Getting Lost

Do you let your customers know when there is a problem or delay? Or do you just cross your fingers and let the customer know when the product is ready? Appropriate communication can make all the difference to the customer's experience! A classic example of this was my order of the Getting Lost games. They were all Xmas presents, and I believed the timing should be ok... (which it was👍). What impressed me though, was the email from Cat at getting Lost to say the order was on it's way and; " If your order was a gift or you need it for a special event, and for any reason it gets held up in the post and looks like it won't arrive in time, hit reply to this email and I'll send you a "Your Gift is in the Mail" print at home edition of the Getting Lost Game so you've still got something to hand over or play on the special day! Sometimes things get lost on the way, so if you do have any problems we're always here to help." How good do you think that made me feel? It took the stress off having to say "Your pressie has been ordered, but not arrived," especially as it was for people who were heading away Boxing Day. Great communication Cat, James & team!

Work on the business as much as you work in the business #AgileData Sometimes karma helps you meet somebody who is just an awesome person. Cat Macnaughtan is one of those people. I was lucky enough to meet Cat when she was working for an organisation who became an AgileData customer. Then Cat left that organisation to follow her passion, which at the time was a side hustle, called Getting Lost. She left her day job to go full time on that passion. Getting lost is all about creating an adventure. And is starting and running a business not one of life's great adventures? So what does this have to do with working in your business I hear you ask? Well Cat has created a Business Edition of the getting lost cards. You pick a card and it gives you an idea of what you could do to today to focus on working on your business. Each card is something she found valuable in growing her business. Here is my card for today. Why don't you give that card a try today, at worst you will lose 30 minutes, but i'm betting you will probably learn something you didn't know that makes that 30 minutes worthwhile.

This is a business book recommendation and the first I have ever done, but the story is quite remarkable and just the inspirational shot-in-the-arm Kiwi business needs right now. Cat Macnaughtan was a legend in the New Zealand media industry and is truly admired by everyone who meets her. She set up the phenomenally global success that is Getting Lost. Cat has now turned this into a business book and card game, it is truly refreshing. The text  mixes classical business theory such as Michael Porter & Malcolm Gladwell with hands-on fun exercises that reminded me why I actually love running my own business . I think that is the unique gift Cat gives to the reader, the joy and adventure that embodies ‘giving it a go’ and finding the confidence in business to succeed.   I found myself laughing out loud as much as I did taking notes. This is a business book for our times, it is written with such witty realism and pace that you would swear she in in the room coaching you. We all need to be reminded that tomorrow will always bring a brighter day. So go out & buy it, read it, gift it, but most importantly use it. Success awaits those who will follow the exercises and take on some of her remarkable sunshine approach to business strategy. Thanks Cat, I loved your book.

We're making a Business Edition of the Getting Lost Game. I'm a third of the way through the Business Edition and I wanted to reach out to you all and see if anyone would be keen to help me test it? To not have too many cooks in the kitchen I'm looking for about 5 people from different types of businesses (the game is aimed at small - medium business owners). So if you'd like to be involved let me know what type of business you have, how long you've been trading for and how confident you currently feel in running your business. Here's a bit more about the game and what we'd need from you.... The idea is that the Business Edition will consist of a game (like our existing Getting Lost games) and a notebook. The notebook is designed to replicate my notebook (which goes everywhere with me and pretty much has my brain in it!). It's a moleskin with grids (hangover from trying to be a cool Strategy kid). The notebook will expand on the ideas in the cards and also give an interactive page where the business owner can start to implement the ideas or jot down notes. It's designed to be drawn over, highlighted, pages folded - a real notebook. The front of the cards are designed to give higher level tasks and will have notes and our experience in growing a multi million dollar business (as well as my 20 years working in Strategy and Insight roles in some of the biggest advertising agencies in the world). On the back of the cards will be some small things that you can do on a day to day basis. This needs to work over all types of businesses (including service and product based). Initially it would require you reading through the notebook (it's about a third of the way done and has a fair few typos still!) and the cards. I'd then love to get your feedback. What you liked? What didn't make sense? What you'd like to see more of? I'll then go away and do some more work and send you back the game and notebook at various progress intervals. To say thanks for your time and involvement you'll get a free copy of the notebook and the game - plus we'll add you and your business on our website in the credits (you're free to leverage this any way you want). Oh and this makes me feel so vulnerable sharing this with so many of you that I've worked with in a professional capacity! It may have to make its way on to a card!!

“Being New Zealand made and owned is such an incredible asset for us when selling our games overseas. Acceptance into the FernMark Licence Programme gives us the ability to leverage this positive association even further.” – Cat Macnaughtan, CEO, Getting Lost. The team at Getting Lost create pocket-sized travel card games, allowing adventurers to find new places to explore and have a laugh along the way. They proudly fly the fern as they take their games around the globe 🌏 🌿 The FernMark helps promote and protect New Zealand products and services on a global scale. Interested in joining the Programme? Learn more here #flythefern: https://lnkd.in/dTA6nzU #GettingLost #NZStoryteller

I accidentally rage launched Getting Lost in 2018. Despite my 20 years of experience as a strategist working on some of New Zealand's biggest brands, I had no idea what was in store for me as a business owner and it has been the most insane ride. From selling out literally overnight on the first day we launched, to an accidental launch in the States it's fair to say that for the first 4 years we were getting lost in business and had no clue where we were going. In 2021 everything changed. We took the business apart, made a plan and rebuilt it all (while continuing to grow). We now have an award-winning business that has achieved sales in the last year that are higher than our first 5 years of trading combined - while staying true to our values. None of this is to brag and say how great we are, but it is to say that we think some of the things we learnt as a female-led, values based business (initially without a clue) could help others on a similar journey. We already do this by offering free mentoring to other female business owners but we want to do more! So we're making a Business Edition of the Getting Lost Game. This game gets entrepreneurs who feel lost in business to try different strategic processes to unlock new thinking. As with all our games it will have cards with short directions to help business owners to unlock new thinking. It will also have a companion book that will expand on these ideas. These directions will all come from the things we've done on our journey - the accidental wins, the complete f**k ups and the plans that came off. It will cover product development, marketing, distribution, category analysis, mindset changes, tricks to unlock your thinking, growth tools and different ways to think about expansion. As with every game we make we don't make it alone. So tell us, what would you like us to cover in this new edition?