Growing Kiwis with Claire Williamson

Claire Williamson
  • 0.0 (0)
  • Careers

The Growing Kiwis is a podcast for ambitious people who are committed to growth in business, money, health, mindset, and life. The podcast explores what it really looks like to pursue a high-performance life in New Zealand. The wins, the challenges, the lessons, and the consistent actions that compound over time. Growth is the central theme, whether that’s growing businesses, investments, people, community, impact, or ourselves.

  1. 6d ago

    Built for more: Nate Alley on Business, Family & Life

    Episode summary Nate Alley is the owner of Sentinel Homes Waikato, Business & Leadership Coach at Roar Coaching, and a dad to two young girls, Hayden and Carter. From a childhood spent figuring things out without a father figure to building a successful construction business and bringing long-term team members into equity ownership, Nate’s path has been fueled by drive, grit, and a constant pursuit of self-improvement. Recorded over an open-ended conversation about what it means to lead, this episode covers the realities of managing people, why Feedback is a gift, how perspective changes everything when business gets tough, and the importance of stepping outside our comfort zones. Honest, grounded, and packed with practical wisdom for anyone growing a business, a team, or themselves. In this episode • Who Nate Alley is today: balancing fatherhood, running Sentinel Homes Waikato, and stepping into coaching • Core values built from childhood: Manaaki (respect), Tupu (growth), Mahi (effort), Whānau (family), and adventure • Developing deep gratitude and perspective, and why "pressure is a privilege" in business and life • The ongoing apprenticeship of leadership and learning how to lead people as individuals • The 4 A’s feedback framework from No Rules Rules: Aim to assist, Actionable, Acknowledge, Accept or decline • Bringing business partner Ash and her husband Grub into 40% shareholding and why sharing ownership grows the whole pie • Judging ourselves on intent vs. judging others on behavior, and using empathy to navigate hard conversations • Showing up for his daughters and why his own upbringing makes him place top priority on fatherhood • The "Lads and Dads" community: finding psychological safety and deep connections with fellow business owners • "Do hard things": pushing past modern comfort crises, embracing Misogis, and reframing tough times as "happening FOR me, not TO me" • The role of coaching and self-awareness as the ultimate unlock for personal performance Chapters • 00:00 Welcome to the Growing Kiwis podcast • 00:54 Who is Nate Alley today? Fatherhood, Sentinel Homes, and Coaching • 02:17 Nate's values: Manaaki, Tupu, Mahi, Whānau, and Adventure • 05:22 Perspective, gratitude, and top 5% living • 09:44 Early business mistakes, Rich Dad Poor Dad, and learning by doing • 14:04 The hard work of leadership and managing different personalities • 18:39 The 4 A’s feedback model in action • 26:44 Business partnership: Ash's journey from admin to 40% shareholder & director • 33:02 Intent vs. behavior and self-awareness through hardship • 38:06 Being the father he didn't have growing up • 46:00 Friendships, and the Lads & Dads group • 52:56 Relationships, growth, and lessons from divorce • 58:31 Chasing peace and contentment by leaving it all out there • 01:00:42 Comfort Crisis, housing affordability, and doing hard things • 01:07:03 "Happening for me, not to me" mindset in business • 01:11:22 Secret sauce: Caring deeply about what matters • 01:13:34 Self-awareness, and the power of coaching • 01:20:18 Decision making, values, and needing a "chunky" goal About Nate Nate Alley is the owner of Sentinel Homes Waikato, and a father to two young daughters, Hayden and Carter. Starting out as a young entrepreneur, Nate has spent over 11 years growing Sentinel Homes while continuously sharpening his leadership, culture-building, and business skills. Passionate about outdoor adventure, continuous growth (Tupu), and helping others level up through self-awareness, Nate uses his experiences across business, parenting, and endurance challenges to inspire others to throw their bag over the fence and get after it. Links Sentinel Homes Waikato website Roar Coaching Enjoyed this episode? If this one resonated, follow Growing Kiwis wherever you listen, and share it with someone who is building something of their own. We would love to hear your biggest takeaway, so come and say hi over on Instagram!

