Shaun Foster

Shaun Foster joins Andy as the podcast's first supplier-focused guest, Commercial Manager at Quantum (a 20-year family-owned tile and cork importer based in Palmerston North). With 19 years in sales, Shaun brings the supply-side perspective absent from the previous 13 episodes which all focused on contractors, planners, lawyers, recruiters, and engineers. The conversation traces the shift from traditional wholesale "sell ice to Eskimos" sales to project-based construction sales, a completely different landscape that requires relationship-building, specification, and long sales cycles. "The landscape for salespeople has changed dramatically over the last couple of years." Quantum's strategic move into cork flooring (sourced from Amorim, Portugal, the world's biggest cork producer) is positioned as a differentiator from the dozens of NZ tile importers, with the product positioned around health and wellbeing (recently used at the NZ Institute of Sport in Trentham, Wellington for athlete accommodation). Shaun's career arc is grounded and earned: South Island born and bred → warehouse floor-sweeper in Wellington (his first softball coach was the branch manager) → telephone sales → power tool sales (NZ Stainless, a German drainage company) → USD Borough (4 years) → Quantum (commercial manager, 2.5 years at recording). Functionally adjacent to Ep 08 - Timo Skog (KONE, niche-essential equipment supplier), both episodes argue that suppliers' differentiation requires either niche-essential category leadership or genuine product innovation. The episode also surfaces Andy's appreciation of "lovely gifts" Shaun brings to the recording, early acknowledgment of the relationship-driven nature of project-based sales.

Key Topics Discussed

• First supplier-focused guest. Episodes 1-13 covered contractors / planners / lawyers / recruiters / engineers. Shaun is the first product-and-sales voice. Important breadth contribution to the foundational cohort.
• Construction supply chain, three-actor model. Suppliers interact with builders + architects + specifiers. Project-based sales is relationship-driven and long-cycle, unlike traditional wholesale where "sell ice to Eskimos" hustle works.
• Sales evolution, landscape changed dramatically. "The landscape for salespeople has changed dramatically over the last couple of years." Move from transactional to specification-driven; trust and product-fit replace persuasion.
• Cork flooring innovation. Quantum's strategic differentiator from generic tile importers. Amorim (Portugal), world's biggest cork producer, supplies click-together cork flooring planks. Positioned around health and wellbeing.
• NZ Institute of Sport at Trentham, Wellington. Reference deployment of cork flooring for athlete accommodation. Use case demonstrating the wellbeing-positioning angle.
• Quantum, 20-year family business. Palmerston North headquartered. Primarily a tile importer; cork added 2-3 years before recording as second category. Family-business resilience.
• South Island origins → Wellington warehouse floor-sweeper → telephone sales → power tools → drainage → USD Borough → Quantum. Shaun's 19-year career arc. First role landed via softball-coach-as-branch-manager, the relationship-driven entry that becomes a recurring theme.
• Project specification vs traditional wholesale. Project specification is "completely different landscape", long cycles, multi-stakeholder, trust-based. Traditional wholesale hustle ineffective.

Notable Quotes

Shaun: "The landscape for salespeople has changed dramatically over the last couple of years."

Shaun: "Moving into the project space, it's a very different process, completely different landscape."

Shaun (on Quantum's cork move): "To ultimately separate ourselves from all our competitor tile importers."

Shaun (on his career origin): "My branch manager at the time was my softball coach… so I started sweeping the floor in the warehouse."

Guest Background

Shaun Foster, at time of recording, Commercial Manager at Quantum (Palmerston North; family-owned tile and cork importer; 20 years in business; 2.5 years in this role). South Island born and bred. 19 years in sales. Career path: warehouse floor-sweeper in Wellington (entry via softball coach) → telephone sales → power tool companies (NZ Stainless, German drainage company) → USD Borough (4 years) → Quantum. Quantum primarily imports tiles; cork added as second category 2-3 years before recording via Amorim (Portugal, world's biggest cork producer).