The Most FM Business Hour

The Most FM
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Sponsored by GQ The Lawyers and hosted by Naomi Harris and Jordan McFadyen, The Business Hour is on New Plymouth's MOST FM (100.4 FM) airs live every Monday morning from 10:00 am to 11:00 am. The show features local business owners, leaders, and entrepreneurs discussing success stories, business growth, and strategies in the Taranaki region.

  1. 5d ago

    Richard Lyttelton on Family Law & Finding Resolution

    In this episode of The Business Hour, Naomi Harris and Charlotte Giblin sit down with Richard Lyttelton, a family lawyer at GQ — for a candid, surprisingly hopeful conversation about one of the hardest areas of law, and the people he helps through the worst experiences of their lives. From a Christchurch upbringing and a law degree in chilly Dunedin, to practising in Auckland and finally settling in Taranaki five years ago, Richard's path has been shaped by one goal: working with everyday New Zealanders and helping them through their problems. He unpacks what family law actually involves — care of children, relationship property, and estate disputes — and the empathy, boundaries and reality-checks the work demands. The conversation moves through the toll of being always-accessible, the mess social media and AI are adding, and why the real fix sits at the top of the cliff, not the bottom. Together, they explore: Wearing many hats — advocate, de facto counsellor, and sometimes investigator — and learning most of it on the jobHow social media and the Harmful Digital Communications Act turn venting into evidence (vent to your lawyer, not the world)Why a long AI-written brief takes longer to unpack than a quick email, and telling clients what they need to hearThe privilege of being Lawyer for Child — giving kids an independent voice when parents can't agreeThe sobering numbers: 5,089 family violence reports to police in Taranaki in 2025, and 14 reports a dayWhy family law is underfunded nationwide, and the gap in support for men in particularHow "50/50" often isn't — economic disparity, KiwiSaver, trusts, farms, and yes, shared care arrangements for petsWhy he keeps his focus on the person in front of him, not the bigger issues he can't controlA grounded, warm conversation about empathy, resilience, and a Taranaki legal community that chooses collaboration over ego. Key takeaway: "We need to move the ambulance from the bottom of the cliff to the top." More resourcing, more counsellors, more support networks - and a community already leaning into collaboration to get there.

  2. Sep 29

    Belinda Price on Leaving Legacies & Life's Final Chapter

    In this episode of The Business Hour, Jordan is joined by co-host Anne Cullen to sit down with Belinda Price — founder of Leaving Legacies, end-of-life doula, dairy farmer, and rural real estate agent — for a warm, honest conversation about the one thing none of us escape, and why talking about it early helps us live more fully. Belinda shares a career threaded with service: from a Northland childhood on a dairy farm and in a fish and chip shop, to six years as a travel consultant, to farming her way up alongside her husband (and being named Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year in 2021). When she stumbled across an end-of-life doula course, she found her calling — supporting people non-medically through the end of life, so families can simply be present with the person they love. The conversation moves gently through grief, planning, and the quiet power of being a "bridge" that helps people navigate what they don't know they don't know. Together, they explore: What an end-of-life doula actually does — advance care plans, living funerals, wishes big and small, and sometimes just listeningWhy death remains a topic so many of us avoid — and how planning early lets you live a more fulfilled lifeThe "Knowing Me, Knowing You" cards, designed to take the fear out of asking the hard questions by letting the card ask themReal client stories, from a motor neuron disease diagnosis to sorting out power bills and retirement villagesWhy only around half of us have a will — and how it's a living, flexible document that changes with each stage of lifeThe heartbreaking family splits that happen when wishes were never discussedShaping Your Legacies week, the monthly Death Café at Puke Ariki, and the Rural Collective podcast seriesFinding the everyday moments — a pet's passing, a licence donor tick-box — to gently start the conversationA moving, surprisingly uplifting conversation about service, connection, and making end-of-life planning a normal part of family life. Key takeaway: "We're all busy being busy" — but not always with the important stuff. Don't wait until you're in the midst of grief; start the conversation now, while you can plan it together.