  2. Aug 5

    More than numbers: Abbey Boobyer on marquees, motherhood & building her own business

    Abbey Boobyer is the founder of Prosper Business, a Cambridge-based accounting practice built around small business owners who want more than tax returns. Before Prosper, Abbey and her husband Rich spent seven years building Love Club Hire, a furniture and marquee hire business they started on their wedding day and sold when the season was right. Recorded with Abbey's newborn daughter Billy making herself known in the background, this episode covers what it really takes to leave a salary and start your own thing, why the best accounting advice is actually people advice, and how building a strong network of women in business changed everything. Honest, funny and full of practical wisdom for anyone who has ever wondered if they could actually do this. In this episodeWhy Abbey always knew she would run her own business, even when she was doing someone else's accountingHow Love Club Hire started with furniture they bought for their own wedding and grew into a marquee businessThe decision to sell after seven years and how they got so lucky with the buyerWhat it really means to be a not-typical accountant, and the three values Prosper is built onWhy the most successful small business owners she works with are not working less, they are working smarterThe five professional relationships every new business owner should have from day oneHow she started a girls breakfast group seven years ago and why community is the key to confidenceBeing in a hectic season with a newborn and a growing practice, and giving herself permission not to be perfect ChaptersTimestamps are based on the raw recording, nudge them once the intro is trimmed in the edit. 00:12 Welcome Abbey and Billy,01:23 Who is Abbey the human02:37 The business career that was always heading somewhere04:30 Starting Love Club Hire at their own wedding08:26 Growing the marquee business and knowing when to niche13:00 How they sold Love Club and got lucky with the buyer15:10 What makes Prosper different from a typical accountant17:30 The types of clients Abbey works with and a case study on cashflow22:00 Small business in New Zealand and why a good network matters24:40 The five professionals every new business owner needs28:00 Mindset, self belief and what she learned from her parents33:00 Girls breakfast, Prosper Connect and building community deliberately36:00 Personal hacks and giving yourself permission for off days38:00 Secret sauce: the accountant who actually wants you to win About AbbeyAbbey Boobyer is the founder of Prosper Business, a Xero-based accounting practice in Cambridge focused on small business owners across New Zealand. She trained as a chartered accountant through Deloitte before moving into smaller practices and eventually starting her own firm. Alongside her accounting career, she and her husband Rich co-founded Love Club Hire, a furniture and marquee hire business they grew over seven years before selling. Abbey is mum and is passionate about building community and confidence among women in business. LinksProsper Business website Prosper Business on Instagram

