Recorded At Red Nine

Di Foster is known for giving direct, no-fluff business advice — but this conversation goes far deeper than business.

In this episode of Recorded at Red Nine, Di shares the mindset that helped her navigate life, business, and being diagnosed with terminal cancer.

From resilience and parenting to accidental business ownership and motivation, this is a conversation about doing something with the day you’ve got.

In this episode:

• The mindset that changed how she sees life

• What her dad taught her about self-worth

• Why life is simple (but not easy)

• The truth about working for yourself

• Advice for Red Nine Studios and early-stage businesses

• The 5 areas every service business must master

• Her experience being diagnosed with terminal cancer

Recorded at Red Nine Studios

Christchurch’s own world class audio and video podcast studio.

👉 https://www.redninestudios.com

🔗 Connect with Di Foster

Website: https://www.difoster.com

Instagram: @difoster.live

⸻

🎧 More from Red Nine

Instagram: @recordedatrednine @redninestudio

Chapters

00:00 Intro

00:44 “I’m nothing special”

01:45 What her dad taught her

03:41 “I want to die well”

05:47 Don’t overthink relationships

10:43 Why we’re hurting kids

18:46 Diagnosed with terminal cancer

21:41 Advice for business owners

If you’re thinking about starting a podcast or want better content from what you’re already doing — flick me a message [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it actually take to run one of the most successful rugby teams in the world?

In this episode, Andy Rowe sits down with Crusaders CEO Colin Mansbridge to talk leadership, business, and the reality of running a professional sports franchise.

Colin explains how he went from head of agribusiness at BNZ to running the Crusaders, and what business leaders can learn from the culture of one of the most successful teams in Super Rugby history.

They discuss:

• The leadership culture inside the Crusaders

• Why decisive leadership isn’t always the best leadership

• The challenge of pricing tickets and creating value for fans

• Why success on the field doesn’t always equal profit

• The impact of Christchurch’s new stadium

• Lessons for entrepreneurs building businesses

Whether you’re interested in rugby, leadership, or business, this conversation offers a fascinating look inside one of New Zealand’s most iconic sporting organisations.

🎙 Recorded at Red Nine Studios – Christchurch

⸻

⏱ Chapters

00:43 From Banker to Crusaders CEO

02:18 Applying for the Crusaders Job

03:45 What Business Taught Him About Leadership

04:52 “A Bike With Square Wheels”

06:21 Leadership Inside the Crusaders

08:27 Thoughtful vs Decisive Leadership

11:43 How the Crusaders Make Big Decisions

13:19 Pricing Tickets & Business Strategy

16:19 Does Lower Price Increase Demand?

17:06 On-Field Success vs Commercial Success

18:54 The New Christchurch Stadium

20:26 Why Jerseys Don’t Have Player Names

24:50 The Biggest Myth About Super Rugby

26:41 Why People Ask for Freebies

27:57 Advice for Entrepreneurs

30:03 Closing Thoughts

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What actually IS cryptocurrency?

In this episode we sit down with a crypto expert from Cryptocurrency NZ to break down how Bitcoin works, why people mine crypto, and whether it's actually the future of money.

We talk about:

• What cryptocurrency actually is

• How Bitcoin mining works

• Why people lose access to their crypto wallets

• Paying rent using cryptocurrency

• Why New Zealand might be falling behind in crypto regulation

If you've ever been confused about Bitcoin or blockchain, this conversation explains it in plain English.

Recorded at Red Nine Studios in Christchurch.

Subscribe for more conversations with interesting people in business, sport and culture.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Crypto teaser

00:30 What does Cryptocurrency NZ do?

01:13 Why crypto has a bad reputation

02:39 What cryptocurrency actually is

03:40 Who decides Bitcoin’s value?

05:18 What Bitcoin miners are really doing

08:08 Why Bitcoin mining is basically a game

09:40 How crypto became popular

12:43 Lending and borrowing with crypto

13:22 Biggest misconceptions about crypto

15:59 Paying rent with crypto

18:08 Why NZ is behind on crypto

22:42 Using crypto in a murder trial

24:22 Recovering lost crypto wallets

25:34 Leaving a job to start a business

28:30 Advice for starting a business

29:46 Should businesses accept crypto?

