Meet two of my awesome mates, Pietra Brettkelly and Sandy Burgham, who are two fabulous wāhine living life to the beat of their own drums, and saying No to the script society says women need to follow. So I thought it'd be bloody good fun to sit down and swap stories, and find out what makes their brave risk-taking brains tick.

Pietra is a documentary film-maker whose body of work includes Yellow is Forbidden and The Art Star and the Sudanese Twins. She is a member of The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (yes, she was at this year's Oscars!), and was recently named an Arts Laureate of New Zealand. She also cycled for almost two hours to get to our interview!

At the age of 50, Sandy quit her high-powered corporate job and decided to go back to uni, design an app, write a blog and so much more. In 2016, founded Play CoLab - a collaborative practice deeply invested in innovative approaches to systemic, organisational and personal transformation. 

Song credit: Korimako, Performed by Aro, Written by Emily Looker and Charles Looker and published by Songbroker.

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How weird are boobs? I mean, when you think about it, they can be sexually stimulating to others, life-giving to babies, and at times even deadly to us!

How we think about our lovely lady lumps is too often dictated by everybody else, but even our own attitudes can be laced with criticism and shame.

Too small. Too big. Too uneven. Too heavy. It's all too much! 

In this episode I sit down with the delightful Jay-Jay Feeney to have a good honest look at our mammaries, how we can give them a little more love, and she explains why she got that now-famous breast reduction.

I also chat with Dr Katherine Gale about early signs of breast cancer and her work as an oncoplastic breast surgeon. She even talks me through how we can do our own at-home breast examinations. Important stuff!

Song credit: Korimako, Performed by Aro, Written by Emily Looker and Charles Looker and published by Songbroker.

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We decided to do something a little different this episode! My wonderful counsellor Shirley Pastiroff joins for a live counselling session. What could possibly go wrong?!

Shirley is a counsellor at Renew Your Mind, parent coach, and author of 'The Mindful Parent'. She also runs the often sold-out workshop, Mindful Parenting. Based in Tāmaki Makaurau, she's also a mum of five well-functioning humans.

I wasn't entirely sure where our conversation would lead but I love where we ended up. We explored my ongoing challenge with saying No, delving into the science behind therapy, how our emotions aren't problems, and Shirley teaches me the art of the emotional processing technique, 'ALL' - all live! 

Since the recording, I have told many friends about ALL because it's been game-changing. Join us!

Song credit: Korimako, Performed by Aro, Written by Emily Looker and Charles Looker and published by Songbroker.

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Did you know that about 50 percent of women will experience a prolapse? We're talking a prolapse of their anterior vaginal wall, or their uterus or bowel starting to come down. And did you know that 34 percent of women experience leakage? But the encouraging news is 70-80 percent of women see significant improvements thanks to pelvic floor physiotherapy!

It's pretty mind-blowing that we aren't having more conversations about this part of our body, given how common (and normal) these challenges are. So join me as I speak with Tania McLean and Melissa Davidson, two pelvic floor physiotherapists. 

We talk about what to expect at a pelvic floor physiotherapy exam (I went for my first!), risk factors of prolapse, top tips on how to support your pelvic floor and more. Let's normalise this kōrero, aye? Join us!

Song credit: Korimako, Performed by Aro, Written by Emily Looker and Charles Looker and published by Songbroker.

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I have waited so long to say this and the day is finally here! The one and only, the fabulous, the just-as-magical-in-real-life-as-you'd-imagine Suzy Cato joins me for a kōrero.

After a (slightly) unfortunate encounter with my cat, we peeled back the curtain on the so-called always-happy life of Suzy Cato. We talk about losing jobs, the end of dreams, a mother's grief and how she has found her way through the crunchier and more tender parts of life. It's Suzy as we've never heard her before.

We laughed, we cried - who's surprised? Join us.

Song credit: Korimako, Performed by Aro, Written by Emily Looker and Charles Looker and published by Songbroker.

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Mary Holm is a bit of an institution. Her long-standing finance columns, radio appearances and down to earth books on savings and investment, have helped demystify what can be a daunting topic for so many. I'm particularly struck by her encouraging and reassuring tone.

Money doesn't have to be a burden, and that's a view shared by my good friend and first returning podcast guest Te Waka McLeod who's working with whānau in Taranaki to build financial stability. She shares what her late mother taught her about money, as well as offers insight into Te Ao Māori values around the topic.

Catch Te Waka in the last episode of Season 01 - 'Inevitable grief'.

Song credit: Korimako, Performed by Aro, Written by Emily Looker and Charles Looker and published by Songbroker.

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TV host, MC and co-author of Māori At Home, Māori Made Easy and more, this legend of New Zealand media needs little introduction. Stacey Morrison joins me for a kōrero about settling into your skin. She deep dives into her identity as wahine Māori, tells me what makes her nervous, how 'good girl syndrome' is still a thing for her, and the role spirituality plays in her everyday life.

There was also no shying away from talking about bias and the ongoing journey of better understanding Te Ao Māori here in Aotearoa.

Song credit: Korimako, Performed by Aro, Written by Emily Looker and Charles Looker and published by Songbroker.

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That's right, not only are we back - we're back chatting menopause. This time, I'm speaking with Niki Bezzant, who has literally written the book on the subject - This Changes Everything: The Honest Guide to Menopause and Perimenopause. 

As Niki says in our kōrero, understanding what's going on in our bodies is so empowering. We talk hormones, weight redistribution, mood swings, self-care habits, anxiety and more. 

I'm also joined by my friend Tori, who shares her perimenopause story with great honesty. 

Song credit: Korimako, Performed by Aro, Written by Emily Looker and Charles Looker and published by Songbroker.

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When I decided to make a podcast, I did wonder if anybody was gonna be interested in talking about those tricky aspects of getting older.

Well, I've been delighted by your response, so, we're back for a second season!

Coming up you'll hear Suzy Cato like never before… We’re talking boobs with Jay Jay Feeney, and getting some insider info on the gateway to goodness that is our pelvic floor.

Let’s talk more about menopause, money, anger and more...

Season 2 drops September 8th on Rova and everywhere else you get your favourite podcasts.

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Death, grief and loss are universal experiences - including the inevitable grief that accompanies the loss of our parents - an unavoidable season that comes in many different forms.

In this final episode of Season 01, Petra speaks with journalist, broadcaster and former magazine editor, Wendyl Nissen, about her relationship and journey with her late mother who suffered from Alzheimer's, and whose story she wrote about in her book My Mother and Other Secrets.

Petra is then joined by her friend, Te Waka McLeod (Ngāti Mutunga, Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi), who shares vulnerably about navigating grief since losing both her parents in her 20s. She also gives/gifts us an insight into the way tangihanga are carried out in Taranaki, where she is from - and how these traditions have supported her grief.

Song credit: Korimako, Performed by Aro, Written by Emily Looker and Charles Looker and published by Songbroker.

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