Theresa Gattung: pioneering change from the top down

A regular fixture on Fortune’s most powerful women in international business lists, Theresa is no stranger to the challenges such females face. Now leading the New Zealand chapter of SheEO, she’s helping a global community make long-overdue change. 

Spend any time looking into the life and times of Theresa Gattung and you’ll realise one thing very quickly: she’s not afraid to pioneer change. Arriving in the public eye at the age of 37, when she became the youngest ever and first female chief executive of Telecom (now Spark), she then went on to co-found My Food Bag, the home-delivered cooking-kit service that revolutionised the way thousands of New Zealanders approach mealtimes. She’s been recognised as one of the country’s leading philanthropists, working with charities such as the SPCA and Tauranga-based Cambodia Charitable Trust, and more recently launched the New Zealand arm of world-first female venture-capital fund SheEO. 

Playing her part in an ambitious goal to see 10,000 women-led ventures funded through SheEO worldwide, Theresa’s knee-deep in what may be her most important quest for change yet. To put its significance into context and demonstrate the urgent need for organisations of SheEO’s kind, you need only to consider that worldwide just four percent of all available capital is currently invested in women-led ventures. Having spent decades holding prominent positions in the business world, Theresa’s quick to recognise that even in 2020, the playing field for women in business is still far from even. “You don't really have to walk very long as a woman in business to realise that it's still harder,” she says. “It's not as hard as it was 20 or 30 years ago, but it’s still hard.” 

As the daughter of two entrepreneurial British migrants, it’s no surprise that Theresa grew up to be business-savvy, with a bent for challenging the status quo. Leaving behind their native London, her working-class parents, Marion and John, set sail for New Zealand in the 1960s. They were what Theresa affectionately calls, “ten-pound Poms”. “They paid £10, got the passage by ship and had to sign an agreement saying that they’d stay in New Zealand for at least two years,” she says. “And here they are, over 50 years later.”

Moving from their initial base in Wellington to settle in the Bay of Plenty, Marion and John set up a souvenir business in Rotorua. “My parents were entrepreneurs, in a small way,” says Theresa. “My father retired from the paid workforce in his forties after ill-health and had to support himself ever since, with property and other interests. So, yes, I come from a background of small business people.” 

Breaking away from their established family tradition of taking the same career path as their parents before them, Theresa believes that her parents’ success in New Zealand is partly due to their adopted Kiwi mentality – simply getting stuck in and being willing to try something new. She also recognises her father’s progressive and supportive approach to parenting as a unique factor in shaping the person she became. “My father had only sisters and then he had four daughters,” she says. “He was always very encouraging of us reaching our full potential, and never had any particular gender stereotypes about what girls could do [or] boys could do, which was pretty unusual [at the time].” 

On completing her schooling in Rotorua, Theresa studied a business degree at the University of Waikato, before moving to Wellington to complete a law degree. Even as a young adult, she understood that she would need to play her part in fighting for gender equality in the business world. At the time, there were no women running large companies in New Zealand, so she knew that achieving her dream of running a large company by the age of 40 would not be easy. “I've always understood that there are structural issues that can hold women back in society,” she says. 

In the years that followed, Theresa began her corporate career climb through TVNZ, National Mutual, the Bank of New Zealand and telecommunications company Telecom. Originally joining the latter in 1994, she was appointed CEO in 1999. As its first female CEO, she was thrust into the public eye, at times facing challenges that her male counterparts would rarely experience (after being announced as chief executive at a press conference, the first question she was asked was if she intended to have children). 

As she says in her memoir, Bird on a Wire, Theresa successfully led the company into an entirely new era of communication. “I joined Telecom in 1994 and I was given a cell phone that was really big; you almost needed a separate briefcase for the size of the cell phones!” she laughs. Two years later, returning from a conference in Europe in 1996, she began to realise just how big the internet was destined to become, and went on to lead Telecom’s transition into the age of IT. “When I was CEO, we bought a couple of large IT companies. We bought Gen-i and we bought Computer Land, and we put it together with Telecom’s IT division and we called it Gen-i. Then over that time, Telecom became the number-one provider of IT services.”

Stepping down from her role at Telecom in 2007, Theresa spent several years pursuing other business and philanthropic ventures, before co-founding My Food Bag in 2012 with Cecilia and James Robinson. “When Cecilia was on maternity [leave] with her son, Tom, she wrote up the business plan for My Food Bag and showed it to me,” she says. “I looked at it and I thought, ‘Yes, this is really gonna work’. I realised that something like that would fill such a need for women of every situation because ‘What are we going to have for dinner tonight?’ usually falls on the woman of the household.” 

As chair of My Food Bag and a key investor, Theresa worked with the Robinsons, Nadia Lim and her husband Carlos Bagrie to swiftly get the business off the ground. “In the beginning it was just us and then we started hiring people, and we did have that philosophy that we're going to go for the best,” she says. “We had the best advisors, we got the best people and we always thought that it could be a bigger business. We never saw it just as a small business. We set it up, the systems and everything, to scale fast.” 

After huge and rapid success, a majority share of My Food Bag was sold to Waterman Capital, freeing Theresa up to focus on building a name for SheEO in New Zealand. “When I heard [SheEO founder] Vicki Saunders speak a few years ago at a conference in America, she had just launched SheEO in Canada [in 2015] and I thought it was a brilliant idea,” she says. “Her idea was to completely change the paradigm.”

Simple yet hugely effective, SheEO operates on the principal of ‘radical generosity’, a belief that trust, collaboration and a strong female community is key to creating opportunities for more women-led ventures to succeed. Each year, an intake of local investors, called Activators, each contribute $1100 into a central funding pool. These women then work together to choose five women-led ventures to fund through five-year interest-free loans. 

“[Vicki] had a couple of cycles [of funding] in Canada and I went up to her and said, ‘This would be fantastic in New Zealand,’” says Theresa. “I organised a conference and brought her down [to New Zealand] and she presented to a room full of 500 women who just loved the idea. We decided to launch in New Zealand, but then we hit a roadblock because in Canada [SheEO] is not a business or a charity. It's not tax-deductible and it doesn't want it to be a charity. We're trying to reframe what business is, and I believe the world will be more effectively changed through business than through charity. So we struggle because the law doesn't really have a category that's in between.”

“You don't really have to walk very long as a woman in business to realise that it's still harder.”

Having ironed out some teething problems and brought Westpac on board as a key supporter, the New Zealand chapter of SheEO has so far raised $700,000, which has been loaned to 10 local ventures over two cycles of funding. Worldwide, SheEO has so far raised more than US$4 million in loans through 4000 Activators, allowing 53 women-led ventures in five countries to gain vital funding. The opportunity to change the face of business seems almost limitless. 

When it comes to selecting ventures to invest in, SheEO has unique criteria. They have to be at least 51 percent women-owned, be doing something good for the country, the world or the planet, meet revenue criteria and demonstrate an ability to scale. Among recent local ventures that have received funding from SheEO is Pure Peony Skincare, a Nelson-based business that uses the root of organic peonies to create natural products to soothe skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis and rosacea. 

Although SheEO has game-changing benefits for their selected ventures, the system isn’t all take. Through several nationwide and regional events, SheEO Activators have the opportunity to make invaluable business connections themselves through their involvement in the organisation. Every year, SheEO runs a launch event at which the supported ventures for the year are announced and Activators have the opportunity to gather on a national level. Along with networking opportunities, Activators also have the chance to participate in follow-on funding programmes with the ventures as and when they become available. 

“The first benefit you get as an Activator is meeting all the other Activators,” says Theresa. “Vicki comes down from Canada and it’s amazing to spend a day and an evening with that group and to be so inspired. You really make linkages that will benefit your business.” 

SheEO is unique in that the required investment is relatively minimal, allowing women of all ages and backgrounds to invest in the fund. Aiming to encourage a more diverse range of women to join as Activators, SheEO gives Activators the opportunity to split the yearly financial commitment across a monthly payment plan. This commitment to accessibility helps to ensure that SheEO not only continues to support women-led ventures, but also creates a chance for women who otherwise may not feel empowered to do so to become involved in investing. 

It’s this sort of clever thinking that has contributed to the rapid growth of SheEO locally and internationally. The first ever SheEO Global Summit took place in Canada on March 9 and SheEO Magazine launched in New Zealand with the aim to help to further the SheEO’s reach and inspire Kiwi women. 

Seeing SheEO in action, it’s obvious that the world needs more of its kind and Theresa is to be commended for having the foresight to see it could work in the New Zealand market. With a knack for knowing exactly what the world needs when, she says she allows both passion and logic to guide her when it comes to choosing what to take on. “I do what moves me at the heart level and the head level. I think, ‘I could make a difference to this and it would be a good use of my time. It’d have a big enough impact and I’d enjoy doing it.’”

Theresa knows better than anyone that New Zealand is a nation of risk-takers and innovators, but she insists we need to keep pushing for more and looking at how to solve the big issues in our society. When asked about what the world needs most right now, she puts a challenge to her fellow Kiwis. “We just need to keep being more of what we can be, because we can really mean something to the world,” she says. “We show what's possible. We have to make New Zealand the best she can be because we lead the world in many ways. We have to keep doing that, even though we're not perfect. New ways of thinking to deal with problems can flourish here. We have to become even more a part of the solution – that’s the mission of every person living in New Zealand

Theresa recommends: Inspiring reads

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood 

A sequel to Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, originally published in 1985 and now a TV series, this 2019 novel is set 15 years after the gripping and gruesome events of the first book. “I find it a complete reminder that [women] have to keep reclaiming our power and asserting our right to have our voices heard,” says Theresa. 

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer  

Written by a botanist and professor of biology, Braiding Sweetgrass explores our reciprocal relationship with the earth in connection to the widespread general awakening of ecological consciousness. “It’s a fantastic ode to nature and an inspirational read about the beauty of it,” says Theresa.

Alisha Brady: EnableMe

A financial personal trainer at EnableMe, our guest columnist says that when it comes to paying off your mortgage, 10 is the new 30.

PHOTO SALINA GALVAN

When you go to a bank to get a mortgage, many people default to the bank’s offer of a 30-year term. It’s in the bank’s interest for you to take your time, as they’ll make more money. But did you know that over 30 years, you’ll pay back almost three times what you borrowed?

EnableMe founder Hannah McQueen was a young accountant when she applied to get her first mortgage 11 years ago. Reluctant to pay three times the amount she wanted to borrow back to the bank, she approached the University of Auckland’s mathematics department. Together they devised a calculus formula to determine how to pay off your mortgage in the fastest time, with the lowest interest cost and the most flexibility. That’s now the basis of EnableMe’s programme, which in the past decade has helped thousands of Kiwis get in control and get ahead.

We work on these ratios: you can pay off your debt in eight years if it’s four times the size of your household income, or in 10-12 years if it’s five times the size. If it’s more like eight times, you’ve probably stretched yourself too far and we’d suggest selling your house.

That’s why we say 10 is the new 30! Most people can achieve more than they realise when they’re armed with an ambitious plan and expert advice, and when they’re accountable to someone other than their spouse.

Kiwis fritter away 15 percent of their income on things that don’t make them any happier or that they don’t notice they’re spending money on. Finding and eliminating the fritter in your spending provides a huge opportunity to make progress. You’d also be surprised at the savings you can make from efficient mortgage set-ups, tax structures and insurances.

We use behavioural science to work out what your spending personality is, then help you incorporate positive behaviours into your life. Most of us are shoppers rather than savers, but having a plan in place that includes things that make you happy and also gives you something to strive for can help you make progress and build wealth, while taking into account your spending habits.

You can go for the traditional approach of printing out your bank statements and working out where all your money has gone, but that only tells you what you’ve done, not what you’re capable of. We’re not in the business of putting people on financial deprivation diets – we want to help them get ahead while enjoying life.

ENABLEME.CO.NZ

Bay business matchmakers

Paul Brljevich and Kevin Kerr of Tauranga-based Tabak Business Sales share the secrets of successful deals.

WORDS DANIEL DUNKLEY / PHOTOS SALINA GALVAN

Making the decision to sell your own business is never easy. If after years of hard slog, you opted to sell up so you could ride off into the sunset, how exactly would you go about it? Would you phone a few contacts and hope for the best, or take up an offer from the first interested party?

For the owners of Tauranga’s Tabak Business Sales, Paul Brljevich (pictured above left) and Kevin Kerr (above right), finding the right buyer is something of an art form. They could be considered matchmakers who link Bay of Plenty businesses with the most attractive suitors.

Paul and Kevin each have more than a decade’s experience in orchestrating business sales for Tabak, Tauranga’s oldest business brokerage. They say selling can be an emotional decision, but requires sharp analysis, impartiality and fairness. After all, it can be the most important decision of someone’s career.

From their base on Cameron Road, in the heart of Tauranga’s rapidly expanding business district, the duo has earned a reputation for their exceptional valuation skills, forensic-like attention to detail and extensive network of contacts. They cover sales all over the Bay of Plenty and up to the Coromandel, finding buyers for businesses valued at between $200,000 and $10 million. Tabak also has offices in Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown.

Kevin has been a business broker since 2001, when he was enticed into the industry from horticultural management. Paul joined in 2007, after running companies in the leisure, hospitality and property industries, plus a spell in banking. “We’ve lived it,” says Paul. “We’ve run businesses and operated businesses, so we can relate. A person’s business is like their baby; their staff are their family. They want to find a buyer who can make things bigger and better for the future.”

The business of selling a business requires top-notch expertise. Tabak works to achieve the delicate balance of getting the right price for sellers while ensuring a fair outcome for buyers. “If the initial valuation isn’t accurate, the business will remain out there on the market,” says Kevin. “We have to give realistic valuations based on thorough analysis and data. Vendors are on one side and buyers are on the other, and we’re right in the middle brokering a fair outcome.”

