Care Beyond Profits

Azoora Ali
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  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Biweekly

Join us in this interview series of inspiring purpose-driven founders, CEOs, and social enterprise leaders who build care into how they work and live. We unpack their values, choices, and habits so you can apply the same ideas in your world. I believe that care turns purpose into impact in positive ways. Hosted by Azoora Ali, a Virtual (Fractional) CFO using the CARES lens: clarity, actionable insights, returns, efficiency, stability. New episodes every 2 weeks. I appreciate your support. Follow, share and leave a review to support the show.

  1. 1d ago

    He Sold His Business, Lost Himself, Then Electrified a Nation | Mike Casey

    Mike Casey, cherry orchardist and CEO of Rewiring Aotearoa, shares how electrification, solar and climate action turned his New Zealand business profitable. "Climate action is no longer a cost. Climate action is profitable." From a suburban Wellington childhood to building a Sydney tech startup that 4 out of 5 Australian university students used to find their first job, to planting 9,300 cherry trees in Central Otago, Mike Casey's story is one of reinvention, purpose, and proving that doing right by the planet can also be the smartest money decision you'll ever make. As CEO of Rewiring Aotearoa and the 2026 Kiwibank Sustainability Leader of the Year, he's on a mission to electrify millions of fossil-fuel machines across the motu. About Mike Casey Mike built and ran a technology startup in Sydney for over a decade before returning home to Aotearoa with his wife Rebecca to establish a cherry orchard in Central Otago. Frustrated by the "doom and gloom" climate narrative, Mike set out to prove a different story by running his orchard entirely on clean, New Zealand-made energy. Today his is a fully electric orchard: 21 electric machines and two solar systems that turned a diesel expense into a revenue stream, with farmers now visiting to see the results for themselves. Through Rewiring Aotearoa he leads the Electric Homes and Electric Farms research, showing electrification is now cheaper than fossil fuels over the lifetime of the asset, and campaigns for the policy settings to make it easy for every New Zealander to benefit. In this episode - Why climate action is now a profitable, cost-of-living decision & not a sacrifice - How Mike turned a ~$50,000/year diesel bill into a ~$25,000/year revenue stream - What selling his business taught him about identity, purpose and willpower - The real numbers behind 21 electric machines and two solar s - Why he founded Rewiring Aotearoa and gave the whole playbook away - How everyday Kiwis can make "six good decisions in the next 10 years" - The "EV salary boost" idea to get nurses and teachers into brand-new EVs - His personal values (family, authenticity, and using privile Timestamps (00:00) Intro (01:30) Welcome and 2026 New Zealander of the Year (02:47) Who Mike was before the mission (03:58) Where the climate frustration started (06:12) Family and the entrepreneurial thread (10:25) Rebecca, kids and the juggle (12:44) Selling up and the identity crisis (14:46) The farm and 9,300 cherry trees (16:25) Purpose risk over reputational risk (18:01) Learning cherries, then electrifying the orchard (24:12) The numbers: going electric and solar payback (28:42) Sharing the playbook and starting Rewiring Aotearoa (31:36) What an ordinary Kiwi can do: the car (33:36) The EV Salary Boost (38:32) Where Mike's personal energy comes from (42:30) Advice if you're struggling: six good decisions (46:02) Climate as an economic slam-dunk (47:24) Plug-in solar for renters (50:05) Mike's core values (51:44) Wrap-up Links Learn more about Mike Casey and his work 🌐 Rewiring Aotearoa: https://www.rewiring.nz 🌐 Electric Cherries: https://electriccherries.nz/ 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikesimoncasey/ Learn more about Azoora Ali 🌐 ASMA Ltd: https://www.accountingandtax.co.nz/ 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/azooraali/ Listen to Care Beyond Profits on Spotify, Apple Podcast and YouTube 🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/53LKFfDC5hvyxKWBxpTsGg 🎧 Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/care-beyond-profits/id6798932297 ❤️ If Mike's story resonated with you, please like, share, and subscribe for more conversations with leaders who prove that care and profits can grow together. #CareBeyondProfits #PurposeDriven #Leadership #ClimateTech #Sustainability #Electrification #RewiringAotearoa #ClimateAction #SolarPower #Aotearoa

