It’s been our biggest six months ever - landing on TVNZ+, heading to the World Cup, and sitting down with Steven Adams.

Steve and Seamus sit down with business and mindset coach Di Foster to pull back the curtain on how it all actually came together, the chaos behind the scenes, and what it really takes to turn a podcast into a mainstream media brand.

They break down the TVNZ deal, how they landed four World Cup sponsors at 100% conversion rate (and why that's actually a red flag), and the Steven Adams episode that had Seamus too nervous to speak for the first five minutes.

Plus - the mindset that keeps it all in check. Because the most dangerous thing you can do when things are going this well is start believing your own BS.

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For 20 years, Darren Shand was the most powerful person in All Blacks rugby that nobody knew about.

As Team Manager across four Rugby World Cups - including the back-to-back title wins of 2011 and 2015 - Shand sat above the coaches, managed the operation, and helped build the cultural architecture of the most successful international rugby team in history.

He worked alongside Sir Graham Henry, Sir Steve Hansen, Sir Wayne Smith, Richie McCaw, Dan Carter, and some of the greatest players to ever pull on the black jersey.

He talks about the 2004 wake-up call that forced the entire culture to change. The private battles with depression. The end of his marriage. The moment a former Crusaders teammate came to his house to tell him he was fired.

He shares stories that have never been made public - including a stunning incident before the 2015 Rugby World Cup final that nearly ended his campaign entirely. And he gives his most honest assessment yet of what happened to the All Blacks after he left - and why Ian Foster never really had a chance.

Between Two Beers is proudly brought to you by One New Zealand. We believe that One NZ connects New Zealand, while Between Two Beers connects New Zealanders. And together, we are NZ's most trusted connection platform.

Steve and Seamus are proud to be dressed by Barkers Clothing.

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This week on Hambassadors, Steve and Seamus reveal their biggest project yet: a dedicated All Whites fan show heading to Vancouver for the FIFA World Cup.

They're going in camp with the team, bringing the families, and building something that hasn't been done before in New Zealand sports media.

Also this week: a behind-the-scenes look at the Joseph Parker x Barkers event (with some Chatham House rules intel that stays in the room), gut health is officially on the agenda, and the guys reflect on the overwhelming response to the Nate Alley episode.

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Stacey Morrison has been a fixture of New Zealand television and radio for thirty years - but this is the story behind the story.

In this episode she opens up about growing up embarrassed by her Māori identity, a gruelling fifteen year journey to te reo fluency, the heartbreaking loss of her mum Sue, and finding the love she never thought she'd have with Scotty Morrison.

Between Two Beers is proudly brought to you by One New Zealand. We believe that One NZ connects New Zealand, while Between Two Beers connects New Zealanders. And together, we are NZ's most trusted connection platform.

Steve and Seamus are proud to be dressed by Barkers Clothing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Steve sits down with our business and mindset coach Di Foster for a candid 1:1 coaching session.

They get into what it really means to be a 'good bugger' in business, whether values alone are enough to build something lasting, and the identity shift that happens when your business starts moving faster than you expected.

They also tackle the team question - why having the right people around you isn't just a nice to have, and what it actually takes to stop being the bottleneck in your own business.

Plus Di and Steve dig into the difference between identity and habits - and why getting clear on who you are might matter more than any morning routine.

This episode is proudly supported by Odoo, the all-in-one business management platform. Thanks to Odoo for supporting the show.

Got a listener question? DM us on social media and it could be answered on the next episode.

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Nate Alley grew up in Tokoroa without a father, got kicked out of school at 16, and spent the better part of a decade angry, lost, and making decisions he's not proud of.

Today he runs his own Sentinel Homes franchise in the Waikato, with nearly 200 million dollars in construction work completed over the last decade.

In this episode Nate speaks publicly for the first time about his upbringing, a failed first business, burnout, and divorce - and the moment holding his newborn daughter that forced him to confront who he was really becoming.

Between Two Beers is proudly brought to you by One New Zealand. We believe that One NZ connects New Zealand, while Between Two Beers connects New Zealanders. And together, we are NZ's most trusted connection platform.

Steve and Seamus are proud to be dressed by Barkers Clothing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Steven Adams episode has gone global. NBA Twitter picked it up, US news sites started writing stories, and the clip of Steven's journaling practice has racked up millions of views. Steve and Che take you behind the scenes of watching it snowball in real time, from the 3am Instagram collab to waking up to floods of comments and mentions.

Plus, we make it official: Between Two Beers is going to the FIFA Football World Cup. Flights are being booked, the gear is coming, and it's happening in six weeks.

And before all of that, Seamus had the biggest case of head loss in his 43 years, his wedding ring went missing, sexy cameraman Sam got dragged into it, and somehow the storage cupboard is to blame.

Also on this week's show: a preview of our next Lowkey Legend episode with Nate Alley, the Reflections business turns one, a Joseph Parker x Barkers live event, and the TAB pays out $500 to five lucky listeners.

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In the most personal interview of his career, New Zealand's most beloved NBA export Steven Adams sits down with Between Two Beers exclusively to tell his full story.

From growing up the youngest of 14 in Rotorua, losing his father at 13, and never dreaming of the NBA - to rookie years alongside Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden at the Oklahoma City Thunder, the infamous Draymond Green kicks in the 2016 Golden State Warriors playoffs, and signing a new Houston Rockets contract at 32 after a serious PCL injury, this is the complete Steven Adams story.

Steven opens up about going viral for sleeping on an air mattress despite earning millions, training with Dame Valerie Adams, speaking at MIT's Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, owning a regenerative dairy farm near Pukahina, investing in Auckland FC, and a six-year journalling practice that got him through his darkest moments.

Plus - 24 free basketball camps across New Zealand for 10,000 kids, and why giving back is the only thing that truly matters to him.

Steve and Seamus are proud to be dressed by Barkers Clothing.

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Steve cold emailed Jason Paris, the CEO of One New Zealand. He replied in three minutes. In this episode, Seamus and Steve sit down with business coach Di Foster to unpack what landing the biggest naming rights deal in Between Two Beers history actually means for the business, and what it exposes about everything they still haven't figured out.

Di doesn't let the celebration last long. With a One NZ contract signed, she turns the lens on the stuff both of them have been avoiding: Steve's got no emergency fund, no real Plan B, and a YOLO attitude to financial planning that works fine until it doesn't.

Seamus' catastrophising about $200 oil and backyard bunkers while quietly knowing the business needs reserves. And Di, despite decades of business experience, admits she's never actually felt financially secure either.

Thanks to our friends at Odoo for supporting the show!

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Stacey Jones has given 27 years to the Warriors - from foundation player to the coaching staff helping build the next generation.

In this episode, he opens up on the try that still haunts him from the 2002 NRL grand final, what it meant to be a household name in New Zealand before social media existed, and why he's never left the Wahs.

Steve and Seamus are proud to be dressed by Barkers.

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We landed him. Steven Adams, New Zealand's most beloved basketball export and our number one dream guest for years, is coming to Between Two Beers.

In this episode of Hambassadors, Seamus and Steve take you behind the scenes of the biggest week in the podcast’s history. Four recordings in six days, a surprise Easter weekend email that changed everything, eight steaks on order, and two and a half hours with a seven-foot legend who had a flight to Houston that night.

Plus, a live appearance on TVNZ Breakfast, the Stacey Jones recording, a World Cup update, love languages, and a new full-time hire joining the team.

Hambassadors is proudly brought to you by Stark Property.--

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