Stuff That Matters Now

From a very average mechanic, to puppeteer, to managing touring exhibitions at Te Papa, and then CEO of Te Manawa...this chat with Andy Lowe was always going to be an interesting one, and then some! As he would say, his has not been a 'normal life', and nothing he's done has come easily, but what an inspiring example of owning your own story and courageously sharing it. Please note: If listening to any aspects of Andy's life story sparks a personal awakening for you, questions, or a need to seek advice, he suggests the following (New Zealand-based) support resources: Gender Minorities Aotearoa, Youthline, Victim Support, NZ Prostitutes Collective and Eating Disorders NZ. This podcast brought to your ears with the support of Te Awanga Estate.

Meet Wendy Alexander. Disrupting a traditional industry like recruitment takes focus, creativity and guts to come up with a more human outcome. Helping people thrive is what her business, Kin, is all about. We need more Kins!

As one of the few Māori winemakers in Aotearoa-NZ with her own label, I was fascinated to learn what makes Jannine Rickards, the wahine toa behind Huntress Wines, tick. Quite an epic amount as it turns out! This podcast brought to your ears with the support of (another winemaker within the Collective Intelligence ecosystem!) - Te Awanga Estate.

E kōrero ana a Harv rāua ko Debi Marshall-Lobb ki te kōnae ipurangi: "Ngā mea e whai hua ana o nāia tonu nei" (Stuff that Matters Now). Wha tēkau tau e ia hei pouako, ā, e manawanui ana tonu tōnā ngākau ki taua mahi. Me pēhea ka mahi pēnei ai a Debi Marshall-Lobb? Tata ki te mutunga o ta māua kōrero, i puta mai te patai nui: "I tēnei ao hurihuri, he aha te mea nui mō ngā tamariki?". Kua pā tōnā whakautu ki tōku ngākau, ā, kua ruru tōku reo. Nā Te Awanga Estate te kōnae ipurangi nei i rekoata hei kai mā ōu taringa. Forty years spent doing the mahi in teaching and education and still humming with excitement! How does principal Debi Marshall-Lobb do that? Near the end of our chat, I get to the question I really wanted to ask...which was, "what is the most important thing kids need to learn in today's world?' Her answer brought a tear to my eyes - you'll hear it in my voice. This podcast brought to your ears with the support of Te Awanga Estate.

Meet a Manawatū vet who travels the country and when allowed, the globe, designing sustainable systems for sheep and beef farmers. Trevor has the same passion for his work that he did as a young vet last century. He's a man of the highest integrity - saying it as he sees it and building the most complex systems from the ground up. This podcast brought to your ears with the support of Te Awanga Estate.

I could chat to Collective Intelligence facilitator, Sarah Tocker, all day - such is the depth of her insights and her passion for life and creating new possibilities. If you're into hearing what the future of effective organisations and leadership sounds like, then this is the episode for you! This podcast brought to your ears with the support of Te Awanga Estate.

What do you do when you've worked in central government and got frustrated with all the bureaucracy in the education system? You join an NGO that brings about change from the side-lines - which is what this podcast with Susan Warren of COMET Auckland is all about. She has a passion that burns brightly to bring about better educational outcomes for everyone, especially those less fortunate. Tune in as we - two 'grumpy' old mates having fun in each other's company - discuss some stuff that really matters now. This podcast brought to your ears with the support of Te Awanga Estate.

For ages I've wanted to sit down with Stuart Taylor and chat about his journey from a traditional dairy farming background to the more evolutionary, community-centric model Craigmore Sustainables operates. We dig into how his industry is responding to the complexity of issues and tensions coming at them, and the Craigmore approach of investing in the environment, people and community. Near the end, Stu shares his thoughts on how strengthening connections to the land could be the 'sweet spot' for the future of New Zealand farming, and he's keen to hear from anyone with ideas on how this could be developed. If this strikes a chord with you - get in touch with Stu via email. This podcast brought to your ears with the support of Te Awanga Estate.

Talk about perseverance! That's what this podcast with Clare Bradley exemplifies, as we talk about her family's journey with Agrisea - a seaweed company started in the 1990s by her in-laws. It began with a dream and has evolved into a game-changing, Māori-owned business that now adds immense value to both people and the planet. This podcast brought to your ears with the support of Te Awanga Estate.

If you want to learn what a modern wahine Māori leader sounds like, have a listen to Erana. Impressive - right here! This podcast brought to your ears with the support of Te Awanga Estate.