Kiwi Flees

Paul Sinclair
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  • PERSONAL JOURNALS

New Zealand's a world champion at exporting its people to almost every country on earth. Nearly a million of us now don’t call NZ home. This is like a million billboards telling a unique New Zealander Story. Kiwi Flees is on a light-touch mission to find a few of them and share their stories – a blend of personal and professional in each conversation. From pioneers to innovators, artists & scholars, chefs & inventors, musicians & physicians, volunteers & athletes, bureaucrats & business leaders.  Our aim is to energise and open the minds of our South Pacific tribe - part booster-shot, part virtual campfire - helping keep Kiwis abroad connected to each other and to their former homeland as we share their uniquely international New Zealander Stories. New releases every fortnight.

Episodes

  1. Hannah Seay - Super Yacht Industry Veteran & 'Hard Little Nut'

    FEB 3

    Hannah Seay - Super Yacht Industry Veteran & 'Hard Little Nut'

    In this pod I talk to Hannah Seay, one seriously gritty, determined, & adventurous Kiwi who has just returned to Aotearoa New Zealand after spending the past 14 years working in one of the world's most demanding service roles - super yachting. Coming originally from Taupo and with a background in hospitality that started with washing dishes as a 12 year-old before eventually working in high-end resorts including Huka Lodge, Hannah left NZ aged 19, bound for France & determined to work on super yachts. In the pod we discuss how she got her first super yacht role, the long days and longer nights on the job, some of the perceptions and bigger misperceptions of the industry, and why Kiwis seem to do so well in it. While I feel Hannah views her 14 years at sea positively, she also shares some of the more disturbing experiences she faced. This includes being sexually harassed and her adeptness at using soft skills to navigate  intimidating & frightening situations with no land in sight. Listeners are advised that the pod includes stories of sexual harassment which some people may find distressing.    Hannah has packed a lot into her life - from skinning rabbits for kitchen prep to Silver Service for billionaires, to seeing some of the world's most iconic sights and to ultimately becoming a super-yacht Chief Stewardess for the past eight years and a Chief Build Stewardess for three multi-million dollar super-yacht builds. Having experienced the good and the un-good of the industry, Hannah has also been a champion for other young women joining the fold of the super yacht workforce; something we also explore. As a former sea-dog (on trawlers not super yachts!), I loved talking to Hannah about life at sea and appreciate hugely her willingness to speak openly about the great, the good, the bad, and yes the ugly too in our conversation. For those of you interested in reading my Kiwi Flees OpEd published in Stuff, you'll find the link to the story here: Kiwi brain drain? Or our greatest export opportunity? In the event this is paywalled, I've also published a copy of the story on our website at ofnz.co.nz. Thank you so much for listening. My huge thanks to the Kiwi Flees for candid conversations, and to my sound-meister Robbie at Matrix Digital (Wgtn) for his commitment to the craft and making himself available at the weirdest of hours to record these conversations from abroad. Thank you too, to Team Kea for promoting the pod. If you're a Kiwi Flee or know someone who should be, please get in touch at: kiwiflees@onlyfromnz.co.nz Please subscribe, leave a review, and join me in a fortnight for our next episode.

    56 min
  2. Kirsten Chambers-Taylor - From Domestic Servant to UK-US Trade Titan, Resilience Personified

    JAN 20

    Kirsten Chambers-Taylor - From Domestic Servant to UK-US Trade Titan, Resilience Personified

    In this pod I talk to the indomitable Kirsten Chambers-Taylor whose first offshore role was working for the English photojournalist, Juliet Peck. Juliet's husband, Rory (a freelance news cameraman), had been killed by Boris Yeltsin loyalists in Moscow the year before Kirsten arrived in London in 1994. A stint in France as a horse trainer & nanny was followed by Kirsten then taking a role as a Domestic Servant with the United States-based UK Consul General. We discuss humble beginnings including a six-week, 'no-hope-of-extension' job at the British Consulate which turned into a stellar 24-year career which saw Kirsten serving seven Consuls General & five Prime Ministers. This culminated in Kirsten becoming Consul for Trade & Investment, then Regional Director for New England where she was charged with boosting trade & investment, supporting Ministers, and championing staff through the pandemic. In 2026, Kirsten is on a mission through her new company - Taylored Pathways - to better connect her adopted home of New England with New Zealand. Kirsten shares plenty of insights about New England - where companies including Facebook, Android, Polaroid, & Gillette were born. She encourages Kiwi companies considering entering the US to not just focus on the usual suspects like California when thinking about how and where to start their export journey into America. We talk about Kirsten's SUMO (Suck it Up & Move On) approach to life, the connections between working with horses & leadership, her role as President of the New England Kiwi Club, and how her company aims to help companies navigate US (& UK)  market entry via a less travelled, more creative, and potentially less competitive route than the herd. I loved this conversation. For me it again demonstrates just how adept Kiwis are at making the most of any situation while confirming that our expatriate population remains connected and is willing and able to help fellow Kiwis. If you're looking for help with US or UK market entry or connections, or to find out more about about Taylored Pathways, Kirsten can be reached at (+1) 617 483 3245, hello@tayloredpathways.com, or check out tayloredpathways.com for details. Thank you so much for listening. My huge thanks to the Kiwi Flees for candid conversations, and to my sound-meister Robbie at Matrix Digital (Wgtn) for his commitment to the craft and making himself available at the weirdest of hours to record these conversations from abroad. Thank you too, to Team Kea for promoting the pod. If you're a Kiwi Flee or know someone who should be, please get in touch at: kiwiflees@onlyfromnz.co.nz Please subscribe, leave a review, and join me in a fortnight for our next episode.