30:56 Advice for people thinking about Bitcoin

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you go from nobody knowing your product to 1 million users in a month?

In this episode, I sit down with the founder of Lumin to talk about building a product from Christchurch that now helps businesses around the world create, edit, collaborate on and sign documents online.

We talk about:

- how Lumin started

- how they found product-market fit

- why solving visible frustration online can lead to massive growth

- what Stanford taught him about scaling

- how AI and ecosystems are changing software

- why Christchurch is producing globally ambitious companies

Lumin started as a PDF editing tool and has grown into a broader productivity platform covering document editing, collaboration, agreements and e-signing.

Check out Lumin here:

@

If you enjoy conversations about startups, Canterbury business, founders and growth, subscribe for more.

Recorded at Red Nine Studios, Christchurch.

CHAPTERS

00:38 What Lumin actually does

02:15 How Lumin handles contracts

03:09 Stanford and the US startup world

05:03 Why he went to Stanford after building Lumin

06:02 From engineering to software

06:59 The homemade boat story

10:20 Lessons from engineering in Christchurch

12:25 Why he built Lumin

13:32 His earlier app success before Lumin

15:10 How Lumin got 1 million users in a month

17:13 From startup to 130 million users

20:00 AI, ChatGPT and where Lumin fits

21:16 Why ecosystems matter in business

22:37 Christchurch’s growth mindset

23:41 The founder ecosystem in Christchurch

25:39 Why Lumin went global first

28:12 Advice for young founders

29:34 Build the plane while flying it

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

She went to Harvard and is now helping build one of Christchurch’s most interesting biotech companies.

In this episode, I sit down with Kimberley Bray to talk about women’s health, perimenopause, biotech innovation, and the startup journey behind Tertiary Extracts Ōtautahi.

We talk about why women are still underrepresented in medical research, what really happens during perimenopause, and how Tertiary Extracts Ōtautahi is turning sheepskin waste into high-value nutrition ingredients designed to support women through different life stages.

We also talk about Everee Women, the consumer brand connected to that science, and the reality of building a startup in Christchurch.

In this episode:

- what it takes to get into Harvard from New Zealand

- why women’s health has been underserved for so long

- perimenopause explained simply

- how Tertiary Extracts Ōtautahi works

- the science behind turning sheepskin into nutritional ingredients

- why Everee Women was created

- honest startup advice for founders

- why Canterbury is such a strong place to build a business

Learn more:

Tertiary Extracts Ōtautahi - https://www.tertiaryextracts.com

Everee Women - https://www.evereewomen.com

Recorded at Red Nine Studios in Christchurch - @

CHAPTERS

01:08 Getting into Harvard from New Zealand

03:06 What Tertiary Extracts Ōtautahi actually does

03:54 The sheepskin waste problem

07:24 Why women’s health needs a different approach

09:14 Perimenopause explained simply

11:56 How their ingredient supports gut health

14:11 Can men take it too?

15:56 How Everee Women fits into the business

18:54 Why this became a big business opportunity

25:17 The scientists behind Tertiary Extracts Ōtautahi

27:42 How sheepskin becomes a powder

30:20 Startup advice for founders

34:21 Why Canterbury is a special place to build a business

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when personal crisis turns into a business idea that explodes?

In this episode, Tim Bateman shares the full story behind O-Studio — from his wife Laura’s health battle to building one of the fastest-growing recovery and wellness businesses in New Zealand and Australia.

We dive into the reality of performance, stress, work ethic, and why putting your health first might be the most important business decision you ever make.

From launching Cloud 9 Float Club with 120 bookings in week one, to scaling O-Studio across multiple locations, this is a raw and honest look at what it actually takes to build something meaningful.

