Podcasts about Gisborne

This week marks the end of an era for two classic Kiwi brands - department store Smith & Caughey's announced it will shut their doors for the last time at 4pm today, and hosiery manufacturer Columbine that they're closing their Gisborne factory in August. These are both sad events. Smith & Caughey's has been part of Queen St for 145 years, and Columbine has kept me in opaque tights for as long as I can remember, and others for longer before! But the news was hardly shocking. Manufacturing in New Zealand has become increasingly challenging and costly over decades. Retail has been transformed by online shopping and parallel importing. A disruptive pandemic didn't help, and continuing economic uncertainty means closures are an unfortunate reality. It's incredible tough for staff, and while no one involved is likely interested in silver-linings right now, we should take a moment to celebrate that Smith & Caughey's employed people for 145 years, and Columbine for 75 years. Both are significant achievements. But it's going to be an emotional afternoon on Queen St today. A tough day for staff, shoppers, suppliers, and those who loved making the annual trip up the elevator to see Santa Claus and the incredible Christmas displays. I have a collection of photos in which at least one of my kids is crying while posing next to the bearded stranger. I know, my bad. But the bauble for the tree was always appreciated. Many of us have memories of this Auckland retail icon. Whether you live in Auckland or have visited over the years, Smith & Caughey's initially offered service and products you couldn't get anywhere else. It was a historic company with a female founder ahead of her time, set in a beautiful building. Think of the secrets and stories hidden in those walls. Smith & Caughey's explanation for closing was a “perfect storm of adversity”. In addition to economic uncertainty, they referenced increased parking costs, ongoing roadworks and the slow progress of the City Rail Link (CRL) as having an impact on shoppers. While today should be a day of appreciation and fond memories, retailers can't afford to be quite so nostalgic. There are lessons to be learnt about moving with the times, adapting to competition, less exclusivity and retaining customers. Also announced this week, Columbine, a family business and the last hosiery manufacturer in New Zealand, will shut its doors and 45 jobs will go. Once again, reality bites. A written statement from the company said the decision was “driven by a combination of declining sales and increased operational costs, which made it unsustainable to continue manufacturing in Gisborne”. Interestingly, recently released data compiled by Infometrics looked at the types of jobs which have disappeared over the last 25 years. If you look at jobs in manufacturing - such as a sewing machinist, footwear production machine operator, hide and skin processing machine operator, knitting machine operator, textile dyeing and finishing machine operator and others, employment has fallen from 14,472 to 5608 since 2000. This isn't just because companies have closed, but because technology has taken over. It's a reminder that change and challenge are constant in most sectors. So surviving as a manufacturer in New Zealand for 75 years is nothing to scoff at. It's actually very impressive and quite something really. Both companies should be proud of their legacies. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week marks the end of an era for two classic Kiwi brands - department store Smith & Caughey's announced it will shut their doors for the last time at 4pm today, and hosiery manufacturer Columbine that they're closing their Gisborne factory in August. These are both sad events. Smith & Caughey's has been part of Queen St for 145 years, and Columbine has kept me in opaque tights for as long as I can remember, and others for longer before! But the news was hardly shocking. Manufacturing in New Zealand has become increasingly challenging and costly over decades. Retail has been transformed by online shopping and parallel importing. A disruptive pandemic didn't help, and continuing economic uncertainty means closures are an unfortunate reality. It's incredible tough for staff, and while no one involved is likely interested in silver-linings right now, we should take a moment to celebrate that Smith & Caughey's employed people for 145 years, and Columbine for 75 years. Both are significant achievements. But it's going to be an emotional afternoon on Queen St today. A tough day for staff, shoppers, suppliers, and those who loved making the annual trip up the elevator to see Santa Claus and the incredible Christmas displays. I have a collection of photos in which at least one of my kids is crying while posing next to the bearded stranger. I know, my bad. But the bauble for the tree was always appreciated. Many of us have memories of this Auckland retail icon. Whether you live in Auckland or have visited over the years, Smith & Caughey's initially offered service and products you couldn't get anywhere else. It was a historic company with a female founder ahead of her time, set in a beautiful building. Think of the secrets and stories hidden in those walls. Smith & Caughey's explanation for closing was a “perfect storm of adversity”. In addition to economic uncertainty, they referenced increased parking costs, ongoing roadworks and the slow progress of the City Rail Link (CRL) as having an impact on shoppers. While today should be a day of appreciation and fond memories, retailers can't afford to be quite so nostalgic. There are lessons to be learnt about moving with the times, adapting to competition, less exclusivity and retaining customers. Also announced this week, Columbine, a family business and the last hosiery manufacturer in New Zealand, will shut its doors and 45 jobs will go. Once again, reality bites. A written statement from the company said the decision was “driven by a combination of declining sales and increased operational costs, which made it unsustainable to continue manufacturing in Gisborne”. Interestingly, recently released data compiled by Infometrics looked at the types of jobs which have disappeared over the last 25 years. If you look at jobs in manufacturing - such as a sewing machinist, footwear production machine operator, hide and skin processing machine operator, knitting machine operator, textile dyeing and finishing machine operator and others, employment has fallen from 14,472 to 5608 since 2000. This isn't just because companies have closed, but because technology has taken over. It's a reminder that change and challenge are constant in most sectors. So surviving as a manufacturer in New Zealand for 75 years is nothing to scoff at. It's actually very impressive and quite something really. Both companies should be proud of their legacies. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Professor Holly Thorpe, a leading voice in the sociology of sport from the University of Waikato, is an action sports advocate and someone who's spent years studying the social dynamics of movement and play.In this episode, Holly shares her journey growing up in Gisborne's tight-knit windsurfing and skateboarding community, where the learning came from peers, not coaches, and where the natural environment played as big a role as the people did. We discuss the idea of “stoke” — that deep sense of joy and freedom that lives at the heart of action sports — and explore how we might protect and promote that same feeling in more traditional sporting spaces.We also dive into the challenges girls and women still face in these environments, the impact of family and community, and what happens when sports like snowboarding and skateboarding become Olympic disciplines.Enjoy! Sign up for Craig's newsletter (Beyond the Game) at http://www.drcraigharrison.com/ Get Craig to speak at your club or school here.   Connect with Craig:Instagram: instagram.com/drcraigharrison/ Facebook: facebook.com/drcraigharrison Twitter: twitter.com/drcraigharrisonSupport the show