    He Sold His Business, Lost Himself, Then Electrified a Nation | Mike Casey

  2. Aug 4

    This CEO Rebuilt a Charity From Deficit to Thriving | Monica Briggs

    "My daughter was young when I had one of my cancer diagnoses… her little life literally fell apart." Monica Briggs, CEO of Child Cancer Foundation, speaks about her experience in charity leadership, childhood cancer support and measuring social impact. In this conversation, we learn how a New Zealand not-for-profit turns $1 into $6 of impact. In this episode Monica shares her personal journey and the operational strengths in a way you rarely hear from a charity leader: the day-of-diagnosis flight to Starship or Christchurch, the parent who lives on the ward for months, and the quiet, unglamorous support. Then she opens the books: 3 years of deficit, one over a million dollars, steered through with zero redundancies because "people didn't panic," a charity that now creates $6 of impact for every $1 invested, and the cadence, gratitude and time in nature that keep her steady while she holds it all. About Monica Briggs Monica is an experienced for-purpose sector leader. She joined Child Cancer Foundation as Chief Executive Officer in 2021. Monica brings strong leadership and a wealth of governance and management expertise to Child Cancer Foundation. She has a 25-year career in the for-purpose and health sectors and established her reputation for growth strategies and social impact growth in New Zealand. In this episode we discuss: - How a child cancer diagnosis reshapes an entire family overnight - What Child Cancer Foundation does that the hospitals don't - Why Monica treats collaboration, not competition, as the model for the sector - How she led through three years of deficit without a single redundancy - Why she believes you can't think strategically while you're panicking - How the charity measures six dollars of social impact for every dollar invested - What 25 years across public health, the AIDS Foundation and the YWCA taught her - Monica's personal anchors & five core strengths Chapters (0:00) The diagnosis that shattered a family (Monica's own) (01:30) Holding grief and measurement in the same hands (03:52) One of five children in South London, a Queenslander father (05:48) Hospitality to public health - a holiday that became 13 years (09:52) The AIDS Foundation, the YWCA, and a career with no master plan (11:37) Her own cancer diagnosis and the empathy it gave her (13:57) What Child Cancer Foundation actually does (18:13) Collaboration over competition: Canteen, Camp Quality, the NCCN (22:09) Three years of deficit, a million-dollar year, and not panicking (26:20) The fundraising think tank and a transparent five-year analysis (29:40) Measuring social impact: six dollars for every dollar invested (34:03) Staying grounded: cadence, mother nature, and gratitude (40:53) Final Reflections Learn more about Monica and her work 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monica-briggs-mnzm-3b671330/ 🌐 Website: https://childcancer.org.nz/ Learn more about Azoora and her work 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/azooraali/ 🌐 Website: https://www.accountingandtax.co.nz/ 🎧 Listen on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/53LKFfDC5hvyxKWBxpTsGg Listen to Care Beyond Profits on Spotify and YouTube. ❤️ If Monica's story resonated with you… Please like, share, and subscribe for more conversations with leaders who prove that care and profits can grow together. #PurposeDrivenLeadership #NonprofitLeadership #LeadershipPodcast #CEOInsights #CareBeyondProfits

