Taylor Paterson is the co-owner of Homebrew Coffee, a Waikato coffee business that has grown from a $204 first day in Cambridge into six locations and a team of 25. Taylor and her husband Blair set out to build something they genuinely loved, with a big goal of five locations in five years — and plenty of lessons learned along the way.

In this episode, Taylor opens up about what it really takes to grow a business, the sacrifices that come with building something from scratch, and why genuine relationships have been at the heart of Homebrew's success. We talk leadership, team culture, marriage, raising a young family, community and the reality of trying to find "work-life balance."

Honest, funny and full of heart, this is a conversation about building a business that reflects who you are — and creating something that gives back to the people around you.

In this episode

• How Homebrew Coffee started and the journey from a $204 first day to six Waikato locations

• Why Taylor and Blair set themselves the goal of five locations in five years

• How relationships and unexpected opportunities helped Homebrew find new locations

• Why Taylor believes genuine relationships are more valuable than transactional networking

• Building a team around culture, character and the right "vibes"

• Why leading by example is one of the most powerful tools in leadership

• How Homebrew looks after and rewards its team

• The influence of Taylor's upbringing and the work ethic she learned from her mum

• The realities of building a business while raising young children

• Why Taylor doesn't necessarily believe in traditional "work-life balance"

• How Taylor and Blair have built a business that can work around their family

• The importance of knowing your own strengths and finding people who complement them

• Why Taylor believes you should do something you genuinely love

Chapters

Timestamps are based on the raw recording, nudge them once the intro is trimmed in the edit.

• 00:00 Welcome and getting to know Taylor

• 12:44 From $204 on day one to six Homebrew locations

• 14:05 How the second Homebrew location came about

• 28:05 Building a business while raising a family

• 29:13 The sacrifices that come with building a business

• 31:25 Is work-life balance actually possible?

• 34:29 Growing up in the States and the lessons Taylor took from her childhood

• 39:19 Why being yourself is part of Homebrew's success

• 40:23 Taylor's approach to leadership

• 41:09 Leading by example and putting your money where your mouth is

• 42:10 Building a team and rewarding people properly

• 43:34 Taylor's hot take on networking groups

• 44:37 Building genuine connections and community

• 53:55 Taylor's final thoughts on life, business and family

• 54:22 Why you should do what you love

About Taylor

Taylor Paterson is the co-owner of Homebrew Coffee, a growing Waikato coffee business she runs alongside her husband Blair. Together they have built Homebrew from its first Cambridge location into six locations across the Waikato.

Taylor is passionate about people, relationships, community and creating a workplace where her team genuinely enjoys coming to work. Her approach to leadership is deeply personal — she believes in leading by example, looking after people properly and staying true to who you are.

Alongside building Homebrew, Taylor and Blair are raising their young family and have deliberately built their business around the things that matter most to them.

Links

Homebrew Coffee Website

Taylor Patterson is the co-owner of Homebrew Coffee, a Waikato coffee business that has grown from a $204 first day in Cambridge into six locations and a team of 25. Taylor and her husband Blair set out to build something they genuinely loved, with a big goal of five locations in five years — and plenty of lessons learned along the way.

In this episode, Taylor opens up about what it really takes to grow a business, the sacrifices that come with building something from scratch, and why genuine relationships have been at the heart of Homebrew's success. We talk leadership, team culture, marriage, raising a young family, community and the reality of trying to find "work-life balance."

Honest, funny and full of heart, this is a conversation about building a business that reflects who you are — and creating something that gives back to the people around you.

In this episode

• How Homebrew Coffee started and the journey from a $204 first day to six Waikato locations

• Why Taylor and Blair set themselves the goal of five locations in five years

• How relationships and unexpected opportunities helped Homebrew find new locations

• Why Taylor believes genuine relationships are more valuable than transactional networking

• Building a team around culture, character and the right "vibes"

• Why leading by example is one of the most powerful tools in leadership

• How Homebrew looks after and rewards its team

• The influence of Taylor's upbringing and the work ethic she learned from her mum

• The realities of building a business while raising young children

• Why Taylor doesn't necessarily believe in traditional "work-life balance"

• How Taylor and Blair have built a business that can work around their family

• The importance of knowing your own strengths and finding people who complement them

• Why Taylor believes you should do something you genuinely love

Chapters

Timestamps are based on the raw recording, nudge them once the intro is trimmed in the edit.

