Wanaka Podcast

 James Hay is an accidental brewer. James’ taste for beer developed from drinking wine in France to drinking cider at university, to drinking beer because he realised it could taste good. Like many of us, he came to Wanaka to chase snow. Working as a builder funded the start-up and the support from the boss helped him to start the beer business as well as learn about the balance of business and lifestyle. The business went from strength to strength. James uses local ingredients to create a local flavour. His brewing ethos lies in tweaking small aspects of the process to improve the flavour. He believes in tweaking things to keep things fresh and tasty. The beer has a strong design and a core following of fans in Wanaka and beyond. If you haven’t tried their cider, tasted their kombucha, or sampled the beer, pop into B.social to test the product. Learn about where the name comes from and how this business evolved in Wanaka. Enjoy this show brought to you by the team at Southern Lakes Motors.

Along with her husband Matt, Kirsty owns and runs the Pembroke Patisserie. Duncan and Kirsty chat about her journey to Wanaka and building one of Wanaka’s tastiest businesses. Her passion stems from her Mum’s cooking and her life growing up on a sheep and beef farm. One of her first jobs was in the kitchen, peeling potatoes, and hospitality has been a constant ever since. As a young woman she went on a student exchange to France and this instilled a love of good food and different flavours, and stretched her palate. She formalised her interests with an International Diploma in Hotel Management in Adelaide and later gained a bachelor’s degree in European Studies, focusing on French and Spanish, and went on to tackle her Master’s. She and Matt also worked their way through iconic kitchens in NZ, learning new tricks of the trade. Kirsty talks about her challenges, celebrations and drivers in setting up the Patisserie. Tune in for this fun and interesting chat with Kirsty and brought you by Southern Lakes Motors.

Bob discovered white water kayaking at high school and the sport sparked a love of travel and paddling that has stayed with him for life. Big Hands Bob or Big Water Bob; no matter what you call him, Bob had big plans from a young age. He built a reputation pioneering kayak missions descending remote and difficult stretches of water and he has also worked as a guide for trekking, mountain biking, sea-kayaking and canyoning companies internationally and in New Zealand over the past three decades. Bob tackled the Coast to Coast as a teenager, and then at 44 years old he took on the One Day event, earning second overall and taking out the veterans first place. He has mastered waka ama, Rogain, adventure racing and has notched up impressive results in GodZone, Red Bull Defiance and more. In Bob’s business Best Foot Forward he coaches and support others in their adventure sports. He is the man to talk to if you want to learn about paddling white water and adventure sports and events. He talks about the transition from competition to coaching and all that entails. Listen in to this inspiring and fun chat brought to you by Southern Lakes Motors.

Evelyn Vallillee owns and runs the Dripping Bowl and Velo Café at Bike Glendhu. Her business ethos is all about whole food, local food, wholesome organics and good ingredients. Her food is adventurous and less conventional; focused on sustenance, free-range, flavourful, nutritional wholefood, and sneaking in the health benefits. Her food is approachable, healthy and delicious. Evelyn grew up in Canada, but calls Aotearoa home. Her parents met in culinary school. She followed in their footsteps by also going to culinary school, and paid her dues in hospitality as she worked her way up the ranks of the game. She talks about her pathway through iconic Wanaka businesses to owning her own gig. She talks of bacon butties and raw treats, freshness and flavours. Evelyn is a master at bundling fun food with health food. She blends comfort and connection in her cuisine; she says you eat with your eyes first. Your taste buds will light up with this chat. Tune in to this episode with Duncan and Evelyn kindly supported by Southern Lakes Motors.

Duncan Good hosts his very first Wanaka Podcast episode interviewing Hamish Pepper. Hamish is a sailor who has represented NZ at the Star World Champs, four summer Olympics and the America’s Cup, just to name a few. He is competitive, strategic and ambitious. He is a tactician by nature and he brings this to business as well. Following a holiday, Hamish and his family found themselves enamoured of the lifestyle and environment of Wanaka, so they packed up camp and moved the clan to the Southern Lakes. Then, to keep things interesting, Hamish started looking to purchase a business in the region. They found and purchased RAD Car Hire in Queenstown. He says the business keeps him entertained and motivated. They have come through COVID well, as Kiwis supported their car hire business. His sailing career has the anchors out at present, as events are cancelled. In the meantime, Hamish is hiding from the seawater in Central Lakes and from time to time you will find him down at the Wanaka Yacht club teaching the next generation of sailors. We hope you enjoy this chat brought to you by Southern Lakes Motors and the Wanaka Podcast.

