Deloitte Private Podcast

Disrupting dairy is no mean feat in a country like New Zealand. But that’s exactly what Tesh Randall did with her coconut yoghurt and the launch of Raglan Food Co. Tesh tells us how weaving personal values around sustainability and social causes into the core of the business has helped them achieve the success they’ve seen, including now supplying more than 600 stores in the Asia Pacific region.

Wendy Thompson was liking, sharing and using hashtags before most people even knew those now everyday words. The social media queen’s company Socialites is now managing millions of fans for some of the world’s biggest companies. Wendy explains why she gave up her day job to launch a social media marketing company, and how she got people to pay to come on the journey with her.

Not everyone goes into business with their personal trainer, but that’s exactly what Richard Plimmer did when he helped to create Tom & Luke. Richard shares how to find the perfect product that customers love, as well as the hustle involved to ensure it’s also a product the big-name Australasian supermarkets want on their shelves.

Merino gear you can wear on the mountain, on a plane or even in a bar. That’s the clothing you’ll find at Mons Royale, a Wanaka-based activewear company that has its products being sold by 750 stockists worldwide. CEO Hamish Acland shares with us what took him from pro free-skiing to launching a clothing line that now has offices around the world and is worn by some of the top action sports athletes.

Juliet Maclean has spent her career establishing a range of forward-thinking agribusinesses. She was a co-founder of Synlait Milk – now one of New Zealand’s largest dairy operations – and today she’s changing the way people check in and out of rural properties with her latest venture, OnSide. In this episode, Juliet explains the importance of a clear vision to drive you through tough times, and how people are much more resilient than you think – they just need good leadership. 

If it was easy, everyone would be doing it – this is the mantra that drives Jos Ruffell, one of the founders of Garage Project, to continue to push the boundaries of one of the oldest industries in the world. In this episode, Jos tells us how 2020 has been the most challenging in Garage Project’s ten years in business, but that he’s seen first-hand how the support of a strong and passionate team can help you overcome any challenge.

Geoff Ross and Justine Troy’s business journey has taken them from distilling 42 Below vodka in their Wellington garage, to shaking things up in the farming sector - with a handful of world-class brands in between! In this episode, they talk about their knack of picking tailwinds in growth sectors and how success is determined by achieving the “perfect storm” of product, innovation, capital, and a solid team. 

 Naomi Ballantyne (ONZM) is a true champion for the life and health insurance sector. A founding employee of Sovereign, Naomi went on to establish not one but two successful life insurance businesses, including the company she leads today, Partners Life. In this episode Naomi shares what drives her to take risks, why she thinks resilience can be learnt, and the importance of leaving a legacy. 

 They’re the power couple behind My Food Bag. Husband and wife duo, Cecilia and James Robinson co-founded the company of convenience that turned over $100 million in just three years, seeing them take out the title of the Deloitte Fast 50 Rising Star Winner in 2014. In this episode they discuss the importance of feeling fear, what they’ve risked for success, what they won’t, and why they’re now looking to disrupt New Zealand’s healthcare market with their app, Tend. 

For the past 20 years, the Deloitte Fast 50 has celebrated business owners who’ve not only survived, but thrived. In this series, Madison Reidy talks to some of NZ’s most notable entrepreneurs about how they achieved success, and what to do when the going gets tough.