    This CEO Rebuilt a Charity From Deficit to Thriving | Monica Briggs

  3. Jun 4

    Is This New Zealand's Ultimate Weapon Against Carbon? | Paul Button

    Paul Button, CEO of Rotorua Canopy Tours, shares conservation tourism, regenerative business, and purpose-driven leadership in this Care Beyond Profits podcast on sustainability and ecotourism."Humans...All we crave for is just connection."From a whitewater kayaker chasing rivers across North Canterbury, Canada and Central America, to running one of New Zealand's most awarded ecotourism businesses, Paul Button's story is one of adventure, environmental conviction, and people-first leadership.As CEO of the Rotorua Canopy Tours Group, Paul leads a zipline and treetop experience set inside an 11,000-year-old native forest, alongside the Canopy Conservation Trust that funds its restoration work.In this conversation, Paul shares how a tourism business became a conservation engine: 12 years of native forest restoration, 700 self-resetting predator traps, a B Corp certification (the first in Rotorua), and a soil-carbon breakthrough that suggests a predator-free New Zealand could one day be carbon neutral. Throughout the episode, Paul returns to a simple idea, that the staff are the stars of the show, and that connection, not infrastructure, is what people truly remember.About Paul ButtonPaul Button is the Chief Executive Officer of Rotorua Canopy Tours Group, leading Rotorua Canopy Tours, widely regarded as one of New Zealand’s premier nature-based tourism experiences.His career began as a young kayaker on wild rivers, sparking a lifelong connection to adventure and the natural world. From guiding on the Kaituna River to leading teams internationally, Paul has built his career around creating meaningful, high-quality experiences that connect people to place.Since returning to Aotearoa in 2017, Paul has focused on innovation and regenerative tourism, restoring native forests, inspiring visitors, and demonstrating that business can be a force for good. He also oversees supporting businesses in Queenstown, including Million Dollar Cruise and Canyon Explorers.Outside of work, Paul is a hands-on dad who stays active through CrossFit, mountain biking, and endurance runningIn This Episode / Chapters00:00 New Zealand's carbon-neutral hypothesis00:07 Introducing Paul Button & Canopy Tours01:07 The importance of consistency in leadership13:29 Why people are the real product in tourism17:59 Partnership with the Department of Conservation (DOC)20:20 The Canopy Conservation Trust funding model24:22 Why conservation budgets should never be cut25:18 B Corp certification and holistic business32:38 Setting ethical boundaries with clients40:13 The 40% carbon ground composition discovery41:16 Predator-free forests as a carbon solution41:53 International research partnership & future scalingLearn more about Paul and Rotorua Canopy Tours Rotorua Canopy Tours: https://www.canopytours.co.nz/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-button-93241b187/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/azooraali/Website: https://www.accountingandtax.co.nz/Learn more about Azoora and her workListen to Care Beyond Profits on Spotify and YouTube.❤️ If Paul's story resonated with you…Please like, share, and subscribe for more conversations with leaders who prove that care and profits can grow together.#CareBeyondProfits #PurposeDriven #Leadership #Conservation #Ecotourism #BCorp #RegenerativeBusiness #Aotearoa

    Is This New Zealand's Ultimate Weapon Against Carbon? | Paul Button

  4. May 21

    He Lost His Salary For 18 Months to Build NZ's Electric Ferries | Michael Eaglen

    Michael Eaglen didn't draw a salary for eighteen months. There was no demand. The capital cost was higher than diesel. Auckland Transport pretty much wanted to be left alone to keep buying diesel boats. Then he stood up at a Fullers breakfast at the end of 2018, painted a picture of two electric ferries gliding into Auckland for APEC, and almost overnight it became inevitable. EV Maritime today has built Auckland's first urban electric ferries, with major projects in Australia, Canada and the United States. "I think in a lot of cases a lot of important things would never happen if any of us realised how much was going to be involved in making them happen. We're protected by our own naivety, and enabled by our own naivety." In this conversation Michael shares his path from a P-class sailing dinghy at age seven (his parents wouldn't buy him a bicycle) to naval architecture in Southampton, the McMullen and Wing CEO chair, and walking away to start EV Maritime. He explains how COVID gave the team unprecedented access to ministers, why three quarters of Auckland's fast ferry routes create more emissions than the cars they displace, and why every diesel ferry in operation costs the taxpayer about thirteen million dollars a year through the health system. About Michael Michael is the founder and CEO of EV Maritime, a former CEO of McMullen and Wing, and a naval architect based in Auckland. He began studying in engineering at the University of Auckland then switched to his naval architecture degree at Southampton. Currently, he also serves as a board member of New Zealand Marine Industry Association Board of Management and Steering Committee Member of Steering Committee Member role at the Maritime Emissions Reduction Coalition (MERC). Chapters (0:00) Intro: The Boat Guy Building NZ's Electric Ferries (05:16 )From America's Cup Yachts to Superyachts (07:12) Why Auckland's Ferries Burn So Much Diesel (10:46) 18 Months Without a Salary: The Risky Pivot (12:59) Selling Electric Ferries When Nobody Wanted Them (16:25) The Speech That Made Electric Ferries Inevitable (21:47) "To Finish First, You Must Finish" (26:21) Speaking Truth to Power: Lobbying for Change (29:34) Electric vs Diesel: The Real Numbers (35:40) From Two People to Global Impact (39:04) The Diesel Contradiction & the Hidden $13M Cost (45:10) Michael's Three Values & Where to Find Him Learn More About Michael EV Maritime: https://evmaritime.comMichael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeleaglen Learn More About Azoora LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/azooraali/Website: ⁠https://www.accountingandtax.co.nz/Listen to Care Beyond Profits on Spotify and YouTube. If Michael's story resonated with you, please like, share, and subscribe for more conversations with leaders who prove that care and profits can grow together. #ElectricFerries #MaritimeElectrification #ClimateAction #SustainableBusiness #NewZealandBusiness #Decarbonisation #PurposeDriven #Leadership