Professor Holly Thorpe, a leading voice in the sociology of sport from the University of Waikato, is an action sports advocate and someone who's spent years studying the social dynamics of movement and play.In this episode, Holly shares her journey growing up in Gisborne's tight-knit windsurfing and skateboarding community, where the learning came from peers, not coaches, and where the natural environment played as big a role as the people did. We discuss the idea of “stoke” — that deep sense of joy and freedom that lives at the heart of action sports — and explore how we might protect and promote that same feeling in more traditional sporting spaces.We also dive into the challenges girls and women still face in these environments, the impact of family and community, and what happens when sports like snowboarding and skateboarding become Olympic disciplines.Enjoy! Sign up for Craig's newsletter (Beyond the Game) at http://www.drcraigharrison.com/ Get Craig to speak at your club or school here.   Connect with Craig:Instagram: instagram.com/drcraigharrison/ Facebook: facebook.com/drcraigharrison Twitter: twitter.com/drcraigharrisonSupport the show

On today's First Up pod: One week into the reign of South Korea's new president, we get an update on his progress; we hear the sad news that hosiery manufacturer Columbine is shutting up their factory in Gisborne; we talk about Ryan Fox's superb win at the Canadian Open and we ask Finance Minister Nicola Willis what's next for our supermarket duopoly. First Up - Voice of the Nathan!

Another feedback pod today, we love these as you basically do all the work and we just respond to your comments and questions.We start with wolfpacker Pete who has sent a pic in of the rakes that are apparently being trialled at Royal Queensland and is keen on Nick and Marks thoughts, Peter also had a suggestion for the best golf club in Queensland, as did many others, we read through a bunch of them.During this the Troppo Tour comes up and Nick tells a story about playing that tour, a funny story that happened when he was driving from Mt Isa to Proserpine in North Queensland. Mark suggests that we need to get Wayne 'Radar' Riley on for a bonus pod talking about the Troppo Tour.Angela has a question for Nick and Mark about the Australian Masters, and then we have video call from Stewy in Gisborne, Victoria who has interested to know if Nick and Mark have any 'golfing goals' left to achieve. They do, and they talk about what they are.Alex has a question for Mark about the Australian Open timing, he disagrees with Marks view that the date should move to February and explains why.Wolfpacker Alison asks if either Nick or Mark are playing in the Sandbelt Invitational this year.....we find out. And then a voicemail from Paul who says Rory's drive on the first playoff hole at Augusta was the best pressure drive he's ever seen, and explains why. Nick and Mark discuss, and invite your feedback - what do you feel is the best pressure drive ever in golf? Let us know.And a reminder of our forthcoming 'Mean Tweets' bonus pod which is coming up - let us know, give us a whack, let us know what you dislike - and (pending our lawyer Denis Denuto signing off on them) we'll read out your comments on a bonus 'Mean Tweets' episode.We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;PING will help you play your best. See your local golf shop or professional for a PING club fitting;Golf Clearance Outlet, visit them online here to find your nearest store, they're all over the country;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia.And the watchMynumbers app: download from the App Store or Google Play, and Southern Golf Club: with their brand new Simulator Room, including Trackman.Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, send a voicemail here, and see us on YouTube here.We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;PING will help you play your best. See your local golf shop or professional for a PING club fitting;Golf Clearance Outlet, visit them online here to find your nearest store.Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia.And watchMynumbers: download from the App Store or Google Play, and Southern Golf Club: with their brand new Simulator Room. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dom talks with Tom Sanson from Gold Creek Simmentals near Gisborne about its recent successful bull sale, the history of the stud and the ongoing effects of Cyclone Gabrielle. Tune in daily for the latest and greatest REX rural content on your favourite streaming platform, visit rexonline.co.nz and follow us on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn for more.

