A Kiwi Original

In this episode I speak with accidental entrepreneur (her words) Stacia Jensen, who has started a sustainability revolution in the kitchen thanks to her beeswax wraps.

Stacia shares the origin story of how LilyBee Wrap got started in Hawke's Bay and the passionate community she has built around her products.

We also talk about what it means to becoming a B Corporation, a new kind of business that balances purpose and profit. These businesses are required to consider the impact of their decisions on their workers, customers, suppliers, community and of course the environment.

While for many businesses these requirements may seem onerous, Stacia sees it as both the right thing to do, being part of a movement of people using business as a force for good.

Something we can all consider. Let's take a listen.

LINKS MENTIONED

LilyBee Wrap

Certified B Corporation

KEY TIMESTAMPS

3 mins 1 sec The origin story of LilyBee Wrap. 

5 mins 48 secs What a B Corp organisation offers and why Stacia wanted the B Corp certification from the start.

7 mins 55 secs Being a purpose driven company. 

9 mins 51 secs The LilyBee community and why Stacia believes eco-products should be accessible to everybody. 

12 mins 52 secs The LilyBee ethos that the product must work as well as the alternative. 

15 mins 21 secs The surprising uses for LilyBee wrap. 

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 I speak with Sean Wood, owner at Creative Kitchen & Interiors. Sean's team of cabinet makers is unusual in that they continue to make kitchens and furniture the traditional way - by hand.

If you love tradition, you'll fall in love with Sean's shaker style kitchens. Sean also shares how they work with clients, as well as what he had to relearn after coming from the commercial sector.

LINKS MENTIONED

Creative Kitchen & Interiors

KEY TIMESTAMPS

2 mins 55 secs The individuality you get with hand-making cabinetry techniques that you don't get with CNC machines. 


6 mins 37 secs The two most important rooms in the home. 

7 mins 45 secs Contemporary vs trends and the shaker style kitchen. 

9 mins 5 secs What attracted Sean to purchase the business five years ago.

10 mins 15 secs The habit Sean had to re-learn when moving from commercial to residential projects. 

14 mins 15 secs The hard part with cabinetry work, when clients change their mind. 

16 mins 22 secs The personal relationship that grows around making the kitchen from day one.

20 mins 28 secs What it takes to make a career in cabinet making.

22 mins 25 secs What the apprenticeship scheme to become a qualified tradesman isn't working. 

26 mins 53 secs Reducing waste out of the business and why the biggest cost is wasted time. 

28 mins 52 secs Listening to the client. 

31 mins 10 secs Making everything in-house from veneers, lacquers and timbers means full ownership until the client is happy. 

33 mins 10 secs Servicing multiple generations of family kitchens. 

40 mins 25 secs Sean's favourite recent tool purchase (and why the antique tools section on TradeMe is a pro-tip). 

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, Ryan speaks with Rheem Marketing Manager Brian McFarlane on New Zealand's need to train up plumbers for the demand in housing, what you need to know about gas vs electric systems and his plans to bring back the catchy classic 'Install A Rheem' jingle!

LINKS MENTIONED
Rheem product selector
Master Plumbers

Information for apprentices:
Apprenticeship Training Trust
Masterlink   

KEY TIMESTAMPS

2 mins 35 secs Rheem's history and accommodation low and high pressure hot water systems in New Zealand for the last 50 years. 

6 mins 55 secs Balancing growing the install base with managing the existing base of customers. 

10 mins 37 secs Gas vs electric systems and why electric might be the greener option. 

18 mins 58 secs What specifiers and installers need to know and the closeness of the plumbing community. 

20 mins 35 secs Getting enough plumbers for New Zealand's needs. 

25 mins 25 secs Some of the big products Rheem does for unique hot water needs like universities and hospitals. 

29 mins 41 secs Install a Rheem ad and the marketing focus of Rheem on 2020. 

33 mins 25 secs Why most people don't think about Rheem hot water cylinders, because once it's installed it works for decades. 

36 mins 59 secs Why Brian joined Rheem after moving to New Zealand from South Africa. 

