We sit down with Zoe, a multidisciplinary designer and illustrator, to unpack how strategy-led branding helps small businesses grow without burning out. From networking that actually works to AI’s impact on SEO, this is a practical guide to building trust, setting boundaries, and staying creative.

• career path from fine arts to branding
• why client freedom starts with strategy
• finding clients via networking and Wix marketplace
• realistic timelines for SEO and web projects
• onboarding workbook and feedback guides
• using AI for structure, not as a substitute
• SEO shifts toward FAQs and AI search
• boundaries, parenting, and urgent requests
• pricing pressure and market headwinds
• sustainable routines to avoid burnout
• illustration practice and symbolic storytelling
• platform choices across Pinterest and LinkedIn
• practical tips for 2026 readiness

https://www.cipdesignstudio.com/

If you would like to join us on the Bolton Inc. Effect podcast, please get in touch. It's literally just a cup of coffee, a chat, and a genuine interest in what makes us human.

Did something in this episode spark a thought, change your perspective, or hit close to home? I'd love to hear your story. The most interesting responses might be featured in an upcoming episode. Your voice matters to this community.

Support the show

www.boltoninc.co.nz

Bridgette and Louis (two creatives) reconnect after weeks apart to unpack a season of travel, caregiving, and business reality. We trade tourist traps for village life, swap viral posts for real conversations, and make a clear case for long-form storytelling, sharper positioning, and a plan that outlasts economic headwinds.

• house sitting across Devon and Cornwall as slow travel
• caregiving for mum while parenting a teen abroad
• choosing experiences over meals to budget with intent
• Louvre highlights and why awe beats the selfie
• returning to New Zealand and seeing contrast clearly
• business lessons from IRL networking over algorithms
• pricing and positioning without the tomato box limits
• economy, retirement planning, and realistic resilience
• AI as a mentor for a teen’s five-year plan
• shifting to long-form storytelling and collaboration

Let’s tell your story. Get in, you know Bridge will interview you, I’ll interview you. Spread the word, comment, like, share, you know what the hell to do!

www.boltoninc.co.nz 

Did something in this episode spark a thought, change your perspective, or hit close to home? I'd love to hear your story. The most interesting responses might be featured in an upcoming episode. Your voice matters to this community.

Support the show

www.boltoninc.co.nz

This is the second in a series of community podcasts about the people who live in Matua, Tauranga, New Zealand. The idea is to highlight and show case the diverse people and personalities of the community. To meet and explore who they are and what they do.

A natural therapist, Kate Sturmey based in Tauranga, New Zealand shares how buying a small, values-led brand turned into a community-powered, low-waste business that replaces harsh cleaners with handmade, essential-oil products. We talk circular economy in the driveway, sleep rituals for neurodivergent kids and honest lessons from building a sustainable range.

• Moving from Reiki and natural therapies into a product business
• Buying Second Nature Botanicals and scaling with purpose
• Handmade, essential-oil formulas for home and body
• Community recycling bins and refill discounts
• What harsh cleaners do to waterways and skin
• Practical DIY with citrus peels and herbs
• Navigating anxiety, chemical overload, and healing
• Meditation, bush walks, and everyday grounding
• Research, point of difference, and authentic storytelling

Instagram: @secondnaturebotanicalsnz

https://www.secondnaturebotanicals.co.nz

If you would like to join us on the Bolton Inc Effect podcast please get in touch. It's literally just a cup of coffee a chat and a genuine interest in what makes us human.

Did something in this episode spark a thought, change your perspective, or hit close to home? I'd love to hear your story. The most interesting responses might be featured in an upcoming episode. Your voice matters to this community.

Support the show

www.boltoninc.co.nz

Louis returns solo on the mic and talks about a playbook for creative work, using five lessons from pickleball to reframe progress, focus, patience, and growth. Clear stories tie court craft to business systems so you can practise with purpose, reduce errors, and take on braver projects.

• trusting practice when results lag 
• playing your position, not every role 
• embracing the dink economy over chasing smashes 
• cutting unforced errors with simple systems 
• choosing worthy opponents to stretch skills 
• turning small, steady actions into big opportunities

Share it. Talk about it, better yet, take action.

Did something in this episode spark a thought, change your perspective, or hit close to home? I'd love to hear your story. The most interesting responses might be featured in an upcoming episode. Your voice matters to this community.

Support the show

www.boltoninc.co.nz

This is the first in a series of community podcasts about the people who live in Matua, Tauranga, New Zealand. The idea is to highlight and show case the diverse people and personalities of the community. To meet and explore who they are and what they do.

First up is David Webb shares his vision for transforming New Zealand's democracy through Citizens' Assemblies, a system where randomly selected but demographically representative groups of Kiwis work together to solve complex long-term challenges. We explore how this approach could break through political polarisation to create solutions that last beyond the three-year electoral cycle.

• From London legal tech to Tauranga – David's journey to putting down roots in Matua with his young family
• How the current political system incentivises short-term thinking and wastes billions on abandoned projects
• The superannuation challenge – from 7.5 taxpayers per pensioner in the 1970s to just 2 by 2040
• How Citizens' Assemblies would work – random selection, expert information, and facilitated deliberation
• Irish success story – how a Citizens' Assembly tackled abortion reform in a traditionally Catholic country
• The Opportunities Party's "not left, not right, but forward" approach to breaking political deadlock. https://www.top.org.nz/
• How Citizens' Voice policy could be implemented after the 2026 election

Learn more about the Citizens' Voice campaign and The Opportunities Party at https://www.top.org.nz/

Did something in this episode spark a thought, change your perspective, or hit close to home? I'd love to hear your story. The most interesting responses might be featured in an upcoming episode. Your voice matters to this community.

