438: How Nick Mowbray Built ZURU into a Multibillion-Dollar Toy Company

Mowbray is the co-founder of ZURU Toy Co., ZURU Edge, ZURU Tech, and Rhodes Pet Science. In 2018, he was named Entrepreneur of the Year in his home country, New Zealand, and he’s listed in the World Entrepreneur Hall of Fame. He and his siblings, co-founders Mat and Anna, are worth more than $3 billion, while the company revenue was north of $2 billion AUD in 2022. Despite their success, the siblings didn’t go into the toy business with a deep knowledge of business or manufacturing. In fact, they didn’t even know much about toys. They just had one hot air balloon model, a lot of hustle, and a willingness to learn from their mistakes.

Listen to Nathan and Nick discuss:

How a childhood hot air balloon model inspired the business

Borrowing $20K from his parents to relocate to Hong Kong

The growing pains of the early days and learning through failure 

Their first toy megahits, Robo Fish and Bunch O Balloons

Running a lean business using automation and no inventory

The company’s 2% improvement philosophy 

The brainstrust business practice 

Working alongside his siblings

And much more scrappy business growth advice...



Who do you want to see next on the podcast? Comment and let us know! And don't forget to leave us a 5-star review if you loved this episode.

Wait, there's more… If you enjoy the Foundr podcast, check out our free trainings. Get exclusive, actionable advice from some of the world's best entrepreneurs. 

Speak with our friendly course experts to get clarity on the next steps for your idea, business or career. You will get tailored insights from results achieved by our proven practitioners as well as thousands of students. Book a call now... 

For more Foundr content, follow us on your favorite platform: 

Foundr.com

Instagram

YouTube

Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Magazine