At the end of every year, the Form 7 cohort leave through the hallowed gates of Auckland Grammar School for the last time, bidding farewell to five years of lessons, extracurricular commitments and a lifetime of memories, as they transition to Old Boys.

As they start the next phase in their life's journey, they will always carry with them a sense of pride and gratitude for what they learned and achieved while as a student, something Hamish Smith '02 can definitely relate to. """I believe Grammar provides you with the best possible foundation to succeed. Retaining a sense of gratitude and responsibility for that opportunity is integral."

After graduating from Auckland Grammar in 2006, where he was a Prefect and Captain of the Cross Country team, Hamish has since spent the past 15 years working in the media and advertising industry, most recently as the Chief Marketing Officer for LUMO, an innovative digital out-of-home (DOOH) company.

Founded by Phil Clemas and Old Boy Kent Harrison '86, Hamish joined the company in 2019, which helps local and international brands reach New Zealand audiences with screens throughout the country. He was incredibly grateful to them for giving him an opportunity so early in his career. "I feel very privileged to have played a small part in their story and excited to watch their continued success."

Hamish's 4.5 years at LUMO included winning several national and international awards for their marketing efforts, including the TVNZ Marketing Awards and being recognised as 'A CMO to Watch' in 2022. It was this success that gave Hamish the courage to branch out on his own, and in February this year, he founded and launched PrettyGood with the tagline, Building brands for good.

PrettyGood is an 'agency as a platform' - an AI powered software platform, founded to provide affordable and effective media solutions to the small and medium enterprises (SME) community. "Technology has commoditised a significant part of the media and marketing function. "PrettyGood was founded to utilise these advances and give SME marketers access to affordable strategy, planning and execution of traditional media. We want to help companies navigate the world of advertising in a simple, accessible and cost-effective way."

A big point of difference is that PrettyGood donates a portion of revenue back to local charities. In a few short months, the company has donated $30,000 back to the community and Hamish has big plans to continue this moving forward. "In due course, our vision is to be the country's largest philanthropic giver."

One charity that has benefitted from PrettyGood's generosity is KiwiHarvest, a not-for-profit organisation working to alleviate food poverty across New Zealand. Head of Fundraising and Marketing Anne-Marie Friis was overwhelmed by the $5,000 donation they received. "PrettyGood's donation will enable us to rescue and deliver the equivalent of over 11,800 meals into local communities where there is a real need."

While PrettyGood has gone from strength to strength, it hasn't been without its challenges, and Hamish has had to manoeuvre a pretty tough market. "Launching a business during an economic downturn has been interesting - however despite the obvious challenges, it has provided us a window to better understand our customers, find product-market-fit and gear up for growth in the New Year. We have some exciting new features and developments which we will be revealing in the near future."

"Having a group of lifelong friends from my time at Auckland Grammar - who have been steadfast and supportive throughout the ups and downs, has been instrumental in my life and it's my intention to give back to that community moving forward."

Having navigated the first full year of his new business, Hamish has a number of new opportunities for the company which he plans to take full advantage of, as he knows what it takes to build a strong brand. "Building a strong brand helps establish differentiation, develops credibility, increases customer retention, eases access to new markets and acts as a vehicle for attracting top talent."

Hamish also had some sound advice for people who are keen to start their own business or brand out on their own. "As technology continues to disrupt the labour market, developing your soft skills will be more important than ever; communication, critical thinking, creative problem solving and emotional intelligence. And if you are looking to get into business, get good at failing. You only have to be right once, so develop some resilience and shoot your shot."