I caught up with some old colleagues today from my time back at Kiwibank. The fifth largest bank in a tiny country where 90% of financial services are provided by the Big Four, Kiwibank nevertheless gave me some fun times, a steady paycheck, a few lessons, and most importantly, some good mates.
It was originally going to be four of us; sadly, my old boss was under the pump and couldn’t make it. This surprised no one; he’s got a busy life on multiple fronts, so I guess we’ll have to see him another time.
The two who made, G&G, were great craic. While we’re all very different people, we still have a bond from the days in the trenches we shared in Downtown Auckland.
What was refreshing was that 98% of the conversation was NOT about the time we worked together, or even finance in general.
G1 told us all about the academic papers he had been reading about perception, and that because so few people in large orgs know what others are doing, being articulate, well dressed, and giving the impression of competence is your best overall strategy. I think it was entirely persuasive, although G1’s fashion choice indicated quite a lack of desire for any C-Suite jobs.
G2, as always, was filled with interesting tales. He became an F1 junkie over the past few years, and spends much of his waking hours strategizing on how to run a side hustle that would fund his adventures overseas to see the racing. We brainstormed a number of ideas, but would love to hear your ones! His goal is to raise 5k, the cost of a VIP ticket to Melbourne GP, and the only way to guarantee entry to the now completely sold out event.
When we parted ways, there was a touch of sadness. I’m so glad the guys made the effort; while Kiwibank wasn’t my career high point by any means, it was good to have carved something out of it all.
Also, the Shakshuka at Wander Cafe in Wynyard Quarter is SENSATIONAL.