Frank Bunce is regarded as one of the great All Black Centres of all time. 

He first got selected when he was 30 and went on to play 55 tests, including a rugby world cup final.

At the time of recording this episode Frank was on TV in New Zealand on the reality show “Celebrity Treasure Island” so we discuss why, at the age of 64, he agreed to do it. Thanks to the team at TVNZ for helping set this conversation up.

I don’t think Buncey has ever spoken this openly or at this length ever before which makes this episode pretty special.

We talk about Franks journey from growing up in South Auckland with 7 siblings and working on the back of a rubbish truck to the world stage, representing both Samoa and the All Blacks and being part of the transformational shift from amateur rugby to the professional era.

There are some incredible rugby stories here- including his very special relationship with Jonah Lomu and Eric Rush and his love-hate relationship with coach Laurie Mains. But this episode goes far beyond sport.

Frank opens up about aging, identity, fatherhood, friendship, grief, retirement, and the emotional challenges that come when elite sport suddenly disappears.

This is a reflective and also very funny conversation with one of New Zealand sport’s great characters.

*****

Massive thanks to my long-term podcast sponsor, Generate.

We’ve all got that one mate who’s convinced they’ve worked out how to beat the market, usually with a lot of confidence and no actual expertise.

So, here's your reminder not to get caught up in the noise and trust the real investment experts at Generate.

I sat down with a Generate KiwiSaver adviser when they came on as sponsor in 2023, and it was one of those conversations that made me think, why didn’t I do this earlier?

A Generate adviser can help you figure out what fund type is best suited to your KiwiSaver goals.

Start planning now! Book a no cost  chat with an adviser at generatekiwisaver.co.nz/dom

The issuer of the scheme is Generate Investment Management Limited. To see their PDS and Financial Advice Provider info see generatekiwisaver.co.nz/disclosures.

Past performance does not guarantee future returns.

And remember, I’m not a financial adviser, so this is just general information. I recommend getting expert advice before making any financial decisions.

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

Flynn Chisholm, or as he is known by his 121,000 Instagram followers, "Fizzy Sends" is the New Zealand record holder in a breath-taking activity known as “death diving.”

He is also a speed climber. And at this time of releasing this episode he is about to attempt a record for the most pull ups.

Flynn is one of New Zealand’s most exciting extreme athletes.  

In this podcast, Flynn shares the mindset, discipline, and faith behind a sport that most people (me included) don’t understand and can’t even comprehend.

Some of the stuff we discuss includes:

+ What death diving actually is. And why it’s growing worldwide

+ The mental process before stepping off a 40m cliff

+ How he assesses risk before taking each jump.

+ Why he doesn’t read comments and how he handles criticism

+ The injuries he’s faced (including temporary blindness and concussions) And much more.

This is one of those episodes where you will hopefully get a greater understanding about something you may not known much about.

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

Phil Smith is one of the most influential figures in New Zealand television.

You may not know the name, but you most definitely know some of his shows: The Casketeers, The Lion Man, One Lane Bridge, and the Jeremy Wells show Eating Media Lunch. Content that’s not just popular, but culturally iconic.

I’ve known Phil socially for a number of years now, and I just thought he was a cool guy who’d had a solid behind-the-scenes career in TV. What I didn’t realise is just how wild his story actually is:

Like working in Africa as a journalist and being caught in gunfire.

Getting arrested and locked up in Africa for a week, then pretty much dumped at the border with nowhere to go.

Living with THE Jane Goodall for a month and getting life advice from her over glasses of scotch.

We also get into how he went from all of that to working with Sir Paul Holmes at his peak, building and selling a company in his early 30s and creating some of New Zealand’s most successful TV shows.

This episode goes everywhere. It’s part war story, part business lesson, part creative deep dive… and somehow still just feels like a chat with a really intriguing Kiwi.

***

Massive thanks to my long-term podcast sponsors, Generate.

