She Started It

Rachel Taulelei is an inspiring business leader and a strong advocate for the Maori economy, purpose-driven business models and Aotearoa’s food and beverage industry. She began her global career at New Zealand Trade & Enterprise in North America. Once returning home she set up sustainable seafood company Yellow Brick Road, which was later acquired by Kono before she became CEO of the group. She’s now the co-founder of business design and brand strategy firm, Oho. Rachel is a multifaceted business leader and wears a number of other hats, from Director to Basketball Team Owner. In this episode of the She Started It podcast Rachel shares openly about the learnings from her career on leadership, establishing your personal values and staying true to them, how to build and authentically nurture your network, and so much more.

Sophie Hallwright has had an incredible career as a producer for some of the biggest shows in Australasia. Her experiences have led her to now being a co-founder and producer for The Curve, an award winning investing and financial education platform for women. In this episode, Sophie candidly shares that she does not identify with the idea that people are “born entrepreneurs” and personally, never saw herself as one - largely because growing up, it wasn’t something she was surrounded by. But now, here she is as a business owner, podcast host and content creator for one of the largest female investing communities online. Sophie shares in this episode how she has overcome self-doubt to embrace this next stage of her life - and how you can too! She shares with us her interesting career from radio producer, to living in fiji producing survivor for 6 months, to travelling the globe and everything else in between and how this has prepared her for the work she is doing now. Sophie’s story is such great encouragement for those who are currently in the throes of a fast growing business or career progression, as well as for those who feel like they are in a stage of just trying to figure everything out. For those of you who have listened to the Curve podcast, you will know that Sophie is absolutely hilarious - so it was a pleasure to speak with Sophie on this month's episode of the She Started it Podcast.  In this episode, Sophie shares on her story on: - Managing the demands of a growing business - Finding the right business partner - Being 'authentically you' in your business - Her globally ambitious plans for growing community - Making financial education engaging and empowering - How to start a business that is inline with your own risk tolerance

Lisa King is the formidable Entrepreneur behind Eat My Lunch and most recently, AF drinks. Her story proves that it is not only possible but also profitable, to create businesses that have a strong sense of purpose. In this episode of She Started It, Lisa King shares with us: --> About her recent trip to America and how she is launching her business globally, including into America's biggest whole-foods retailers. --> Her learnings from her 15 year corporate career and how she transferred these skills to start her own business. --> The importance of knowing your customers and market, along with some creative and cost-effective ways for startups to understand their consumers. --> How she has brought her kids along for the ride on her entrepreneurial journey. --> When she knew it was time to step back from her first venture Eat My Lunch, and how this transition was as for her. --> Her current business and how she is distrusting the alcohol-(free) market, along with sharing on her own journey of sober-curiosity.

Today I am joined by Janine Grainger. Janine is the Co-Founder and CEO at Easy Crypto. Janine first got involved in cryptocurrency in 2015 and saw massive opportunity. After founding Easy Crypto in 2017 with her brother, Janine has been a common name in the crypto scene in New Zealand. Easy Crypto is now a fast growing New Zealand start up and Janine is leading the way and challenging the gender biases which heavily skew the cryptocurrency and finance industry. In this episode Janine shares about her career journey leading up to being the CEO at Easy Crypto, she also shares honestly about the importance of having female representation in the finance and cryptocurrency industry and how she is leading the way so that other young women can follow.  If you want to find out more about Easy Crypto, check out their website: https://easycrypto.com/nz

In this episode we are joined by Dr Jenny Kruger. Jenny is the cofounder of JUNOFEM which is a start-up company with a product called Femfit, which aims to help women manage their journey to pelvic floor health. JUNOFEM ‘s technology originated from Auckland Bioengineering institute and is now being trialed in NZ, Australia, Canada and the UK. Jenny is on a mission to educate and empower women when it comes to their health to regain independence, and resolve pelvic discomfort once and for all. In this episode Jenny shares about female pelvic floor health, which is a topic that is not often spoken about! She also shares on the inspiring work she is doing to help women in this space along with sharing pearls of wisdom from her (very successful and interesting) career journey.  https://www.junofem.com/

In this Episode we are joined by Emily Blythe who is the founder and CEO of Pyper Vision. Pyper Vision is an aviation startup with a product that disperses fog to provide the visibility pilots and air traffic controllers require at every stage of their aerodrome operations. Emily’s company is gaining global attention and investment, as she tackles an ambitious problem which affects millions of people when they travel. In this episode Emily shares what it is like being a female founder in the aerospace industry, how she says motivated and inspired while developing and launching this groundbreaking technology and the importance of having a good support network around you.  To read more about Pyper Vision and connect further with Emily check out their website https://pypervision.com/