On Wednesday, Tairāwhiti Gisborne senior doctors went on a second 24-hour strike in the space of four weeks. They had previously written letters to the Government, stating senior doctor vacancies at Gisborne Hospital were at 37% in August 2024 and 44% as of April 2025.The Runit Straight event has claimed it's first life with Ryan Satterthwaite suffering a serious head injury while playing a game based on the controversial craze with friends in Palmerston North. He died in hospital on Monday night.David Seymour's latest distraction has been passed today with separate hairdressing regulations being scrapped, with cabinet agreeing to all four recommendations from a regulatory review into the hairdressing and barbering industry=================================Come support the work we're doing by becoming a Patron of ⁠⁠#BHN⁠⁠ www.patreon.com/BigHairyNews⁠=================================Merch available at www.BHNShop.nz Like us on Facebookwww.facebook.com/BigHairyNews Follow us on Twitter.@patbrittenden @Chewie_NZFollow us on BlueskyPat @patbrittenden.bsky.socialChewie @chewienz.bsky.socialEmily @iamprettyawesome.bsky.socialMagenta @xkaosmagex.bsky.social

On today's REX Daily Podcast, Dom talks with Tom Sanson from Gold Creek Simmentals near Gisborne about its recent successful bull sale, the history of the stud and the ongoing effects of Cyclone Gabrielle... He talks with Rural Leaders CEO Lisa Rogers and Marketing & Communications Manager Matt Hampton about the launch of the MyLead platform, how it matches people with relevant leadership courses within the food and fibre sector and how it could help strengthen the leadership capabilities in the sector... And he talks with rural health advocate Craig Wiggins about career choices, dog trials and Fieldays. Tune in daily for the latest and greatest REX rural content on your favourite streaming platform, visit rexonline.co.nz and follow us on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn for more.

Doctors in Gisborne say Wednesday's strike causes only minor disruption compared to ongoing delays from chronic understaffing. Consultant Physician in General Medicine at Tairāwhiti Hospital senior doctor Alex Raines spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Fifty senior doctors at Gisborne Tairāwhiti Hospital walked off the job at midnight last night, for a 24-hour strike for better pay and work conditions. Gisborne Mayor Rehette Stoltz spoke to Corin Dann.

Gisborne doctors are on a second 24-hour strike this month for funding and worker rights, it will be up to six months until repairs on one of Gisborne's 'most challenging' roads are done, and submissions to oppose 'encroachment' of Napier into East Coast electorate are under proposal. James Pocock is the Gisborne Herald Editor.

Some people will be able to get a 12 month long prescription instead of the current three month maximum under changes announced in the budget. The health minister said it will cut costs for patients and cut paper work that is taking health professionals away from more urgent or complex needs. Dr Fergus Aitcheson from Three Rivers Medical, the biggest GP clinic in Gisborne spoke to Lisa Owen.

Jayden Manno, a Licensed Estate Agent / Auctioneer, Raine & Horne Sunbury, Gisborne, Diggers Rest, Kyneton, and Essendon offices joins DJ for the Real Estate show.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The unemployment rate is sitting unchanged at 5.1 percent - despite warnings it might hit a near decade long high of 5.3 percent. The numbers also show some regions have seen an uptick in the number of people out of work - with Bay of Plenty, Taranaki, and Nelson, Marlborough and West Coast all seeing a rise in unemployment rates. But it's Gisborne and Hawkes Bay that's seen the highest increase - up to 5.6 percent from 3.4 percent for the December quarter. Lucy Laitinen, the Chief Executive of the Hawke's Bay Regional Economic Development Agency spoke to Lisa Owen.

A doctor, who left the job because of the stress and concern patients are not getting the care they deserve, has been on a hīkoi hearing the frustrations of people dealing with what he's described as a deteriorating health system. Doctor Art Nahill who has worked for over 20 years at Auckland and Middlemore Hospitals, started his trip down the North Island ten days ago and has been to Kerikeri, Whangarei, Auckland, Hamilton, Gisborne and Palmerston North. Nahill spoke to Lisa Owen.

Four people have been arrested after a firearms incident in Gisborne late Saturday night that left two people injured. Inspector Danny Kirk, Tairawhiti Area Commander, spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Our national arboretum near Gisborne encompasses over 131 hectares planted in exotic and native trees, shrubs and climber plantings. Eastwoodhill is regarded as the largest and most comprehensive collection of Northern Hemisphere trees south of the equator. Now it's entering an exciting new phase, with the appointment of a new curator. Internationally respected arborist Menno Kluiters, will take on the role next month.

There's a sense of unease in Wairoa after two private properties have been shot at by rival gangs in the past ten days. In response, Police have invoked new powers to help dial down tensions between the Mongrel Mob and Black Power in Hawke's Bay and Gisborne. Hawke's Bay Tai Rawhiti reporter Alexa Cook has more.