How does a sale happen? First, Tabak conducts an interview with the seller. A warts-and-all review follows, which evaluates the positives and negatives of the business. Tabak then taps into its prized global network of 3500 buyers, investors and contacts. This network is so successful that 80 percent of Tabak’s listed businesses are sold before they go to the wider market, allowing sellers to discreetly find the right buyer and avoid disruptive publicity.

“It’s different to selling a home,” says Paul. “You need to know the intricacies; you need to know everything! Buyers don’t purchase because we’re slick. They do it because we’ve done our homework and presented it in the right way.”

The results speak for themselves. On average, Tabak sells businesses in just three to four months, and in the past 10 years, has consistently achieved sale prices within 10 percent of the listing price. 

So, what advice would the Bay’s business matchmakers give to potential sellers? “Confidentiality is key,” says Paul. “Have an exit plan when you start a business,” adds Kevin, who also believes advisers
with dedicated resources can make all the difference. “Because we’re smaller, we’re not trying to service a huge number of clients. We have a select number of listings, to make sure we deliver.”

Paul and Kevin clearly get a buzz out of their work. From business owners seeking a change, to 60-somethings cashing out on their lifelong endeavours, each case is different and requires a thoughtful, personalised approach. “We focus on quality, not quantity, and situations in which the whole team can work on a deal – where we all know the business inside out,” says Kevin.

The pair’s drive comes from helping people achieve their long-term goals. Whether it’s buying that dream retirement home, splashing out on a beachside bach, or funding a round-the-world trip, there’s great satisfaction in helping people reap their rewards.

“We recently had a husband-and-wife team who’d been in business together for decades – it was their life,” says Paul. “We were able to get multiple offers for it. The buyers loved it, and the couple were able to go on and enjoy their retirement – it worked for everybody. Outcomes like that are why we love what we do.”

TABAK.CO.NZ

Getting it right

Holland Beckett Law’s new partner Christie Goodspeed tells why she became a lawyer, and what family means to the firm.

WORDS DANIEL DUNKLEY / PHOTOS BRYDIE THOMPSON

Christie Goodspeed opens the door to her Omokoroa home mid-conversation, with a phone pressed to her ear and her seven- and five-year-old daughters in tow, and is immediately joined by a boisterous German schnauzer and a fluffy ragdoll cat. The hectic scene offers a glimpse into the busy life of one of the newest partners at Holland Beckett Law (affectionately known as Hobec), the Bay of Plenty’s biggest law firm.

Christie smiles and takes a breath before sitting down to talk about her role at the firm known for its prowess with commercial clients. She may be leading a full life, but her surroundings hint at the meticulous planning of a top lawyer. Christie organised every detail of her family’s modern home, plotting the house from start to finish and overseeing its development from floorplan to family dwelling. Yet interior design, art and landscaping are only her part-time hobbies – in May, she was made partner at Holland Beckett, and now leads its employment and family law teams.

For Christie, Omokoroa is the perfect place for her family to call home. With idyllic views overlooking the water and a lush tropical garden, their property connects to a scenic walk leading to the children’s school. Her husband Nick, an IT technical consultant, works from home two days a week to help the pair strike the right work-life balance amid the rigours of their professions and parenting.“We’re certainly very lucky,” says Christie. “I come to work happy every day.”

Born in Hamilton, Christie decided she wanted to be a lawyer at the age of 10. She says she was attracted to the profession after watching an episode of TV show LA Law. “I liked the rough and tumble of the court litigation,” she says. “It takes a certain type of person to become a litigator – someone who likes to argue. You’ll have to ask my husband!”

She studied law at university alongside psychology, a decision that has proven useful in her work in the delicate and often emotional field of family law. “With family law and employment, it’s all about personal relationships. My psychology background is helpful, particularly when I’m dealing with separation, division of property and issues involving children.”

Christie’s journey to joining Holland Beckett in 2016 began with jobs at New Zealand firms Tompkins Wake and Buddle Findlay, and advisory firm PwC in Sydney. After becoming parents to Lily (7), Sophie (5) and Callum (3), she and Nick moved back to New Zealand.

Holland Beckett has offices in Tauranga, Rotorua, Whakatane and Opotiki. The full-service firm employs lawyers who specialise in property, estate planning, corporate and financial transactions, environmental and resource management, employment, dispute resolution, health and safety, and family and Māori law matters.

When it comes to employment law, Christie covers all areas. She says she likes to help employers problem-solve and “get it right” with their employees. On the family law side of things, she specialises in complex relationship-property cases, in which assets need to
be divided at the beginning or end of a relationship. In particular, she excels at cases involving companies and trusts. Holland Beckett is able to utilise the skills of a large commercial operation to solve difficult issues. “We help people define how they want to manage their assets going forward, and what they want to keep separate,” says Christie.

Christie’s demanding profession puts her at the centre of the Bay of Plenty’s commercial and family life. She has volunteered for Women’s Refuge and spoken publicly about racial-, gender- and sexual orientation-based discrimination. She says it can be difficult for lawyers to not to bring work problems home. “Our role is inherently being involved in conflict. You have to be able to take a step back and look at these issues with objective eyes, and that makes you a better advocate for your client.”

You might say the Bay of Plenty’s unique beauty and relaxed lifestyle provide the perfect backdrop for a family law firm. Many of Holland Beckett’s lawyers have moved here from Auckland or further afield to enjoy all the area has to offer. “Many of the partners have big-city experience or have come back after living overseas,” says Christie. They’ve chosen to be here because they want to raise their families here, and that’s a great thing. We’re a big firm with a high calibre of clients, but there’s a real sense of collegiality between everyone. The culture of the firm is important to us.”

So what makes Holland Beckett stand out from its rivals? Talking to Christie, it’s clear her employer practices what it preaches when it comes to looking after families. She was offered flexible working hours when she joined, which has allowed her to pursue her career goals without sacrificing her personal life.

She says the firm understands the importance of family. “They were so receptive to that. It certainly hasn’t stood in the way of me becoming a partner, which is fantastic. People have been promoted on parental leave, and that’s just unheard of. We have a really supportive team environment, and we all work well together. We just want to get on with it and get the best outcome for our clients.”

Christie looks outside, turning her attention to the garden. If her pristine property is anything to go by, this lawyer’s clients are in safe hands.

hobec.co.nz

Master + Commander

Lisa Hunn has a lot of achievements to her name. A member of the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN), she’s represented New Zealand as an acting captain in 2016 exercises aboard warship USS America and been chair of the RNZN Women’s Steering Group. But all that and a diploma in fine arts pales in comparison to the moment she’s most proud of.

WORDS ANDY TAYLOR / PHOTOS TRACIE HEASMAN

On June 14, 2017, she assumed command of HMNZS Te Mana, becoming the first woman in our navy to captain a frigate. Accepting the symbol of command, she uttered the immortal phrase: “I have the ship”.

The frigate is a battle-ready component of our navy, with all the bits to blow things up. “And the best part is that Te Mana’s symbol of command is quite big,” says Lisa. “Other ships have pounamu and the like, but with the hoe, I get to tell everyone that mine is bigger than theirs!”

This line is typical of Lisa. She has a very, very serious job, with the lives of 180 people directly in her hands, and often the lives of hundreds more indirectly, dependent on her command. And yet she’s retained that classic Kiwi ability to find humour in all areas of life.

This ability to look on the bright side is essential when you’re “driving” (as she puts it) through rough seas and storms in a warship the navy describes as “designed to fight and evade her enemies and take battle damage”. And you think you need light relief after a bad day in the office.

Lisa talked to UNO just a couple of days after being rushed to hospital with acute appendicitis that saw her have emergency surgery. “It wasn’t exactly what I had planned for the week,” she says, dryly.

Lisa’s story starts in Wellington, in what she describes as a yachting kind of family that could often be found out on the water in a variety of small boats. Her parents regularly attended the local yacht club, and while they were there, young Lisa spent her time with the Sea Cadets. For many of us, childhood interests like this are a passing distraction, but it was clearly more formative for her.

“It did have a huge effect,” she says. “I’d always loved being out on the sea, but the cadets showed me that there was more to it than that. It was a real passion, and the
navy offered something that allowed me to combine that love of being out on the ocean with seeing the world. If I was to try a philosophical explanation, I’d say that the navy offers access: access to the world, to challenges and to experiences that not
many other careers can match.”

Commander Hunn’s experiences are a roll call of foreign locations and corridors of power. She entered the navy in 1990 on the ‘general list’ as a midshipman, and did initial officer training, then a Bachelor of Science in geology. A promotion to sub lieutenant and a stint on her first seagoing unit followed, with time on HMNZ ships Endeavour, Wellington, Canterbury and Takapu. She received commendations for excellent service throughout the ’90s, and by October 2002 was a lieutenant commander and had added a New Zealand General Service Medal (Afghanistan) to her decorations for participating in Operation Enduring Freedom in the Gulf of Oman. She represented New Zealand at international AUSCANNZUKUS meetings (it’s pronounced Oz-Can-Zoo-Kiss, since you asked), then became executive officer of HMNZS Te Mana, whose home port is Tauranga. Executive officer is the second in command, and Lisa’s trajectory seemed fairly clear – until she started looking for another challenge.

“I’d always been interested in the arts and it had always been a passion,but the navy kind of got in the way. There came a point where I thought, ‘It’s now or never’, and so I started a Diploma in Fine Arts. It was the biggest challenge I’d ever faced.”

Bigger than navigating a warship through a cyclone? “Well, yes – in many ways it was! It was such a different approach, a different set of parameters, but I really loved it, and when I graduated I thought I could juggle a life of some part-time work for the navy with being a part-time artist of sorts.”

It didn’t quite work out that way. Instead, in 2014, realising the sea was a stronger calling and that she was missing the navy more than she could have imagined, Lisa re-engaged in the navy’s regular force. Once she was back in the thick of it, a few high-ranking land-based appointments presented themselves, but it wasn’t until that moment at Auckland’s Devonport Naval Base, when she said, “I have the ship” and became captain of HMNZS Te Mana, that it suddenly all made sense.

“It wasn’t so much about the command alone,” she says. “It was about knowing I could lead and inspire – that I could help bring up the next generation that would get to see the world. Commanding a ship is a privilege, but helping to shape young people into the future generation that will serve in our navy is an honour.”

The role of our navy is at a crucial turning point, something Lisa is very much aware of. “We have such a strong naval tradition in New Zealand, and such a strong naval reputation, which is respected all around the world. In 2017, the USS Fitzgerald was in a collision and it was to HMNZS Te Kaha that they turned to fill the gap. That’s the level of respect our training and ability has given us. And yet in some ways we’re very inward looking; we’re an island nation, and the sea is in our heritage, yet we don’t look out to those oceans around us.

“But I believe that’s changing now, and there are several initiatives before the government that are about having a new focus on the Antarctic, because that’s going to be such a huge part of us as a county going forward. So many other countries will be looking to have an influence in our part of the world, and we need to have a presence there – it’s our backyard, after all, and not many other interested parties can say that.”

It’s quite nice to know New Zealand will be flying the flag in our backyard more and more in the coming years. And it’s really nice – and very reassuring – to know someone like Lisa will have the ship when we do.

navy.mil.nz

Seaweed + Mānuka

WORDS CHANTELLE LAURENT PHOTOS LOGAN DAVEY / LARISSA DRYSDALE

We meet the award-winning business rebuilding the mānuka industry from the ground up, bringing real benefits to the East Cape.

Mānuka honey is a bit of a golden child. Lauded for its antibacterial and antiviral properties, it's a product of bees foraging on the mānuka plant: a flowering, evergreen shrub found growing prolifically across the East Cape. New Zealand Mānuka Group founder, Phil Caskey, kickstarted global demand for mānuka honey when he developed the world's first mānuka honey medical dressing in 2000 (still in use in many hospitals around the world today).

Breaking the cycle

In in 2011, after a break from the industry, a Māori landowner contacted Phil asking for help. Fairness and transparency was needed: landowners growing the plants were suffering. Phil set about establishing agreements between landowners, beekeepers and manufacturers, ensuring an open and fair return for all.

Phil returned fulltime to the industry with his business, the New Zealand Mānuka Group (NZMG). A business rooted in its belief in sustainability of the land as well as its people, the NZMG saw that the mānuka plant had so many other other uses other than just producing honey. They have built, from the ground up, an entire industry around mānuka, creating and returning wealth to local communities, and using the products to bring strength and vitality into our homes, gardens, and families.

What bees do

Bees pollinate the mānuka shrubs over their 20 to 30 year life cycle. During the short flowering season, honey is collected from the hives and processed for our consumption.  Once the flowering season is over, the trees are trimmed allowing them to thrive better, and the brush collected is processed into highly potent mānuka oil ßeta triketones (MßTK).

The residual mānuka mulch from this oil processing activity is rich in nutrients and forms a dense fibre which retains an incredible amount of nutrients, making it ideal for gardens. And because it has been steam cooked, it is free from problematic weeds.

Along the coast

Alongside the innovative group's operations with the mānuka plant, they also harvest the abundant, tidal washed seaweed from the pristine waters along the East Cape's fertile coastline. The group is the biggest producer of pharmaceutical grade agar (a jelly-like substance found in seaweed), in the southern hemisphere. In-house scientists have recently identified wide ranging benefits in the green and brown seaweeds also collected by their harvesters. These seaweeds have been found to contain essential amino acids and trace minerals which significantly boost the health of bees as well as pastures, crops and our gardens.

With NZMG building the mānuka industry and other opportunities, Māori landowners and trusts are developing their land on the East Cape into high quality, well-resourced mānuka plantations. Those with already converted land are employing and training local people into wide ranging jobs from plantation workers and production staff, right up to qualified horticulturalists and managers.

The group's full range of products is huge: honey, oils, beauty products, seaweed, garden mulch, fertiliser and so much more: and all from our lush, verdant East Cape. 

Going the full circle. 