Generate is an award-winning KiwiSaver provider with a track record of delivering strong long-term returns for their clients- you can see their latest returns for yourself on their website.

I became a client when they came on board as the show sponsor and it’s been a gamechanger for me personally- I’m kicking myself for not doing it years earlier.

You can book a no obligation chat with one of their awesome KiwiSaver advisers at generatekiwisaver.co.nz/dom

The issuer of the scheme is Generate Investment Management Limited. To see their Product disclosure statement see generatekiwisaver.co.nz/pds

Past performance does not guarantee future returns.

And just a reminder — everyone’s situation is different, so I recommend getting expert advice before making any financial decisions.

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

Bariz Shah is a husband and father, an engineer and a community leader. He was named 2021 Muslim New Zealander of the Year and he is also the author of a great book called Beyond Hope.

But before all of this, he was a convicted criminal who was sentenced to 3 years and 2 months in jail.

This podcast is a small part of his story. The story of a kid who came to New Zealand as a refugee, went completely off the rails as a teenager - eventually ending up in prison at 18 - and has managed to do a full 180 and completely turn his life around.

Bariz opens up about growing up between Afghanistan, Pakistan and New Zealand, dealing with abuse and identity struggles, and how that led him down an incredibly negative path.

We talk about his self-destructive spiral which ended up with time in prison. And the moment he decided he was never going back.

We also get into how he rebuilt his life from scratch… studying engineering, finding his faith, and eventually launching a project to honour the victims of the Christchurch Mosque attacks.

There’s a lot in this one: redemption, forgiveness, discipline, faith… and some pretty confronting stories along the way.

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

At 34 years old, Samoana Matagi from Utah (“Sam”) lost both of his hands in a freak electrical accident with 14,000 volts. 

Now you can find him online with the nick-name he gave himself: The No Handed Bandit.

Sam had to relearn literally everything in a world that is designed for people with hands: eating, texting, driving, dressing, hygiene. He compares it to being a baby again…but remembering the frustration”

We cover a lot of ground in this episode:

+ What happened on the day of the accident.

+ The mental battle that followed.

+ What it’s like learning to do absolutely everything again from scratch.

+ And how he’s turned that experience into helping thousands of people around the world.

There’s a lot of humour in this one too - that’s the magic of Sam.

He’s got this ability to make you laugh while also dropping some profound truth-bombs about resilience and getting on with it when life throws something massive your way.

If you ever find yourself thinking “why me?” (and let’s be honest- haven’t we all had those self-pity moments?) this episode might be just the kick in the arse you need.

***** 

Massive thanks to my long-term podcast sponsors, Generate.

Generate is an award-winning KiwiSaver provider with a track record of delivering strong long-term returns for their clients- you can see their latest returns for yourself on their website.

I became a client when they came on board as the show sponsor and it’s been a gamechanger for me personally- I’m kicking myself for not doing it years earlier.

You can book a no obligation chat with one of their awesome KiwiSaver advisers at generatekiwisaver.co.nz/dom

The issuer of the scheme is Generate Investment Management Limited. To see their Product disclosure statement see generatekiwisaver.co.nz/pds

Past performance does not guarantee future returns.

And just a reminder — everyone’s situation is different, so I recommend getting expert advice before making any financial decisions.

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

This episode with Jason Paris first came out at the end of 2024. I thought I’d release it in case you are new or new-ish to the podcast and missed it the first time round.

Also, because New Zealand’s latest landmark- the seriously impressive One NZ stadium has just opened in Christchurch. And Jason was deeply involved in signing off on this 10-year multimillion dollar sponsorship

This is a rare peak into the man behind the title.

From growing up in Invercargill with a solo mum on the benefit with no relationship with his father, to leading major brands like Spark, TVNZ and now One NZ, we talk about:

+ How Jason rose to CEO without a university degree

+ Why he gives out his personal email to customers

+ Lessons from mistakes –from million-dollar errors to public criticism

+ The importance of family, presence, and being a great dad

+ The story behind the One NZ stadium sponsorship in Christchurch, and much much more!