There is a growing appetite for New Zealand's rarest and most unusual fruit. Persimmons have had a 20% rise in exports in the last year, and demand has never been higher. Persimmon Industry Council Manager Ian Turk told Mike Hosking it's thanks to recent sunny weather in Gisborne, where the vast majority of the fruit is grown. He says after a rough five years for the industry —with impacts from the likes of Cyclone Gabrielle— growers are looking forward to a good season ahead. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Niki Bezzant and Peter Elliott. They discuss local opposition to speed limit increases in Gisborne, an approved digital billboard that may encroach on a dark sky reserve, and compulsory military training.

Police say they are using gang conflict warranst to help dial down tensions between the Mongrel Mob and Black Power in Hawke's Bay and Gisborne. Detective Inspector Marty James spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Ariki Rigby's murderer was sentenced to life in prison. Gisborne's forestry sector are looking to replant 100,000 hectares of forestry and pasture back into native bush.

James discusses Gisborne District councillor attendance rates, the council has approved a business case for a $22.09m indoor sports facility, and Ruatoria stalwart Hughie Hughes has retired at 90 after 70 years running shop. 

Doctors warning of crisis at Gisborne hospital say it's demoralising to reach out for help only to be told there is no crisis. A group of more than 30 Tairawhiti doctors wrote to the government last month saying some hospital services are on the brink of collapse and about 40 percent of senior positions are vacant. They wrote last year too but say things have got even worse. Senior doctor at Gisborne Hopsital Alex Raines spoke to Lisa Owen.

More than two years ago, Cyclone Gabrielle washed thousands of logs and wood waste from forestry into Gisborne and surrounding areas. Now the Tai Rāwhiti region is tackling the problem by attempting to turn 100,000 hectares of forestry and pastural land back into native bush. Tai Rāwhiti-Hawke's Bay reporter Alexa Cook has more.

Tairawhiti doctors are warning some Gisborne Hospital services are on the brink of collapse and without an influx of doctors in the next four weeks could be forced to shut down. Last week, the head of pediatrics there told Checkpoint he has just half the Doctors he should and the relentless workload is taking a personal toll on people. Dr Fergus Aitcheson from Gisborne's Three Rivers Medical Centre spoke to Lisa Owen.

Doctors in Tairawhiti are warning some hospital services are on the brink of collapse, with about 40 percent of senior positions vacant across the board. Last year, dozens of senior clinicians warned the government about the looming crisis, and have written to the Prime Minister saying it's got even worse. Shaun Grant, the head of pediatrics at Gisborne Hospital spoke to Lisa Owen.

Sky TV is finally switching to a new satellite after months of customers complaining about poor reception. The changeover will happen in the week starting 14 April, but some customers in Northland, Gisborne, Southland and the East Cape will need to replace their rooftop dishes beforehand. How many customers will need to have replacements? Sky TV Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Chris Major talks to Ryan Bridge. LISTEN ABOVE.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Health Minister's confident two of the Government targets will improve this year. Health New Zealand data shows child vaccinations, cancer treatment times, and ED stay lengths have improved, but wait times for elective treatments and first specialist assessments have lengthened. Simeon Brown told Mike Hosking the wait times are of particular concern. He says the targets are in place to highlight these issues, and more money is being allocated to facilitate. Brown told Hosking the elective boost aims to ease the situation by outsourcing electives to the private sector, and $50 million has been allocated to the boost. The Health Minister also says problems at Gisborne and Nelson hospitals are being addressed. Gisborne's facing critical staff shortages, while senior staff have spoken out with concerns about the level of care in Nelson. Health New Zealand staff are now in Nelson, putting a plan together with local clinicians, while in Gisborne, jobs are being recruited for. Brown says there are challenges at both hospitals, and solutions are on the way. He says some unions are trying to make a lot of noise and is asking them to work with Health New Zealand. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While much has been made of Wellington's job cuts, it's Northland that consistently has the highest proportion of its population on unemployment benefits. In February, 11 percent of the working age population was receiving Jobseeker Support alone. That's well ahead of the next highest region, Gisborne, at 9.4 percent. So what's going on at the top of the country? Money correspondent Susan Edmunds went to find out.

The Police Deputy Commissioner says staff are pleasantly surprised at the effectiveness of banning gang patches. Rival gang tensions in Gisborne mean officers have just been given extra powers to search and impound vehicles and seize weapons, following eight incidents in a week. Tania Kura told Mike Hosking the gang patch ban has been really good for them. She says it's brought more control to the situation, with staff admitting it's probably gone better than they thought. However, Kura says this doesn't mean they can rest on their laurels either. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour's admitted the gang patch ban hasn't turned out as badly as they feared. The Deputy Police Commissioner has confirmed staff are pleasantly surprised at the ban's effectiveness, saying it's brought more control to the situation. It comes as Gisborne police are given more powers to deal with gangs. Labour police spokesperson Ginny Andersen told Mike Hosking the fact it's gone well is a good thing. She says given fears haven't eventuated of frontline officers getting hurt, she can recognise it's gone better than everyone thought it would. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In South Wairarapa, two men will be in court on Monday, charged with murder of a man in Featherston on Saturday afternoon. Also on Saturday a house was shot at in Gisborne, and in the afternoon a 19-year-old was arrested for a gun related offence in Palmerston North. Gisborne mayor Rehette Stoltz and Carterton mayor Ron Mark spoke to Corin Dann.

