Growing Kiwis with Claire Williamson

The Growing Kiwis is a podcast for ambitious people who are committed to growth in business, money, health, mindset, and life. The podcast explores what it really looks like to pursue a high-performance life in New Zealand. The wins, the challenges, the lessons, and the consistent actions that compound over time. Growth is the central theme, whether that’s growing businesses, investments, people, community, impact, or ourselves.

Growing Kiwis with Claire Williamson is a business podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 29 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Unknown Host hosts Growing Kiwis with Claire Williamson, a business show with 29 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #29

  Why service and human connection will outlast AI with Brigitta Warren

  Sep 16, 20261h 3m

  Brigitta Warren is the founder of Recruit Net, a Hamilton-based recruitment agency built on long-term relationships, trust, and deep industry knowledge. Moving to New Zealand from South Africa at 18, Brigitta studied science before taking an unexpected turn into recruitment while working in a London research lab. After spending 13.5 years helping scale a major firm and managing their Waikato branch, she took a leap of courage on a summer walk along the beach and decided to build a business that reflected her own core values. In this conversation, Claire and Brigitta delve into what it really takes to hire and retain great people in small-to-medium businesses, why setting up proper onboarding matters more than relying on trial periods, and how human service and relationship-building will actually become more critical in the age of AI. They also chat about wealth creation, managing rent-by-the-room property investments, governance, and how protecting your own time and energy makes you a better version of yourself for everyone around you. Warm, intentional, and full of practical wisdom for business owners, parents, and leaders alike. In This Episode From science lab to recruitment: Brigitta’s journey from South Africa to the Waikato Why large agency templates didn't align with her long-term vision Slowing down the hiring process: how SMEs should evaluate open roles, job descriptions, and team dynamics Why onboarding is non-negotiable (and how not to set new staff up to fail) Authenticity in business: why human trust and active listening beat AI efficiency every time Property investment strategies: running rent-by-the-room townhouses to secure financial security for the next generation Governance and giving back: serving on school proprietary boards and mentoring through the Wahine Collective Recharging boundaries: balancing family, fitness, Opito Bay retreats, and knowing when to protect your time Timestamped Chapters 00:00 – Welcome to Growing Kiwis 00:35 – Meet Brigitta Warren: Growing up in South Africa & moving to NZ 02:11 – From London research lab to discovering recruitment 03:35 – The 13-year journey before taking the leap to launch Recruit Net 06:07 – Serving SMEs: Being a strategic advisor vs. "bums on seats" 09:16 – Advice for business owners: Slowing down the recruitment process 10:26 – Culture, onboarding, and setting new hires up for success 13:14 – Growing up, resilience, and lessons learned from family 17:08 – Goal-setting, internal competition, and half-Ironmans 21:06 – Work-life balance: Non-negotiables for looking after yourself 23:23 – Upskilling for clients & stepping into board governance 27:02 – Property investment: Rent-by-the-room strategies & passing on financial literacy 31:22 – Maintaining lifelong friendships across the globe 34:06 – Why authentic service matters more than ever in the age of AI 38:58 – Brigitta’s "Special Sauce": Curiosity, hard work, and compounded relationships 42:04 – Being intentional with networking and setting boundaries 47:23 – Recharging as an introvert: Opito Bay, reading crime, and gardening 54:00 – Don't hold on to things that don't serve you: Looking after number one 56:09 – Travel bucket lists and legacy for the next generation 01:01:36 – Final thoughts and wrapping up Links & Resources Recruit Net: recruitnet.co.nz Connect with Brigitta on LinkedIn: Brigitta Warren

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  Episode #28

  The spark to people's rockets: Grant Johnson on optimism, service and putting people first

  Sep 9, 20261h 16m

  Episode summary Grant Johnson is the co founder and CEO of Rocketspark, the website platform built in Cambridge that now powers thousands of businesses in New Zealand and around the world. In this yarn Claire and Grant trace the whole journey, from packing shoes at Reebok and ski bumming in Canada to starting a software company from a spare room in Spain with $5,000 from each of four founders. They get into people first as a genuine operating model, the shift from founder to CEO, why service and community matter more than ever in the age of AI, and Grant's belief that you can build something world class from the green valleys of the Waikato. Warm, humble and full of hard won wisdom. In this episode - How four mates bootstrapped a global software company on $5,000 each - Why Rocketspark's founding strengths still hold 18 years on - How their real values came from the team, not a poster on the wall - Why the design partner community became the heart of the business - What the shift from founder to CEO actually taught Grant - Why service based businesses will matter more in the age of AI - How to get found by AI without gaming the system - Grant's secret sauce, and a wedding vow worth stealing Chapters Timestamps are based on the raw recording, nudge them once the intro is trimmed in the edit. - 00:00 Welcome, and a few sliding doors moments - 00:58 Who is Grant Johnson - 01:17 From Ngaruawahia to accounting, marketing and Vodafone - 03:04 Ski bums, London and a satellite TV startup - 04:53 Spain, the America's Cup, and lacking purpose - 05:57 The idea for Rocketspark - 08:00 Getting off the ground on $5,000 each - 08:20 The founding strengths, confirmed 18 years later - 10:08 The values exercise, and what the team said - 14:26 The design partner story - 17:37 Building community for one person businesses - 20:43 Backing a designer to charge her worth - 22:36 Four founders, trust and complementary skills - 25:40 Founder to CEO: leading by creating clarity - 31:03 Bootstrapping, financial buffers and tough conversations - 36:00 Career pathways, and the cherry on top - 39:12 Young people, universities and productivity - 44:57 Why service matters more in the age of AI - 50:02 Getting found by AI, and playing the long game - 54:19 Advice for starting and showing up online - 58:48 Grant's secret sauce: optimism and authenticity - 01:02:01 A life well lived: everyone wins - 01:04:37 Relationships, and best times always together - 01:11:15 Productivity, building, and telling the stories About Grant Grant Johnson is the co founder and CEO of Rocketspark, a website platform he started in 2008 with his brother Jeremy and two mates, each putting in $5,000. Raised in Ngaruawahia as the son of a truckie, he studied accounting and marketing, worked at Trutest, Vodafone and a London startup, and dreamed up Rocketspark from a spare room in Spain. Eighteen years on, the four founders are still together, the company is a people first, community driven business used by thousands worldwide, and Grant is on a mission to show that you can build something world class from the green valleys of the Waikato. He lives in Cambridge with his wife Andrea. Links - Rocketspark: Website - Rocketspark on Instagram: Rocketsparkwebsites