  3. Jul 29

    Happy Law: building a law firm that puts people first with Sam Douglas

    Sam Douglas is a director of Foley Douglas, a Hamilton law firm he co-founded with Aasha Foley in 2017, before rebranding in 2025. Sam is a property law specialist accredited by the New Zealand Law Society and a general practitioner who describes himself as the family GP of the legal world, dealing with what most people actually need and sending them to a specialist when they do not. With a team of around 25, Foley Douglas is one of the younger, more deliberately human law firms in Waikato, built around plain language, flexibility and a belief that law does not have to be adversarial. This is a calm, thoughtful conversation about building a business the way you want it to run, being present for your family, running your own race and why the best outcome is usually the one where everyone gets what they actually need. In this episodeHow Sam ended up a lawyer after swearing he never would be, watching his dad practise family and mental health law in TaurangaChasing his wife around the country through Auckland and Hamilton, and why Hamilton stopped feeling temporaryCo-founding what is now Foley Douglas in 2017 and building it to 25 peopleThe philosophy behind happy law, plain language and a firm that is not adversarial by defaultWhy Foley Douglas encourages its team to build their own profiles and career identities, not just bill hoursThe flexible approach to hours that means boxing training at 9am or the school pickup at 3pm are both fineWhat it looks like to be the youngest in a family and grow up with more freedom and more trustHis conservative view on risk and why he would rather drive a boring car than carry a big oneRunning your own race: why some of what looks like success from the outside is not actually realProblems are just problems and they can usually be fixed ChaptersTimestamps are based on the raw recording, nudge them once the intro is trimmed in the edit. 00:02 Welcome, Sam's background and the Foley Douglas team01:49 What Sam actually does, the family GP of the law world03:17 Happy law and the career journey from Tauranga to Hamilton05:08 Acting for people across their whole lives, why that matters06:37 Fundamental beliefs about business and what Foley Douglas is built on08:22 Habits and non-negotiables, out by five, there by three09:53 How they give their team the same flexibility they have themselves11:43 The youngest child upbringing, freedom, trust and chasing your wife across the country14:36 What values look like in practice at Foley Douglas17:21 Why plain language and being genuinely human is not a nice to have, it is the strategy18:01 Juggling two big careers and making sure weekends stay for the family19:31 Parenting thoughts, nobody has all the answers and that is okay22:26 The secret sauce, communication and figuring out what someone actually needs24:18 How Sam handles challenge, the problem-solving mindset from his first boss27:12 Building a phone-a-friend network and why being generous with your time comes back29:06 Ambition, making money and being honest about risk tolerance31:36 Running your own race, the danger of chasing projected success About SamSam Douglas is a director of Foley Douglas, a Hamilton law firm he co-founded with Aasha Foley in 2017, before rebranding in 2025. He is accredited as a property law specialist by the New Zealand Law Society and is a general practitioner across property, commercial contracts, trusts, estate planning and more. He has been a lawyer for around 19 years, having worked in Tauranga, Auckland and Hamilton. Sam's wife Emily is a marine scientist and they have three kids aged nine, six and four. He serves on the Board of Trustees at Knighton Normal School and is an avid runner. LinksFoley Douglas website Foley Douglas on Instagram

  4. Jul 22

    Unapologetically me: Cherie Osbaldiston on backing yourself and building a business on your own terms

    Cherie Osbaldiston is the founder of Pulse Property Management, a boutique property management agency covering Matamata, South Waikato, Te Aroha and the surrounding provincial areas. After 15 years working her way from receptionist to general manager at a Hamilton firm, Cherie left to start her own business in a town where nobody knew her, with nothing but 17 years of experience and an absolute refusal to be anyone other than herself. She is now an award winner, a sought-after industry speaker and an unapologetic advocate for both landlords and tenants in a market that needs more of both. This episode is a straight-talking, deeply honest conversation about building a reputation from scratch, knowing your values before you start, and the controversial opinion that work-life balance is rubbish. In this episodeWhy Cherie fell into property management on her first day at work and never leftThe decision to leave a GM role after 15 years and start from scratch in MatamataHow she built Pulse Property Management around a model that is deliberately differentWhat she actually wrote down before she took her first client onWhy people do not leave businesses, they leave leaders, and what she learned from becoming oneThe truth about property management, tenants, landlords and a market that is getting harderHer take on pets, big family homes, subdivisions and where smart investors should be lookingWhy she keeps showing up to every conference she can find before the speakers are even announcedBacking yourself when you have very little self-confidence and a lot of experience ChaptersTimestamps are based on the raw recording, nudge them once the intro is trimmed in the edit. 00:06 Welcome and introduction01:12 Who is Cherie the human, values, family and the Waikato03:28 Finding your authentic self, the journey to knowing who you are05:00 Conference addict, networking and showing up before you know the speakers06:13 Falling into property management and why she stayed08:26 Working up through the ranks to general manager09:36 The hamster wheel, the decision to leave and what came next10:14 The first steps in starting Pulse, writing down what she wanted it to look like13:05 Leadership, the people do not leave businesses they leave leaders principle16:00 Growing up in Cambridge, horses, her dad and the work ethic that stuck18:37 The little Cherie who never thought she would run an award winning company20:09 Backing yourself when you have no self-confidence20:22 The conference speaking gig, fear versus opportunity23:22 What property management actually involves, legislation and the reality28:00 Myths about tenants and landlords, the symbiotic relationship30:00 Pet legislation, housing stock and why landlords are leaving the market37:45 The granny flat rules and multi-generational living39:11 What is being overlooked by investors, provinces and subdivisions44:08 Her EDD list, non-negotiables and the controversial work-life balance opinion46:01 Just do it now, treating people with kindness and controversial opinions51:12 Technology and AI in property management, why she is deliberately old school53:03 Final message, back yourself, build your reputation, talk to people About CherieCherie Osbaldiston is the founder of Pulse Property Management, covering Matamata, South Waikato, Te Aroha and surrounding areas. She has 17 years of experience in property management, having risen from receptionist to general manager at a Hamilton firm before founding Pulse two years ago. She holds a Level 4 Property Management Qualification, is a REINZ accredited Property Manager, and serves as a National Residential Property Management Ambassador for the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand. She has received multiple individual industry awards and was named Inspiration of the Year at the Property Management Conference New Zealand. Cherie grew up in Cambridge in a family involved in thoroughbred horse racing and is a married mother of two young children. LinksPulse Property Management website Pulse Property Management on Instagram

