November 9, 2021 • 27 mins
Today we are speaking with Sarah Perriam, creative director at Perriam Media, well known rural media personality, and self-proclaimed ‘truthfluencer’.
Sarah is based in Canterbury with her fiance Will, and after many years moving around New Zealand telling rural stories, she's got some really exciting new location plans for the next chapter in her life.
Sarah has a very frank conversation with us today about her non-traditional pathway into journalism, her rural-urban observations, and her reflections on how the industry can better collaborate as a whole.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
Welcome to the Black Keels and Tractor Wheel's podcast, where
we are sharing stories from a range of women from
around New Zealand.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
For nearly a century, Rural Women New Zealand has been
dedicated to strengthening and supporting women and children to become
empowered members of their communities.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
We hope that by hearing these stories from inspiring women
all around the country, you'll feel inspired yourself.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
We're your hosts Emma Higgins and Claire Williamson, and we'd
love for you to join and subscribe to our podcast
so you don't miss our rural stories.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Today we are speaking with Sarah Piriam, creative director at
Periam Media. Well known rural media personality and self proclaimed
truth fluencer.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Sarah is based in Canterbury with her fiance Well and
after many years moving around New Zealand telling rural stories,
she's got some really exciting new location plans.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
For the next chap during her life.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
Sarah has a very frank conversation with us today about
her non traditional pathway into journalism, her rural urban observations
and reflections on how the industry could better collaborate as
a whole. So Sarah, it's very well known that you
have obviously had a rural upbringing, but we would like
(01:20):
to hear a little bit more from you about your
childhood and some of your experiences growing up in the country.
Speaker 4 (01:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
Sure.
Speaker 5 (01:29):
So when I was I'm not going to do the
whole bit chronological.
Speaker 4 (01:32):
Thing, but my parents moved and brought a station near Dunedin,
an outram when I come into this earth, and we
were there until the lake Lake dunstan Field, our family farm,
and Cromwell of watch. My parents promptly moved home and
so we had a sort of a very rural, isolated
(01:53):
sort of childhood where you know, we got correspondence pre
school and Mum and Day were both working on the farm.
She is, you know, looked after us at.
Speaker 5 (02:02):
Certain points and uh.
Speaker 6 (02:03):
And then when we met moved to Cromwell.
Speaker 4 (02:05):
My parents wanted to continue farming and went into partnership
with my auntie and uncle in the Neva station and
that was a lease, a long term lease. My cousins
are still in there, and of course my uncle John
is just across the lake or at the time river
at Benego Station. So it was an interesting upbringing, a
(02:26):
mix of a very isolated original first chapter and then
we were reasonably close to Cromwell when we sort of
through to boarding school stage.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Really, I suppose we've we've now seen that you've got
such a fantastic show of your own Sarah's Country, and
you're were the creative director of Purium Media, So I
suppose we'd love to see what the what are the
two what are the parts that connect that rural kind
of upbringing into Sarah today is the Perium Media creative
(02:58):
director and.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
In fantastic here as Country hosts.
Speaker 4 (03:01):
Well, the thing is is that you know, most people
listening that have that very isolated high country upbringing and
then they're throwing into the sort of city life with
boarding school all probably really appreciate the win win upbringing
that you get from being very close to a rural
community and knowing how that ticks, and also sort of
(03:24):
the more cultured life of growing up in the city.
And I had some incredible day girl families that really
took me under their wing, and they were into you know,
art and fashion and culture and food and that type
of thing. In Donedan and I learned so much about
connection with rural and urban brand storytelling, marketing and that
(03:46):
type of thing. That really attracted me to that you
could have this blend of the best of both worlds
and how important it is to always maintain that balance.
And I think that's where, alongside the influence that my
uncle John building you know New Zealand Marina, along with
the founders of that and that partnership of telling stories
(04:07):
and direct to direct to market with Laura Piano back
in the eighties and nineties, it really had an influence
on me around value chain and connecting with markets and
that type of thing. So going forward, you know, the living,
you know, going from Cromwell where I had based my
production company in my twenties to having the opportunity to
(04:29):
move to Auckland single.
Speaker 5 (04:31):
In my early thirties and it was a.
Speaker 4 (04:33):
Big culture shop but probably not so bad if you'd
gone to boarding school, but a huge opportunity to actually
test out everything that I believed we needed to go
forward as a as a primary sector. So I really
want There's Country to be a rural media that hasn't
been before. And it's really interesting because there's there's a
(04:53):
huge amount of doubt about that. You have to have
a sense of credentials to be you know, presentative of
the sector that you must be living on a farm
and have never left that farmb in your entire life,
and there's you know, if it has any sort of
glamor around it, it can't be rural. So I like
to really challenge that whole.
Speaker 7 (05:15):
Ethos because for us to move forward, you know, we
can't rest on status quo of how we've gone about
communicating and also validating who represents rural.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
I love that that is so cool. I love that
you're crushing basically that stereotype, and I love the ideas
that you're bringing and the platform that you're using as well,
and various platforms actually, because if we think about it,
you've had a bit of a very career or varied
pathway to where you are now. If we just go back,
you've been involved with Real Exchange, You've been a commentator
(05:49):
on the Aim Show, and you're also you know, really
sort of after speaker as well. So you've got various
platforms to get these ideas across. And I'm just wondering,
have there been particular mentors or champions that have opened
doors for you to get to where you are now?
Speaker 4 (06:06):
So many people in their own way have influenced me
that there's never been one sort of shining Dolly Parton
if I'm a country music singer type mentor pathway, and
it's been a real variety where I've actually had more
doors open for me from men's than I have women necessarily,
and I think that needs to be acknowledged, because there's
(06:27):
some bloody good men out there that really want to
see emerging female talent. So I have to acknowledge that.
