At 17, Lola Fisher is living proof that young people don't need to wait their turn to lead. What started as COVID lockdown boredom became her vision for Create Happy Media - a youth-led platform reaching 30,000+ readers after Lola discovered how negatively young people were portrayed in headlines. 

This conversation reveals what it's really like being young in New Zealand today - from social media debates to demanding a seat at the decision-making table. Lola's driving philosophy: "If not now, when? If not me, who?"

We'd love to hear from you. Send us a text here!

If you need support, here are helpful links, phone numbers and resources: https://ember.org.nz/resources/in-a-crisis/

This July, thousands of New Zealanders will go alcohol-free for Dry July - but for breast cancer survivor Lisa McDonald, the cause is deeply personal. After facing aggressive treatment including bilateral mastectomy and chemotherapy, Lisa experienced firsthand how the Dry July-funded support services like "Look Good Feel Better" made her feel "a million bucks" during her darkest days.

Dry July NZ Campaign Director Veronica Shale reveals how the cause has raised over $11 million since 2012, supporting the 25,000+ New Zealanders diagnosed with cancer each year. This raw, honest conversation shows why sometimes the smallest acts of support create the biggest impact.

For more info, visit https://www.dryjuly.co.nz/

We'd love to hear from you. Send us a text here!

If you need support, here are helpful links, phone numbers and resources: https://ember.org.nz/resources/in-a-crisis/

In 2020, Grace Curtis faced an unimaginable tragedy when she discovered her father's body after he died by suicide, and had to break the devastating news to her family. 

What followed was a long period of being bedridden with depression, convinced she would never feel peace again. Five years later, Grace has transformed her darkest experience into a mission of hope. She's the author of a new book, The Best Is Yet To Come and a powerful advocate for suicide loss survivors.

This raw, honest conversation explores Grace's journey from the depths of grief to finding purpose in helping others heal. Grace shares how writing about her most painful experience became both therapeutic and a way to reach others going through similar losses, proving that even in our darkest moments, the best truly can be yet to come.

This episode of Take It From Us deals with suicide, depression and loss. Please take care. 

We'd love to hear from you. Send us a text here!

If you need support, here are helpful links, phone numbers and resources: https://ember.org.nz/resources/in-a-crisis/

Take It From Us is back. 

What started as an award-winning community radio show is now something bigger. Host Kent Johns is still here with his same mix of straight talk and warmth, just in a brand-new podcast format.

 Take It From Us is still about talking to real people about what it's actually like to live through the hard stuff - like addiction, trauma, mental health challenges and recovery. 

Same energy. Same realness. Just bigger conversations.

Hit follow - when life gets complicated, you'll want to know we're here.

We'd love to hear from you. Send us a text here!

If you need support, here are helpful links, phone numbers and resources: https://ember.org.nz/resources/in-a-crisis/