Thursday 5 March 2026
Phillips Society has had an insightful and inspiring start to 2026.
On Wednesday 25 February, we were privileged to host Izzy Whitley, founder of Aotearoa Labour Hire Ltd (ALH), co-founder of FSL Construction & Interiors, and one of New Zealand’s most successful young entrepreneurs.
Izzy provided an in-depth insight into his business building journey, and the challenges that he had to overcome throughout it. He commented on the loss of his father to suicide and the multiple heart attacks he suffered in the first year of starting ALH as the foundations for his perennial work ethic and ability to overcome adversity, noting that overcoming these challenges “set the frameworks and behaviours” that he would use daily throughout his business journey.
Izzy returned to his central theme of overcoming adversity, describing how ALH survived the lean years of COVID. During this period, many of ALH’s competitors in the recruitment market were forced to restructure or liquidate as revenues fell sharply. Izzy, however, treated the downturn as an opportunity, securing contracts with companies in essential services therefore maintaining a steady stream of income throughout the pandemic. His persistence and optimism during this time enabled him to expand while competitors struggled, significantly increasing his market share.
In recent years, Izzy has continued to grow by investing in staff and culture rather than acquiring assets or other businesses. As he put it, “putting the right sailors on the boat rather than buying a big shiny boat, makes the boat go faster.” He reinforces this philosophy through a multi-layered interview process and a strong focus on character. He explained that he “likes to go to cafés for job interviews, because the way people treat staff is a large indication of their values and behaviours.”
In 2026, Izzy continues to grow both personally - placing a strong emphasis on health and wellbeing - while steadily expanding his core business, ALH.
Izzy’s talk offered a motivational and insightful look into the mindset of a perennial entrepreneur. He closed with a final piece of advice: work ethic matters most, and in the long run, hard work will eclipse knowledge or skill.
Harry Edgar (Year 13, School) - Phillips Society