• 00:00 Welcome and getting to know Taylor

• 12:44 From $204 on day one to six Homebrew locations

• 14:05 How the second Homebrew location came about

• 28:05 Building a business while raising a family

• 29:13 The sacrifices that come with building a business

• 31:25 Is work-life balance actually possible?

• 34:29 Growing up in the States and the lessons Taylor took from her childhood

• 39:19 Why being yourself is part of Homebrew's success

• 40:23 Taylor's approach to leadership

• 41:09 Leading by example and putting your money where your mouth is

• 42:10 Building a team and rewarding people properly

• 43:34 Taylor's hot take on networking groups

• 44:37 Building genuine connections and community

• 53:55 Taylor's final thoughts on life, business and family

• 54:22 Why you should do what you love

About Taylor

Taylor Patterson is the co-owner of Homebrew Coffee, a growing Waikato coffee business she runs alongside her husband Blair. Together they have built Homebrew from its first Cambridge location into six locations across the Waikato.

Taylor is passionate about people, relationships, community and creating a workplace where her team genuinely enjoys coming to work. Her approach to leadership is deeply personal — she believes in leading by example, looking after people properly and staying true to who you are.

Alongside building Homebrew, Taylor and Blair are raising their young family and have deliberately built their business around the things that matter most to them.

Links

Homebrew Coffee Website

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!

In this episode

• Why Abbey always knew she would run her own business, even when she was doing someone else's accounting
• How Love Club Hire started with furniture they bought for their own wedding and grew into a marquee business
• The decision to sell after seven years and how they got so lucky with the buyer
• What it really means to be a not-typical accountant, and the three values Prosper is built on
• Why the most successful small business owners she works with are not working less, they are working smarter
• The five professional relationships every new business owner should have from day one
• How she started a girls breakfast group seven years ago and why community is the key to confidence
• Being in a hectic season with a newborn and a growing practice, and giving herself permission not to be perfect

Chapters

Timestamps 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 human
• 02:37 The business career that was always heading somewhere
• 04:30 Starting Love Club Hire at their own wedding
• 08:26 Growing the marquee business and knowing when to niche
• 13:00 How they sold Love Club and got lucky with the buyer
• 15:10 What makes Prosper different from a typical accountant
• 17:30 The types of clients Abbey works with and a case study on cashflow
• 22:00 Small business in New Zealand and why a good network matters
• 24:40 The five professionals every new business owner needs
• 28:00 Mindset, self belief and what she learned from her parents
• 33:00 Girls breakfast, Prosper Connect and building community deliberately
• 36:00 Personal hacks and giving yourself permission for off days
• 38:00 Secret sauce: the accountant who actually wants you to win

About Abbey

Abbey 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.

Links

Prosper Business website

Prosper Business on Instagram

In this episode

• How Sam ended up a lawyer after swearing he never would be, watching his dad practise family and mental health law in Tauranga
• Chasing his wife around the country through Auckland and Hamilton, and why Hamilton stopped feeling temporary
• Co-founding what is now Foley Douglas in 2017 and building it to 25 people
• The philosophy behind happy law, plain language and a firm that is not adversarial by default
• Why Foley Douglas encourages its team to build their own profiles and career identities, not just bill hours
• The flexible approach to hours that means boxing training at 9am or the school pickup at 3pm are both fine
• What it looks like to be the youngest in a family and grow up with more freedom and more trust
• His conservative view on risk and why he would rather drive a boring car than carry a big one
• Running your own race: why some of what looks like success from the outside is not actually real
• Problems are just problems and they can usually be fixed

Chapters

Timestamps 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 team
• 01:49 What Sam actually does, the family GP of the law world
• 03:17 Happy law and the career journey from Tauranga to Hamilton
• 05:08 Acting for people across their whole lives, why that matters
• 06:37 Fundamental beliefs about business and what Foley Douglas is built on
• 08:22 Habits and non-negotiables, out by five, there by three
• 09:53 How they give their team the same flexibility they have themselves
• 11:43 The youngest child upbringing, freedom, trust and chasing your wife across the country
• 14:36 What values look like in practice at Foley Douglas
• 17:21 Why plain language and being genuinely human is not a nice to have, it is the strategy
• 18:01 Juggling two big careers and making sure weekends stay for the family
• 19:31 Parenting thoughts, nobody has all the answers and that is okay
• 22:26 The secret sauce, communication and figuring out what someone actually needs
• 24:18 How Sam handles challenge, the problem-solving mindset from his first boss
• 27:12 Building a phone-a-friend network and why being generous with your time comes back
• 29:06 Ambition, making money and being honest about risk tolerance
• 31:36 Running your own race, the danger of chasing projected success

About Sam

Sam 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.