This episode is a reminder that behind every CEO is a regular human being, shaped by their past, driven by their values, and still figuring things out.

Jason’s story is proof that where you start doesn’t determine where you can go.

If you’re hearing this for the first time, I have no doubt you’ll love it.

If you are relistening to it, I hope you’ll pick up on some stuff you missed the first-time round

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

If you grew up in New Zealand in the late 90s or early 2000s, chances are you’ll know that name Dame Theresa Gattung.

Theresa became the CEO of Telecom at just 37 years old. Becoming the first woman to run a large NZ public company.

And during that time, she was part of some massive decisions - including the sale of the Yellow Pages for over $2 billion… which, looking back now, was unbelievably well-timed.

But that’s just one chapter.

Since then, she’s gone on to back and build businesses like My Food Bag, which became one of New Zealand’s biggest startup success stories… and gave her the freedom to live life more on her terms.

But this conversation isn’t just about business.

We unpack it all here:

The mindset that helped Theresa become CEO at 37

The reality of being a woman in leadership - then vs now

Lessons from burnout, failure, and rebuilding after major life transitions

Why she chose not to have children — and has no regrets

Her daily non-negotiables for mental and physical wellbeing

What success looks like to her now in her 60s

There’s some incredible perspective in this one: On leadership, on resilience, and on what actually matters when you zoom out a bit and look at the big picture.

***

Massive thanks to my long-term podcast sponsors, Generate.

If I could ask you to do one big favour — for me and for yourself — it would be to consider getting KiwiSaver advice from Generate, like I did.

The decisions you make with your KiwiSaver now could have a big impact on how much you have to live on in retirement. And if you’ve never had KiwiSaver advice before, you could be missing out.

Generate has a strong track record of long-term performance — You can check out their latest returns on their website.

They also have advisers who can come to you and help you figure out the right KiwiSaver setup for your goals — no pressure, just good advice.

I met with one when Generate came on board as a sponsor back in 2023 — and honestly, I wish I’d done it sooner.

Head to generatekiwisaver.co.nz/dom to book a chat

The issuer of the scheme is Generate Investment Management Limited. To see their Product disclosure statement see generatekiwisaver.co.nz/pds Past performance does not guarantee future returns.

And just a reminder — everyone’s situation is different, so I recommend getting expert advice before making any financial decisions.

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

David Downs is a man with a wild CV: he quit university to become a comedian, helped build the New Zealand comedy scene, co-founded The Classic and even wrote a few books. 

Then somehow pivoted into tech, ended up working for Microsoft, running the show across Southeast Asia. And now he is the chairman of The Icehouse and works in government helping shape how the world sees New Zealand.

But there is so much for to his story than the wild career:

A few years ago, David was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. What started as feeling a bit run down turned into being told he had less than a year to live… and that there was no treatment options left in New Zealand.

And that’s where things take a pretty wild turn.

Through a random LinkedIn message, he ends up getting access to a cutting-edge treatment in Boston. Problem is… it costs about a million US dollars.

So in this episode, we get into all of it. 

We also talk about what he’s doing now to help bring that same life-saving treatment to New Zealand, so other Kiwis don’t have to go through what he did.

There’s a lot in this one, laughter and tears. It’s heavy in parts, but also funny, honest, and genuinely inspiring. All told by a man with an incredible ability of telling a great story.

David’s one of those people who’s been through something huge… and instead of just moving on, he’s decided to use it to help others.

It was the first time we met. I thoroughly enjoyed his company and I think you will too.

Check out the work being done at the Malaghan Institute: https://www.malaghan.org.nz/

Donate here: https://donate.malaghan.org.nz/event/go-the-distance/home

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

Dr. Dan Plews is a sports scientist, endurance coach, and one of the fastest age group IronMan athletes on the planet. And these days you’ll find him with his shirt off at one of those Hyrox events.