41 mins 15 secs The experience, knowledge and culture at Rheem. 

ASK A QUESTION
If you have a question about this episode or business and marketing in general, that you'd like answered on next weeks show, click on the link in the show notes and record your question. 

Ask a Question on A Kiwi Original (record via laptop/desktop) https://buynz.org.nz/A-Kiwi-Original-Series/8484/

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

This week I talk with Richard Kettle about his new innovation that gets more wool off a sheep back and why that matters more than ever as wool experiences a renaissance. Richard recently visited a merino farmer that supplies the global merino brand Icebreaker and his reaction to this breakthrough technology was astounding.

Richard and I actually go back a few years, because he also runs the Birchleigh Polo Club and let me have a go a few times on one of the more gentle horses in his stable. What I've always admired about Richard is how he's always looking to improve things for the animal. That phrases 'animal welfare' is something that Richard imbues into the products that Animal Health Direct supply to farmers via nationwide retailers. 

In this episode, we go deep on one single invention that takes a single on farm activity and transforms it into one that gives farmers more wool for their effort. While that hasn't been the priority for some time with depressed wool prices, that's recently changed. I hope you enjoy this chat with entrepreneur, innovator and Animal Health Direct CEO, Richard Kettle. 

3 mins 30 secs The problem with existing sheep identification spray markers getting in to the fibre of the wool. 

6 mins 54 secs Why sheep need to marked in the first place.

10 mins 51 secs Why Richard decided to solve this problem and the lightbulb moment that came from the problem with road accident marking. 

13 mins 48 secs What this quality means for the wool industry and how it will be identified. 

15 mins 45 secs How Richard intends to get farmers to accept this new breakthrough technology and the barriers to adoption. 
 
20 mins 30 secs What the broader Animal Health Direct business creates animal welfare solutions for sheep and beef farmers in New Zealand. 

22 mins 28 secs The competing multinationals and how Animal Health Direct competes in New Zealand. 

24 mins 50 secs Settling ponds that produce clean water, no smell to be compliant with what councils and government wants. 

27 mins 29 secs Richard's view about being in business and what it means to be out on his own in agriculture. 

29 mins 13 secs The Fadeaway 400mL and 200mL product sizing and pricing. 

30 mins 15 secs Why merino farmers are switching to Fadeaway for premium wool 

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

Flexo transforms two dimensional brick play with Lego into a three dimensional canvas. Mark shares the light bulb moment and Elizabeth shares what it meant for her. This is a truly magic chat with two inventors, passionate about the possibilities this brings to young minds. Every teacher should listen to this and get Flexo for their classroom.

LINKS MENTIONED

Flexo

Flexpert set

KEY TIMESTAMPS

2 mins 15 secs Investing in IP, the investment that's required and deciding whether to licence to an expert in distribution or going it alone. 

3 mins 40 secs The fixed brick industry and why Flexo's strategy enhances the fixed brick industry dominated by Lego. 

4 mins 34 secs Why can't we make brick construction flexible? ...and the lightbulb moment at a physiotherapist session and what an olympic athlete brought to the idea.

7 mins 18 secs Think and build anything - what the invention made possible for Lego nights with Flexo. 

8 mins 10 secs When Ryan first realised the true potential of Flexo. 

9 min 52 secs What the Lego shows taught Elizabeth and Mark.

13 mins 1 secs Creating in three dimensional space and how it's different from two dimensions. 

15 mins 25 secs What the community brings to Flexo and creating a WOW dress using 42,000 pieces. 

20 mins 25 secs Why innovation takes time to win over the market and the six decade journey for Lego that relies on STEM and an educational journey. 

24 mins 52 secs Partnerships and international marketplaces to grow the Flexo marketplace including the 'Funraising' Flexo product pack into schools. 

34 mins 5 secs What advanced Lego makers think of Flexo. 

39 mins 47 secs Where Flexo is available, the retail model and getting Flexo known with kids.

47 mins 10 secs The experience of getting the Flexo Inventor set. 

56 mins 31 secs What the toymakers say and what makes great people and the ability to play and adapt and go through pain and learning to achieve mastery. 

