Planting Seeds Podcast

In this episode, I sit down with Riki Nia Nia, CEO of Te Rau Ora, a Māori health organisation committed to strengthening the Māori health workforce, supporting rangatahi leadership, and ensuring whānau receive culturally grounded care and wellbeing support.Te Rau Ora plays a vital role across Aotearoa through initiatives that support workforce development, mental health and addiction services, kaupapa Māori health frameworks, leadership pathways, and community wellbeing kaupapa.In this kōrero, Riki shares insights from decades of working within the health sector and why this mahi is deeply personal to him.We dive into the stories that shaped him, from the influence of his koro and the philosophy of “hiki wairua”, to his māmā becoming the first Tongan wahine involved with the Māori Women’s Refuge movement. He also speaks openly about how his understanding of the health system supported his own whānau during a challenging time with his son.We explore bigger conversations around rangatahi leadership, learning to agree to disagree, lessons from Native American communities, Te Whare Tapa Whā, and the complex factors that influence whānau wellbeing.This is a powerful conversation about how our personal stories shape the work we choose to do and the impact we want to have on our people.This episode is a collaboration between the Planting Seeds Podcast and Te Rau Ora.🔗 Learn more about Te Rau Ora:https://terauora.com/

In this Grow With Me episode, I reflect on the inspiration that came from watching one of my closest brothers complete a FULL Ironman in Taupō over the weekend.I also share insights coming from Week 2 of the Brother to Brother kaupapa, where the theme is Identity.This week has been powerful. Tāne are stepping into the weight of the roles we carry, while also taking time to look beneath the labels we live under.Too often we define ourselves by titles, responsibilities, or expectations. But who are we beneath all of that?These are the four questions we explored together:1️⃣ What roles do you carry in life?2️⃣ Who are you beneath those labels?3️⃣ What are you hiding or putting to the side right now?4️⃣ What do you genuinely value about yourself?Many men are wired to operate in the mind and logic, but Brother to Brother is a space helping tāne reconnect with their heart and emotions, while being supported by others walking similar paths.If you’re a brother who feels the pull to grow, connect, and do some real inner work, you’re welcome to join us.If you’re interested in joining the Brother to Brother kaupapa, please use the link below to express your interest:🔗 Register your interest:https://form.typeform.com/to/lA0kwq8H

In this episode of the Planting Seeds Podcast, I sit down with Kaukaohu Wahilani, a Hawaiian elder and activist who accepted the invitation to share a kōrero during Waitangi this year.Our conversation explores the deep similarities between Hawaiian and Māori cultures, histories, and experiences under colonisation.Kaukaohu speaks openly about a powerful identity shift in his life, reclaiming his traditional Hawaiian name, which he describes as a step that emancipated him mentally and spiritually from what he calls “the matrix.”We also speak about the impact of colonisation on Hawai‘i, the movement to protect Mauna Kea, the devastation caused by the recent fires in Hawai‘i, and the ongoing desecration of Hawaiian lands through military occupation.This kōrero is one of indigenous connection, resistance, identity, and remembering who we truly are.If something from this conversation resonates with you, please share your favourite highlight in the comments and follow the links below to stay connected with the kaupapa and mobilisations that Kaukaohu is part of.🔗 Follow Kaukaohu Wahilani & Stay Updated:👉 https://www.kalahuihawaii.net/🔗 Planting Seeds Offerings:👉 https://form.typeform.com/to/PqdcWDEW

In this Grow With Me episode of the Planting Seeds Podcast, I reflect on the month of February as we’ve already stepped into March.I unpack some of the gems that came out of our recent wānanga, where the theme was DIRECTION, bringing focus back to what truly matters and creating simple, actionable steps that support clarity and forward movement.March isn’t about doing anything different. It’s about more of the same. Sticking to structure. Staying grounded. Controlling what’s in my hands.I share why getting caught in the “bigness” of a month can create overthinking, procrastination, and anxiety AND how simplifying things back to daily structure removes unnecessary pressure.If you’re someone who tends to overcomplicate growth or feels overwhelmed by what’s ahead, this episode may bring you back to steady ground.🔗 Planting Seeds Offerings

In this episode of the Planting Seeds Podcast, I sit down with Tāmati Rākena, Far North District Councillor, co-founder of Taiao, and a dedicated father and partner.Raised around Waitangi and immersed in the many kaupapa of the Far North, Tāmati shares how his upbringing shaped his worldview and commitment to service. We talk about what it truly means to become a councillor and the mahi he is doing within council to support community voice and representation.Alongside his wahine Jude, Tāmati also founded Taiao, a clothing brand grounded in kaupapa Māori and we kōrero about the intention behind the brand.A powerful part of this kōrero centres on fatherhood. Tāmati speaks openly about raising their son who is he takiwātanga (autistic), sharing the lessons, growth and the deeper understanding of love and patience that has come through that journey.If you get value from this kōrero, please share it with someone who would appreciate it.🔗 Shop Taiao & Support the Kaupapa:www.mytaiao.co.nz/🔗 Planting Seeds Offerings:www.form.typeform.com/to/PqdcWDEW

In this Grow With Me episode, I sit with four questions that have come from my own reflections and the Planting Seeds IG community.These questions touch on growth, culture and consistency. I answer them from where I’m at right now, not from a place of perfection.Questions:What are my current wins?How we can encourage our people to engage with and embrace culture without whakamā?How do I keep growing without feeling broken or behind?How do I stay consistent when motivation drops off?Big mihi to the sponsor of the show, Bio Gold — a natural testosterone booster made in Aotearoa.🔗Use code SEEDS15 for 15% off HERE.

This episode marks the third time sister NIX has joined the Planting Seeds Podcast and as always, it’s a kōrero filled with value, honesty, and reflection.Recorded at Waitangi, this conversation looks back on the lessons NIX took from 2025 and the intentions she’s setting for 2026. We speak about creating joyful moments, being intentional with what we share publicly, and the strength that can be found in silence.With the energy of Waitangi around us and NIX juggling work on the grounds, this kōrero came with its fair share of distractions AND while it was cut shorter than planned, there are still plenty of gems throughout. It also leaves us room to run it back and go deeper next time.A reflective, real, and grounded conversation about slowing down, choosing presence, and moving forward with intention.⬇️ Share in the comments your favourite highlight from this episode.🔗 Express your interest in Planting Seeds offerings: ⁠https://form.typeform.com/to/PqdcWDEW

This Grow With Me episode is a kōrero on purpose and why purpose is a critical pillar of tāne wellbeing.Purpose gives drive, meaning, and fulfilment. Without it, many men feel lost, disconnected, or stuck in survival mode. In this episode, I share the simple framework that has helped me identify and reconnect with my own sense of purpose and may support you on your journey too.I break purpose down into three key areas:Authenticity: Ko wai koe?Who are you beneath the expectations, roles and noise?Gifts: What comes naturally to you?The things you like or that you’re often good at without trying too hard.Challenges: What have you gone through?The experiences and struggles that have shaped you and may now be part of what you’re here to give.These three areas have helped me find clarity, direction, alignment and I share them openly in this episode as an invitation . . . not a prescription.IF you’re a brother based in, or connected to, the Bay of Plenty, I also share about an upcoming 12-week Brother to Brother Kaupapa, starting the first week of March.🔗 Join Brother to Brother Here:https://form.typeform.com/to/oO9vmjZD🔗 Get Your Bio Gold Here:https://biogoldnz.com/discount/SEEDS15

