evolveData & AI
Business performance, led by a senior operator

Where is your business leaking profit?

Most businesses sell plenty and can't see where the profit goes. I find the leaks in your pricing, promotions and costs, then fix what's worth fixing. I use AI where it earns its place, and I'll tell you where it doesn't. More than twenty-five years in senior commercial roles, including GM at Briscoe Group and EziBuy.

The operating line: online revenue at Briscoe Group, on my watch
$6m $100m 16×
The problem

Most businesses aren't short of effort. They're short of knowing where the money leaks.

Pricing drifts. Promotions cost more than they return. Costs sit unreviewed for years. There's no shortage of activity, dashboards or reporting, but not enough shared understanding of what moves profit. Different teams see different truths.

That's drag. And drag is expensive.
The difference

The market sells you one half. I've done both.

The tool and agency sellers

They sell you the licence

A subscription and a login, with no view on which decisions matter to your P&L.

Evolve: operator, not consultant

The diagnosis, then the fix

I work out where the money leaks, then fix it, using AI where it pays, because I've carried the numbers in a business like yours. Evolve itself runs on AI agents, so I use what I sell.

The advisors

They hand you the deck

Strategy decks and governance roadmaps. They leave before anything reaches production.

How I work

Four rungs. Each earns the next.

01

Diagnose · Growth Diagnostic

Where your profit leaks, and where AI helps fix it, ranked by value, effort and risk.

scoped with you
02

Design · The roadmap

A prioritised plan: the few fixes worth making, in order, with the first move named.

decision-ready
03

Deliver · The build

I make the first high-value fix and put it into use, where the business uses it. Often AI, sometimes not.

scoped with you
04

Partner · Fractional data & AI lead

Senior judgement on retainer, a few hours a month, on the decisions your business can't make alone.

monthly
The record
25+
years in senior commercial roles, including GM at Briscoe Group and EziBuy.
16×
online revenue growth, $6m → $100m, Briscoe Group.
1
person accountable, from diagnosis to build. You deal with me directly.
“I always go back to the old story ‘you don’t know what you don’t know’, and this sums up AI for me. As an established business owner of 20+ years, I have navigated the waters pretty much by myself and always wondered if I should be doing more. I have tried at least three marketing firms that over-promised and under-delivered. Then along came Dave, with his huge AI knowledge that blew me away. The amount he knows, and how he explained it in everyday language, got me interested. Now that we are fully invested, I can’t wait to jump online and see what my new ‘best friend Helena’ has to say for the day. She’s there 24/7 and can do all my emails and Facebook posts in minutes. She even speaks my language. At 72, I really think I have the winning edge on all my younger competitors.”
Marian, Owner, All About a Girl
Questions

What people ask before they start.

Where is my business leaking profit?

Usually in pricing that has drifted, promotions that cost more than they return, and costs nobody has reviewed. I measure the leaks first, so we both know what's real, then fix what's worth fixing and use AI where it earns its place.

What does an AI consultant do for a New Zealand business?

I start with a diagnosis: where your profit leaks, and where data and AI will help fix it, ranked by value, effort and risk. Then a prioritised roadmap. Then I make the first high-value fix and put it into use, where your business uses it. Often that's AI. Sometimes it isn't.

What is a fractional data & AI lead?

Senior data and AI judgement on retainer, a few hours a month, without hiring a full-time executive. I make the calls with you that your business can't make alone.

Will AI work for my business?

Not everywhere. The diagnosis says where AI won't pay as clearly as where it will, so you only spend on the parts worth building.

Who will I work with?

Me, Dave Hughes, from diagnosis to build. I've spent more than 25 years in senior commercial roles, including GM at EziBuy and Briscoe Group, where online revenue grew from $6m to $100m.

What kind of business is this for?

Any business with a problem to solve, most often one where profit is leaking in pricing, promotions or costs. If you're not sure you fit, tell me about your business and I'll say so straight.

Do you work outside Palmerston North?

Yes. I'm based in Palmerston North and work with businesses across New Zealand and Australia.

Start

Tell me about your business.

Answer any of these in a few lines. I'll reply with where the money is leaking, where AI would and wouldn't help, and what it would take.

  1. What decision are you trying to make, or what feels off?
  2. Where does your team lose the most time or money today?
  3. What data do you have, and who looks after it?
  4. Have you tried AI or automation already? What happened?
  5. What would a good result look like in 90 days?
Email your answers

You'll deal with me, not an account manager.