Tall Poppy Talk

"Having those people around you who are supporting you, encouraging you, & getting just as excited as you are" - Devon Eastwood, founder and creative director of Silver Linings Collective. In this wonderful kōrero, Devon shares her inspiring journey to being a successful entrepreneur in the jewelry industry. She discusses the importance of building relationships, her unique perspective as a cr...

"Don't give up on therapy, the right fit is out there" - Jackie Durnin, Founder of Hinterland Health Retreat & EFT Practitioner. In this kōrero, Jackie shares her journey from trauma to healing, emphasizing the importance of integrating traditional and alternative therapies for mental health. She discusses her new venture, Hinterland Health Retreat, which focuses on holistic healing approaches...

"You have to push the boundaries of athletic performance and make that really interesting and really awesome. The race needs to be tight, the race needs to be fast. And then also you need someone to root for, you need someone to root against" - Logan Ullrich, Olympic Silver Medalist. Olympic rower Logan Ullrich shares his journey from a young athlete in Australia and New Zealand to a silver medali...

"The biggest thing I've learned and noticed, is that every single person lights up when they talk about their dream. It's like a portal into their soul" - Fraser Grut, the visionary filmmaker + director behind 10,000 Dreams. 10,000 Dreams is a life-long project dedicated to capturing the dreams of individuals from all walks of life. From Terry Crews to Robert Irwin, across the globe and every fiel...

101 Episodes of Tall Poppy Talk!!! Today is a solo episode (my first proper one!!) to reflect & dive into ten of the most impactful 'Lessons from Legends' I've encountered on this epic journey so far. Lachie Good: Invest in Yourself. Cyril Riley: I was already an Artist. Eleisha Foon: Humility is recognizing your Ambitions. Tūranga Morgan-Edmonds: If I can Inspire One Person Jonah Oliver: Buil...

"It's what kept me going. It also drove me crazy at times, but I think it is what kept me in the sport, kept me pushing " - Eva Goodisson, Professional Triathlete. Eva represents New Zealand in Triathlon, currently gearing up for the Rome World Cup this Saturday Oct 5th. Starting out as a competitive swimmer and seeing success as a teen, Eva took an opportunity to run D1 Track at UC Davis in Calif...

"With excellence you can fail, and keep going, and keep striving" - Mayte Natalio, Broadway Choreographer, Performer & Artist. In this episode Mayte shares her journey from dancer to choreographer, the creative process behind her work, and the importance of storytelling in dance. In Mayte's debut season on Broadway, she choreographed for not one but two Broadway Musicals with How To Dance In O...

"Uncertainty is my friend" - Mark Berridge, award-winning Author & Ted X Speaker. Mark, author and motivational speaker, shares his journey of overcoming a severe spinal injury and finding hope and strength in the face of adversity. He emphasizes the importance of gratitude, generosity, and taking the most generous assumptions in life. Mark's story serves as a reminder to value every step and...

"There will always be a need for news" - Ben Plummer, Journalist with the New Zealand Herald. Ben, a multimedia journalist and reporter, joins Tall Poppy Talk to discuss his career path into journalism and the concept of high performance. He shares his passion for sports reporting and the challenges of covering hard (but important) community topics such as breaking news. We address common misconce...

"If you have an awareness of an issue, do you have an immoral obligation to do something about it? ... Because I was aware of it, I had a moral obligation to try" - Julia Arnott-Neenee, Director CEO and co-Founder of FibreFale. In this episode of Tall Poppy Talk, Julia shares her journey in the tech industry and her mission for digital equity. She discusses her motivations for working overseas and...

"What else can I excel at? It's a simple way of changing the narrative" - Sari Davidson, Entrepreneur and Leader. Sari, founder of BooginHead, joins Tall Poppy Talk today to share her entrepreneurial journey and insights on building a successful team, culture, and expanding company. We reflect on her journey to date as a high-performing entrepreneur and the challenges of transitioning to a new pha...

"Actually money is good to talk about, and probably even more importantly, not having money and not being able to do stuff, is even better to talk about because that's how we start to prioritize" - Rupert Carlyon, Founder + Managing Director of Kōura Wealth, Aotearoa NZ. Rupert is an entrepreneur, a businessman, a career financial expert, outdoorsman, a Dad, and a change-maker. Working in financia...

"In life its not what you say, its how you say it... and in this regard [Tall Poppy] its not what you say but How, Why, and Who is saying it" - Lachie Good, Professional Freestyle Snowboard Coach & Mental Skills Coach. Lachie Good is traveling the world coaching athletes on multi-month training camps and at world-best competitions - physically and mentally, supporting them to accomplish their...

"You have to show up every single day, and you can't shy away from those challenges either. The worst thing you can do is bury your head in the sand and pretend that its not happening, because it is happening, so just deal with it" - Joseph Harawira, CEO + Co-founder of Wai Mānuka. Terms used widely to describe Joe are: Entrepreneur, visionary leader, strategic thinker, and creative problem-solver...

"I think true humility is true confidence, in the sense of 'I know what I've got as well as I know my limitations" - Genezy 'Ilolahia. Gen is a Psychology Specialist and Co-founder of powerhouse social enterprise The Moanan. The Moanan has grown into something remarkable, and its only in the infancy stage. With a very engaging podcast, viral social media presence, and informative website, Gen and...

"You have to keep firm boundaries. Making sure that you have your own story that you're working on" - Stephanie Robles, LPC-S. Stephanie is the Clinical Director of Mind Body Optimization in Texas, USA. She is a licensed professional counselor, supervisor, and a leader. With over 15 years of dedicated service in the mental health field, she is a seasoned professional with a wealth of leadership ex...

"I've been able to build this muscle over the last couple of years, where you can look in the mirror and say 'you are exceptional'" - Hamish McKay, CEO and co-founder of Order Editing. Hamish has committed to making his entrepreneurial pursuit public, documenting the journey and creating conversation along the way. He is growing the Order Editing business which is currently valued at $5 million (a...

"I had to grief two and a half decades of my life, that I had lost to the disease of addiction" - Brice Hancock, CEO and Founder of Mile High Recovery Center. His passion for recovery and helping others to overcome their challenges, began with starting one sober house in Denver Colorado. Now, the Mile High Recovery Center is comprised of a strong team of skilled professionals with equal commitment...

"Humility is a beautiful thing, but humility is also recognizing your ambitions. Its being self-aware and confident"- Eleisha Foon award-winning international journalist. Eleisha has over eight years of experience in television, online and radio. As a broadcasting professional she takes on many roles such as a reporter, writer, presenter and even as a film-maker - having directed and co-produced t...

"I spent a long time thinking that if I'm proud of anything, then it means you know, that I'm too much" - Cassie Henderson, singer-songwriter. Cassie Henderson, she’s a musician singer-songwriter, an entertainer, and in one word could be described as an artist. Her lyrics resonate whether you’re deep in your emotions or feeling electric on the dance floor. Cassie has range and we’re only seeing th...

“Every morning you have two choices, continue to sleep with your dreams or wake up and chase them" - Gary Blackman, runner & content creator. Gary is a serial ultra runner and marathon runner, and a sponsored member of the Altra Run Crew. & after grappling with injuries for years, Gary is grateful to be back in fine form this year and injury free heading into his next Backyard Ultra at the...

"How you speak to yourself, it doesn't take anymore time... re-evaluate what you're actually saying and how you're saying it" - Bailey Walters, Nutrition Specialist. Bailey Walters is many things to a lot of people. To some she is their nutrition specialist, shaping futures by re-defining one’s relationship to their intuition, fitness, and overall self. To others she’s a personal trainer or coach....

"So, really the emotional impact is larger than the physical impact of pain" - Dr. James Flowers, Chronic Pain & Recovery expert. Dr. Flowers the founder of J. Flowers Health Institute. For over three decades Dr. Flowers has been one of the most recognized and respected names in the field of chronic pain, addiction, and pain recovery. He has dedicated his career to his passion, designing multi...

"My proudest moment... in a sense is longevity. The fact that I've lasted consistently, for a heck of a long time. And its been a lovely run. When I think back on my experiences, I can't believe how lucky I've been " - Mark Leishman, Broadcaster. Mark is a legend in New Zealand broadcasting. He is also a director, presenter, narrator, producer, a businessman with Dexterity Productions Ltd, a proud...

"Not just celebrating other people, but celebrating yourself is quite important" - Kobe Miller. Kobe is currently rowing at Northeastern University, in Boston USA. Studying towards a Master of Sport Leadership. & he is fully embracing what the US collegiate experience has to offer while still having his eyes & ambitions set on Rowing NZ’s elite team. Kobe is an absolute athlete, with a hef...