  3. Sep 21

    Grant Carter on Community, Health & Legacy

    In this episode of The Business Hour, Naomi Harris and Charlotte Giblin sit down with Grant Carter, General Manager of the Taranaki Health Foundation - a fifth-generation Taranaki local whose people-first career has taken him from check-in counters to hospital wards. Grant shares an unusually varied path: 30-plus years with Air New Zealand (starting as an 18-year-old on the New Plymouth check-in desk), a pivot into property management, a stint as a deputy registrar at the courthouse, and finally into the health sector - "corporates, to tenants, to criminals," and now to community care. The through-line, he explains, has always been people, empathy, and staying calm when someone's security feels threatened. The conversation opens up how a local health foundation fills the gaps central government funding leaves behind - and the deeply personal stories that drive people to give. Together, they explore: Why healthcare funding is population-based, not needs-based - and how the Foundation takes Taranaki's care "from good to great"$10 million raised from the community for the new East Wing and Cancer CentreThe new Taranaki Cancer Centre and its linear accelerator - sparing patients more than 500 hours of travel to Palmerston NorthReal generosity in action: the Inglewood Lions, Methanex's $2 million neonatal gift, and New World City's payroll giving (over $23,000 and counting)Leading with listening, not a sales pitch - everyone has a personal trigger for why they giveWhy it doesn't have to be a big donation: every dollar countsLooking after yourself in an emotionally demanding role - 6am gym, and afternoon walks through Pukekura ParkA first-ever public announcement: the Breakwater Gallery, an outdoor art gallery on the 163 bollards of the Lee Breakwater, sponsor a bollard for $3,000 (half to the artist, half to the Foundation), with an official launch planned for Taranaki Anniversary Weekend in MarchA warm, moving conversation about service, generosity, and the quiet legacy of taking care of a community's health. Key takeaway: "From good to great." Taranaki's healthcare is already good - Grant's mission, and the Foundation's, is the community-powered enhancements that make it great.

  4. Sep 14

    Jimmy Fastier on Rugby, Community & Taranaki Pride

    In this episode of The Business Hour, Naomi Harris is joined by co-host Charlotte Giblin to sit down with Jimmy Fastier, CEO of the Taranaki Rugby Football Union - a Taranaki hardcore, born and bred in Fitzroy, and a lifelong amber-and-black supporter. Jimmy shares how a passion sparked on the terraces with his dad during the 1996 Ranfurly Shield era grew into a career in the business of sport. From a commerce degree majoring in sport management, to a 20-hour-a-week ticketing role at the front desk in 2012, to the CEO chair two years ago, his journey has been about the marketing, the fan engagement, and the people who sit behind the on-field action. The conversation moves from surviving years of stadium construction and fragmented offices, to the leadership and governance behind a genuinely community-focused organisation. Together, they explore: Why "nowhere is the game more manifest than in Taranaki" - and how rugby is woven into the fabric of small-town lifeStepping into the CEO role during COVID, with the business and team performance both needing a resetBeing a visionary leader - creating memorable experiences for players, fans and sponsors alikeBuilding a healthy board: skills matrices, three-year terms, and keeping the ideas and energy freshThe touch-and-go decision behind the $1.4 million Te Whare Pounamu training facilityGenuinely leading player welfare - a dedicated personal development manager and protected weekly time for life beyond rugbyNavigating the tough, topical subject of head injuries and player safetyBalancing the amateur and professional game - the "extra layer" that sets provincial rugby apart from Super RugbyWhat's coming: big events on the horizon, from a full test year in '28 to a British & Irish Lions tour and Springbok tours in '29 and '30 A warm, insightful conversation about leadership, adaptability, and the quiet work of making a region proud. Key takeaway: "Nowhere is the game more manifest than in Taranaki." For Jimmy, it was never just about the scoreboard - it's about people, memories, and creating experiences that bring a whole community together.