  5. Jul 15

    We are not here for long — Jonathan Brown on business exits, grief and living deliberately

    Episode summaryJonathan Brown, known as JB, co-founded BCD Group, a planning and engineering consultancy that grew to 125 staff and five offices across New Zealand before he exited in his late 30s. After a series of profound personal losses, Jonathan retrained as a qualified counsellor and life coach, and now runs Big Picture Coaching and Counselling, working with everyone from kids navigating school pressure to business owners who have hit their wall. He also coaches at St John's College and is developing outdoor experiences in the hills for clients who need space to think. This is a rich, deeply human conversation about deliberateness, freedom, grief, the second mountain, and what it looks like to build something that actually fits who you are. Content noteThis episode includes open and honest conversation about grief, death by suicide and sudden loss. If you are navigating any of these things, you are not alone. You can call or text 1737 at any time, free, to speak with a trained counsellor. In this episodeHow JB went from town planner in London to co-founding BCD Group and what drove that growthWhat made BCD different, youth, energy, promotion on merit and a culture built on purposeThe shareholder agreement lessons he would give any pair of mates starting a businessHis staged exit from BCD and how they future-proofed it from the startThe series of losses that caused him to stop and reassess everythingWhy he retrained as a counsellor and life coach and what he brings to it that a classroom cannot teachWorking with kids, teenagers, and burnt-out business owners, and what they all have in commonHis plan to take clients into the hills for immersive outdoor sessionsHow a rural upbringing, multi-sport and a deep awareness of mortality shape the way he lives nowBeing very selective about the relationships he puts his time and energy intoHis secret sauce: I have just always known we are not here for long ChaptersTimestamps are based on the raw recording, nudge them once the intro is trimmed in the edit. 00:04 Welcome and introduction, WAM and meeting JB00:45 Who is JB today, values, family and the outdoors03:06 What Big Picture Coaching and Counselling actually does05:22 Starting BCD Group with Blair and building something fast09:02 Recruiting young, promoting on merit and growing from the inside13:00 Going into business with mates and why the shareholders agreement is everything18:40 The staged exit and how they had future-proofed shares from the start20:07 Why he decided to pivot, and the losses that came first27:08 Navigating grief, exercise, outdoors and what helped28:21 Practical frameworks for sitting with people who are grieving29:31 Setting up Big Picture, four days a week, Fridays for life31:28 The outdoor immersive sessions he is about to launch32:07 The rural upbringing, freedom and a five-kid sheep and beef farm south of Raglan36:32 Adventure, multi-sport, Coast to Coast and why structure keeps him focused39:17 Quiet confidence and where it came from41:28 Intentional friendships and why less is more43:44 Separation, relationships and being more yourself the second time around47:34 Beliefs about the world, helping people detach from what others think49:27 What values to give kids before they leave home51:37 Secret sauce: we are not here for long53:43 Habits, winning the morning and coaching the kids on Saturdays About JonathanJonathan Brown, known as JB, is the founder of Big Picture Coaching and Counselling in Hamilton, working with kids, teenagers and business owners across counselling, life coaching and leadership support. He co-founded BCD Group, a planning and engineering consultancy that grew to 125 staff and five offices nationally, and exited in his late 30s following a period of profound personal loss. JB retrained as a qualified counsellor and life coach four years ago and works four days a week, spending Fridays with family. He is a multi-sport athlete, a dad to Bella and Johnny, and a partner to Adele. LinksJonathan runs Big Picture Coaching and Counselling.