You may not know the name, but you definitely know some of his clients- Dame Lisa Carrington, Emma Twigg, Eric Murray, Hamish Bond and Team NZ to name a few. Actually, it was double Olympic gold medallist Eric Murray who messaged me suggesting Dr Dan as a podcast guest.

Athletes and teams that Dr Dan Plews have worked with have collectively won over 30 Olympic and world titles. 

In this episode as well as learning more about this low-key legend, some of the stuff we look at includes:

* Lessons from coaching Olympic and world champion athletes

* The biggest mistakes everyday athletes make.

* Longevity in sport - how to stay competitive into your 40s and beyond. Why, at 43, he believes he is still nowhere near done. 

And so much more!

***

Massive thanks to my long-term podcast sponsors, Generate.

Generate is an award-winning KiwiSaver provider with a track record of delivering strong long-term returns for their clients- you can see their latest returns for yourself on their website.

I became a client when they came on board as the show sponsor and it’s been a gamechanger for me personally. I wish I had been introduced to Generate years earlier.

You can book a no obligation chat with one of their awesome KiwiSaver advisers at generatekiwisaver.co.nz/dom

The issuer of the scheme is Generate Investment Management Limited. To see their Product disclosure statement see generatekiwisaver.co.nz/pds

Past performance does not guarantee future returns.

And just a reminder — everyone’s situation is different, so I recommend getting expert advice before making any financial decisions.

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

Helene Barron is an elite trail runner, a high-performance physiotherapist, a coach, a wife, a mum, a daughter, a sister, a legend and now a survivor- after being diagnosed with tongue cancer.

In early 2023 Helene was on top of the world: she’d just finished top 5 at the Tarawera 100 Miler, one of the toughest tunning races in the country. 

Life was good: Career, family, everything was lining up.

And then, just weeks later…everything changed. Helene became one of the 77 New Zealanders every day who get told they have cancer.

In this episode, we get into:

+ The moment she discovered something wasn’t right: a tiny sore that turned out to be aggressive cancer

+ The phone call that no one ever wants to receive

+ Recording goodbye messages for her kids before surgery

+ What it’s really like going through six weeks of radiation

+ And how she found the strength to keep moving forward when everything felt uncertain

We also talk about resilience, perspective, and why she lives by one simple rule now: don’t drop the glass balls (I’d never heard this theory before but I love it- I hope you will too)

Watch Helenes doco here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0t97mhZcIA

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

Chris Quin is the CEO of Foodstuffs North Island, a business with over $10 billion in turnover, 24,000 employees and more than 400 stores across brands like New World, Pak’nSave, and Four Square.

This is part of the Chris Quinn story- a look at the man behind the title.

We talk about losing both of his parents at a young age, the lessons that shaped how he leads today.

We get into career setbacks, including missing out on the CEO role at Telecom and what that taught him about resilience.

There’s some great management lessons and insight into what makes a strong leader, from a guy who has done it at the highest level imaginable for a very long time.

And lots of fascinating insights about running 400 grocery stores through the pandemic when Kiwis were panic buying toilet paper, and the reality of leading a team of people who face abuse or violence on a daily basis.

This is a masterclass on what it takes to lead at the very top. I loved meeting and getting to learn more about CQ and I’m sure you will too.

***

Massive thanks to my long-term podcast sponsors, Generate.

Generate is an award-winning KiwiSaver provider with a track record of delivering strong long-term returns for their clients- you can see their latest returns for yourself on their website.

I became a client when they came on board as the show sponsor and it’s been a gamechanger for me personally- I’m kicking myself for not doing it years earlier.

You can book a no obligation chat with one of their awesome KiwiSaver advisers at generatekiwisaver.co.nz/dom

The issuer of the scheme is Generate Investment Management Limited. To see their Product disclosure statement see generatekiwisaver.co.nz/pds

Past performance does not guarantee future returns.

And just a reminder — everyone’s situation is different, so I recommend getting expert advice before making any financial decisions.

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