Kiwi Yarns

Lisa Perese-Cullen won TikTok Creator of the year in 2024 - and has over a million followers across social media channels. What makes her a breath of fresh air in the loud, crowded and saturated space where everyone's vying for likes and follows is that since her unexpected rise to viral fame, she hasn't changed, put on a persona, or done anything differently. Lisa also has a very healthy take on knowing when to put the phone down, establishing good boundaries, and protecting her children. Her business, Harper James is a wonderful Kiwi success story. It was a punt, taking savings while completely broke - to design comfortable and inclusive underwear for everyday bodies without any formal fashion training.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week is a Kiwi Yarns first. There's a guest - well actually there's two guests - but it's the same person...(let's see how this goes!) Australian comedic performer, improviser and writer Heath Franklin is with us. But first, you will see or hear the character he has brought to life - Chopper - based on the notorious Australian criminal Mark ‘Chopper’ Read- for 20 years. Then, we whip off the mo and you'll get to know Heath. We hear about what it's like playing a character for so long (the good and the bad), his love/hate relationship with social media, and that awkward meeting with the real Chopper Read. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jo Cummins and her co-founder, Viv Conway, created their powerhouse female-focused sex toy company Girls Get Off with a desire to create a spaces for women to feel empowered about pleasure and sexual wellbeing. It all started with a socially distanced drink in the driveway in 2020. Thousands and thousands of sex toys sold later - the duo has been instrumental in helping Kiwis change their attitudes and lifting the stigma that has surrounded female pleasure for generations. We also talk about why sex education needs to move beyond basic warnings and start focusing on consent, communication and mutual enjoyment. Plus there's some practical advice thrown in the mix for those honest conversations you should be having with your partner to build get that fire back in the bedroom! This episode of Kiwi Yarns is brought to you by Odoo, the all-in-one business management software. Head to https://www.odoo.com/r/DIr to find out more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, meet the Two Raw Sisters - Margot Flanagan and Rosa Power. One of the remarkable things about these two and their hugely successful brand - is that really, it was born out of both of them having to deal with their own health struggles head on. The Christchurch sisters are NZ’s biggest selling plant-based cookbook authors and have just released their sixth cookbook - How We Cook. Funnily enough though, they want you to stop following recipe rules! We rip into why wellness culture is getting too overwhelming. And we discuss how they run business so well together whilst maintaining that sisterhood. This episode of Kiwi Yarns is brought to you by Odoo, the all-in-one business management software. Head to https://www.odoo.com/r/qh6w to find out more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sir John Kirwan returns to Kiwi Yarns for an in-person catch-up with Brodie. JK opens up about his recent chat with a Buddhist monk, uncovering informal meditation, and how phone fasting transformed his energy levels by keeping "Bob the Monkey" in check. We dive deep into the pressure facing our rangatahi today, the importance of learning resilience through failure, and why we need to focus on managing our imbalance rather than striving for perfect life balance. JK also shares progress on the Mighty Drive for 5 campaign, aiming to raise $5 million to bring mental health education to 250 schools on the waiting list. Plus, we talk AI, guitar playing, the Dairy Flat surf park, and JK gives a blunt breakdown of what New Zealand rugby must do to reconnect with fans. This episode of Kiwi Yarns is brought to you by Odoo, the all-in-one business management software. Head to https://www.odoo.com/r/Nyd to find out more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kathryn Wilson wants every woman to feel empowered in a pair of shoes. That simple concept, combined with Kathryn's infectious passion and humility, has made her one of the most respected and loved designers here in New Zealand. We talk about all the challenges thrown the industry's way, and how a brand like hers continues to evolve whilst staying true to its values. The mother-of-two uses her knowledge and influence to inspire others. If we combine all the above, it's no wonder she's just celebrated 23 years in business! This episode of Kiwi Yarns is brought to you by Odoo, the all-in-one business management software. Head to https://www.odoo.com/r/EYW to find out more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

JessB is in for a yarn on how one transforms from professional netballer to becoming a central figure in Aotearoa's hip-hop scene. We talk about how hard it is in the music industry to measure "success", but why SHE no longer measures it by streaming numbers. Off the back of a very loud week in the music industry globally - with the fallout over Macklemore being dropped from Ed Sheeran's tour because of his support for the people of Palestine - we talk about why politics and music are intrinsically linked. And we debrief about the abrupt end of her professional netball career. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Much loved comedian Chris Parker is just back from performing at Edinburgh Fringe, with a fresh batch of bed bugs to accompany a hugely successful UK Tour. We've spoken a couple of times before (because he's Chris Parker), so expect a chaotic ride through his new anti-tech movement, the good and bad of being a millennial, his irrational rages and the joy of unplugging from social media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we catch up with news anchor, marathon runner, and the recent business owner, Wendy Petrie. The mother of three talks about how she is constantly reinventing herself to take on challenges - six years after her very public redundancy from TVNZ. Wendy talks about the importance of motherhood, why she loves doing hard things, and provides an inspirational insight into how it's never too late to give something new a crack! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jake Bailey is a name and face many will remember from 11 years ago - where - as head boy at Christchurch Boys High School he gave a speech at graduation. That speech was brilliant in its own right. But the delivery, from a young man, sitting in a wheelchair, who just a week prior had been told he had an extremely aggressive form of cancer and potentially weeks to live if untreated—was what reverberated around the world. Now Jake is 29 and life has been full, inspirational and packed with adventure. He's recently been on a remarkable mission to Antarctica and made a real career pivot by heading the Inspire Foundation. From best-selling books and speaking all around the world to running ultra-marathons, Jake proves how powerful resilience can be. We talk about how he studied resilience, and has spent a good chunk of his career passing on these valuable lessons. Amidst all his remarkable achievements, he is now focused on educating people about why we must stop shielding our kids from everyday challenges. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sam Gibson, better known as Sam the Trap Man, drops by for a proper yarn about life in the bush. He opens up about how nature saved him from a wild patch in his youth, the harsh reality of professional trapping in Fiordland, and using native plants like koromiko as bush medicine. Plus, he breaks down why getting people back outdoors is the secret to fixing our environment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we're bringing back a favourite episode from 2025. In light of legendary fisherman Matt Watson's huge impact on protecting our oceans over the past year, this yarn is more relevant than ever. Matt shares his journey from childhood dinghies to wild TV stunts, and his crucial message about marine conservation. He opens up about the brutal reality of bottom trawling, the hidden truth behind commercial fishing, and the painful roofing accident that sparked his entire career shift. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Journalist, podcaster and Pop Sock Media co-founder Melody Thomas joins me for a big, honest conversation about sex, relationships, burnout, business and what it means to be human. From launching an independent media company during COVID to creating the award-winning The Good Sex Project, Melody shares how burnout reshaped her life, why radical rest matters, and what she's learnt after years of talking to New Zealanders about intimacy, shame and communication. We dive into the realities of growing up in the '90s, the gaps in sex education, the rise of the manosphere, loneliness, feminism, ageing, marriage, motherhood, friendship and why talking openly about sex can genuinely change our lives. A funny, thoughtful and deeply human yarn about connection, curiosity and creating a kinder world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Boh Runga comes from one of the country’s most loved musical families - her contribution to the music industry over the years has been a joy to witness. The Stellar* frontwoman, is looking ahead to Atomic 3.0 - the ultimate femme rock supergroup’s return to the stage.  We also look back on the meteoric success of Violent and the Mix album, why it only feels like yesterday but a lifetime ago at the same time. Boh, and sisters Bic and Pearl, grew up in a remarkably musical family - we discuss the lessons her parents taught her and why creativity has always been at the centre of everything she does. Plus, we shan’t forget her hugely successful jewellery business, and there’s her love for birds, and a cracking yarn about getting suspended from high school… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we take you to Brodie’s live shows in Rotorua with ultra-marathon swimmer Jono Ridler, New Zealand’s favourite internet Dad, How To Dad. And, then we are down the motu to hear from My Food Bag Founder Nadia Lim, Farm 4 Life legend Tangaroa Walker, and rising star musician Sam Cullen. Someone may have an accident on a rugby field, there may be a chicken caravan, and can How To Dad swaddle a 40-year old woman? It’s all in there folks, buckle in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brodie is taking a well-deserved 40th birthday sabbatical this week, so we are throwing it back to one of our absolute favourite chats. The brilliant Samantha Hayes is in for a massive yarn about her incredible two decades in broadcasting. From her early days walking out of small-town Milton into the big smoke to fronting the news, Sam has seen it all. We dive into the absolute chaos of her early reporting days, facing down heavy metal legends, and navigating the most tumultuous years of her life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brodie Kane on turning 40, falling in love, running a media business. As told to mentor, Ali Mau. This episode is a little bit different. Best-selling author and award-winning journalist Ali Mau has been a career mentor and dear friend of Brodie’s since they first worked together at TVNZ in 2012. Ali takes the interview seat as Brodie reflects on life at 40, her continued success with Brodie Kane Media - six years after going out alone. What it’s like to fall in love for the first time at 39, why creating communities for women is one of her greatest joys, and her beautiful relationship with her mum, Jo Kane. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Kiwi Yarns, I sit down with legendary New Zealand author Witi Ihimaera. From The Whale Rider to The Matriarch, Witi's work has shaped generations of readers. But at 80 years old, he made a remarkable decision: to return to school and immerse himself in te reo Māori. The conversation moves from language and identity to climate change, leadership, ageing, courage and the importance of lifelong learning. Witi reflects on the moment that challenged him to begin writing in te reo, the rangatahi who helped carry him through a year of full immersion study, and why doing hard things keeps us alive. Along the way there are stories about whales, family, books, pounamu and what it means to leave the world a little better than you found it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when you end your live show tour in Christchurch on a Sunday night in-front of a sell out crowd with one of the most loved faces on television (Jason Gunn) and a true queen of radio (and former princess of Dargaville Lana Searle)? An endless supply of stories that might have you taking out an ACC claim because your cheeks will suffer from laughing so much. Period. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Wayne Cameron from the Little Ardroy Beef Company pops into the bach to chat about his massive year. From a simple farm concept to launching in over a hundred supermarkets, Wayne shares exactly how he made it happen as part of New World Emerge. We dig into what ethically raised beef actually means and why sometimes you just have to wing it to chase your dream. This episode was brought to you by New World Emerge. New World Emerge is a national initiative, backed by Foodstuffs, to support new and emerging suppliers onto supermarket shelves. Find out more at New World Emerge | New World Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices