Friends with Richard Branson, 21 and on his second company, Jake Millar of Unfitered told members of The Luxury Network how persistence pays in business.

Members and their guests gathered in the stunning, state-of-the-art Pie Funds offices in Takapuna to hear him interviewed live by Mike Taylor of Pie Funds.

Jake’s passion in life has been to do things his way. Despite getting a scholarship to read Law at Otago University, he chose to head straight into the world of business, starting his first company straight after leaving school at the age of 18. He set out to interview successful business people and sell the interviews back to students to help them with their future career decisions.

This business proved so successful that he sold it just a few months later to the NZ government.

His next venture was Unfiltered—a clever business model where he specializes in exclusive interviews with top business people who are not easily found in the media; he then sells subscriptions to the digital platform where these interviews can be accessed.

Jake’s determination and drive has led to interviews with many highly successful, rich and famous personalities, such as Kevin Roberts, Eric Watson and even Richard Branson. Many of the people on his shows have now become friends and mentors to this ambitious 21-year old.

When asked if luck or timing play a part in business success, Jake replied yes, of course they do but he was also quick to add that you create your own luck by diligent execution and good management. The genius element to getting what you want is persistence—it is this that has paved the way for a new chapter in Jake’s career, this time in the USA.

Pie Funds is a boutique, direct-to-investor fund manager business that focuses on performance and client service. CEO and founder Mike Taylor explained how Pie Funds started out with the simple vision to be the best boutique fund manager globally, delivering outstanding performance, the best service possible and to have some skin in the game—putting their own money where their mouths were.

Their mission has been to provide clients with a high level of service and above-average returns.

From humble beginnings in 2007, Pie Funds have come a long way: with over 1850 client accounts and more than $500 million funds under management, they have clocked up numerous prestigious rankings and awards and even have funds in the top 10 globally.

The team and their stunning Byron Ave offices exude the service they offer—from customer service to customer discretion, they do it all—very well.

Juno, the sister company of Pie Funds, has also grown from strength to strength. Editor, Brenda Ward, explained how they started off as a magazine about money which aimed to simplify financial terminology by talking about investment opportunities in everyday terms. From small beginnings, under the guidance of Editor in Chief Jacqueline Taylor, Juno has now grown up to be a top-quality publication attracting high profile columnists such as Xero’s Rod Drury.

Our thanks to Pie Funds, Juno and Jake Millar for a wonderful evening of networking and business inspiration.