On today's episode, "Nothing is going to stop us now." That's how New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters wrapped up his State of the Nation speech in Christchurch on Sunday, despite facing seven interruptions from hecklers, dying children may not be getting the end-of-life care they deserve while the country's only publicly funded paediatric palliative care specialist is on extended leave, in South Wairarapa, two men will be in court on Monday, charged with murder of a man in Featherston on Saturday afternoon. Also on Saturday a house was shot at in Gisborne, and in the afternoon a 19-year-old was arrested for a gun related offence in Palmerston North, the All Whites are one win away from booking their place at next year's FIFA World Cup in North and Central America, and we cross the Tasman to get the latest from Kerry-Anne Walsh.

Life in the Peloton is proudly brought to you by MAAP Well, guys, if you enjoyed part 1 of my epic trip across to New Zealand then get yourself a cold one, sit back, relax, and get ready to enjoy the second part of the story. If you didn't catch part 1 earlier this week then make sure you go back and listen to that first. We pick up the journey at the start of day 3, and head straight to the iconic Waihau bay. This stunning area was made famous by Taika Waititi's film ‘Boy', and oh man was it special; what a way to kick off the second half of the trip. After some delicious home made ice cream at the Pacific Coast Macadamia Store we cracked on down the coast. I bumped into a fella called Giles who was undertaking a similar bikepacking trip with his son, and we cracked open a few Gizzy Golds and yarned into the evening.  Heading back down the coast towards Gisborne we took in more stunning views, and surveyed the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle that struck the region back in 2023. Still in the cleanup stages, it's clear to see how the disaster decimated the land and the sea, but the way the Māori people have rallied around each other and is really heartening, and left us all feeling pretty inspired.  What better way to wrap up a trip through some of the hottest surfing on the planet than with a quick lesson? I was taken out into the water with legendary local surfer, Holly Quinn, who showed me how to master the waves and helped me get up. We sealed off the adventure by visiting Sunshine brewery; the home of the iconic Gizzy Gold which I'd become so familiar with over the week. Honestly, guys, if you ever get the chance to head out to the North West coast of the North Island and explore Gisborne and the surrounding area - jump on it; you won't regret it.  I hope you really enjoyed listening to these two eps; I had an amazing time and I'm really grateful to Tairāwhiti Gisborne - the Gisborne Tourism Board - for making it happen. If you want to read more about my trip and see some of the incredible pictures, check out this cracking feature by our friends at FLOW MOUNTAIN BIKE.  Cheers, Mitch!   Chapters 00:00:00 - Introduction & Recap 00:02:21 - Day Three Begins: Waihau Bay & Movie Locations 00:12:54 - Macadamia Farm & Local Treats 00:14:55 - Coastal Riding & Māori Cultural Insights 00:20:41 - Bikepacking Father & Son Duo 00:34:13 - East Cape Lighthouse & The First Sunrise 00:49:08 - Famous Café 35 & Power Pies 01:02:15 - Māori Facial Tattoos (Moko Kauae) & Cultural Significance 01:05:07 - Final Stretch Back to Gisborne ----more---- This episode is brought to you by our friends over at NordVPN. For a huge discount on your plan plus 4 additional on top head over to nordvpn.com/pelosurf. The Life in the Peloton book is OUT NOW! Get your copy now exclusively at maap.cc! Can't wait for you to read it.

Life in the Peloton is proudly brought to you by MAAP G'day guys, I'm back with another ep of Life In The Peloton; and this one's a little bit different. Earlier this month, I was invited out to a little town called Gisborne over on the East Coast of New Zealand's North Island for a bikepacking adventure.  Gisborne Tourism gave me a call and wanted to see if I'd come over for 5 days of bike riding, soaking in the Māori culture, and - of course - enjoying a few cleansing ales with some local legends and finding out more about the region; naturally, I jumped at the chance and hopped on a plane over to NZ.  This hidden gem is on the South East coast of the North Island, and loosely follows the infamous Highway 35. Gisborne is a pretty remote area. It's raw, and refreshing - really back to basics. There are a lot of indigenous Māori living off the land out there respecting the natural environment just like their ancestors have done for generations. It's totally different to anywhere I've been before, and it was really powerful and inspiring to learn more about their culture and experience the landscape by bike. 550km over 5 days, this trip was hard enough without being too hard, if you know what I mean. We cruised on the bikes and took in all the sights, sounds, and smells of Gisborne along the way. We checked out some super cool spots; including the Eastwoodhill National Arboretum, some ridiculous beautiful waterfalls and wild swimming spots, and - of course - some world class gravel riding. I couldn't turn down this opportunity - to be invited out to a place I've always wanted to explore was too good to miss. This ep is actually part 1 of a 2 parter - so much happened on the trip I couldn't contain it into 1 episode, so I'm treating you guys to a double! Keep your eyes peeled for episode 2 dropping at the end of this week. If you want to read more about my trip, check out this cracking feature by our friends at FLOW MOUNTAIN BIKE.    Cheers! Mitch   Chapters 00:00 - Introduction & Setting the Scene 02:15 - Flying into Gisborne & First Impressions 07:30 - The Māori Connection & Cultural Insights 18:10 - The Bikepacking Route & The First Ride 25:05 - Eastwoodhill Arboretum: A Hidden Gem 39:06 - Waterfalls & Wild Swimming 42:00 - Arrival in Motu: End of Day 1 46:00 - Looking Ahead to Day 2 ----more---- The Life in the Peloton book is OUT NOW! Get your copy now exclusively at maap.cc! Can't wait for you to read it.