This episode is with Pio Terei, an Aotearoa legend whose contribution to media, entertainment, and comedy spans decades. It was an absolute honour to sit across from him on the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, and this has become one of the best podcast episodes to date.Pio’s lived experience, charisma, humour and depth impacted me deeply, especially around tāne-hood, talent, and parenting. He shares lessons from his upbringing, being adopted and raised by parents who showered him with unconditional love, nurtured his curiosity, and how he learned to travel the world without ever needing to leave home — through valuing people and connection.The kōrero moves into a beautiful and sacred space as Pio opens up about his healing journey through grief after the passing of his son, alongside powerful and tender stories of parenting, presence and legacy.We Dive Into:✨ Growing up adopted and surrounded by unconditional love✨ Nurturing curiosity and talent✨ Manhood beyond status and success✨ Valuing people, relationships, and connection✨ Parenting lessons that shape legacy✨ Grief, healing, and honouring his son✨ Finding depth through humour and humanity🔗 Building Awesome Whānau: HERE🔗 Express your interest in Planting Seeds offerings: HERE

This Grow With Me episode is a real and honest reflection on what often happens when you start showing up for yourself.I briefly share my experience being at Waitangi, before diving deeper into a challenge many of us face on a growth journey. The subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) shade that comes when you begin to change.“You think you’re better than me.”“You’re too cool now.”Tall poppy syndrome.These comments often come from the people closest to us, which is what makes it so hard to navigate. In this episode, I speak about why this happens, how growth naturally shifts relationships, and why outgrowing old behaviours and sometimes people is a sign of alignment, not arrogance.This kōrero isn’t about cutting people off. It’s about understanding how minimising time, changing energy, and choosing authenticity can create tension and why that tension is often a mirror.At the end of the episode, I also share about the first Planting Seeds Wānanga / Retreat, happening at the end of the month with only 10 spaces available.🔗 Fill out the interest here: https://form.typeform.com/to/PqdcWDEW

This episode is a powerful kōrero with Rangimarie Te Whenua, a staunch rangatahi from the far north, speaking on behalf of our young people and offering a perspective we need to hear more of.Rangimarie shares her whakaaro on the whakataukī “Ko ngā rangatahi ngā rangatira mō āpōpō” — and challenges it by saying,“Ko ngā rangatahi ngā rangatira o ināianei.”We talk about tikanga, what rangatahi are actually discussing among themselves, the importance of listening to rangatahi, and how movements like the hīkoi are shaping courage and collective action.This kōrero centres rangatahi leadership, not as something that’s coming one day but something that already exists. Rangimarie speaks with clarity, confidence, and heart about building better futures and what real rangatahi leadership looks like right now.IF you're interested in any of the Planting Seeds Podcast offerings please use the link below to fill out the survey and express your interest:Thats US: ⁠https://form.typeform.com/to/PqdcWDEW⁠

This episode was recorded on Waitangi Day at Waitangi and features a powerful kōrero with Eru Kapa-Kingi on the significance of the day here in Aotearoa, New Zealand and more importantly, what led to the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.Eru brings clarity and context to Te Tiriti, unpacking the historical intent, the responsibilities it carries and what it continues to ask of us today.Over the past few months, Eru has also been in the spotlight after breaking his silence around Te Pāti Māori and its leadership, something that was visibly present on the marae ātea yesterday. In this conversation, he reflects honestly on his intentions, learnings and why speaking up mattered.This is a thoughtful, grounded kōrero as Eru shares practical ways to practice rangatiratanga, how to turn pain into power, and informed ways to approach voting in the year ahead.A timely and important conversation for anyone wanting to understand Waitangi Day, Te Tiriti and their role within it.