    He Lost His Salary For 18 Months to Build NZ's Electric Ferries | Michael Eaglen

  5. May 7

    Climate, Creatures, Children's Literacy - From a Multi-Million Dollar Kitchen Brand | Latesha Hearth

    From a Facebook post to a multi-million dollar yoghurt brand, Tesh Hearth shares social enterprise, impact business, and philanthropy from her purpose driven work. "It's not worth it for me to just do stuff for myself or make money for myself to buy fancy things. I have to feel like I'm being of service, actually being helpful and making things a bit better than they were." Tesh Hearth never went to school.She never went to university. She started what's now a multi-million dollar plant-based yoghurt brand out of her own kitchen. After a single Facebook post on a local Raglan notice board offering a jar of homemade coconut yoghurt blew up overnight. From there, Raglan Food Co landed in supermarket fridges around the country, and Tesh poured the proceeds into The Values Trust (a charitable trust she'd been planning for years), focused on climate, creatures, and children's literacy. About Latesha Hearth Tesh Hearth is a serial entrepreneur and philanthropist - co-founding Raglan Food Co in her home kitchen in 2014, a brand that has become the market-leader in New Zealand for dairy-free yoghurt. After a growth journey that included building a 1,500sqm yoghurt factory in Raglan to keep the company locally-based, Tesh navigated a successful partial exit to Pioneer Capital in 2020, taking on an active advisor role to Raglan Food Co's current CEO & Board. Committed to using business as a tool for positive change, Tesh has won several awards for her efforts in sustainability and product innovation, also becoming a finalist in the 2021 Women of Influence Awards. Under her leadership Raglan Food Co became B Corp & Toitu Climate Positive certified, backing initiatives like the 1 Million Pieces project to encourage environmental stewardship. Tesh is an Edmund Hillary Fellow and founding trustee of The Values Trust, which supports Climate, Creatures, and Children's literacy initiatives through innovative projects like Floofsters doggy daycare & online pet store, and Little Libraries. She wears many hats, from operating Raglan Rural Retreats, sitting on the Boards of Daisy Lab and HUHA (Helping You Help Animals), and mentoring start-ups. Her blog led to a book deal with a US publishing company for The To-Be List, and she has published several children's books. Tesh’s path to success was untraditional but highly impactful. She inspires listeners to "follow their curiosity" and make a difference. Timestamps (0:00) Meet Tesh Hearth and Raglan Food Co (2:04) Why Homeschooling Built an Entrepreneurial Mindset (7:32) Three Jars and a Childhood Charity Mindset (11:20) How a Facebook Post Launched Raglan Food Co (14:35) Sustainable Growth Without a Safety Net (18:59) Imposter Syndrome and Backing Yourself (21:05) Inside The Values Trust: A New Charity Model (26:58) Daisy Lab: Dairy Proteins Without Cows (31:02) Little Libraries and NZ's Literacy Crisis (39:32) Floofsters: Social Enterprise Doggy Daycare (45:21) How Tesh Manages a Portfolio Without Burnout (50:16) The To-Be List and Tesh's Two Core Values Learn more about Latesha and her work - The Values Trust: https://valuestrust.co.nz - Raglan Food Co: https://raglanfoodco.com - Floofsters: https://floofsters.co.nz - Reformation Studios: https://reformation.co.nz - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lateshahearth/ - Little Libraries: https://www.littlelibraries.co.nz - Daisy Lag: https://www.daisylab.co.nz - HUHA: https://www.huha.org.nz Learn more about Azoora and her work - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/azooraali/ - Website: https://www.accountingandtax.co.nz/ Listen to Care Beyond Profits on Spotify and YouTube. ❤️ If Tesh's story resonated with you…Please like, share, and subscribe for more conversations with leaders who prove that care and profits can grow together. #SocialEnterprise #ImpactBusiness #Philanthropy #ValuesTrust #WomenInBusiness #PurposeDriven #Leadership #CareBeyondProfits