Could Labour’s agriculture spokeswoman be the next Minister of Agriculture if Chris Hipkins sleepwalks to victory in 2026? Why is she speaking out about the Gene Tech Bill? And why has she moved to Gisborne?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A menu of mishaps means the government's school lunch provider is now facing new performance measures, including providing daily evidence of what it's serving up. Food Safety is investigating the revamped lunch programme after a Gisborne student received second-degree burns from a Wattie's cottage pie meal that splashed on their leg. The agency has ordered the School Lunch collective to immediately stop serving the pre-made meals. Louise Ternouth reports.

Life's toughest moments often push us toward our greatest transformations. In this episode, Lesley and Brad dive into Lesley's insightful conversation with Stephan Neff, a doctor, author, and podcast host who shares his personal journey through trauma, addiction, and self-discovery. Learn how challenges can reveal your purpose, why taking messy action is key to growth, and how a simple self-hug can shift your mindset.If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to LesleyLogan.co/podcast. If you have any comments or questions about the Be It pod shoot us a message at beit@lesleylogan.co. And as always, if you're enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at LesleyLogan.co/subscribe.In this episode you will learn about:How trauma and adversity can push you toward personal transformationThe importance of taking action even when it feels hardStephan's journey of loss, grief, and self-discoveryThe power of daily practices like journaling and gratitudeHow a simple self-hug can create a sense of self-acceptance and healingEpisode References/Links:Cambodia October 2025 Waitlist - https://crowsnestretreats.com Spring Pilates Training - https://opc.me/eventsPilates Studio Growth Accelerator - https://prfit.biz/acceleratorAccessories Flashcards Waitlist - https://opc.me/flashcardwaitlistStephan Neff Website - https://www.neffinspiration.comSteps to Sobriety by Stephan Neff - https://a.co/d/hHY4w9PDepression Lied To Me by Stephan Neff - https://a.co/d/7s6Ddg0Neff Inspiration Podcast - https://stephanneff.podbean.comStephan Neff YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@neffinspirationStephan Neff Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/neffinspirationStephan Neff Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/neffinspirationStephan Neff LinkedIn - https://beitpod.com/neffonlinkedinEpisode 167: Alan Stein Jr. - https://beitpod.com/ep167 If you enjoyed this episode, make sure and give us a five star rating and leave us a review on iTunes, Podcast Addict, Podchaser or Castbox.DEALS! DEALS! DEALS! DEALS!Check out all our Preferred Vendors & Special Deals from Clair Sparrow, Sensate, Lyfefuel BeeKeeper's Naturals, Sauna Space, HigherDose, AG1 and ToeSoxBe in the know with all the workshops at OPCBe It Till You See It Podcast SurveyBe a part of Lesley's Pilates MentorshipFREE Ditching Busy Webinar Resources:Watch the Be It Till You See It podcast on YouTube!Lesley Logan websiteBe It Till You See It PodcastOnline Pilates Classes by Lesley LoganOnline Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan on YouTubeProfitable Pilates Follow Us on Social Media:InstagramThe Be It Till You See It Podcast YouTube channelFacebookLinkedInThe OPC YouTube Channel Episode Transcript:Lesley Logan 0:00  By going through trauma and being forced to change, you get outside of your comfort zone. You get to experience fear. And he was sharing that he had a successful life at the Big House, the wife and kids, and on the inside, he was just not a happy person. Welcome to the Be It Till You See It podcast where we talk about taking messy action, knowing that perfect is boring. I'm Lesley Logan, Pilates instructor and fitness business coach. I've trained thousands of people around the world and the number one thing I see stopping people from achieving anything is self-doubt. My friends, action brings clarity and it's the antidote to fear. Each week, my guest will bring bold, executable, intrinsic and targeted steps that you can use to put yourself first and Be It Till You See It. It's a practice, not a perfect. Let's get started.Welcome back to the Be It Till You See It interview recap where my co-host in life, Brad, and I are going to dig into the evolving convo I have with Stephan Neff in our last episode. If you haven't yet listened to that interview, make sure you do after you listen to this one, because it's great. Stephan is really cool, and he's got that New Zealand accent, which is, you know, if you're in the Western world, it's kind of nice. I guess that's the Western world as well. If you're in the United States, an accent is nice. It's, you know, it's different than mine. So anyways, today is March 6th 2025 and it's the Day of the Dude. Brad Crowell 1:26  The Day of the Dude. Lesley Logan 1:27  The Day of the Dude is celebrated on March 6th every year to commemorate the North American release of the movie The Big Lebowski in 1998. The movie portrays a protagonist with a laid back attitude to life, who chooses simplicity, peace and happiness. The idea is to enjoy life's little moments, such as bowling or drinking with some friends. The holiday looks to promote ease and simplicity in society. Being able to easily let things go and go with the flow is big part of the lifestyle. The lifestyle portrayed in the movie inspired the birth of the religion philosophy, known as “Dudeism.” Brad Crowell 2:03  Dudeism.Lesley Logan 2:04  And so you know what, guys, I think we all need to just sit