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Introducing James Bennie
Meet James Bennie...
James is currently the Business Growth Manager at WellingtonNZ, helping local businesses grow and Wellington prosper.
Being an entrepreneur at heart with a passion for helping businesses, you’ll also find James’ insightful content on the Raw Mentor social media channels.
Before WellingtonNZ, James helped create and sell two businesses.
James took over the family business, a training company for New Zealand’s Hospitality industry. Today this business is known as HospoTrain. In 2017 James was recognised for his hard work by being presented a Felix Award for Outstanding Hospitality Professionals.
James’ second business is a lifestyle clothing brand for those who love fishing. James and his co-founder, Felix Wenzel, felt that they needed a brand of clothing to wear that showed their passion for surfcast fishing. Billabong just wasn’t cutting it for them and Slacktide was born.
What was your vision when you first started your venture?
All my life I’ve been in hospitality. My father had a small company based in Wellington that specialised in liquor licensing. I took that over in 2009 and soon realised there was a need to up-skill the industry. It’s always been a trait of mine, to help people. I had a lot of experience and knowledge to pass on.
I expanded Hospotrain to service Auckland and Christchurch. Then I stepped back from teaching courses and hired a trainer. This left me free to gain clarity and grow the business. I went into restaurant consulting and mentoring flowed from there. I developed my personal brand, James Bennie. It's amazing how I thought my business brand (Hospotrain) was strong when actually my personal brand was way bigger.
After selling Hospotrain I knew that I still had a lot to offer. I found myself wondering how I could affect more than just the hospitality industry. I was then contracted by WellingtonNZ as their Training and Development officer. I rolled out digital training packages. I got into the wellness space and employee experience, which I really loved. I was pretty stoked that I could move from hospitality to corporate. I had been worried about being pigeonholed in hospitality, as I had been in it for so long.
For the last 14 months, I have been in the business growth team. I'm loving helping people scale their business. Plus I'm working in different sectors now. My current portfolio is ICT (Information and Communications Technology), SASS (Software as a Service), Professional Services and a little bit of hospitality.
My side hustle is Raw Mentor. I've got a lot of general business knowledge to give and it is a bit of a passion project. I have a few clients, but it’s more of just testing the waters. I aim to add value to a business, even just a little snippet. I think what’s really important is what comes out of my mouth. It's not about what I wear anymore. I wear caps in the videos. It’s raw. It’s me. To me, mentorship is two-ways. It’s not just someone asking me for my views and talking about their business, it’s me learning from them as well, which I think a lot of people forget. I don't like the word consulting and I don't feel I'm a coach. I'm not telling people what to do. I'm saying, “Hey, I'm thinking of different ways for you to do this, from my experiences.. have a think about this”. I’m not saying “You MUST do that.” I’m suggesting what’s possible. It is the same in my videos. Getting people thinking in a different light.
I also co-founded a clothing brand, Slacktide, with a good friend of mine, Felix Wenzel. We’re both in the Wellington surfcasting club. I'm the current vice president and Felix is one of Wellington's top fishermen. We wanted clothes to wear on the weekend. We're not surfers and didn’t want to wear Billabong or Rip-curl. We love fishing and surfcasting and wanted to show that. So we created our own label at a whiteboard session in the lounge, with our wives, in 2017. A slack tide is between the incoming and outgoing tides and it's a catchy name. If you google “slack tide”, you find tide graphs. We took inspiration from that for the Slacktide logo. I wanted something that wasn't totally obvious, something that could mean something different to each person. It has wave contours. Some see waves and the sea, others see mountains. A lot of our stuff doesn't have fish all over it. So non-fishermen can also get involved with the brand.
I handled all the design and concepts. Felix managed dispatch from his garage. We worked hard on social media to get the brand out there with the help of a few influencers. Our main aim was not to go off-shore. It is important to support local. We used Artisan Screen Prints from Shelly Bay, sourced eco-friendly inks and home compostable packaging. Supplying the best quality New Zealand made clothing was also important. We knew that the garments weren't going to shrink or fade in the first time wash. We are a premium brand. Since then the market has blown up a bit and there's one major competitor now, making great stuff. There’s more awareness for that particular market, which is cool.
Fast forward, Felix bought the fishing shop that he’d managed for the last 10 years, Capital Fishing. I’m working at WellingtonNZ. I had to eat my own words. I’m telling businesses “it's all about time and commitment“, but we didn’t have time or commitment for Slacktide anymore. One of our good friends and biggest fan came to us and said, “I don't want to see Slacktide just finish. Will you be interested if my wife and I bought it?” We agreed. And it wasn't about the money. We just wanted Slacktide boosted to the next level. They’re going to do a kid’s range. And it’s really cool to see it carry on.