Links

Foley Douglas website

Foley Douglas on Instagram

In this episode

• Why Cherie fell into property management on her first day at work and never left
• The decision to leave a GM role after 15 years and start from scratch in Matamata
• How she built Pulse Property Management around a model that is deliberately different
• What she actually wrote down before she took her first client on
• Why people do not leave businesses, they leave leaders, and what she learned from becoming one
• The truth about property management, tenants, landlords and a market that is getting harder
• Her take on pets, big family homes, subdivisions and where smart investors should be looking
• Why she keeps showing up to every conference she can find before the speakers are even announced
• Backing yourself when you have very little self-confidence and a lot of experience

Chapters

Timestamps are based on the raw recording, nudge them once the intro is trimmed in the edit.

• 00:06 Welcome and introduction
• 01:12 Who is Cherie the human, values, family and the Waikato
• 03:28 Finding your authentic self, the journey to knowing who you are
• 05:00 Conference addict, networking and showing up before you know the speakers
• 06:13 Falling into property management and why she stayed
• 08:26 Working up through the ranks to general manager
• 09:36 The hamster wheel, the decision to leave and what came next
• 10:14 The first steps in starting Pulse, writing down what she wanted it to look like
• 13:05 Leadership, the people do not leave businesses they leave leaders principle
• 16:00 Growing up in Cambridge, horses, her dad and the work ethic that stuck
• 18:37 The little Cherie who never thought she would run an award winning company
• 20:09 Backing yourself when you have no self-confidence
• 20:22 The conference speaking gig, fear versus opportunity
• 23:22 What property management actually involves, legislation and the reality
• 28:00 Myths about tenants and landlords, the symbiotic relationship
• 30:00 Pet legislation, housing stock and why landlords are leaving the market
• 37:45 The granny flat rules and multi-generational living
• 39:11 What is being overlooked by investors, provinces and subdivisions
• 44:08 Her EDD list, non-negotiables and the controversial work-life balance opinion
• 46:01 Just do it now, treating people with kindness and controversial opinions
• 51:12 Technology and AI in property management, why she is deliberately old school
• 53:03 Final message, back yourself, build your reputation, talk to people

About Cherie

Cherie 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.

Links

Pulse Property Management website

Pulse Property Management on Instagram

Jonathan 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 note

This 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 episode

• How JB went from town planner in London to co-founding BCD Group and what drove that growth
• What made BCD different, youth, energy, promotion on merit and a culture built on purpose
• The shareholder agreement lessons he would give any pair of mates starting a business
• His staged exit from BCD and how they future-proofed it from the start
• The series of losses that caused him to stop and reassess everything
• Why he retrained as a counsellor and life coach and what he brings to it that a classroom cannot teach
• Working with kids, teenagers, and burnt-out business owners, and what they all have in common
• His plan to take clients into the hills for immersive outdoor sessions
• How a rural upbringing, multi-sport and a deep awareness of mortality shape the way he lives now
• Being very selective about the relationships he puts his time and energy into
• His secret sauce: I have just always known we are not here for long

Chapters

Timestamps are based on the raw recording, nudge them once the intro is trimmed in the edit.

• 00:04 Welcome and introduction, WAM and meeting JB
• 00:45 Who is JB today, values, family and the outdoors
• 03:06 What Big Picture Coaching and Counselling actually does
• 05:22 Starting BCD Group with Blair and building something fast
• 09:02 Recruiting young, promoting on merit and growing from the inside
• 13:00 Going into business with mates and why the shareholders agreement is everything
• 18:40 The staged exit and how they had future-proofed shares from the start
• 20:07 Why he decided to pivot, and the losses that came first
• 27:08 Navigating grief, exercise, outdoors and what helped
• 28:21 Practical frameworks for sitting with people who are grieving
• 29:31 Setting up Big Picture, four days a week, Fridays for life
• 31:28 The outdoor immersive sessions he is about to launch
• 32:07 The rural upbringing, freedom and a five-kid sheep and beef farm south of Raglan
• 36:32 Adventure, multi-sport, Coast to Coast and why structure keeps him focused
• 39:17 Quiet confidence and where it came from
• 41:28 Intentional friendships and why less is more
• 43:44 Separation, relationships and being more yourself the second time around
• 47:34 Beliefs about the world, helping people detach from what others think
• 49:27 What values to give kids before they leave home
• 51:37 Secret sauce: we are not here for long
• 53:43 Habits, winning the morning and coaching the kids on Saturdays

About Jonathan

Jonathan 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.

Links

Jonathan runs Big Picture Coaching and Counselling.

In this episode

• Why Brit walked away from a PhD path to start growing vegetables on a flat paddock
• How COVID grew her veggie box subscriptions from eight to eighty almost overnight
• The moment pick your own flowers changed how Brit thought about connection to the land
• Why she had to let go of the vegetable boxes that built her identity in order to grow
• How becoming a new mum forced her to rebuild her business around rest, not hustle
• The story behind Return to the Mudder, her six month soil health workshop series
• Why Brit believes community is the antidote to the loneliness of farming
• Her honest take on seasonality, local food systems, and why organic does not have to mean expensive

Chapters

Timestamps are based on the raw recording, nudge them once the intro is trimmed in the edit.

• 00:51 Welcome and introduction
• 01:55 Growing up on a generational family farm in the Wairarapa
• 07:28 Studying nutrition at Otago and falling into academic research
• 08:33 The crossroads between a PhD and a different path
• 09:21 The radio story that planted the seed for Tomtit Farm
• 10:45 Approaching her family and diving into growing food
• 13:09 Where the Tomtit Farm name came from
• 15:21 Starting small with a farm gate and veggie box model
• 16:04 COVID and the overnight growth from eight to eighty boxes
• 18:23 Bringing pick your own flowers to the farm
• 21:57 Becoming a new mum while running a full CSA
• 24:25 Giving herself a winter rest season and what it unlocked
• 26:08 Building Return to the Mudder, a six month workshop series
• 29:44 The hard decision to let go of the vegetable boxes
• 39:49 Why time outdoors is non negotiable for her mental health
• 39:58 New Zealand's local food systems and what we are getting right
• 52:04 Secret sauce, being a natural connector
• 55:11 Two simple actions to get closer to your food and community
• 59:06 Final reflections on vulnerability and sharing the journey

About Brit

Brit 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.

Links

Tomtit Farm website

Tomtit Farm on Instagram

In this episode

• Why Annmarie launched a new business on maternity leave instead of resting
• How she spotted a gap in the equestrian apparel market that nobody else had filled
• The best advice she ever received about failing fast and not taking it personally
• Why a batch of glittery brown jodhpurs taught her to trust her customers over her own taste
• How sponsoring riders built an entire community around the Aspin and Co brand
• The juggle of running two businesses, equine dentistry and a fashion label, alongside being a mum
• Why she believes self awareness is the single biggest predictor of entrepreneurial success
• Where AI fits into her business, and the one place she will never let it take over

Chapters

Timestamps are based on the raw recording, nudge them once the intro is trimmed in the edit.

• 01:03 Welcome and introduction
• 02:11 From North Wales to equine dentistry in the Waikato
• 04:46 Launching Aspin and Co on maternity leave
• 05:47 Spotting the gap in the equestrian apparel market
• 07:03 Growing the range from jodhpurs to head to toe apparel
• 08:35 Building an online community during COVID
• 10:51 The best advice on getting comfortable being uncomfortable
• 12:01 The glittery jodhpur disaster that became a bestseller
• 13:43 From hand drawings to CAD to manufacturing
• 18:08 Sponsoring riders and building brand identity through values
• 21:15 Late nights, newborns and the reality of building a business
• 23:13 What makes a good entrepreneur, self awareness and failing well
• 29:05 The man in the arena, celebrating failure as growth
• 32:19 Manifestation, hard work and believing in what you are building
• 34:21 Secret sauce, taking action fast and trusting yourself
• 43:38 Using AI for customer service while protecting the brand's human side
• 46:53 The customer who was too intimidated to walk into the stand
• 52:09 Final reflections on redefining success

About Annmarie

Annmarie 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.

Links

Aspin and Co website

Aspin and Co on Instagram

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.

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.

EPISODE SUMMARY

Abby Van Schreven spent 14 years building the fashion label Maaike before closing it and starting again, this time helping other creative business owners get to grips with the numbers and the business side so they can build something sustainable. Her new venture, Waffle Advisory, comes from everything she learned the hard way.

This is a rich, honest conversation about getting clear on why you are really in business, learning that everything is learnable, and building a life and a business that are genuinely yours. Abby also shares a profound personal loss and how it shaped the way she lives now, with warmth, perspective and a lot of heart.

