A Kiwi Original

Whitestone Cheese goes beyond simply making cheese by innovating on old world styles to create entirely new flavour profiles that Kiwis love. The innovation of Shenley Station Blue is one of many examples covered in this episode. 

We also discuss the impact of Covid-19 on trade and draw on Simon's three decades of experience in food production to provide advice for newer operators.

4 mins 10 seconds The Oamaru business community and its foodie base.

5 min 08 seconds The environment as a base building block of good milk to make cheese.

7 mins 45 seconds The Whitestone cheese making process starting at 5:30am each morning.

11 mins Unique Kiwi cheese flavour profiles derived from NZ milk styles and grasses.

13 mins 50 seconds The innovation behind the ‘sweet finish’ Windsor Blue mould. 

17 mins 1 seconds The innovation of Shenley Station Blue Cheese through a new world discovery.

23 mins 45 seconds The Covid-19 impact of losing 40% of their food service revenue base.

28 mins 32 seconds The distribution of cheese through Farmers Markets in France.

38 mins 20 seconds Advice for new food and beverage businesses to focus on the domestic market. 

49 mins 45 seconds A thank you to essential Whitestone Cheese workers.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.akiwioriginal.com

Diana Papadopoulos is Marketing Strategist for Booster Financial Services, a company that Kiwis rely on to manage their hard earned money throughout the highs and the lows.

In this episode Di answers many of the questions we have about investing, what makes Booster Financial Services uniquely different and the types of Kiwi customers they attract because of it and how to manage your money in 2020 and beyond. 

KEY TIMESTAMPS

2 mins 45 secs The origin of Booster Financial Services.

3 mins 43 secs Property vs Shares and the reality for young New Zealanders.

5 mins 16 secs Who is the best fit customer for Booster Financial Services.

6 mins 42 secs How to choose an investment provider (hint: it’s the people)

9 mins 52 secs How Booster helps customers share their story with friends and families.

11 mins 45 secs Why team culture is central to the Booster brand.

13 mins 7 secs Dealing with regulatory constraints as a financial services marketer.

14 mins 37 secs How to manage your money (and emotions) during a market downturn.

20 mins 00 secs What drives Diana personally to help getting Kiwis on the front foot financially.

22 mins 10 secs What does socially responsible investing mean.

 

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.akiwioriginal.com

Fiona has a vast experience in animal husbandry spanning right back to her time at Massey University.

From breeding, to showing, Fiona has always relied on her veterinary knowledge to help animals.... 

...so when her own dog Rosy got sick, she realised she could make a difference. That’s when Newflands started and how Fiona brought the benefits of hoki oil to all New Zealand pet owners.

Timestamps

6 mins 25 secs Rosy’s story and the origin story of hoki oil for pets.

8 mins 30 secs The moment she discovered hoki oil could be a business.

11 min 23 secs How the hoki oil works as a effectiveness partner with both food and medicine.

12 mins 16 secs Making holistic sustainable use of the whole hoki fish.

14 mins 13 secs Feedback from customers ‘it’s kitty crack!’

16 mins 42 secs All cats over the age of 7 have arthritis. 

20 mins 47 secs The growth from middle class Chinese with pets.

24 mins 25 secs Knowing where to focus as a business.

26 mins 07 secs The origin of the brand ‘Newflands’.

27 mins 45 secs Getting pet food during Covid-19.

LINKS MENTIONED 
Newflands Hoki Oil pack
https://newflands.co.nz/product/newflands-and-eezapet-200ml-pamper-pack/ 

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.akiwioriginal.com

In this episode we go back over 150 years to settler times in New Zealand as Peter Cox shares the origin story of Harraway's. We compare and contrast that to how the producer operates today and the current brand evolution that Peter is driving on behalf of the iconic brand.

If you're interested in New Zealand's rich history as a food producing nation or run an FMCG brand of you're own, then this is a must listen. 


Timestamps

3 mins 57 secs The history of Harraways oats in Otago and Southland in the 19th century.

5 mins 01 secs When the Hudson family bought in, who continue to be involved.

5 mins 50 secs When Harraways stopped making flour in the mid 2000’s to focus on oats.

