NZ Innovation & Export Podcast

Mānuka honey may be world famous, but it is only one part of New Zealand’s native plant story.

Helen Paul-Smith, co-founder of Ōku, a Māori-owned wellness brand using native plants like kawakawa, horopito and mānuka to create teas, balms, elixirs and soaps. Helen shares how the business grew from farmers markets and boxes under the bed into a New Zealand and export-focused brand, and why sustainability, culture and long-term thinking have shaped every major decision.

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction

1:09 What Ōku does

2:00 Māori knowledge and native plants

3:43 Why kawakawa matters

6:40 From side hustle to business

11:07 Ōku today

12:40 Sustainability and purpose

19:24 Discovering the tourist and gifting market

22:00 Packaging and brand story

25:08 Challenges of entrepreneurship

27:03 Export lessons from China and Australia

31:12 Working with distributors

32:34 NZTE support

34:14 Ōku’s future vision

37:23 Māori-led export opportunities

39:10 Where to find Ōku

Follow Ōku here:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/OKUNewZealand

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/oku_nz

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@oku-nznativeherbalproducts6227

Website - https://oku.co.nz

This Podcast is brought to you by Duoplus – The Digital Marketing Agency for businesses focused on growth.

Find out more here: https://www.duoplus.nz

Follow: NZ Innovation & Export Podcast:

Website - https://www.duoplus.nz/podcast

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/nzinnovationexportpodcast

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nzinnovationexportpodcast

Tik-Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@nzinnovationandexport

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@NZInnovationExportPodcast

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4OJb33uLpmSecvkYVdSKC5

Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nz-innovation-export-podcast/id1883810064

FileInvite Founder James Sampson on SaaS Growth, Export Revenue and Enterprise Sales

James Sampson from FileInvite shares how an internal tool built inside a New Zealand web agency became a global SaaS platform serving banks, lenders and financial institutions.

James talks about the pressure of moving from service business to software, the shift from small customers to enterprise contracts, why niching down changed the business, and how FileInvite now earns 96% of its revenue offshore. He also shares the unusual story behind his first investor.

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction

1:16 What FileInvite does

2:32 From web agency tool to SaaS product

7:46 Sole founder lessons

11:13 Bootstrapping versus raising capital

13:37 The first investor story

15:58 Niching into financial services

23:30 Moving upmarket

29:15 Enterprise go-to-market strategy

31:35 US market and culture lessons

36:06 Building a people-first team

44:22 NZTE and export support

47:03 Rebuilding the product for scale

53:29 The future of FileInvite

55:48 Where to find James

Follow FileInvite here:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/fileinvite

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/fileinvite

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@fileinvite

Website - https://www.fileinvite.com

This Podcast is brought to you by Duoplus – The Digital Marketing Agency for businesses focused on growth.

Find out more here: https://www.duoplus.nz

Follow: NZ Innovation & Export Podcast

Website - https://www.duoplus.nz/podcast

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/nzinnovationexportpodcast

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nzinnovationexportpodcast

Tik-Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@nzinnovationandexport

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@NZInnovationExportPodcast

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4OJb33uLpmSecvkYVdSKC5

Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nz-innovation-export-podcast/id1883810064

Why a New Zealand Business Coach Built an 80-Person Global Team

Tony Fraser-Jones has taken Profitable Tradie from one-on-one business coaching in New Zealand to a global coaching company with 80 staff, 700+ clients, and revenue across New Zealand, Australia, the United States and Canada.

In this episode, Josh Moore talks with Tony about scaling beyond yourself, hiring better people, building a values-led culture, entering overseas markets, and why New Zealand business owners need to think bigger about what is possible.

Timestamps:

0:00 Introducing Tony Fraser-Jones

1:20 What Profitable Tradie does

2:49 Scaling beyond a solo coaching business

4:38 Building revenue overseas

5:23 Tony’s journey into business coaching

8:40 Key decisions that changed the company

10:06 Hiring the right people

14:05 Delegating outcomes

20:00 Building a values-led culture

23:00 Measuring culture as the team grows

32:13 Expanding into new countries

35:25 Why podcasting builds trust

37:36 Marketing across Australia, the United States and Canada

43:10 The value of live events

45:08 Thinking bigger from New Zealand

47:49 How to connect with Profitable Tradie

Follow Profitable Tradie here:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profitabletradie/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/profitabletradie/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@profitabletradie/

Website - https://profitabletradie.com/

This Podcast is brought to you by Duoplus – The Digital Marketing Agency for businesses focused on growth.

Find out more here: https://www.duoplus.nz

Follow: NZ Innovation & Export Podcast:

Website - https://www.duoplus.nz/podcast

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/nzinnovationexportpodcast

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nzinnovationexportpodcast

Tik-Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@nzinnovationandexport

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@NZInnovationExportPodcast

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4OJb33uLpmSecvkYVdSKC5

Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nz-innovation-export-podcast/id1883810064

How Kiwi-Owned US Pharmaceutical Company Healthtex Launches OTC Products in America

Tim O’Donoghue is the co-founder of Healthtex, a Kiwi-owned US pharmaceutical company built around a simple but powerful idea: listen closely to what customers actually say.

Tim explains how decades of pharmacy conversations led to Asteroid, an over-the-counter (OTC) haemorrhoid product designed from real customer feedback, and how Healthtex is now navigating FDA listings, Amazon reviews, ecommerce, crowdfunding and the challenge of taking on far larger pharmaceutical competitors in the United States.

Follow Healthtex here:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/people/Asteroid-Ointment/61582105001935

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/asteroid_ointment

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@asteroid.ointment

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@AsteroidOintment

Website - https://www.neoqura.com

This Podcast is brought to you by Duoplus – The Digital Marketing Agency for businesses focused on growth.

Find out more here: https://www.duoplus.nz

Follow: NZ Innovation & Export Podcast:

Website - https://www.duoplus.nz/podcast

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/nzinnovationexportpodcast

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nzinnovationexportpodcast

Tik-Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@nzinnovationandexport

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@NZInnovationExportPodcast

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4OJb33uLpmSecvkYVdSKC5

Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nz-innovation-export-podcast/id1883810064

How PaySquad Is Building “Buy Now, Pay Together” For E-Commerce

Cam Richardson is building something different: buy now, pay together.

Cam shares how a surprising 21st birthday gift sparked the idea for PaySquad, a Kiwi fintech startup creating a “pay with friends” checkout option for retail, ticketing, and travel. Josh and Cam unpack the customer problem, the merchant opportunity, the funding journey, and the bigger vision behind multiplayer commerce.

Follow PaySquad here:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/paysquad.co

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/paysquad.co

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@paysquad

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/paysquad

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@paysquad

Website - https://www.paysquad.co

This Podcast is brought to you by Duoplus – The Digital Marketing Agency for businesses focused on growth.

Find out more here: https://www.duoplus.nz

Follow: NZ Innovation & Export Podcast:

Website - https://www.duoplus.nz/podcast

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/nzinnovationexportpodcast

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nzinnovationexportpodcast

Tik-Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@nzinnovationandexport

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@NZInnovationExportPodcast

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4OJb33uLpmSecvkYVdSKC5

Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nz-innovation-export-podcast/id1883810064

How Parklink Is Solving Water Quality Problems Across New Zealand and Australia

Regan Senior from Parklink, a Hastings-based company working in one of New Zealand’s more niche environmental industries. Regan shares how Parklink moved from wastewater bacteria dosing into broader freshwater solutions, why the business chose to manufacture selected products in New Zealand, and how it is navigating Australia, regulation, R&D, and global interest in its Oxyjet technology. It is a practical conversation about focus, timing, and knowing when to walk away from good revenue.

Follow Parklink here:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/parklinksolutions

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@parklink3504

Website - https://parklink.nz

This Podcast is brought to you by Duoplus – The Digital Marketing Agency for businesses focused on growth.

Find out more here: https://www.duoplus.nz

Follow: NZ Innovation & Export Podcast:

Website - https://www.duoplus.nz/podcast

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/nzinnovationexportpodcast

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nzinnovationexportpodcast

Tik-Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@nzinnovationandexport

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@NZInnovationExportPodcast

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4OJb33uLpmSecvkYVdSKC5

Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nz-innovation-export-podcast/id1883810064

How Parklink Is Solving Water Quality Problems Across New Zealand and Australia

Regan Senior from Parklink, a Hastings-based company working in one of New Zealand’s more niche environmental industries. Regan shares how Parklink moved from wastewater bacteria dosing into broader freshwater solutions, why the business chose to manufacture selected products in New Zealand, and how it is navigating Australia, regulation, R&D, and global interest in its Oxyjet technology. It is a practical conversation about focus, timing, and knowing when to walk away from good revenue.

