In the June-August 2026 issue of NZ Marketing magazine, we asked agency founders to tell us the story behind why they started their agency, their favourite thing, what they’ve learned and their best advice.
EightyOne Media
- Founder: Grant Maxwell
- Year founded: 2021
Tell us the story behind founding your agency
I’m an optimist at heart. So when I saw the words of Stephen Hawking talking about how communication unleashes the power of our imagination, I challenged myself to create a business that uses communication to make the world a better place in whatever way we can. That’s led us down an exciting path that seeks to find positive outcomes in every aspect of what we do – whether that’s for clients and their customers, staff, publishers or the community. In doing so, we’re reinventing the way a media agency operates. Hopefully for the better. Time will tell.
What’s your favourite thing about running your own agency?
The freedom to try things that might make the world better, without having to write a business case for some greater powers to approve (or not).
What’s the most important thing you’ve learned?
Cashflow is everything. When it’s your business, there’s no deep pockets to call on when things get tight. And they will get tight.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received or given out?
I have always remembered Simon Sinek’s quote: “Money is like fuel for a car. A car needs fuel, but the purpose of the car is not to buy more fuel; it is to go somewhere.”
I live by this when making decisions with my business every day. I am driven by where I want to take my business, not what will get profit. Profit is not the objective of business, it is a symptom of success. I firmly believe that businesses that focus on making a difference, are rewarded with profit. Businesses that focus on making a profit get neither.
Anything else we should know?
In a world that is quickly replacing humans with machines, we are doubling down on the most human of traits: service. Our goal is to find the best balance of humanity and machine that delivers a higher level of personalised service for our clients. Human brainpower supported by machine muscle has the potential to be an unbeatable formula. It’s a job that will never be done, but we’re enjoying the ride.
This story comes from NZ Marketing magazine issue 87, June-August 2026. Why not subscribe? Get four issues a year for just $50 (including delivery) if you autorenew.
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