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

Today on the show I'm joined by CoGo Founder and CEO Ben Gleissner to talk sustainable living made easy. Ben talks about the purpose of the CoGo app and the potential impact for global behavioural change that's good for people and for business. CoGo is a company going places with a real-time carbon footprint tracker that connects what your good intentions are to your *actual* actions through open banking.

GET THE APP

Download CoGo app

Add Your Business To CoGo

KEY TIMESTAMPS

2 mins 48 secs What matters to Kiwis and how CoGo motivates towards good behaviours like waste minimisation, supporting community initiatives and shopping local.

3 mins 58 secs 70% of people want to support and buy New Zealand made products. 

4 mins 24 secs Ben's origin story and Ben's observation on what changes behaviour. 

7 mins 12 secs The purpose of the CoGo app and how it works.

11 mins 56 secs The evolution in CoGo in the last 5 years, removing friction and the opportunities that open banking enables. 

15 mins 2 secs Ryan sharing his experience using CoGo and the insights that users can expect.

19 mins 1 secs Behavioural change and why it's difficult and how CoGo is overcoming it. 

25 mins 15 secs The CoGo unique approach to promoting the businesses who use its platform.

27 mins 12 secs SCOOP: The plan to exit the company - and why the people who use the platform are key to it.

31 mins 15 secs The international growth strategy and the investment path to make it happen. 

36 mins 45 secs We talk about connecting CoGo with NZMade. 

41 mins 19 secs The CoGo team of 37 and growing. 

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

I'm joined by Marleen Suy also known as 'Mrs Pete' at New Zealand beverage company  Pete's Natural. Marleen shares the importance of looking after the local community first, their commitment to New Zealand fruit growers and what it's been like to lead the low sugar beverage movement from early 2010.

BONUS We also discuss how bars could up their cocktail game by building a drink on a better base.

LINKS MENTIONED

Pete's Natural - Mixed Crate



2 mins 10 secs The inspiration of the Pete's branding. 

4 mins 38 secs The first flavour and the origin story of Pete's Lemonade. 

5 mins 21 secs Why choosing local fruits grown in New Zealand. 

6 mins 25 secs Where fruit is sourced, citrus from top of the south, limes, lemons and ginger from Kerikeri, Gisborne and Hawke's Bay. 

7 mins 25 secs Choosing flavours that Kiwis will love and leading trends.

9 mins 52 secs The shift towards healthier drinks and using natural fruit to get the sweetness in a drink.

11 mins 3 secs The domestic opportunity and exporting into Australia, Hong Kong and Thailand. 

12 mins 2 secs What Fair Trade @ Home means. 

14 mins 50 secs Why bars should be choosing a higher quality cocktail mixer base and how you can get Pete's Lemonade delivered at your home. 

17 mins 38 secs The sustainability focus applied to bottling, ingredients, suppliers and production.

19 mins 1 secs How Pete and Marleen came to live in New Zealand. 

20 mins 52 secs Growing on a shoestring and the positive change since Covid. 

23 mins 22 secs Deciding to move away from the Food Shows in favour of direct to consumer social media and emails.

26 mins 10 secs The importance of NZ Made and supporting local for the community. 

29 mins 15 secs The shift to setup their own bottling line, doing unique flavour trials and opening up the bottle line to new drinks producers. 

31 mins 2 secs Collaboration within the drinks industry. 

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

Food manufacturers, growers and orchardists all have compliance and a lot of cost savings can be made moving to a digital environment. That's where Mike Cook and Qtraca come in. Qtraca helps manufacturers better optimise production processes including proactive monitoring of equipment. A must listen for New Zealand manufacturers.

LINKS MENTIONED

Qtraca Software

KEY TIMESTAMPS

3 mins 17 secs What QTraca delivers for manufacturers who do production runs in a factory floor environment.

4 mins 47 secs The origin story of QTraca. 

6 mins 7 secs QTraca enables businesses to digitise your forms and processes rather than force a business into a new way of working. 

8 mins 5 secs Going from digitising familiar forms to traceability and inventory management.  

