\u2018\u2018It’s time.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
Firebrand managing director Bex Twemlow has sold the Dunedin marketing and digital transformation agency to employees and shareholders Alex Murray and Georgina Guthrie-Murray.<\/p>\n
Mrs Twemlow said she recognised she was not going to be \u2018\u2018Mrs Firebrand forever\u2019\u2019 and the next generation of owners were ready to step up. \u2018\u2018That\u2019s always been important to me: building something that can continue beyond me.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
Mostly it was about the business being in a strong position with great people to lead it forward and she was \u2018\u2018beyond happy\u2019\u2019 with the new owners, she said.<\/p>\n
Ms Guthrie-Murray joined Firebrand in the startup phase when blankets were used instead of electricity to heat the space and she sometimes had her baby under the table. Mrs Twemlow always felt an alignment with her and had enjoyed mentoring her and watching her grow.<\/p>\n
Firebrand started in 2009 when Mrs Twemlow was pregnant with her second child \u2014 and during the Global Financial Crisis. It launched the same month the iPhone 3G hit the market \u2018\u2018which was the moment the Internet genuinely landed in people\u2019s hands.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
From there the business grew through a mix of mergers, acquisitions, hard work and a little luck. \u2018\u2018It\u2019s always been a very Dunedin story, built on networks, trust, community and giving back.<\/p>\n
\u2018\u2018We were fortunate to earn the trust of large national clients, delivering e-commerce, custom platforms, and campaigns, as well as local and national government work. There have been some incredible opportunities along the way.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
But it was also never easy and the toughest times were leading a downsize and those moments still sat with her. Firebrand reached a peak of 25, plus three paid interns, in 2021-22 and it now had a team of 10.<\/p>\n
Asked how she felt about leaving, Mrs Twemlow said it was \u2018\u2018exciting and emotional and challenging and confronting and all those things at the same time\u2019\u2019. Her husband Paul would continue as an employee.<\/p>\n
About 12 years ago, Mrs Twemlow wrote in a journal that she wanted to be personally and financially free before she was 50 \u2014 and she turns 50 in November. \u2018\u2018It feels right; it\u2019s the right time.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
The last couple of years, which included an unsuccessful tilt at the Dunedin City Council in the last local body election under the Future Dunedin banner, had taught her a lot, particularly around balance and the importance of taking care of herself as well as the business.<\/p>\n
Mrs Twemlow described the election campaign as \u2018\u2018the most disgusting thing\u2019\u2019 she had ever experienced. \u2018\u2018When you\u2019ve stood up for a community so proudly and loudly as I certainly had over 17 years of Firebrand, it\u2019s a punch in the gut when that is the experience,\u2019\u2019 she said.<\/p>\n
\u2018\u2018I absolutely count my blessings every single time I\u2019m not sitting at that table as it stands today.<\/p>\n
\u2018\u2018The dream outcome of that election was nothing like we see at the table,\u2019\u2019 she said.<\/p>\n
A big part of Mrs Twemlow\u2019s campaign last year was for the council to have a growth mindset and to have a plan for that, and she feared for Dunedin. \u2018\u2018In a business sense, if you fail to plan, you are in fact planning to fail. The council needs a growth and enablement mindset.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
The advent of artificial intelligence was a threat to businesses, particularly in Dunedin where there was an influx of students \u2014 who were highly capable, educated young people eager to earn money and study and live in the city \u2014 and homegrown young people were second and third place to those jobs. AI brought further threats to the amount of jobs available.<\/p>\n
Mrs Twemlow was one of the drivers of the Youth Employment Success initiative and her single most memorable celebration over the 17 years was the launch of YES in 2016.<\/p>\n
She was proud of the impact Firebrand had on the community and the measurable results delivered for people. \u2018\u2018Over the years, we\u2019ve supported a huge range of charities, community groups, events and businesses, and there wouldn\u2019t be many corners of Dunedin where Firebrand hasn\u2019t played a small part in helping something grow.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
In the immediate future, the Twemlows planned to take some time as a family, get a campervan and do a Kiwi road trip. From there, she wanted to support business owners in planning the \u2018\u2018next phase\u2019\u2019 as she saw a real wave of owners coming up to exit over the next five years.<\/p>\n
\u2018\u2018It\u2019s not just a case of packaging up what you have and putting it on the market. You need to take time to ready your business for the next phase, identify what the significant opportunities are for the next owner,\u2019\u2019 she said.<\/p>\n
Mrs Twemlow, who is also involved with several startups, said her next phase was about being more intentional, rather than saying yes to everything, and choosing where she put her energy.<\/p>\n