding team, competing early in a market no one understood, narrowly avoiding a disastrous sale to a Ponzi scheme, a...

Some exits happen fast. James McGlinn spent twenty years earning his. In this episode of 2 Commas, I sit down with James to trace the long arc of building Eventfinda — from coding websites as a teenager, to taking on a government-funded competitor, to ultimately selling into one of the world’s major ticketing groups. We talk about the realities founders rarely share: staying alive when you are und...

You can have drive, passion and grit, but if you’re not solving a real problem for real people, you don’t have a business. In this solo episode of Two Commas, I unpack the foundation every founder needs before thinking about product, market or funding: problem clarity. We talk about why motivation isn’t enough, why solutions-first thinking kills momentum, and the five reliable ways to uncover a pr...

You can have all the drive in the world — but if you’re not solving a real problem, you’ve got nothing. In this episode of 2 Commas , I break down the most important question in your entire founder journey: what problem are you actually solving? I explore why motivation isn’t enough, how to avoid building solutions in search of a problem, and the five ways to uncover a problem that truly matters....

He sold his business for millions — and found himself fixing coasters to fill the time. In this episode of 2 Commas , I sit down with Cornelius Boertjens , founder of Catchi , to talk about what really happens after you sell your business. From the grind of building and the challenges of a 5-year earnout to the strange quiet that follows the deal, Cornelius shares an honest look at identity, purpo...

He had weeks of cash left, then came the call that changed everything. In this episode of 2 Commas , I sit down with Brendan Roberts , co-founder of Nine Spokes and Aider. AI , to unpack one of New Zealand’s most remarkable founder journeys. Brendan shares what it’s really like to build through crisis, recover from near collapse, and ultimately sell twice. We talk about timing, resilience, and how...

Building your business is one game. Selling it is another — and most founders never learn the rules. In this episode of 2 Commas, I sit down with Chris Small, Managing Director of ABC Business Sales, the firm behind nearly half of all SME business sales in New Zealand. Chris shares what really drives a successful exit — timing, risk, and what buyers truly value. With data from more than 480 busine...

Building your business is one game. Selling it is another — and most founders never learn the rules. In this episode of 2 Commas , I sit down with Chris Small , Managing Director of ABC Business Sales , the firm behind nearly half of all SME business sales in New Zealand. Chris shares what really drives a successful exit — timing, risk, and what buyers truly value. With data from more than 480 bus...

He built a fast-growing tech company, raised millions, and sold it in an eight-figure exit. But before that, the business nearly killed him. In this episode of 2 Commas , I talk with Jonny Mirkin , founder of Nomos and now GivenWell, about what happens when ambition turns on you. From burnout that landed him in hospital to the years of therapy that followed, Jonny shares the brutal lessons that ch...

Every founder has a story. But few have one that takes a turn like this. In this episode of Two Commas, I talk with Nathan Morgan French , a founder who built, scaled, and sold a telco business, but only after confronting something far deeper than business itself. What Nathan went through changed how he thinks about focus, discipline, and what success really costs. It’s a story of collapse and com...

What if the smartest way to start a company… is inside someone else’s? In this episode of Two Commas , I sit down with Justin Hamilton , co-founder of Davanti, to unpack one of the most unusual founding stories I’ve come across — how three consultants built a thriving, entrepreneurial business inside Spark , then bought it back, scaled it, and sold it in one of New Zealand’s most impressive consul...

I’ve seen too many founders build businesses they end up resenting, not because the idea was wrong, but because they never stopped to ask: what do I actually want from this? In this episode, I introduce the five levels of foundership —from lifestyler to entrepreneur—and explore the rewards, risks and sacrifices at each stage. Some of the happiest people I know are lifestylers who never wanted anyt...

Season 4 kicks off with a special solo episode where I go deep on the founder’s burden: the pressure, the sacrifices, and the simple but confronting question: what do you really want from your business? Drawing on my own journey from burnout to clarity, I unpack why defining your true goals and what you’re willing to sacrifice is the key to building on your own terms. Subscribe to the 2 Commas Jou...

Marisa Fong, Matt Chapman, and Jovan Pavlicevic each built and exited companies on their own terms — but the lessons they share are universal. From chasing government contracts as a two-person team, to scaling a global freight train, to selling before the market turned, their stories reveal how ambition, timing, and resilience shape the founder journey. This best-of episode isn’t about theory or g...

Mike Carden, Will Palmer, and James McCarthy each built, scaled, and sold SaaS companies in very different ways — but all with lessons that matter for founders today. From surviving the GFC with no cash, to putting profitability ahead of vanity growth, to mastering the art of storytelling as a sales weapon, their experiences cut through the myths of startup success. This “best of” episode isn’t po...

Vicki Ammundsen didn’t become one of New Zealand’s most sought-after trust and tax lawyers by playing it safe. She’s spent decades helping founders, families, and advisors navigate the uncomfortable questions most people avoid—until it’s too late. In this episode, we explore the hidden cracks in succession planning, the emotional blind spots that derail even the best-laid legacies, and why giving...

Symon Thurlow didn’t set out to sell his business — but when opportunity knocked, he took the deal and stayed on for seven more years. What followed wasn’t just a transition. It was a transformation. In this episode, we unpack what really happens when you scale a niche services business to $20M+, navigate an earnout with zero prep, and lead post-acquisition without losing your identity. From trust...

Ben Forman built an incredible business around storytelling, intuition, and timing. From pioneering New Zealand’s first commercial drone business to selling Wrestler after years of soul-searching, Ben has seen both the magic and the messiness of entrepreneurship. In this episode, we unpack what it really means to build something meaningful, why knowing your “why” can save you millions, and how let...

Kimberlee Sweeney has seen what tears relationships apart, not just in marriages. As New Zealand’s first divorce coach, she also works with business partners, co-founders, and leadership teams to stop breakdowns before they happen. In this episode, we dive into the psychology of founder dynamics: the unspoken expectations, emotional blind spots, and behavioural patterns that can quietly destroy a...

Kaz Staples didn’t set out to build an iconic food brand—she just wanted to make honest muesli. But over 25 years, she turned Pure Delish into a household name. Along the way, she faced near-collapse during the GFC, fought through burnout, and rebuilt a business on gut instinct and grit. In this episode, we explore what it really takes to lead through chaos, the emotional cost of carrying a compan...

John Bolton (JB) walked away from managing a $60 billion portfolio at the onset of the Global Financial Crisis, betting everything—his house, savings, and future—on a dream. His journey with Squirrel wasn’t just about creating a successful mortgage and lending business; it was about embracing uncertainty, surviving near-bankruptcy, and building resilience through relentless innovation. In this epi...

Ryan Sanders didn’t exit because the business was broken—he left because he was ready. After building one of Aotearoa’s most iconic tourism brands, he walked away on his own terms, in the middle of a pandemic. In this episode, we unpack the emotional terrain of stepping back while the business is still thriving, the quiet toll of staying too long, and the unspoken identity crisis that comes with n...

AJ Wildland co-founded one of the coolest tech companies to come out of NZ and helped revolutionise DJing globally. From bootstrapping Serato with a groundbreaking algorithm to navigating a $100M exit and stepping into the political arena, AJ’s journey is as bold as his beliefs. In this episode, we explore how a bass guitarist’s personal pain point became a global solution, why selling Serato wasn...