Meet Brett Cole

My family came to Dubai because of my wife’s work. It was one of those opportunities we felt we couldn’t pass up as a family. I love New Zealand and New Zealand will always be home, but I also think there are times in life when you need to step outside what you know and experience something completely different. Dubai has given us that opportunity, and for me personally it’s also opened my eyes to a much bigger world of business, technology, finance and opportunity.

Our current goal is to be here until around 2028. We still have responsibilities, relationships, property, work and a future back in New Zealand, so I see Dubai as an important chapter rather than a permanent move. My goal is to use the time properly: learn, build relationships, make the most of the opportunity, and eventually return to New Zealand with a much wider view of what’s possible.

No. I drive a fairly normal 2023 Chinese SUV. There are obviously some incredible cars in Dubai, and luxury is definitely part of the image you see around the city and on social media, and that’s just not the image I’m trying to create around myself or EMPIXO. I live a pretty normal life here.

Not currently. I don’t presently own property in Dubai and I don’t have a Dubai-based business. EMPIXO is a New Zealand brand. That doesn’t mean I’d rule out owning property here one day, investing here, or potentially becoming involved in the right UAE business opportunity. I’m keeping an open mind. But I’m not going to pretend I have a Dubai business or property empire when I don’t.

Three words: learn, connect, build. I want to get into the right rooms and spend time around people who make me think differently, in finance, fintech, technology, property, startups and business. I’m particularly interested in seeing how founders build companies, how they raise capital, and how ideas move from something small into something significant. Startup and private-company investing is an area I’m increasingly interested in. I’m learning it, not pretending to be an expert in it.

No. EMPIXO will remain a New Zealand brand. I do think there’s potentially a need for an EMPIXO-type service in a place like Dubai, given the huge international population and everything happening around finance and technology, so I wouldn’t rule out EMPIXO doing something here one day. But that isn’t the focus today. Right now we’re building EMPIXO for New Zealanders. If international opportunities develop later, we’ll look at them then.

Absolutely. Online delivery makes it possible, and a large part of my calendar is structured around New Zealand availability, which sometimes means unusual working hours for me in Dubai. Where I can reasonably accommodate people in other countries and time zones, I will, subject to availability and EMPIXO being the appropriate service for them. Location shouldn’t automatically prevent someone from having a useful financial conversation.

Probably less glamorous than people imagine. A lot of my work remains connected to New Zealand, working with clients online, building EMPIXO, researching, writing, developing content. Because of the time difference, my working hours aren’t always traditional Dubai office hours. Then I try to use the advantage of physically being here to attend events, meet people, build relationships and learn from what’s happening.

Pretty normal things, social cricket, business and networking events, catching up with friends, trying to become part of the community here. Some of the most interesting conversations don’t happen in formal business meetings. They happen through sport, over coffee, at events, or because somebody introduces you to somebody else. That’s part of what makes living here such an interesting opportunity.

Absolutely. One of the biggest areas that’s caught my attention is the move toward digital finance, blockchain infrastructure and new payment technology. I’m still learning this space, but what I’m seeing in the UAE has made me pay much more attention to where banking and financial infrastructure could be heading. Crypto prices going up and down are one conversation. The bigger conversation, in my view, is the technology and infrastructure being built underneath digital finance. That’s the part I’m especially interested in understanding, and I think New Zealanders should be paying attention to it too.

This is my personal view, not a prediction I can guarantee: I think Dubai has the potential to become one of the world’s great financial and business hubs. People naturally think about New York and Wall Street when they think about global finance. I think Dubai is positioning itself to become increasingly important where finance, technology, international capital and entrepreneurship meet. Whether it ultimately becomes the “new Wall Street” remains to be seen, but that’s one of the reasons I think being here during this stage of its development is such an interesting opportunity.

Probably the amount of activity. There just seems to be a lot happening, businesses being created across technology, finance, food, construction, services, logistics and countless other industries, plus international companies establishing operations and using Dubai as a base for a much wider region. That doesn’t mean everything here is better than New Zealand, it isn’t. But the UAE is very deliberate about being pro-business, pro-investment and attractive to international talent, and its location is a massive advantage, sitting between major markets across Europe, Asia and Africa. What particularly interests me is the startup and fintech environment, the communities, programmes, education, events and investors willing to connect you with somebody else. It’s made me think a lot about New Zealand. I love New Zealand, but I do wonder whether we’ve become a little too cautious. We produce incredible people, ideas and raw materials. I’d love to see us become even better at building the companies, technology, IP and finished products around those things, and then taking them to the world.

One of the biggest differences I’ve noticed is certainty. New Zealand has a democratic system with elections every three years, and changes of government can bring significant shifts in policy around property, lending, taxation, regulation and business. That’s part of democracy, but from a business and investment perspective it can make long-term planning difficult. The UAE operates very differently. There’s a strong focus on setting a long-term direction and moving toward it, which creates something I think is incredibly valuable: confidence to plan. I’ve also been struck by the speed at which things can move here. That doesn’t mean everything works perfectly, and I don’t believe New Zealand should simply copy Dubai. The two countries have completely different political systems, economies and populations. But I do think New Zealand can ask an important question: how do we create more long-term certainty for people prepared to invest, build businesses and employ people? Big vision matters, but so does giving people enough confidence to invest behind it.

Because I think there’s value in having somebody here watching, learning and translating what they’re seeing for a New Zealand audience. I’m not interested in telling New Zealand that everything Dubai does is better. It isn’t, and the countries are very different. But there are ideas here around fintech, digital finance, entrepreneurship, investment and simply getting things done that I think are worth understanding. Part of my goal with EMPIXO is to document that journey so New Zealanders can learn alongside me, and to become a bit of a bridge between the two places. Teach what we know. Share what we’re learning.

Not Dubai itself, and certainly not every Dubai system. I want to bring back the ideas, relationships, thinking, technology and sense of possibility. One thing Dubai does particularly well is think big and then move. There’s a willingness to try things, build infrastructure and push into new technology, and I’d love to bring some of that thinking into what we build through EMPIXO. Ultimately I’d like it to be more than me returning home with a notebook full of ideas. I’d like to build genuine relationships between people, businesses and innovators in the UAE and New Zealand, which could eventually mean introductions, partnerships, technology or investment conversations across both countries. Watch this space.

Definitely not. There are areas I know very well after decades working around banking, lending, financial education and financial mentoring. There are other areas, fintech, startups, private-company equity, AI, digital assets, blockchain and parts of the UAE financial system, where I’m still learning, and I’m comfortable saying that. In fact, I think it’s important. One of the rules behind EMPIXO is: teach what we know, share what we’re learning, never pretend to be what we’re not.

New Zealand. That’s pretty simple. My vision is that when this chapter finishes, I’m predominantly based back in New Zealand while keeping the relationships I’ve built in the UAE and internationally. I don’t see the Dubai connection ending just because I move home. If anything, I’d like it to become stronger. The long-term vision is EMPIXO firmly based in New Zealand, with great New Zealand people around it, while still having access to international relationships, ideas, technology and expertise. That gives us the best of both worlds.

Because New Zealand is home. Dubai has given me an incredible opportunity to see another part of the world, meet different people and think much bigger about business, finance and technology. But EMPIXO is being built with New Zealanders in mind. Most of my professional life has been spent working with New Zealand people and New Zealand financial decisions, banking, lending, home ownership, debt, financial hardship, mentoring and education. So while Dubai gives me another lens, New Zealand is still the place I understand best and the place I want EMPIXO to make the biggest difference.

Probably that most people aren’t stupid with money. They just haven’t always been taught enough about it. I’ve worked with people earning very little and people earning very good money, and both can feel completely stuck. I’ve seen people dealing with debt, redundancy, relationship breakdowns, housing problems, lending decisions and major life changes. A lot of the time, the biggest change isn’t some amazing investment. It’s understanding what is actually happening, getting a plan in place and finally feeling like there is a way forward. That’s one of the biggest reasons education is at the centre of EMPIXO.

A lot. I think we sometimes forget how lucky we are. New Zealand has strong communities, good people, great businesses, incredible entrepreneurs and a reputation around the world that is much bigger than our population. We’re also quite practical. New Zealanders are pretty good at getting on with things without needing a lot of fuss. And from working in financial mentoring and community organisations, I’ve seen just how many people quietly give their time to help others. So my interest in Dubai isn’t about saying New Zealand has got everything wrong. It’s more about asking: what are we already good at, and what could we add to it?

I think we could be a little more comfortable thinking bigger. We’re very good at producing talented people, great ideas and great products. But sometimes I wonder whether we’re too quick to think, “That’s probably big enough.” Living in Dubai has made me think more about scale. Not everybody needs to build a billion-dollar company, but I think more New Zealand businesses could ask: could this be international? Could we own more of the finished product? Could we build the technology around it? Could we attract international investment? Could we sell this to the world rather than just our local market? I’d like EMPIXO to encourage that kind of thinking around people’s own financial lives too.

I think property is deeply embedded in the way New Zealanders think about wealth, and I understand why. I own property myself, and it has been an important part of my own financial journey. But the more I learn, the more interested I become in ownership more broadly: property, businesses, shares, funds, private companies, intellectual property, technology. New Zealanders have traditionally been very comfortable with owning a house or rental property, but I think there’s a much bigger conversation to have about the different ways people can build ownership over time. That’s something I’m increasingly interested in exploring through EMPIXO.

For me, it’s not necessarily never working again. I actually like working. It’s having enough control that work becomes more of a choice. It’s being able to deal with something unexpected without everything falling apart. It’s having different options if one income disappears. It’s being able to help your family without putting yourself in financial trouble. And eventually it’s having assets and income sources that reduce how dependent you are on selling your time. That’s why I keep coming back to: Control → Options → Outcome. Your version of enough might be completely different from mine. That’s okay.

Because that’s probably the part of my career I’ve enjoyed the most. I’ve worked in banking and lending, but some of the most meaningful work I’ve done has been sitting with someone who feels like their situation is impossible and helping them work out what could happen next. I’ve worked with people dealing with debt, hardship, housing, redundancy, relationship changes and all sorts of financial pressure. You don’t always solve everything in one conversation. Sometimes just helping someone understand the situation and see that there are options changes the whole tone of the conversation. I enjoy that. It’s probably one of the biggest reasons EMPIXO exists.

Because bigger doesn’t automatically mean better. There may eventually be opportunities for EMPIXO internationally, and I’m definitely open to that. But I don’t think you need to abandon where you come from to build something significant. New Zealand is where I have decades of experience. It’s where my professional relationships are. It’s where I understand the financial system and the people. And it’s where I think EMPIXO can build trust first. My hope is that the international connections make EMPIXO better in New Zealand, rather than turning it into something that loses its New Zealand identity.

I don’t want it to become just another financial advice business. The vision is much broader than that. I want EMPIXO to become a place people can come to learn first, understand money, understand their position, understand the opportunities and risks in front of them. Then plan what they want to do. And when it’s time to act, have access to the right professional support, technology and people to help make it happen. Over time, I want that to include more people than me, educators, mentors, financial professionals, specialists, technology, partnerships. The long-term goal is that people trust EMPIXO, regardless of which person inside EMPIXO they’re working with.

I think I’d be disappointed if I came home and all I had was a lot of photos of Dubai. I want to come home different. I want to have learned. I want to have built relationships with people I would never have met staying in New Zealand. I want to understand more about fintech, digital finance, business, startups, investment and technology. I’d love to be able to connect good people in New Zealand with good people in the UAE. And I’d like some of the thinking, relationships and ideas I pick up here to eventually become part of EMPIXO. If I can look back and say “those years in Dubai genuinely helped us build something better for New Zealand”, then I’ll feel like I used the opportunity properly.

Because that’s home territory for me. A lot of my banking, financial mentoring, community work and professional relationships have been built around the Manawatū. It’s also a good reminder that EMPIXO doesn’t need to be built from a glass office in Auckland to become a serious New Zealand brand. Technology means we can work nationally. Dubai gives me an international perspective. But I still like the idea that the foundations remain connected to the community and people I know back home.

There are, and a lot of them are very good at what they do. I’ve worked around banking and financial services for a long time, so I know plenty of advisers, brokers and financial professionals I respect. I’m not trying to build EMPIXO by saying we’re better than everybody else. I’m trying to build something different in where the conversation starts. For EMPIXO, the starting point is Learn → Plan → Act. Before somebody chooses a mortgage, investment, insurance product or another financial solution, I think there’s real value in first understanding the bigger picture: where are you now, what are you actually trying to achieve, what do you already have working for you, what’s holding you back, what do you need to understand before you make the next move, and what type of professional help do you actually need? That’s the space I want EMPIXO to become known for.

