Growing Kiwis with Claire Williamson

Louise Gibson is a self described side quest queen, and once you hear her story you understand why. She runs a consultancy, a co working space, an Airbnb and a 110 hectare dairy farm, all while raising two boys with her husband Keith. In this yarn she is refreshingly no bullshit about the things that shaped her, losing both her parents young, building toward farm ownership with no family handout, and learning when to back yourself and when to bin it. It is warm, candid, and full of golden nuggets for anyone building something of their own.In this episode- Why losing her parents young gave Louise a fierce sense that you get one shot at this- How she and Keith built toward farm ownership by doing up rundown properties, not by waiting for a handout- The number one thing people get wrong in share milking and contract milking- Why she keeps an emergency bottle of bubbles in the fridge- What sunshining your mistakes means, and why she shares her proud stuff ups online- The hills she will die on, from what contract milkers deserve to why farmers are greenies- How she thinks about Halter, AI and technology on farm without losing the human bit- Her secret sauce, and why a genuine crisis is exactly where she comes aliveFive key takeaways- You get one shot, so get on with it. Louise lost both her parents before either of them turned 50, and it left her with a rule for life. You never know when the road ends, so stop clinging to what is not working and keep moving.- Bin it if it is making you miserable. Walking away is not failing. If something is genuinely making you unhappy, work out why you are hanging on, talk it out with someone, and give yourself permission to let it go.- Scope is the thing everyone gets wrong. In share milking and contract milking most fallouts come down to assumptions, where one party thinks the other is handling something and nobody does. Agree the scope, the feed budget and who pays for what up front, in writing.- You do not need a flash house to build a flash future. Louise and Keith lived in a rundown rented farmhouse while they bought and did up cheap properties, growing their equity their own way on the road to owning a farm.- Celebrate the small wins, even if it is just a glass of bubbles. They keep an emergency bottle in the fridge for exactly this. The tiny celebrations add up, and stopping to be proud of yourself is what keeps you going through the grind.Chapters- 00:00 Margaritas, and how Claire and Louise actually met- 01:20 Who is Louise: a hot mess shaped by her younger years- 02:15 Bin it if it is not working, and knowing when to let go- 03:34 The businesses today: Airbnb, Hayloft Hub, the consultancy and the farm- 04:40 The farm ownership journey and getting on the ladder- 06:18 Doing up rundown properties and building equity their way- 09:30 Share milking to contract milking, explained simply- 11:41 The number one thing people get wrong: scope- 16:20 Growing up milking, and losing her mum at 15- 18:07 A dad who said yes to every opportunity- 20:05 Losing her dad, and the sense that you get one shot- 21:31 Grandma, and get on with it you jokers- 22:50 Parenting two boys, and treating kids as capable- 27:17 Marriage, shared goals and the emergency bottle of bubbles- 31:29 Proud stuff ups, and sunshining your mistakes- 33:43 Personal growth, counselling and the Barefoot Investor- 37:00 Dealing with people, and putting your hospo face on- 41:30 Finding her niche and building the consultancy slowly- 42:45 Build the plane as you are flying- 48:00 The rural household: midwives, car park babies and corporate farms- 53:47 Starlink, Halter and technology on farm- 55:54 AI as a decision support tool, not a job stealer- 58:32 The hills she will die on- 01:01:37 Her secret sauce: good in a crisis- 01:03:13 Every farm kid asking how they can add value- 01:05:28 Side quest queen: wrapping upTimestamps are based on the raw recording, so nudge them once the intro is trimmed in the edit.About LouiseLouise Gibson is a Waikato based rural business owner, consultant and mum of two. Her main gig is Share Farming Consultants, where she helps share milkers, contract milkers and farm owners get their agreements right, and she has recently grown that into contracts, agreements and HR support. Alongside it she and her husband Keith run an Airbnb, the Hayloft Hub co working space in Morrinsville, and Bonnie and Brave Dairies, a 110 hectare dairy farm they bought last December. She lost both her parents young, built toward farm ownership without a family handout, and is a fierce, funny advocate for rural people and the next generation coming through.

Brigitta Warren is the founder of Recruit Net, a Hamilton-based recruitment agency built on long-term relationships, trust, and deep industry knowledge. Moving to New Zealand from South Africa at 18, Brigitta studied science before taking an unexpected turn into recruitment while working in a London research lab. After spending 13.5 years helping scale a major firm and managing their Waikato branch, she took a leap of courage on a summer walk along the beach and decided to build a business that reflected her own core values.In this conversation, Claire and Brigitta delve into what it really takes to hire and retain great people in small-to-medium businesses, why setting up proper onboarding matters more than relying on trial periods, and how human service and relationship-building will actually become more critical in the age of AI. They also chat about wealth creation, managing rent-by-the-room property investments, governance, and how protecting your own time and energy makes you a better version of yourself for everyone around you.Warm, intentional, and full of practical wisdom for business owners, parents, and leaders alike.In This EpisodeFrom science lab to recruitment: Brigitta’s journey from South Africa to the WaikatoWhy large agency templates didn't align with her long-term visionSlowing down the hiring process: how SMEs should evaluate open roles, job descriptions, and team dynamicsWhy onboarding is non-negotiable (and how not to set new staff up to fail)Authenticity in business: why human trust and active listening beat AI efficiency every timeProperty investment strategies: running rent-by-the-room townhouses to secure financial security for the next generationGovernance and giving back: serving on school proprietary boards and mentoring through the Wahine CollectiveRecharging boundaries: balancing family, fitness, Opito Bay retreats, and knowing when to protect your timeTimestamped Chapters00:00 – Welcome to Growing Kiwis00:35 – Meet Brigitta Warren: Growing up in South Africa & moving to NZ02:11 – From London research lab to discovering recruitment03:35 – The 13-year journey before taking the leap to launch Recruit Net06:07 – Serving SMEs: Being a strategic advisor vs. "bums on seats"09:16 – Advice for business owners: Slowing down the recruitment process10:26 – Culture, onboarding, and setting new hires up for success13:14 – Growing up, resilience, and lessons learned from family17:08 – Goal-setting, internal competition, and half-Ironmans21:06 – Work-life balance: Non-negotiables for looking after yourself23:23 – Upskilling for clients & stepping into board governance27:02 – Property investment: Rent-by-the-room strategies & passing on financial literacy31:22 – Maintaining lifelong friendships across the globe34:06 – Why authentic service matters more than ever in the age of AI38:58 – Brigitta’s "Special Sauce": Curiosity, hard work, and compounded relationships42:04 – Being intentional with networking and setting boundaries47:23 – Recharging as an introvert: Opito Bay, reading crime, and gardening54:00 – Don't hold on to things that don't serve you: Looking after number one56:09 – Travel bucket lists and legacy for the next generation01:01:36 – Final thoughts and wrapping upLinks & ResourcesRecruit Net: recruitnet.co.nzConnect with Brigitta on LinkedIn: Brigitta Warren

Episode summaryGrant Johnson is the co founder and CEO of Rocketspark, the website platform built in Cambridge that now powers thousands of businesses in New Zealand and around the world. In this yarn Claire and Grant trace the whole journey, from packing shoes at Reebok and ski bumming in Canada to starting a software company from a spare room in Spain with $5,000 from each of four founders. They get into people first as a genuine operating model, the shift from founder to CEO, why service and community matter more than ever in the age of AI, and Grant's belief that you can build something world class from the green valleys of the Waikato. Warm, humble and full of hard won wisdom.In this episode- How four mates bootstrapped a global software company on $5,000 each- Why Rocketspark's founding strengths still hold 18 years on- How their real values came from the team, not a poster on the wall- Why the design partner community became the heart of the business- What the shift from founder to CEO actually taught Grant- Why service based businesses will matter more in the age of AI- How to get found by AI without gaming the system- Grant's secret sauce, and a wedding vow worth stealingChaptersTimestamps are based on the raw recording, nudge them once the intro is trimmed in the edit.- 00:00 Welcome, and a few sliding doors moments- 00:58 Who is Grant Johnson- 01:17 From Ngaruawahia to accounting, marketing and Vodafone- 03:04 Ski bums, London and a satellite TV startup- 04:53 Spain, the America's Cup, and lacking purpose- 05:57 The idea for Rocketspark- 08:00 Getting off the ground on $5,000 each- 08:20 The founding strengths, confirmed 18 years later- 10:08 The values exercise, and what the team said- 14:26 The design partner story- 17:37 Building community for one person businesses- 20:43 Backing a designer to charge her worth- 22:36 Four founders, trust and complementary skills- 25:40 Founder to CEO: leading by creating clarity- 31:03 Bootstrapping, financial buffers and tough conversations- 36:00 Career pathways, and the cherry on top- 39:12 Young people, universities and productivity- 44:57 Why service matters more in the age of AI- 50:02 Getting found by AI, and playing the long game- 54:19 Advice for starting and showing up online- 58:48 Grant's secret sauce: optimism and authenticity- 01:02:01 A life well lived: everyone wins- 01:04:37 Relationships, and best times always together- 01:11:15 Productivity, building, and telling the storiesAbout GrantGrant Johnson is the co founder and CEO of Rocketspark, a website platform he started in 2008 with his brother Jeremy and two mates, each putting in $5,000. Raised in Ngaruawahia as the son of a truckie, he studied accounting and marketing, worked at Trutest, Vodafone and a London startup, and dreamed up Rocketspark from a spare room in Spain. Eighteen years on, the four founders are still together, the company is a people first, community driven business used by thousands worldwide, and Grant is on a mission to show that you can build something world class from the green valleys of the Waikato. He lives in Cambridge with his wife Andrea.Links- Rocketspark: Website- Rocketspark on Instagram: Rocketsparkwebsites