  5. Sep 7

    Leaving a Legacy: Josh Hickford & Catherine Grogan on Giving Back in Taranaki

    In this episode of The Business Hour, Naomi and Jordan sit down with Josh Hickford, CEO of the Taranaki Foundation, and Catherine Grogan, a partner at GQ - for conversation about legacy, giving, and getting your affairs in order. Josh shares how a chartered accountancy career at PwC and TSB was upended by a brush with Hodgkin's lymphoma at 27 - a moment that brought his horizon in close and skyrocketed him into community work. Catherine explains why she was drawn to wills and estate planning, and the privilege of the honest, hopeful conversations it involves. Together they unpack how professional advisors and community foundations work hand in hand to turn people's wishes into lasting impact. Together, they explore: Why giving is built into the Kiwi mantra - and how philanthropy is about generosity, not just moneyThe Taranaki Foundation's rise from $1 million to over $30 million under management in five years Why only around 6% of New Zealanders leave a gift in their will - often simply because they've never been askedThe staggering wealth transfer ahead: those over 55 hold roughly 60% of New Zealand's $2.4 trillion in net wealthLeading with the story and the "what," not the number - and thinking in percentages, not fixed figuresReal legacies in action: Glenn Ferguson's journalism scholarship with the Taranaki Daily News, and donors like Beverly supporting Riding for the DisabledWhy roughly half of New Zealanders don't have a will - and how marriage can invalidate the one you've gotBuilding community, not just funding it: Destination Kawarau and Taranaki Outdoor PursuitsThinking in the "climate of the era," not the weather of the day - the 100-year viewA genuinely inspiring conversation about generosity, mortality, and the quiet power of decisions made today that others will build on for decades. Key takeaway: "If everyone just does their little bit, the ripples turn into a tidal wave." You don't have to be wealthy to leave a legacy - and the simplest first step is getting your will sorted.

  6. Aug 31

    Backing Yourself: Alison Bunyan on Building Occupy Property Management

    In this episode of The Business Hour, Naomi Harris and Jordan sit down with Alison Bunyan, founder of Occupy Property Management - a Midwestern girl with California dreams who found her way, via a fair bit of luck and word of mouth, to New Plymouth. Alison shares a genuinely adventurous path: growing up landlocked in Indiana, driving a week straight to chase the ocean in Santa Cruz, learning to surf, and then landing a one-year working holiday visa to New Zealand that turned into a decade. A chance job on the Kaikōura earthquake rebuild - where she was flown by helicopter to a slip with, by her own admission, no idea what she was meant to be doing - led her to her husband Zac, and eventually back to his Taranaki roots. The conversation moves from surf towns and slip sites to building a business, and the pivotal advice from a lawyer that changed everything. Together, they explore: Learning to take risks — and the freeing power of asking "what's the worst that can happen?"Why failure isn't the end: missing one job in Doubtful Sound led to meeting her husband in KaikōuraThe lawyer who looked past the franchise contract and asked "why don't you just do it yourself?"Building Occupy Property Management as a genuinely people-first businessSplitting roles with her husband after having their son - and the business that kept growing in her absenceThe reality of Healthy Homes standards, why so many New Zealand houses are cold, and heating that only covers the loungeNew pet rules, and the coming regulation of property managersLearning resilience through sales, and why saying yes to more things (including this show) mattersA warm, refreshingly honest conversation about adventure, backing yourself, and building a sustainable business without chasing an empire. Key takeaway: "What's the worst that can happen?" Alison's whole journey — from California to Kaikōura to running her own business — has been built on giving it a go, and trusting that even when things don't work out, they often lead somewhere better.