I have to acknowledge one person, right since when I
was had a microphone pushed in front of me, who's
been a champion of mine in the background people wouldn't
expect has been Jamie McKay and he's always there just
to either keep me on track make sure I'm not
(06:49):
going to give up, And I do want to give
a huge shout out to him as well as members
of the Media Works team that knew I was green
and rough around the edges, but believed in me. But
at the same time, this was not a career I
sought out in my early twenties. I mean, I wanted
to go into business. I was excelling in you know,
economics and accounting in my seventh form year and I
(07:10):
wanted to be you know, entrepreneurial, an international business, and
that's why you can probably sail through my podcast. I'm
always attracted to anything trade, finance, all that sort of thing,
and I didn't go down that path because of a
family situation in my early twenties. I chose to be
closer to my family through everything we were going through then,
(07:34):
and I gave up the university pathway. My pathway has
been varied, as you said, to get to this point.
And one thing that's really interesting is I always get
asked what advice I would give to someone who would
like to come through and to this path, because we
need more and more fantastic young communicators coming through. But
I don't have that traditional advice, so you know, go
(07:57):
to broadcasting school, then go to Lincoln and get an
egg and pe of those two things together.
Speaker 5 (08:02):
Because I didn't do that.
Speaker 4 (08:04):
I just found that I was really curious by nature
and what was happening in the sector, and that I
could continuously be a student because I get the opportunity
to ask questions of you know, leading research and inspiring
leaders in our sector every single day.
Speaker 5 (08:20):
So that in.
Speaker 4 (08:21):
Itself, to me is a degree. And I think you
take a look at society puts so much pressure on
a piece of paper to justify your intelligence or knowledge.
But realistically, now I've been told that, you know, I
do have a real base knowledge on a lot of things,
but that's purely only from the opportunities.
Speaker 5 (08:40):
I've got to ask a lot of variety.
Speaker 4 (08:42):
Of people questions, and that's people from all around the world.
It has been varied, for sure.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
I love that you totally tacked off on what my
next question was going to be, and I think what's
really interesting taking on a few of those things that
you were saying there around initially wanting to go into
business and to be entrepreneur, I feel like you've done
that very very well. So there's obviously the media element
to it that you've taken over time, but you've now
(09:08):
got your own media company and that's it's something that's
really unique in the sector. But also you're able to
use all of those experiences to have a really awesome
connection with your guests, and I think that's that's a
really big thing that comes through so strongly and the
interviews that you have with people. I'm going to ask
(09:30):
a slightly different question, which is where do you source
your inspiration? And how do you find the stories that
you tell? Because I think, like I said, you have
an amazing connection with the people that you interview, and
where do you kind of seek those out? I suppose
over time they do start coming to you, But is
(09:52):
there kind of a way that you see is a
really good way to kind of find those those stories
and those little golden name so that you can interview
people who are really out there doing stuff.
Speaker 4 (10:03):
Yeah, and that's developed a huge amount over ten years
of being involved in this because there's an element of,
you know, a rinse repeat of recipe of how you
should go about producing content.
Speaker 6 (10:15):
And when you are in a radio format, you are.
Speaker 4 (10:18):
Trapped within under an hour sale of fifteen minutes worth
of content to get.
Speaker 6 (10:22):
Multiple interviews and air brakes all in.
Speaker 4 (10:25):
So you'll find that on a radio format very much.
Is your maximum is three four minutes and in out
net'sites three four questions as you've got it's not that long,
and that was great, but you are literally rinsing and
repeating press releases and it becomes not that challenging anymore.
As an interviewer. You can find that are not really
listening to the answer and finding a question off the
(10:47):
back of that answer, and therefore I wanted to expand
out and have longer, deeper, meaningful conversations whereby I don't
even know where it's going to go at the start
of it, and I love that, And I think then
that means we can actually open our own minds as
interviewers from the information we're being told in the interview,
(11:07):
to go down a path and come up with solutions
in the interview to get back to the point of
sourcing those things. I think depending on the format where
you're what you're creating, you are either bound by sort
of contractual obligation through sponsorship for a variety of different
reasons of the path they want you to be on.
(11:28):
And it's been a really interesting one since I've left
Media Works and my partnership with Farmers Weekly to really
go back to that why and remember why I started
and actually go this is bigger than me, this whole thing,
and I'm just a vehicle to move these ideas forward.
So now I have this independence and freedom, and partnering
with farm Lands has been great because they don't care
(11:50):
about the content.
Speaker 5 (11:51):
They want to.
Speaker 4 (11:53):
Really support as thought leadership within the sector. And I've
come to realize no one's got the answers, So we
actually need to have this place where ego based leadership
is out the window and we can actually learn to
listen to each other and that's where the gems lie,
and so literally the best interview sources, like for instance,
(12:14):
recently I got the opportunity to talk to Sarus Bengali,
who's a sea of swarm in the US and she's
an ex astronaut candidate who is creating these low cost
satellite sensors which will completely transform AG as you guys
will know when you start to get that ability of data.
And I only got that contact because of an interview
prior who said you need to talk to this person,
(12:36):
you need to talk to that person.
Speaker 5 (12:37):
And I think when you've got the freedom one.
Speaker 4 (12:39):
On space of time to talk to people and you're
not hemmed into a really rigid schedule of having to
have things out on a certain date, then you can
go down those rabbit holes and be super curious then
where it might end up and not know.
Speaker 5 (12:53):
Where it ended up.
Speaker 1 (12:54):
I loved what you said before about throwing ego based leadership.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
I think it was out.
Speaker 1 (12:59):
The wind, I know, and coming together more cleboratively. That
is awesome, and I think I think more people need
to embrace that style of operating. I love that you've
come from what you started out doing at school and
being super strong and perhaps more of those traditional business
approaches to where you are now and what we want
to know from you. This is quite a big question,
(13:20):
is out of all the different things that you've tried,
what is your proudest moment.
Speaker 4 (13:24):
There is two moments. One is definitely getting over my
fear and owning that AM Show segment on Friday and
nailing it. I was beside myself, balling my eyes out,
and because I was so emotively moved. And I've talked
about this a lot wherever I get a chance. And
that's six weeks leading into that twenty seventeen election, huge
(13:47):
beat up about water coming.
