Testimonials

“At YellowBites, we knew that if we wanted to grow, we needed more than just ambition, we needed help. Someone who could provide a clear strategy and give us the confidence and discipline to execute it well. That’s where working with Leigh Paulden from SSBG has been such a game-changer. Leigh, our business mentor, was referred to us through our bank at a senior level, and it quickly became clear why. The two biggest benefits we’ve gained are clarity and alignment. Leigh has a great way of cutting through the noise, helping us focus on what really matters, and getting our leadership team pulling in the same direction. What we really value about Leigh is how he blends deep business experience with proven growth frameworks, while making it practical and relevant to our world. He meets with us regularly, keeps us accountable, and challenges us to think bigger. His style is steady, systematic, and results-driven. This is exactly what yellowbites needed as we faced the challenge of scaling up. He’s helped us strengthen our systems, sharpen execution, and tackle problems before they become roadblocks. Leigh has also reviewed our business structure and guided us toward getting the right people in place to deliver results. Since working with Leigh, we’ve seen real improvements: clearer priorities, stronger teamwork, a more streamlined management structure, and systems that will support sustainable growth. He’s opened our eyes to opportunities we might never have considered, while giving us the confidence to back ourselves. For a mid-sized FMCG manufacturer like us, having Leigh alongside us has made a real difference. We’d recommend him to any business that’s serious about scaling with confidence. Rodney Jurgens, Managing Director, YellowBites

Rodney Jurgens, Managing Director  – Yellow

“With Leigh’s wealth of experience and network of contacts we’ve benefitted having somebody at our strategy table that can easily relate to all sorts of situations and offer advice in how to navigate them. (more…)

Colin Durling ,  – CDK Stone

“Leigh Paulden has worked closely with both HTC and Hobeca for over six years, and has been instrumental in helping us grow and evolve as businesses. Leigh brings consistent, high-quality coaching, but what sets him apart is his ability to blend structure with people. (more…)

Robb Huskinson ,  – HTC

“I describe Leigh Paulden as a diesel engine. He’s just a safe pair of hands and steady. He just follows the process and takes you through it. And so we’ve enjoyed the process of his frameworks and his experience. He’s a big part of our team. Our leaders in the business really, really like Leigh and respect him. And what they would say about him is that they always feel empowered after his sessions, and they always have a lot of clarity.

Paul O’Donohue, CEO  – SalesStar

“"I would say to anybody who has a desire to grow, or to double or triple their business, that the earlier you add on somebody like Leigh, the easier your road is going to be because it won’t just be about your end goal, it will be about your roadmap and how to actually get there”.

Mike Modgill, Director  – Supacolour

“There is no question that the time my management team and I spent working with Leigh and the Gravitas programmes was of the highest value. Leigh's fantastically broad business perspective, hands on expertise and smart business thinking was invaluable in the continuing growth of our management capability and systems and resetting our paradigms of what we should aim for and can achieve!

Mike Shatford, CEO  – CEO Design Energy

“Webtools had reached a point of rapid growth and it made good sense to engage a coach. Working with Leigh Paulden made us prioritise time as a leadership team and work towards our common goals. As a result we matured processes and systems, assessed potential pitfalls and prepared for the changes required to grow a Tech start-up company into a mid-market one. Webtools is now, well poised for new growth, with strong business foundations and aligned leadership teams. We can now   capitalise on post covid opportunities and realise greater growth with the surety of systems and processes, good discipline and practices which are now deeply embedded in our business. For emerging mid-market companies experiencing growth market, Leigh’s Gravitas coaching program will definitely prepare a business for the next level of growth.

Brett O'Donnell, CEO & Founder  – Webtools

“When the environment is super competitive and the opportunities are plenty, having a robust framework to help develop both strategy and execution is powerful. When that is allied with a knowledgeable, results-focused coach like Leigh Paulden, then you really are set up for success.

Sam Shosanya, CEO  – Paper Plus Group

“Scaling up a business is such an exciting and challenging journey, fraught with unknowns. SSBG brings focus through great systems, however, having Leigh Paulden coach you in the journey just adds so much more breadth & depth to those 'must get right' decisions. I unreservedly recommend him.

Richard Ball, CEO  – Anytime Fitness NZ

“Leigh Paulden was there from the very early days of Orbica. He focuses very much on business design, strategic thinking, business expansion and setting yourself up for growth. What I've learned from Leigh is to be bold. Seriously. Be bold and commit to building the right team early on so that you're not fixing things later. It's meant that we've been able to scale quickly and operate with a lot of maturity for a business of our age. We've got good systems, good processes, good people.

Kurt Janssen, CEO and Founder  – Orbica

“It is no coincidence that since we've engaged Leigh Paulden - we have enjoyed consistent growth and success. Implementation of the methods Leigh has introduced has meant we now have our people right, our values established, and focus and direction like we've never had before. This inevitably is delivering great results profit-wise and in terms of our business's position and contribution to the marketplace.

Mark Bishop, General Manager  – Active Healthcare

“Carus Group has been working with SSBG since October 2015. As a new company wanting to grow quickly, Leigh Paulden has helped us to think big strategically, ensure our systems and processes are set up to cope with the growth, and to stay focused and aligned as a team. I strongly recommend Leigh and his services to anyone who wants to achieve great growth and take their business to the next level.

Harvey Fisher, General Manager  – Carus Group (2017 Deloitte Fast 50)

“Leigh Paulden works with my management team and I to continually challenge our business to continue to grow systematically and profitably. He has coached us through the various aspects of the Gravitas Impact frameworks to great effect. The process and extra discipline has brought improved focus on key deliverables plus accountability right across the business. Leigh surprises us with helpful anecdotes and examples that encourage my team and I to push across comfort lines successfully. We continue to leverage Leigh’s talents and experience.

Frank van der Velden, CEO  – Touchpoint Group

“Working with Leigh Paulden has had an outstanding impact on our business. We are unlocking the potential within SnapComms and the rate of growth (and everyone’s enjoyment of that growth) has increased dramatically. Highly recommended!

Sarah Perry , CEO  – SnapComms

“My CFO and I attended a Scaling Up seminar in September 2014, which we enjoyed greatly, and we immediately saw the benefits of applying these principles to our business. In reading Verne’s book and reviewing the associated materials, we quickly identified that there was a great deal of information to absorb, interpret and apply to our business.We then sought assistance and were introduced to Leigh Paulden – whose input has been incredibly valuable. He has communicated the fundamentals of the Scaling Up program in our language, assisted us to identify barriers and make several significant decisions to remove these – this has transformed how we see ourselves and our ability to move ahead with speed. We have recently had the confidence to introduce our wider management team within our regular meeting program. This has been received with incredible support. I strongly recommend Leigh and his services. The benefits of developing a positive, focused and results based environment, with significant additional business value, greatly outweigh any investments we have made.

Ross Johnson, Managing Director  – Global Security

“Pacific Hygiene has been working with Leigh Paulden for the last 20 months. During that time our Senior Management Team and myself have enjoyed working with Leigh, where we have all been challenged to fully understand the changes in the marketplace, what’s driving them, and how we must position our company to successfully continue to grow profitably in the future. Working with Leigh has also grown our Management Team as individuals, allowing them to contribute more and assist the company to achieve its full potential. Implementing the principals of the Rockefeller Habits, with guidance from Leigh, means that we are all aligned and motivated to achieve whatever is possible. I look forward to continue working with Leigh in the future and would recommend him to any business wishing to grow aggressively in the marketplace.

Rod Downs, Managing Director  – Pacific Hygiene Limited

“Leigh Paulden provided the perfect tools for Intueri Education Group to navigate the integration of five new businesses across ten different locations in New Zealand. The implementation quickly resulted in improved revenue and EBIT performance and more importantly provided a sustainable platform to drive growth and the strategic direction of the business for many years to come. I highly recommend Leigh Paulden and the Gravitas Impact Frameworks to any small-medium growth business looking to take their team to the next level.

Glen Dobbie, Non-Executive Director  – Intueri Education Group

“Learning the Gravitas impact frameworks and implementing the tools have made a huge difference in the clarity of direction, focus on the right priorities, improved communication within the business and faster execution. This has resulted in strong revenue growth, stronger cash flow and a very large improvement in net profit. I consider this a must for any leadership team looking to grow its business.

E Wayne Bailey , Director  – Taurus Group Limited