  7. Aug 24

    Graham Wells on Work Ethic, Legacy & Letting Go

    In this episode of The Business Hour, Naomi Harris and Jordan sit down with Graham Wells - founder of the Wells Group and a long-standing champion of Taranaki's trades, engineering, and health and safety community. Born in Hāwera in the 1950s, Graham describes himself as someone who "went to school to eat his lunch" - until an after-school job at an electrical wholesaler set him on a completely different path. From an apprenticeship, to the army (where being thrown in the deep end taught him to rise to a challenge), to founding Wells with his brother on the simple belief that contracting should be done properly, Graham has built a business now spanning some 400 staff and around 100 contractors across the country. Now stepping back into a governance role, Graham reflects candidly on legacy, succession, and what "success" really means when growth was never the goal. Together, they explore: Why being thrown in the deep end - in the army and in business - shaped his work ethicThe founding belief behind Wells: do a good job, build the relationship, and look after your peopleHis mother's example after his father died young: roll your sleeves up and don't blame the hand you're dealtThe disappearing after-school jobs that once taught young people work ethic - and the impact of social media and gaming todayChampioning trades and apprenticeships through Engineering Taranaki, the Apprentice of the Year awards, and Taranaki FuturesSetting up Be Safe Taranaki and helping spark the national Business Leaders' Health and Safety Forum, now in its 15th yearStepping back from sole director to a formal board - and asking his team to tell him when he's no longer adding valueWhere the growth is now: electrification, EV charging, solar farms, revenue metering, and the Taranaki Alliance's push into shipbuilding A thoughtful, humble conversation about hard work, community, and building something that outlasts you. Key takeaway: "Money is like oxygen - you need so much to survive, but a whole lot more doesn't make a huge difference." Graham's measure of success was never the balance sheet, but a business that's well-regarded, respected, and looks after its people.

  8. Aug 17

    Richie Shearer: There's No Such Thing as Can't, It's Won't

    In this episode of The Business Hour, the tables are turned. Jordan sits down with Richie Shearer - the man who launched this very show back around 2008 and interviewed hundreds of Taranaki business owners over the years - this time in the guest's seat. From a "could do better if he applied himself" schoolboy pointed toward industrial instrumentation by a switched-on careers advisor, to an apprenticeship, an OE that took him from a London pub to oil and gas projects across the UK, Singapore, Indonesia and Australia — Richie's path has been one opportunity leading to the next. Back home in Taranaki, that instinct turned into a string of businesses and a lasting commitment to the community. Together, they explore: Being chucked in the deep end overseas — from 30-input systems in New Zealand to 2,500 in London — and why one year in a fast-growing business feels like tenThe "cast-iron bath" lightbulb moment when web hosting revealed itself as a multiplier — and the birth of WebFarm in 1997Building FreeParking as the NZ domain registry opened up, hitting third in the Deloitte Fast 50 with 550%+ growth, and the 18-month earn-out on exitDe-risking the leap by asking "what have I really got to lose?" — and his grandmother's line, "there's no such thing as can't, it's won't"Buying and running QP Sport for nearly 20 years, niche chest-protection gear, and navigating the S-curve as cheap copies biteRescuing the Most FM from shutdown in 2008 and running it as a community-funded charitable trustHow Taranaki Futures was dreamed up live on air — and why the fancy boats at the port belong to the tradiesWhy the internet's early ethical, open ethos feels a world away from today's big-tech AI era A warm, full-circle conversation about risk, reinvention, and the quiet privilege of sharing other people's stories. Key takeaway: "There's no such thing as can't, it's won't." Richie's grandmother's words — and the through-line of a career built on backing yourself and finding the next opportunity.

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Sponsored by GQ The Lawyers and hosted by Naomi Harris and Jordan McFadyen, The Business Hour is on New Plymouth's MOST FM (100.4 FM) airs live every Monday morning from 10:00 am to 11:00 am. The show features local business owners, leaders, and entrepreneurs discussing success stories, business growth, and strategies in the Taranaki region.

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