John Maybury

Grateful to work with biz dev leads like Adrian who is getting 2-3 leads per week from his two videos. He said to me today, that the his last video might get five leads! It works!! 💥

90% was a statistic I couldn't ignore. That's the percentage of 10x10x10 clients who couldn't succinctly articulate the problems they solved.

We've filmed over 150 clients since 2024.

Accountants, advisers, coaches, consultants, sales people.

Smart and capable people with years of experience but they struggled communicating the actual pains their client had.

Which got me thinking.

It takes guts to get on camera and go through that process so what about all the other kiwi leaders and founders who communicate everyday on calls, in meetings, presentations, networking etc

There's no camera in sight but are 90% getting it wrong?

Or maybe they're saying too much to illustrate their point.

The 150 people we've filmed are the tip of it.

For every one of them, there are thousands more who'll never sit in front of a camera, but who lose the exact same battle every time they open their mouth in a meeting, a pitch, or a hallway conversation.

It's a problem that I love solving.

Messi vs Mbappé vs Kane. ⚽ The stats don't settle it. ❌

Right now at 39, Messi is level with Mbappé on 7 goals in this World Cup.

Mbappé edges the Golden Boot race on assists.

Messi still holds the all-time World Cup goal record.

Kane sits two behind on 5, but he's the one who turned himself into a goalscorer through pure repetition, not natural gifts.

Three totally different paths to the same scoreboard.

Messi does less, late in the game and still decides outcomes.

Mbappé is built for the big moment, the header, the spot kick, the score that arrives right when the game needs it.

Kane is neither the flashiest nor the most gifted. He just refuses to miss twice in a row.

I see this split in every speaker I coach.

Some clients are Messi.

Quiet in the room until the moment that matters, then one line lands and the whole room shifts.

Some are Mbappé.

Big stage, big energy, built to command attention from the first word.

And some are Kane.

Not naturally gifted speakers at all, they just do the reps. Over and over until it's second nature.

What's the message here?

You don't get to pick which one you are. You work with what you've got.

Stop trying to be a Mbappé when you're a Kane.

Stop performing a version of "confident speaker" that isn't yours.

The goal isn't to copy the loudest voice in the room.

It's to find your version of scoring, and then repeat it until it's undeniable.

Nobody asks Messi to play like Mbappé.

Don't ask yourself to either.

Maybe you want to be a Haaland after his brace this morning.

Who are backing for the Golden Boot and why?

Quiet thinkers, meet your trajectory 📈
This is the journey I take students through
The KNOWN framework 👇

You're an expert but no one knows how good you really are

What if they did?

What if you got recognised for your work and thinking?

Winning business or a promotion

I use a framework called KNOWN

K - Knowledge, communicated clearly (PREP)
N - using stories to connect with stakeholders
O - ownership and talking to small groups

"Imagine all the people, living life in peace..."
John Lennon wasn't talking about communication.
But he could have been. 👇

Imagine walking into a client meeting and feeling the words land exactly the way they sound in your head.

Clear and confident.

Imagine no more stumbling through your own pitch.

No more "I'm not really a people person" but I can do this.

Imagine all the people... actually hearing you.

Imagine standing in front of a group and feeling "connected"

In a meeting or presentation.

Imagine prospects leaning in.

Your ideas carrying the weight they've always deserved.

Imagine the sale that doesn't feel like selling.

Just a conversation.

And you happen to be the voice they listen to.

Imagine video being something you do on a Tuesday morning before your coffee goes cold.

Not something you talk yourself out of for six months.

You may say I'm a dreamer.

But I've watched it happen.

The quiet expert who spent years letting their work speak for them

Finally stepping forward and speaking for themselves.

"I hope someday you'll join them".

--

The voice was always there.

You just need someone to help you find it.

Look at these fine gentlemen!

Thanks for the invitation from Igor Portugal for some solid networking on Friday night.

Good to chat with Jon Randles and Richard Conway at the launch of bcarda into New Zealand.

Good people, great conversations!

Thanks David Wyatt, Nadya Nimmo, Deepak Selvaratnam, Edwin Muronzi, Daria Lessing, William Goldberg and Anuj Dubey.

I even won a prize thanks to the fine chaps at Propeller Studios!

Who had the best story?

This is Nico, a year 12 student at Westlake boys and he wants to grow his maths tutoring business and I get the absolute privilege of being his mentor 👇

Westlake boys have a business program called Openground where the boys get to start, grow and scale a business.

They get expert help and are assigned a mentor.

That's me.

😮

We had our second session yesterday and we covered;

⚡ Business vision
⚡ Competitor analysis
⚡ Pricing
⚡ Growth opportunities

Oh, and a little bit of marketing and promotion.

I said to him "Nico, how do you feel about doing some videos to promote your business?".

"I dunno, John. I'm not sure I'm ready?".

"You'll never be ready mate but I'll help you be the best you can be on camera".

A wry smile from him.

---

I wish I had these types of opportunities back when I was 16.

How cool to start & develop business ideas at a young age?

I'm super-grateful to be able to contribute.

Connect with him on LinkedIn. He's a good lad!