    1h 2m
  3. Pam Sheyne - Multi-Platinum Songwriter & Singer, Vocal Producer, Mentor

    JAN 6

    Pam Sheyne - Multi-Platinum Songwriter & Singer, Vocal Producer, Mentor

    Los Angeles-based Kiwi, Pam Sheyne, is one of the most influential New Zealanders in global pop. She's a multi-platinum songwriter & singer whose songs have sold more than fifty million records. Her credits include co-writing Christina Aguilera's global number one hit, Genie in a Bottle, and she has over 100 platinum awards to her name. Pam, who whakapapas to Ngāi Tahu, is also a winner of an Ivor Novello Award - one of the highest international honours a songwriter can receive - and her songs have been recorded by artists ranging from Demi Lovato & Seal to Jessica Simpson, the Backstreet Boys, & Camila Cabello. As a singer, she’s performed with some extraordinary names - Elton John, Celine Dion, the Pet Shop Boys, Cyndi Lauper, Tom Jones, & Dave Stewart among them. Her work has also appeared in films and TV shows from The Princess Diaries & The Young Victoria to Camp Rock & Dance Your Ass Off. In this pod, Pam talks to me about her early days in music, her successful collaborations with musicians and song-writers globally, and the impact on her career after co-writing Genie in a Bottle. We discuss the impact of streaming and AI on songwriters, and the advocacy work she has done as a founding member of Songwriters of North America (SONA). Lastly, we look at Pam's side business - SongWriterCamps - where she and her business partner help educate independent songwriters, artists, & producers so they make money from their music. This includes an upcoming camp in Melbourne and Pam's hopes to work with Kiwi songwriters a little closer to her homeland. For more details on Pam and SongWriterCamps, please go to: www.pamelasheyne.com www.songwritercamps.com www.weareeva.com A huge thank you to Pam for taking time to talk to me. I thoroughly enjoyed our conversations leading up to and including the pod and as we welcome 2026 it's such a tonic celebrating a Kiwi creative flying so high. Thank you so much for listening. My huge thanks to the Kiwi Flees for candid conversations, and to my sound-meister Robbie at Matrix Digital (Wgtn) for his commitment to the craft and making himself available at the weirdest of hours to record these conversations from abroad. Thank you too, to Team Kea for promoting the pod. If you're a Kiwi Flee or know someone who should be, please get in touch at: kiwiflees@onlyfromnz.co.nz Please subscribe, leave a review, and join me in a fortnight for our next episode.

    1h 2m
  4. Catherine O'Connell & Jayne Nakata - Award-Winning Podcasting Team Demystifying Japan

    12/21/2025

    Catherine O'Connell & Jayne Nakata - Award-Winning Podcasting Team Demystifying Japan

    In this pod I talk to an amazing Japan-based Kiwi duo - businesswomen Jayne Nakata & Catherine O'Connell. Jayne and Catherine, among many other things, co-host the award-winning Jandals in Japan podcast, helping demystify Japan for Kiwi companies interested in breaking in to this amazing country. Jayne and Catherine share their experiences of arriving separately in Japan over 20 years ago, both thinking they'd only be away for a year or two but finding themselves still hooked to their adopted country over two decades later. We discuss their different but also connected lives. Jayne being rurally-based with her family in Fukushima Prefecture which in 2011 suffered a triple catastrophe of earthquake, tsunami, & nuclear disaster. Jayne dispels some of the prevailing myths about Fukushima and shares why she chose to stay. Tokyo-based Catherine has forged a hugely successful corporate and governance career, including being the first non-Japanese woman to serve on the Boards of Toyota and Fujitsu. She is the founder and principal of the first foreign-female-founded boutique law firm in Japan and is a serial award winner, taking out Entrepreneur of the Year, Foreign Lawyer of the Year, and Boutique Law Firm of the Year. During the pod we explore themes including resiliency, the importance of story-telling in Japan, lessons for Kiwi businesses considering entering this market, & some of the more egregious errors they've seen businesses make when trying to break into Japan (and how to avoid them). Both Jayne and Catherine see huge opportunities for New Zealanders to further strengthen our country's relationship with Japan, are keen to help, and are generous in sharing invaluable insights for anyone interested in their adopted homeland. A huge thank you to both Jandals for taking time out to talk with me on Kiwi Flees. Please check out the Jandals in Japan pod wherever you get your favourite podcasts or head to jandalsinjapan.com Thank you so much for listening. My huge thanks to the Kiwi Flees for candid conversations, and to my sound-meister Robbie at Matrix Digital (Wgtn) for his commitment to the craft and making himself available at the weirdest of hours to record these conversations from abroad. Thank you too, to Team Kea for promoting the pod. If you're a Kiwi Flee or know someone who should be, please get in touch at: kiwiflees@onlyfromnz.co.nz Please subscribe, leave a review, and join me in a fortnight for our next episode.