back, go bowl, drink with some friends, and just have a day where you just relax a little bit. I didn't really get the movie. I think that's because I can't relax very well. So I think maybe this is my Day of the Dude. It's Jeff Bridges. And who doesn't love John Goodman?Brad Crowell 2:22  And Steve Buscemi. I mean, it's amazing. Lesley Logan 2:24  Julianne Moore, Sam Elliott, John Turturro. Huge cast, amazing cast. Brad Crowell 2:30  Pretty fantastic. Lesley Logan 2:31  You know. So I think we saw this at the cemetery. We saw The Big Lebowski at the cemetery. Brad Crowell 2:35  Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's the cemetery.Lesley Logan 2:36  The one and only time I've ever seen The Big Lebowski. But anyways, my loves part of being it until you see it is resting and relaxing. If you cannot, just have some moments where you go with the flow. Take the Day of the Dude as a reminder to, you know, find some simple ways to enjoy life. Brad Crowell 2:52  So hey, we just got back from Cambodia. Lesley Logan 2:54  We did. A couple days ago. Brad Crowell 2:56  It was an amazing trip. We got a chance to hang with some friends who we basically consider family at this point. Take a bunch of people around to see some of our favorite spots, literally in the world, and we want you to join us on our next trip. Come this October 2025 to see our house and see the life that we've built over there, that we welcome you to stay at our place and tour the temples, do some Pilates, meet some elephants. All the things. Go to crowsnestretreats.com crowsnestretreats.com and in a couple ofweeks.Lesley Logan 3:28  Not even a couple of weeks, I think we're, like, about a week-ish, oh, from this coming out, we're on the, we're probably in Denver at this point. Brad Crowell 3:36  Actually, we may be at P.O.T. Lesley Logan 3:38  We're definitely supposed to be rolling in tonight. Brad Crowell 3:41  Yeah. We're driving.Lesley Logan 3:41  So we're in the Aurora area with the van to see our Balanced Body peeps and our P.O.T. attendee people are here to have some fun. Brad Crowell 3:48  No dogs in this trip. Lesley Logan 3:49  No dogs. We're leaving them at home, mostly because.Brad Crowell 3:52  We're gonna be gone for like eight hours, 10 hours a day. It's tough.Lesley Logan 3:54  Yeah, also, easy, if we took one, not so easy if we take two. So no dogs, but we'll be there. Come say hi to us. March 18th to the 24th, the Accessories Flash Card Deck, the final deck, this is it, guys. It's the last one. It's being presaled. I guess that's now a burp on March 18th to the 24th it's going on presale, which means it'll be 30% off its original price. Doesn't mean it will ship to you the next day. It means you get to wait until it ships, but you get to get the best price. It, we do not do this discount again, and so we really, truly hope that you take advantage of it. So go to opc.me/flashcardwaitlist because only those on the waitlist will get the invite to get the discount. You will not see this on Instagram. You will not hear about here again. This is it. Then in April 27th through May 3rd, we have a week long spring training. Yes, our own version of a baseball event, but it's with Pilates, and it's with all the OPC teachers and myself. We've got 10 classes planned over seven days, all different time zone. Yes, there's a limited replay. Yes, it's going to be super affordable. And if you go to opc.me/events and get on the waitlist, you will get invited to the early bird price, which is basically stealing this, this amazing event. And if you're OPC member, it's free, but opc.me/events is the wait list for the early bird price. Brad Crowell 5:11  Yeah. And if you are taking money from a client at all in any way, shape or form, that makes you a business owner, congratulations. Even if you don't see yourself as that, you know, even if it's like a side hobby kind of a thing. Technically, you still are a business owner, and I have a free webinar for you that's called the Accelerator webinar. Come join me at prfit.biz/accelerator, where I'm going to be revealing the three biggest secrets that Lesley and I've learned from coaching more than 2500 businesses just like yours over the past seven years through Agency, our coaching program. So join me at prfit.biz/accelerator. That's profit without the O dot biz slash accelerator. Lesley Logan 5:49  Doesn't that word just make you want to go because it's accelerator. Before we get into Stephan Neff's interview, we have an audience question. Brad Crowell 5:58  Yes, we do. Kara Dowd says, hey, I listened to the podcast. I'm hoping for nuggets of wisdom here, as I am an instructor, wondering the big question of whether I should make the transition to a studio owner. Either way, it's a great podcast. Well, I hope so. What if we told you no, okay, I would still be a good podcast. I'm teasing. Well, thank you for saying that. It's very kind, and we are really glad that you listen. And this is a great question that is really tough for us to answer, because there's a lot of factors involved. That's actually, literally why I host this webinar that we were just talking about. So if you haven't done it yet, Kara, you totally should join me on the Accelerator, where we're talking about, how do we create the right plan for you with your business, because Kara, you have your own goals and your own dreams, and you, choosing to open a studio, it's not like there is one path that you have to take in this career. Every single business owner that we work with has their own desires, their own vision for their business, and we help you sculpt and create that path that allows you to enjoy your business. Because what if