The Guest Speaker

In this episode of The Guest Speaker, we sit down with Gemma Thornton, a community rehabilitation coach at Body in Motion in the Bay of Plenty.

Gemma’s pathway began with a love of dance, movement, and people. After high school, she studied Sport and Human Performance at Wintec, initially imagining a future as a PE or dance teacher. But as her studies unfolded, and as her own health journey with ulcerative colitis and endometriosis ...

Haylee Palmer didn’t follow a perfectly mapped-out path - and that’s exactly what makes her story so relevant.

Growing up in Tauranga, Haylee leaned into a philosophy of simply enjoying school, trying everything, and staying open to where life might lead. From sport to arts to leadership opportunities, she explored broadly without pressure to specialize early - a mindset that would later shape her career.

After finishing school, Hayl...

Catriona McPherson grew up in Cambridge, surrounded by stories, art, and a curiosity about the world - but like many students drawn to the humanities, she wasn’t sure exactly where that path could lead.

In this episode, Catriona shares how she turned a love of art history into a meaningful career at Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa - one of New Zealand’s most iconic cultural institutions.

She takes us through her journey from...

Kate Goodman was a high-achieving student who loved school, thrived in structured environments, and always expected she would go to university - but like many students, she had little idea what career she actually wanted.

In this episode, Kate shares how she navigated that uncertainty, choosing to study psychology, criminology, and art history based on interest rather than a defined career path - and trusting that things would work ...

Luke’s story begins on the Coromandel Peninsula, where a childhood shaped by the ocean, small community living, and hands-on learning laid the foundation for everything that followed.

In this episode, Luke shares how his pathway into hospitality wasn’t driven by academic success, but by practical skills, people, and a willingness to work hard. Navigating school with dyslexia and struggling in traditional classroom settings, he found...

Steph Woodall grew up in Cambridge with her sights set on becoming an architect - until one unexpected rejection and a gap year changed everything.

In this episode, Steph shares how that pivot led her into the world of health and nutrition - from discovering fitness during a year at home, to studying at the University of Auckland, and eventually qualifying as a registered dietitian. What followed was a career working in public hospi...

Rebecca grew up around the ocean in the Bay of Islands, where a love for sailing started early and steadily evolved into a career on the global stage.

In this episode, Rebecca shares how she turned that passion into a profession — beginning with a rigging apprenticeship in Auckland and building her career through hands-on experience, technical skill, and strong industry connections. What followed was a pathway that took her from loc...

Caleb Carter’s journey begins in the small coastal communities of the Coromandel, where fishing, diving, and a hands-on upbringing shaped the foundations of a career that would eventually take him to the global stage of fine dining.

In this episode, Caleb traces his path from a self-described “ratbag” student who struggled with school to washing dishes at Luke’s Kitchen as a teenager. What began as a summer job soon sparked a work e...

Jaime Leigh grew up in Katikati, went to a small-town college, and always knew she wanted to be a hairdresser — even before she understood where that path could lead. What she didn’t know was that it would take her from a polytech classroom to Peter Jackson film sets, and eventually to Hollywood, where she would become a BAFTA and Emmy Award-nominated hairstylist.

In this episode, Jaime shares the real journey behind the glamour: kn...

Nathan Wallis has become one of Aotearoa’s most trusted voices on how kids’ brains work — not because he talks at people, but because he translates complex neuroscience into language that feels human, doable, and kind. In this episode, Nathan takes us behind the “neuroscience educator” title and back to a childhood marked by chaos, ADHD, and moving in and out of safe homes — where school wasn’t just education, it was refuge. He ope...

Ellen Butler’s story begins on the Coromandel Peninsula, where a childhood filled with surf lifesaving, sport, and community shaped the social, confident foundation she would later take into the world of superyachts.

In this episode, Ellen traces her winding path from “top end of average” student to flight-attendant hopeful, to au pair in Sydney and France, and finally to a 90-metre Russian-owned superyacht that would launch a seve...

From top-of-the-class student to front-line social worker, Clare Ennis has quietly built a career around something you’ll never see on a pay slip: dignity, advocacy, and deeply human care. In this episode, Clare traces her path from high-achieving “you-could-be-a-doctor” teen to working with young parents, students, and communities with high and complex needs.

We talk about what it was really like growing up with academic excellence...

Mitchell Lamb went from Cambridge classrooms and water polo training to rafting some of the world’s wildest rivers, and now helps teenagers turn whitewater into a way of life. In this episode, Mitchell traces his journey from “relatively academic kid” to Program Director at World Class Academy, a travelling high school for adventure athletes that treats rivers, trails, and cultures as the curriculum.

We talk about his decision to sk...

From a small-town childhood to founding The Darling Room, Victoria Toye opens up about her work behind building a people-first beauty practice: education, empathy, and emotional intelligence. She traces the early spark that led her into beauty therapy, the science that underpins her treatments, and the quiet confidence she cultivated to take up space in the industry.

We dive into holistic care as a lens for healing, the power of li...

From “class clown” to Officer of the NZ Order of Merit, Dai Henwood opens up about the real work behind making people laugh: curiosity, grit, and character. He traces the spark from Wellington College to Victoria University, the moment he realized he was a comedian, and the work ethic he learned watching his parents. We dive into people skills as a superpower, saying yes to scary opportunities, and the women who’ve backed him at ev...

In this episode, we dive into the world of surfboard shaping with Lou Aitken — where creativity, craftsmanship, and a love for the ocean collide.

Lou shares her journey of discovering a passion for board building, sparked by family influence and hands-on experiences in the surfboard factory.

From touring workshops as a kid to building their very first shortboard, this story captures the excitement of turning curiosity into craft. Wh...

In this episode, we sit down with Monique Brownlee, a radiographer whose career offers a behind-the-scenes look at how medical imaging brings healthcare to life. Monique breaks down the difference between radiographers—the professionals who capture images—and radiologists, the doctors who interpret them. From high-tech imaging rooms to real-world patient care, she explains how teamwork, precision, and trust form the backbone of thi...

In this episode, we sit down with Mya Dunsmore, a dedicated nurse whose journey offers an inside look into one of the most essential — and often underappreciated — professions in the world. From her first steps into nursing school to the challenges of long shifts and the deep rewards of patient care, Mya shares what it really takes to thrive in healthcare.

She talks about the social nature of nursing, the importance of hands-on trai...

In this episode, we sit down with Rebecca Davies-Colley, a Speech-Language Therapist and Audiologist who bridges the worlds of communication and hearing health. From helping children find their voice to supporting adults through hearing loss, Rebecca shares how her work transforms lives through understanding, connection, and care.

She takes us through her academic journey—from university lectures to hands-on clinical placements—and ...