Episode OverviewIn this episode, we sit down with Isabelle "Izzy" Zitzelberger, the driving force behind Wild Chix—a New Zealand business empowering women to build confidence and independence in hunting, fishing, boating, and diving. Izzy shares her journey from moving to NZ from Germany to overcoming breast cancer, taking the leap out of a secure corporate role in the marine industry, and fostering a supportive, judgment-free community for women across Aotearoa.Key TakeawaysEmpowerment Through Skill Building: Wild Chix focuses on foundational outdoor skills—boat handling, trailer backing, firearm safety, navigation, and butchery—so women can enjoy the outdoors without depending on anyone else.Psychological Safety Matters: Creating a warm, non-judgmental "big sister" environment allows women to embrace being beginners and push past fear.The Entrepreneurial Leap: Moving from a secure job into full-time business requires embracing uncertainty, building operational frameworks (SOPs, compliance, health & safety), and taking small, consistent daily steps.Resilience Through Adversity: Navigating a breast cancer diagnosis at age 31 reinforced Izzy's drive to embrace positivity, stop delaying goals, and live life without hesitation.Highlights – Lifelong learning & personal growth philosophy. – Moving to New Zealand, living in an Auckland treehouse, and getting into land-based fishing. – Identifying the industry gap in marine sales and local hunting clubs. – What Wild Chix actually does: teaching ethics, safety, wind reading, and butchery. – The importance of emotional safety vs. physical safety gear on the water. – Taking the leap into full-time business, handling fear, and navigating compliance. – Industry recognition, seat on the Safer Boating Forum, and visiting the Beehive. – Mindset, choices, and everyday happiness ("If you're not changing, you're choosing"). – Overcoming breast cancer, hiking Lake Waikaremoana during treatment, and letting go of judgment. – Launching the nationwide Wild Chix digital community platform.Notable Quotes"For me, fishing and catching are two different things. You need to learn how to fish to catch, and you need to learn how to hunt to actually shoot an animal. We teach the whole process.""Allow yourself to be a beginner. Don't be perfect, because no one is. Step out of your comfort zone, achieve it, and build on those skills with amazing women cheering you on.""If you stay in your comfort zone, nothing will change. When you feel uncomfortable because you pushed yourself—that is where you grow."Links & ResourcesWild Chix Website: wildchix.co.nzInstagram: @wildchicks_nzFacebook: Wild Chicks NZ

What happens when you stop worrying about having the perfect plan and simply stay curious?In this episode of the Growing Kiwis Podcast, Claire sits down with Carrie Andrews — farmer, business owner, creative, mum and the woman behind Wholly Cow, for a conversation about building a life and business around curiosity, community and simply giving things a good crack.Carrie and her husband Tom started Wholly Cow almost 18 years ago as a way to help pay the mortgage. What began as a family farm and farmers' market venture has grown into a local, closed-loop food business with its own micro abattoir, butchery, team and focus on keeping skills, employment and food production close to home.But Carrie's story doesn't stop at farming.From studying craft and ceramics, to raising four children, building businesses, creating collectives and now experimenting with traditional leather tanning, Carrie has always followed her curiosity — often without knowing exactly where it will lead.In this episode, we talk about:Building a business from the simple question: “How are we going to pay the mortgage?”The journey from farmers' markets to building Wholly CowWhy local food, food security and small businesses matterCreating a strong team culture through kindness, food and connectionRaising children around business and giving them the confidence to find their own pathWhy Carrie believes in “small but mighty”Her love of making, tinkering and learning new skillsThe story behind Flock Tannery and her journey into traditional leather makingWhy preserving old skills and knowledge mattersLearning to embrace failure and keep goingThe importance of curiosity and not needing to have a five-year planBuilding a life around family, partnership, purpose and communityWhy nature continues to be one of Carrie's biggest sources of inspirationAnd her simple philosophy: keep it simple, keep it real, care genuinely and give things a go.Carrie's “special sauce”? Giving things a go, having a good crack and not being afraid to fail.This is such a beautiful reminder that you don't have to have everything figured out. Sometimes the best businesses, ideas and adventures come from simply being open to what's next.A very Kiwi story about farming, family, business, creativity and making your own path.