Jess catches up with Alecia Hodgson from Silver Sixpence Skin Clinic. Alecia is passionate about skin health and skin care. She has carved out a business focused on beauty treatments as well as skin health. Alecia’s love of travel has been influential in her career decisions: work at ski resorts and on super yachts has shaped her delivery today in her clinic. Her passion for business, skin and progression fuelled her drive to get underway. She funded the start-up phase of her business by working in earthworks; the mines in Australia and local company Maungatua Contracting here in Wanaka. For Alecia, continual upskilling and training are important to keep things interesting and innovative in her business. Alecia offers an insight into the camaraderie and support amongst the beauty community in Wanaka and her goals to keep things small and high quality. Alecia has built an incredible business with loyal staff and customers. Listen in to hear where the name Silver Sixpence comes from and how Alecia went from a salon on wheels (a beauty bus) to a stunning clinic in the precinct in central Wanaka.

Jess sits down with Duncan Spear from Puzzling World. Duncan runs this iconic Wanaka business with his wife Heidi. He tells the story of Puzzling World and how the business was created in 1973 by his in-laws, Stuart and Jan Landsborough. The business is a Wanaka ‘must-do’. It’s fun for both adults and kids and it has enjoyed new domestic tourists over the past year. The business philosophy is about fun, being something unique, and pushing the boundaries. Duncan and Heidi are focused on making work fun for their staff and providing an opportunity for them to develop. Balance is Duncan’s measure of success and constantly moving forward is vital. Duncan claims to be impatient; he entered the world 10 weeks premature and has been keen to get after it ever since. Duncan is driven, enthusiastic and excited about running this amazing Wanaka business. Enjoy this chat with Duncan about his life in Wanaka.

This week on the Wanaka Podcast Jess talks with Alice Townsend. Alice is a long-time local business women who owns Alice Hair hairdressing salon and You and I clothing store. She is spirited, ambitious and non-nonsense; she has to be because she has 1 husband, 5 kids and 2 businesses! Alice is entrepreneurial and brave, bold and fun, and she has been since she was 12 years old. She describes herself as supercharged; she is focused on her goals, driven and she gets after it, just like her Dad!  Alice’s passion is clothing design and family, and she has built a life, albeit quite busy, around all of this fun. Alice is small in stature and big in inspiration! Enjoy this story about her life in business. 

Kate runs Fresh Cleaning Wanaka, a cleaning business right here in Wanaka. Kate and her team handle domestic cleaning, builders’ clean-ups, commercial cleaning and everything in between. She has a reputation for being a hard worker, enthusiastic and a very good cleaner! In her other business, Salsa Wanaka, Kate teaches salsa dancing and fills her own cup up. Kate has business in her DNA. She gathered business skills from the beginning via her family’s business. She also did ballroom dancing as a youngster, gained a degree in Economics and French and her early work involved teaching Zumba. Kate is energised, fun and focused on finding satisfaction in her work and making a difference in people’s lives through cleaning. Enjoy this fun and upbeat chat with Jess and Kate.

Jin is the founder of MetaMed Clinic. She is an intuitive therapist with 13 years’ experience as an Osteopath, Herbalist, Western Medical Acupuncturist and Psychosomatic Therapist. Jin’s mission for her clinic is to connect on a deeper level with her clients and teach preventative mindsets, motions and psychosomatics as they relate to health. She has built a business of 12 practitioners and has stepped into a new personal role as a coaching practitioner. She treats ailments and disease states that may be physical manifestations of suppressed emotions, dysfunction or trauma. This business is called The Art of Listening to Your Body. Jin herself has three coaches in her life: a Business Coach, a Life Coach and an online Business Coach. In her own life she stops every 3 months to clean up paperwork, and reassess her goals and trajectory. Her path is both intuitive and deliberate. Jin and Jess explore what this work involves and they chat through some great examples to help us understand the practice. We hope you enjoy this varied and interesting chat.

Jess Eastwood kicks off Season 4 talking to Prairie Pritchett. Prairie runs The Body Garage, a stunning yoga and Pilates studio on Gordon Road, Wanaka. Prairie is a Certified Massage Therapist, Pilates Instructor and 200HR Yoga Alliance Certified Yoga Teacher. She teaches movement and bodywork through a yoga and Pilates mash-up. The studio brings together a community, gathering a tribe of teachers and students in a wonderful space. Prairie tells us about growing a business and a baby at the same time. Jess and Prairie talk about the hustle of developing a business and the challenge of balancing leadership, friendship, motherhood and the bottom line. Enjoy this story about Prairie’s life from LA to Central and the adventure of business in Wanaka.

