"Boring is where the unlock is. Results don't come quick but they MUST come eventually."

I just turned 34, and this season of life feels different. Not because everything's changed, but because I finally stopped waiting for the big moments and started finding purpose in the everyday, boring things.

This kōrero is about gratitude, gaps, showing up fully, and why the next 365 days is about structure, systems, and zero compromise.

🌱 Ready to build with intention?
Join the Planting Seeds Community and lock in your spot for the upcoming Planting Seeds Wānanga, where we go deep on identity, purpose, and building the structure that supports your growth.

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In Episode 257 of the Planting Seeds Podcast, I sit down with D’Angelo Martin, known to many as Tuturu Māori. A proud Māori tāne from the far north, devoted pāpā, and creative known for his humour.

But this kōrero goes beyond the laughs.

D’Angelo opens up about a major shift in his life direction, navigating a challenging season where he is currently based in Aotearoa while his whānau are in Vietnam.

One of the biggest turning points came through his child’s health, experiencing severe eczema in Aotearoa, yet becoming almost non-existent in Vietnam, where his partner’s whānau are from.

This sparked deeper reflection around environment, wellbeing, and the decisions we make for our families.

We also dive into:

• The power of small, consistent changes
• Surrounding yourself with go-getters
• Taking care of your hauora
• Backing yourself when life shifts
• Being a present and devoted pāpā
• And not wasting time on what doesn’t matter

This is a real, grounded kōrero about identity, responsibility, growth, and choosing a better path even when it’s uncomfortable.

🔗 Join Planting Seeds Community Here:
www.skool.com/seeds-of-self

In this Grow With Me episode, I speak openly about the season of change I’m currently navigating.

I’ve had space recently to go deeper into my why, purpose, and identity and in doing so, I realised that I’ve been operating from an outdated foundation.

It served me. It got me to where I am today. BUT it won’t take me to where I’m going.

I also answer a powerful question from the Seeds of Self community:

1. How do you know when you’re being called to grow… versus when you’re just uncomfortable and wanting to escape?

🌱 PLANTING SEEDS WĀNANGA

If you feel called to go deeper, the next Planting Seeds Wānanga is happening:

🔗 Express your interest (2-min form):

https://tally.so/r/eq21yE

In Episode 255, I sit down with Hinerapa Rupuha, a mana wahine deeply anchored in te ao Māori, with a passion for te reo Māori, traditional navigation, and voyaging.

Raised through kōhanga reo and kura kaupapa Māori, Hinerapa attributes much of who she is today to her whānau and the strong foundations laid within Hoani Waititi.

Her journey began with a love for the moana through waka ama, which evolved into a deeper curiosity for traditional navigation, a path she has now been committed to for over 10 years.

Most recently, she completed a powerful voyage from Aotearoa to Samoa and back, embodying the knowledge, discipline, and connection required to navigate the Pacific using ancestral ways.

This is a conversation about identity, discipline, culture, and trusting your path, guided not just by destination, but by who you are becoming.

🔗 Join our online community Seeds of Self:
www.skool.com/seeds-of-self

In this Grow With Me episode, I answer two powerful questions around identity, change, and purpose.

1. How to navigate the transition from your old identity to a new one, especially after separation?
2. How to stay on the path of your passion?

This kōrero is about staying grounded while stepping into who you’re becoming. Not rushing the process, not forcing it BUT honouring the shift.

KEEn to hear your thoughts if you have any, please drop them in the comments below.

🔗 Join Seeds of Self (Online Community):

https://form.typeform.com/to/PqdcWDEW

In Episode 253 of the Planting Seeds Podcast, I sit down with Jordaan Tuitama, also known as Creative Taro, a brother from the Waikato who is passionate about thrifting, reselling, and working alongside rangatahi.

Jordaan shares his journey growing up in an environment shaped by violence and street life, and how over time he became desensitised to it. But instead of continuing down that path, he made a conscious shift by choosing to work with young people and be part of something more positive.

We talk about the influence of his parents, the impact of American Black culture on his identity, and how that sparked his love for pop culture and creative expression. What started as interest has grown into a powerful outlet through op shopping, reselling, and sewing, which now plays a big role in who he is today.

This is a kōrero about identity, influence, creativity, and choosing a different path.

Also keep an eye out for his upcoming docu-series: “Thrifting Aotearoa”.

Check out the links below:

🔗 Website: https://creativetaro.bigcartel.com/

🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creativetaro/

This Grow With Me episode is a real check-in after missing last week . . . and why.

Life has been hectic but in a good way. Travel, kaupapa, mahi opportunities, training, everything moving. But in the middle of that, I started noticing early signs of burnout.

In this kōrero, I share what’s been coming up for me, how I recognised it early, and the adjustments I’ve made to rebalance and recharge before things tipped too far.

I also speak into this week’s Brother to Brother kaupapa: Emotional Strength.

For many tāne, emotional expression hasn’t been modelled in healthy ways. So we default to shutting down, reacting, or carrying things alone. This space is about learning to feel, process, and express emotions in a way that actually supports us.

This episode is for the brothers navigating pressure, and also for wāhine wanting a deeper understanding of how tāne process things internally.

If this kōrero resonates, take what you need and check in with yourself.

🔗 Planting Seeds Offerings:

https://form.typeform.com/to/PqdcWDEW

In this episode of the Planting Seeds Podcast, I sit down with Whatanui Flavell, a Māori storyteller with over a decade of experience bringing stories to life across the media landscape.

From presenter, camera operator, director, and producer — to now leading his own kaupapa Haututū Creatives, Whatanui shares his journey through the world of storytelling and the deeper responsibility that comes with it.

We speak about being a Whaturoa, Māori creatives working across film, media, and content AND the significance this has for how we see ourselves as Māori. For the first time, we are in a position where we can truly tell our stories our way.

Whatanui uses the example of the Hīkoi mō te Tiriti, where over 100,000 Māori and non-Māori marched to parliament in 2024, as a powerful reminder of storytelling in action and how narrative shapes perception, identity, and unity.

We also dive into his upbringing, the influence of his parents and siblings, and how those foundations shaped his why and the contribution he continues to make for te iwi Māori.

This is a kōrero about identity, creativity, responsibility, and the power of owning our narrative.

🔗 Follow Haututū / Whatanui:
https://www.instagram.com/haututu_creatives/

🔗 Planting Seeds Offerings:

https://form.typeform.com/to/PqdcWDEW

In this episode, I sit down with Riki Nia Nia, CEO of Te Rau Ora, a Māori health organisation committed to strengthening the Māori health workforce, supporting rangatahi leadership, and ensuring whānau receive culturally grounded care and wellbeing support.

Te Rau Ora plays a vital role across Aotearoa through initiatives that support workforce development, mental health and addiction services, kaupapa Māori health frameworks, leadership pathways, and community wellbeing kaupapa.

In this kōrero, Riki shares insights from decades of working within the health sector and why this mahi is deeply personal to him.

We dive into the stories that shaped him, from the influence of his koro and the philosophy of “hiki wairua”, to his māmā becoming the first Tongan wahine involved with the Māori Women’s Refuge movement. He also speaks openly about how his understanding of the health system supported his own whānau during a challenging time with his son.

We explore bigger conversations around rangatahi leadership, learning to agree to disagree, lessons from Native American communities, Te Whare Tapa Whā, and the complex factors that influence whānau wellbeing.

This is a powerful conversation about how our personal stories shape the work we choose to do and the impact we want to have on our people.

This episode is a collaboration between the Planting Seeds Podcast and Te Rau Ora.

🔗 Learn more about Te Rau Ora:
https://terauora.com/

In this Grow With Me episode, I reflect on the inspiration that came from watching one of my closest brothers complete a FULL Ironman in Taupō over the weekend.

I also share insights coming from Week 2 of the Brother to Brother kaupapa, where the theme is Identity.

This week has been powerful. Tāne are stepping into the weight of the roles we carry, while also taking time to look beneath the labels we live under.

Too often we define ourselves by titles, responsibilities, or expectations. But who are we beneath all of that?

These are the four questions we explored together:

1️⃣ What roles do you carry in life?
2️⃣ Who are you beneath those labels?
3️⃣ What are you hiding or putting to the side right now?
4️⃣ What do you genuinely value about yourself?

Many men are wired to operate in the mind and logic, but Brother to Brother is a space helping tāne reconnect with their heart and emotions, while being supported by others walking similar paths.

If you’re a brother who feels the pull to grow, connect, and do some real inner work, you’re welcome to join us.

If you’re interested in joining the Brother to Brother kaupapa, please use the link below to express your interest:

🔗 Register your interest:

https://form.typeform.com/to/lA0kwq8H