Support the show

www.boltoninc.co.nz

Louis and Bridgette return to the podcast after moving house, discussing the often overlooked emotional and physical displacement that comes with changing homes despite the practical aspects being complete.

• Moving houses creates a sense of displacement that goes beyond the physical logistics
• Our bodies and spirits have a "sense of place" that needs time to adjust to new environments
• Creating their new podcast studio from a workshop became a therapeutic process
• Discussion on AI and technology creating similar feelings of societal displacement
• Exploration of how our thoughts influence our reality and the quantum realm
• Reflections on aging, self-acceptance and what our 80-year-old selves would thank us for
• Louis' newfound passion for pickleball and the importance of adapting physical activity with age
• The value of staying present and embracing change rather than resisting it

Thanks for listening! Please subscribe, share the podcast, and leave us comments - we'd love to hear from you. We'll be back with more regular episodes soon, but in the meantime, be a little kinder to those around you and to yourself.

Did something in this episode spark a thought, change your perspective, or hit close to home? I'd love to hear your story. The most interesting responses might be featured in an upcoming episode. Your voice matters to this community.

Support the show

www.boltoninc.co.nz

Louis and Bridgette explore what it truly means to work for yourself as entrepreneurs, challenging the misconceptions and sharing their honest experiences about building a business together.

• The difference between being "unemployed" versus "self-employed" and how language shapes our reality
• Why building a business takes at least 18 months, not the weeks or months many expect
• The importance of having a financial runway before diving into entrepreneurship
• How entrepreneurship requires significant unlearning of corporate conditioning and structure
• The challenge of maintaining motivation and discipline when working for yourself
• Finding balance between ambition and spirituality as you grow older
• Working with your life partner - the unique challenges and unexpected rewards
• Recalibrating creativity and finding your spark again in midlife

Thank you for listening to our podcast. Please share it with someone who might benefit, leave a comment, and get in touch with us. Social media platforms are meant to be social—we want to hear from you!

Did something in this episode spark a thought, change your perspective, or hit close to home? I'd love to hear your story. The most interesting responses might be featured in an upcoming episode. Your voice matters to this community.

Support the show

www.boltoninc.co.nz

Bridgette Bolton shares her journey from South Africa to New Zealand and reflects on the challenges and rewards of building a new life abroad. She offers wisdom about motherhood at 40, business transitions, and the practice of mindfulness in daily life.

• Moving permanently from South Africa to New Zealand created both freedom and loneliness
• Embracing motherhood at 40 after initially not wanting children transformed her identity completely
• Working as field guides in Botswana's Okavango Delta taught intense presence amid wild animals
• The shift from fast-paced Johannesburg agency life to relaxed New Zealand required significant adjustment
• Starting Bolton Inc brought challenges of patience when "the vision in my head has not materialized yet"
• "Future pacing" decisions by considering their long-term implications provides valuable guidance
• Daily meditation and journaling practices help maintain perspective and tap into deeper awareness
• Critical thinking and questioning in teenagers suggests "the world is in very safe hands"
• Creative projects including writing a book on purpose and a children's book provide fulfillment
• Interviewing people and eliciting their stories remains a core passion in business ventures

Be kind to those around you and be kinder to yourself every day.

Did something in this episode spark a thought, change your perspective, or hit close to home? I'd love to hear your story. The most interesting responses might be featured in an upcoming episode. Your voice matters to this community.

Support the show

www.boltoninc.co.nz

As our first guest on the Bolton Inc Effect, Terri Ewart shares her journey from personal trauma to becoming a somatic healer who helps others navigate their painful experiences with compassion and presence.

• Complex PTSD from in-utero experiences shaped Terri's feelings of being "broken" and not belonging for much of her life
• Somatic healing addresses trauma physically embedded in our fascia and body, working beyond what talk therapy alone can achieve
• Early shame around pleasure and sexuality can create lasting patterns that affect adult relationships
• Safety is crucial for healing trauma—our bodies need to feel safe enough to release long-held tension patterns
• Internal Family Systems therapy helps identify different "parts" of ourselves that need compassion and understanding
• Menopause represents not just physical change but an opportunity for wisdom, clarity and renewed purpose
• Our physical ailments and pain often connect directly to unresolved trauma and emotional experiences
• Sex education should start much earlier and focus on body autonomy, agency, and the birthright of pleasure

Learn more about Terri's work at www.staycurious.co.nz where she offers individual sessions via Zoom, in-person work, and occasional workshops and immersions.

Did something in this episode spark a thought, change your perspective, or hit close to home? I'd love to hear your story. The most interesting responses might be featured in an upcoming episode. Your voice matters to this community.

Support the show

www.boltoninc.co.nz

Louis shares his emotional and practical journey of returning to South Africa after seven years to help his aging parents organize their finances and end-of-life planning while navigating the role reversal that comes with being the adult in the room.

• Taking on the practical responsibilities of obtaining bank and general power of attorney
• Discovering that Louis's father had been more financially responsible than expected but was overwhelmed by administration
• Confronting the technology barriers aging parents face when companies move to digital systems
• Creating a comprehensive "purple file" containing all essential information for after death
• Navigating the emotional reality of becoming the parent to your parents
• Finding peace with having two homes - South Africa in heart, New Zealand as home
• Learning to just listen instead of reacting during difficult conversations

If you're facing similar challenges with aging parents, start the conversation sooner rather than later. These discussions aren't easy, but they provide clarity and peace of mind for everyone involved.

Did something in this episode spark a thought, change your perspective, or hit close to home? I'd love to hear your story. The most interesting responses might be featured in an upcoming episode. Your voice matters to this community.

Support the show

www.boltoninc.co.nz