And behind all this product innovation is a commitment to the people of the East Cape and their land. A fair share of the value NZMG creates goes back to the landowners and beekeeping partners, and so to the local community, through job creation, upskilling and redistribution of wealth. Families are able to stay together, on the land of their ancestors, and land is harvested sustainably. Everyone benefits.

Making it home

WORDS ANDY TAYLOR

Corporate sponsorship isn’t just money in exchange for logos. Do you know who supports your children’s hockey club? Of the surf club that keeps us safe in the waves, or the art exhibition you enjoyed with your family?

A recent, search for properties led me down a google rabbit hole, and I ended up on the EVES website looking at the long list of local groups they support. I was a bit taken aback. I suppose we only think a business has sponsored an event if we see their logo. But that's not the case.

Whilst they are excellent at marketing houses, the Realty Group (EVES and Bayleys Real Estate's umbrella company) don't spend much time talking about what they do in our community. I get in contact with Allison Stewart, the group's sponsorship and events manager, who gives me a bit of a history lesson. It becomes clear that investing in where we live is a fundamental to the group. 

EVES and Bayleys are two of the most established and trusted names in residential and commercial property. EVES was founded here in the Bay of Plenty in 1968 by Max Eves and Brian Waldegrave. They joined forces in the eighties with Richard Cashmore, the Bayleys founder, and the two businesses started to operate as The Realty Group, whose structure still exists today.

A firm believer in giving back, Richard is the group's current chairman of the board. “Our business was founded on family values, and we are passionate about investing in our region." As good as his word, when he started Bayleys, he went about quietly helping surf clubs, sports teams, schools - just a whole lot of locals - turn great ideas and big dreams into reality. He made sure that it was integral to the DNA of the companies and something that all staff could be a part of. Some aspects of this philanthropy were public – like the highly popular Crippled Children’s Society fundraising dinner the company was involved in for around ten years – but most of it was very low key indeed, with staff from all levels of the companies getting involved in helping out.

The group's investment in our region is best illustrated by Allison. She's fostered great relationships with local community groups. “Our people are passionate about the places they live and work in, and we are really proud of their involvement in community projects, undertaken of their own volition. We want to contribute in a worthwhile way to the communities we operate in.

The help comes in many forms. “We have a pretty skilled group of people here,” Allison says, “with a broad range of contacts. Our business is about problem-solving and we like to use those skills in the community work we do too. It was a great source of pride for us that during the economic downturn, we were still able to fulfill all our commitments to those we had offered to help. We take our commitments seriously because these are our people and our communities.” So seriously in fact that for the last ten years they have made a conscious effort to focus on support for a wider range of groups. “We wanted to spread our efforts,” says Aidan Lett, group marketing manager, “and instead of concentrating on one or two larger groups, get involved with more people at a community level. “There is a genuine love of being able to help out in our two companies,” Allison says, “and we have seen that grow in recent years. It's a Kiwi thing I think, wanting to help out, pitching in and working together.” it’s also a very Kiwi thing that EVES and Bayleys have been pitching in for nearly half a century without making too much noise about it, but then, as CEO Simon Anderson says, "Ultimately our business is all about people. Whether that’s our team, our community or helping people find their dream home. We put people first."

EVES.CO.NZ/COMMUNITY

Giving back to the community beyond crisis: Todd Hilleard of Noxen

“I ran at her and tackled her onto the bed. She still had the gun in her hand but now it was pointed at me. I kept thinking, ‘Is this real?’”

WORDS Ellen Brook

Todd Hilleard was passionate about being a police officer, but a routine callout turned armed confrontation was the first in a series of events that changed his state of mind. Todd had been talking to a woman who had allegedly assaulted her husband when suddenly she pulled out a pistol, held it to her head, and threatened to shoot herself.

“It was a horrible situation,” recalls Todd. “Everything was happening in slow motion and I felt awful to be pinning this woman down, trying to force the gun from her hands.It was my first time in a situation which came from nowhere and involved a firearm. I was completely unprepared for it.”

Later, Todd was rattled when a driver he’d stopped unexpectedly reached under the seat of his car. “I was worried he might be reaching for a gun, and it put me on edge,” says Todd. 

After another event where a shotgun was thought to be in the vehicle of a father who had abducted his children, Todd realised he wasn’t coping. The Police transferred him from Tauranga to Christchurch, his hometown, hoping the fresh start would improve his mental health.

But the September 2010 earthquake made Todd even more anxious. “Afterwards, I was on edge.I didn’t feel comfortable in my own skin, especially going out on jobs in the middle of the night.”

During the second earthquake in February 2011, Todd was at work on the third floor of the Christchurch Central Police Station. “The alarms went on and on, and I expected the building to come down,” says Todd. “I was terrified.”

Todd didn’t have time to dwell on his fear; he was immediately sent to the CTV building which had collapsed like a concertina, killing 115 people and trapping many more. “Other cops were on top of the rubble, but I thought, ‘I can’t be here, I’m scared’," says Todd. He stayed at the scene for 12 hours. “It was chaos. I saw terrible things you hope to never see.”

There were also bright spots. Todd and his fiancée Tash were planning their wedding, and he was working on a rewarding project organising the recovery of vehicles trapped in Christchurch’s Red Zone. But the day after his stag party, Todd went to hospital with heart palpitations. He then had an allergic reaction to the drug he was given and went into anaphylactic shock. His heart needed electrical cardioversion to restart its normal rhythm.electrical cardioversion, a high-energy shock sent to the heart to restart its normal rhythm. Todd was devastated.

“I couldn’t believe this was happening to me at 30 years old,” says Todd. “I was beside myself at the thought of my heart stopping.”

Todd married Tash in April 2011. Although the wedding was a happy occasion, Todd hit rock bottom soon afterward. “I was driving to the movies when I started to have chest pains,” says Todd. “I went to the hospital, but my heart wasn’t the problem. I was having a panic attack.”

After the birth of their baby boy, Tate, Todd woke up one morning in 2011 and  knew he couldn’t go back to work. “It was time for me to stop fighting.I felt quite euphoric about that.”

He went on sick leave from the Police, and then leave without pay. Soon after, Tash, then 24 weeks pregnant with their daughter Lexi was made redundant and the young family moved back to Tauranga. Todd found solace in the local surfing scene, but he’d lost his identity as a police officer. “I’d be out and see police cars with my old mates in them. It took a long time to accept what had happened,” says Todd. He finally resigned from his job in 2013.

Although he’d left the Police, Todd’s mental health was still poor. At his lowest point, he even considered suicide. “My twisted thoughts were my biggest battle. They put me in a very dark place and I worried I was going crazy,” says Todd. “I finally got help through my doctor, went to therapy and realised that talking openly and rawly and letting myself be vulnerable really helped.”

Todd returned to the workforce in sales at Coca-Cola and then Goodman Fielder, and stayed involved in the surfing scene. His love of the sport led him to the next chapter of his career. Taking part in the 2018 Police Association Surfing Champs in Raglan, Todd noticed that at 1.8 metres and 90kg, the XL-sized hooded towelling poncho Todd received as a souvenir of the event was too small for him. He began researching similar products and looking at samples. When he found what he wanted, he set up Noxen (noxen.co.nz), an online surf and lifestyle clothing business. 

For Todd, what started as a solution to one problem has become a way for him to give back to the community. The brand’s tagline “Ride Every Wave” reminds Todd to ride out life’s ups and downs. A percentage of each sale goes to Lifeline, the mental health and suicide prevention hotline, and a further percentage of sales revenue is donated to other charitable causes.

Todd continues to be open about his mental health, both on the Noxen website and at speaking engagements. He acknowledges that his experiences changed his ability to manage things the way he used to. “I’ll never be fully back,” says Todd. “I’ll always have anxiety and depression, but I can manage it, and now I have an opportunity to pay it forward.”

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Bayleys CEO Heath Young looks to the future

“We are constantly looking to refine what already works really well, to deliver better-than-expected results for everyone we work with.”

Heath Young the new CEO at Bayleys takes his group into the future with the family values they were founded on.

Words Daniel Dunkley Photos Salina Galvan

In the Bayleys family of 570, there are 120 people who've worked there for more than a decade. “Our people are our biggest strength,” says Heath  Young - newly appointed CEO of Bayleys. “Selling over 100 homes a month, or 25 a week requires a massive effort, slick operations, and sharp marketing. Of the top 20 salespeople in New Zealand, Bayleys has six of them here in Tauranga. We’re 40 percent owned by the managers and salespeople, and we’re a family.”

As well as state-of-the-art systems and structure to run a group this size, Heath says everything is underpinned by the family values the group was based on when they started out.
The real estate industry is fast-paced, there's lots of information available to everyone. Bayleys is able to use their immense experience and skill to analyse that information and use it to benefit their customers.
"We are constantly looking to refine what already works really well, to deliver better-than-expected results for everyone we work with," says Heath.
Everyone used their time over lockdown differently. “While the nation was in lockdown, people still wanted to buy, which was great,” says Heath. “We were able to try new things, like hold online auctions conducted by our expert auctioneers.” As Bayleys adjusted to the new way of doing things, the company introduced 3D online viewing technology, letting buyers take a virtual stroll through a home and then take part in the auction without setting foot in the property.

“This was a huge boost for sellers, and it was great to introduce new ideas quickly and see immediate positive results. We’ve also improved the way we use data,” says Heath. “We want to build the best business possible for the customers we represent. That’s why we do it.”

Heath, who has led Bayleys since February last year, wants the real estate business to go from strength to strength in the new COVID-19 world. He believes everyone needs specialist help more than ever to navigate the new normal.

Bayleys has been a big presence here for 15 years, and sells 1,200 homes, commercial buildings, and rural properties each year across the mid-North Island. Heaps of know-how and the vast resources of the Bayleys machine have kept the firm at the cutting edge of modern real estate.

For Heath, the Bay of Plenty and his home patch of Mount Maunganui will always hold a massive appeal for buyers. “We’ve pretty much returned to normal,” Heath says. “The market is resilient, and people will continue to flock to the Bay of Plenty from New Zealand and eventually from overseas, when restrictions lift.” 

Tokoroa-born Heath moved to Tauranga five years ago to become Bayleys’ chief operating officer, and has worked his way to the top of the business. He was no stranger to the Mount before joining; he spent three years here in the 1990s working for blue-chip firm KPMG.

When you believe in the lifestyle you sell, working in the high-octane real estate game doesn’t feel like hard work. Heath, whose wife Jane runs Mount Yoga, lives life to the full here, too.

“Golf has given way to jet ski fishing in recent years. Nothing beats blasting out through the harbour entrance and spending a couple of hours picking up a few snapper and completely switching off.”

Bayleys also covers Taranaki and Waikato, and Heath is confident about its future across the middle of the North Island. While COVID-19 will be a challenge for some time, he believes the local market is strong. “We’re seeing some real momentum, this is one of the best parts of the country to be in."

BAYLEYS.CO.NZ

Family with a love for property

Monique Balvert-O’Connor finds out how Kay Ganley combines a record-smashing career in real estate with time for her family – in particular, her beloved granddaughter, Georgia.

WORDS MONIQUE BALVERT-O’CONNOR / PHOTOS BRYDIE THOMPSON

It must be a great day when you realise that the best people to employ in your growing business, are your family.

FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS, KAY HAS BEEN THE BAYLEYS MOUNT AND PAPAMOA OFFICE TOP SALESPERSON. She doesn’t simply rank highly on the local stage; in the last financial year she was fourth nationwide in Bayleys’ residential sales, and eleventh over all offices covering residential, country, and commercial property sales. She has been in the top five percent nationwide for a few years now. Three years ago, Kay took on a full-time PA and, this year, family members have joined the winning force.

KAY’S ELDEST DAUGHTER, JANELLE GANLEY, WHO HAS WORKED IN THE BAYLEYS OFFICE FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS, JOINED HER MOTHER’S TEAM ONLY A MONTH AGO. She lists and works with vendors and buyers. Conrad Doyle – the partner of Kay’s second daughter, Chloe – also became part of the team this year, as a buyers’ agent. Chloe, meanwhile, has established a five-star property management company, and that includes house cleaning services for Kay’s clients. Son, Mitchell, though is far removed from the property world. He’s studying towards a PhD in biotechnology.

A TRIP TO SINGAPORE AND THE MALDIVES IN JUNE THIS YEAR, BUENOS AIRES THE PREVIOUS YEAR, AND HAWAII BEFORE THAT, ARE ALL PART AND PARCEL OF THE KAY GANLEY SUCCESS STORY. Bayleys takes their top nationwide high achievers on overseas trips annually, and Kay has got used to packing her bags mid year.

HER WORKING LIFE IS UNDERSTANDABLY BUSY. But as the team has grown, work-life balance has improved. Time for her grandchild, walks around Mauao, and pilates, are now on the radar. “Having a team of four means we provide the ultimate service for our clients, and I get to see my children and granddaughter so much more.”

“A CLIENT TOLD ME RECENTLY THAT I WOULD BE LEAVING A LEGACY. That compliment was hugely humbling. But one day, when I retire, they can carry on that legacy, if that’s what it is,” Kay says.

KAY BEGAN HER REAL ESTATE JOURNEY AS A 42-YEAR-OLD, following years owning men’s fashion stores.

“I OWNED MY OWN BUSINESS FROM THE AGE OF 21. When it was time for a change, I knew I wanted to remain my own boss, have flexibility, and feed my love of people. I hit on the real estate idea.” It was a good fit. She sold her first property two weeks into the job.

AFTER EIGHT YEARS WORKING WITH OTHER COMPANIES, SHE JOINED THE BAYLEYS MOUNT OFFICE IN 2006. Kay deals in high-end properties, from baches to mansions, mainly beach, waterfront, and bordering the golf course at Mt Maunganui, and Papamoa. She’s a record-holder. Her first beachfront sale was over $1 million in the late 1990s – one of the first to sell at that price, and she was responsible for the first $1 million sale bordering The Mount golf course. She also holds the luxury home market record at the office for a $6.6 million Marine Parade sale in 2015.