  6. Jul 8

    From a flat paddock to a thriving community with Brit Stembridge

    Brit Stembridge is the founder of Tomtit Farm, a certified organic market garden and flower farm in Matangi, Waikato. After years in academic research, Brit walked away from a PhD path to start growing food on a flat paddock, building Tomtit Farm into a thriving community supported agriculture business through nothing but seeds, soil and showing up. This episode covers the courage to swap a safe academic career for farming, the COVID surge that proved the business model overnight, and the hard decision to let go of the vegetable boxes that built her identity in order to grow into teaching and community. It is warm, grounded and full of practical wisdom on building a business that fits your actual life. In this episodeWhy Brit walked away from a PhD path to start growing vegetables on a flat paddockHow COVID grew her veggie box subscriptions from eight to eighty almost overnightThe moment pick your own flowers changed how Brit thought about connection to the landWhy she had to let go of the vegetable boxes that built her identity in order to growHow becoming a new mum forced her to rebuild her business around rest, not hustleThe story behind Return to the Mudder, her six month soil health workshop seriesWhy Brit believes community is the antidote to the loneliness of farmingHer honest take on seasonality, local food systems, and why organic does not have to mean expensive ChaptersTimestamps are based on the raw recording, nudge them once the intro is trimmed in the edit. 00:51 Welcome and introduction01:55 Growing up on a generational family farm in the Wairarapa07:28 Studying nutrition at Otago and falling into academic research08:33 The crossroads between a PhD and a different path09:21 The radio story that planted the seed for Tomtit Farm10:45 Approaching her family and diving into growing food13:09 Where the Tomtit Farm name came from15:21 Starting small with a farm gate and veggie box model16:04 COVID and the overnight growth from eight to eighty boxes18:23 Bringing pick your own flowers to the farm21:57 Becoming a new mum while running a full CSA24:25 Giving herself a winter rest season and what it unlocked26:08 Building Return to the Mudder, a six month workshop series29:44 The hard decision to let go of the vegetable boxes39:49 Why time outdoors is non negotiable for her mental health39:58 New Zealand's local food systems and what we are getting right52:04 Secret sauce, being a natural connector55:11 Two simple actions to get closer to your food and community59:06 Final reflections on vulnerability and sharing the journey About BritBrit Stembridge is the founder of Tomtit Farm, a certified organic market garden and flower farm in Matangi, on the outskirts of Hamilton. Brit grew up on a generational sheep, beef and venison farm in the Wairarapa and later the Waikato, before studying nutrition and science at Otago University and working in maternal and infant health research. She founded Tomtit Farm in 2019, growing it from a small farm gate operation into a thriving community supported agriculture business spanning vegetables, pick your own flowers, seedlings and a six month soil health workshop series. Brit runs the farm alongside her husband James and her parents, and is mum to a young son, Kia. LinksTomtit Farm website Tomtit Farm on Instagram

  7. Jul 1

    From fast horses to fashion labels - Annmarie Hughes on building two businesses in one world