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  Episode #27

  Courage, Community & The Outdoors with Izzy Zitzelberger

  Sep 2, 20261h 7m

  Episode Overview In this episode, we sit down with Isabelle "Izzy" Zitzelberger, the driving force behind Wild Chix —a New Zealand business empowering women to build confidence and independence in hunting, fishing, boating, and diving. Izzy shares her journey from moving to NZ from Germany to overcoming breast cancer, taking the leap out of a secure corporate role in the marine industry, and fostering a supportive, judgment-free community for women across Aotearoa. Key Takeaways Empowerment Through Skill Building: Wild Chix focuses on foundational outdoor skills—boat handling, trailer backing, firearm safety, navigation, and butchery—so women can enjoy the outdoors without depending on anyone else. Psychological Safety Matters: Creating a warm, non-judgmental "big sister" environment allows women to embrace being beginners and push past fear. The Entrepreneurial Leap: Moving from a secure job into full-time business requires embracing uncertainty, building operational frameworks (SOPs, compliance, health & safety), and taking small, consistent daily steps. Resilience Through Adversity: Navigating a breast cancer diagnosis at age 31 reinforced Izzy's drive to embrace positivity, stop delaying goals, and live life without hesitation. Highlights – Lifelong learning & personal growth philosophy. – Moving to New Zealand, living in an Auckland treehouse, and getting into land-based fishing. – Identifying the industry gap in marine sales and local hunting clubs. – What Wild Chix actually does: teaching ethics, safety, wind reading, and butchery. – The importance of emotional safety vs. physical safety gear on the water. – Taking the leap into full-time business, handling fear, and navigating compliance. – Industry recognition, seat on the Safer Boating Forum, and visiting the Beehive. – Mindset, choices, and everyday happiness ("If you're not changing, you're choosing"). – Overcoming breast cancer, hiking Lake Waikaremoana during treatment, and letting go of judgment. – Launching the nationwide Wild Chix digital community platform. Notable Quotes "For me, fishing and catching are two different things. You need to learn how to fish to catch, and you need to learn how to hunt to actually shoot an animal. We teach the whole process." "Allow yourself to be a beginner. Don't be perfect, because no one is. Step out of your comfort zone, achieve it, and build on those skills with amazing women cheering you on." "If you stay in your comfort zone, nothing will change. When you feel uncomfortable because you pushed yourself—that is where you grow." Links & Resources Wild Chix Website: wildchix.co.nz Instagram: @wildchicks_nz Facebook: Wild Chicks NZ

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  Episode #26

  Small, Local & Mighty: Carrie Andrews of Wholly Cow

  Aug 26, 202658 min

  What happens when you stop worrying about having the perfect plan and simply stay curious? In this episode of the Growing Kiwis Podcast, Claire sits down with Carrie Andrews — farmer, business owner, creative, mum and the woman behind Wholly Cow, for a conversation about building a life and business around curiosity, community and simply giving things a good crack. Carrie and her husband Tom started Wholly Cow almost 18 years ago as a way to help pay the mortgage. What began as a family farm and farmers' market venture has grown into a local, closed-loop food business with its own micro abattoir, butchery, team and focus on keeping skills, employment and food production close to home. But Carrie's story doesn't stop at farming. From studying craft and ceramics, to raising four children, building businesses, creating collectives and now experimenting with traditional leather tanning, Carrie has always followed her curiosity — often without knowing exactly where it will lead. In this episode, we talk about: Building a business from the simple question: “How are we going to pay the mortgage?” The journey from farmers' markets to building Wholly Cow Why local food, food security and small businesses matter Creating a strong team culture through kindness, food and connection Raising children around business and giving them the confidence to find their own path Why Carrie believes in “small but mighty” Her love of making, tinkering and learning new skills The story behind Flock Tannery and her journey into traditional leather making Why preserving old skills and knowledge matters Learning to embrace failure and keep going The importance of curiosity and not needing to have a five-year plan Building a life around family, partnership, purpose and community Why nature continues to be one of Carrie's biggest sources of inspiration And her simple philosophy: keep it simple, keep it real, care genuinely and give things a go. Carrie's “special sauce”? Giving things a go, having a good crack and not being afraid to fail. This is such a beautiful reminder that you don't have to have everything figured out. Sometimes the best businesses, ideas and adventures come from simply being open to what's next. A very Kiwi story about farming, family, business, creativity and making your own path.

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  Episode #25

  People, Coffee & Purpose: Taylor Patterson on building Homebrew

  Aug 19, 202657 min

  Episode summary 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

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