Spill The TEA
Hosted by Spill The TEA
A long-form interview show unpacking the unfiltered stories and hard lessons behind founders in marketing, e-commerce, and tech.
This is an interview podcast that feels like sitting in on a conversation between two industry friends. Host Simon John Phillips often uses his personal connections and deep admiration for his guests—mostly ANZ-based founders—to get past talking points and into the human story. The show explores how personal history, burnout, and individual philosophy shape a business, focusing less on quick hacks and more on the long, often messy, journey of building something meaningful.
“The host's familiarity with his guests creates a uniquely candid and personal atmosphere. The show consistently links a founder's personal identity and backstory—from childhood hardship to professional burnout—to their business strategy and success.”
Who hosts this show
Hosted by Simon John Phillips, Spill the TEA features honest, long-form conversations with founders, operators, and builders in business, marketing, and technology. The podcast, based in New Zealand, goes beyond surface-level advice to explore the unfiltered stories, hard lessons, and practical frameworks behind building and scaling a business. It focuses on guests who are actively doing the work, not just talking about it.
Credentials & credits
- E-commerce Entrepreneur
- Founder, Fitwear (first brand at 19)
- Founder, E-commerce Accelerator
- Former Agency Owner
Other ventures
- E-commerce Accelerator (consultancy)
What kind of podcast
- Country
- New Zealand
- Region
- anz
When new episodes drop
- 01How Google Ads Really Works (And Where Brands Are Wasting Thousands) | Vincent BeimaJun 25, 2026 · 59 min
- 02Most AU/NZ Brands IGNORE the USD$600B marketJun 24, 2026 · 59s
- 03The Email Strategy Turning CAC Into a Competitive Advantage | Josh ChinJun 19, 2026 · 1h 11m
- 04
- 05Her Cancer Diagnosis At 30 Led Her To Ecommerce | Jessie ShiJun 1, 2026 · 28 min
- 06The World’s Largest Art Project That Did $100M+ | Phil Walters, MetalbirdMay 25, 2026 · 1h 18m
- 0761% Growth and Nearly Quit | Vic & Andrew, Freestyle FeetMay 18, 2026 · 58 min
- 08Why Most Agencies Fail (And How to Build One That Doesn't) | Nathan FraterMay 11, 2026 · 1h 15m
Notable episodes
- 01How Google Ads Really Works (And Where Brands Are Wasting Thousands) | Vincent Beima
For its deep dive into Google Ads myths and a particularly vulnerable account of founder burnout and recovery.
- 02The Email Strategy Turning CAC Into a Competitive Advantage | Josh Chin
For its sharp focus on retention economics and its exploration of how a founder's childhood shaped his business philosophy.
- 03From Silicon Valley to Seaweed Farm: Building a Brand From the Ocean Up | Dave McManus
For its unusual story of a tech founder pivoting to a physical product business with a seaweed farm, detailing a unique business model.
What you'll be asked on this show
Simon John Phillips begins interviews by establishing a personal connection, often noting his friendship with or admiration for the guest. His opening move is frequently a broad, philosophical question about the guest's identity beyond their work, such as 'Who are you today?'. He probes for origin stories, asking how childhood experiences or early career pivots shaped their path. Rather than aggressive pushback, he encourages depth by sharing his own vulnerabilities or related anecdotes, creating a safe space for guests to discuss failures like burnout. He often closes loops by asking for specific case studies or examples that illustrate the philosophies discussed earlier.
The show is a one-on-one interview format. The host, Simon John Phillips, often opens with a personal, flattering introduction before asking deep, philosophical questions about the guest's identity. He builds strong rapport by sharing his own experiences and framing questions with his industry perspective.
Questions Spill The TEA keeps coming back to
12 cataloguedIf you're going on this show as a guest, expect some version of each of these. Each note explains when Spill The TEA reaches for it.
personal
1- Q.01
“Beyond the business achievements, who are you today and what is your life about?”
This is often his opening question, used to frame the conversation around the guest's personal identity before diving into business.
origin
2- Q.01
“Can you tell us your story and journey as an entrepreneur?”
A broad, open-ended question used early on to get the guest's full backstory and motivations.
- Q.02
“What was the origin story of the business? Did you start with a co-founder?”
Used to understand the specific founding circumstances, key relationships, and early dynamics of the company.
backstory
2- Q.01
“How did your childhood or early financial hardships shape your identity as a founder?”
He asks this to connect the guest's personal history directly to their professional drive and values.
- Q.02
“How did you go from [your past career] to [your current, different venture]?”
This question explores non-linear or surprising career pivots made by his guests.
controversy
1- Q.01
“You reached a point of burnout or significant failure; what happened?”
He probes a specific, vulnerable moment of professional hardship to uncover the lessons learned from it.
process
1- Q.01
“Was there a specific moment or a key hire that fundamentally changed your business's trajectory?”
Seeks to identify the pivotal inflection points and decisions that led to significant growth.
craft
1- Q.01
“What skills from your past career were transferable to what you do now?”
Connects a guest's diverse experiences to their current success, highlighting non-obvious skillsets.
technique
1- Q.01
“Do you have a recent case study that illustrates your philosophy?”
Asks for a concrete example to ground the abstract strategies and theories discussed in the interview.
money
1- Q.01
“Why are you raising money? Is the business capital-intensive?”
Digs into the financial strategy and capital structure of the guest's business.
industry
2- Q.01
“When it comes to [a specific industry debate], how do you think about it?”
Leverages the guest's expertise on a niche, often debated, topic within their field.
- Q.02
“For a strategy that seems so effective, why aren't more people doing it?”
This question explores the barriers to entry or adoption for a specific technology or business model.
Signature segments
- · Spill the Tea
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
The show books founders and expert operators, often from the Australia and New Zealand e-commerce, agency, and tech scenes. Many guests appear to be personal or professional connections of the host.
- Vincent Beimaon How Google Ads Really Works (And Where Brands Are Wasting Thousands)
- Joshua Chinon The Email Strategy Turning CAC Into a Competitive Advantage
- Dave McManuson From Silicon Valley to Seaweed Farm: Building a Brand From the Ocean Up
- Jessie Shion Her Cancer Diagnosis At 30 Led Her To Ecommerce
- Phil Walterson The World’s Largest Art Project That Did $100M+
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
The podcast appeared to be unsponsored as of the episodes reviewed. Given the focus on e-commerce and marketing founders, potential sponsors would likely be B2B SaaS companies (e.g., email marketing, analytics, CRM) targeting a sophisticated entrepreneurial audience. (Estimated)
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
Pitch Spill The TEA
People also ask
- Who is the host of Spill The TEA?
- The podcast is hosted by Simon John Phillips, an e-commerce entrepreneur from New Zealand.
- What is the podcast's format?
- It is a long-form, one-on-one interview show where the host has in-depth conversations with founders and business leaders.
- Is the podcast still active?
- Yes, based on recent episode dates, the podcast appears to release new episodes on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.
- What kind of topics are covered?
- The show focuses on business, marketing, and technology, with an emphasis on founder stories, e-commerce strategy, growth, and entrepreneurial mindset.
- Where can I listen to Spill The TEA?
- The podcast is available on YouTube and major podcast platforms.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
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