This Grow With Me episode is a February reset — a pause to reflect and look back at January and share what actually unfolded across the four pou guiding my year: Health, Whānau, Mahi, and Money.I speak about what went well, what needed adjusting, and what January taught me — especially around choosing structure over motivation.From there, I share how I’m carrying those lessons into February, not as goals to chase, but to improve my systems to support momentum without burnout.If you’re feeling like the year has already asked a lot of you, this kōrero is an invitation to slow down, reassess, and build forward with intention.You don’t need a new year — sometimes you just need to reset, refocus and . . . start 🌱Our online community Seeds of Self is pumping with whānau growing and building and the first Seeds of Life Wānanga/Retreat is happening at the end of the month.IF you feel called to join or want to learn more, please use the link below to fill out the survey and express your interest:Thats US: https://form.typeform.com/to/PqdcWDEW

The first guest of 2026 on the Planting Seeds Podcast is none other than my beautiful wife, Hinepanea Rewiri.The last time we sat down for a podcast together was almost two years ago, shortly after the birth of our baby Aho. In this kōrero, we fill in the gap and speak honestly about what’s unfolded since — from postpartum, doing 75 Hard, navigating seasons of indulging in drinking, and the real-life challenges that come with growth.Panea also opens up about a new friendship she’s formed, why she’s usually closed off, and her perspective on some of our recent challenges around money and emotional breakdowns.This episode is raw, real, and deeply personal. It’s a look behind the scenes of our relationship, our growth, and the ways we continue to learn, stretch, and choose each other through hard seasons.Panea stepped outside her comfort zone to share this kōrero, and I’m always proud of her when she does because people get to see just how amazing she truly is.I love you hun 🤍This episode is brought to you by Seeds of Self — the Planting Seeds online community for growth-minded people who are ready to do the inner work and create real change.AND by Bio Gold, a natural testosterone booster made in Aotearoa, NZ, supporting healthy natural testosterone levels, energy, and vitality.Use the links below to either join the community or grab yourself some Bio Gold goodness:🔗 Book a 1:1 Call (Seeds of Self):FREE 1:1 Kōrero - Raniera Rewiri🔗 Bio Gold (Use code SEEDS15 for 15% off):https://biogoldnz.com/discount/SEEDS15

In this Grow With Me episode, I share some of my current focuses within my Health Pillar, aligned with the structure I’ve created for 2026.Right now, I’m in the middle of a 48-hour fast and I speak about my intentions with fasting. A way to reset, regulate, and support my body and mind. I’m already noticing benefits like mental clarity and sharpness, increased awareness of certain food habits and giving my body a genuine break from constantly digesting.I also share a deeper mental shift around body image. Instead of looking in the mirror and focusing on what needs fixing, I’m learning to appreciate and embrace where I’m at right now. This shift is guiding me into a more loving relationship with myself and helping me me to simply enjoy things.If you’re ready to show up for YOU and grow alongside like-minded whānau, I invite you to book a 1:1 call and join Seeds of Self.🔗Book 1:1 Call: ⁠⁠https://calendly.com/raniera/1-on-1-korero⁠⁠Bio Gold - natural product made from pollen in Aotearoa, NZ, supporting healthy natural testosterone levels.Use code SEEDS15 for 15% off your next purchase.🔗 Bio Gold: ⁠https://biogoldnz.com/discount/SEEDS15⁠⁠

This Grow With Me episode is a bit of a rampage - an encouragement to back YOU and show up for YOU!I speak into how following through with your word builds trust and confidence within yourself, why it’s crucial to have your own back when you’re in the trenches, and how real confidence comes from creating internal value before seeking external validation.This kōrero isn’t about hype . . . it’s about integrity with yourself. About doing what you say you’ll do. About learning to trust yourself again.If this episode resonates and you feel the pull to grow alongside like-minded whānau, I’d love you to join our online community Seeds of Self.🔗 Book 1:1 Call: ⁠https://calendly.com/raniera/1-on-1-korero⁠Bio Gold - natural product made from pollen in Aotearoa, NZ, supporting healthy natural testosterone levels.Use code SEEDS15 for 15% off your next purchase.🔗 Bio Gold: https://biogoldnz.com/discount/SEEDS15⁠