    Climate, Creatures, Children's Literacy - From a Multi-Million Dollar Kitchen Brand | Latesha Hearth

  6. Apr 23

    Only 7 Out of 700 Made The Cut. Here's Why | Bill Murphy

    Bill Murphy, founder of Purpose Capital, shares impact investing, degrowth, and climate investing in this conversation about renewable energy, sustainable finance, and ethical investing in New Zealand."We either start it or it's going to happen to us. And the way we're going, most likely it's going to happen to us." From a working class Irish Catholic family in Boston to building one of New Zealand's most influential impact investment funds, Bill Murphy's story is one of spiritual searching, commercial pragmatism, and a deep belief that the way we invest has to change. In this conversation, Bill shares his journey from hitchhiking to California in search of a guru, to qualifying as a chartered accountant in Tauranga, to pioneering angel investing in New Zealand, and finally to launching Purpose Capital to drive systemic environmental and social change. He explains why his fund only invested in 7 of the 700 businesses it reviewed, what it really takes to balance impact with financial discipline, and why he believes New Zealand and the rest of the developed world need to seriously consider degrowth. About Bill Murphy Bill is the Founding Director of Purpose Capital Limited. In addition, Bill sits on the board of the General Partner and on the Investment Committee.Bill founded Purpose Capital in 2019 to use the power of investment to drive social and environmental change and demonstrate a new way to make money work. At $22 million, Purpose Capital Impact Fund 1 is New Zealand's largest private sector impact investment fund. Purpose Capital is now deploying its second fund, with a primary focus on renewable energy, energy efficiency, and distributed energy across Aotearoa.Prior to Purpose Capital, Bill founded Enterprise Angels, a unique Fund Management / early-stage business investment model comprised of 4 Funds and investments of $75 million in over 140 companies. Bill holds a BSc in Accounting / Finance and is qualified as a US and NZ accountant (CPA / CA), working half his career as a public accountant, CFO and company manager then in more recent years in investment, finance and governance. A pioneer driven to 'make a difference,' impact investing was a natural progression for Bill. In this episode we discuss: - Why the current economic model is failing both people and the planet - How a Boston cop's son ended up reshaping how New Zealand invests - What it took to pioneer angel investing in a country that had none - Why Purpose Capital reviewed 700 businesses and only invested in 7 - How impact investing can deliver both environmental change and market rate returns - The challenge of pushing companies on impact while protecting financial survival - What degrowth really means and why New Zealand cannot opt out - His personal values of integrity, compassion, and sharing wisdom Timestamps (0:00) Why our economic model is failing (1:28) Meet Bill Murphy, founder of Purpose Capital (2:21) Growing up Irish Catholic in Boston (4:48) Hitchhiking to California to find a guru (6:55) How the assassinations shaped a generation (8:52) Why he moved to New Zealand (10:37) From spiritual seeker to chartered accountant (13:00) How Enterprise Angels was born (19:05) Stepping away to build Purpose Capital (22:26) Why only 7 out of 700 made the cut (38:17) What degrowth means for New Zealand (48:09) Why pushing against the system isn't enough Learn more about Bill and his work - Purpose Capital: https://purposecapital.co.nz/ - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billfmurphy/ Learn more about Azoora and her work - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/azooraali/ - Website: https://www.accountingandtax.co.nz/ Listen to Care Beyond Profits on Spotify and YouTube. ❤️ If Bill's story resonated with you… Please like, share, and subscribe for more conversations with leaders who prove that care and profits can grow together.#ImpactInvesting #Degrowth #ClimateInvesting #SustainableFinance #PurposeDriven #Leadership #CareBeyondProfits

    Only 7 Out of 700 Made The Cut. Here's Why | Bill Murphy

  7. Apr 9

    Preventing the Next Attack: What the Christchurch Mosque Shooting Reveals | Mervin Singham

    From Malaysia to leading New Zealand's Ministry for Ethnic Communities, Mervin Singham, Chief Executive of the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, shares his leadership journey, social cohesion vision, and public service leadership in this purpose-driven interview about diversity, racism, and ethnic communities in New Zealand. "It's enormously enriching to have compassion and kindness in one's heart. Compassion is not a weakness. It is a huge strength. It is the glue that binds everything." From a strict orthodox Sri Lankan family in Malaysia to leading one of New Zealand's newest ministries, Mervin Singham's story is one of courage, purpose, and channelling rage into justice. As the first Chief Executive of the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, Mervin is focused on building social cohesion, equity, and belonging for all communities across Aotearoa. In this conversation, Mervin shares what it was like to build the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from scratch, the toll of hearing survivors' stories, how racism in Christchurch shaped his entire career, and why social cohesion is the long game New Zealand can't afford to ignore. About Mervin Singham Mervin Singham is the first Chief Executive of the Ministry for Ethnic Communities and a vastly experienced public servant who previously led the Office of Ethnic Affairs. Prior to becoming the Ministry's first CE, Mervin was appointed Executive Director of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State Care and in the Care of Faith-based Institutions in 2018, where he built the commission from 7 people to 260 staff. Before that, Mervin held executive roles at the Department of Internal Affairs, served as Chief Mediator at the Human Rights Commission, and was Complaints Manager at the Office of Race Relations Conciliator. He holds a Master of Laws (1st Class Honours) from Auckland University. In this episode: - Why Mervin walked away from a law career to run a 150-seat restaurant at 24 - How experiencing racism in Christchurch in the 1980s shaped his entire career - What it was like building the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from scratch - How survivors' distrust of institutions challenged everything the commission expected - Why having a seat at the decision-making table is only the first step for ethnic communities - The challenge of measuring social cohesion and making the case to Treasury - How the ministry turned Muslim youth energy into a civic leadership programme after Gaza - His personal values and why kindness is not a weakness Timestamps (00:00) How racism and justice shaped a public service leader (00:41) Meet Mervin Singham, chief executive of ethnic communities (02:02) Why he left the Royal Commission (05:09) The emotional toll of investigating abuse (08:42) Growing up in a strict Sri Lankan family in Malaysia (11:02) Why he chose a restaurant over a law firm (14:52) Arriving in New Zealand and the culture shock (16:54) When racism opened his eyes in Christchurch (19:56) How rage became a career in justice (27:42) What the Ministry for Ethnic Communities really does (36:28) The Christchurch mosque attacks and what came after (49:48) How do you measure the ROI of social cohesion Learn more about Mervin and his work - Ministry for Ethnic Communities: https://www.ethniccommunities.govt.nz/ - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mervin-singham-3201938/ Learn more about Azoora and her work - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/azooraali/ - Website: https://www.accountingandtax.co.nz/ Listen to Care Beyond Profits on Spotify and YouTube. ❤️ If Mervin's story resonated with you… Please like, share, and subscribe for more conversations with leaders who prove that care and profits can grow together. #CareBeyondProfits #PurposeDriven #Leadership #SocialCohesion #EthnicCommunities #DiversityAndInclusion #PublicService #Aotearoa #PersonalGrowth #Inspiration