12 mins 16 secs The simple learning curve that has seen customers progress beyond getting it up and running. 

15 mins 32 secs How digitising forms transforms manufacturing from reactive to proactive based on setting up alert fields. 

19 mins 5 secs Subscription based pricing. No contract. 

20 mins 18 secs The first customer. 

22 mins 5 secs Automated temperature monitoring, pH monitoring, humidity monitoring, current monitoring on machinery to sense machinery stress.

23 mins 50 secs The opportunity for computer vision and AI in manufacturing.

26 mins 40 secs A case study of processing job applicants for orchardists digitally instead of using paper.  

29 mins 6 secs Getting started with Qtraca software. 

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

Today I speak with Chris Hilder the inventor and chief programmer of Kaffelogic - a home coffee roaster to get the perfectly roasted beans for your morning brew.

Chris believes that we will all eventually roast our own beans at home, as a natural progression for those who currently buy coffee beans. A NZ Made home appliance in 2020? Chris makes it sound easy.

LINKS MENTIONED

Kaffelogic


KEY TIMESTAMPS

2 mins 6 secs The layers of the home bean roasting market. 

4 mins 58 secs The green coffee bean and the history of coffee roasting. 

9 mins 25 secs Controlling through the roast process when coffee will be at its best to drink.

11 min 9 secs What coffee roasters think of Kaffelogic. 

12 mins 2 secs Getting into roasting your own coffee beans in the home, the 12 roasting profiles available in the Kaffelogic machine and why altitudes matter to bean density and roast times. 

15 mins 4 secs The exporting reach of Kaffelogic across 20 countries and the sharing of information online about the product and the challenge of getting Kaffelogic in to the mainstream. 

17 mins 50 secs From hobby project to commercialisation with the manufacturing done locally in Dunedin, New Zealand. 

20 mins 15 secs A low point in the inventors journey. 

23 mins 15 secs When Kaffelogic joined NZCode and the layers to the software. 

26 min 37 secs Where to see the Kaffeelogic working and purchase. 

28 mins 27 secs Creating a New Zealand Made appliance.
 

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

This is an amazing New Zealand software story by three sisters and their Mum. We talk about about how Shebiz got started, the gender challenges back in the 1980's in technology and how the family have adapted and grown their business with a repositioning to a digital first approach in 2020.

GUESTS

Lisa Wardill - SheBiz Programmer
Jacqui Lowe - SheBiz Digital Marketing
Leonie Patrick - SheBiz Marketing & Lead Generation
Jenny - SheBiz Founder (currently retired)

LINKS MENTIONED

SheBiz Software

KEY TIMESTAMPS

3 mins 50 secs Getting a shearing audience in front of the PayBiz product through shearing conferences in NZ/Australia and what happened in 2020.

4 mins 35 secs The difficulties of getting in front of stock brokers. 

5 mins 37 secs Jacqui talks about digital marketing in 2020, how the worlds changed and what SheBiz is doing make sure they're digitally prominent.  

8 mins 1 secs Jenny shares the origin story of SheBiz three decades earlier and what got her started opening up a computer shop in Gore. 

11 mins 45 secs Expanding the team through the family and local software partners.

12 mins 47 secs How Lisa learnt software coding during the Christchurch earthquakes and rewrote the software. 

14 mins 12 secs The gender barriers starting the business.

16 mins 20 secs The double entry accounting problem with Xero and MYOB and why industry specific software continues to address the industry complexities. 

17 mins 42 secs The life of a livestock agent. 

20 mins 7 secs Doing keyword research so that SheBiz can appear on organic search results. 

21 mins 46 secs The types of customers who work with SheBiz.

24 mins 52 secs The comprehensive reporting that the big companies rely on for commission reports, agent performance, animal types and budgeting. 

27 mins 48 secs The pricing model. 

30 mins 30 secs The best time of year to transfer across to SheBiz.

31 mins 48 secs Getting a remote demo and training from SheBiz anywhere in New Zealand. 

34 mins 5 secs Joining New Zealand Made. 

36 mins 8 secs The support you'll get. 

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