Seeds

Here is a short summary of sessions held at the reent two day Institute of Directors Leadership Conference.   The full article can be accessed here with a lot more summaries of other sessions as well!  https://theseeds.nz/iod-leadership-conference-2025-summary-of-sessions-and-key-themes/  Why not join the next one in Wellington in September 2026?  Info is at the IOD site here https://www.iod.org.nz/2026-leadership-conference  For more content visit www.theseeds.nz 

Julie Woods went blind as an adult and in this episode we hear about her journey and what that was like and how she embraces life fully today.  I was really inspired by this conversation and hearing how she has overcome challenges to really live life.  I guarantee you will come away inspired by this conversation.   Her website is here https://www.thatblindwoman.co.nz  One million names in braille initiative is here https://www.thatblindwoman.co.nz/1-million-names-in-braille/  CCS Disability Action page: https://www.ccsdisabilityaction.org.nz/  Blind Low Vision site https://fundraise.blindlowvision.org.nz/ Tom Cooney interview mentioned https://theseeds.nz/podcast/professor-tom-cooney-on-inclusion-to-entrepreneurship-for-marginalised-groups-such-as-former-prisoners-refugees-and-those-with-disabilities/  More info www.theseeds.nz 

Audio of panel discussion just held at the Zero Waste Summit on 8 September 2025 discussing Tools for Transformation: System Change for a Zero Waste Future. More on the Zero Waste Network is here and worth signing up for their newsletter https://zerowaste.co.nz  Panelists:  Sue Coutts, Moderator from Zero Waste Network Steven Moe, Parry Field Lawyers Limited Dr Saeid Baroutian, University of Auckland James Griffin, Sustainable Business Network Description of the session: Panel Discussion: Tools for Transformation - System Change for a Zero Waste Future Achieving zero waste requires more than good intentions—it demands deep systems change. In this panel, leaders from business, legal, academic, and innovation spheres come together to explore how their sectors can enable, accelerate, or obstruct a zero waste future. How can business models shift from extraction to regeneration? What legal tools and policies are needed to drive accountability and equity? Where is research shining new light—or holding old assumptions in place? And how can innovation challenge the status quo without reinforcing it? This conversation will surface tensions, opportunities, and cross-sector insights to help us build a more circular, just, and resilient Aotearoa. Thanks Craig Fisher for taking the photo! More content at www.theseeds.nz   

Mark Laurence and I had a great discussion on AI and the future and A.icehouse, a new initiative for SMEs that he is working on with Icehouse, to learn more about the future of AI and what it might mean for companies and directors and business owners as well as charities and other organisations.  Have a look at these links to find out more.   A.icehouse website: https://www.theicehouse.co.nz/a.icehouse   Ten Past Tomorrow site: https://www.tenpasttomorrow.com  Icehouse: https://www.theicehouse.co.nz  For more episodes visit www.theseeds.nz  More on A.icehouse: "You don’t need to master every new app, platform or update. You need practical and pragmatic AI knowledge that powers your business to navigate the evolution AI is asking of you. AI is moving faster than leaders can follow. It can feel overwhelming, noisy, and hard to know what really matters. A.icehouse is designed to give Kiwi SME owners and senior teams clarity, in practical and tangible ways. No hype. No waffle. We focus on AI literacy and skills first, then layer in the tools so you can build the confidence to make better informed decisions. Back in 2000, Icehouse helped SMEs make sense of the internet and the knowledge era. Today, with applied AI expertise from Ten Past Tomorrow, we’re helping businesses make sense of AI and the intelligence era. In A.icehouse you’ll find: Plain-English explanations and demonstrations to build AI literacy around what AI is, what it isn’t, and how it is reshaping business models and industries, right now. Practical AI skill training, so you yourselves become powerful users of frontier AI tools to drive radical and immediate efficiency and productivity in your own roles. Pragmatic strategies and maps so you can drive the same AI-powered efficiency and productivity as mentioned above, throughout your entire organisation Time-respectful sessions designed for busy leaders. Honest conversations about unknowns and trade-offs, not hype or silver bullets. A mix of formats, from quick webinars, online courses, to live in-person in-depth symposiums; so you can choose what fits your time and needs. A trusted partnership: Icehouse’s 20+ years of SME support with Ten Past Tomorrow’s applied AI excellence."