Follow Parklink here:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/parklinksolutions

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@parklink3504

Website - https://parklink.nz

This Podcast is brought to you by Duoplus – The Digital Marketing Agency for businesses focused on growth. 

Find out more here: https://www.duoplus.nz

Follow: NZ Innovation & Export Podcast:

Website - https://www.duoplus.nz/podcast

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/nzinnovationexportpodcast

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nzinnovationexportpodcast

Tik-Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@nzinnovationandexport

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@NZInnovationExportPodcast

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4OJb33uLpmSecvkYVdSKC5

Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nz-innovation-export-podcast/id1883810064

Can a Kiwi company’s innovation crack the US live events market?

Joe Bradford, co-founder of Fiasco Cases, shares how a small Cambridge company became a supplier to major names across sport, entertainment, and live events, including the NBA, Disney, Fox Sports, UFC, and more. In this episode, Joe explains how Fiasco rethought the humble road case, pushed into the US market, survived the collapse of live events during COVID, and rebuilt momentum through sharp product thinking, social media, and export-focused growth.

Follow Fiasco here:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/fiascocases

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/fiasco_cases

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@fiasco.cases

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@fiascocases

Website - https://fiasco.co.nz

This Podcast is brought to you by Duoplus – The Digital Marketing Agency for businesses focused on growth.

Find out more here: https://www.duoplus.nz

Follow: NZ Innovation & Export Podcast:

Website - https://www.duoplus.nz/podcast

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/nzinnovationexportpodcast

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nzinnovationexportpodcast

Tik-Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@nzinnovationandexport

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@NZInnovationExportPodcast

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4OJb33uLpmSecvkYVdSKC5

Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nz-innovation-export-podcast/id1883810064

What does it take to turn a farm fix into an export business?

What happens when a farmer solves a problem no one else has cracked, then turns it into an export business?

In this episode, Wilco Klein Ovink shares the Number 8 Wire story behind The Wrangler, from farm-built prototypes and Fieldays wins to distributors in Australia and the US.

This conversation goes beyond invention into commercialisation, export lessons, patents, distributor strategy, and what it takes to keep practical innovation moving.

Follow The Wrangler here:

Facebook - www.facebook.com/Wrangler.ltd

Instagram - www.instagram.com/wranglernz

YouTube - www.youtube.com/@thewranglernz

Websites:

www.thewrangler.co.nz

www.pollensmart.co.nz

www.rideovergate.com

This Podcast is brought to you by Duoplus – The Digital Marketing Agency for businesses focused on growth.

Find out more here: www.duoplus.nz

Follow: NZ Innovation & Export Podcast:

Website - duoplus.nz/podcast

Facebook - facebook.com/nzinnovationexportpodcast

Instagram - instagram.com/nzinnovationexportpodcast

TikTok - tiktok.com/@nzinnovationandexport

YouTube - www.youtube.com/@NZInnovationExportPodcast

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4OJb33uLpmSecvkYVdSKC5

Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nz-innovation-export-podcast/id1883810064

What does it take to turn everyday warehouse risks into controlled, trackable systems?

Jason Buckley from ARC breaks down how combining cameras, GPS, and custom coding created a safer working environment for a major manufacturer. From preventing forklift incidents to unlocking unexpected efficiency gains, this conversation explores how practical innovation happens on the ground.

Follow ARC here:

Website - https://www.arc.net.nz/

This Podcast is brought to you by Duoplus – The Digital Marketing Agency for businesses focused on growth.

Find out more here: https://www.duoplus.nz

Follow: NZ Innovation & Export Podcast:

Website - https://www.duoplus.nz/podcast

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/nzinnovationexportpodcast

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nzinnovationexportpodcast

Tik-Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@nzinnovationandexport

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@NZInnovationExportPodcast

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4OJb33uLpmSecvkYVdSKC5

Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nz-innovation-export-podcast/id1883810064