KAN Podcast

What does it take to bring a global insurance model into a market as small, tight and adviser-led as New Zealand's? In this episode, Warwick sits down with Len Elikhis, Chief Operating and Financial Officer of PPS New Zealand, to break down what the launch has actually involved and what it's taught him about how different our advice industry is from the rest of the world. Len pulls back th...

How does someone in their mid-20s leave a corporate insurance role, start their own firm, and double the business every year to become a Broker of the Year winner? In this episode, Warwick sits down with Ethan Gerrard from Gerrards Insurance to break down exactly how he's built one of New Zealand's fastest-growing commercial insurance businesses. Ethan pulls back the curtain on the paid ac...

How does a self-described introvert go from a bank employee with no clients to one of New Zealand’s top-tier, award-winning financial advisers in just five years? In this episode, Warwick sits down with Sanjeev Jangra from Loan Market Manukau to break down the exact blueprint that allowed him to scale his business rapidly. Sanjeev pulls back the curtain on the challenges of running an advice busin...

From bouncing at bars to building a client base of thousands, Alan Borthwick shares how he went from zero industry experience to founding Dux Financial with his business partner. Alan also discusses why he believes the future of advice lies in long-term thinking, not short-term transactions. ➤ Why product advice alone fails, and what advisers must do instead ➤ The power of looking after “small” cl...

From starting with zero listings to becoming a top 10 Ray White agent nationwide, Reece Glozier shares what it really takes to build a client base from scratch. ➤ How he generated leads when no one knew his name ➤ What actually works in prospecting and follow-up today ➤ Why real estate agents rank low in trust, and how to stand out anyway ➤ How conjunctionals really work, and whether they serve th...

From building NZ’s largest KiwiSaver book to leading Bizcap in Aotearoa, Camilla Tumai shares what she learnt on the way. ➤ How she went from zero clients to NZ’s biggest KiwiSaver book ➤ What she learnt starting and scaling her own advice business ➤ Transitioning from business owner to leadership within a lender ➤ How Bizcap is shaking up business lending in NZ ➤ Lessons advisers can apply in the...

In this episode of the KAN Podcast, we sit down with Simon Rolland, multi-exit founder, investor, and former CEO of Aurora Financial, to talk about how advisers can turn great advice into great businesses. We cover: How to design a sellable advice business from day one What advisers get wrong about being business owners Finding the balance between growth and profitability The playbook behind Auror...

How do you actually write 300K API as an insurance adviser without grinding 80 hours a week? Sam Kodi’s done it, and in this episode, he shares exactly how he built a scalable system that lets him double his business while working fewer hours. We dive into how Sam restructured his back office, the mindset shifts that freed him from admin overload, and the tools and processes that keep his pipeline...

What do startups, space travel and first-home buyers have in common? Derek Handley. In this episode, we go deep with the founder of Aera, a platform helping Kiwis get into their first home faster. We talk about his time on the board of Sky TV, working with Richard Branson, and why he’s heading to space with Virgin Galactic. Plus how mortgage advisers can use Aera to win with first-home clients.

How do you actually write $100 million in lending as a mortgage adviser? Simon McDonald’s done it, and in this episode, he breaks down exactly how. We chat about the habits, planning, and lead flow that helped him hit huge numbers, plus what it takes to scale from good to elite. If you’re an adviser aiming to grow fast and sustainably, this one’s for you.

In this episode we sit down with Daniel Fifita, a long-time insurer at Partners Life who has recently taken the leap to launch his own insurance advice business. With years of experience supporting advisers from the insurer side, Daniel shares a unique perspective on what top performing advisers and businesses do differently and why he decided to leave the corporate lifestyle. Whether you're a...

In this episode, we catch up with Peter Norris, Managing Director at Opes Mortgages and one of NZ’s top mortgage advisers. It’s a relaxed chat about how he got into the industry, the lessons he’s learned working at some of the biggest firms in the country, and why doing right by people, even when there’s no immediate payoff, has been key to his success. Peter’s not big on hype, but he’s played a h...

Michael Vincent is a director and mortgage adviser for Lighthouse Mortgages. He's also a co-host of one of NZ's top financial podcasts, 'Cheques & Balances'.We had an open and honest chat about the key benefits of content marketing and why it's worth sticking with it.

The Kiwi Adviser Network has seen significant growth since its launch in 2021. Chuck Slogrove is the co-founder of KAN with his business partner, Ben Krebs, and this podcast is the first time he's given a detailed insight into the business' rapid growth.

Are you a mortgage adviser looking to do more development projects? Evan Barnes is the managing director at Funding Partners and in this podcast we discuss how Funding Partners supports advisers whose client's needs sit outside the main bank space.

Many advisers and business owners focus their time and attention on a specific niche. Gus from Spring Loans has directed his focus towards business lending. In this chat, Gus and I discuss strategy, his business journey and winning Commercial Adviser of the year in 2024.

KiwiSaver kicked off in 2007 and has grown to over $110 billion in the scheme since its inception (at the time of release). It has incredible potential to give Kiwis a better retirement. Today we chat with Brendan Ward from NZ Funds about how we can maximise that growth and where it could head in the future.

We have a special guest for this week's episode of the KAN Podcast. April Hastilow joins us from Opes Mortgages. April has consistently been on the top mortgage adviser list and was named again for 2024. This time in 12th place! We discuss her journey from working in media to joining the bank and eventually becoming a mortgage adviser. The company she works with is Opes Mortgages. They are inc...

In this episode of the KAN Podcast, Ben Pauley, financial adviser and director at Lateral Partners, shares his experience and opinion about the complexities of development and residential lending. We also discussed marketing strategy and the direction he's guiding the business.

Blandon Leung is a director and mortgage adviser at MortgageHQ. In this podcast, we discuss the approach to marketing and advice that has helped MHQ grow to one of the industry's juggernauts.

Claire Williamson is a director and Financial Adviser at My Mortgage Limited. She also has an impressive résumé, having won Regional Adviser of the Year at the 2024 NZMAs. She's the author of the book 'Smashed Avos to Smashed Goals,' and is a podcaster, speaker, and MC.

A typical journey for a financial adviser in New Zealand is the pathway from a provider, working under a larger brand, and finally starting your own business. Jay Diesh did exactly that when he started Dash Financial Services. He's a wonderful guest and this is a great episode for anyone on that journey.

Scott joined the financial services industry as an insurance adviser just two years ago. Since then he has joined the team at Mortgage Bliss in Whakatane as a personal risk insurance and KiwiSaver adviser. Scott is a quick learner and this episode has some top-level tips for advisers at any stage of their career.

Daniel Lipman spent his 21st Birthday doing something not many 21-year-olds would even consider; sitting his level 5 papers to become a financial adviser. Fast forward to now and Daniel has achieved a lot for such a young lad. He's been consistently recognised as one of NZ's top mortgage advisers and now he's started his own business. With the help of his business partners, they're...

This conversation with Kris Ballantyne from Partners Life is a doozy and there are so many interesting takeaways for Kiwi financial advisers even if you're not in the personal risk insurance space. Kris has been an integral part of the Partners Life story since day one and we discussed how a Kiwi insurer start-up became one of the juggernauts of our industry.