Kiwis in Business

This week we speak to Christine Deacon, the founder of Canopy Eating Disorders Support Services. This social enterprise is New Zealand’s first.

Canopy is New Zealand's first eating disorder specific peer-to-peer support, both online and in person, community-centric service.

It makes practical support affordable and accessible to all Kiwis affected by eating disorders and disordered eating to help them flourish and reclaim their lives. 

During her personal struggle with an eating disorder in her teen and young adult years, Christine was exposed to what she says were clear gaps and opportunities in care services. It propelled her to create systemic, sustainable change for Kiwis. Inspired and supported by ‘sister organisations’ overseas, Christine set up Canopy.

She shares her journey with us in this latest episode of Kiwis in Business.

For more information visit www.canopyeds.co.nz

Robbie Burke is tackling the problem of fixing a "spaghetti" digital architecture - helping companies get all their databases and software aligned.

The software engineer helps companies who say they don't have enough time or money to invest in a clean, new and maintainable digital architecture with well-written software, through his business Rapydly.

Rapydly is a software company based in Tauranga that specialises in quickly migrating businesses' older/legacy software into the newer industry standard way of designing software. In most cases, it only takes 24 hours for this to happen.

For more information visit www.rapydly.com

Iyia Liu needs no introduction to those in the e-commerce world! In this episode of Kiwis in Business, Iyia speaks to Kiwis in Business founder Linda Shackelford about her journey to become one of New Zealand’s most successful young female entrepreneurs. Iyia started her first business, Waist Trainer, at the age of 21, and within one year grew her business into a multi-million dollar global business, selling to over 90+ countries. Since then she’s gone on to found and sell a variety of other successful online businesses, including Celebration Box, Luxe Fitness, Good for Me and stars on TVNZ’s show Boss Babes. and created the Girls in Business community. In this interview she shares her business story and the lessons she’s learnt along the way and gives some tips to other business owners.

www.iyialiu.com

In this episode, we speak to Merrall MacNeille, a dairy farmer from Otago. Merrall and his wife run Holy Cow, a milk and milk-based dairy product company, supplying to locals in the region. Using glass bottles and milk dispenser units to enable more people to buy milk in a more sustainable way, Merrall takes us on his business journey – one that spans 50 years. Follow @holycowdunedin 

Mary Taylor is a social media manager, blogger, photographer and content creator based in Mount Maunganui.

Originally from California, Mary moved to NZ in 2017 and since then she’s been on a drive to build a successful business portfolio while helping Kiwi businesses with their social media presence.

The vibrant and determined entrepreneur joins us today to share her life, love and business journey, plus gives tips for business owners for how to effectively use social media.

https://itsmarytaylor.com/

When Robert Barnes was asked by a friend to build a dryer to dehydrate macadamia nuts 25 years ago, he never thought it would be the start of his own drying machine business.

Since 1995 he has also been using his skills to develop highly innovative Rexmoi® Dryers. He sold the refrigeration and air conditioning business five years ago to focus solely on Drying Solutions Ltd.

Robert is proud that his dryers enable people to turn ordinary products, in some cases waste material, into high-quality, high-value finished goods for the ultimate benefit of New Zealand.

The Tauranga resident says there’s always room for improvement, which is why he is currently developing more sustainable drying options for the food industry.

https://dryingsolutions.co.nz/

Lina Montero-Soto makes magic wherever she goes and in whatever she does. So when the founder of Magico marketing agency isn’t creating brand magic, she’s working on Make Eco Easy, a community focused initiative to help transform the eco-awkward among us into eco-able humans. Lina’s ‘wake-up moment’ happened during an organised beach clean-up while picking through small pieces of chip packets, muesli bar wrappers and countless other plastic pieces. It struck her that was what she put in her kids’ lunch boxes each day. Disappointed in herself, she decided it was time to be more mindful about what sustainability and she begun reaching out to people who are leaders in creating sustainable products, services and tips for others to live more eco-friendly lives. Lina’s determined to leave this world a better place than when she arrived in it. www.magico.co.nz

In this interview, the tables are turned and Kiwis in Business creator and host Linda Shackelford becomes the interviewee and shares her own business journey with guest host Philip Moon.

Expand PR is a boutique PR consultancy Linda founded in 2016, after working as a journalist and in various public relations roles.

She shares her startup journey, talks about how her travel and work experience led her to where she is today, and gives tips for business owners to ‘back themselves’.

Linda offers a variety of publicity, social media, storytelling and content writing solutions to help innovative businesses, charity organisations, and entrepreneurs and has a ‘make it happen’ approach which she throws into everything she does.

Listen to the interview here. For more information visit www.expandpr.co.nz

Spacebar Design launched just the week before the COVID-19 lockdown, but the hospitality design firm was determined not to let it be a setback in its drive to help New Zealand hospitality businesses share their unique stories.

Designer Anson Kong says Spacebar Design aims to fill a gap in the market by focusing on giving bars, restaurants, cafes and foodtrucks the opportunity to uncover the story of their businesses and the food and beverages behind them in a creative way.

Anson’s appreciation of the journey of food – from farm to plate – is something he applies to his design work.  Spacebar Design aims to encapsulate the farm to plate stories and other personal stories behind the eateries in its creative process, bringing those stories to life in venues around New Zealand.

 Spacebar Design is passionate about connecting the stories of people and food through interiors. "Being a designer is about the ability to solve problems but not just at a technical and physical level, to me it’s at the emotional and human level as well.”

www.spacebardesign.co.nz

Mel Hurst and her husband Avi Kewalramani arrived in New Zealand in 2000 with just $5000 in their wallets and the determination to build a successful life here. They set up home, got jobs as flight attendants and started a family.

What they didn’t expect was to turn their love of Indian cooking into a business supplying sauces, curries and spices into gourmet supermarkets and food stores around New Zealand.

Mel’s Gourmet Foods launched in 2006 with a range of traditional, gourmet, Indian curry sauces that are easy for Kiwis to prepare at home. Ever since, Mel’s Gourmet Indian Curry Sauces have been devoured by people all around the country.

From day one, Mel has been the face of the brand, creating a very personal and unique experience.

In this interview, Auckland entrepreneur Mel shares her business startup journey and gives tips for those looking to take the leap and start their own business. https://www.mels.co.nz/