Episodes
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Zion Armstrong is one of our favourite episodes of the year and when Apple Podcasts released their list of the best performing episodes in New Zealand in 2024 it was on it too!
We've picked up a lot of new listeners since we originally released it in February and we wanted to highlight his incredible story again.
The Zion Armstrong story starts in West Auckland and involves running away from the police so fast that he started an athletics career that took him to the Commonwealth Games.At the same time, he was selling sports shoes – and at the age of 24 was head of footwear at adidas New Zealand.
From that foothold he climbed the corporate ladder before becoming President of adidas North America where he oversaw 12,500 staff, inked deals with some of the world's biggest sports and music stars and took annual profit to a record $US6 billion after a couple of years.
And then in 2022, Zion walked away from this rock-and-roll lifestyle and returned to New Zealand in pursuit of being a better dad in the wake of his divorce, not wanting his children to experience the same disconnect he had often endured as a kid.
We cover all the detail in this one – and it’s one heck of a ride. Zion’s inspirational story shows what’s possible with the right mindset and work ethic – and his decision to walk away shows what's really important in life. You’ll love this one.
We're also super stoked to have Zion exclusively on the books of B2B Speakers, so if you’d like him to share his story at your function or event, flick us a message by going to www.B2Bspeakers.co.nz.
Listen on iHeart Radio or wherever you get your podcasts from or watch the video on YouTube.
Enjoy.
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Paula George – or Georgie as she’s commonly known – has a story that will blow you away.
She has lived the most remarkable life – with the most inspiring mindset – and she’s our favourite type of guest, a humble legend. Georgie is a very private person – and her story, till now, has largely gone untold.
Her life started on the back foot in Wales. Georgie wasn’t just the only person of colour in her village, but also her family. She was abandoned by her mother, forced into foster care and experienced a childhood filled of prejudice and hurt.
But she found safety in sport, where she became a star.
She played netball and rugby for Wales, then switched to England and became the first black captain of the England Red Roses.
She was one of the first professional women’s rugby players and eventually went to six World Cups in two sports.
She then became the digital content creator for the All Blacks, married a Kiwi and became a Kiwi, had twins, and a cancer diagnosis.
Five years ago she was given four to six months, with survival chances at 25% - but Georgie’s still here.
And now, she’s doing incredible work with the Tania Dalton Foundation where she helps Kiwi kids build their own resilience and happiness.
And most recently she’s become a part owner of The Northern Kahu: the first all-women owned franchise in New Zealand.
Georgie doesn’t seek the limelight, she had a taste of fame during her rugby days and hated it. It took a lot for her to share her full story with us and we’re so grateful she did – it’s a story that will help, inspire and entertain.
This episode is brought to you by TAB, download the new app today and get your bet on!
We're also stoked to tell you about the business we've built. If you'd like to get one of our epic guests in to MC or Speak at your function or event, flick us a message by going to B2Bspeakers.co.nz.
Listen on iHeart Radio or wherever you get your podcasts from or watch the video on YouTube.
Enjoy.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Steve and Seamus discuss all the best feedback from their blockbuster interview with Matthew Ridge, they reveal who the special friends will be at their live gig in Auckland, the best bits from their live Q and A with Emma Twigg and how they reconnected with Zion Armstrong.
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As some of you will know – this year we created a second podcast channel called Business in Between.
It’s a channel that documents our journey as business owners – and where we also host long-form interviews with NZ’s most interesting business leaders. And we’re sharing one of our favourite interviews on the Business in Between channel – with you here on Between Two Beers.
It’s the story of how a Kiwi entrepreneur turned an idea for a fitness goal setting app into a global business with customers in over 150 countries and revenue exceeding $80 million a year.
His name is Adam Al-Agez and his app is called The Conqueror.
Adam started his fitness goal setting app in 2012 after 10 years of being an entrepreneur with limited success.
The idea was relatively simple…instead of ‘just’ going for a run, walk, a ride or swim, you’re working towards a virtual fitness goal, immersed in community and with a tangible race medal delivered on completion.
But after six years and hundreds of thousands of dollars, the app was floundering.
