The Optics of a Story
The Optics of a Story
When reflecting on my career, I noticed that it can be summed up in catchphrases. Early in my tech career at Westpac, for some reason, I always used the line from Jerry Maguire: "You had me at hello." Just ask my close friend Paul S—he’ll tell you how annoying it became. Aroha mai bro.
Then, I moved to Trade Me, and my phrase there was "Trust the Process." This came from a time when the Philadelphia 76ers were intentionally tanking to build a stronger roster. I said it so much that when I had Kārena, the team even bought a baby onesie with “Trust the Process” printed on it.
This saying even made it into a 20-minute talk I gave on how my testing team survived and thrived, being outnumbered 30 engineers to 3. I’m sure Geoff and Julia might remember this one.
My next phrase that sticks out was when I was at Xero: "It’s all about the optics." This was a gem I used often, especially when riffing with my good friend Andrew R. The idea behind the optics was about controlling the narrative—how does this present to the outside world? How do people interpret this story?
At this point, you might be thinking: Cool story, bro… how does this relate to your current journey?
Those experiences, and how I used those terms, got me thinking about how they align with where I am now—especially when it comes to the lifecycle of a flooring job. From the first lead to quoting, scheduling, execution, and delivery, I’ve been reflecting a lot on how this process unfolds. Looking back at my career and the catchphrases that shaped my thinking, I realse they’ve influenced the way I approach our business today. It’s not just about getting things done—it’s about how we do them and, more importantly, how we make our customers feel every step of the way.
The Lifecycle of a Job
I recall sitting down with Dad and asking him, "What’s the actual lifecycle of a job?" He’s been running the business for decades, so it’s all in his head—an invaluable source of knowledge, yet sometimes hard to extract.
Here’s what he shared about how things run:
Leads come through his phone: Crazy, right? For 30 years, Dad hasn’t advertised. No website, no radio ads, no print ads. It’s all word-of-mouth and referrals.
Measuring the job: One of Dad’s core philosophies is to be quick. He’ll drop everything and head out, even if it means driving hours to get to Te Kao or Kaikohe.
Discussing needs with the client: Dad knows flooring—everything from carpet to tiles. His experience helps him recommend the best combinations of colors and materials. It’s knowledge built over decades.
Scheduling the job: The schedule’s all in Dad’s head. He has a good feel for how long a job should take and uses his instincts to decide when it can be done.
Installation begins: The team arrives and gets to work. It’s all about getting the job done fast.
Moment that matters: The customer is happy with the job. This is the point where everything aligns—when the process all comes together.
So, it’s a pretty straightforward lifecycle—interchangeable with most trades, right?
However, as we’ve started looking at processes and opportunities, we’ve realized there are areas we can improve. Here’s where our catchphrases come into play:
You Had Me at Hello
This is all about the first engagement. Where do our leads come from? How do we create that "Jerry Maguire" moment—so our customers feel seen, understood, and confident from the very first contact?
We now have multiple lead channels. We’ve launched a website, socials, facebook ads, google ads and we’re even working on customer personas to help differentiate our customers and tailor our approach to reaching them. This ensures that we don’t just grab their attention—we hold it.
Trust the Process
Once everything’s locked in, it’s about trusting our systems. Here, we’re incorporating the idea of “shifting left”—anticipating potential problems before they arise, solving them in the planning stages. By solving problems early, it’s cheaper and smoother for everyone involved.
Clarity, shared understanding, and clear handovers are key. Both our team and our customers need to know exactly what’s going to happen next. This ensures we all have the same vision for what the job will look like and what’s required.
It’s All About the Optics
Over-communicate. Then repeat. And repeat again. Even if there’s chaos behind the scenes, presenting calm and clarity creates a stable environment for the customer. It’s about controlling the narrative. By managing expectations and staying clear in our communication, we ensure that the customer experiences what we want them to—a smooth, professional process.
This isn’t just about making things look good—it’s about creating trust and confidence. It’s about the customer feeling like they’re in good hands, no matter what’s happening in the background.
In Closing
This is all work in progress. What I’ve shared here is an ideal end state, but we’re experimenting, evolving, learning, and trying. We may get things wrong at times, but that’s part of the journey. Ultimately, to achieve those moments that matter, we need to ensure we create the right conditions—from that first “hello” to building trust and maintaining the right optics throughout.
By applying these lessons from my past and continually improving the processes, we’re setting ourselves up to offer a better experience for our customers & team—and that’s what matters most.