AS FOR HER RAZOR-SHARP, WINNING EDGE, testimonials are rich in adjectives such as warm, trustworthy, knowledgeable, empathetic, and professional.

“SOME PEOPLE PERCEIVE REAL ESTATE TO BE A SIMPLE BUSINESS, BUT IT’S NOT IF YOU DON’T HAVE DETERMINATION AND COMMITMENT. I HAVE THAT, PLUS I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN DRIVEN TO BE SUCCESSFUL.”

WITH THAT DRIVE HAS COME COMPROMISE – SHE’S MISSED FAMILY GATHERINGS AND OTHER FUNCTIONS. Before having a full-time PA on board, paperwork would keep her up until midnight. Then there’s the on-call component, and weekends dedicated to taking clients to houses, and staging open homes. It’s fortunate, she says, that her husband, Mike Gallagher, understands her working world – he manages a real estate office. But, with the team now in place, a more balanced life is forecast. And, as Kay says, all the highs in the job are people- related. Now she gets to enjoy the job while surrounded by family and the clients who’ve become like family over the years.

AS FOR HER PERSONAL SLICE OF REAL ESTATE? Kay and Mike live in a downtown Mount apartment and own a holiday home in Ohope. She plans to be at the latter, with her feet up, for Christmas.

KAYGANLEY.BAYLEYSNZ.CO.NZ

A family business

We talk to Yolande King about what it’s like working with her husband Paddy, and sister-in-law Tara as a super team at EVES Real Estate. These guys really love where they live, and it shows!

WORDS JENNY RUDD PHOTOS BRYDIE THOMPSON

HOW DID YOU ALL COME TO BE WORKING TOGETHER?

Paddy and I were passing through on a holiday, trying to work out where to settle. We sat on the beach and Paddy said, “Look at this place, Yols. We have to give it a go.” Our immediate connection to The Mount was amazing. So we started separate careers, Paddy in chemistry and me in real estate. The first years were incredibly busy so Paddy joined me. Boom! It worked beautifully! Then Tara moved from Christchurch and we hammered her to join us. She gave in to stop us nagging, I think.

WHAT SKILLS DO EACH OF YOU BRING TO THE BUSINESS?

Working with Paddy and Tara is the easiest thing in the world! We wrote very specific job descriptions for each person. I think that’s a big part of our success. I’m a highly organised ‘lists’ person and keep the big picture perspective, working on our business development and keeping our team connected. Tara never misses a detail. She should wear a superhero cape. The workload on the admin side is just massive. If Paddy is heading out to an appointment, he doesn’t have to double check any paperwork that Tara has put together. Anyone who knows Paddy is familiar with his relaxed manner, and in this industry I think that goes a long way. You can trust that he’s going to look after you as a buyer or vendor. He hates getting stuck in the office, so Tara and I keep him out there doing what he loves – hanging out and connecting with people. There’s 100% trust between all of us. We’re now on the hunt for the next team member to help us look after our buyers.

Early morning coffee at Tay Street.

HOW HAS THE REAL ESTATE BUSINESS CHANGED OVER THE YEARS?

Since I started in 2006, so much has changed. Continuous training is a must if you want to keep your licence and stay up to date with all the Real Estate Agents Authority legislation. It’s good to see so many more people in the business treating the job with the necessary importance and urgency. It’s not a hobby, it’s a career, and we are helping people through a huge transaction that needs all of our attention. The digital side of advertising is huge now and a job in itself. I look after that for us and it’s a constant learning curve. Keep up or get left behind!

We strongly believe that when it comes to choosing your agent these days, a team isn’t a plus, it’s a must. Nothing falls through the cracks, you’re kept 100% informed and involved. And with us, you get energy, creativity and commitment.

HOW DO YOU FIT IN FAMILY TIME WITH SUCH A BUSY JOB?

It’s something we guard preciously. During the week, we have breakfast and dinner together as a family and don’t book anything that will interfere with that. So we start and end the day with the kids. Of course, Sundays are super busy with open home, so we try to build that family time in elsewhere, like taking the children out surfing or going to the night markets in Papamoa or The Mount. Just reading stories in the hammock with the kids slows things down pretty quickly, too!

WHAT’S IT LIKE BEING SO CONNECTED TO THE COMMUNITY WITH YOUR JOB?

We make connections everywhere we go, from kindy drop-offs to Paddy being out on the water waiting for the next wave. It’s part of everyday life, the nature of the business and it’s great; we feel we’re able to help and bring value. This job is about people and their homes, which involves their families. We feel really privileged to take people through this process and de-stress it as much as possible, all the way through.

WHAT’S BEEN YOUR BIGGEST LEARNING CURVE?

When working in a team you have got to stay connected. The left hand needs to know what the right hand is doing. Rules, the law, the digital space: everything’s constantly changing. We like it. Keeps us on our toes!

WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR DOWNTIME?

We just love living here! We’re surrounded by lots of friends, so impromptu catch-ups are easy. We’re lucky to have so many outdoor options for families right on our doorstep, and go out on the bikes, head to a beach or park. Our mums are great gardeners. I’m far from a expert, but we’re trying to grow more and the kids just love it. Exercise is at 6 am so I can be sure it actually happens, and if it’s with a friend then that’s great! I’ve always got a book on the go, too. Then, of course, there’s finishing our renovation. When we bought our home it was a little two bedroom 1955 original, and today it’s a much-loved four bedroom family home. We’ve learnt so much and enjoyed the process immensely, but the very important finishing touches are keeping us busy. There’s always the next detail to plan and execute.

We feel a great responsibility to help keep our coast beautiful, as well. There are so many alarming environmental issues, and we want to start here at home and make a difference. We want our children to enjoy this beauty.

PATANDYOLANDEKING

Rotorua Mayor Steve Chadwick on making things happen

For Rotorua Mayor Steve Chadwick, local government is just the latest chapter in a life built around making things happen.

WORDS Andy Taylor PHOTOS Brydie Thompson

First off, what’s in a name? Given her public profile and her extensive career in politics, it's hard to imagine that anyone meets the Mayor of Rotorua without being previously aware of her; but someone new to these shores might find Steve Chadwick to be not quite what they were expecting. Let’s face it, Steve is a pretty blokey kind of name, and though she is down to earth, humble and devoid of all pretention, blokey is something Steve Chadwick most certainly ain’t. 

“It’s actually Stephanie, but Steve stuck from a very early age, and after that I was only ever Stephanie when I was in trouble,” she says with the tone of someone who has had to explain this a million times but is quite happily resigned to her fate. “And yes, there are a few people who come expecting a male and look a bit shocked, and I’m sorry if that disappoints - but there’s not much I can do about it,” she adds with a grin of genuine mischief, and it is clear that confounding expectations and then outperforming them are part and parcel of the ball of energy that is The Honourable Stephanie (Steve) Chadwick.

Originally from Hastings, she is probably best known for her time in Parliament, where she served as Minister of Conservation, Women's Affairs, and Associate Health between 1999 and 2011, and then as the Mayor of Rotorua, a role she has held since 2013. But her story is far more multi-layered than that.

“I grew up the youngest of six children,” she says, “and so constantly had to speak louder to have my opinion heard.” Those siblings included artist Dick Frizzell among other very talented individuals, so this was a family heaving with strong characters and stronger views. 

Her first calling in life was as a midwife. “I was always bit of a health activist, and I was drawn to birthing as it was a natural process and I was involved with a group of quite radical midwives. I ended up helping bring about 5,000 babies into this world, and I loved that role, I loved being a part of birthing as it is a profound and intimate profession, and I still meet some of the babies I delivered now. Though many are on to the next generation!”

Whether it is newborns, government policy or social welfare organisations, it could be said that bringing things to life is very much Steve Chadwick’s reason for being on the planet. She has been instrumental in setting up the Rotorua Women’s Refuge, Rotorua’s first Family Planning Clinic and School for Young Parents, as well as its first Kohanga Reo, all entities that seem completely normal and entirely essential now but were reactionary in the 1970s. “My father was an engineer and my mother was an artist,” she says, “so there was both a very creative side to my growing up and a very functional side, a side about making things happen. But both my parents were always about thinking outside of the square – differently, but logically, because that was the artist and the engineer at work. Our family were a square peg in a round hole, and we realised we weren’t conservative, but that was just fine. It was a very creative and happy upbringing that meant I was allowed to reach my own conclusions and was never constrained.” Good luck to anyone who might try! 

She met her husband, John Te Manihera Chadwick, in the late sixties, and together they embarked on a future that is virtually cinematic. First there was the big OE, with the first stop being Papua New Guinea – where she set up a birthing clinic, naturally – and then they went on to London where their home – replete with newborns of their own by that stage – became something of a drop-in centre for Kiwi expats on their London sojourns. It was a happy home for many years, until while watching the Commonwealth Games their son asked who the people performing a haka on TV were. “When I had to explain that they were Māori and that he was Māori and that his dad was Māori, we realised it was time to come home! Our children needed to grow up bicultural – and that was what brought us to Rotorua. Our journey ever since then has one of biculturalism.” 

After serving as a local councillor, national government beckoned with all the highs and lows that a career in the public gaze entails. “The low was definitely the death threats I got when I brought in the Smoke Free Environment Act. Having to be escorted by a police protection squad and realising that there were people out there that hated you and were unwell – and were following you – was very scary. And being accused of being one of Helen Clark’s ‘Femi-Nazis’ was also very personal, and frankly ridiculous. But the highs put all that in the shadow: passing the Smoke Free Act was great, and working on health issues throughout the Pacific was fantastic – that was right up my ally as an ex-midwife.”

The passing of husband John, who had become a much-loved and prominent lawyer, late in 2017 brought the year to a solemn close, but Steve has no intention of letting her personal loss get in the way of her public commitment. Far from it; instead, 2018 will be a very big year for the Mayor and for Rotorua – because it is obvious from spending even a short time with her that Steve Chadwick and the Rotorua district are very much intertwined. 

“One of our main objectives was to revitalise our inner city,” she says, clearly warming to the future and tired of discussing her past. “And we did that by having a councillor sit on a portfolio dedicated to inner city revitalization and by getting all our retailers and CBD businesses to work with us. The inner city had over a hundred empty shops four years ago, but we’ve changed that and it has a completely different vibe now, and the development that will be taking place on the lakefront is really going to be exciting and build on what we've put in place. The whole footprint will be completely different, there will be a conservation zone and it will incorporate the museum, but we are thinking it will be driven by a whole new entity rather than council. Sir Bob Harvey has agreed to help us with this so that is really exciting.” 

“We were painted as a zombie town in 2013, but 2018 is going to show that we have invested in our city and we are really going places. The population is growing, we’re performing above the national average economically, and we also have the new Forest Service coming here – to its rightful heartland – so this is going to be a big year for Rotorua. Actually I think it’s going to be a big year for all New Zealand.”

You heard it here first folks. And she should know.  

Ponsonby to Papamoa

Laura McClennan meets two imports, Andrea and Duncan Ritchie, who bring skill, passion, and magic to the Bay.

WORDS LAURA MCCLENNAN / PHOTOS TRACIE HEASMAN

Thinking about her first sale always makes her laugh. “It was 1993,” Andrea Ritchie recalls, “and I was checking out some open homes, busman’s-holiday style, when I came across a villa that was perfect for a buyer I had just met.

I called the woman and she raced over, still in her gardening clothes, and wanted to make an offer then and there. Of course, I had no contracts on me at the time, or keys to the office, so I had to take her home with me. My house was an absolute mess, and I was
a nervous wreck – I’d only been in real estate for three weeks! She just smiled and told me to make us both a coffee, while she wrote up the offer.”

TIMES MAY HAVE CHANGED, BUT ANDREA’S KNACK FOR FINDING THE PERFECT HOUSE FOR HER CLIENTS HASN’T. “It’s all about tuning in to what people want. It’s what we do best.”

BY ‘WE’, of course, she is referring to herself and her other half, husband and real estate business partner at Bayleys Tauranga, Duncan.

THE DUO WORKED TOGETHER FOR ALMOST TWO DECADES BEFORE MAKING THE MOVE FROM PONSONBY TO PAPAMOA. They’ve only been here a couple of months but, with a long list of professional achievements under their belts, and down-to-earth dispositions, they’re already making their mark on the Bay.

“WE ALWAYS THOUGHT WE’D END UP SOMEWHERE NORTH, BUT ONE NIGHT WE MET A COUPLE WHO LIVED BESIDE THE MOUNT GOLF COURSE,” Andrea explains. “We were intrigued, so decided to come down for a few weekends in winter. Duncan always says winter is a great ‘litmus test’ to see what a place is really like – when it’s at its worst. We were pleasantly surprised. We came across Post Bank one July night and couldn’t believe it was fully booked! Luckily, they managed to squeeze us in. The meal was beautiful, and the restaurant was buzzing. That night really cemented the move for us.”

THE COUPLE BOUGHT A HOLIDAY HOME, JOINED THE LOCAL GOLF CLUB AND HAD THEIR FIRST PAPAMOA CHRISTMAS. It’s no surprise the thought of going back to Auckland had somewhat lost its appeal.

“IT TOOK US A FEW MONTHS TO CUT TIES, THEN WE HIT THE GROUND RUNNING WITH BAYLEYS TAURANGA IN SEPTEMBER,” says Duncan. “We thought we’d be in Auckland for a few more years, but The Mount seduced us. There are so many people coming to the Bay, of a similar age group, from all over New Zealand, for the lifestyle.”

“PONSONBY IS A NICE COMMUNITY BUT IT’S DIFFERENT HERE; PEOPLE ARE JUST SO HAPPY. Business is thriving, and there are beautiful homes popping up everywhere, so we’re still running a highly active real estate business. But at 6 pm we’re walking down the beach – not sitting at our desks,” says Andrea.