Jo Lynch and Leungo Lippe chat in Episode 6! Leungo is the owner of Lipski and Sons, right here in Wanaka. You may recognise his name from his previous Wanaka food projects BoaBoa and Botswana Butchery. In this episode Leungo talks about his life before Wanaka, from being born in Botswana, to a transient school life, training in Switzerland, and working as a chef in London and New York. This discussion provides a little behind-the-scenes insight into the cut-throat hospitality industry, kitchen dramas and the high-tension game of climbing the restaurant ladder. We hear about how Leungo and his wife ended up in Wanaka, his approach to business, and his new project, Lipski and Sons. You will love listening to Leungo’s story; it’s an inspiration!

This is Jamie Roy! Jamie describes himself as a connector by nature and vocation. He shares with Jo Lynch his journey to find the perfect fit for his skillset and outlook in a professional space. Originally his work was in the online space, working in social media and helping businesses connect and build relationships online when social media were just taking off in NZ. Jamie’s work has evolved as he has evolved, but his coaching work continues to be underpinned by human connection and relationship-building.  This is an honest and revealing chat about searching for your place. Jamie talks about a recent epiphany, a shift in his work, and what that has meant for his own personal development. He says connection is evolving and we have to evolve with it. Enjoy this deep and philosophical chat with Jamie Roy.

Jo Lynch sat down with Don Reid from The Yard - Central, Wanaka. Don tells us about life at The Yard, his approach to leadership, marketing and managing a team of young people. Don’s approach to business is based on logic, fun and being a good bugger. Listen in to hear how you too can master the art of happy staff and the 4-day work week! This roving conversation meanders from his upbringing in Rotorua, to work with the Outdoor Pursuits Centre (OPC), to ski shops in London and on to life in Wanaka and the West Coast. Don has an affinity with his Rotorua roots, in particular the humour, Maori culture and the boys back home. When he is not at The Yard you’ll find Don sailing on the lake, practising his Te Reo or on an adventure in the hills. We hope you enjoy this conversation with Don Reid.

Jo Lynch sits down with Sam Lee to chat about life as a pro-skier. This smart young man is athletic, creative and ambitious. They discuss his progression from a junior ski racer to a senior on the world stage as a professional freeskier on the Freeride World Tour. Sam talks about how he mastered the business of pro-skiing through sponsorship, ski instruction, ski coaching, trampoline coaching and digging rocks. Sam is a role model for the children that he coaches; he provides an insight into his approach on and off the snow leading New Zealand’s next generation of freeride kids. Sam is a deeper thinker. He has some weird philosophies and pastimes, so tune in to hear more about his music, the Sorcerers Picnic and how to live a life that’s just a little bit different. As you will hear, this was recorded in winter, so wrap up warm and get this into your ears. 

Max is an entrepreneurial, visual artist, who was born and raised in Wanaka. He describes the town as a unique ecosystem; the perfect breeding ground for good ideas, and a place for entrepreneurs to flourish. He talks about how his parents shaped his analytical and creative thinking and what this means for his commercial life as an artist. Max and Jo talk about the mystery of where ideas come from. Max theorises that creativity begets creativity and that ideas need to be captured, then boiled down to their essence. He says, “there is a volatility with ideas... you can't tame creativity” and although he feels the urgency to grab hold, he also has faith that more ideas will come to him.  Hear about Max’s most recent adventures learning about the value of art in New York and tailoring in London. Enjoy this wide-ranging and intriguing discussion with Max de Roy.

Jo Lynch sits down with Dr Deb Inder to talk about her work in family law. Admitted to the Bar in 1998, Deb is a Barrister and Accredited Mediator. She regularly appears in the Family Court as a Court Appointed Lawyer for the Child, and on behalf of private and legal aid clients. Deb fills us in on her PhD in Law, her thesis topic being Children’s Participation Rights within the Context of the New Zealand Family Justice System. She is a passionate advocate for kids in sticky situations and her work is informing policy as well as helping to retrain people who work in this space in NZ. Deb loves the freedom of running her own business here in Wanaka. She is a master of balancing work and fun and time with her family. Enjoy this wide-ranging conversation with Dr Deb.

Welcome to the show Doc McLeod! He is a doctor, an Ironman and a local through and through. Andrew is a Director of Wanaka Medical Centre and has worked there since 1985. Early days as a doctor were spent in Breckenridge as a ski doctor, so Wanaka seemed like a good fit. Back in those days the town still had party lines and when people needed a doctor, you could just knock on the door of their house. He became a Distinguished Fellow of The Royal NZ College of GPs and was fundamental in bringing together the Wanaka Lakes Health Centre. Andrew is fascinated by what our bodies are capable of, and he enjoys exploring limits by competing in triathlons and multi-sports events.  He reveals his next project on the show! He is organised, mindful, and a fan of systems and coffee. Andrew’s GP life and approach to business are grounded in good values, a focus on the present moment and a desire to look after his fellow man. He is a good man; enjoy the show.

Dougal sits down with Ginny Rutledge from Wanaka Physiotherapy. A “naughty schoolgirl” (her words, not ours), Gin came from a family of farmers and a medical practitioner. She followed in her mother’s footsteps and trained as a physio. Ginny has run a successful business here in Wanaka for 33 years; she began back in the eighties when this quiet little ski town only required a physio team two mornings per week. Gin was fundamental in setting up a specialist high-performance sport snow sports programme that has evolved into the national body and is one of the highest-performing park and pipe programmes in the world. She has attended five Olympic Games as the physiotherapist for the New Zealand ski team and the USA ski team. A leader in her field, Ginny attends and presents at international physiotherapy conferences and through these networks gains access to ground-breaking research, for the benefit of our Kiwi athletes.  She calls her success a happy accident, but you will hear Gin’s passion and energy about people and progression. She is an enormous asset to our athletes and our town. In the winter you will find her heading up Treble Cone, watching the sun come up, with a smile on her dial. We hope you enjoy this show.

Dougal sits down with Duncan Good to talk about his path to being an owner of Ray White Wanaka, and how he rounds out life with sport, family and friends. Sport provided a solid footing for Duncan in business; he transferred skills and lessons learnt in leadership and mindset into his business life. Sound advice he received early on from All Blacks coach Steve Hansen continues to ring true to this day. Duncan talks about how he was lucky to have significant influencers shape his thinking and encourage him to continually stretch outside of his comfort zone, which led him into auctioneering, Challenge Wanaka and eventually real estate. We hope you enjoy this wide-ranging conversation.

Sally Currie works for herself in every sense of the word. One of her jobs is centred around her husband Braden Currie (her husband), triathlete and multi-sport Ironman. Sally is Braden’s media and partnership manager, a role she created for herself in order to ensure Braden had every opportunity to focus on what he does best. In this honest discussion Sally opens up about her kids, her Dad’s influence and how she met and married Braden. She has taken a very deliberate approach to designing a life of fun. Sally describes herself as unemployable and therefore survives on creativity and resourcefulness. She has shaped her life and work to suit a life of travel, sport, children and happy days. Hard work and her father’s wisdom is sprinkled throughout her story. She has survived on her wits and wiles and enjoyed every facet of the vast array of businesses she has been involved in over the years.  She puts the variety she has experienced in her life of business, down to her lack of concern and worry around things not working out.  She instead opts to believe that everything is possible and that life has a natural way of natural way of leading you to where you need to be. This pair are adventurous and entrepreneurial and have carved out a fun life of action. We hope you enjoy this honest and interesting chat!

Rob Holt from See Crow Fly coffee tells his tale about moving from Ireland to New Zealand, and from head dishwasher to head barista. He has a love of fine things: beautiful pencils, beautiful views and beautiful coffee. Rob and his partner Rachel are two of Wanaka’s most experienced and recognisable baristas. It is likely Rob has served you up a flat white and it is likely it may have been one of the best you have tasted. Rob has had the knack for making coffee ever since he made instant coffee for his Mum in the mornings as a youngster.  Today he is an absolute master of his craft. Like a mad scientist Rob loves experimenting with roasting coffee beans, at the heart of it, he is focused on roasting coffee, he likes to drink. Rob is a true artisan, his secret to success is striving to make every coffee better than the one before. Please enjoy this relaxed and interesting chat with Rob Holt.

We are lucky to have had Jackie Boyd on the show! Jackie and Dougal discuss family, life in business, and open water swimming. Jackie jumped in the deep end in 2017, taking over full ownership of Penberthy Insurance and rebranding to beSure. With over 25 years’ experience, her name is synonymous with insurance in Wanaka. Dougal digs deep on family; Jackie is the youngest of 9 children, has two girls of her own, and she has found whānau and community in the swimming community in Wanaka. Jackie dipped her toes into open water swimming by entering the very first Challenge Wanaka. The event sparked a love affair with the lake and swimming for fitness and events. She was instrumental in forming the Lake Swimmers Club and as a Trustee of the Wanaka Watersports Facility Trust she is intent on ensuring the facility is available to all the community. This discussion will give you an insight into Jackie’s values, and her focus on our community and family. We hope you enjoy it.

Dougal Allan sits down with Eddie Spearing to talk about motorbikes, skateboards, snowboarding and music. The pair talk about serendipity, being in the right place at the right time and capitalising on a little bit of luck to shape up an epic life! Eddie is a mechanical design engineer by profession and this foundation unlocked an unlikely chain of events that led him to become the Publisher of Snowboard UK Magazine, setting up the British Snowboard Association, finding a Kiwi wife and moving to Wanaka New Zealand. Eddie and Dougal talk about the birth of the Ruby Island Swim, Eddies open water wetsuits and how to bring all your knowledge and skills together. Here’s to making luck happen!

Jess Eastwood speaks to Nikki Potts from Health 2000 and Fusion Natural Health Clinic. Nikki tells us about purchasing and owning a retail health store at 23 years old. She also talks about her private clinic working with her customers on nutrition, fertility, hormone and gut health. Her approach helps people understand what is going on in their body and how they can obtain optimal health. We hope you enjoy this chat!

https://www.wanakapodcast.com/episodes/nikki-potts

https://www.fusionhealthclinic.co.nz/

Jess Eastwood talks to the passionate Lucas Parkinson from Ode Restaurant. Lucas takes us on his journey into the world of food, and offers an insight into the trials and tribulations of owning a restaurant. He talks about his mentors, the unique culture of the New Zealand food industry, and he lets us in on a few things he has learnt along the way. Lucas offers his philosophy on conscious dining, creative cooking and why building a business on solid values is important to him. This honest and open discussion lets us see Lucas’s resilience, tenacity and unique passion for his craft. We hope you listen in and dine at Ode. 

Authenticity and Creativity – a recipe for a sweet success

Our host Jess Eastwood spoke with Emily Bugg about life in business, life in Wanaka and the power of good food. Emily is the founder, creator and powerhouse behind Good Roots Feasting, the home of nourishing, raw, organic treats. Emily talks about her family’s journey to health and journey in business.

Ben Logan sits down with our host Jess Eastwood to talk about the evolution of his business. He talks about his deep dive into health, wellness and performance and his research into ancestral health. Ben explains the findings of his research into human evolution, and looking at when we were happiest and healthiest as humans and what we did to achieve this. Ben gives us an insight into his work in survival methods as a way to enhance everyday performance and wellness. We hope you enjoy the show.

https://www.wanakapodcast.com/episodes/ben-logan

https://www.loganlore.co.nz/

https://www.facebook.com/theloganlore/

https://www.instagram.com/the.logan.lore

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNh9TkC3fXWseWZxTl06q8A?view_as=subscriber

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-logan-64ba61137/

Jess Eastwood sits down to talk wine, family and business in Wanaka with Rippon vineyards’ Jo Mills. This stunning organic, biodynamic farm is rich with history, family and demonstrates a spirited connection to land. Jess and Jo discuss how to artfully balance business, life, kids and viticulture. This is an entertaining and interesting insight into Rippon; one of our local treasures. Enjoy the show.

People, family and fun are at the heart of retail for Chris Walsh

Our host Jess Eastwood sat down with Chris Walsh to talk shops. Chris is a passionate local retailer who puts values and people at the heart of everything. He talks about progress, taking care of employees and perils and rewards of growth. Chris is passionate about retail; he lives and breathes fit outs, stock, staff and fun.

We talk to talented Wanaka people about business, motivation and what they find intriguing. Our guest speakers offer their insight into leadership, strategy and what they find unique about doing business in Wanaka. We deep dive into what makes these people tick. 

We are interested in exploring innovative ideas and clever thinking; we are seeking out knowledge, mindset and business philosophy to inspire and encourage other Wanaka business owners. We hope you enjoy the listen.