Speaker 5 (13:49):
From Central Otago.
Speaker 4 (13:51):
I was bawling to my father about how untrue what
they were saying about farmers was and having to learn
how to harness emotion and passion to poish together and
go out there and represent.
Speaker 6 (14:02):
That was a huge moment in.
Speaker 4 (14:06):
My whole broadcasting style and gathering maturity about around conversation.
And then the other is every morning when I come
up the stairs and I'm in my own office with
my own studio, just about to interview someone I chose,
and I had full ConTroll over every decision. That's been really, really,
really monumental. Yeah, because it's meant Up until now, I've
(14:30):
thought I've needed to be associated with someone to have
the credentials that I was enough. And at this year's
Field Days, walking around is independent. For the first time
in a long time, so many people said that they
are tuning in for me, it's got nothing to do
with who I'm associated with, and that was huge. So
I think the confidence that you are good enough, regardless
(14:52):
of a degree or who you work for anything that
actually comes down to you, and that's what people want.
That's the most important thing.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
That's amazing.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
I'd just like to pick up on two things that
I love about what you just said there. The first
thing is being emotionally moved about something and then being
able to generate that forwarder into into making a real impact.
When you're in a position of being able to interview
someone or being able to lead or assist a conversation
in a place that's really quite.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
Touching to yourself.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
There's an interview of yours actually from a month or
so ago, comes to mind with a friend of yours
I think who runs.
Speaker 3 (15:33):
A stud farm.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
Perhaps her family's a stud farm. Yeah, And I was
just she said something it might have been yourself. I'm
not quite sure around we need to protect the upbringings
we were.
Speaker 3 (15:45):
Able to have.
Speaker 2 (15:46):
And god, I was just in absolute floods of tears
after that because it just spoke to me and I'm
sure Emma will feel the same way as well, like
not being able to have that same upbringing is probably
we all had because of some legislative changes in a
way in which we find being dictated to us.
Speaker 3 (16:05):
It's just it's massive. So you being able to be
in the.
Speaker 2 (16:08):
Independence seat and asking some of those really difficult questions
is amazing.
Speaker 3 (16:12):
So that's the first thing I'd like to applaud you for.
Speaker 2 (16:14):
But the second thing is how often confidence comes up
in this podcast and the ability to really build that
confidence over time and think, ye, man, I am enough
and people are telling me that I'm I'm really good
at this, so I'm going to keep doing it. So
that's that's just fantastic, and I really applaud you for
both of those things. I am going to just sort
(16:37):
of change tech a little bit, because I think you've
lived in a couple of different places over time, obviously
some time in Auckland, your rural upbringing, and we just
love asking questions about what what are you enjoying most
about living rurally in a community being part of that
rural community. I think you've probably got some insights in
a few different places there the physical environ but also
(17:01):
the online rural community. So we'd love to hear a little.
Speaker 4 (17:03):
Bit about that and to not say things that it's
probably the same as most of the guest because there
are so many similarities. Everyone would have the answer why
they're super connected to rural communities. I mean an example
of that is we're moving to Mesin from Lincoln. We
want to be close to the hills, but we actually
want to move there to start our family in a
rural community, like an actual real rural community where everyone's
(17:27):
there on the Saturday rugby game and you know, a
busin issue, everyone's at the hall and it's huge when
you move to somewhere like Auckland.
Speaker 5 (17:38):
I'll never forget this moment. I lived in.
Speaker 4 (17:41):
An apartment block in Auckland right across the road from
Media Works because I was too terrified to work out
how to get to work, so like, that'll do.
Speaker 5 (17:49):
Until I find a place.
Speaker 4 (17:50):
There was three stories and it was just horrendously lonely,
and I was going down and should do to get
some over eats from the door, and here was this
man my age, trying in the rain, and I just said,
are you okay? And he was like, well, not really,
I'm extremely lonely.
Speaker 5 (18:07):
And I said, you want to come up for a beer?
And I just sort of sat there with on the balcony.
Speaker 4 (18:12):
And he lives like a couple of apartments away and
he'd never met a single person in a square box
containing like one.
Speaker 6 (18:20):
Hundred people, and no one had ever invited.
Speaker 4 (18:22):
Him in for a beer. You can have one point
five million people around you and be incredibly lonely, or
you could have a thousand acres around you and be
incredibly connected.
Speaker 5 (18:32):
And I think that's a huge part.
Speaker 4 (18:34):
That I've learned that connection isn't about geographical isolation. It's
about a mindset of why you.
Speaker 6 (18:40):
Were actually all lived there.
Speaker 4 (18:42):
And your connection to nature. They're so disconnected from nature
and Auckland it's not funny. And you think you now
there once help never felt lonely once in the rural sector.
Speaker 1 (18:53):
I appreciate exactly what you've just said, because you can
move to a big city, all these people and actually
no one.
Speaker 3 (19:00):
To talk to.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
And some of that actually ties into when you see
you're moving to Mesving because you want to be closer
to the hills. I completely understand that. When I moved
to christ Church for university, I come from a farming
property on the hills out of Nelson. I would drive
to the porthills every weekend just to get some sort
(19:23):
of view, and so I completely understand what you're saying
about that one. But you're obviously a very busy lady
that your fingers in lots of different pies. What does
an average week look for you for Sarah Parium, Well.
Speaker 4 (19:38):
It all obviously depends on COVID or no COVID, But
I have a real mixture between this week clients coming
in and recording all their own podcast shows and then
us turning that around. I've been editing this morning some
our land and water webinars and to social media content
for them, organizing our wedding, organizing building a house, and
(20:01):
normally if it wasn't COVID. I would be shooting around
the country.
Speaker 5 (20:05):
Filming on farm or also going to events.
Speaker 4 (20:09):
And m seeing and then in the weekends treasuring not
being in the office, and yeah, gardening, catching up with friends.
Speaker 3 (20:18):
It's a very wide range of things. I love that.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
I feel like that it's, you know, the variety of
the spice of life. It keeps things interesting when you're
working on so many different projects all the time, which
is awesome. And I've got a really big question for you, Sarah,
and I think it's one that you actually ask will
guests quite often in one way or another, and it is,
(20:43):
if you could weighs a magic want, what is the
one thing that you would like to see change in
our rural industry right now.
Speaker 4 (20:52):
I don't even know why I'm scared to say this,
because I'm never scared to say anything else. I think
we need to get over ourselves. I think we're really,
really genuine. I only need to stop thinking that we
are the center of the universe. We are so insignificant.
It's not funny.
Speaker 5 (21:06):
And it's the hardest.
Speaker 4 (21:08):
Thing in the world to hear that when your entire
world feels full of anxiety that someone's in control of it,
but the moments that we can actually step back and
realize it's not all about us, and we can actually
start to get ahead and find those common values to
start to diffuse a lot of this tension that's going on.
(21:29):
So I would really just like a lot of people
to have the courage to come forward and stop telling
the industry with the best in the world. I know
that's so hard to hear and not a nice pill
to swallow. If we can actually start to emphasize with
why what's going on is going on, then we can
(21:51):
have better conversations, because yes, we are trying to protect
our very special upbringing in rural New Zealand, and I
want exactly the same for my child.
Speaker 5 (22:02):
But the world's never going to be the way it
used to be, and we have to stop.
Speaker 4 (22:06):
Defending status quo. To give you an example of been
trying to work out how to process this documentary and
dares that film that's just been released this week, Milt.
Yet again the industry's putting it freaking head in the
sand and not fronting up and dealing with it and
thinking it's just going to go away, and it's not.
(22:27):
And it's hard to hear when you know scientifically, you're
so much more correct, But perception is going to trump
science any day, and we have to learn that, own
it and tell a different story and the other people
tell our story differently. The defensive stuff is getting old, boring,
and it's not getting us anywhere.
Speaker 1 (22:45):
Perspective to have courageous conversations really if we distill all
of that. But more important is that one person's perspective
is their reality. And I think that's such a huge
point that you just made right there.
Speaker 4 (23:00):
I've really felt very lucky to probably have the confidence
to speak a bit more frankly with the farming community
because of my experience growing up and then living in
Auckland representing them in the media. And I've been in
rooms of one hundred plus farmers and I'll ask them
to put their hand up and keep it up as
(23:20):
they've spent more than three consecutive nights in Auckland in
the last twelve months. And then I turn around to
them and I say, and you want them to understand
you and just leave that point with them that this
is a two sided relationship. Absolutely, Yeah, So always just
remembering that, yeah, your perception is literally your your own
(23:41):
environment and challenge that get out of it and go
and hang out with some hippies and ask them a
few questions because.
Speaker 5 (23:48):
You'll learn a lot.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
I think that's awesome and that's such a powerful statement
in a question to make to an audience, and I
can imagine there'll be some head scrap going on after
something like that for sure. Final question from us, because
you've given us so many things to pond that in
so many amazing insights, we want to know what's next.
Speaker 3 (24:12):
For Sarah Pirium.
Speaker 1 (24:13):
You've done, as we've elaborated this point a lot, but
you've done so much in a very short period of time.
What's coming up for you in the next twelve months.
Speaker 4 (24:22):
Well, I have so many fantastic clients that I'm working
with and that has just been an incredible acknowledgment that
I'm getting those large corporations coming to me for my
rural specialty in media. So I'm really enjoying being behind
the scenes again and supporting them. So that's got huge
more legs going into the next twelve months. Here's country
(24:46):
is something that I'm still always evolving and working out
in a fluidity that I'm not stressed about anymore. To
see where it goes, but it keeps me on the
pulse and that's why I love it. But also so
I'm starting to be honest, I haven't really seen this anywhere,
so it's an excusal.
Speaker 5 (25:05):
There's I mean, I met that crossroads.
Speaker 4 (25:07):
I'm thirty five, just about start a family, and I
met that crossroads of you know, as media and me
for the rest of my life. And so I'm pondering
through quite a few.
Speaker 6 (25:19):
Different opportunities in that and what I.
Speaker 4 (25:21):
Can do to leverage my networks and my experience today
to take that forward to continue to stay in the
industry that meant potentially maybe in a different capacity. And yeah,
I've got some fantastic mentors that are guiding me in
that to navigate what's going to be the best thing.
But I mean, it's just definitely in how I can
(25:43):
support having more courageous conversations.
Speaker 2 (25:45):
Gosh, we're really applaud you for those courageous conversations.
Speaker 3 (25:49):
I think it's something that Rural Woman.
Speaker 2 (25:52):
New Zealand is part of what we do a little
bit of a lesser known part of what we do
is actually standing up and being advocates for our members,
women and childre d in the government space, and in
those places we have to have quite courageous conversations because
it's hard to get heard.
Speaker 3 (26:08):
And I've been in several.
Speaker 2 (26:10):
Zoom meetings in this day and age where we were
actually staying to a minister you know, what are you
doing about X, Y and Z, and hey, no, you're
not doing enough, and this is what we need from you.
So following on from there, it's just wonderful to hear
that that's what's in your future as well. And I'm
sure that everybody wants to work with someone like you
(26:32):
who has such a breadth of experience, and we really
just appreciate your times here and we know how busy
you are, we know how much people will love to
hear from you and in this format. So yeah, we
really do appreciate that, and for sharing so openly with
us too, because I think that's a really special part
of having a really good conversation and something that's really impactful.
Speaker 3 (26:54):
So thank you.
Speaker 2 (26:56):
Thank you again for being with us today and sharing
yourself for us and our listeners.
Speaker 4 (27:01):
Thank you so much for this wonderful podcast. All the
episodes are incredible and I'm honored to be a part
of it.
Speaker 2 (27:07):
Thank you Rural Women New Zealand is a community of
like minded women who are doing amazing things in their
respective regions and communities.
Speaker 1 (27:15):
This podcast celebrates the achievements, successes and stories of our
Rural Women, which are also the foundations for our organization's
rich history.
Speaker 2 (27:25):
We want you to be part of our future story,
so please join us by clicking on the link in
the show notes, and we look forward to welcoming you
into the fold.
Welcome to the Black Keels and Tractor Wheel's podcast, where
we are sharing stories from a range of women from
around New Zealand.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
For nearly a century, Rural Women New Zealand has been
dedicated to strengthening and supporting women and children to become
empowered members of their communities.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
We hope that by hearing these stories from inspiring women
all around the country, you'll feel inspired yourself.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
We're your hosts Emma Higgins and Claire Williamson, and we'd
love for you to join and subscribe to our podcast
so you don't miss our rural stories.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Today we are speaking with Sarah Piriam, creative director at
Periam Media. Well known rural media personality and self proclaimed
truth fluencer.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Sarah is based in Canterbury with her fiance Well and
after many years moving around New Zealand telling rural stories,
she's got some really exciting new location plans.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
For the next chap during her life.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
Sarah has a very frank conversation with us today about
her non traditional pathway into journalism, her rural urban observations
and reflections on how the industry could better collaborate as
a whole. So Sarah, it's very well known that you
have obviously had a rural upbringing, but we would like
(01:20):
to hear a little bit more from you about your
childhood and some of your experiences growing up in the country.
Speaker 4 (01:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
Sure.
Speaker 5 (01:29):
So when I was I'm not going to do the
whole bit chronological.
Speaker 4 (01:32):
Thing, but my parents moved and brought a station near Dunedin,
an outram when I come into this earth, and we
were there until the lake Lake dunstan Field, our family farm,
and Cromwell of watch. My parents promptly moved home and
so we had a sort of a very rural, isolated
(01:53):
sort of childhood where you know, we got correspondence pre
school and Mum and Day were both working on the farm.
She is, you know, looked after us at.
Speaker 5 (02:02):
Certain points and uh.
Speaker 6 (02:03):
And then when we met moved to Cromwell.
Speaker 4 (02:05):
My parents wanted to continue farming and went into partnership
with my auntie and uncle in the Neva station and
that was a lease, a long term lease. My cousins
are still in there, and of course my uncle John
is just across the lake or at the time river
at Benego Station. So it was an interesting upbringing, a
(02:26):
mix of a very isolated original first chapter and then
we were reasonably close to Cromwell when we sort of
through to boarding school stage.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Really, I suppose we've we've now seen that you've got
such a fantastic show of your own Sarah's Country, and
you're were the creative director of Purium Media, So I
suppose we'd love to see what the what are the
two what are the parts that connect that rural kind
of upbringing into Sarah today is the Perium Media creative
(02:58):
director and.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
In fantastic here as Country hosts.
Speaker 4 (03:01):
Well, the thing is is that you know, most people
listening that have that very isolated high country upbringing and
then they're throwing into the sort of city life with
boarding school all probably really appreciate the win win upbringing
that you get from being very close to a rural
community and knowing how that ticks, and also sort of
(03:24):
the more cultured life of growing up in the city.
And I had some incredible day girl families that really
took me under their wing, and they were into you know,
art and fashion and culture and food and that type
of thing. In Donedan and I learned so much about
connection with rural and urban brand storytelling, marketing and that
(03:46):
type of thing. That really attracted me to that you
could have this blend of the best of both worlds
and how important it is to always maintain that balance.
And I think that's where, alongside the influence that my
uncle John building you know New Zealand Marina, along with
the founders of that and that partnership of telling stories
(04:07):
and direct to direct to market with Laura Piano back
in the eighties and nineties, it really had an influence
on me around value chain and connecting with markets and
that type of thing. So going forward, you know, the living,
you know, going from Cromwell where I had based my
production company in my twenties to having the opportunity to
(04:29):
move to Auckland single.
Speaker 5 (04:31):
In my early thirties and it was a.
Speaker 4 (04:33):
Big culture shop but probably not so bad if you'd
gone to boarding school, but a huge opportunity to actually
test out everything that I believed we needed to go
forward as a as a primary sector. So I really
want There's Country to be a rural media that hasn't
been before. And it's really interesting because there's there's a
(04:53):
huge amount of doubt about that. You have to have
a sense of credentials to be you know, presentative of
the sector that you must be living on a farm
and have never left that farmb in your entire life,
and there's you know, if it has any sort of
glamor around it, it can't be rural. So I like
to really challenge that whole.
Speaker 7 (05:15):
Ethos because for us to move forward, you know, we
can't rest on status quo of how we've gone about
communicating and also validating who represents rural.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
I love that that is so cool. I love that
you're crushing basically that stereotype, and I love the ideas
that you're bringing and the platform that you're using as well,
and various platforms actually, because if we think about it,
you've had a bit of a very career or varied
pathway to where you are now. If we just go back,
you've been involved with Real Exchange, You've been a commentator
(05:49):
on the Aim Show, and you're also you know, really
sort of after speaker as well. So you've got various
platforms to get these ideas across. And I'm just wondering,
have there been particular mentors or champions that have opened
doors for you to get to where you are now?
Speaker 4 (06:06):
So many people in their own way have influenced me
that there's never been one sort of shining Dolly Parton
if I'm a country music singer type mentor pathway, and
it's been a real variety where I've actually had more
doors open for me from men's than I have women necessarily,
and I think that needs to be acknowledged, because there's
(06:27):
some bloody good men out there that really want to
see emerging female talent. So I have to acknowledge that.
I have to acknowledge one person, right since when I
was had a microphone pushed in front of me, who's
been a champion of mine in the background people wouldn't
expect has been Jamie McKay and he's always there just
to either keep me on track make sure I'm not
(06:49):
going to give up, And I do want to give
a huge shout out to him as well as members
of the Media Works team that knew I was green
and rough around the edges, but believed in me. But
at the same time, this was not a career I
sought out in my early twenties. I mean, I wanted
to go into business. I was excelling in you know,
economics and accounting in my seventh form year and I
(07:10):
wanted to be you know, entrepreneurial, an international business, and
that's why you can probably sail through my podcast. I'm
always attracted to anything trade, finance, all that sort of thing,
and I didn't go down that path because of a
family situation in my early twenties. I chose to be
closer to my family through everything we were going through then,
(07:34):
and I gave up the university pathway. My pathway has
been varied, as you said, to get to this point.
And one thing that's really interesting is I always get
asked what advice I would give to someone who would
like to come through and to this path, because we
need more and more fantastic young communicators coming through. But
I don't have that traditional advice, so you know, go
(07:57):
to broadcasting school, then go to Lincoln and get an
egg and pe of those two things together.
Speaker 5 (08:02):
Because I didn't do that.
Speaker 4 (08:04):
I just found that I was really curious by nature
and what was happening in the sector, and that I
could continuously be a student because I get the opportunity
to ask questions of you know, leading research and inspiring
leaders in our sector every single day.
Speaker 5 (08:20):
So that in.
Speaker 4 (08:21):
Itself, to me is a degree. And I think you
take a look at society puts so much pressure on
a piece of paper to justify your intelligence or knowledge.
But realistically, now I've been told that, you know, I
do have a real base knowledge on a lot of things,
but that's purely only from the opportunities.
Speaker 5 (08:40):
I've got to ask a lot of variety.
Speaker 4 (08:42):
Of people questions, and that's people from all around the world.
It has been varied, for sure.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
I love that you totally tacked off on what my
next question was going to be, and I think what's
really interesting taking on a few of those things that
you were saying there around initially wanting to go into
business and to be entrepreneur, I feel like you've done
that very very well. So there's obviously the media element
to it that you've taken over time, but you've now
(09:08):
got your own media company and that's it's something that's
really unique in the sector. But also you're able to
use all of those experiences to have a really awesome
connection with your guests, and I think that's that's a
really big thing that comes through so strongly and the
interviews that you have with people. I'm going to ask
(09:30):
a slightly different question, which is where do you source
your inspiration? And how do you find the stories that
you tell? Because I think, like I said, you have
an amazing connection with the people that you interview, and
where do you kind of seek those out? I suppose
over time they do start coming to you, But is
(09:52):
there kind of a way that you see is a
really good way to kind of find those those stories
and those little golden name so that you can interview
people who are really out there doing stuff.
Speaker 4 (10:03):
Yeah, and that's developed a huge amount over ten years
of being involved in this because there's an element of,
you know, a rinse repeat of recipe of how you
should go about producing content.
Speaker 6 (10:15):
And when you are in a radio format, you are.
Speaker 4 (10:18):
Trapped within under an hour sale of fifteen minutes worth
of content to get.
Speaker 6 (10:22):
Multiple interviews and air brakes all in.
Speaker 4 (10:25):
So you'll find that on a radio format very much.
Is your maximum is three four minutes and in out
net'sites three four questions as you've got it's not that long,
and that was great, but you are literally rinsing and
repeating press releases and it becomes not that challenging anymore.
As an interviewer. You can find that are not really
listening to the answer and finding a question off the
(10:47):
back of that answer, and therefore I wanted to expand
out and have longer, deeper, meaningful conversations whereby I don't
even know where it's going to go at the start
of it, and I love that, And I think then
that means we can actually open our own minds as
interviewers from the information we're being told in the interview,
(11:07):
to go down a path and come up with solutions
in the interview to get back to the point of
sourcing those things. I think depending on the format where
you're what you're creating, you are either bound by sort
of contractual obligation through sponsorship for a variety of different
reasons of the path they want you to be on.
(11:28):
And it's been a really interesting one since I've left
Media Works and my partnership with Farmers Weekly to really
go back to that why and remember why I started
and actually go this is bigger than me, this whole thing,
and I'm just a vehicle to move these ideas forward.
So now I have this independence and freedom, and partnering
with farm Lands has been great because they don't care
(11:50):
about the content.
Speaker 5 (11:51):
They want to.
Speaker 4 (11:53):
Really support as thought leadership within the sector. And I've
come to realize no one's got the answers, So we
actually need to have this place where ego based leadership
is out the window and we can actually learn to
listen to each other and that's where the gems lie,
and so literally the best interview sources, like for instance,
(12:14):
recently I got the opportunity to talk to Sarus Bengali,
who's a sea of swarm in the US and she's
an ex astronaut candidate who is creating these low cost
satellite sensors which will completely transform AG as you guys
will know when you start to get that ability of data.
And I only got that contact because of an interview
prior who said you need to talk to this person,
(12:36):
you need to talk to that person.
Speaker 5 (12:37):
And I think when you've got the freedom one.
Speaker 4 (12:39):
On space of time to talk to people and you're
not hemmed into a really rigid schedule of having to
have things out on a certain date, then you can
go down those rabbit holes and be super curious then
where it might end up and not know.
Speaker 5 (12:53):
Where it ended up.
Speaker 1 (12:54):
I loved what you said before about throwing ego based leadership.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
I think it was out.
Speaker 1 (12:59):
The wind, I know, and coming together more cleboratively. That
is awesome, and I think I think more people need
to embrace that style of operating. I love that you've
come from what you started out doing at school and
being super strong and perhaps more of those traditional business
approaches to where you are now and what we want
to know from you. This is quite a big question,
(13:20):
is out of all the different things that you've tried,
what is your proudest moment.
Speaker 4 (13:24):
There is two moments. One is definitely getting over my
fear and owning that AM Show segment on Friday and
nailing it. I was beside myself, balling my eyes out,
and because I was so emotively moved. And I've talked
about this a lot wherever I get a chance. And
that's six weeks leading into that twenty seventeen election, huge
(13:47):
beat up about water coming.
Speaker 5 (13:49):
From Central Otago.
Speaker 4 (13:51):
I was bawling to my father about how untrue what
they were saying about farmers was and having to learn
how to harness emotion and passion to poish together and
go out there and represent.
Speaker 6 (14:02):
That was a huge moment in.
Speaker 4 (14:06):
My whole broadcasting style and gathering maturity about around conversation.
And then the other is every morning when I come
up the stairs and I'm in my own office with
my own studio, just about to interview someone I chose,
and I had full ConTroll over every decision. That's been really, really,
really monumental. Yeah, because it's meant Up until now, I've
(14:30):
thought I've needed to be associated with someone to have
the credentials that I was enough. And at this year's
Field Days, walking around is independent. For the first time
in a long time, so many people said that they
are tuning in for me, it's got nothing to do
with who I'm associated with, and that was huge. So
I think the confidence that you are good enough, regardless
(14:52):
of a degree or who you work for anything that
actually comes down to you, and that's what people want.
That's the most important thing.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
That's amazing.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
I'd just like to pick up on two things that
I love about what you just said there. The first
thing is being emotionally moved about something and then being
able to generate that forwarder into into making a real impact.
When you're in a position of being able to interview
someone or being able to lead or assist a conversation
in a place that's really quite.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
Touching to yourself.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
There's an interview of yours actually from a month or
so ago, comes to mind with a friend of yours
I think who runs.
Speaker 3 (15:33):
A stud farm.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
Perhaps her family's a stud farm. Yeah, And I was
just she said something it might have been yourself. I'm
not quite sure around we need to protect the upbringings
we were.
Speaker 3 (15:45):
Able to have.
Speaker 2 (15:46):
And god, I was just in absolute floods of tears
after that because it just spoke to me and I'm
sure Emma will feel the same way as well, like
not being able to have that same upbringing is probably
we all had because of some legislative changes in a
way in which we find being dictated to us.
Speaker 3 (16:05):
It's just it's massive. So you being able to be
in the.
Speaker 2 (16:08):
Independence seat and asking some of those really difficult questions
is amazing.
Speaker 3 (16:12):
So that's the first thing I'd like to applaud you for.
Speaker 2 (16:14):
But the second thing is how often confidence comes up
in this podcast and the ability to really build that
confidence over time and think, ye, man, I am enough
and people are telling me that I'm I'm really good
at this, so I'm going to keep doing it. So
that's that's just fantastic, and I really applaud you for
both of those things. I am going to just sort
(16:37):
of change tech a little bit, because I think you've
lived in a couple of different places over time, obviously
some time in Auckland, your rural upbringing, and we just
love asking questions about what what are you enjoying most
about living rurally in a community being part of that
rural community. I think you've probably got some insights in
a few different places there the physical environ but also
(17:01):
the online rural community. So we'd love to hear a little.
Speaker 4 (17:03):
Bit about that and to not say things that it's
probably the same as most of the guest because there
are so many similarities. Everyone would have the answer why
they're super connected to rural communities. I mean an example
of that is we're moving to Mesin from Lincoln. We
want to be close to the hills, but we actually
want to move there to start our family in a
rural community, like an actual real rural community where everyone's
(17:27):
there on the Saturday rugby game and you know, a
busin issue, everyone's at the hall and it's huge when
you move to somewhere like Auckland.
Speaker 5 (17:38):
I'll never forget this moment. I lived in.
Speaker 4 (17:41):
An apartment block in Auckland right across the road from
Media Works because I was too terrified to work out
how to get to work, so like, that'll do.
Speaker 5 (17:49):
Until I find a place.
Speaker 4 (17:50):
There was three stories and it was just horrendously lonely,
and I was going down and should do to get
some over eats from the door, and here was this
man my age, trying in the rain, and I just said,
are you okay? And he was like, well, not really,
I'm extremely lonely.
Speaker 5 (18:07):
And I said, you want to come up for a beer?
And I just sort of sat there with on the balcony.
Speaker 4 (18:12):
And he lives like a couple of apartments away and
he'd never met a single person in a square box
containing like one.
Speaker 6 (18:20):
Hundred people, and no one had ever invited.
Speaker 4 (18:22):
Him in for a beer. You can have one point
five million people around you and be incredibly lonely, or
you could have a thousand acres around you and be
incredibly connected.
Speaker 5 (18:32):
And I think that's a huge part.
Speaker 4 (18:34):
That I've learned that connection isn't about geographical isolation. It's
about a mindset of why you.
Speaker 6 (18:40):
Were actually all lived there.
Speaker 4 (18:42):
And your connection to nature. They're so disconnected from nature
and Auckland it's not funny. And you think you now
there once help never felt lonely once in the rural sector.
Speaker 1 (18:53):
I appreciate exactly what you've just said, because you can
move to a big city, all these people and actually
no one.
Speaker 3 (19:00):
To talk to.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
And some of that actually ties into when you see
you're moving to Mesving because you want to be closer
to the hills. I completely understand that. When I moved
to christ Church for university, I come from a farming
property on the hills out of Nelson. I would drive
to the porthills every weekend just to get some sort
(19:23):
of view, and so I completely understand what you're saying
about that one. But you're obviously a very busy lady
that your fingers in lots of different pies. What does
an average week look for you for Sarah Parium, Well.
Speaker 4 (19:38):
It all obviously depends on COVID or no COVID, But
I have a real mixture between this week clients coming
in and recording all their own podcast shows and then
us turning that around. I've been editing this morning some
our land and water webinars and to social media content
for them, organizing our wedding, organizing building a house, and
(20:01):
normally if it wasn't COVID. I would be shooting around
the country.
Speaker 5 (20:05):
Filming on farm or also going to events.
Speaker 4 (20:09):
And m seeing and then in the weekends treasuring not
being in the office, and yeah, gardening, catching up with friends.
Speaker 3 (20:18):
It's a very wide range of things. I love that.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
I feel like that it's, you know, the variety of
the spice of life. It keeps things interesting when you're
working on so many different projects all the time, which
is awesome. And I've got a really big question for you, Sarah,
and I think it's one that you actually ask will
guests quite often in one way or another, and it is,
(20:43):
if you could weighs a magic want, what is the
one thing that you would like to see change in
our rural industry right now.