THEY MAY HAVE BID FAREWELL TO PONSONBY, BUT IT DIDN’T TAKE THEM LONG TO SNIFF OUT THE BEST LOCAL COFFEE SPOTS. “George Café is fantastic, and so is the newly opened Heath Street Café. We love the salads at Central Deli and, in Tauranga, we’re big fans of Alimento and Me & You.”

AFTER A LIGHT-HEARTED DEBATE ABOUT WHERE TO FIND THE BEST SCONES IN TOWN, I ask Duncan how he met Andrea. He laughs and proceeds to explain, with a thick Scottish accent, that they were first introduced when he was working at the Maritime Museum.

“I REALISED EARLY ON THAT A WOMAN IN REAL ESTATE OFTEN WORKS WEEKENDS so, thinking I’d never see her again, I quit my job and decided to try my hand with property! Initially, Andrea was selling houses in Ponsonby, and I was working for the city apartment team. When the market turned upside down during the global financial crisis (GFC), we decided to join forces.”

IT TURNS OUT HE WASN’T HALF BAD, EITHER. DUNCAN WAS CROWNED ‘ROOKIE OF THE YEAR’ in 2003 and, since then, the pair have won multiple awards, gone back to Massey University to attain further qualifications, and accumulated a whopping $400 million in sales: an achievement held by only 17 out of 1,060 Bayleys agents nationally. They were also the winning marketing team on The Block NZ. Twice!

“WE’RE PASSIONATE ABOUT LEARNING AND UPSKILLING – you have to be when you’re dealing with such large sums of money. Years ago, you could throw up a sign and have people queueing up to buy, but the market is different now. When you’ve worked through tough markets like the GFC, you learn to adapt and innovate,” says Duncan.

“BUYING OR SELLING IS AN EMOTIONAL TIME FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED, WHETHER IT’S A FIRST HOME OR A MULTI-MILLION-DOLLAR PROPERTY. Duncan and I love working as a team, and we’ve found that our clients appreciate a choice of who they deal with. It’s the power of two,” adds Andrea.

THE BAY’S BEST SCONE IS STILL UP FOR DEBATE, BUT ONE THING IS CERTAIN – Andrea and Duncan are very welcome imports, who bring with them a classy mindset and skills that put them in hot demand.

Home is where her heart is

From living at the Mount campground to becoming one of Tauranga’s top businesswomen, Sharon Hall of Bayleys Real Estate talks about her remarkable journey and her passion for the Mount.

WORDS DANIEL DUNKLEY / PHOTOS SALINA GALVAN

Sharon Hall lives and breathes Marine Parade. Pick a house and she can tell you about its history. Ask about a business and she knows the owner. Enquire about the landscape and she can give you the details.
“Decades ago when these Norfolk trees were tiny, the headmaster of the local primary school used to tie presents to them at Christmas,” she says, looking across to the Mount’s main beach from her home. “It’s such a special place to be at this time of year – in fact, all year round.”
Sharon calls Marine Parade home, and is also a leading property specialist in the area. Dotted with pristine properties and beach baches, the Mount to Papamoa is her preserve.
Every sun-soaked spot in this picturesque postcode means something to her. With an encyclopedic knowledge of the area, Sharon is a formidable businesswoman. A former nurse, she has invested in property throughout her life, learning from her parents, who scraped together all they had to invest in real estate when she was growing up in Matamata.
“My mother and father started with £10 and a motorbike,” she says. “My parents worked really hard. It was very ballsy of my mother to buy real estate, especially as a woman. Back then, women couldn’t even get a mortgage; the man had to do it. My father was more risk-averse.”

While working long hours as a nurse, Sharon took her mother’s advice and bought a block of four flats in Tauranga. In 1980, she forged a career as a real estate agent before changing direction into other businesses while she had small children. At that point, her life was turned upside down.
In the early 2000s, Sharon lost nearly everything following a divorce. She ended up without a home, living in a horse truck at the Mt Maunganui campground with her two daughters. She had just $40.
“I had nothing. I ended up in the horse truck with the girls, and owed $70,000 to a lawyer,” she says, pointing down the road to the campsite. “We went from living in a beachfront home to living like that. It was actually a relief, because I couldn’t lose anything else.”
Back at square one, times were tough. But the experience gave her empathy and a strong resolve to provide for her children.
“I eventually sold the horse truck and went back into real estate in 2005. I was one of Bayleys’ top agents for five years. And I went on from there.”
Since 2005, Sharon has earned her place at Bayleys and worked her way back to the top, buying an apartment in the Mount, before moving to a basic house on Marine Parade. Now, her traditional white bach is, she says, the perfect spot to watch people having genuine heartfelt fun for absolutely no cost.
After overcoming adversity in her life, Marine Parade will always hold a special significance. She believes it is a privilege to live here. “The Mount is quite spiritual – it’s my tūrangawaewae,” she says. “It’s the ultimate playground. It’s such a fantastic investment. I believe in the product.”
At Bayleys, Sharon has played a huge part in some of the biggest real estate deals in Mt Maunganui. The waterfront has become one of the most sought-after locations in the country,and she has seen it develop and grow in stature.
She says north-facing, beachfront property is one of the Mount’s key attributes, making it increasingly valuable: “It’s paradise,” she says. “It’s a limited product. It’s like the ultimate diamond; there’s no more of this land left.”
While playing a role in Marine Parade’s development, Sharon has also helped to preserve pieces of its past. In 2015, she bought the Mount’s iconic pink bach at the top of Marine Parade, saving it from a fate unknown. The bach was craned over to her section where it still sits today. “I couldn’t have it going anywhere else,” she adds.

After building her life and livelihood in Mt Maunganui, Sharon is excited about the area’s future. As holiday homes give way to residential properties on the beachfront, new restaurants, bars and businesses attract a new generation of visitors.
Yet the Mount’s natural beauty will always remain the main attraction, she says. “It’s synonymous with holidays and having fun. People don’t come here to spend money. They come to enjoy the surroundings. I’m always amazed by how many people pack their bags to come here.”
Marine Parade has played a special role in Sharon’s life so far. After the roller coaster journey to her own slice of paradise, it’s clear she wouldn’t swap the location for anywhere else in the world. “It’s like being on holiday 24/7,” she says. “To me, it’s just heaven on earth.”

Mover + shaker

You can take the boy out of the Bay of Plenty, but you can’t take the Bay out of the boy. Maria Hoyle talks to the local influencer about going back for his future.

WORDS Maria Hoyle / PHOTOS Garth Badger 

I’ll be honest – I was apprehensive about meeting Jay Reeve. I’d seen the pics, read the bio. Here’s a tall, handsome, motorbike-riding, surfing dude with multiple successful roles – among them DJ, wine brand co-owner and social media influencer. During his time at MTV (they approached him – he’s never had to apply for a job in his life), he jetted around the world meeting the likes of Kanye, Snoop Dogg and Dave Grohl. He has a beautiful wife, adorable twin boys, and a queue of fascinating personalities to interview as co-host of The Rock radio show Rock Drive with Jay & Dunc. His life is fast, busy, glam. And now he has to spend an hour with me. 

However, from the moment we sit down at a café near Jay’s new home in Auckland’s Herne Bay, he’s fully engaged, relaxed, self-deprecating, interesting and interested. Perhaps acting is another of his many skills. But it turns out the truth is far simpler – Jay Reeve is a people person.

Don’t get me wrong, he doesn’t disappoint on the rock ’n’ roll quotient, turning up on his Harley, sauntering in and shaking hands with a friend (a fan?) at a nearby table. I’d anticipated the cool – what I hadn’t expected was the warm. He gives me a generous hug, meets my eyes with his velvety green ones (yep, something about Jay brings out the Mills & Boon in me), and for a full 50 minutes, I have his undivided attention. Oh, apart from when another cool-looking guy comes over, launches into some banter, and Jay responds with a jovial, “Mate, I’m in the middle of an interview – I’ll give you a bell”. When his buddy’s gone, Jay explains, “Super-clever guy, rides a Harley as well. He’s the lead singer of Blindspott.” Of course he is. Because that’s the world Jay inhabits.

But… and here’s the big but. It takes only a few minutes of chatting to understand something fundamental about this Bay of Plenty-born 36-year-old. A flash Harley might be what gets him around, but community, family and friendship are what drive him. They shape his past, his present, and will no doubt shape his future. As for people, well – Bay locals, band frontmen, baristas, red-carpet stars, middle-aged journalists… they’re all one and the same to Jay. Apart from Delta Goodrem. We’ll get to her in a minute. 

First things first. Jay has a window of time before heading off to a school visit with his five-year-old sons Oscar and Hunter (who are soon to start at the local primary) to talk me through what exactly he, his wife Anna and their boys are doing back in Auckland. In case you’re not familiar with it, the story goes like this.

Jay grew up on a dairy farm in Te Puna, moved to Mount Maunganui at 15, disliked school but nonetheless ended up, at 21, teaching home economics at Tauranga Boys’ College. (Although he appreciated his parents’ hard work, he had no desire to take over the farm.) It was while commentating and competing in the Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour that he was snapped up by MTV. He stayed there for five years as a VJ, doing the aforementioned A-list interviews, then started to ponder a career in radio.

As luck would have it (to be fair, most turning points in Jay’s life might well start with that phrase), MTV made him redundant, so he walked away with a nice juicy payout and able to pursue the radio career he wanted. There followed six years on ZM’s drive show with Paul ‘Flynny’ Flynn, before the popular duo ‘consciously uncoupled’ and Jay snagged a two-year gig at Radio Hauraki.

At that point, in late 2017, the family packed everything up and headed back to the Mount. For good. “The plan was to stay there indefinitely,” says Jay. “I was done with radio. TV not so much; I’ve still got a couple of show concepts bubbling away in my head.”

The lure of the Bay was the slower pace that would enable them to focus on what matters. “We were well set up financially, and I wanted to spend as much time with my boys as I could before they went to school,” says Jay. He also wanted them to experience a taste of the childhood he’d had. On the farm, Jay grew up milking cows, hosing down the yard and doing other chores he “loved”.

“It was the best upbringing,” he says. “We’d put sandwiches in a backpack and walk to the back of our farm about 5km away, and spend the whole day adventuring. Our farm backed onto Whakamarama, and we had friends who lived on the other side of the river, so we’d meet them and jump off the waterfall. We’d go to Maramatanga Park with my dad and play twilight cricket. We’d hang out in the Te Puna clubrooms drinking lemonade and raspberry with a punnet of chips, while the adults told dirty jokes. I loved growing up in Te Puna.”

Jay reckons that even today, life in the Bay is simpler – that people are just that bit more content than their big-city counterparts. So the question remains: what’s he doing back in Auckland?

It came down to “the guarantee of a salary for a set number of years while we’re at the age we’re at. I’ve always looked at it that between 30 and 40 you make the majority of your funds, and then from that point, you can still be at an age to decide what you want to do. You can pivot, start again at 40.”

Jay wanted to maximise that peak earning potential, but if he was going to slam the thing into reverse and head back up to the big smoke, it was going to be on his own terms. He says any Auckland job “needed to tick every single box. I needed the person I worked with
to be someone I got on with, it needed to be the time slot I wanted, it needed to be on a station I liked, and it needed to be on a network I had respect for.”

He found all that at The Rock. Jay says that, ironically, the move ended up being hardest on Auckland-bred Anna. “She really did love the Mount – the pace of life and what it was like to bring up a family there.”

But it’s working out. So far. Anna’s already in her own groove. “She looks after all the social accounts for the businesses, takes care of all my social-influence stuff as I don’t have time, and looks after the boys. She’s ‘life admin’ for the Reeve family. It’s an unrelenting and perhaps under-appreciated job.”

As for Jay, he’s loving The Rock. It’s not just a gig to earn some decent dough – he and Dunc have worked out a format they’re both super excited about. Jay hadn’t worked with him before, so they had a “feeling-out process” – time spent getting to know one another. A bit like Married at First Sight? Jay laughs. “Ha – that’s a good way of putting it, yes.” 

As well as music and cheeky banter, the pair wanted to give people something that would challenge their existing views, and to bring on guests – like a controversial recent interviewee who talked about trying the mind-bending drug ayahuasca – who would provide a fresh perspective. Jay, an avid podcast listener, admits he can be close-minded at times, but tries to overcome it. “I’ve started listening to a podcast and I’ve gone, ‘F**k this guy, he doesn’t know what he’s talking about’, then by the end of it I’m, ‘Oh my god, I’ve come right around’. I like that education; we’re trying to do a bit of it. Nowadays we’re so quick to go, ‘I’m team this or team that’. But you can sit in the middle and go, ‘Well, tell me more’.

“I’ve always said I’m the luckiest guy in the world,” says Jay. With his four career boxes ticked off, everything else about their new Auckland life has magically fallen into place too. “We needed to quickly find somewhere to live and we’ve just, through a friend of a friend, signed a year-long lease on a house, so we’ve been able to get the boys into the school we wanted,” says Jay. “My work is very close. I’m surrounded by great friends, including close friends of ours from the Bay just around the corner.”

Although he’s grateful, it’s not the same as life at the Mount. “Where we lived, Gordon Road, we knew everyone, we knew each other’s kids, there was a real sense of community,” he says. I suggest he can recreate that in Auckland, but he laughs ruefully. “It’s too far gone! Everyone’s just busy. That’s the vibe of Auckland.” So the Bay is never far from his thoughts. But he knows that “to do our show and our talent and the investment from the radio station justice, the minimum term [for him in Auckland] would be five years”. It’s not that he’s complaining; Jay isn’t a whinger. It’s just the way it is right now.