All the signs were pointing to giving up all together and he even started getting his CV together and applying for jobs.
Then in a bizarre series of events, in 2019 he ended up hiring a marketing wiz who lived in Romania, to run the digital marketing.
Raul the Romanian immediately started growing sales and from an annual revenue of under $100k they grew to $2m in the first year.
The next year they did $40m and $75m in the following two, having secured licensing agreements with the Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, Star Wars and Harry Potter
The business has now expanded globally with around 70 staff in 6 countries with customers in over 150 countries.
Adam’s story – and the growth of his company – is insane and the story will blow your mind - and it’s the first time it’s been told.
Come for the storytelling and stay for Adam’s brilliant business lessons at the end.
This is an ep not to be missed.
If you enjoy this pod – please go and follow and subscribe to our Business in Between channel, where there are plenty more like this.
This episode is brought to you by TAB, download the new app today and get your bet on!
Listen on iHeart Radio or wherever you get your podcasts from or watch the video on YouTube.
Enjoy.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Matthew Ridge is a Kiwi sporting legend.
He was one of NZ’s top rugby union players then made a stunning switch to rugby league as a 21-year-old in 1990. Over the next decade he played 122 times for the Manly Sea Eagles, 25 times for the Kiwis and 37 times for the Warriors before he became a part-owner of the club.
After retiring from league, he became one of New Zealand’s most popular and successful TV stars – before enjoying success in the business world.
In this episode we talk about his bromance with Marc Ellis and how they created TV magic, 90s rugby league, Warriors regrets, the taxi incident which shaped his outlook on life as a teenager, mental resilience, relationship breakdowns and the realities of being NZ’s biggest star for a decade.
Matthew was an open book in this one and we also talked at length about his relationship with drugs – and his reflections on many of the most difficult chapters of his life.
It was a gripping chat, full of incredible insights into one hell of a life.
This episode is brought to you by TAB, download the new app today and get your bet on!
Listen on iHeart Radio or wherever you get your podcasts from or watch the video on YouTube.
Enjoy.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Steve and Seamus get excited for their fifth birthday celebration in Auckland, discuss all the best and worst small talk with former guests at the recent Auckland FC game, reflect on recent episodes with Andrew Mehrtens, Cassie Roma and Jackie Van Beek and reveal next week's guest.
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Jackie van Beek is one of New Zealand’s funniest and most creative minds.
She has written, directed and starred in The Breaker Upperers, Nude Tuesday and The Educators and featured in everything from Funny Girls and What We Do in The Shadows, to Golden Boy – and most recently the Australian re-make of The Office – where she is one of the two creators.
In this episode we talk about growing up with Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement, how she got engaged to comedian Jesse Griffin after knowing him for a month, how she chose her merkin, the art of improvisation, falling into film making, directing TV, The Office Australia and partying with Leonardo di Caprio.
Jackie is an absolute legend of NZ’s creative space and this was such a fun chat. We loved her company and outlook on life and there were a ton of laughs across this one.
This episode is brought to you by TAB, download the new app today and get your bet on!
Listen on iHeart Radio or wherever you get your podcasts from or watch the video on YouTube.
We're also stoked to tell you about the business we've built. If you'd like to get one of our epic guests in to MC or Speak at your function or event, flick us a message by going to B2Bspeakers.co.nz
Enjoy.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Andrew Mehrtens is a legend of NZ Rugby and the second highest All Blacks point scorer of all time.
He’s also widely regarded as one of the most intelligent All Blacks and Sir Wayne Smith described him to us as a ‘genius’ on and off the field, who understood the game better than he did.
Universally known as Mehrts, in this episode we talk about what he’s been doing with his life abroad for the last 20 years, his new-born twins and his fluent French, his best “Suzie” and Jonah Lomu stories from 1995, reflections on the recent loss of his father, the Crusaders and pulling the fingers in South Africa, punditry, family, and all the best yarns in between.
Mehrts is a childhood hero of ours and the perfect guest; this was an epic chat, he’s got the stories, but he’s also got the depth and humour and we had a ton of laughs through this one.
We're also super stoked to have Mehrts on the books of B2B Speakers, so if you like what you hear in this episode, and would love him to share his story at your function or event, flick us a message by going to B2Bspeakers.co.nz.
This episode is brought to you by TAB, download the new app today and get your bet on!
Listen on iHeart Radio or wherever you get your podcasts from or watch the video on YouTube.
Enjoy.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Seamus and Steve take listeners behind the scenes of Bree Tomasel's book launch on K-Road, discuss their upcoming episode with All Blacks joker Andrew Mehrtens, we hear about Steve's four-day bender in Sydney, reflect on Seamus' 30 kg weight loss, and we tease their live event with Jason Gunn coming up in November.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Bree Tomasel is one of New Zealand’s most popular and loved broadcasters.
She’s the hilarious, fun-loving co-host of ZM’s Bree and Clint Drive Show, she’s the host of Celebrity Treasure Island on TVNZ, she has 1.5 million followers across her social media channels and in 2022 was named New Zealand TV Personality of the Year.
She’s also just released her book and in it we discover a different side of Bree, she writes about some of the most difficult and challenging chapters of her life, and in this episode she talks about it all publicly for the first time.
Steve messaged Bree halfway through reading her book to say how captivating and powerful it was – and how many people it’s going to help. And I've got no doubt you'll see it too by the end of this one.
We hear about the home invasion at her nan’s place when she was nine, where she thought she was going to die – and how it contributed to anxiety and panic attacks throughout her life, we talk about her challenges revealing her sexuality to her dad – and why she kept it a secret for 10 years, her big life regrets and journey of discovery with ADHD as an adult and where her sense of social justice comes from.
We also talk about how she built her huge following on social media, all the best stories from her relationship with her mum Di, Channing Tatum, radio-wars, and we read through some of Seamus’ DMs he sent Bree seven years ago!
It's a really cool chat, It’s Bree sharing her story, warts and all. I also highly recommend her book Unapologetically Me which is out now.
We're also stoked to tell you about the business we've built. If you'd like to get one of our epic guests in to MC or Speak at your function or event, flick us a message by going to b2bspeakers.co.nz.
This episode is brought to you by TAB, download the new app today and get your bet on!
Listen on iHeart Radio or wherever you get your podcasts from or watch the video on YouTube.
Enjoy.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Murray Thom is one of New Zealand’s most successful and creative entrepreneurs.
He’s the man behind some of our most iconic and successful productions, including The Great New Zealand Songbook, The Great New Zealand Cookbook, The Offering, and Piano by Candlelight.
On the international front, two of his productions – Miracle Babies and the Together 10 CD Collection – have both featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show.
In this episode we talk about why he left school at 15 and how he became the Managing Director of CBS Records at 23. How he won a government tender for the Personalised Plates business in 1987, which at its peak had a turnover of $30 million and staff of 60, how he brought together Celine Dion and Anne Geddes, how he manifested becoming a world champion sailor, his best business hacks and all the best stories in between.
Murray’s life was made for a long form podcast and there are so many brilliant nuggets of business and life wisdom in this one, it’s a super entertaining chat.
This episode is brought to you by TAB, download the new app today and get your bet on!
Listen on iHeart Radio or wherever you get your podcasts from or watch the video on YouTube.
We're also stoked to tell you about the business we've built. If you'd like to get one of our epic guests in to MC or Speak at your function or event, flick us a message by going to b2bspeakers.co.nz and let our guests make your night.
Enjoy.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Steve and Seamus discuss their last-minute studio emergency, who their top-five replacements for Matt Heath are, recent recordings with Bree Tomasel and Lisa Carrington and how Wayne Smith has been helping them with their episodes.
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Since we last spoke to Dame Lisa Carrington she has won three Olympic gold medals in Paris – bringing her career tally to an astounding eight gold medals – and cementing her place amongst the world’s greatest ever Olympians.
So we had a lot to catch up about.
We find out about the teamwork involved in the K4 triumph, which added another layer to her legacy, smashing world records at training, why she swerved us at the Halberg Awards, the truth about the most difficult year of her career – and how close she came to walking away, training through sickness, her relationship with husband Bucky – and why she makes him a coffee every morning, if she’ll continue in the boat, becoming an author and the most articulate insights into her elite mindset.
It was a really special episode.
Lisa was an open book – and there are so many incredible nuggets of wisdom and inspiration sprinkled across this episode.
After listening, you really will understand how she’s won 8 Olympic gold medals. It’s not just the discipline and the drive, it’s the thought that goes into every decision along the way.
We felt so incredibly privileged to have a front row seat with NZ’s great athlete, hope you enjoy.
We're also stoked to have Dame Lisa on the books of B2B Speakers, so if you like what you hear in this episode and would love her to share her story at your function or event, flick us a message by going to b2bspeakers.co.nz.
This episode is brought to you by TAB, download the new app today and get your bet on!
Listen on iHeart Radio or wherever you get your podcasts from or watch the video on YouTube.
And to get the best discount off your NordVPN plan - go to nordvpn.com/betweentwobeers - our link will also give you 4 extra months on the 2-year plan. There's no risk with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee!
Enjoy.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Craig Fenton is the CEO of New Zealand Rugby Commercial which means it’s his job to drive the business of the All Blacks, Black Ferns and other teams in black.
But Craig is not your typical rugby administrator.
He owns a record label and a film production company, he has his pilot’s license, he was a lawyer, he worked at Google for six years, he hosted his own podcast and he’s on the cutting edge of all the latest trends and developments with AI and technology.
And he’s a great chat.
In this episode we talk about the time he rapped for the Black Ferns Sevens, the future of AI, what he learned from mixing with the best minds at Google, how he connects with his kids, why he returned to NZ after 20 years overseas, NZ Rugby’s biggest issues, the business of rugby and the future of content creation in NZ.
Craig is a larger-than-life character, energetic, into technology – in fact he’s a self-titled geek who is an exceptionally hard worker. He’s lived a pretty exceptional life so far but you get the feeling the next chapter might be his best.
We loved this chat – and took so much from it.
This episode is brought to you by TAB, download the new app today and get your bet on!
Listen on iHeart Radio or wherever you get your podcasts from or watch the video on YouTube.
We're also stoked to tell you about the business we've built. If you'd like to get one of our epic guests in to MC or Speak at your function or event, flick us a message by going to b2bspeakers.co.nz and let our guests make your night.
And to get the best discount off your NordVPN plan - go to nordvpn.com/betweentwobeers - our link will also give you 4 extra months on the 2-year plan. There's no risk with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee!
Enjoy.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Steve and Seamus discuss Matt Heath's move away from breakfast radio, the feedback they received from their 'Luxon decision', why Steve's five-year-old is the fastest in his family, NZ's most epic untold business stories, recent episodes with Matiu Walters from Six 60 and the most interesting developments from their business channel.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Matiu Walters is the lead singer and guitarist of New Zealand’s band Six60.
The group formed in Dunedin in 2008, and across the last 16 years have broken all the rules to become New Zealand’s biggest band.
In 2019 they became the first New Zealand act to sell out Western Springs and in 2021 became the first band to ever play Eden Park to a sold-out crowd of 50,000.
In this episode we talk to Matiu about Otago University and the origins of the band, getting coached by Josh Kronfeld – and then performing on stage with him, their spine-tingling Eden Park show, his response to harsh critical reviews, the highs and lows of being a musician, Teddy Swims, Eli leaving the band and much, much more.
Matiu is such a great chat. Despite being one of New Zealand’s most popular musicians – there’s no ego attached. He’s as down to earth as they come, and we go deep on all of the most interesting and insightful parts of Six60s wild ride.
This episode is brought to you by TAB, download the new app today and get your bet on!
Listen on iHeart Radio or wherever you get your podcasts from or watch the video on YouTube.
We're also stoked to tell you about the business we've built. If you'd like to get one of our epic guests in to MC or Speak at your function or event, flick us a message by going to b2bspeakers.co.nz and let our guests make your night.
And to get the best discount off your NordVPN plan - go to nordvpn.com/betweentwobeers - our link will also give you 4 extra months on the 2-year plan. There's no risk with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee!
Enjoy.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Tim Batt is a pioneer in the digital audio space and one of New Zealand's most impressive creative talents.
He's the producer and co-host of NZ's most popular podcast - with 20 million downloads, he's created his own podcast network, won multiple comedy awards, produced radio for Matt Heath, he's a standup comedian, was a co-chair of the NZ comedy guild, and a father of two kids under 3.
In this episode we talk about starting a podcast with Guy Montgomery where they watch the same movie every week for a year, what he learned from radio and why he left, working with Chloe Swarbrick, the best and worst of the NZ comedy scene and the future of NZ media.
Tim is hilarious and told us after we recorded that he'd contacted both of our partners to do his own research on us. He flips the interview on us about halfway through (well played Tim!).
This was a really fun chat, so many laughs in this one. Tim is super quick, thoughtful and just an all-round interesting guy.
This episode is brought to you by TAB, download the new app today and get your bet on!
Listen on iHeart Radio or wherever you get your podcasts from. Or watch the video on YouTube.
We're also stoked to tell you about the business we've built. If you'd like to get one of our epic guests in to MC or Speak at your function or event, flick us a message by going to http://B2Bspeakers.co.nz and let our guests make your night.
And to get the best discount off your NordVPN plan - go to nordvpn.com/betweentwobeers - our link will also give you 4 extra months on the 2-year plan. There's no risk with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee!
Enjoy.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Steve and Seamus debate Auckland v Hamilton for B2B's 5th birthday party, why they missed out on a corporate box with Steven Adams, the big-name guests they interviewed last week, their upcoming Q and A with Richie McCaw and debate who is NZ's best magician?
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Kanoa Lloyd is one of New Zealand’s top broadcasters and became a household name from co-hosting the Project on primetime TV for seven years.
She first made her name in children’s TV, before working on radio at Mai FM and was also a weather presenter for Newshub.In this episode we talk about her path from Squirt and Sticky TV to Three News, integrating Te Reo Māori into the weather and all the hate that came along with it, why she quit Mai FM, the blowup of the Project and the stress and burnout that accompanied it, her best and worst moments on live TV, the future of media, parenthood, what she's doing now – and all the best stories in between.
This was such a fun chat. Kanoa is warm, personable and authentic and there were a ton of laughs in this one mixed in with some really thoughtful periods of introspection.
You'll love this one.
We're also super stoked to have Kanoa on the books of B2B Speakers, so if you’d like her to share her story at your function or event, flick us a message by going to B2Bspeakers.co.nz. Also check out our epic lineup of former guests available for hire too.
This episode is brought to you by TAB, download the new app today and get your bet on!
Listen on iHeart Radio or wherever you get your podcasts from or watch the video on YouTube.
To get the best discount off your NordVPN plan - go to nordvpn.com/betweentwobeers - our link will also give you 4 extra months on the 2-year plan. There's no risk with Nord’s 30 day money-back guarantee!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Cam Leslie is one of New Zealand’s most successful athletes. He’s won gold medals at three Paralympics in swimming, is a world record-holder, a Halberg award winner and the co-captain of the NZ Wheelblacks.
He’s also a father of three kids under five, runs a farm, has a full time job at Swimming NZ and has an inspirational outlook on life – though he won’t like us using that word!
Cam was born a quadruple amputee with legs to the knee on both sides, his arm is missing four fingers on the right and he has half a forearm on his left side. But it hasn’t slown him down.
In this episode we talk about the realities of his disability and what he can and can’t do, the best stories from touring with the Wheelblacks, how his ‘why’ has changed since having kids, why he withdrew from the Tokyo Paralympics, how he’s stayed at the top for so long and his experience of Kiwi attitudes towards disability.
Paralympics New Zealand is looking to challenge perceptions around disability with their Paris 2024 campaign ‘we’ll give you something to talk about’ and this episode certainly does that.
Cam is brilliant company – funny, thoughtful and engaging and universally loved by his peers. He’s a legend – with a huge future ahead of him.
You’ll love this one.
This episode is brought to you by TAB, download the new app today and get your bet on!
Listen on iheart or wherever you get your podcasts from, or watch the video on Youtube.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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