This is the audio of a talk I gave the other day to about 100 lawyers on principles and habits for life - it comes from content in the recent book: The Circle: Careers with Impact which is a download here https://theseeds.nz/articles/the-circle-careers-with-impact/  If it is of help, why not forward it on to someone else?   More content is at www.theseeds.nz   

In this session I talked with Dr Brett Mann about conflict and how it influences board dynamics and he had a lot of wisdom to share on this fascinating topic. This is part of our ongoing commitment from Parry Field Lawyers to hosting important conversations that help you all. Forward on or tag someone in it may interest?  Dr Brett Mann joined me in a conversation we need to have about conflict and board dynamics.  Brett shared his perspective as an educator and communication skills trainer and draw on his experience with governance to explain connection points as we cover:  - Looking at conflict - what do we mean by that?   - What do Chairs and all those on Boards need to consider when it comes to conflict?    - What role does our personal history around past conflict play in this?    - Is conflict ‘bad’ or can it help unlock new ways of thinking?      - What are some ‘Rules of engagement’ to manage conflict?   - How do you suggest we address three common, often unspoken, ‘minor conflicts’ to improve board dynamics? Earlier seeds conversation with Brett on the impact of stress on our bodies: Dr Brett Mann on the impact of stress on our bodies, psychotherapy and 'somatisation' - Seeds Recent book on Careers with Impact: https://theseeds.nz/articles/the-circle-careers-with-impact/  Biography of Dr Brett Mann Brett is a medical educator and recently finished forty years as a general practitioner. He had a central role in the design of the New Zealand general practitioner communication skills training programme. This included introducing training on ‘dealing with conflict.’ which, for the last eighteen years, has been an important part of the programme. He has given many seminars to doctors and provided many hours of one to one and group training in this area. Hat tip to Grant Adams for the suggestion.

The audio version of my recent book on careers, work, identity, purpose and impact. You can download the book here https://theseeds.nz/articles/the-circle-careers-with-impact/ Contents The Circle  Introduction Part I: Our source of identity  Part II: Misconception about work  Part III: Purpose and your values  Part IV: Why all this impacts you  Part V: Developing seed habits  Part VI: Creativity and vulnerability  Part VII: What are you building?  Part VIII: Closing the loop of the circle  More content at www.theseeds.nz 

Tom Cooney is a visiting Erskine Fellow to the University of Canterbury and I was lucky enough to sit with him in person and hear about his life story and the work he does today helping marginalised groups (those with disabilities, refugees, former prisoners, asylum seekers etc) access entrepreneurship education.   But we start with his childhood, influences, parents, what he studied and how he came to be involved in this area - the format of seeds podcast is to really understand a life story not just a superficial "what is your job" question.  If you want to hear more there are hundreds of conversations now at www.theseeds.nz Tom provided the following links to things we discussed: Tom Cooney's website www.tomcooney.ie   Self-employment for persons with disabilities https://www.tudublin.ie/explore/news/aib-and-tu-dublin-self-employment-for-persons-with-disabilities-programme-2025.html Centre for Entrepreneurial Behaviour Inclusion and Innovation (CEBII) https://researchprofiles.tudublin.ie/en/organisations/centre-for-entrepreneurial-behaviour-inclusion-and-innovation-ceb/persons/  More info on the podcast is at www.theseeds.nz 

This is the audio of the paper released about the topic of Nature as Shareholder.  You can access the paper at this link to download it: https://www.parryfield.com/impact-investing-information-hub/ Nature as Shareholder 🌱 Am releasing this paper today on a fascinating topic that I really enjoyed researching and writing over the last year (or two!).  Feel free to post and/or leave a comment with your thoughts, or help spread word by tagging in someone it may interest? This paper considers the challenges and opportunities of a reframing of paradigms to think about the role of nature as a shareholder of companies - both the current legal means for that, and implications. ⛰️ I will be hosting a free webinar on 18th August at noon to discuss the paper and you are welcome to join here https://events.humanitix.com/nature-as-shareholder-discussion-with-steven-moe  🌊 Thanks to those I spoke to in preparing this and provided feedback and also to the supporter organisations who are listed at the start and tagged below. Also to Lily Duval who provided the amazing watercolour illustrations throughout and elevates the content by those images - check out her book "Six-legged Ghosts: The Insects of Aotearoa". 🌳 I've timed the release for the Nature & Business Symposium put on by the inspiring team at Sustainable Business Network which I am at today - thank you Manu Caddie who is speaking there for your support of this project and case study you provided.