One of Jay’s multiple roles is “silent but loud” partner in wine brand Master of Ceremonies, launched in 2016, which he co-owns with Anna and friends Mat Croad and Nick Marshall. (They’ve also teamed up with Hawke’s Bay winemaking supremo Rod McDonald – read more about it in Jay’s column in UNO Issue 43.) Did he know anything about wine before embarking on this venture?

“I was a big drinker!” he laughs. Plus, “I like to keep an eye out for things that are just around the curve. Rosé was a thing that popped up on my radar. My wife has always drunk rosé. I have bikie friends who drink rosé, not beer. Mat’s a wine importer and could see rosé was going up at a rapid rate. We’ve seen that in the past four years; there used to be three or four bottles in the supermarket aisle, now there are about 100. Nick came on as the majority shareholder, CEO and CFO. He pays himself a peppercorn wage to keep the business going; he’s such an asset to the business. It’s the people who make the business what it is. It’s cool to do business with your buddies.”

As well as a rosé, there’s now a Master of Ceremonies Central Otago pinot noir and a pinot gris 2018, plus a limited-edition sparkling rosé that’s a collaboration with fashion label Stolen Girlfriends Club. They have plans to export the coming vintage, “a push into Australia, Singapore, Asia”, and exciting plans for expansion. “Nick’s a very forward thinker,” says Jay. “ We’ve been working on something for the past two or three years; it’s very close to being released. It will be well ahead of the curve.”

Are we talking wine here? “Aah… yes and no.” He grins. “I’d love to tell you more, but…” 

Jay has a lot of things on the go, and living life as he does, at full throttle, requires mastering the art of maintenance. How does he keep himself in such good shape? “I fast – it’s a new thing for me,” he says. “I eat between 1pm and 7pm. I also try not to have any sugars or
carbs; it’s predominantly a meat-and-vegetable diet. 

“I met a guy called Nigel Beach, who’s an offsider for Wim Hof [the Dutch extreme athlete known as the Iceman, who pioneered the Wim Hof Method] and does this thing called ‘controlled discomfort’, where you have an ice bath. I get up and hop into a cold shower, or into a cold river, or into the sea. It’s amazing. It’s like going ‘control, alt, delete’. Apart from that, I drink far too much, sleep minimal hours and
really burn the candle at both ends and the middle.”

What about his mental health? Jay has talked in the past about how his relentless positivity has seen him accused of being arrogant. How does he cope when people take a shot at him or when he gets flak for something he’s said or written? Does it bother him?

He strains a little, like he really wants it to bother him. “Hmm… ah…” He laughs. “I don’t put that much thought into it!” What no doubt helps is that he’s always willing to listen. “I can say something, but then if someone more informed comes along and says, ‘You’re wrong and these are the reasons why I think you’re wrong’, then I’m 100 percent open to shifting my position – and I do so frequently. If you’re not learning, you’re just not moving.”

I try him on adversity. Any adversity, Jay, even a smidgen? Er, no. “I choose to be positive,” he says. And he’s aware how lucky he is. “There’s no problem I could ever have, ever, that could compare on a global scale with what happens every day to other people all over the world,” he says.

Okay, let’s try this, then. What about being a parent? Now that definitely comes with its curveballs, especially raising boys in this era of #MeToo. How do you teach them to speak their truth and be respectful of women?

“My wife and I talk about this a lot,” says Jay. “People just want to be treated with respect.” He believes we’ve become so fearful of offending people, that we’ve simply ceased to communicate. “Then there’s a systemic breakdown, then there’s alienation, misinformation. People put it in the too-hard basket. Now more than ever, we need to be talking.”

As for respecting women, or indeed any individual, the key is talk. “Don’t assume,” says Jay. “To be in an intimate situation with a person of the other sex or same sex and assuming they want to take it to the same place as you will get you into trouble. So communicate. But for kids to learn things, they have to see it.”

And then we’re back to the Bay. “I don’t want to say Auckland does a bad job of raising kids, but [provincial New Zealand]does it better,” says Jay. “We just got back from Gore and I didn’t see one kid on a phone while I was there. We did a show out of a bar/restaurant and kids were there with two or three generations of their family, talking across the table with everyone, sitting between adults, being part of the situation.”

For someone who’s met his fair share of celebs, Jay’s touchingly appreciative of these ordinary scenarios and of people showing each other good old-fashioned courtesies. So how does that pan out when he’s meeting the big stars – is he able to apply his philosophy of treating everyone decently, or does he get so starstruck that he acts differently?

Jay shakes his head. There was one person who made him a little gaga. “Strangely enough, Delta Goodrem. She was coming down the red carpet and I was like, ‘Oh, it’s Delta – whatever’.” But as she got closer, the ‘Delta effect’ rendered him speechless. “She was ethereal, like she had a halo of light around her. I was just holding out the mic in front of me. I was with my producer at the time, Bronwynn Wilson, who was going, ‘What are you f**king doing? Just talk!’ It was getting awkward, so Delta looked at Bronwynn and said, ‘So are you guys having a good time?’ and Bronwynn went from being like ‘Grrrr’ to ‘Uh… ah…’ – the same thing. After Delta had walked past I said, ‘Oh my god, I don’t know what happened!’ and Bronwynn said, ‘I don’t know what happened either!’”

It’s hard to imagine Jay being lost for words; for him, striking up conversation is the easiest thing in the world. Be it with A-listers or mere mortals, his favourite opener is, “‘So when you’re not doing this, what are you doing?’ And then they can say, ‘I run I with my dog, I like hanging out with my kids’ or whatever.”

What does that look like for Jay – what’s he doing when he’s at his happiest? “Happiness for me…” he pauses. “It almost makes me emotional thinking about it. This summer, we had this big group of us – all my family, my kids, my wife, one of my sisters, my parents, a big bunch of my friends – and we all rarked it up on the beach. The kids were running around, the surf was pumping, it was a beautiful still day. We were watching over each other’s kids, hanging out, having beers. That for me is heaven. Just heaven. I desperately miss it.”

In the background, Auckland attempts to plead its case: the thrum of traffic, a passing truck, coffee machines going full pelt to fuel the got-to-be-somewhere set. Jay is oblivious.

“You know, sometimes it’s nice to know what you want, so you can miss it and try to get back there,” he says. “It’s solidified for us what we want to do, where we want to be, how we want to raise our family, and what we want to be like as people. For the first time in 36 years, I know what I want.”

And, quite honestly, who wouldn’t raise a glass of rosé to that?  

@THEJAYREEVE

What’s for dinner

Virtually every Kiwi in the country has heard of My Food Bag and recognises its public face, Nadia Lim. In the past five years, the company has produced 45 million meals; it’s New Zealand’s third-largest food retailer, and has changed the way many of us shop for and prepare our meals.

WORDS ANDY TAYLOR / PHOTOS GARTH BADGER

My Food Bag’s ‘nude food’ concept has changed the way many of us eat, making healthy, low-salt, preservative-free meals filled with fresh ingredients easy peasy.

What many of us don’t know is that its creator, Cecilia Robinson, had been there, done that. She’s also co-founder of the groundbreaking and successful Au Pair Link, another company that altered the way a traditional service was delivered while changing lives along the way. Having achieved all this in just 10 short years, it’s easy to see why Cecilia has been dubbed ‘New Zealand’s greatest entrepreneur’ by Theresa Gattung, ex Telecom chief executive and frequent flyer on Fortune’s Most Powerful Women in International Business list.

Cecilia’s journey began a long, long way from New Zealand. “Sweden is a nice place to grow up,” she says of her birthplace. “It’s quite different from New Zealand, though, and the winters can be very demoralising. It’s still a very nice place to be, but New Zealand is just such a fantastic place, with beautiful beaches and a safe environment in which to bring up children.”

Which brings us to Papamoa, where Cecilia’s husband James’s parents live. “They fell in love with Papamoa, and we love the beach. And nearby, at Bayfair, is the best Farmers in the country – have you seen their toy department?! [When we visit] we go to the beach and playgrounds, then hit the cafés – it’s really just a magical place.

“Sometimes in life, you just don’t know where the road is going to lead you. Driving down last year to see my parents-in-law, we went through Katikati. It brought back so many memories, as  it was where we made one of our first  Au Pair Link placements. Ten years later, I’m driving back through with my own family.”

Cecilia’s first forays into the business world began at an early age. “Back in Sweden, my friends and I used to make things like friendship bracelets, then sell them outside the local supermarket, and I went door-to-door for the World Wildlife Fund. But there was never one particular event that started my interest in being an entrepreneur.

“Every week, my father used to say, ‘When I win Lotto, when I win Lotto, when I win Lotto…’ and it used to drive me crazy – it was part of our everyday vocabulary. It made me think that I didn’t want to be at the mercy of winning Lotto to change my life. So that was actually a good driver. Thanks, Dad!”

Once Cecilia had graduated from selling bracelets at the supermarket, it was the world of law rather than business that caught her eye. Her parents were both academics – “I think they have four or five degrees between them,” she says – so higher education was practically a given. But for someone who clearly likes to see things through to the end, the outcome was surprising.

“I studied in Sweden, New Zealand and the United States, but I still don’t have
a degree,” says Cecilia. “James jokes that I’m a law-school dropout in three countries, which is true. But on our first date, we talked about financial freedom and making your own fortune, about business and thinking about things differently.”

James’s name pops up frequently in conversation with Cecilia. They’re not only life partners, but also business partners, and joint CEOs of My Food Bag. While Cecilia has been described as a “serial entrepreneur with sass”, James brings his own skill set to the table, running the marketing, IT and finance teams of both My Food Bag and Au Pair Link. Mixing a personal relationship with business has been the undoing of many couples, but not  so the Robinsons, who seem to positively thrive on it.

“Who would you rather be in business with than the person you know the best, and trust and love the most?” says Cecilia. “And when the leadership culture is collaborative like ours, it makes a huge difference to the business. So although we do separate the various parts of the business, we also spend a lot of time providing feedback to each other. We work very collaboratively and respect each other professionally. In fact, I think the collaboration within the My Food Bag team has been one of the key reasons
we’ve been so successful.”

The couple’s first meeting and the intertwined lives that ensued sound like pure serendipity. “I’d been working as an au pair in the United States while I studied, but decided I wanted to work in New Zealand instead, because my brother was working there,” says Cecilia. “He had a dinner party to welcome me to New Zealand – and that’s where I met James, on my first night in the country.” The rest, as they say, is history.

An exciting new chapter in their story began in 2006, with the launch of their first major project together: Au Pair Link. “We were living in a little two-bedroom apartment in Auckland’s CBD, working and studying full-time, but also thinking about how much I’d got out of being an au pair – it had been such an amazing experience,” recalls Cecilia. “I gained so much from it that I thought other people would want to do it too. James was really supportive, so we started a website, and suddenly we were getting phone calls at seven in the morning from all over the country. We thought, ‘Well, there must be something here, because people really need us.’”

There certainly was, and people certainly did. Au Pair Link was New Zealand’s first dedicated au pair agency that made sure au pairs were safe and fully supported by a national network – a far cry from the previous system of classified ads and word of mouth. The company has grown to employ 40 full-time staff and has placed thousands of au pairs throughout Australasia.

“It was very challenging, because we were starting with something that was very much a cottage industry, and we realised that to succeed, we had to take a new approach,” says Cecilia. “Instead of saying an au pair was someone who just appeared in your home to look after your child, we saw them as licensed childcare providers who add to your child’s education. And that was a game-changer. Within five years, we were one of the largest companies of our kind in the world.”

Having revolutionised the au pair scene and reset the horizons of several thousand young Kiwis who suddenly had an international influence in their homes, you’d think that it was time for the credits to roll and the Robinsons and Au Pair Link to settle into a stately rhythm that would see them through the rest of their careers. But no – luckily for New Zealand, Cecilia got bored with pottering around the house.

“We were travelling in Europe and saw a model there similar to what would become My Food Bag,” she says. “I have a husband who loves to eat but not to cook, and it struck me that there would be a lot of people in similar situations. Back in New Zealand, I was on maternity leave from Au Pair Link. I’d done all the ironing and everything I could do around the house, and I got bored really fast, so I said to James that I wanted to explore the possibilities around this new idea. I did all the research, then started on the business plan. And within four hours of finishing it, I was in labour. So I kind of say that My Food Bag and our son, Tom, are twins.”

As if bringing two new creations into the world in one day wasn’t enough, just four weeks later, the Robinsons presented Cecilia’s business plan to Theresa Gattung and the rest of the Au Pair Link board. The response was overwhelmingly positive, with Theresa particularly impressed and keen to get the project moving forward as soon as possible.

“Theresa came up to me straight after I’d presented it and said, ‘This is what I’ve been waiting for – so what’s next?’” says Celcilia. “We had a month-old baby, 1000 au pairs throughout New Zealand and so many existing business obligations to deal with already, but it just seemed so right, so we reached out to Nadia [Lim] and her husband, Carlos [Bagrie]. They came in thinking we were pitching something around Au Pair Link or baby food.

“Nadia and Carlos were on their way to the airport for a three-week trip to Europe and jumped on their flight straight afterwards, so we heard nothing for 24 hours. And then they said they were in! We assembled the team in November and by March [2013] we were in the market. That was a pretty intense summer.”

Understatements occur frequently in conversation with Cecilia. But if she makes it sound easy, it wasn’t. Bringing the My Food Bag vision to life required the team to master a raft of technical challenges and inject the kind of human touch that would get people out of their routines and see them up for some chang e in the kitchen. And, of course, the food had to be fantastic too.

“It’s complicated,” says Cecilia. “There are so many variations involved. But we have a really great team and what people don’t realise is that each recipe gets tested multiple times. It’s an amazing process and our suppliers come in and show us new cuts of meat or new products that we can utilise. We want to be cutting edge but still provide meals people will love and that become new family favourites.”