My background also gives me a slightly unusual mix. I’ve spent years inside banking and residential lending, so I understand how financial institutions look at people and make decisions. I’ve also spent years in financial mentoring, working with people dealing with debt, hardship, housing, redundancy and difficult financial situations. Those two perspectives are quite different, and I think bringing them together is valuable.

I also don’t want EMPIXO to become a business that tries to do everything for everybody. Sometimes the right next step will be EMPIXO. Sometimes it will be a mortgage adviser, investment adviser, accountant, lawyer, insurance adviser or community service. If somebody else is better placed to help, I want us to be comfortable saying that. So I don’t really see every adviser in Palmerston North as competition. A lot of them could eventually become part of the wider EMPIXO ecosystem. The goal isn’t to be the loudest adviser in town. It’s to become a trusted place where people can understand their situation, build a plan, and then get connected with the right people when it’s time to act. Education first. Planning second. Products when they’re actually needed.

Not that we were the loudest. Not that we had the flashiest marketing. And definitely not that we promised to make everybody rich. I’d like people to say: “I trusted them.” “They helped me understand what I was doing.” “They told me the truth, even when it wasn’t what I wanted to hear.” “They helped me make a better decision.” And eventually: “EMPIXO helped give me more options.” If we can build that reputation, I think everything else can grow from there.

Because I don’t think that’s the right way to build something people are going to trust with their money. I have a big vision for EMPIXO, but I’m in no rush to pretend we’re already at the finished version. The starting point is getting the foundations right, education first, then planning, then, over time, the right products, professional services and technology around it. Some of those services will require specialist expertise, regulated advice, licensing, strong systems and the right people. I don’t want to add something simply because it would look impressive on the website. I want to add it when EMPIXO can deliver it properly. That means building the right team around the brand. There will be areas where I have strong experience and can contribute directly, and other areas where EMPIXO needs people who are better qualified and more experienced than me. That’s exactly what I want. The long-term vision isn’t a business where Brett tries to do everything. It’s an EMPIXO team with great people across different areas of finance, education, technology and advice, all working around the same philosophy: Learn → Plan → Act → Live the Outcome. So you’ll probably see EMPIXO grow in stages, new education, new tools, new people, new partnerships, and eventually new products and services where they genuinely fit. I’d much rather take a little longer and build something that lasts than rush to look bigger than we really are. There is no race. Get the foundations right. Add the right people. Build trust. Then grow.

I don’t know yet. I have a clear vision for what I want EMPIXO to become, but I’m also realistic about what it takes to build a trusted financial brand. It’s going to take time. I’ll need to find great people, build the right systems, get the regulatory side right, develop products and services carefully, make mistakes and probably change parts of the plan along the way. I’m not expecting to build everything overnight. Right now I’m focused on getting the foundations right and adding to them slowly. I believe in the idea enough to give it a proper go. If we keep helping people, keep learning, surround EMPIXO with good people and protect the trust in the brand, we’ll see where it can go. At 47, there can be a temptation to feel like you need to catch up and make everything happen immediately. But I think the business I’m describing will actually become more valuable if I resist that pressure. I’m building something intended to last beyond me, not trying to have a spectacular six months. Give it a go. Build the first useful version. Then earn the right to build the next one. No rush. Build it properly.

No. Learn → Plan → Act is the EMPIXO framework, but it isn’t a rule that says everybody has to start at the beginning. People arrive at different stages. You might already understand this and know what you want to do. You just need help getting it done. That’s completely fine. If you’re ready to act, the conversation can start there. Someone else might know what they want but need help checking the plan before making the move. Another person might still be trying to understand their options and need to start with Learn. That’s why I see EMPIXO as a pathway rather than a fixed programme. Start where you are. Learn if you need understanding. Plan if you need direction. Act when you’re ready. And sometimes you’ll move backwards as well. A new job, property, business opportunity or life change might mean going back to Learn or Plan before making the next decision. Where the action involves personalised regulated financial advice, we’ll make that clear and the appropriate adviser or licensed advice pathway needs to be involved. The important thing isn’t completing every EMPIXO stage. It’s getting the right support for the decision you’re making now. You don’t have to start at Learn. You start where you are.