Kiwi Yarns

Lisa Perese-Cullen won TikTok Creator of the year in 2024 - and has over a million followers across social media channels.

What makes her a breath of fresh air in the loud, crowded and saturated space where everyone's vying for likes and follows is that since her unexpected rise to viral fame, she hasn't changed, put on a persona, or done anything differently. Lisa also has a very healthy take on knowing when to put the phone down, establishing good boundaries, and protecting her children.

Her business, Harper James is a wonderful Kiwi success story. It was a punt, taking savings while completely broke - to design comfortable and inclusive underwear for everyday bodies without any formal fashion training. 

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This week is a Kiwi Yarns first.

There's a guest - well actually there's two guests - but it's the same person...(let's see how this goes!)

Australian comedic performer, improviser and writer Heath Franklin is with us. But first, you will see or hear the character he has brought to life - Chopper - based on the notorious Australian criminal Mark ‘Chopper’ Read- for 20 years.

Then, we whip off the mo and you'll get to know Heath. We hear about what it's like playing a character for so long (the good and the bad), his love/hate relationship with social media, and that awkward meeting with the real Chopper Read.

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Jo Cummins and her co-founder, Viv Conway, created their powerhouse female-focused sex toy company Girls Get Off with a desire to create a spaces for women to feel empowered about pleasure and sexual wellbeing.

It all started with a socially distanced drink in the driveway in 2020. Thousands and thousands of sex toys sold later - the duo has been instrumental in helping Kiwis change their attitudes and lifting the stigma that has surrounded female pleasure for generations.

We also talk about why sex education needs to move beyond basic warnings and start focusing on consent, communication and mutual enjoyment.

Plus there's some practical advice thrown in the mix for those honest conversations you should be having with your partner to build get that fire back in the bedroom!

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This week, meet the Two Raw Sisters - Margot Flanagan and Rosa Power.

One of the remarkable things about these two and their hugely successful brand - is that really, it was born out of both of them having to deal with their own health struggles head on.

The Christchurch sisters are NZ’s biggest selling plant-based cookbook authors and have just released their sixth cookbook - How We Cook. Funnily enough though, they want you to stop following recipe rules!

We rip into why wellness culture is getting too overwhelming.

And we discuss how they run business so well together whilst maintaining that sisterhood.

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Sir John Kirwan returns to Kiwi Yarns for an in-person catch-up with Brodie. JK opens up about his recent chat with a Buddhist monk, uncovering informal meditation, and how phone fasting transformed his energy levels by keeping "Bob the Monkey" in check.

We dive deep into the pressure facing our rangatahi today, the importance of learning resilience through failure, and why we need to focus on managing our imbalance rather than striving for perfect life balance.

JK also shares progress on the Mighty Drive for 5 campaign, aiming to raise $5 million to bring mental health education to 250 schools on the waiting list.

Plus, we talk AI, guitar playing, the Dairy Flat surf park, and JK gives a blunt breakdown of what New Zealand rugby must do to reconnect with fans.

This episode of Kiwi Yarns is brought to you by Odoo, the all-in-one business management software. Head to https://www.odoo.com/r/Nyd to find out more.

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Kathryn Wilson wants every woman to feel empowered in a pair of shoes. That simple concept, combined with Kathryn's infectious passion and humility, has made her one of the most respected and loved designers here in New Zealand.

We talk about all the challenges thrown the industry's way, and how a brand like hers continues to evolve whilst staying true to its values.

The mother-of-two uses her knowledge and influence to inspire others. If we combine all the above, it's no wonder she's just celebrated 23 years in business!

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JessB is in for a yarn on how one transforms from professional netballer to becoming a central figure in Aotearoa's hip-hop scene.

We talk about how hard it is in the music industry to measure "success", but why SHE no longer measures it by streaming numbers.

Off the back of a very loud week in the music industry globally - with the fallout over Macklemore being dropped from Ed Sheeran's tour because of his support for the people of Palestine - we talk about why politics and music are intrinsically linked.

And we debrief about the abrupt end of her professional netball career.

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Much loved comedian Chris Parker is just back from performing at Edinburgh Fringe, with a fresh batch of bed bugs to accompany a hugely successful UK Tour.

We've spoken a couple of times before (because he's Chris Parker), so expect a chaotic ride through his new anti-tech movement, the good and bad of being a millennial, his irrational rages and the joy of unplugging from social media.

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This week we catch up with news anchor, marathon runner, and the recent business owner, Wendy Petrie.

The mother of three talks about how she is constantly reinventing herself to take on challenges - six years after her very public redundancy from TVNZ.

Wendy talks about the importance of motherhood, why she loves doing hard things, and provides an inspirational insight into how it's never too late to give something new a crack!

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Jake Bailey is a name and face many will remember from 11 years ago - where - as head boy at Christchurch Boys High School he gave a speech at graduation.

That speech was brilliant in its own right. But the delivery, from a young man, sitting in a wheelchair, who just a week prior had been told he had an extremely aggressive form of cancer and potentially weeks to live if untreated—was what reverberated around the world.

Now Jake is 29 and life has been full, inspirational and packed with adventure. He's recently been on a remarkable mission to Antarctica and made a real career pivot by heading the Inspire Foundation.

From best-selling books and speaking all around the world to running ultra-marathons, Jake proves how powerful resilience can be. We talk about how he studied resilience, and has spent a good chunk of his career passing on these valuable lessons.

Amidst all his remarkable achievements, he is now focused on educating people about why we must stop shielding our kids from everyday challenges.

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