Speaker 4 (20:52):
I don't even know why I'm scared to say this,
because I'm never scared to say anything else. I think
we need to get over ourselves. I think we're really,
really genuine. I only need to stop thinking that we
are the center of the universe. We are so insignificant.
It's not funny.
Speaker 5 (21:06):
And it's the hardest.
Speaker 4 (21:08):
Thing in the world to hear that when your entire
world feels full of anxiety that someone's in control of it,
but the moments that we can actually step back and
realize it's not all about us, and we can actually
start to get ahead and find those common values to
start to diffuse a lot of this tension that's going on.
(21:29):
So I would really just like a lot of people
to have the courage to come forward and stop telling
the industry with the best in the world. I know
that's so hard to hear and not a nice pill
to swallow. If we can actually start to emphasize with
why what's going on is going on, then we can
(21:51):
have better conversations, because yes, we are trying to protect
our very special upbringing in rural New Zealand, and I
want exactly the same for my child.
Speaker 5 (22:02):
But the world's never going to be the way it
used to be, and we have to stop.
Speaker 4 (22:06):
Defending status quo. To give you an example of been
trying to work out how to process this documentary and
dares that film that's just been released this week, Milt.
Yet again the industry's putting it freaking head in the
sand and not fronting up and dealing with it and
thinking it's just going to go away, and it's not.
(22:27):
And it's hard to hear when you know scientifically, you're
so much more correct, But perception is going to trump
science any day, and we have to learn that, own
it and tell a different story and the other people
tell our story differently. The defensive stuff is getting old, boring,
and it's not getting us anywhere.
Speaker 1 (22:45):
Perspective to have courageous conversations really if we distill all
of that. But more important is that one person's perspective
is their reality. And I think that's such a huge
point that you just made right there.
Speaker 4 (23:00):
I've really felt very lucky to probably have the confidence
to speak a bit more frankly with the farming community
because of my experience growing up and then living in
Auckland representing them in the media. And I've been in
rooms of one hundred plus farmers and I'll ask them
to put their hand up and keep it up as
(23:20):
they've spent more than three consecutive nights in Auckland in
the last twelve months. And then I turn around to
them and I say, and you want them to understand
you and just leave that point with them that this
is a two sided relationship. Absolutely, Yeah, So always just
remembering that, yeah, your perception is literally your your own
(23:41):
environment and challenge that get out of it and go
and hang out with some hippies and ask them a
few questions because.
Speaker 5 (23:48):
You'll learn a lot.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
I think that's awesome and that's such a powerful statement
in a question to make to an audience, and I
can imagine there'll be some head scrap going on after
something like that for sure. Final question from us, because
you've given us so many things to pond that in
so many amazing insights, we want to know what's next.
Speaker 3 (24:12):
For Sarah Pirium.
Speaker 1 (24:13):
You've done, as we've elaborated this point a lot, but
you've done so much in a very short period of time.
What's coming up for you in the next twelve months.
Speaker 4 (24:22):
Well, I have so many fantastic clients that I'm working
with and that has just been an incredible acknowledgment that
I'm getting those large corporations coming to me for my
rural specialty in media. So I'm really enjoying being behind
the scenes again and supporting them. So that's got huge
more legs going into the next twelve months. Here's country
(24:46):
is something that I'm still always evolving and working out
in a fluidity that I'm not stressed about anymore. To
see where it goes, but it keeps me on the
pulse and that's why I love it. But also so
I'm starting to be honest, I haven't really seen this anywhere,
so it's an excusal.
Speaker 5 (25:05):
There's I mean, I met that crossroads.
Speaker 4 (25:07):
I'm thirty five, just about start a family, and I
met that crossroads of you know, as media and me
for the rest of my life. And so I'm pondering
through quite a few.
Speaker 6 (25:19):
Different opportunities in that and what I.
Speaker 4 (25:21):
Can do to leverage my networks and my experience today
to take that forward to continue to stay in the
industry that meant potentially maybe in a different capacity. And yeah,
I've got some fantastic mentors that are guiding me in
that to navigate what's going to be the best thing.
But I mean, it's just definitely in how I can
(25:43):
support having more courageous conversations.
Speaker 2 (25:45):
Gosh, we're really applaud you for those courageous conversations.
Speaker 3 (25:49):
I think it's something that Rural Woman.
Speaker 2 (25:52):
New Zealand is part of what we do a little
bit of a lesser known part of what we do
is actually standing up and being advocates for our members,
women and childre d in the government space, and in
those places we have to have quite courageous conversations because
it's hard to get heard.
Speaker 3 (26:08):
And I've been in several.
Speaker 2 (26:10):
Zoom meetings in this day and age where we were
actually staying to a minister you know, what are you
doing about X, Y and Z, and hey, no, you're
not doing enough, and this is what we need from you.
So following on from there, it's just wonderful to hear
that that's what's in your future as well. And I'm
sure that everybody wants to work with someone like you
(26:32):
who has such a breadth of experience, and we really
just appreciate your times here and we know how busy
you are, we know how much people will love to
hear from you and in this format. So yeah, we
really do appreciate that, and for sharing so openly with
us too, because I think that's a really special part
of having a really good conversation and something that's really impactful.
Speaker 3 (26:54):
So thank you.
Speaker 2 (26:56):
Thank you again for being with us today and sharing
yourself for us and our listeners.
Speaker 4 (27:01):
Thank you so much for this wonderful podcast. All the
episodes are incredible and I'm honored to be a part
of it.
Speaker 2 (27:07):
Thank you Rural Women New Zealand is a community of
like minded women who are doing amazing things in their
respective regions and communities.
Speaker 1 (27:15):
This podcast celebrates the achievements, successes and stories of our
Rural Women, which are also the foundations for our organization's
rich history.
Speaker 2 (27:25):
We want you to be part of our future story,
so please join us by clicking on the link in
the show notes, and we look forward to welcoming you
into the fold.
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