In this episode we are joined by Veronica Stevenson, who is the CEO, founder and executive director of Humble Bee Bio. Humble Bee Bio is on a mission to take plastic pollution out of the realm of individual responsibility and replace the materials that are used by industry when creating consumer products. Through their research, Humble Bee Bio have found a species of solitary bee that produces a remarkable bioplastic to waterproof their nests and protect their larvae from the environment. The bee’s DNA has been used to provide a unique platform to engineer sustainable materials with tailored properties for multiple market applications. In this episode Veronica shares openly about her journey as a bold and innovative founder, her views on imposter syndrome (and how we actually can use it to help us!) and how to navigate the highs and lows of following your passions. Veronica also shares her top tips for pursuing an innovative career in the science industry.  To connect with Veronica further and take a look at the work she is doing, website is below: https://www.humblebee.co.nz/

In this episode we are joined by Amelia Gain. Amelia is the co-founder and CEO of leading hotel management platform Preno. Amelia started her career in IT before operating a world-leading hotel in Queenstown. She became passionate about hotel operations and the guest experience, which led her to the concept of Preno - it’s an autopilot for independent hotels, removing all repetitive tasks and admin, allowing operators to focus on more important value adding tasks. Now, Preno has customers all around the globe and is the core tool for their business. In this episode Amelia shares about her career journey and how she came to found Preno. She also shares her top tips for growing confidence and achieving your big goals and dreams! https://prenohq.com/nz/

In this episode we are joined by Imche Fourie. Imche is the co-founder and CEO of Outset Ventures. Outset is the home of deep technology, it is an early-stage investment fund and a physical space for technology incubation. As CEO of outset, Imche thrives at the intersection of deep technology commercialisation, venture capital, and community building. Imche founded Outset after starting her career in the laboratory researching neurodegenerative diseases, but she has since navigated through life sciences consulting, research commercialisation and venture capital. In this episode, Imche shares some of the incredible work which she is currently doing along with speaking honestly about the journey to finding your passions and your professional mentors and champions. 

In this episode we are joined by Lauren Fong. Lauren is the network manager for ArcAngels, which is the female-led startup fund for Ice House Ventures. The purpose of ArcAngles is to increase investment in New Zealand businesses which are led by women. Arc Angles have raised and invested millions into female led ventures in New Zealand and Lauren has been instrumental in leading and managing this. Lauren is currently raising the second ArcAngels Fund ($10m-$20m) that will invest in 50 women-led companies in NZ. Lauren sat on the Entrepreneurship sub-group for the Women Employment Action Plan alongside Theresa Gattung, helping to put forward policy to Cabinet by the Ministry of Women.  In her spare time, Lauren also pursues her music passions as a professional DJ performing at some of the largest festivals in New Zealand, she has a new single launching this week called 'Remedy'.  You can follow Lauren and connect with her via:  LinekdIn: https://nz.linkedin.com/in/lauren-fong  Instagram (DJ and Music Page): @laurengin_

In this episode we are joined by Dr Sandra Grau-Bartual. Dr Sandra is a trained chemical engineer, she completed her PhD at AUT which led to developing a ground breaking innovation in respiratory humidification technology. Dr Sandra is now leading the commercialization of this technology as CEO of RespirAq, which is a world-first development in medical airway humidification technology. Dr Sandra and her team have secured over one million dollars in funding to launch and grow RespirAq, in this episode Dr Sandra shares about her journey to becoming CEO of RespirAq, the importance of following your passions and doing what you love and how she has the confidence to keep backing herself and trying new things.  You can find out more about RespirAq here: https://www.respiraq.com/ 

In this episode we are joined by Sarah Balle, founder of Supie. Supie is on a mission to provide a better and fairer grocery alternative for Kiwis. Supie brings a new model of grocery shopping online, replacing in store habits with digital experiences for customers, while delivering game changing differentiation for suppliers. The ambitious woman behind all of this is Sarah Balle, who on this episode shares about her brave story which has led her to becoming the founder of Supie. Sarah shares about Supie's successes so far including raising $2.5 million in their first feed funding round. Sarah also shares about the importance of knowing your 'why' and how this is the key that can keep you going in the face of challenges and adversity.  Show Links:   Supie: https://supie.co.nz/landing-page LinkedIn: https://nz.linkedin.com/in/sarahballe

In this episode we are joined by Brittany Gribben, who is the COO and co-founder of ArchiPro, an online platform redefining the $30 billion dollar architecture and building industry in NZ and beyond. In this episode, Brittany shares about how her and her partner founded ArchiPro out of a spare rom in their house to now having offices in Auckland and employing over 100 staff. Brittany also shares about juggling running the business and being a Mum to her three children and encourages other young women to be determined and not let naysayers get in their way.  This episode is in collaboration with Ice House Ventures, a venture capital firm backing brave kiwi founders with unique insights building global companies.  Show Links Brittany Gribben LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittany-gribben ArchiPro: https://archipro.co.nz/

Cecilia Robinson is the founder and creator of one of New Zealand’s most successful ever start-ups My Food Bag – Cecilia is one of NZ’s leading entrepreneurs. A serial entrepreneur and innovator, Cecilia is now the founder and Co-CEO of Tend Health. Cecilia has won more awards than you can shake a stick at (Supreme Winner 2017 Women of Influence Awards, Next Magazine Businesswoman of the Year 2014, EY Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2013, HER Businesswoman of the Year 2012 to name a few). In this episode, Cecilia shares on how her and her husband James Robinson have worked hard with their multiple business ventures to create the lives they have built for themselves today. Cecilia shares her top tips for budding entrepreneurs as well as sharing advice for ambitious young woman - encouraging us to focus on what we want, stay true to our values and our own happiness.  Follow Cecilia on instagram @ceciliarobinsontend  Website https://robinsonduo.co.nz/about-us/