Andrew is the CEO of the NZGBC and in this episode we hear about the work they do as well as find out more about his life story.  I learned a lot about the way that homes are measured through the Homestar rating and the important work that the New Zealand Green Building Council - and its 700 members - are doing in this area.   NZGBC Website is here  Andrew also shared this Real-world success stories: Explore how other developers are leveraging Homestar to deliver high-performance homes: Homestar Case Studies    Design support: The Homestar Design Guide offers practical strategies for achieving certification, including moisture control, thermal envelope design, and energy efficiency. The financial upsides of energy efficiency healthy homes A recent Infometrics report shows that homes built to 6 Homestar can save homeowners over $62,000 - $99,000 in electricity and mortgage interest. These savings are driven by lower energy bills and access to discounted mortgage that ANZ’s Healthy Home Loan provides. Developers or builders can save hundreds of thousands of dollars. The following banks provide significantly lower interest development finance for Homestar homes; ANZ, ASB, BNZ, Kiwibank and Westpac  The Circle: Careers With Impact book is here https://theseeds.nz/articles/the-circle-careers-with-impact/  For more episodes visit www.theseeds.nz   

Karim Sabet has led an interesting life having been born in Africa, raised in Japan and Egypt but also having lived in Malaysia and now is settled with his young family in Selwyn, New Zealand.    We talk about that international background and what it was like to grow up between cultures – being from somewhere but never having lived there as a child.  We also discuss his career and the work he has done as an entrepreneur as well as his current roles and plans for the future.  I really enjoyed getting to know Karim and hearing more of his background and life story and having interesting conversations and curiosity led discussions – the essence of what seeds podcast is about.    If you enjoyed this then you might like to check out some of the other episodes in the back catalogue as there are now more than 450 of those at www.theseeds.nz   

I was interviewed by by Seán Barnes for his Impact Professional Podcast and this is the result! FInd out more about his work over here and you can also subscribe to his show https://www.impactprofessional.nz My latest book is out now - The Circle: Careers with Impact, and it is over here https://theseeds.nz/articles/the-circle-careers-with-impact/ More content at www.theseeds.nz 

In this session I got insights from Shamubeel Eaqub the Chief Economist at Simplicity on a huge variety of topics - the economy, mountains, measuring value, wars, the working poor, superannuation, public forums for discussion, social cohesion, butter prices - we covered a lot!  Who might you tag in or share this with?  I also describe my new book The Circle: Careers with Impact which is a free download available now!   The Economy Made Simple, podcast with Shamubeel Eaqub here Podcast - Money Made Simple | Simplicity Charities Information Hub Charities in New Zealand | Parry Field Lawyers Careers with Impact page and download of new book The Circle: Careers with Impact - Seeds Charities and Tax paper PARRY-FIELD-Charities-and-Tax.pdf About Money Sweetspot mentioned in this About Us | Debt Consolidation Lenders | Money Sweetspot IOD article on Orders of Consciousness Governance and orders of consciousness: a different leadership lens | IoD NZ For more content visit www.theseeds.nz 

Latesha Hearth has led a fascinating life of curiousity which makes for a conversation touching on many topics - yoghurt, strangers on planes, home schooling, community, chocolate, Edmund Hillary Fellowship and much more.  Links to things discussed: Weave Cacao https://weavecacao.com/  The Values Trust https://valuestrust.co.nz/  The Raglan Food Co https://raglanfoodco.com/  Edmund Hillary Fellowship https://www.ehf.org/  Oonagh Browne interview https://theseeds.nz/podcast/oonagh-browne-on-the-power-of-chocolate-and-cacao/  More at https://theseeds.nz/ 

In this session Luke Peez (my colleague at Parry Field Lawyers) and I break down key considerations for organisations when it comes to use of AI - what do you need to think about and how do you stay safe?  The paper we talk about is a free download here: https://www.parryfield.com/artificial-intelligence-ai-hub/  For more content visit www.parryfield.com and for more podcast content visit www.theseeds.nz 