IN THIS EPISODE

- Getting to the core of why you are really in business

- From a fashion label to advising creative founders

- An early life in hospitality, and the lessons that stuck

- Building Maaike, going global, and learning on the fly

- Becoming a mum, identity, and the myth of having it all

- Money stories, and unlearning what holds you back

- Perspective, loss, and what really matters

- Surrounding yourself with people who get it

WHAT WE COVER

Timestamps are not in the raw transcript, so slot these in from the final edit.

- Who Abby is: creative, foodie, grower, and someone who craves deep connection

- Helping founders align what they are building with what they actually want

- Why she started Waffle Advisory after years in fashion

- A teenage start in hospitality, and learning above the line and below the line

- Growing up in Waimate, independence, and pushing back on being told what to do

- The MICA story: Fashion Week, retail, export and early Shopify

- Becoming a mum, survival mode, and rethinking identity

- Money stories, perfectionism, and what she has unlearned

- A turning point and a profound loss, handled with care

- What gives her meaning, and keeping joy in the everyday

- Finding her people in the Waikato, and being honest about the hard parts

- Her unreasonable advantage: she can talk to anyone, about anything

ABOUT ABBY

Abby Van Schreven is the founder of Waffle Advisory, where she helps creative business owners understand the finance and business side so they can grow something sustainable. She co-founded and ran the fashion label Maaike for 14 years, navigating retail, e-commerce, export and manufacturing, and now brings those hard-won lessons to other founders. A creative, a foodie and a grower who loves the ocean and nature, she lives in Cambridge with her partner James and their son Mateo.

LINKS

Waffle Advisory

Duncan Leask is one of those people who just got stuck in and built something brilliant. In a little over five years he has grown Optiplumb into one of the Waikato's standout trades businesses, and in this episode he shares exactly how, and why none of it means much without the life around it.

We talk about the obsession with numbers that underpins everything he does, the grit that goes back to a hospital bed at 18, why he hires the person and not the CV, and how he protects time for his wife and three kids without apology. It is an honest, warm conversation about building a business on your own terms, and a few unpopular opinions along the way.

In this episode

• Why Duncan is a dad first and a business owner second
• The single most important thing he believes every business owner must understand
• Hiring the best person before you even have the work, and why the person beats the role every time
• The accident at 18 that shaped his grit, and the word he refused to accept from his doctor
• The 1 percent that separates good from great
• Saying no to protect your energy, and the non-negotiables that keep him grounded
• Why chasing perfect holds people back
• His honest take on university, the trades, and the future of work in the age of AI

Chapters

Timestamps are based on the raw recording, so nudge them once the intro is trimmed in the edit.

• 02:00 Who is Duncan the human: values, family, and grit
• 03:30 The career journey, 20 years in the trade, and the mind-blowing moment in Perth
• 05:00 Growing fast, hiring before the work, and flying by the seat of your pants
• 07:00 Know your numbers: the foundation of everything
• 08:00 How Duncan hires, and why attitude beats everything
• 09:45 The trades are customer service: how people feel matters
• 11:00 Building and protecting a culture, and winning through winter
• 14:30 Leadership, trust, and doing what you say you will do
• 16:45 Little Duncan: rural roots, independence, and being the first in business
• 20:00 The accident, the hospital bed, and refusing to be just a number
• 24:30 The power of the 1 percenters
• 25:00 Consistency, mindset, and seeing it from the other person's side
• 27:50 Saying no, protecting your energy, and managing your time
• 30:30 Family non-negotiables and switching off
• 34:30 Parenting, values, and the legacy he is building
• 36:30 Energy, connection, and what AI can never replace
• 40:30 His secret sauce: relating to anyone
• 42:00 Constructive, not conflict, and why everyone just wants to be heard
• 44:00 Fundamental beliefs: openness, perfectionism, and living life on your terms
• 49:00 An honest take on university, the trades, and the ambitious middle
• 51:00 The future: embrace the tech, but stay human

About Duncan

Duncan Leask is the founder and managing director of Optiplumb, a family-owned plumbing, gasfitting, drainlaying and backflow prevention company based in Hamilton and serving the wider Waikato. With more than 20 years in the trade across New Zealand and overseas, Duncan started Optiplumb just over five years ago and has grown it quickly on the back of strong values, sharp systems and a genuine love of people. He is a proud dad of three, a member of WAM, and living proof that you can build a serious business and a full life at the same time.

Links

• Optiplumb: https://www.optiplumb.co.nz
• Duncan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/duncan-leask-75013b14b
• Optiplumb on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Optiplumb

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