The Most FM Business Hour

In this episode of Most FM The Business Hour sponsored by GQ The Lawyers, Jordan sits down with Stacey Hitchcock - Deputy Chief Executive and General Manager of Strategy and Investment at Venture Taranaki, and a former two-term New Plymouth District Councillor.

From growing up in Inglewood and dropping out of university six months in, to youth work, drumming in a band, launching Zeal in West Auckland, and eventually putting her face on a billboard - Stacey's path has been anything but a five-year plan. What runs through all of it is a willingness to back herself and define success on her own terms.

The conversation turns to the region's economic future: the decline of oil and gas, the 1,700 jobs lost in three years, and the bold plays Venture Taranaki is making to catalyse what comes next — including the Taranaki Alliance, a first-of-its-kind model uniting 80+ engineering and manufacturing firms behind a single front door.

Together, they explore:

• Defining your own version of success, and why dropping out was the right call
• The "circle of courage" - belonging, mastery, independence, generosity - and why it applies at any age
• Freezing on stage at 26, and the mantra that got her back up there: if it scares you, that's probably the thing to do
• What economic development actually involves: finding the gaps, de-risking, catalysing
• The Taranaki Alliance - chasing $200 million in contracts and 1,200 jobs in three years
• Land diversification and functional botanicals: turning $800 a hectare into potentially far more
• Why Awakino Gorge, Port Taranaki and a clear, undiluted regional message matter so much
• Growing homegrown talent rather than relying on immigration alone

An energising, big-picture conversation about what Taranaki can build when it plays to its strengths and refuses to take things lying down.

In this episode of The Business Hour, Naomi Harris is joined by co-host Adam as they sit down with Ryan Jacobs, Marketing Lead at Centre City — the region's only shopping centre, reimagined as a hub for the whole community.

Originally from Canada and in Taranaki for the last four years, Ryan brings a genuinely unconventional path to marketing: nearly 15 years as a professional musical theatre performer, national graduate programmes at Downer, a stint in real estate, and now the challenge of shifting how a 30-year-old shopping centre tells its story.

The conversation weaves through community, creativity, and the thread that ties Ryan's whole career together - storytelling - and why the journey, failures and all, is what actually builds an audience.

Together, they explore:

• Why storytelling is the essence of every business — and how you shift the language for each audience
• The reality of finding community as a new parent, and rebuilding it in a new season of life
• Reframing Centre City from "the big box by the sea" to an evolving asset built by local contractors, for local people
• Measuring marketing impact when you're playing the long game — footfall, sentiment, and the qualitative side that's easy to overlook
• Diversifying channels beyond the meta analytics that only show you who's already listening
• Championing your journey publicly, and why tall poppy syndrome holds the region back
• Big ideas on the whiteboard: site-specific theatre, community light displays, and a pop-up shop anyone can test an idea in

A warm, ideas-rich conversation about connection, resilience, and the power of showing the work behind the doors.

Key takeaway: "Build an audience along the way." Don't wait for the perfect, finished success — bring people through the failures and the journey, and you'll arrive with a whole community already behind you.

In this episode of The Most FM Business Hour sponsored by GQ The Lawyers, Jordan is joined by Cam from GQ as they sit down with Steve Scott of Rivet - the Taranaki metal fabrication business behind some of the region's most iconic buildings.

From buying a small heating and ducting business with his parents in December 1991 (knowing nothing about heating, but plenty about making a sink bench), to growing from 7 staff to 25 within 18 months, Steve shares nearly 35 years of adapting, pivoting, and refusing to stand still.

The conversation moves from the challenges and rewards of family business, to the rebrand from Scott's Sheet Metal to Rivet, to the calculated risks behind landmark projects - including the Len Lye Centre, a $2.5 million job that dwarfed anything Rivet had done before and left everyone telling Steve he was mad.

Together, they explore:

• Why buying and revitalising an existing business can beat starting from scratch - for both the seller and the next generation
• Drawing clear lines in a family business (and knowing when to stop talking shop at the dinner table)
• Structuring his parents' gentle exit - and how "just take Mondays off" turned into 20 years of travel
• Focusing on your craft and subbing out the rest, rather than being the unicorn who does everything
• The Len Lye Centre: 32 tonnes of stainless steel, 520 panels, and backing your own instincts when the experts doubt you
• Launching Ribvet Innovate to get involved before projects hit the budget wall - selling the sizzle before the sausage
• Building a genuine succession plan, and what's next now that the sales hustle still fires him up

A candid, inspiring story about risk, reinvention, and the quiet pride of leaving your mark on the skyline.