This is a short message out to ask for your help – yes, I need you, my seeds community!  To participate my email is steven@theseeds.nz  I’ve reflected a lot on my own life and work and crafted something that is short and to the point but I really think will help you.  It also reflects many concepts from guests I've learned on Seeds.   Will be releasing “The Circle: Careers with Impact” a 50 page book this month and would like to:   - offer you a free advance copy of it - ask for your thoughts on it so I can compile a bunch of reviews and short comments and put on the launch page with your name and credit to you as well   If you are interested in this please leave a comment or email steven@theseeds.nz and let me know and will send you a copy!    LinkedIn post here with info and where you can leave a comment if you prefer. Here is what Jasmin Muhlmann said about the book:   “This book helped me reflect on my journey and inspired me to think deeply about how I can align my career with my purpose and values. It also reminded me that I am the leader and driver of my own life and this perspective reignited my excitement for the future.”    Thanks in advance! www.theseeds.nz 

In this session held in New Plymouth recently I share about my journey and things I have learnt in my career as well as legal structures for Impact and answering audience questions.   Thanks to DOSO, Venture Taranaki and New Plyouth Council for the invitation to some and share with many startups.   More content for startups is at www.parryfield.com And more on seeds is at www.theseeds.nz 

In this live session recorded on 30 May 2025 Jenny Gill, Craig Fisher and I discuss the budget and related issues - and even end with a story of The Apple Tree!   More resources and earlier recordings and papers https://www.parryfield.com/charities-information-hub/ And audio versions are at www.theseeds.nz The Apple Tree story read at the end https://theseeds.nz/books/the-apple-tree/  

I saw a LinkedIn post from Arron Judson on the topic of different people having different skill sets and the framing of 'Explorers' and 'Optimisers'.  This is the short conversation we had where he explained more on this.   To find out more the site for Eidotic which is here (but check back later as being built still): Coming Soon EIDOTIC   This is the LinkedIn post here that sparked this conversation. 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻. 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗺𝗲. I look at this photo from when I held a senior executive role and realise now I was wearing a costume. Back then, joining the leadership team felt like the summit. It was the next step in my career, a position of influence, where I thought I could drive change. But here’s what I discovered: executive teams are often structured to reduce risk, enforce process, and deliver stability. Meanwhile, my brain was wired for the opposite, to spot opportunities, challenge assumptions, and build unconventional relationships. At first, my approach was welcomed, the “fresh thinking” honeymoon phase. But soon enough, the instinct to control the chaos kicked in. And we didn’t know how to talk about it. The result? I got shut down. Like the disruptive kid being sent out of the classroom. They thought I was moving too fast. I thought they were slowing everything down. They were wired to protect the business. I was wired to reimagine it. Even though I’d followed the “successful” path, I felt disconnected. Frustrated. Alone. Then I met Brooke and Andy, and they introduced me to the 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 - a framework that changed everything. The core idea is simple: humans are wired as either 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗿𝘀 (curious, creative, future-oriented) or 𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘀 (structured, process-driven, risk-aware). And to truly make progress, we don’t need everyone to be the same, we need to complement each other. I realised I’d spent most of my career as an Explorer in an Optimiser costume, performing well enough to pass, but never really thriving. Suddenly, my entire career made sense, especially why I’ve always been drawn to the chaos and opportunity of early stage startups. I looked back at the ventures I’d built and I could see where we’d succeeded, and where we’d stalled. The missing link? The people. Or more specifically the alignment of people to the right phase of the venture. That’s what led to the creation of Eidotic - a framework for understanding how people naturally think, and how to align that thinking with the needs of a growing business. We believe 90% of startups don’t have to fail. But if we keep mismatching people and timing, they will. Since launching Eidotic, I’ve had so many conversations with people who say, “I thought it was just me.”   You’re not alone, you might just be in the wrong costume.  

Seán has written a book on being an Impact Professional and we hear all about it on this episode of seeds as well as his life story.  For more episodes visit www.theseeds.nz  Seán's book site https://www.impactprofessional.nz  Impact Professional podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/6liZrE1y3BN6Q31z0rHTrG  Also check out the 232 Degrees podcast on books from Seán Barnes and Carl Davidson https://open.spotify.com/show/6saaVGG8LhNtGLSH9FrdOR  Earlier episode of that show on Seeds regarding Dr Seuss! https://theseeds.nz/podcast/on-dr-seuss-and-his-legacy-featuring-an-episode-by-sean-barnes-and-carl-davidson-of-the-232-degrees-podcast/  More content at www.theseeds.nz