    Preventing the Next Attack: What the Christchurch Mosque Shooting Reveals | Mervin Singham

  8. Mar 24

    He Missed Her Funeral. Years Later, It Shaped His Construction Business | Sanjesh Lal

    Sanjesh Lal, Auckland builder and Director of Keola construction, shares his entrepreneurship journey, resilience, and personal growth in this Care Beyond Profits podcast about small business in NZ. "Starting from scratch is bloody hard. The whole ecosystem for construction is cooked. When it's good, it's good. And when it crumbles, it really crumbles." From a rural farm in Fiji to leading an award-winning construction company in Auckland, Sanjesh Lal's story is one of resilience, sacrifice, and relentless drive. With over 25 years in the industry and more than 450 residential apartments delivered, Sanjesh has earned multiple Gold, Silver, and Bronze awards at the NZ House of the Year and Commercial Project Awards. In this conversation, Sanjesh shares the deeply personal story behind his business - from losing the grandmother who raised him, to juggling university with a toddler, to launching a construction company just as the GFC hit. He opens up about the realities of building in New Zealand, why he named his company after his grandmother, and what two decades of construction has taught him about trusting people, leading a lean team, and knowing when to walk away. About Sanjesh Lal Sanjesh is a Chartered Civil Engineer and Registered Master Builder. Through Keola, he operates as a main contractor delivering residential, education, social housing, and commercial projects across Auckland. He is Chairperson of the Master Builders West Auckland Branch and a member of BRAC at BRANZ, advising on building and construction research funding priorities for New Zealand. In this episode: • Growing up on a farm in Fiji with no electricity • Losing his grandmother without closure and how it changed him • Attending university at 22 with a toddler while working two fast food jobs • Winning a Master Builders award on his very first house build • Listening to the client when bigger builders wouldn't • Starting a construction company in 2007 and surviving the GFC • His values: compassion, honesty, and kindness • Why time is the real currency, not money Timestamps (0:00) Sanjesh Lal's construction journey begins (0:46) Welcome and introduction (1:05) Growing up in rural Fiji (3:57) Leaving Fiji at 16 for New Zealand (7:18) Losing his grandmother and failing his exams (9:36) University as a young father (12:09) From consulting to building his first house (15:01)First build, first award (19:01) Launching Keola and surviving the GFC (28:17) Unlearning blind trust in consultants (35:17) Compassion, honesty, and kindness (44:18) Time is the currency Learn more about Sanjesh and his work • Keola: https://keola.co.nz/ • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanjeshlal/ Learn more about Azoora and her work • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/azooraali/ • Website: https://www.accountingandtax.co.nz/ ❤️ If Sanjesh's story resonated with you, please like, share, and subscribe for more conversations with leaders who prove that care and profits can grow together. #SanjeshLal #AucklandBuilder #KeolaConstruction #Entrepreneurship #Resilience #PersonalGrowth #CareBeyondProfitsPodcast #SmallBusiness #ConstructionBusiness #Leadership #ConstructionIndustryNZ

    He Missed Her Funeral. Years Later, It Shaped His Construction Business | Sanjesh Lal
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About

Join us in this interview series of inspiring purpose-driven founders, CEOs, and social enterprise leaders who build care into how they work and live. We unpack their values, choices, and habits so you can apply the same ideas in your world. I believe that care turns purpose into impact in positive ways. Hosted by Azoora Ali, a Virtual (Fractional) CFO using the CARES lens: clarity, actionable insights, returns, efficiency, stability. New episodes every 2 weeks. I appreciate your support. Follow, share and leave a review to support the show.

Information

  • Creator
    Azoora Ali
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    23
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Azoora Ali
  • Show Website
    Care Beyond Profits