Tall Poppy Talk

Jess Cerra is a former professional cyclist, chef, entrepreneur, and now VP of Product & Community at SaltStick — but what threads it all together isn’t titles. It’s nourishment. In this episode, we unpack the “high performance bubble,” what happens when it bursts, and how Jess evolved (not retired) from pro cycling into building purpose-driven community. We talk female fueling, breaking the “...

Matt Hicks - Filmmaker, DJ, Producer & Creative - joins Tall Poppy Talk to unpack risk, storytelling, and backing yourself before anyone else does. #podcast #creative #producer #film #newzealand

“You’re lucky to have the chance to even try. So don’t waste it.” Welcome James Oliver to Tall Poppy Talk!! CEO and founder of Atlas, what started as a personal need became a fast-scaling, million-dollar business rooted in science, low sugar, clean ingredients, and a founder who literally eats his product every day. James shares the real picture behind building Atlas, the psychology of starting fr...

Kia ora and welcome to this beautiful episode with KATE LAIDLER!! With a truly make-it-happen mentality, Kate shares with us her journey from those first afterschool acting classes to expanding her creative skills in constant search of growth as an actor, writer, model and more. From moving cities to being firm on. your boundaries in an industry with competitive pressures - Kate has wisdom and ins...

"It's an unbelievable feeling when a stranger buys your product more than once. It just is." – Kate Assaraf, Founder & CEO of Dip. Kate is a boundary-pushing founder and CEO of Dip, the waterless beauty brand making high-performance hair care a whole lot more sustainable — and a whole lot more fun. Kate’s story is equal parts grit, creativity, and Jersey-girl edge. We talk about what it takes...

"If the camera wasn't there, would you still do something?" - Mitch Lamb, Kiwi whitewater kayaker, adventure athlete, and all-round good mate. In this episode with my dear mate Mitch, he opens up about his journey from small-town New Zealand to leading programs around the globe with World Class Academy. We dive into the wild ride that is high-risk sport, the behind-the-scenes of mentoring the next...

Kia ora! In this episode of Tall Poppy Talk we dive into the inspiring journey of Jessie Speedy, a passionate competitive distance runner and New Zealand registered dietitian. Jessie shares her unique blend of elite sports performance and real-world nutrition, offering insights into her private performance nutrition practice, Sustain Speed Nutrition. Discover how Jessie balances her career, athlet...

"If I wouldn't ask for your advice, why do I care about your opinon?" Kia ora team, I have missed you. I'm officially back on my weekly episode pursuit and SO hyped about that. Please join me today for a little 1:1 catch up with a three-part-ep starting with 'Growing through it,' then 'Tall Poppy Shoutouts' and finishing off with some AMAs. Listen to the full interview on Spotify, iHeart Radio, or...

"I'm an enthusiast" - Kate Mason, an SJA award-winning columnist and documentary maker, TNT sports presenter and broadcaster. On today's episode we discuss Kate's journey in sports broadcasting, her experiences covering major events like the Olympics, and the importance of enthusiasm and curiosity in her work. Kate shares insights on the challenges and responsibilities of live broadcasting, the im...

re-release of Tūranga Morgan-Edmonds, originally aired 17th December 2022. THANK YOU TU!! Go listen to NZ music, Alien Weaponry, and enjoy this podcast episode too. p.s. recording quality continues to grow, please forgive my poor quality from 2022.

"Vulnerability is a strength, not a weakness" - Megg Alexander, Actress & Creative. Megg, a rising New Zealand actress, shares her journey in the acting industry, discussing the realities of her profession, the challenges of accent training, and her personal growth. Get ready for a fun-filled, motivating, and (exclusive) first-ever podcast interview. Megg reflects on the misconceptions surroun...

"I was just born for music" - Cyril Riley. Re-release from one year ago, as Cyril Riley's "Stumblin' In" was transforming his life. Flash forward, and what Cyril has accomplished in this past year is motivating, exciting, and indicative to his character. Thank you Cyril. Take home message: Enjoy the pursuit and have faith in yourself, your time will come if you stick at it. Listen to the full inte...

"Do not apologize for your Ambition" - Angelique Richardson, leading UK Sports Lawyer. Ange joins TPT for a super relevant discussion around athlete identity. We talk about her journey in sports law, the complexities of representing athletes, and the importance of reputation management. We discuss the misconceptions surrounding high-profile athletes, the significance of understanding athlete right...