What You’ll Learn

• The real reason O-Studio exists

• How stress impacts performance (in sport & business)

• Why most founders get product wrong

• The mindset required to scale fast

• How to balance ambition, family, and wellbeing

• Why “success” never feels like success

🌐 Find O-Studio

New Zealand: https://www.ostudio.co.nz

Australia: https://www.ostudio.com.au

Instagram: @ostudio_global

Red Nine Studios

https://www.redninestudios.com/

Studio: @redninestudio

Podcast: @recordedatrednine

CHAPTERS

00:46 “The best place in the world”

01:22 Why recovery improves performance

02:21 Putting your health first

03:04 Work ethic & insecurity

04:24 Scaling to 9 studios

05:13 Why success never feels finished

06:24 Learning to enjoy the process

06:57 The reality of 100-hour weeks

08:02 Switching off for family

10:18 The love story behind it all

13:00 Becoming a dad at 19

14:23 Laura’s MS diagnosis

17:00 How stress impacted rugby performance

17:39 Discovering wellness

18:18 Stem cell treatment journey

18:45 First float experience

20:04 Launching the business

20:57 120 bookings in week one

22:09 Getting back into rugby

24:33 A new mindset on performance

25:24 Advice for new founders

26:07 Why product is everything

27:25 “Build the plane while flying it”

28:12 Costly business mistakes

29:52 Testing and evolving the model

31:26 Finding the winning formula

32:22 Making the business profitable

33:18 Where to find O-Studio

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you go from one spray truck in 1975 to a transport business with around 250 trucks and 300 staff?

In this episode, Andy Rowe sits down with Philip Wareing to unpack the story behind Philip Wareing Limited — from the early days of buying his first spray truck, to building a transport group through acquisitions, hard work, community support, and long-term thinking.

Philip shares how the business grew from one truck into a major Mid Canterbury operation, why Methven played such an important role in that journey, and the lessons he’s learned from 50 years in business.

They also talk about hiring, staff retention, business failures, succession, community sponsorship, and the simple advice Philip still believes in:

“Just work an hour longer than everyone else each day.”

This is a great conversation about business, resilience, legacy, and what it really takes to build something that lasts.

Links

Philip Wareing Limited: philipwareing.co.nz

Red Nine Studios: redninestudios.com

Chapters

00:39 What is Philip Wareing Limited?

01:23 Starting with one truck in 1975

03:40 The early days and first big decisions

04:36 Growing fast: 10,000 to 23,000 acres

05:17 The dream of owning a farm

08:04 Why Methven helped the business grow

11:07 Scaling to 250 trucks and 300 staff

15:23 Hiring lessons: one good, one average, one dud

24:35 Business advice: work one hour longer

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if leadership development didn’t feel boring, forced, or forgettable?

In this episode, Andy Rowe sits down with Kaila Cobin, founder of BOMA, a leadership development organisation focused on building intentional, intelligent, and courageous leaders.

Kaila explains how BOMA uses sport to teach values-based leadership, and how their partnership with the Crusaders led to the creation of the Crusaders Leadership Program — now attracting participants from over 35 countries.

They unpack what makes the Crusaders such a powerful leadership case study, why most leadership programs fail, and how culture, accountability, and deliberate action drive sustained success.

The conversation also dives into entrepreneurship, courage, hard conversations, and why great leaders don’t need anger to hold high standards.

If you’re building a business, leading a team, or trying to communicate better — this episode is packed with practical insight.

⸻

🔗 Learn more

BOMA New Zealand: https://nz.boma.global

Kaila Cobin: @bomanewzealand

Red Nine Studios: https://www.redninestudios.com

CHAPTERS

00:49 What is BOMA?