Key takeaway: "If somebody offers you an amazing opportunity, just say yes and worry about it later." A Richard Branson line that shaped the Len Lye Centre - and much of what's come since.

In this episode of The Business Hour, Naomi Harris and Jordan sit down with Garry Carnachan - Taranaki born and bred, former CEO of School Sport New Zealand, and a governance leader whose "attempt to retire" has been gloriously unsuccessful.

From playing barefoot rugby in the Kaponga frost, to 25 years in teaching, to an accidental leap into professional sport with the Hurricanes and Junior All Blacks, Garry shares a career built around one conviction: that sport, done well, changes lives - and that the real game is rarely the one on the scoreboard.

The conversation moves from the interface of sport and education, to values-led strategy, to the governance model behind the Taranaki Community Rugby Trust - and why social cohesion, not silverware, is the point.

Together, they explore:

• Why engagement starts with simply getting a kid through the gate
• Building strategy from values, then turning those values into actions
• The "don't be that guy, be that guy" model of authentic leadership
• Why leadership can be lonely — and how trust, delegation and feeling valued fix it
• Looking after yourself as a non-negotiable of good leadership (four nights home in six months was the wake-up call)
• How hubbing and collaboration are bringing whole communities together through sport
• The Community Rugby Trust model: business supporting sport, $1.4 million back into the community

A genuinely inspiring conversation about leadership, legacy, and the quiet power of bringing people together.

Key takeaway: "Don't be that guy, be that guy." Great leadership isn't a style you copy from a book - it's built from the people who shaped you, made authentic and your own.

In this episode of The Business Hour, Naomi Harris and Adam Harris are joined in the studio with Paul Duynhoven of +More Taranaki to talk farming, accountancy, and the art of planning for what comes next.

From a dairy farming childhood in Opunake and Inglewood, to studying accounting in Hamilton, a secondment at Shell Todd, and ultimately buying and rebranding his own practice - Paul shares how his journey shaped a career built around people rather than pure numbers.

The conversation digs into succession planning (or as Paul reframes it, transition planning), drawing on his 2019 Kellogg's Rural Leadership research. He unpacks why the hard part is rarely the tax - and almost always the relationships, the timing, and the conversations families would rather avoid.

Together, they explore:

• Why accountancy is really about relationships, not just compliance
• The "three Cs" of succession — clarity, communication, and capability — and the fourth that completes them: commitment
• Separating governance from the day-to-day (and why the kitchen table is the worst place for a farm meeting)
• Knowing when too much, too soon can break the next generation
• What cycling 900km across seven days at the Tour of Southland teaches you about teamwork and leadership
• Giving back through community, sport, and creating opportunities for the next generation

A warm, grounded conversation about hard work, knowing your season, and making sure people get to enjoy the fruits of their labour.

Key takeaway: "You can start again." Whether it's a farm, a business, or a career, Paul's reminder is that no single chapter is the end of the story.

In this episode of The Business Hour, Jordan sits down with Ron Trigg of Mike's Bistro and Tap Room for a remarkable journey spanning continents, decades, and just about every industry you can imagine.

From a childhood in Namibia and Zimbabwe during the Bush War, to national service in South Africa, to fleeing political upheaval and arriving in New Zealand on a three-week camper van holiday that never quite ended - Ron's story is a masterclass in following your gut and backing yourself.

Now a Taranaki institution for over 20 years, Ron reflects on a winding path through hydraulic engineering, duck farming, avocado orchards, designing emergency hospitals for the Turkish Red Cross, and ultimately buying White Cliffs Brewery and turning it into the much-loved Mike's.

He's candid about the wins, the bruising lessons, COVID, the moves, and what it really takes to keep going when "lesser men would've walked away."

Together, they explore:

• Why being a risk-taker has shaped every chapter of Ron's life
• The power of constant learning - often by doing it wrong first
• How community and word-of-mouth built the Mike's brand
• The marketing psychology behind selling out Oktoberfest every July
• Adapting a business through law changes, COVID, and three relocations
• Why tenacity is a quality we don't celebrate nearly enough

A story of hard graft, sharp instincts, and the kind of stubborn optimism that builds something lasting.