Like other new business models – think Uber, for example – My Food Bag has been described as ‘disruptive’, but unlike many others, it’s actually profitable. “My Food Bag is incredibly disruptive, because five years in, we were the third-largest food retailer in New Zealand,” says Cecilia. “Actually, that was probably true after two or three years – it happened so fast.

“For us, it’s been incredibly powerful to be part of giving people new options, which is what we did with Au Pair Link: instead of just having someone in your home or on a trip helping with your children, which was the old model, we changed that and added the education factor. So with My Food Bag, it was again taking an old model and making
it brand new, and when people ask how My Food Bag happened so fast and became so successful so quickly, they forget the many years that we spent reaching that point.”

What’s also not immediately apparent about My Food Bag, but becomes clear if you spend any time with Cecilia, is that beyond disruptive technologies, recipe development and delivery schedules, the company is incredibly people-focused. Staff are encouraged to bring their children to work, and virtually scolded for not leaving early if they have to pick them up.

“For us, it’s always been about people and then letting the numbers and business fall out of that,” says Cecilia. “And when I say ‘people’, I mean our team, suppliers and customers – we start with them. Leading in that way has given us great clarity about how we make decisions. We bring our kids into work and make sure people take the time to do what they need to do around their kids, so we’re people first and on the business side second. We’re mums and dads, we’re husbands, we’re wives, and we’re friends before we become business people. And that builds a lot of love and trust both inside and outside the company.”

Perhaps the most remarkable part of all in the Robinsons’ story is that by the time you read this, the couple will have stepped back from the empire they’ve created and handed over the leadership to new CEO, Kevin Bowler. During our interview, Kevin calls Cecilia. She asks UNO to stop recording, then excitedly congratulates him on his new role and invites him to dinner with James, Theresa, Nadia and Carlos, and to a photo shoot to announce the appointment to the press. “We’re a ‘check your suit at the door’ kind of company,” she tells him. “Just wear something relaxed.”

It may surprise some that Cecilia and James are willing to step down from something they’re so passionate about and that’s going so well. “One of the biggest drivers for entrepreneurs is financial freedom,” says Cecilia. “It’s like being in the Olympics. You prepare and train, and then you run the race and win and achieve everything you wanted –
but what then? You keep running?! And that’s what approaching this change was like for us.

“Once the company had reached the point it’s at now, we had financial freedom and did a lot of things that we’d dreamt of, but the key thing we wanted was the freedom of more time. So James and I said that we’d give it 12 months after we partly sold to Waterman Capital [in late 2016], get stability for our team and ensure that we were delivering, and then our time was done.

“Finding the right person to come in has been something we’ve taken very seriously, and we’ll be continuing in governance roles because we have a real passion for our people, our foodies and our products,” continues Cecilia. “But basically, we are retiring. There are people who achieve financial freedom and want to keep working, to keep running, but that’s not us – we want to use that freedom to spend time with our kids.”

Retiring. It’s hard to believe that the energy and dynamism of the half-Swedish family Robinson will fit the retired life, but they have redefined the way we eat, so they may well  redefine retirement, too.

A methodical mind

WORDS JENNY RUDD PHOTOS LOGAN DAVEY

Stuart Crosby assumed office as mayor on October 9th 2004 after spending 18 years as an elected council member, becoming the twenty eighth mayor of Tauranga. After serving four terms, he decided not to enter the fray for the fifth. Following 12 years as mayor, and 18 as a Tauranga councillor, Stuart is now a Bay of Plenty Regional Councillor.

After chatting to Stuart for an hour or so, drinking tea in Elizabeth Café, I walked away thinking ‘I really like you.’ He was pretty specific and descriptive and gave some padding to the ‘Go back to the beach’ story, but he wasn’t rude or critical. He had a youthful and optimistic view, and a methodical mind. He definitely isn’t the ‘party line’ boy I thought he’d be. More than that, he was a proper human in a role which is largely thankless, doesn’t do much to bond you to your spouse, and occupies your every waking second.

If there’s anyone who needs a finger pointing at them and being given some credit for how bloody brilliant our region is today, it’s Stuart.

What does a mayor do?

First and foremost you are the elected member of the council. Last time we had a new council, I said ‘I am not your boss. You have been independently elected and are accountable and responsible for whatever you say and do.’ I believe we have a responsibility to create an environment where everyone can succeed, by removing barriers to their success.

The mayor’s role is set out in regulations, but it only scratches the surface. There’s another side, which only current or previous mayors would understand. It’s the responsibility of the city or area you represent. And that doesn’t stop, day or night. It’s something you can’t put on a spreadsheet or explain to someone else, because it’s a personal thing. As mayor, you are accountable and responsible for things you actually have nothing to do with. For instance, If someone has a car accident, people will often blame the road, and therefore the council and mayor. The fact they were drunk or stoned or going too fast or had bald tyres doesn’t come into it. You have to understand the situation, and think how best to represent the city, not yourself, in the best light.

The role is as much as you want to make it. I’ve seen mayors in some cities sleepwalk through the job, but the vast majority work their arses off with very little thanks or reward, but they don’t do it for that.

What do you think you brought to the role of mayor?

I have the ability stay calm under pressure, and rely on my knowledge and experience to do and say the right thing. I learned that a key attribute is to listen to people, try to stand in their shoes to really understand their point of view and then relate that view to the issue in question.

I’ve always had the view that you provide for today and plan for tomorrow. I put much time and effort with others in the planning ahead. Lots of politicians I have worked with didn’t have much interest in long term planning, just how daily issues affected their chances of being re-elected. Tauranga’s success is no accident, it is the result of a comprehensive plan which I had a role in developing and executing along with others using the resources we had at the time. 

While as a mayor you must lead, you don’t achieve much on your own. You can achieve huge things as a team.

What makes a good councillor?

I’ve always said ‘If you want something said, ask a male, if you want something done, ask a female’. Pretty much to a person, the women on the council are harder working and more focused than men. I think it’s because they communicate better, and are more passionate about the job. Generally speaking, women tend to do things which benefit others, as they are less ego driven.

And they network better too. Because New Zealand is still so small, those connections are really valuable. There are so few gatekeepers; you could have a chat with the prime minister if you really wanted to.

What aspect of the job was most challenging, did you work out how to overcome it?

When people connected to the council were affected by big losses like death, homes and businesses. I didn’t ever overcome getting emotionally involved. But I learned to front the challenge head on, and share the emotional side with those involved.

How did being mayor affect your family?

In hindsight, I too often prioritised my mayoral role above my family, and in particular in how I allocated my time. I believe this is a common issue with politicians, and especially those in roles of leadership. On the positive side there were occasions where my family met extraordinary people, because of my job.

Where are the gaps in Tauranga?

We are still struggling to find work for a professional couple in Tauranga. A recently arrived couple I know are a civil engineer and an accountant. They are finding it hard to get two jobs at the moment. The city will grow into it, though.

This building we are in, on the corner of Elizabeth Street, was a game changer. The next big one will be the new university campus. That will transform the city. The redevelopment is happening. In five to seven years, the CBD will be humming.

It will bring not only the energy and verve of students, but also the academic staff. And they will need different stimuli like museums, art galleries.

And there still isn’t enough to do for those in their twenties. We have to admit that. It will change, though. Where there is a demand, the supply will follow suit. We just need to keep them here in the meantime.

What do you think Tauranga City Council’s greatest achievement has been, over the years?

Our Growth Management Strategy called SmartGrowth. A number of key entities are working together with communities to plan ahead for the whole sub-region, which is a key element to our success. I’m proud to say I’ve been involved since its inception, and remain involved.

And finally, what advice would you give to someone who thinks they’d make a good mayor?

I will always support someone’s desire to stand as a councillor or for the mayoralty; it is a critical part of our democratic process. The problem is that many candidates have no idea about the role and the demands. Fortunately the voting public do have an understanding, and generally get it right at the election as far as the mayoralty is concerned. My advice for any candidate would be to spend time understanding the community you hope to represent, and the mechanics of that local government.

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“When I was elected as mayor, the town was being run by a small group of grey-haired businessmen. They pretty much decided on who would, and who wouldn’t be the mayor, and who would be ‘elected’ as councillors. Someone in the group came to me and said ‘Go back to the beach where you belong.’ My first mayoral function was at Tauranga Race Course at a presentation of the Japan New Zealand Cup, where I politely recounted the story to a group which included that gentleman.”

“Luckily the power of those people has diminished, in fact it’s almost non-existant now. The city has outgrown them. There’s a different generation coming through with a different agenda. In their thirties, they have a generosity of spirit. They aren’t motivated to make cash for themselves, but to create things for their generation and those after. And they take ownership. They don’t sit back and say ‘we want this’ to the government and council, they just think about what they can do to make where we live a better place. And they stick their necks out. Most of the time they succeed. To me, that’s very exciting. ”

Throwback: Liam Messam looks back at his 2006 UNO cover

THEN

Liam Messam went straight from Rotorua Boys' High School into the New Zealand Sevens Squad and began his full time rugby professional career. He was just 21 years old when he starred on the cover.

NOW

I must have had a full tub of Dax Wax in my hair. I laugh now when I see the cover, all styled up with the clothes and 'do.

Back then I was totally immersed, committed and focused. It was almost an obsession to be the best player I could be.

The highlight of my career? The friends I've made. Although, winning the Rugby World Cup in 2015 was up there, too! We had such an awesome culture within the team.

In August, I'm off to Toulon in France. The rugby will be fantastic. I've been to Paris and Marseille a couple of times, but this will be a completely different experience.

My two boys, Jai and Bodie, they are learning a few words in French to set them up for a new life in France.

I have such passion and love for the game, I'll keep playing until my body can't take it anymore. As for a career afterwards, I'd like to work in youth leadership, and of course, health and fitness.

Top of her game

WORDS JENNY RUDD PHOTOS TRACIE HEASMAN

A PLAN TO START A FAMILY AND GET TO THE TOP OF HER GAME PROFESSIONALLY SEES MARY HILL BECOME THE NEWEST PARTNER AT TAURANGA LAW FIRM, COONEY LEES MORGAN, SUPPORTED BY HUSBAND MATT AND SONS LUCA AND MITCH.

It’s not the first time Mary has been offered the position. Eight years ago, she was taken out for a coffee with then partner, Paul Cooney. “Paul knew that Matt and I had been going through IVF to try and start a family. He was very supportive. That morning, Paul asked me if I’d like to become partner, and I said, ‘I have some news to share with you too!’

“Although I knew Cooney Lees Morgan would have been happy for me to be a partner while I had babies, I felt that it was a special family time. I also knew that if I wanted to make partner in the future, then I would. There were people who told me I was crazy to let the opportunity go, and that it wouldn’t come round again. But my feeling was, if I wanted to make it happen then it would. I felt relaxed about waiting, and had faith in Cooney’s. I had seen that they treat people really well. When it comes to looking after their staff, and in particular mums, they always think long-term. I’m in a good place right now – the kids are happy, the youngest has been at school for a year, we have built a new home. Now feels like the right time to become a partner.”

MAKING THE MOVE

It was that desire to have a family, and to work in an environment where Mary could succeed whilst raising children, which drew the couple to Cooney Lees Morgan. “I had been working in competition law, doing high court negotiations in Auckland. Matt was working for Mercury Energy in a corporate role. Matt and I are both from Auckland, and it never occurred to me that we’d live anywhere else. But even then, 13 years ago, it felt busy and big. We started to look at places like Nelson, Hawke’s Bay and Tauranga.”

A connection to Sally Powdrell, chairperson of partners at the firm, convinced Mary to make the move. “I was offered a role in resource management – quite different from the competition law I’d been practising. But there were three big clinchers for me. One was Sally; she’s just amazing. She’d been made partner in her twenties, and although her children are now young adults, she was able to work part-time while they were teenagers, when she felt they needed her most. The second was that I could see the firm were driven to support community initiatives and play a role in building the community. The third was that they seemed to be a very happy group of lawyers. That’s a good sign when you are looking at committing to a firm! So, Matt and I made the move.”

“We had been living on Franklin Road in Ponsonby. We loved it, apart from at Christmas when we had to buy a load of cheap lights to stop our neighbours being angry with us. Every day another bulb went. By the end of the holiday, we were a pretty sorry sight. We could see people pointing and laughing at our efforts as they walked past!”

NEW GIRL

Mary is a ‘take-the-bull-by-the-horns’ kind of girl, which is lucky. She needed to learn, not only the different ways of doing things at her new firm, but also another area of law. “Paul Cooney had never had a junior before, but he turned out to be a brilliant mentor. He took me to every single meeting and upskilled me. There was all this new information to absorb. About a month into it, there was a hearing, and he chucked me straight into it! But I felt really supported, and so just got stuck in and had a go. It’s the way I approach most things.

“I was getting practical experience too: more so than with a big firm. I enjoyed being a junior to two QCs because I was able to go to the Court of Appeal and watch and learn about that side of things. In Auckland, I hadn’t run my own trials, but now I have four to six hearings a year. There have been two already this year. I had a three-week hearing when Luca, my eldest, was six weeks old. I presented my client’s case for four days, then a member from my team sat through the rest of the hearing. Good communication amongst my team meant we gave our client the best possible service.”

Most of the partners are from Auckland or Wellington. I ask Mary if she misses the big smoke, but she shakes her head. “We love it here, and the kids are thriving. In every way, it’s exceeded our expectations. I wanted to be able to make a life here and still be in litigation. Hearings are ‘full on’, and you need to be on your game to respond to everything that is thrown at you. Otherwise you end up looking like an idiot. In Auckland, there’s no way I could have had a family life with Matt and the children, and prepared properly for hearings. It would have been logistically impossible. Here in the Bay, our hearings are at the Twin Towers in The Mount: really close to my house! I can have a coffee at Slowfish, spend the morning at the hearing, take my client out for lunch, head back in, then go for a run around the Mount afterwards. It is infinitely better than battling through a sticky and swelling city to do the same job.”