01:09 The Crusaders Leadership Program explained

01:19 Why the Crusaders caught Andy’s attention

01:59 Why Crusaders leaders stand out

03:55 Why most leadership training feels boring

04:22 How BOMA made leadership compelling

05:25 How BOMA partnered with the Crusaders

06:12 Why the Crusaders’ legacy is built on culture

06:43 What makes the Crusaders such strong leaders

06:57 The four leadership pillars

07:34 Why most values exercises fail

08:38 Turning values into real standards

09:43 The honesty card story

11:13 Why players still carry it today

11:56 What makes Crusaders leaders different

13:00 Starting young as an entrepreneur

14:10 Selling books as a kid

16:04 The reality of entrepreneurship

17:59 The voice of self-doubt

18:45 Greatness and agony are bedfellows

19:30 Fear vs excitement

19:58 Separating self-worth from business

20:30 A Stoic approach to fear

21:36 Training with Brené Brown

23:17 BOMA vs Dare to Lead

24:11 Why hard conversations matter

24:39 The hard conversations framework

26:55 The five types of conversations

28:08 How to ask for what you want

28:25 Asking for sales, sponsorship or pay rises

30:15 Communicating your value

31:30 Where to find BOMA

31:44 One leadership lesson

31:59 Why great leaders don’t need anger

33:21 Frustration vs effective leadership

34:28 Outro

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What would happen to your business if everything went wrong tomorrow?

In this episode, we sit down with the Ollie Law from Fixinc to break down the reality of crisis management, business risk, and why most companies fail when it matters most.

From real-world examples like the Christchurch mosque attacks to the very real threat of a tsunami hitting New Zealand, this conversation explores how unprepared most businesses (and people) actually are — and what you can do about it.

We dive into:

• Why getting more customers isn’t your biggest problem

• The hidden risks that could shut your business down overnight

• What actually happens during a crisis

• The biggest mistake organisations make (communication)

• Why payroll is more important than you think

• How to build a resilient business that survives anything

If you run a business, this is one of the most important conversations you’ll hear.

⸻

🎙️ Recorded at Red Nine Studios (Christchurch)

👉 https://www.redninestudios.com

Instagram: @redninestudio

Podcast Instagram: @recordedatrednine

With FixInc – Crisis & Risk Advisory

👉 https://www.fixinc.io

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Promo Highlights

00:38 – What Keeps Business Owners Up at Night

01:01 – Why More Customers Isn’t the Real Problem

02:20 – Building a Resilient Business

03:26 – What “Business As Usual” Really Means

04:52 – What Is a Crisis?

06:48 – Where Most Businesses Fail

08:16 – The One Thing Every Business Must Protect (Payroll)

10:57 – Inside the Christchurch Mosque Crisis

14:55 – When Communication Breaks Down

17:44 – The Biggest Mistake During a Crisis

19:53 – How Emergency Management Actually Works

22:49 – Are We Prepared for Another Disaster?

24:27 – “There Is a Tsunami Coming”

26:02 – What a Tsunami Would Actually Do

28:17 – You Might Only Have 45 Minutes

30:05 – The Reality of Starting a Business

31:38 – “It Came Right” – The Entrepreneur Journey

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Member of Parliament Nicola Grigg joins Andy Rowe for a candid conversation about motherhood, politics, public pressure and representing one of New Zealand’s fastest-growing regions.

From the reality of mum guilt and juggling life with a toddler, to handling social media abuse, imposter syndrome, Parliament, the National Party and the rapid growth of Selwyn, this is a really honest look at what life in politics is actually like behind the scenes.

Nicola also opens up about her path into politics, her family’s deep political history, the pressure of public service, and why respectful debate matters more than ever.

This episode was recorded at Red Nine Studios in Christchurch.

For podcast production and studio bookings:

https://www.redninestudios.com

#NicolaGrigg #NZPolitics #Selwyn #Motherhood #AndyRowe #RedNineStudios #NationalParty #NewZealandPodcast

⸻

Chapters

01:45 What a usual week looks like

03:18 Parenting, guilt and being part of the same tribe

04:46 Why Nicola admires Jacinda Ardern as a mother

05:39 Why she chose the National Party

07:49 Her family’s remarkable political history

09:10 From journalism to working in Parliament

10:33 Working for Bill English and finding her place

12:00 Becoming an MP and the class of 2020

13:02 Politics, friendships and respectful debate

16:07 Social media abuse and public life

18:49 Listening to opposition voters

19:08 Why New Zealand politics sits in the middle

20:47 Her maiden speech and imposter syndrome

25:39 Why Selwyn matters to New Zealand’s economy

30:00 Advice for young businesses in New Zealand

33:50 Final thoughts and a funny pool story

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.