Monique is the CEO & Founder of Jeuneora, a bold beauty brand that has seen exponential growth since Monique first launched it as a side hustle in 2016. Now as Moniques main hustle, she leads a team and heads the growth of the company. Jeunora specialise in premium supplements and skin care, their products have gained a huge following both in NZ and internationally. Monique and her team have built an incredibly successful beauty empire which continues to go from strength to strength. In this episode, Monique talks us through how she built the brand into what it is today, shares on some of her biggest wins along with her top tips for achieving success and looking after our well-being as ambitious women.  https://www.jeuneora.co.nz/

Shelley Ferguson is one of New Zealand’s leading woman when it comes to interior design and trends, Shelley is passionate about creating beautiful spaces and has had an incredible career as stylist and editor of leading interior design and fashion magazines. Shelley has been recognised for her amazing work and received awards for Editor of the Year and Overall magazine of the Year. Shelley is also a familiar face to many, as a co-host of popular TV show The Block NZ.  Shelley is Mum of two gorgeous boys and now runs her own interior design business - Shelley Ferguson Studio.  In this episode, Shelley shares openly about her career journey, maintaining a positive and kind attitude, making the most of all opportunities that come your way, and designing a life that you love and uses your talents, passion and skills.  Follow Shelley @shelleyfergusonstuio on instagram, and check out her website here https://www.sfstudio.co.nz/

Wendy Thompson has built an incredibly successful career as a global marketer and entrepreneur who has worked with some of New Zealand and Australia's most iconic companies. Wendy is the founder of Socialities Group, which is the largest social media agency in New Zealand. Wendy has been recognised with a number of awards including 2019 Australasian Social Media Marketer of the year and 2018 Next Women of the Year Finalist in business and innovation. Wendy has an inspiring and contagious passion for the work that she does. In this episode, she speaks about how she founded Socialites, what gives her the confidence to work with leading brands, how we can use social media to inspire and support us, along with sharing her biggest learnings from the year that was 2020. Such an inspiring episode!  To follow Wendy, check out the below:  @wendysocialities  https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendythompsonnz/ Socialites NZ: https://socialites.co.nz/

Catherine Emerson is head of Marketing and Customer Strategy at Kernel Wealth, she is also the co-host of leading financial podcast "It's No Secret". Cat has built an exciting career that is motivated by ensuring millennials understand how to plan and design their finances to achieve their life goals. Cat has built a great career for herself while staying true to her values and passions - which is truly inspiring! In this episode, Cat shares about her career journey to get to where she is today and also shares her top tips for ambitious young women to win at life and their finances!  Cat is the co-host of  It’s No Secret is a podcast for Kiwis who want their money questions answered! Are you wondering when is the right time to get on the property ladder, whether you should invest with family or how to talk to your significant other about investing and budgeting? If yes, you’re in the right place. Hosts Cat Emerson and Christine Jensen will answer these questions and more. They’ll take you through the ins and outs of all things finance, money, property, investing and building wealth so you can move towards achieving financial freedom. Whether it’s learning about budgeting, what to do with your savings or whether you should be investing in the share markets, we’ve got you covered. You’ll be left feeling inspired, relieved and ready to take the next step in your financial journey.  https://itsnosecret.co.nz/ https://kernelwealth.co.nz/

Sarah Neil is the Founder and CEO of the latest Fashion Tech App "Mys Tyler", which is a venture-backed start-up disrupting the world of fashion. Sarah is on  a mission to help women feel more confident in the clothes they wear. Mys Tyler is a Fashion App which is helping solve the $1 trillion 'fit' problem, by connecting women with the same shape, size and styles to create an empowering and personalised shopping experience.  In this episode, Sarah shares her inspiring insights into the world of fashion and tech, the lessons she has learnt along the way building Mys Tyler and her impressive career journey to date.  Show Links:  https://www.mys-tyler.com/about https://www.linkedin.com/in/saraheneill/

Danielle is a leading litigation lawyer who after 15 years in private practice has established her own law firm, Elit Lawyers by McGirr & Snell. Danielle is a member of the Diversity Committee of the Law Institute of Victoria, Sexual Harassment Working Group (SHWG) and Women in Insurance. Danielle has chaired women’s legal network groups focused on assisting the development of female practitioners in the profession and guest lectures at RMIT University. Danielle's story is nothing short of inspiring, she backed herself to co-found Elit Lawyers by McGirr & Snell in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic AND while 7 months pregnant. Danielle is leading the way for ambitious young women and Mothers to pave their own way in their lives and careers. Danielle is joined on this episode with her gorgeous baby boy, Leonardo Snell.  Show Links:  https://elitlaw.com.au/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-snell-9871a08b/