After some time away, I am BACK with a purpose and passion. Remembering WHY I wanted to start the Tall Poppy Talk podcast in the first place, and how this has evolved in the past 2.5 years, has been a beautiful exercise... so, Kia ora & welcome back to my weekly podcast episodes!! THANK YOU!! Listen to the full interview on Spotify, iHeart Radio, or Apple Podcasts.

"Say yes to opportunities that scare you" - David Pangilinan, Senior Manager of Market & Cultural Intelligence at Paramount, aka @DavidIsHereNow. David Pangilinan, blesses the podcast in this episode to share insights on cultural intelligence, the importance of personality in the workplace, and how his Filipino-American background influences his storytelling. Our conversation highlights the si...

"Just because you have the ability to do something, that doesn't mean it's going to happen. Because sometimes you have the capacity and sometimes you don't. We're not robots, we're humans with emotions and things happen" - Hannah Heideveld. In this episode of Tall Poppy Talk, elite athlete Hannah Heideveld discuss the critical intersection of mental health and performance in elite sports, particul...

"If you think about it mathematically, if I celebrate your success and you celebrate someone else's success and somebody else celebrates my success, we all get celebrated and we don't have to boast anymore. So we can actually takethe boasting, bragging, all of that stuff off the table." - Glenda Mitchell, author & motivational coach. In this kōrero, motivational coach Glenda Mitchell shares he...

"Be okay with failing. Don't dwell on the failures. So when you fail, just have a little cry and then, you know, half an hour later, get back up and try again or try something new because if you do dwell you're not only going to waste time but you're probably not going to be resilient enough to keep going if the little things are getting you down" - Georgia Patten, Founder & CEO of Bored. Geor...

"You have to put yourself first, not because you matter more but because you're not doing anyone justice when you show up at 60%" Kicking off Season FIVE of Tall Poppy Talk. Join me for a solo-episode, where I reflect on 2024 with a mindset of recognizing all the good things & deciding what habits are best left behind. Spoiler, it's time for me to SLOW DOWN so I can be more intentional, impact...

"My answer is always Yes" - Rachel Lancaster, Mural Artist + Content Creator. Rachel is a self-taught artist from Canada, who joins Tall Poppy Talk today to share her journey from a casual painter to a full-time mural artist. She discusses the misconceptions people have about her work, her unique process of creating murals, and the evolution of her art style over the years. We delves into her expe...

"I have a voice and it can be loud, so for me I have this responsibility to use that voice for to pave the way for other people" - Rebecca Thorn, General Manager at Hotel Indigo Tokyo Shibuya. Rebecca, a hospitality industry expert & general manager at Hotel Indigo Tokyo Shibuya, joins us on Tall Poppy Talk to share her journey from New Zealand to Fiji to Australia and now Japan, discussing th...

"And for whatever reason, it just mesmerized me. It's sort of that moment I became a person, I became conscious" - Jake Thistle, Musician & Singer-Songwriter. During this kōrero, Jake shares his journey as a singer-songwriter, discussing the early influences that shaped his love for music, his experiences in songwriting, and the importance of learning from others in the industry. We explore th...

"Sports lends itself to chaos" - Tanner Smith, Emmy-Award winning Producer & Director. On this special episode of Tall Poppy Talk, we have Tanner Smith who is the Director of Video & Photography at the New York Road Runners (think NYC Marathon!!). He shares his journey in sports media, discussing his experiences with various organizations, including the New York City Football Club, & w...

"Everybody has their own version of success and wouldn't it be cooler if we were just telling those stories, rather than holding it up against some arbitrary marker" - Alice Soper, Advocate, Sports Writer & Community Commentator. Alice is always, always going to light a fire within me everytime we speak. This episode is no different, and it is a gift to share it with you today!! During our kōr...

"And what we need to do is to remember that our brain is trying to keep us safe" - Dr. Tara Quinn, Chartered & HCPC Registered Counselling Psychologist. In this kōrero, Dr. Tara Quinn, a seasoned counseling psychologist, shares her journey into the field of psychology, emphasizing the importance of ethical practices and the need for public awareness regarding mental health services. We discuss...