How did you deal with early setbacks?
There are lots of setbacks in any business. During Hospotrain, people would ask “Who are you, James? Why should I employ you to teach my staff?”. There were setbacks around that and I had to build myself up. Once becoming known in the industry I started having a bit of clout and people would take notice. This is what I say to my clients now, “You have to become an authority in your market. You have to put yourself out there. Show people why they should do business with you.”
With Slacktide, designing garments, printing labels, there was a lot of room to make mistakes. We just had to roll with the things we didn’t even think of. Every detail was so important. We even had labels that reversed. Showing our logo the same way, on a beanie, so it can be worn folded up or down. Embroidery had to be scrutinised on the quality. Some work was nowhere near up to par. I would just send it back. Having the confidence to do that was important.
There were long nights worrying about paying bills, tax and GST. There are some big bills out there. We were NZQA approved. It takes a lot to be accredited. I don't think people realise that. NZQA are really big in education, but for the private sector they couldn’t see our vision and it became restricting. With Hospotrain, 10 years was a long time in the business. It was time to move on. I wasn't enjoying it anymore.
I'm not a huge gambler in business. I play it safe. That probably hindered me a bit. You have to take the risk.
Staffing contract trainers was tricky. I thought I'd had the right person, then it backfired when they went to work for someone else. But again, you just have to pick yourself up. That's the mindset. Pick yourself up and ask for help - talk to advisors, mentors, people who have been there. I always suggest outside of your family. They're just going to say it's all rosy. As Kiwis, we are very humble. We don't ask, we're afraid of looking silly. But in this day and age, when there’s money, mortgage and families involved, it’s imperative to stay afloat. The more advice you can get from all different walks of life, the better.
In my current role, I'm meeting a lot of providers and gurus in industry. I'm learning a lot and working in different ways. I think that's big. Getting that mindset, clarity and surrounding yourself with people who challenge you. Catching up regularly for coffee. If you come away from that coffee feeling invigorate and enthused. Then those are the people you should be around.
Was there a time that you wanted to give up?
I have three young boys and we moved to Martinborough to get away from the city and save money on rent. I had to travel to Wellington a couple of days a week to facilitate training workshops. People would tell me “You should be putting money away each week”, but in reality that doesn't happen with small business. That financial pressure was my main burden and why I wanted to give up. If you're getting frustrated and lose your passion, then you've got to evaluate. Should you push through and get help?
It was very lonely. I was the sole operator with contract trainers. But it was just me in the office talking to myself. I didn't know that many people in the training game, or business advisors or could afford them. Realising I could find people willing to help or chat for the shout of a coffee was a huge moment for me.
I was proud to be able to sell Hospotrain. Not many people can sell their businesses, they just windle way.
Creating something that somebody wants is quite an achievement. And now Felix and I have sold Slacktide. Selling two businesses. I have to pat myself on the back for that.
Being contracted for two years by WellingtonNZ really made me realise that I can do this and in a different industry. Now my mindset is even more clear that it's quite nice to get a pay packet, spending my weekends with my kids, fishing or at our batch.
It's not about earning huge dollars and reaching for the stars every single week. It means a lot to be a father and to spend more time with my three boys. Yes, there are many people in the corporate market who choose not to be around a lot. But that's their choice, which is fine. I enjoy getting a pay packet and helping people on the side. I'm an entrepreneurial spirit and will always have something to fuel my fire. Whether it's Rawmentor, producing helpful content or meeting and helping people.
WellingtonNZ can be thought of as a creative agency. Attracting people here to make movies, to study, marketing venues in the city. It's an electric little agency, funded by the councils working on making Wellington wildly famous.
Were there any traps that you fell into?
Motivation. When working by alone it's easy to flick on the TV. Thinking “I’ve got a course coming up on the weekend. It’ll be alright.” You can easily lose that hustle when you don't have a business partner to keep you in check.
Laziness was my biggest trap. People need to surround themselves with those who will drive them. That’s key. I’m not talking about your significant other. Select a business partner that you’re really in sync with.
Don’t just grab the first person with money, unless it’s an investment only. Make sure you have different offerings. If you’re too similar, sometimes that doesn't work. But when partners have different skillsets, that’s cool.
When starting Slacktide with Felix, it felt like the two of us were conquering the world. We’d high five each other for the small wins. Especially when receiving an order from someone we didn't know.
Know your ‘why’. It should never be about money. It’s inside you, driving you every single day to make the world better.
My why for Rawmentor is providing value to people. If someone takes a nugget of information from one of my videos and uses it to improve their business, then we're winning. It's not about money. It's about really helping people succeed.
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What inspires and motivates you?
Praise. I love hearing that I’m doing a good thing. It’s great to hear people saying “Hey, I’ve seen your Rawmentor videos!” That really motivates me. Not everybody watching on social media presses the ‘like’ button. But that's what I feed off. I want to know if people are viewing my content, talking about me in the right light and referring me.
I get inspiration from other people who are doing well and making a difference. Joel Bouzaid is one of those people. We meet up regularly. He challenges me and asks key questions that gets me thinking. Jeremy Dean is another inspirational person. He's doing amazing things around the world with his Emotional Culture Deck. It's a fun interactive card game. He also has the Customer Experience Deck and the Wellbeing Deck will be out soon. He's one of those people who will inspire and challenge you into taking action over coffee.
For me, inspiration doesn’t just come from high profile people. I’m inspired by normal people, doing their thing, doing it well and adding value. Like the businesses I meet through WellingtonNZ.
The other day I received a bottle of wine from a client to say thanks for connecting them with other service providers. That’s what we do at WellingtonNZ. Matching businesses with providers and mentors to enable business growth. They were so happy with the matches we made. It really helped them create their new band. They think it’s outstanding. That's what I'm here for. Finding the right people to help. It's really cool to see people doing well.
And in that light, it's the feedback that motivates me. It’s not that I need praise. It's just how I know that I'm doing a good thing.
Can you describe a breakthrough that you're particularly proud of?
It’s a personal thing. Growing up as a child, other people had batches. But my family didn’t.
After selling Hospotrain, we bought our own batch. I think that's really cool for my family and it strengthened our connection. My wife works full-time in the corporate environment. Sometimes we just need to getaway. We go fishing and quad biking. It’s really cool that we have been able to buy our own little piece of paradise in the South Wairarapa.
Back in the Hospotrain days (2017), I won a Felix Award for Outstanding Hospitality Professional of the Year. Those awards are voted for by the hospitality industry. So that’s great to be recognised by my peers and to receive the major award for the night.
What do you see as being your biggest lesson?
Connections and getting to know people. Putting yourself out there and meeting people does wonders. You just don’t know what doors will open for you from that next meeting. Whether it's a big sale or just someone to help boost your business to the next level. In New Zealand, we can meet important people or investors just down the street. Mostly they want to hear your story and what you're doing.
The more people you meet, the more great opportunities open for you. During my hospotrain days, I would go to every hospitality event. My wife joked I was going for the free booze. But people would see me and be reminded to book one of my courses. I’d be at the forefront of their minds. If you're out there or creating content, then it's being seen.
I created a video a while back about how everybody's always watching’. They might not be pressing the ‘Like” button but they are watching what you're doing and you just don’t know. At our WellingtonNZ Christmas party recently one of my colleagues from another department said: “Oh, I've seen your Rawmentor content, it’s really cool!” This was totally unexpected, we hardly speak to each other during the year.
People are always watching and you just don't know when the next opportunity will appear.
Has your vision always been clear and how has it evolved?
I know my purpose, my ‘Why’. Generally, my mindset is pretty positive. I don't get caught up in all the BS, such as the COVID hard times and how crappy 2020 has been.
I was talking with somebody yesterday at work about 2021. Looking forward to how we can help the next round of businesses coming for help. He was taken with my positive outlook and excitement for the new year. Especially when a lot of people still have negative thinking towards COVID.
Yes, 2020 has been a bad year, but I’m thinking towards the future and what’s around the corner.
What would you do differently if you had to start again from scratch?
Asking for more feedback on my ideas early on from all different walks of life.
Whatever's caught up in a person’s head will be their next best idea. You must have others to ask those difficult questions…
What problem are you solving?
Has it been done before?
Is there room in the market for an interrupter?
What makes your offering different to similar offerings?
How much is it going to cost?
Who else is out there?
Getting that feedback early on will enable you to make a better product or service.
A lot of us don’t talk to enough people. I see it a lot. A product or service is created, but there’s no thought for the customer. Working out who a product/service is aimed at and working backwards doesn’t happen enough. People get stuck on who's going to buy it.
You must do your research. There could be 10 other people with the same product or service and doing it bloody well. If you don't research and get advice, you just don't know, potentially wasting your time and energy.
I’ve had a client with a similar product to Trademe. They believed it was way better. We all know how successful Trademe is. We told them straight that this would be a big feat, suggested that they may need to… ‘pivot’. But some people will never take on external advice, it’s their way or the high way.
CONNECT WITH JAMES
If you have enjoyed this article and want to start a conversation with James, you can reach out on:
Websites: WellingtonNZ
Facebook: RAW Mentor
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/james-bennie-79850831/
Instagram: @raw_mentor
Please don’t forget to tell James that I sent you.
Interview and photography by Wellington Headshot Photographer, Tim Morrison (all rights reserved)