    1h 11m
  5. Dr. Richard Major - Volcano-Chaser, Rhodes Scholar, Author, Teacher.

    12/09/2025

    Dr. Richard Major - Volcano-Chaser, Rhodes Scholar, Author, Teacher.

    In this pod I talk to Rhodes Scholar, former Mastermind contestant, cleric, and now author, Dr. Richard Major, about his life since leaving Aotearoa New Zealand in 1985.  Richard has lived in India, Australia, the United States, Italy, the United Kingdom, Slovenia, Hungary, South Africa, Palestine, and Cyprus…before returning full circle to resettle in Oxford just a few weeks before we spoke.  He shares his experience of arriving in Oxford with former All Blacks' captain, David Kirk, climbing an active volcano in tweed to toast the erupting volcano with a glass of Beaujolais before being escorted off the mountainside, his time studying and teaching at Oxford, and his work in the Church across diverse posts including the UK, Italy, and the USA among others. A public service announcement during the pod includes sage advice on why you shouldn't jump into a grave, and observations on embalming 'crimes' in the USA. Richard's life as a diplomatic (trailing) spouse, his writing as a foreign correspondent and book author, and his observations on the future of travel and living internationally are also explored. Lastly, we touch on Richard's current writing project - a guidebook for undergraduate students who are considering studying overseas. The book - called Major's Toolbox - is currently scheduled to be published in the first quarter of 2026.  Richard also tutors international students preparing to apply for Oxford or Cambridge and if this sounds like you, or someone you know, he can be reached at Richard@richardmajor.com for details.    Thank you so much for listening. My huge thanks to the Kiwi Flees for candid conversations, and to my sound-meister Robbie at Matrix Digital (Wgtn) for his commitment to the craft and making himself available at the weirdest of hours to record these conversations from abroad. Thank you too, to Team Kea for promoting the pod. If you're a Kiwi Flee or know someone who should be, please get in touch at: kiwiflees@onlyfromnz.co.nz Please subscribe, leave a review, and join me in a fortnight for our next episode.

    56 min
  6. Katie Sadleir (CNZM) - Global Sports Leader, KEA World-Class New Zealander, Olympian & Commonwealth Games Medallist

    11/25/2025

    Katie Sadleir (CNZM) - Global Sports Leader, KEA World-Class New Zealander, Olympian & Commonwealth Games Medallist

    In this pod I catch up with the indefatigable London-based CEO of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), Katie Sadleir. Katie is a Kiwi Olympian & Commonwealth Games medallist who has lived and breathed sports & then sports administration for most of her life.  She left New Zealand initially for Ireland in 2017 where she took on the role of General Manager, Women's Rugby, with World Rugby, before taking on the CGF leadership role in 2021. In 2022, Katie became a recipient of the Kea World-Class New Zealander Award. Two years later she was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to sports governance and women.  Katie talks to me about some of the challenges faced and wins achieved while in charge of lifting women's participation, leadership, and governance of rugby globally. We touch on the progress made in women's rugby in countries as diverse as India and Iran. Moving to her role at the CGF, Katie highlights what she faced on taking on the job, how she and her team responded to Victoria's 11th hour pull-out of hosting the 2026 Games, and how in some respects this forced a creative, innovative, and sustainable response to shape Commonwealth Games of the future. Lastly, Katie shares with me just some of the reasons she believes New Zealanders succeed internationally, painting a picture of opportunity for global Kiwis due, in part, to our reputation, our way of doing things, and our ability to take on challenges and walk and work with people from all backgrounds, cultures, genders, age, or status. A huge thank you to Katie for agreeing to spend some time with me as she and her team prepare for the 2026 Games in Glasgow. Thank you so much for listening. My huge thanks to the Kiwi Flees for candid conversations, and to my sound-meister Robbie at Matrix Digital (Wgtn) for his commitment to the craft and making himself available at the weirdest of hours to record these conversations from abroad. Thank you too, to Team Kea for promoting the pod. If you're a Kiwi Flee or know someone who should be, please get in touch at: kiwiflees@onlyfromnz.co.nz Please subscribe, leave a review, and join me in a fortnight for our next episode.