    Annmarie Hughes is an equine dentist and the founder of Aspin and Co, a New Zealand owned luxury equestrian apparel brand she launched while on maternity leave. Originally from North Wales, Annmarie built a career in equine dentistry in the Waikato before spotting a gap in the market between cheap throwaway riding gear and expensive European imports. This episode covers the courage to launch a business with a newborn on your hip, why getting comfortable being uncomfortable is the entrepreneur's real superpower, and the surprisingly simple secret to building a loyal community around a niche brand. It is fast, funny, full of side quests, and genuinely useful for anyone juggling more than one identity at once. In this episodeWhy Annmarie launched a new business on maternity leave instead of restingHow she spotted a gap in the equestrian apparel market that nobody else had filledThe best advice she ever received about failing fast and not taking it personallyWhy a batch of glittery brown jodhpurs taught her to trust her customers over her own tasteHow sponsoring riders built an entire community around the Aspin and Co brandThe juggle of running two businesses, equine dentistry and a fashion label, alongside being a mumWhy she believes self awareness is the single biggest predictor of entrepreneurial successWhere AI fits into her business, and the one place she will never let it take over ChaptersTimestamps are based on the raw recording, nudge them once the intro is trimmed in the edit. 01:03 Welcome and introduction02:11 From North Wales to equine dentistry in the Waikato04:46 Launching Aspin and Co on maternity leave05:47 Spotting the gap in the equestrian apparel market07:03 Growing the range from jodhpurs to head to toe apparel08:35 Building an online community during COVID10:51 The best advice on getting comfortable being uncomfortable12:01 The glittery jodhpur disaster that became a bestseller13:43 From hand drawings to CAD to manufacturing18:08 Sponsoring riders and building brand identity through values21:15 Late nights, newborns and the reality of building a business23:13 What makes a good entrepreneur, self awareness and failing well29:05 The man in the arena, celebrating failure as growth32:19 Manifestation, hard work and believing in what you are building34:21 Secret sauce, taking action fast and trusting yourself43:38 Using AI for customer service while protecting the brand's human side46:53 The customer who was too intimidated to walk into the stand52:09 Final reflections on redefining success About AnnmarieAnnmarie Hughes is an equine dentist and the founder of Aspin and Co, a New Zealand owned and operated luxury equestrian apparel brand. Originally from North Wales, she trained in equine dentistry in the UK before moving to New Zealand, eventually settling in the Waikato. She launched Aspin and Co while on maternity leave with her daughter Nina, growing the brand from a single style of jodhpurs into a full range spanning clothing, footwear and even veterinary hoof care products. Annmarie balances running two businesses with raising Nina alongside her husband. LinksAspin and Co website Aspin and Co on Instagram Enjoyed this episodeIf this one resonated, follow Growing Kiwis wherever you listen, and share it with someone who is building something of their own. We would love to hear your biggest takeaway, so come and say hi over on Instagram.

  8. Jun 24

    A journey through authenticity with Rose Kennedy

    In this episode of the Growing Kiwis Podcast, we sit down with Rose Kennedy, founder of Rose's Dining Table, to talk about creativity, authenticity, motherhood, and building a business that reflects your values. Rose shares the journey behind creating a brand that has become known for bringing people together around the table, creating meaningful experiences, and celebrating genuine connection. We dive into the courage it takes to do things differently, the importance of staying aligned with your values, and how motherhood has influenced both her personal growth and business journey. This conversation is a beautiful reminder that success doesn't have to fit a traditional mould. By embracing who you are, leaning into your creativity, and staying true to what matters most, you can build a life and business that feels deeply fulfilling. In This Episode:The story behind Rose's Dining Table and how it all began Why authenticity has been a driving force in Rose's journey The role creativity plays in business and everyday life Building a brand and community with purpose The realities of entrepreneurship behind the scenes Lessons motherhood has taught her about balance and growth Staying connected to your values through different seasons of life Redefining what success looks like Connect with Rose:Follow Rose's journey and learn more about her incredible work through Rose's Dining Table.

See All (24)

About

The Growing Kiwis is a podcast for ambitious people who are committed to growth in business, money, health, mindset, and life. The podcast explores what it really looks like to pursue a high-performance life in New Zealand. The wins, the challenges, the lessons, and the consistent actions that compound over time. Growth is the central theme, whether that’s growing businesses, investments, people, community, impact, or ourselves.

Information

You Might Also Like