Kiwis in Business

In this week's episode, Shontal Ritchie, owner and founder of Joyzie Boutique, shares with us how she turned her passion of craft and sewing into a business.

After Shontal had her first child decided to turn her passion for sewing into making baby bibs and burp cloths.

In this episode the first-time business owner discusses her startup journey and her career change from working in the travel and tourism industry to the children...

In this episode we speak to Bay of Plenty resident and founder and director of Parking Services Limited, Jake.

Jake explains how his Parking Services app works and how it's helping small and large businesses protect their carparks.

The family-owned business issues an enforceable infringement notice to those who are caught illegally parking in carparks, saving both the carpark owner time and money.

Listen to Jake explain the pro...

Madeline Croft has a background in sport, recreation and business marketing and fell into the world of website design while on maternity leave. Just a few months ago, she quit her job in retail category and product management to fulfil her dream of being her own boss and being more present for her on year old.

Now, Maddy, who lives in a tiny house in north Auckland, with her family, is making a living out of creating websites for b...

This week on the Kiwis in Business podcast we have Kate Blundell, founder and director of Collective Concepts.

Kate founded Collective Concepts in the Northland in 2008. Now based in Christchurch it focuses on professional event management and delivery, experiential and digital brand engagement, and wedding planning and coordination.

Kate discusses learnings from her 13 years of running a business, combined with her former career i...

This week we speak to Christine Deacon, the founder of Canopy Eating Disorders Support Services. This social enterprise is New Zealand’s first.

Canopy is New Zealand's first eating disorder specific peer-to-peer support, both online and in person, community-centric service.

It makes practical support affordable and accessible to all Kiwis affected by eating disorders and disordered eating to help them flourish and reclaim their...

Robbie Burke is tackling the problem of fixing a "spaghetti" digital architecture - helping companies get all their databases and software aligned.

The software engineer helps companies who say they don't have enough time or money to invest in a clean, new and maintainable digital architecture with well-written software, through his business Rapydly.

Rapydly is a software company based in Tauranga that specialises in qu...

Iyia Liu needs no introduction to those in the e-commerce world! In this episode of Kiwis in Business, Iyia speaks to Kiwis in Business founder Linda Shackelford about her journey to become one of New Zealand’s most successful young female entrepreneurs. Iyia started her first business, Waist Trainer, at the age of 21, and within one year grew her business into a multi-million dollar global business, selling to over 90+ countri...

Mary Taylor is a social media manager, blogger, photographer and content creator based in Mount Maunganui.

Originally from California, Mary moved to NZ in 2017 and since then she’s been on a drive to build a successful business portfolio while helping Kiwi businesses with their social media presence.

The vibrant and determined entrepreneur joins us today to share her life, love and business journey, plus gives tips for business own...

When Robert Barnes was asked by a friend to build a dryer to dehydrate macadamia nuts 25 years ago, he never thought it would be the start of his own drying machine business.

Since 1995 he has also been using his skills to develop highly innovative Rexmoi® Dryers. He sold the refrigeration and air conditioning business five years ago to focus solely on Drying Solutions Ltd.

Robert is proud that his dryers enable people to turn ordi...

Lina Montero-Soto makes magic wherever she goes and in whatever she does. So when the founder of Magico marketing agency isn’t creating brand magic, she’s working on Make Eco Easy, a community focused initiative to help transform the eco-awkward among us into eco-able humans. Lina’s ‘wake-up moment’ happened during an organised beach clean-up while picking through small pieces of chip packets, muesli bar wrappers and countless othe...

In this interview, the tables are turned and Kiwis in Business creator and host Linda Shackelford becomes the interviewee and shares her own business journey with guest host Philip Moon.

Expand PR is a boutique PR consultancy Linda founded in 2016, after working as a journalist and in various public relations roles.

She shares her startup journey, talks about how her travel and work experience led her to where she is today, and giv...

Spacebar Design launched just the week before the COVID-19 lockdown, but the hospitality design firm was determined not to let it be a setback in its drive to help New Zealand hospitality businesses share their unique stories.

Designer Anson Kong says Spacebar Design aims to fill a gap in the market by focusing on giving bars, restaurants, cafes and foodtrucks the opportunity to uncover the story of their businesses and the food an...

Mel Hurst and her husband Avi Kewalramani arrived in New Zealand in 2000 with just $5000 in their wallets and the determination to build a successful life here. They set up home, got jobs as flight attendants and started a family.

What they didn’t expect was to turn their love of Indian cooking into a business supplying sauces, curries and spices into gourmet supermarkets and food stores around New Zealand.

Mel’s Gourmet Foods laun...

Vania Truchsess never saw herself working within the framework of a large company, so this free spirited creative followed her dreams to ‘create a little kingdom and do things my own way’.

Moving to New Zealand from Venezuela in 2012, Vania quickly turned her passion for making things with her hands into a successful jewellery business, VANIA.

Drawing on lessons learnt in her youth to work hard and always be your authentic self, an...

Gisborne born and raised entrepreneur Nathan Little worked in various business roles before starting Yum Box earlier this year.

After a life-changing overseas trip, Nathan and his wife Alyssha realised they wanted something more than the 9-5 lifestyle so returned to NZ to start business that would give them freedom to create the life they love.

Now based in Tauranga, Nathan runs Yum Box for Kiwis with food allergies and special die...

Lulu Wilcox has dressed some of the country’s most recognisable faces, through her work at New Zealand’s leading magazines, TV networks and with top fashion designers.

During her extensive career as a freelance fashion and celebrity stylist, Lulu discovered the synergy between fashion and interiors. 

During the COVID-19 lockdown, she launched Lulu Wilcox Interiors, another branch of her styling business, and is now working with Kiw...

Southland-based artisan producer Gathered Game make an authentic traditionally aged product range inspired by European style cured meats.   In this episode we talk all things salami with award-winning business founder Chris Thorn, who’s made a success out of his passion for hunting and gathering. Locally sourced from Fiordland and produced in Lumsden, all Gathered Game products are gluten free, dairy free and use natural ingredient...