Want to start a business but have absolutely no idea where to begin?

In this episode, I’m breaking down exactly how I’d start a business in 2026 - from finding an idea people will actually pay for to getting your first product or service out into the world.

I share how to spot opportunities in everyday problems, validate your idea, stop overthinking and focus on the actions that can take you from idea to your first sale in as little as 30 days.

I also share some of the lessons that helped me turn my first product business into $3.5 million in sales in its first year.

You don’t need to have everything figured out before you start. You need an idea, a plan and the willingness to take the first step.

Ready to start building? Join our #1 Business Training today ⬇️

🔗 Book a strategy call: https://www.makeithappen.org.nz/

🔔 Subscribe for weekly videos on business, mindset, and building your dream life

🌐 Learn more: http://makeithappen.org.nz/

🌐 Instagram: @makeithappen

📣 Share this video with someone who needs the push to finally start

Want to start a business but have absolutely no idea where to begin?
In this episode, I&rsquo;m breaking down exactly how I&rsquo;d start a business in 2026 - from finding an idea people will actually pay for to getting your first product or service out into the world.
I share how to spot opportunities in everyday problems, validate your idea, stop overthinking and focus on the actions that can take you from idea to your first sale in as little as 30 days.
I also share some of the lessons that helped me turn my first product business into $3.5 million in sales in its first year.
You don&rsquo;t need to have everything figured out before you start. You need an idea, a plan and the willingness to take the first step.
Ready to start building? Join our #1 Business Training today ⬇️
🔗 Book a strategy call: <a href="https://www.makeithappen.org.nz/">https://www.makeithappen.org.nz/</a>
🔔 Subscribe for weekly videos on business, mindset, and building your dream life
🌐 Learn more: <a href="http://makeithappen.org.nz/">http://makeithappen.org.nz/</a>
🌐 Instagram: @makeithappen
📣 Share this video with someone who needs the push to finally start

Join entrepreneur Iyia Liu delve into all things business, money, marketing and life. If you are wanting to up-skill your business knowledge or just needing some motivation on your life and career journey you are in the right place. Whatever it is that you want out of life, let’s Make It Happen for you.

Make It Happen with Iyia Liu

Join entrepreneur Iyia Liu delve into all things business, money, marketing and life. If you are wanting to up-skill your business knowledge or just needing some motivation on your life and career journey you are in the right place. Whatever it is that you want out of life, let’s Make It Happen for you.

Follow @makeithappen and @iyialiu on Instagram 

Join entrepreneur Iyia Liu delve into all things business, money, marketing and life. If you are wanting to up-skill your business knowledge or just needing some motivation on your life and career journey you are in the right place. Whatever it is that you want out of life, let&rsquo;s Make It Happen for you.
Follow <a href="https://www.instagram.com/makeithappen/?hl=en">@makeithappen</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/iyialiu/">@iyialiu</a> on Instagram&nbsp;

How to Start a Business in 2026 (Step-by-Step)

What happens when you stop overthinking business and just give it a crack?

We sit down with Leigh Hart - one of New Zealand’s most recognisable comedians and the entrepreneur behind Wakachangi and SnackaChangi - to unpack how he turned decades of storytelling, creativity and a cult following into brands that stand out on supermarket shelves.

Leigh takes us inside his unconventional approach to business and marketing, from announcing a beer brand on Facebook before he’d figured out how to make it, to landing a meeting with Griffins and testing packaging by literally putting mock-ups on bottle-store shelves to see if people could find them.

We get into why he believes real world behaviour beats focus groups, how to build a brand that can stand on its own without relying on the founder’s personal profile and why knowing what you’re actually good at - then finding the right partners to handle the rest - has been critical to growing his businesses.

Leigh also shares one of the biggest decisions of his career: walking away from his ownership in Wakachangi to take full control of SnackaChangi, why it felt completely counterintuitive at the time, and how trusting his gut gave him the freedom to grow the brand on his own terms.

Plus, we talk Kiwi humour, personal branding, FMCG, expanding into Australia and overseas and why Leigh would rather see someone start imperfectly than spend years planning something they never launch.

If you’re a business owner who tends to overthink the next move, this episode might convince you to stop planning quite so much and start testing.

Ready to take your business further?

🔗 Book a strategy call: https://www.makeithappen.org.nz/

🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes on business, marketing, strategy and scaling

🌐 Learn more: http://makeithappen.org.nz/

🌐 Instagram: @makeithappen

📣 Share this episode with a business owner who needs to stop overthinking and give it a shot

What happens when you stop overthinking business and just give it a crack?
We sit down with Leigh Hart - one of New Zealand&rsquo;s most recognisable comedians and the entrepreneur behind Wakachangi and SnackaChangi - to unpack how he turned decades of storytelling, creativity and a cult following into brands that stand out on supermarket shelves.
Leigh takes us inside his unconventional approach to business and marketing, from announcing a beer brand on Facebook before he&rsquo;d figured out how to make it, to landing a meeting with Griffins and testing packaging by literally putting mock-ups on bottle-store shelves to see if people could find them.
We get into why he believes real world behaviour beats focus groups, how to build a brand that can stand on its own without relying on the founder&rsquo;s personal profile and why knowing what you&rsquo;re actually good at - then finding the right partners to handle the rest - has been critical to growing his businesses.
Leigh also shares one of the biggest decisions of his career: walking away from his ownership in Wakachangi to take full control of SnackaChangi, why it felt completely counterintuitive at the time, and how trusting his gut gave him the freedom to grow the brand on his own terms.
Plus, we talk Kiwi humour, personal branding, FMCG, expanding into Australia and overseas and why Leigh would rather see someone start imperfectly than spend years planning something they never launch.
If you&rsquo;re a business owner who tends to overthink the next move, this episode might convince you to stop planning quite so much and start testing.
Ready to take your business further?
🔗 Book a strategy call:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.makeithappen.org.nz/">https://www.makeithappen.org.nz/</a>
🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes on business, marketing, strategy and scaling
🌐 Learn more: <a href="http://makeithappen.org.nz/">http://makeithappen.org.nz/</a>
🌐 Instagram: @makeithappen
📣 Share this episode with a business owner who needs to stop overthinking and give it a shot

How Leigh Hart Built a Snack Empire by Breaking Every Business Rule

Do you actually need to become the face of your business to grow it?

This week on Make It Happen, we sit down with  ⁨@roimatawilkey⁩  founder of @burst digital to unpack how she built a personal brand that has reached more than 200 million people and turned content into a powerful growth channel for her business.

Roi shares how she went from struggling to post consistently to finding repeatable content formats capable of generating millions of views. We break down what actually makes content perform, from hooks and retention to storytelling, testing and knowing when to double down on what works.

We also get into the bigger business case for personal branding: why people buy from people, how showing up consistently builds trust long before someone becomes a customer, and why not every piece of content needs to lead directly to a sale.

Plus, we talk Instagram vs LinkedIn vs TikTok, how to use your analytics to improve your content, where AI fits into your strategy, and why authentic human content could become even more valuable as AI-generated content floods our feeds.

If you’re a business owner looking to build more authority, reach more people and turn your expertise into a brand people know and trust, this episode is for you.

Ready to start building or scale your existing business?

🔗 Book a free strategy call: https://www.makeithappen.org.nz/

🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes on business, marketing, mindset and building your dream life

🌐 Learn more: http://makeithappen.org.nz/

🌐 Instagram: @makeithappen

📣 Share this episode with someone getting ready to launch their first product.

Do you actually need to become the face of your business to grow it?
This week on Make It Happen, we sit down with&nbsp;<a href="https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCqGTYllx2Q5CGRadOXE9iwA">&nbsp;⁨@roimatawilkey⁩&nbsp;</a> founder of @burst digital to unpack how she built a personal brand that has reached more than 200 million people and turned content into a powerful growth channel for her business.
Roi shares how she went from struggling to post consistently to finding repeatable content formats capable of generating millions of views. We break down what actually makes content perform, from hooks and retention to storytelling, testing and knowing when to double down on what works.
We also get into the bigger business case for personal branding: why people buy from people, how showing up consistently builds trust long before someone becomes a customer, and why not every piece of content needs to lead directly to a sale.
Plus, we talk Instagram vs LinkedIn vs TikTok, how to use your analytics to improve your content, where AI fits into your strategy, and why authentic human content could become even more valuable as AI-generated content floods our feeds.
If you&rsquo;re a business owner looking to build more authority, reach more people and turn your expertise into a brand people know and trust, this episode is for you.
Ready to start building or scale your existing business?
🔗 Book a free strategy call: <a href="https://www.makeithappen.org.nz/">https://www.makeithappen.org.nz/</a>
🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes on business, marketing, mindset and building your dream life
🌐 Learn more: <a href="http://makeithappen.org.nz/">http://makeithappen.org.nz/</a>
🌐 Instagram: @makeithappen
📣 Share this episode with someone getting ready to launch their first product.

How to Build a Personal Brand That Grows Your Business | Guest: Roi Wilkey – Burst Digital

Finding the right manufacturer is one thing. Making sure they actually deliver the product you agreed on is another.

In Part 2 of our manufacturing series, we sit down with TK Wang, founder of Epic Sourcing, to walk through what happens after you’ve found your supplier - from briefing the factory and developing samples to production, quality checks and shipping your finished product to New Zealand.

We get into how to give your manufacturer a clear product brief, manage sample revisions, approve a golden sample and make sure the final production run matches what you signed off on.

TK also breaks down what you need to agree on before production starts, what to do if your products arrive faulty, and the shipping, customs and compliance considerations that can catch first-time business owners off guard.

If you’re starting a product-based business, manufacturing in China or preparing to place your first bulk order, this episode will help you understand the process and avoid costly mistakes.

Ready to start building or scale your existing business? 

🔗 Book a free strategy call: https://www.makeithappen.org.nz/ 

🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes on business, marketing, mindset and building your dream life

🌐 Learn more: http://makeithappen.org.nz/ 

🌐 Instagram: @makeithappen

📣 Share this episode with someone getting ready to launch their first product.

Finding the right manufacturer is one thing. Making sure they actually deliver the product you agreed on is another.
In Part 2 of our manufacturing series, we sit down with TK Wang, founder of Epic Sourcing, to walk through what happens after you&rsquo;ve found your supplier - from briefing the factory and developing samples to production, quality checks and shipping your finished product to New Zealand.
We get into how to give your manufacturer a clear product brief, manage sample revisions, approve a golden sample and make sure the final production run matches what you signed off on.
TK also breaks down what you need to agree on before production starts, what to do if your products arrive faulty, and the shipping, customs and compliance considerations that can catch first-time business owners off guard.
If you&rsquo;re starting a product-based business, manufacturing in China or preparing to place your first bulk order, this episode will help you understand the process and avoid costly mistakes.
Ready to start building or scale your existing business?&nbsp;
🔗 Book a free strategy call: <a href="https://www.makeithappen.org.nz/">https://www.makeithappen.org.nz/</a>&nbsp;
🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes on business, marketing, mindset and building your dream life
🌐 Learn more: <a href="http://makeithappen.org.nz/">http://makeithappen.org.nz/</a>&nbsp;
🌐 Instagram: @makeithappen
📣 Share this episode with someone getting ready to launch their first product.

How to Start a Business in 2026 (Step-by-Step)

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