The Most FM Business Hour

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.

The Most FM Business Hour is a business podcast hosted by The Most FM, with 14 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

The Most FM hosts The Most FM Business Hour, a business show with 14 episodes published.

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  The Most FM Business Hour

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

  Aug 16, 202653 min

  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 ten The "cast-iron bath" lightbulb moment when web hosting revealed itself as a multiplier — and the birth of WebFarm in 1997 Building 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 exit De-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 bite Rescuing the Most FM from shutdown in 2008 and running it as a community-funded charitable trust How Taranaki Futures was dreamed up live on air — and why the fancy boats at the port belong to the tradies Why 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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  The Most FM Business Hour

  Tough Times Don't Discriminate: Wellbeing, Community & the Taranaki Retreat

  Aug 10, 202654 min

  In this episode of The Business Hour, Naomi Harris sits down with Jamie Allen of the Taranaki Retreat and Richard Williams of GQ — a trustee of the Retreat — for a moving conversation about mental wellbeing, community, and the quiet power of showing up for one another. Launched 12 years ago and designed by the community for the community, the Taranaki Retreat is the only organisation of its kind in the country offering completely free, wraparound support when people are in distress. Jamie unpacks its holistic, whare tapa whā-based approach across four spaces — the residential retreat, the food truck, the Strandon outreach hub, and Waimanako, the café and support space with its listening-ear team. Together, they explore: Why word of mouth matters so much — and how being someone's advocate can be the most helpful thing you can do The visible and the invisible: why mental distress can feel so private and isolating, and the "I'm fine" mask so many of us wear Rising stress in unexpected places — including our over-65s — and the scarcity messaging that stops people reaching out Suicide prevention as a genuine collective, and the 70+ organisations partnering with the Retreat Āwhina — the Retreat's own secure, Taranaki-built, data-sovereign software platform for community providers, with all data staying onshore Why men are wired to avoid asking for help — and that tough times don't discriminate, reaching even the CEO "busking it" at the top Jamie's vision of Taranaki as a gold standard for trauma-informed care across schools, workplaces and support services How businesses can give back in small but meaningful ways — a coffee at Waimanako, an auction item, driving a van, or a governance seat A warm, generous conversation about kindness, connection, and the difference a community can make when it decides its people are everyone's responsibility. Key takeaway: "Tough times don't discriminate." Support at the Taranaki Retreat is there for everyone, completely free — and we all have something we can give back.

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  The Most FM Business Hour

  Governance, Purpose & Giving Back

  Aug 6, 202646 min

  In this episode of The Business Hour, Jordan hosts a full studio for a conversation all about governance - and the community organisations that hold the region together. He's joined by Rob Facer from the Institute of Directors (IoD), Jo Weiss from The Wheelhouse, and experienced director Diane Mason. Across Taranaki there's a plethora of well-meaning community organisations crying out for people to sit on their boards and, at the same time, a pool of talented, capable people looking for governance roles. This conversation is about bridging that gap, and why good governance matters just as much in the not-for-profit sector as it does in business. Together, they explore: The IoD and Wheelhouse "governance connections" event - which began life as governance speed dating The four pillars of good governance: defining purpose, setting the right culture, holding to account, and compliance Why community organisations need to be board-ready - clear on their purpose, vision, values, and the skills they're seeking Diane's journey from a 15-year international energy career with Shell to trustee roles with New Plymouth InjurySafe and the Toi Foundation Doing your due diligence as an aspiring director - values alignment, cultural fit, and finding the right match on both sides The genuine joy and personal satisfaction of giving back through governance How The Wheelhouse supports leadership and capacity across 100+ community organisations a year A warm, practical conversation about purpose, connection, and the quiet work of strengthening a region - one board table at a time. Key takeaway: "Don't wait for the time to come - you can start right now." Diane's advice for anyone considering governance: start local, build your network, and learn as you contribute.

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  The Most FM Business Hour

  From Engineer to Advocate: Juliet Oliver on Endometriosis & Endo45

  Jul 28, 202646 min

  In this episode of The Business Hour, Naomi Harris sits down with Juliet Oliver — a process systems materials engineer turned startup founder, and the creator of Endo45, a digital health platform supporting people living with endometriosis. Originally from Auckland, Juliet came to Taranaki for its energy sector and built a career at Todd Energy — until, at the height of that career, she was hit by stage four endometriosis. Drawing on her engineer's instinct for data, she built a "biological blueprint" of what was broken in her body, overhauled her health, and reached a remission she's now maintained pain- and symptom-free for a decade. The conversation explores how a personal health crisis became a mission to help others — and what it takes to leave a secure industry with no background in tech or women's health and build something from scratch. Together, they explore: Navigating a high-demand career in a male-dominated industry while managing a hidden chronic illness Why endometriosis is a whole-body inflammatory disease — and why cutting it out isn't the end of the story The staggering economic burden: upwards of $22 billion a year to New Zealand, most of it lost productivity Building an app to make evidence-based support accessible, bootstrapped largely on volunteer power A new schools pilot with Spark Health and Deborah Bush's "What About Me" programme, bringing menstrual health education into five Waikato high schools Why sales and marketing was harder than working offshore on North Sea rigs Telling your story to connect — and leading with hope rather than only pain The emerging diagnostic tools (saliva, blood and urine tests) that could change the landscape overnight A candid, generous conversation about resilience, taking your health into your own hands, and turning privilege and hard-won knowledge into help for others.

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  The Most FM Business Hour

  Stacey Hitchcock on Taranaki's Economic Future

  Jul 19, 202644 min

  In this episode of Most FM The Business Hour sponsored by GQ The Lawyers, Jordan sits down with Stacey Hitchcock - Deputy Chief Executive and General Manager of Strategy and Investment at Venture Taranaki, and a former two-term New Plymouth District Councillor. From growing up in Inglewood and dropping out of university six months in, to youth work, drumming in a band, launching Zeal in West Auckland, and eventually putting her face on a billboard - Stacey's path has been anything but a five-year plan. What runs through all of it is a willingness to back herself and define success on her own terms. The conversation turns to the region's economic future: the decline of oil and gas, the 1,700 jobs lost in three years, and the bold plays Venture Taranaki is making to catalyse what comes next — including the Taranaki Alliance, a first-of-its-kind model uniting 80+ engineering and manufacturing firms behind a single front door. Together, they explore: Defining your own version of success, and why dropping out was the right call The "circle of courage" - belonging, mastery, independence, generosity - and why it applies at any age Freezing on stage at 26, and the mantra that got her back up there: if it scares you, that's probably the thing to do What economic development actually involves: finding the gaps, de-risking, catalysing The Taranaki Alliance - chasing $200 million in contracts and 1,200 jobs in three years Land diversification and functional botanicals: turning $800 a hectare into potentially far more Why Awakino Gorge, Port Taranaki and a clear, undiluted regional message matter so much Growing homegrown talent rather than relying on immigration alone An energising, big-picture conversation about what Taranaki can build when it plays to its strengths and refuses to take things lying down.

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