7 mins 59 secs Peter’s expertise as an FMCG marketer applied to Harraway’s/

10 mins 8 secs Harraway’s product innovations

14 mins 3 secs Core consumer psychographics including the millenial as the largest shopping group.

16 mins 28 secs Wholesome ingredients that minimises additives and preservatives.

19 mins 00 secs The Harraway’s brand refresh project.

24 mins 02 secs Getting oats into more parts of the day.

27 mins 10 secs Company driven innovation vs customer driven innovation.

29 mins 49 secs Buying more land.

31 mins 12 secs Stock up buying during Covid-19 sees 50% YoY demand spike.

37 mins 32 secs Being kind and patient with retailers during lockdown. 

38 mins 08 secs Peter’s favourite oat recipe - the ANZAC cookie. 

LINKS MENTIONED

ANZAC Cookies recipe: 

https://www.harraways.co.nz/our-story-2/baking-and-snacks/biscuits-and-crackers/harraways-anzac-biscuits/ 

Harraways Instagram For Recipes

https://www.instagram.com/harrawaysnz/ 

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.akiwioriginal.com

Ben Kepes is a founder of Cactus Outdoor and a brilliant mind when it comes to thinking about New Zealand's local manufacturing future. 

He's bullish on local, as am I... and in this chat we debate what the opportunities are to differentiate now that we're dealing with an entirely different 2020 than any of us expected to be in.

2 min 43 secs The story behind Cactus Outdoor acquiring Albion Clothing. 

10 mins 43 secs Automation vs artisan. New Zealand’s manufacturing future. 

14 mins 18 secs Purposeful design vs complex products.

17 mins 53 secs Shifting gears between companies. 

20 mins 5 secs Dealing with the new 2020 we’re all in.

23 mins 4 secs The genesis of Cactus face masks.

26 mins 50 secs Firefighting during Covid-19.

29 mins 17 secs Why Ben runs ultra-marathons,

32 mins 33 secs Beyond Covid-19, what does the economy look like.

LINKS MENTIONED
Purchase Cactus Facemask:
https://www.cactusoutdoor.co.nz/cactus-face-mask.html 

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.akiwioriginal.com

Stu Wilson is the CEO of Modica Group - an intelligent messaging service that sits behind New Zealand's largest companies. 

Think banking, airlines, insurance, doctors and dentists. All those text reminders that over 4 million Kiwis receive from our biggest companies are made possible because of Modica Group.

That's how they got started in New Zealand at least...since then their platform reaches every device on the planet through customers in 18 countries.

I ask Stu how he got started in tech (and it's not what you might think) as we talk about the first web to text platform he built way back in 1997.

We also talk about the benefits that New Zealand's tech sector brings to exporting services and why New Zealand can be proud that our tech sector is worth north of $11 billion with almost $8n from technology export businesses.

Lastly we talk about building a meaningful company culture and what that means to the 50+ people he employs, their families and what it means for him personally.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.akiwioriginal.com

Covid-19 has impacted the world in a way few of us have experienced before.

And while it may seem all encompassing and overwhelming at times… A Kiwi Original is not about daily news… nor will it ever be.

However…. it doesn’t make sense to continue the show without at least acknowledging the significant changes upon all of us and what that means for business.

We will continue with A Kiwi Original as a show that delivers you uniquely Kiwi stories delivering to New Zealand’s future.

However this episode is different because I wanted to put the immediate needs of Kiwi businesses in this current lockdown phase top of mind.

Andy Hamilton Founder of Icehouse - is a well respected adviser in times like these because he’s been there for Kiwi businesses for the last two decades. Although he left Icehouse 6 months ago, that doesn’t change his body of knowledge and ability to advice on what savvy businesses should be doing right now. 

Andy is the former CEO of The Icehouse and is now a Director of its investment arm, Icehouse Ventures. He is also a Director of Ahi Innovation a consulting and investment company with his family. He is a director of UneeQ (a digital human company), a director of Auxilio Pharmaceuticals (medicinal CBD startup), a partner of Indigo (innovation agency), an advisor to Snap Rentals, an advisor to the Minister for Small Business, Stuart Nash and a supporter/mentor to a bunch of other start-ups and SMEs some of which pay him. His investments include a few tech start-ups as well as Blue Frog Breakfast. 

Specialties: pattern matching, navigating the path forward for business owners and founders, networks and connections, investment. 

So in this episode… we talk on a ton of different issues that are related to the here and now including:

- rethinking your cost base over the next 4 weeks.

- being creative about how you can earn revenue.

- being inventive so you can keep your people so you can restart after lockdown.

- looking at what is possible and asking your staff what they’re prepared to do.

Key timestamps to jump forward to:

10mins 48 Trading together and bartering. 

12 mins 28s What do I have to sell right now?

12 mins 40s What do I have to sell, if I could build it?

17 mins 24s Know what your bottom line is and your numbers. 

19 mins 57s Share the questions with your team. 

21 mins 21s Assets, Boundaries and Narrative approach to problem solving.

25 mins 33s Where demand is already such as China.

27 mins 35s We need to hustle in to the pockets of opportunity to be able to survive.

29 mins 36s Andy’s family plan to keep life joyful through this 

32 mins 01s Reach out to people every day.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.akiwioriginal.com

Hamish Conway is the Founder of Sell Global, a channel strategy expert for businesses who want to sell on Amazon.

Hamish is hands on so we go deep on the detail in this chat as he share how his expertise that's helped New Zealand businesses across a range of size companies get access to US and Australian buyers who start their search on Amazon.

In this episode you can expect to learn about:

- why marketplaces like Amazon help you sell where consumers are buying.

- why the Amazon marketplace is not a replacement for your own eCommerce site.

- the reason consumers have high trust of the Amazon brand in the US.

- what seller behaviours are rewarded.

- how big data has transformed Amazon’s paid per click business versus Facebook and what it means for business

- the future as Amazon Australia makes inroads into the New Zealand market.

- how to get started with ‘less but better’ products in the US vs going broad in Australia.

Get Sell Global’s free 16 point guide for success on sellglobal.co.nz/buynz. 

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.akiwioriginal.com

Belinda has led the way on environmental cleaning products for our skin and our homes since 2011 in New Zealand. 

Now that the rest of the world has caught up, her boutique soap-making business has scaled to match demand and now Ecobeings contract manufactures for a number of New Zealand brands. 

In this episode we go deep into the history of soap, why it works and what makes it superior to the synthetic chemical alternatives. Belinda also explains that what we've been told about pH balance isn't as accurate as we'd like to think.

Belinda shares the origin story of Ecobeings, the values that empower the business and the secret to her success on her journey (hint: lots of events!)

With all the focus on high hygiene levels and preserving our environment this episode is a must listen.

3 mins 1s Why soap works.

5 mins 9s How soap was discovered.

6 mins 39s The origins of synthetic detergent.

9 mins 37s pH balance versus alkali soaps.

12 mins 24s The origin story of Ecobeings.

14 mins 12s The Ecobeings product range.

18 mins 54s Growing the business through expos and events.

20 mins 56s From small batches to high volume contract manufacturing.

23 mins 03s What it's like manufacturing in Waipapa, Kerikiri.

30 mins 39s NEW: 5 FAST FIRE QUESTIONS. 

LINKS MENTIONED:

Ecobeings Soap: https://www.ecobeings.store 

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.akiwioriginal.com

Deirdre Doran is the founder of natural skincare company Agnes & Me and in this episode we talk skincare, getting a business off the ground and how her family heritage is intertwined into her business.

While Kiwis grow up knowing how harsh our sun can be, we aren't taught about sun protection beyond wearing suncream. Agnes & Me skincare solves that.

When Irish born Registered Nurse Deirdre Doran arrived with her unique face cream recipe she had created for her own use... it was only a matter of time before word spread in New Zealand.

In this episode we talk about nourishing and nurturing ways to look after your skin...

...how life in New Zealand compared to her Northern Ireland upbringing...

...what skincare insights Deirdre had from her career as a Registered Nurse...

...and why her family story, particularly her Mum is at the heart of the Agnes & Me business.

AGNES & ME PRODUCTS MENTIONED:

Face Cream
https://agnesandme.co.nz/product/natural-face-cream/

'Blam Blam' Balm
https://agnesandme.co.nz/product/blam-blam-balm-natural-healing-balm-60ml/ 

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.akiwioriginal.com