This Grow With Me episode is about a shift I’m consciously leaning into . . . moving my energy from building my personal brand to growing and strengthening the Planting Seeds Podcast platform.It’s less about me and more about us, the kaupapa, and creating something that holds space for community, conversation, and collective growth.I also respond to two questions from the community, sharing my honest perspective and lived experience:1️⃣ How do I have, create and stay consistent with quality time with my sons?2️⃣ What’s the difference between growth discomfort and retraumatisation?This kōrero is reflective and not about having all the answers, but about sharing what I’m learning in real time.I hope you enjoy this episode. Please leave a comment below, I’d love to hear what landed for you.🔗 Get Bio Gold: SEEDS15 ⁠https://biogoldnz.com/discount/SEEDS15⁠🔗Book 1:1 Call to Join Seeds of Self OR Brother to Brother:⁠https://calendly.com/raniera/1-on-1-korero⁠

This Grow With Me episode is about a shift I’m making this year which is . . . choosing structure over goals.For a long time, I thought goals were the answer and to be honest setting goals have helped me achieved so much.But in this episode, I break down whats changed, and the four pou I’m using to support my health, mahi, whānau, and finances. Not to hype myself up but to hold myself steady, especially on the hard days.It’s about sustainability and staying in the game.In this episode, I speak into:✨ Why goals create pressure instead of support✨ The shift from outcomes to systems✨ My four core structures (pou) for the year✨ Trusting the process✨ Sustainability over burnout🔗 Get Bio Gold: SEEDS15 ⁠https://biogoldnz.com/discount/SEEDS15⁠🔗Book 1:1 Call to Join Seeds of Self OR Brother to Brother:⁠https://calendly.com/raniera/1-on-1-korero⁠

This episode opens the 2026 season of the Planting Seeds Podcast with honesty. Not inspiration. Not hype. Just truth.The year didn’t begin the way I expected. What was meant to be a fresh start turned into a Not-So-Happy New Year, marked by an emotional breakdown and finding myself deep in the mental trenches.In this Grow With Me episode, I share what led to that breakdown, the patterns and pressures that finally surfaced, and how I navigated through the pain instead of bypassing it. If you’ve ever entered a new year feeling heavy instead of hopeful . . . this episode is for you.In this episode, I speak into:✨ A breakdown at the beginning of the year✨ Being in the mental trenches✨ The cost of carrying things alone✨ Sitting with pain instead of escaping it✨ What breakthroughs look like after the breakdown✨ Why growth doesn’t follow a calendar✨ Starting again by filling your cup🔗 Get Bio Gold: SEEDS15 https://biogoldnz.com/discount/SEEDS15🔗Book 1:1 Call to Join Seeds of Self OR Brother to Brother:https://calendly.com/raniera/1-on-1-korero

This Grow With Me episode is Part 2 of the communication and storytelling series. In this kōrero, I speak openly about how I got into speaking, public speaking and podcasting, and the simple structure I still use today to communicate clearly and confidently.I wasn’t always a good communicator. In fact, there were specific moments that sparked my desire to get better, from listening to motivational YouTube videos, to being mentored by an amazing public speaker and storyteller, to experiencing one of the most fearful and embarrassing moments you can have when speaking in front of people.I share how many failures and hundreds (if not thousands) of reps shaped the way I speak today. There was no shortcut just commitment, curiosity and repetition.This episode is practical. The next podcast you listen to, I invite you to answer the questions alongside the guest or better yet, start shaping your own story using the structure I share:Beginning (upbringing), Middle (2–3 defining moments), End (where you are now).This series is about giving you tools to communicate your thoughts, emotions and experiences with more confidence and clarity.Make sure you tune in for Part 3 🌱We dive into:✨ How I got into speaking & public speaking✨ The events that sparked my desire to improve✨ Learning through YouTube & mentors✨ The most embarrassing speaking moment of my life✨ Why failure is part of becoming confident✨ Doing the reps over time✨ The storytelling structure I still use today✨ How to practice by listening to podcasts differently🔗 Join Seeds of Self: www.skool.com/seeds-of-self