    59 min
  7. Paul Spiers – Culture & Leadership Coach in the Age of AI. Founder of The New P&L Institute. Host of The New P&L Podcast Series.

    11/11/2025

    Paul Spiers – Culture & Leadership Coach in the Age of AI. Founder of The New P&L Institute. Host of The New P&L Podcast Series.

    In this pod, I talk to Paul Spiers, Ngā Mahanga a Tairi, a global keynote speaker, author, leadership, & culture coach living in Britain, & working across the UK & Europe. Paul works with and coaches leading global brands on the relationships between leadership, culture, technology, & innovation, helping them navigate & succeed in the age of AI. His podcast, The New P&L, now sits in the top 5% of podcasts globally, being listened to in hundreds of countries globally.  ­Paul shares his experiences of landing in London, setting up his first agency, finding the seeds of triumph in disaster, the alchemy to be found in curiosity & creativity, the deep connection between music and surfing, while all the while highlighting the value to companies committing genuinely to a new P & L - where P stands for Principles and L stands for Leadership. I'm grateful to Paul for taking time out to talk to me as he runs a ferocious schedule between family, speaking engagements across Europe & the UK, and his consultancy and coaching work in London and beyond. To get in touch with Paul, please head to his LinkedIn profile here, or go to his website - principlesandleadership.com - for more. Thank you so much for listening. My huge thanks to the Kiwi Flees for candid conversations, and to my sound-meister Robbie at Matrix Digital (Wgtn) for his commitment to the craft and making himself available at the weirdest of hours to record these conversations from abroad. Thank you too, to Team Kea for promoting the pod. If you're a Kiwi Flee or know someone who should be, please get in touch at: kiwiflees@onlyfromnz.co.nz Please subscribe, leave a review, and join me in a fortnight for our next episode.

    56 min
  8. Ellie Smith (MNZM) - Actress, Singer, Writer, Creative Gem.

    10/28/2025

    Ellie Smith (MNZM) - Actress, Singer, Writer, Creative Gem.

    In this pod, actress, singer, and writer, Ellie Smith (MNZM), shares what she's been up to since leaving New Zealand in 2009. From her time in Madrid teaching curmudgeonly Spanish bankers how to speak English, the personal impact of travelling to Kenya, the sometimes heart-breaking sometimes hilarious connections made performing in UK care homes pre-Covid, and on becoming a grandmother. We also talk about Ellie's return onto the NZ stage for the first time in 17 years to perform her London sell-out solo show, Life on a Loop. Ellie has worked as an actor, singer, director, and drama teacher in professional theatre in Britain and New Zealand for more than 30 years, taking lead roles in the original London productions of The Rocky Horror Show & Chicago, starring in Shirley Valentine, Mortimer’s Patch, Worzel Gummidge, and Piaf, among others. She is a Kiwi gem and I'm deeply appreciative that Ellie agreed to join me on this inaugural episode of Kiwi Flees.  Life on a Loop is on at the Q Theatre, Auckland, 11-16 November 2025. Head to qtheatre.co.nz for tickets. Thank you so much for listening. My huge thanks to the Kiwi Flees for candid conversations, and to my sound-meister Robbie at Matrix Digital (Wgtn) for his commitment to the craft and making himself available at the weirdest of hours to record these conversations from abroad. Thank you too, to Team Kea for promoting the pod. If you're a Kiwi Flee or know someone who should be, please get in touch at: kiwiflees@onlyfromnz.co.nz Please subscribe, leave a review, and join me in a fortnight for our next episode.

    56 min
  • 8 Episodes

About

New Zealand's a world champion at exporting its people to almost every country on earth. Nearly a million of us now don’t call NZ home. This is like a million billboards telling a unique New Zealander Story. Kiwi Flees is on a light-touch mission to find a few of them and share their stories – a blend of personal and professional in each conversation. From pioneers to innovators, artists & scholars, chefs & inventors, musicians & physicians, volunteers & athletes, bureaucrats & business leaders.  Our aim is to energise and open the minds of our South Pacific tribe - part booster-shot, part virtual campfire - helping keep Kiwis abroad connected to each other and to their former homeland as we share their uniquely international New Zealander Stories. New releases every fortnight.

Information

  • Creator
    Paul Sinclair
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    8
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Kiwi Flees
  • Show Website
    Kiwi Flees

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