Key takeaway: "Fall down, get up, give it another go." Tenacity, Ron reckons, is the one thing we should be teaching far more of.

In this episode of The Business Hour , Naomi Harris and Jordan sit down with Taranaki-born creative thinker Toni-Maree to explore the intersection of art, technology, philosophy, and humanity.

From studying photography in Singapore and living across France, China, and Australia, to building her own AI-powered reflective practice, Toni-Maree shares how curiosity has shaped her journey.

The conversation dives into the power of asking better questions, the opportunities and challenges of AI, creativity in an age of automation, and why critical thinking matters more than ever.

Together, they explore:

• How AI can be used as a tool for reflection rather than replacement
• The art of asking better questions
• Why overthinking can be both a strength and a challenge
• The importance of intentionality, meaning, and human connection
• What creativity looks like in a rapidly changing world

If you've ever wondered how technology is reshaping the way we think, create, and connect, this conversation will leave you with more questions than answers—in the very best way.

Key takeaway:"How do we make meaning?" A simple question that sits at the heart of this fascinating discussion.

Leadership under pressure is not about pretending everything is under control. It is about knowing what is yours to control and having the tools to respond well.

On today’s The MOST 100.4 FM Business Hour episode, Sponsored by Govett Quilliam, Dr Naomi Woodier-Harris and Jordan McFadyen spoke with Paul Williams, Taranaki-born professional rugby referee with New Zealand Rugby and World Rugby, about pressure, preparation, mental fitness and values-led leadership.

Key takeaways from the conversation:

- Preparation is where confidence starts. Paul shared the “mow your lawns” concept: get your foundations in order so you can show up with clarity.

- Role clarity matters. In refereeing, the team of four needs absolute clarity on responsibilities. The same applies in business. When people know what they own, review and accountability become cleaner.

- Mental fitness is trained, not assumed. Paul spoke about the importance of practising presence, managing internal language and using tools like “Stop, Observe, Shift” when pressure rises.

- Composure is contagious. In one example with Ardie Savea, Paul shared how staying calm helped lower the temperature of the moment.

- Feedback should be normalised. High-performing teams do not avoid robust conversations. They build enough trust to have them properly.

- Values guide decisions. When you know your values, it becomes easier to make decisions under pressure and lead yourself before leading others.

A brilliant conversation for business owners, leaders and teams who want to build resilience, clarity and better performance under pressure.

What does it take to turn a traditional agricultural by product into a high-value cosmetic export?

In our studio interview today at The MOST 100.4 FM on the Govett Quilliam Business Hour, Jordan McFadyen spoke with Sara Corleison and Jane James, the co-founders of Botallow.

Their journey from a "cake mixer in the kitchen" to contract manufacturing for international markets is a textbook example of lean start-up methodology and strategic pivoting.

Business Insights from the Episode:

- The Pivot: Recognising the gap in the market for cosmetic-grade raw materials vs. finished consumer goods.

- Strategic Support: Utilising the Venture Taranaki scale-up grants and the "Power Up" accelerator to bridge the gap between "paddock and port."

- The Science of Trust: Partnering with Massey University to validate ancestral wisdom with hard data.

- The Co-Founder Dynamic: How to balance visionary strategy with operational discipline.

If you are interested in the intersection of Ag-Tech, Biotech, and Beauty, this is an episode you cannot miss.

In our next episode of the The Business Hour on The MOST 100.4 FM Sponsored by Govett Quilliam - Dr Naomi Woodier-Harris and Jordan McFadyen explored a topic often swept under the rug in professional circles: the link between high-performance stress and alcohol dependency.

Our guest, Abi King, a Sobriety Coach specialising in high-functioning professionals, provided profound insights into how leaders can manage "the grind" without relying on the Friday night bottle.

Strategic Insights for Leaders:

- The Cost of "Numbing": When we numb stress, we also numb our clarity, creativity, and leadership presence.

- Habit Architecture: Replacing the "anticipation dopamine" of a drink with movement, community, or new routines.

- Cultural Shift: The growing acceptance of 0% options in networking and the trades, and why it’s a win for workplace productivity.

Abi’s transition from hospitality business owner to international coach is also an example of personal rebranding and resilience.