PRESENTEEISM

It’s hard to believe the extent to which Mary’s firm make it possible for the parents to work around raising children. Old, established law firms aren’t renowned for making concessions like that, but it’s deep in Cooney’s culture to be supportive of their staff. “When my children were tiny, I was able to work two days a week for a couple of years. That’s virtually unheard of in our industry. I was still running hearings, my RMA practice and negotiating, and Cooney’s were happy to make it work. I shared a nanny with a colleague. If we had to go to a meeting together, which was not unusual, the nanny would look after all the children.”

“Recently I was up in Auckland at a conference with a group of young lawyers. They talked about the prevalence of ‘presenteeism’ at work. It’s the show of being constantly present and available at work, even if there isn’t anything to do. We discussed how damaging that culture is. It doesn’t get the best out of lawyers, so ultimately doesn’t do the best for the clients. It’s such an antiquated way of working, and one that we really don’t support.”

EXPECTATIONS

This culture of open-minded trust has a real effect on the work produced. “We are a pragmatic bunch. We’d much rather pick up the phone and have a quick chat than send out a waffly five-page letter. Because of that, we have built a good reputation both as a legal practice and employer. We have some big clients, like Zespri, Milford Asset Management, and Norske Skog Tasman, who like the way we work and choose us over the big city legal firms from Auckland or Wellington.”

THE JUGGLE

Mary is a bit of a superwoman. I asked her how a normal day looks: it can’t be easy having two small children and being at the top of your game professionally. She is incredibly fit and likes to do sunrise yoga then go for a run. If she has extra work on because of a hearing, it’s all done early in the morning. “Then it means I can do the school run. That’s my time to see how my boys are doing, and chat to the teachers. I usually get to work around 9.30 am, which is also good as I miss the traffic over the bridge. By the time I get home in the early evening to relieve the nanny, I’m done. Evenings are for Netflix!”

Mary’s favourite spots

Dinner: Burger Fuel, then Pilot Bay with Matt and the children

Glass of wine: On my new deck!

Clothes: I always shop at The Mount – Sisters & Co, Wallis, and North Beach

Run: The Rotorua lakes

Downtime: I belong to a cool book club, where we do anything apart from read books. We go for walks, have cooking lessons, and do anything else we can think of!

Jake Millar: life in the fast lane

At 22 years old, Jake Millar from Greymouth in the South Island has interviewed some of the most influential business people on the planet: The CEO of Fonterra, the CEO of Walmart, the CEO of Tesla, founders of billion-dollar startups, and godfather of entrepreneurs everywhere, Sir Richard Branson. He has interviewed around 500 people over the last four years. 

Jake sold his first business, Oompher, to the New Zealand Government at 19 years old. His second start-up, Unfiltered, has just celebrated its second birthday from New York, where Jake's now living as he launches into the States.

Jake has bottled his ability to get people to talk to him and turned it into a business. Unfiltered gives you access to the stories and wisdom of some of the world's most successful businessmen and women. Interviewed by Jake, they share what they've learned, inspiring others to achieve greatness. Each interview is about an hour-long, and is recorded on video. Jake's done around 500 of them, and they are all published on unfiltered.tv. 

Before he'd launched Unfiltered with his co-founder, Yuuki Ogino, Jake had secured commercial partnerships with Bayleys, Craigs Investments, Price Waterhouse Coopers.

In July this year, I went to Unfiltered Live, held at Auckland Museum. It was slick. Hundreds of people round the country came to hear Jake and other speakers such as the Prime Minister and Sir Graham Henry.

Dapper, neat, scrupulously organised, bespectacled, and always smiling, there's a touch of the #geekchic about Jake. But his old-school, gentlemanly manners give him an air of panache. Jake wraps up lots of information neatly and tightly in short spaces of time. He has got used to sharing the two-minute version of his story to promote Unfiltered. In an interview with an American TV channel that broadcasts live from the New York Stock Exchange, the presenters start off smiling politely at the rather young, earnest-looking fellow in front of them. But after a few minutes, their practiced, generic welcome is slightly askew, and their jaws hang a little loose.

A LOSS

When Jake was 15 years old, his father, Rod Miller, died in a plane crash over Fox Glacier, along with nine other people. Four of them were Jake's friends. Rod owned a sky-diving business. The crash occurred on the same day as the first earthquake hit Christchurch. John Key travelled across the South Island paying his respects to the victims and visiting affected families.
Afterwards, Jake wrote to the Prime Minister thanking him for coming to the crash site, and asking him for words of advice about his future. John Key responded with a personal and encouraging note, and visited the 15-year-old at his home in Greymouth. It was a bright moment amongst all that horror.

Jake says, " At seven years old, John Key lost his father, yet went on to achieve his dreams. I thought, 'If he can do it, so can I.' And I was inspired by the kindness and humanity he had shown in his leadership of our country at that awful time."

SCHOOL

From a young age, Jake has worked hard. "I set myself the goal of being head boy of Christchurch Boys' High School (CBHS) and head boy of Adams House. The two positions hadn't been held at the same time in 11 years." He achieved both those goals in 2012.

Whilst at school, Jake organised quite the line-up of speakers for assembly at CBHS: Rob Fyfe, then CEO of Air New Zealand, Rhys Darby from Flight of the Conchords, and Bill English, then Minister of Finance. Photos of baby-faced Jake honing his interviewing skills with these national heavyweights are shockingly recent. Rob Fyfe is now one of a few experienced CEOs who sit on the board of Unfiltered. He says "I have known Jake since he was 16, and he is one of the most inspiring young New Zealanders I have met in my business career.”

As he headed towards his final terms, Jake read Richard Branson's autobiography, Losing My Virginity. It ignited in him a passion for business. He could see how fun and exciting it was.

But career advice at school was woefully lacking. "You were asked what you thought you'd like to do, and were handed a few pamphlets. Where was the advice from someone who'd been there and done it? What was the best way to get started in a particular job? Where was the motivation to get out there and achieve great things? There wasn't any."

And so, turning down a $40,000 scholarship to study law at Otago University, Jake left school and founded his first business, Oompher. The product was what he had wanted a year earlier: careers advice – from the top of the pile. He interviewed people leading their industry, and invited them to share their wise words, asking questions like, 'What does it take to succeed in your industry?' The videos of the interview were published online. Within two months of launching, Jake started to negotiate with the Government who wanted to buy it. Six months later, in mid-2015, they did.

30-YEAR PLAN

If this all sounds very neat and well-thought-out, that's because it is. This isn't a series of lucky events. Jake plays the longest of games. He has a 30-year plan. That's pretty hard to fathom in our era of instant gratification. "Sir Michael Hill has a 30-year plan. He refers to it regularly. And he advised me to do the same. You have to think aspirationally to make your plan. I  thought about what it is that I wanted from life. Here's my list: family, fun, friends, finances, fortune (good health/luck), influence, and, above all else, total freedom. Whenever I need to make a decision in my life, I look at whether it will bring me closer to those goals. If it doesn't, then I say no."

RAISING CAPITAL

In 2016 he needed to raise $1.2 million to take Unfiltered to the States. "I was confident we'd be able to raise the funds, but I was humbled by the calibre of our investors. Many of them are friends I have made over the years." Some friends! Kevin Roberts, ex-CEO of Saatchi and Saatchi; and Sara Tetro, founder of 62 Models and Talent, are some of the A-list line-up of investors. Having them onboard creates a snowball effect: they bring in friends and contacts who are then willing to be interviewed for Unfiltered.

We meet Jake in between San Francisco and Fiji, and find out how he secures interviews with such big names, and commercial relationships without having launched his business. And what motivated such grit and drive.

Jenny: Happy birthday Unfiltered! Two years old in November. And now you have launched into America. How did it differ to your launch in New Zealand?

Jake: Probably the main thing is the size of the market. In New Zealand we are just four and a half million people. It's quite easy to target who you want and truly reach that market, whereas in America there are 320-odd million people, so it's hard reach them all. In America, we have repositioned our entire business. We have really focused on one very specific market as opposed to focusing on everyone. Also, we've targeted New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco at this stage, not the whole country. We've picked out places where we feel we are going to get the most traction.

Jenny: One of the most incredible things about Oompher and Unfiltered, is your ability to get people to come and talk to you. How have you done that?

Jake:  The main word is persistence. We just go, and go, and go, and go. When we reach out to new people to interview, whether it's Sir Richard Branson, or Ashton Kucher, or Sarah Blakely, we just hammer them. I know that sounds aggressive, but you have to be because there are so many journalists and media agencies competing for that attention. Quite often we'll follow someone up 15, 16, 17 times before we get the interview.

Jenny: How do you know when to stop?

Jake: It depends. If I am not getting a reply at all, then I'll probably carry on. If someone's not interested, they'll usually come back straight away and say so. So if they don't send that reply, then you can probably always push harder. A founder of a very successful and well-known company recently came back after four or five emails from us with a one-word response: 'no.' That was it. That's enough for us, we know he's not interested right now. But that doesn't mean I'll give up for the rest of my life.

Jenny: As well as being persistent, you need to be good at reading people, and likable. How did those attributes develop?

Jake: Growing up, I spent a lot of time around adults. My parents never got babysitters or went away on holiday together without my brother and me. We did everything together. So, if there was a dinner party, we would always be there. From about four or five years old. I don't think my parents ever went on holiday together when we were young. We were always together as a family, so I spent lots of time, listening to adults and watching how they react to each other.

Jenny: Oompher and Unfiltered are quite similar businesses. What made you start another so similar to Oompher?

Jake: I really wanted to build a valuable business, and Oompher had taught me lots of important lessons about target markets, product/market position, and how to commercialise a product. I knew I wanted to start another business, and I was tempted to start something completely different, like manufacturing or software. Unfiltered was similar to what I'd been doing, and I knew how hard it was to commercialise media. But I’d done about 30 interviews with people after Oompher – which I was passionate about – so I decided to give it a crack, and Unfiltered was born.

Jenny: Before you launched Unfiltered, you had some big names signed up as customers. How did you know, at 19 years old, how to pitch your idea to them?

Jake: Partly from experience with Oompher. Our business model was to get companies to sponsor the content, with their branding at the back of us as we filmed. A kind of traditional advertising model. Also, I really believed we were solving an important problem and would have an audience of young, aspiring entrepreneurs. I knew that market was really valuable to these companies.

The person who probably helped me the most was my accountant from PwC, Scott McLeaver. We ‘white-boarded’ the whole business, how it could make money, and what commercial partnerships might look like. He gave some great advice. As a teenager owning a new business, it was invaluable to get that kind of support.

Jenny: How do you make the cut to be interviewed on Unfiltered?

Jake: There aren’t really any criteria. We look at who's hot in the media, who our subscribers are pitching to us, saying, 'I want to learn from that person.' And we look at why they might be relevant: maybe they've sold or founded a company, or they are growing fast globally, or expanding internationally.

Equally, it could be someone in whom there's hardly any public interest, but we discover they have an amazing story. Brendan Lindsay from Cambridge would be perfect example. Prior to him selling Sistema Plastics for $660 million, nobody really knew who he was. He'd kept his story very private. He's very humble. We love breaking big stories like Brendan's.

Jenny: You’ve interviewed a number of people from the Bay and Waikato on Unfiltered. Chris Liddell, former CFO at Microsoft and General Motors, is from Matamata. Theresa Gattung, ex-CEO of Telecom, is from Rotorua. John Lord, founder of LivWell (Colorado's biggest, legal cannabis dealer), is from Te Awamutu. And of course, your good friend Nick Mowbray, co-CEO of Zuru Toys, who's from Tokoroa. What do you think it is about those provincial areas that's produced such successful people?

Jake: There are a huge number of really successful New Zealanders globally who are relatively unknown, here. I believe the CEO of Walmart USA, Greg Foran, is from Hamilton too. I think coming from a small town, you are always hustling, trying to get ahead. When you grow up in a big city, everything's there. When you come from a small place, there's always something to reach for. For instance, my journey started in Greymouth on the west coast of the South Island. From there I went to boarding school in Christchurch, then I moved to Auckland, and now New York. It's called step migration. People generally move from a smaller place to somewhere slightly bigger. If you are born in the big city, everything's there. You probably don't know what to aspire to next.

Jenny: You wrote a list of 21 things you'd learned at 21 years old, and said that friendships were one of the most important things in life. But you have also spoken about not seeking out friendships when you were at school. What changed?

Jake: At secondary school I was very goal-driven. That made me different from most of the boys there, and I felt they weren't very tolerant of people who did things differently. I liked playing badminton, wanted to become head boy, and wanted to start a business. But what was expected was to sit around in the common room, talking about rugby and cricket. When you are at school, there isn't really much you can do about that, because you are stuck in that environment.

That was one of the deciding factors in leaving and starting my own business. I knew that if I  studied law, I would end up in a law firm answering to a boss I might not like, trying to get further in my career with people I didn't really want to be spending time with. If you have your own business, you get to decide who you spend time with. I was able to start working with people I really liked, and start building the deep and meaningful relationships that were missing at school.

Jenny: Immigration to the Bay of Plenty is strong, and many of our imports are looking to run a national or global business from here. What advice can you give them?

Jake: Utilise technology in every way you can. Today it's possible to run a global business from any small marketplace. You need to attract the right talent, and be prepared to travel. Just remember, everything's possible.

Jenny: And finally, who was the hardest person to track down?

Jake: That would have to be Sir Richard Branson. He's a very difficult person to talk to, because so many people are trying to interview someone like him. When I finally got his email address, I sent him a personal letter, and he agreed to an interview. Even after that it took persistence to make sure it happened. Then, all of sudden, I was waiting in our studio and being told that Sir Richard had just arrived.

To see the rest of Jake's interview, giving his million-dollar advice for starting up a business, and talking about his friendship with ex-Warriors owner, Eric Watson, and his Lifeline fundraising dinner at the Coatesville mansion, watch below: