More than numbers: Abbey Boobyer on marquees, motherhood & building her own business

In this episode of the Growing Kiwis Podcast, we sit down with Tina Heffer, owner of The Birdcage in Te Awamutu, to chat about the realities of building a business, backing yourself and finding your feet through the ups and downs of business ownership. Now in her 13th year running The Birdcage, Tina shares the lessons she’s learnt along the way from the early challenges of cash flow and figuring things out as she went, to building genuine relationships with customers and creating a business that’s part of the local community. We talk about the work ethic she grew up with, the juggle of business and motherhood, navigating the harder seasons of life and why having good people around you makes all the difference. Tina also shares her passion for supporting local businesses and the importance of making time for the things that really matter. It’s an honest conversation about what it takes to keep showing up, learning as you go and building something you’re proud of even when the journey doesn’t look quite how you expected. In this episode, we talk about: Tina’s journey to owning The Birdcage and what 13 years in business has taught her The realities of starting and running a business, including cash flow and learning from mistakes How her upbringing shaped her work ethic and approach to business Building genuine connections with customers and creating a business people feel part of Balancing business, motherhood and the many hats women wear Navigating challenges, staying resilient and backing yourself through the tough seasons The importance of community and supporting other local businesses Remembering to make time for the things that matter most

What does it really take to back yourself, build a business from scratch, and keep going when things don’t go to plan? In this episode of the Growing Kiwis Podcast, Claire sits down with Jean Krielen, founder of SignLogic, to chat about her journey from working in the signage industry to building her own business from a mate’s garage into an established team of five — recently recognised with a Waikato Chamber of Commerce Small Business Award. Jean shares the reality of starting a business with limited savings, being turned down by a bank, taking on high-interest lending, and learning to put herself out there even when it felt completely outside her comfort zone. Her story is a reminder that you don't need to have everything figured out before you start — sometimes you just need to take the next step. We also get into the lessons that come with growing a team, learning to lead, and recognising when you're the one who needs to change. From embracing mistakes and building better systems to surrounding yourself with people who genuinely understand the challenges of business ownership, Jean shares some refreshingly honest insights into what growth really looks like. And beyond business, Jean opens up about the experiences that have shaped her — from growing up on a farm and developing a strong work ethic to finding perspective in the mountains and learning to live by one simple question: Will I regret not trying? In this episode Jean’s journey into the signage industry and how her years of experience led her to start SignLogic. Taking a leap of faith, securing funding and starting a business from a mate’s garage. Why backing yourself sometimes means getting uncomfortable and putting your name out there. The reality of business growth — including tough years, setbacks and learning to reframe what success looks like. How making mistakes can build confidence, accountability and better leaders. Building a team, documenting processes and learning to let go of the things that aren't your strengths. Why surrounding yourself with other business owners can change the way you think about what's possible. Finding your own leadership style and creating a team culture where people feel safe to learn. The importance of family, resilience and staying true to who you are. Jean’s advice for anyone sitting on an idea and wondering whether they should give it a go.

Louise Gibson is a self described side quest queen, and once you hear her story you understand why. She runs a consultancy, a co working space, an Airbnb and a 110 hectare dairy farm, all while raising two boys with her husband Keith. In this yarn she is refreshingly no bullshit about the things that shaped her, losing both her parents young, building toward farm ownership with no family handout, and learning when to back yourself and when to bin it. It is warm, candid, and full of golden nuggets for anyone building something of their own. In this episode - Why losing her parents young gave Louise a fierce sense that you get one shot at this - How she and Keith built toward farm ownership by doing up rundown properties, not by waiting for a handout - The number one thing people get wrong in share milking and contract milking - Why she keeps an emergency bottle of bubbles in the fridge - What sunshining your mistakes means, and why she shares her proud stuff ups online - The hills she will die on, from what contract milkers deserve to why farmers are greenies - How she thinks about Halter, AI and technology on farm without losing the human bit - Her secret sauce, and why a genuine crisis is exactly where she comes alive Five key takeaways - You get one shot, so get on with it. Louise lost both her parents before either of them turned 50, and it left her with a rule for life. You never know when the road ends, so stop clinging to what is not working and keep moving. - Bin it if it is making you miserable. Walking away is not failing. If something is genuinely making you unhappy, work out why you are hanging on, talk it out with someone, and give yourself permission to let it go. - Scope is the thing everyone gets wrong. In share milking and contract milking most fallouts come down to assumptions, where one party thinks the other is handling something and nobody does. Agree the scope, the feed budget and who pays for what up front, in writing. - You do not need a flash house to build a flash future. Louise and Keith lived in a rundown rented farmhouse while they bought and did up cheap properties, growing their equity their own way on the road to owning a farm. - Celebrate the small wins, even if it is just a glass of bubbles. They keep an emergency bottle in the fridge for exactly this. The tiny celebrations add up, and stopping to be proud of yourself is what keeps you going through the grind. Chapters - 00:00 Margaritas, and how Claire and Louise actually met - 01:20 Who is Louise: a hot mess shaped by her younger years - 02:15 Bin it if it is not working, and knowing when to let go - 03:34 The businesses today: Airbnb, Hayloft Hub, the consultancy and the farm - 04:40 The farm ownership journey and getting on the ladder - 06:18 Doing up rundown properties and building equity their way - 09:30 Share milking to contract milking, explained simply - 11:41 The number one thing people get wrong: scope - 16:20 Growing up milking, and losing her mum at 15 - 18:07 A dad who said yes to every opportunity - 20:05 Losing her dad, and the sense that you get one shot - 21:31 Grandma, and get on with it you jokers - 22:50 Parenting two boys, and treating kids as capable - 27:17 Marriage, shared goals and the emergency bottle of bubbles - 31:29 Proud stuff ups, and sunshining your mistakes - 33:43 Personal growth, counselling and the Barefoot Investor - 37:00 Dealing with people, and putting your hospo face on - 41:30 Finding her niche and building the consultancy slowly - 42:45 Build the plane as you are flying - 48:00 The rural household: midwives, car park babies and corporate farms - 53:47 Starlink, Halter and technology on farm - 55:54 AI as a decision support tool, not a job stealer - 58:32 The hills she will die on - 01:01:37 Her secret sauce: good in a crisis - 01:03:13 Every farm kid asking how they can add value - 01:05:28 Side quest queen: wrapping up Timestamps are based on the raw recording, so nudge them once the intro is trimm

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

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