you didn't want to open a studio and have the stress of paying rent, and maybe you even have a team and all that's like, what if you're like, why am I doing this? I just want to teach out of my house. You don't need to go open a studio, but you also could, if that was what you wanted to do. Lesley Logan 7:18  But also you could have a studio in an office building, like where the rent is something you could pay in a week of teaching, and so you have the other three weeks for profit and taxes. And because it's in an office building, it's really safe. You don't need anyone else. If you can get the systems in place, you can run it by yourself, like I had a studio by myself. And then our goals changed, and so that studio had to change. My teacher, who I take from, he is solo. So he went from being a renter to actually just open up his own space and doing it himself. So the big transition is, how big is it? It depends. We already have all this equipment. So if we were to transition to a brick and mortar, the big expense is really going to be the building. What do we have to do there? Are we going to buy it? Are we going to just curate it? Are we just going to paint the wall? What are we going to do? So what I would say is actually ask yourself, okay, I have a studio. What does it look like? And make sure you're not picturing someone else's studio. What does your studio look like right now? Like, if I'm picturing, like, what's in our future studio? Like I told Brad, if we're gonna do this again, I really want to have those garage door window doors, for whatever reason I like the idea of an old mechanic shop or some sort of, like old building that looks like it was something else, but now it's this, and I want the higher ceilings. I didn't have high ceilings before. So picture that, and then ask yourself, Is this a studio you are doing by yourself? By the way, you guys, we help people all the time, work by themselves with their own studio, making the money they want to make, and having no extra teacher help. Or do you want to have a big class? Do you like leading people? Do you like managing people? So we can't answer this question on here because we don't know enough about you and what your goals are. And as coaches, one of the things that we're so proud of at Agency is that we actually coach you based on your goals. So we've coached thousands of studios and teachers around the world. And yes, some of the studios have a similar business model, but they all have different goals, and so how they approach what they're doing next depends on that. And so we can't give you a specific answer to your question, but I hope that helps you manifest what you got and then come to the Accelerator event so you can get to know us more and see if we can support you.Brad Crowell 9:19  Yeah, absolutely. Well, stick around. We'll be right back, because we're going to dig in some amazing action items from Stephan Neff. We'll be right back. All right. Now, let's talk about Stephan Neff. He actually says his name, Stefan with the S-C-H-T. Stephan, and I was like, that's really cool. So Stephan Neff is an anesthetist. He's the author of My Steps to Sobriety. He's a speaker, and he's the host of the Neff Inspiration podcast and YouTube channel. With expertise as a functional medicine specialist, a life coach and yoga instructor, Stephan combines his personal journey with professional insights to help others heal from trauma and addiction. Through radical compassion, mindfulness and proven clinical strategies, he empowers people to build emotional resilience and embrace lifelong wellbeing. Lesley Logan 10:10  But he's just so vulnerable. Brad Crowell 10:12  Yes, he really was. Lesley Logan 10:13  And not in like a vulnerable trauma dumping way, like a vulnerable here's what I did, here's how I fucked up, and here's what I learned from it, and here's how I'm changing my life, and here's how you can.Brad Crowell 10:23  Don't be a trauma dumper. Lesley Logan 10:24  People. Well, you know what? Brene Brown in her book talked about vulnerability and shame, right? And she said vulnerability is not like telling everyone, like, all this stuff until they run away from you. So some people. Brad Crowell 10:34  Yeah, then it becomes like a defense mechanism. Lesley Logan 10:37  Lay their stuff on you and see if you run away. His was like, I found myself going, oh my God. How did you get out of that? Oh my God.Brad Crowell 10:43  Yeah, because I think it was within the last three years that. Lesley Logan 10:46  His whole life changed. Brad Crowell 10:47  Yeah, he crashed. Lesley Logan 10:48  I think it's been longer than that, but he's had more changes since then. And so anyways, he said by going through trauma and being forced to change, you get outside of your comfort zone. You get to experience fear. And he was sharing that he had a successful life with a big house, a wife and kids, and on the inside, he was just not a happy person, and he had these unresolved needs, especially in relationships, and he had unhappiness. And then he said, because you are searching for this purpose in your life, you have not yet found and so he basically talked about, when you have these things happen to you, it forces you to actually go figure out your purpose, because you haven't found it yet, until you're kind of in the wrong place. And you know, we've talked about this before on the podcast, taking away someone else's rock bottom is like a terrible thing to do, because they often need it, you know, they need a lesson, or they need the thing so that they can step into the next iteration of themselves. Brad Crowell 11:38  You know, a reflection point. Lesley Logan 11:39  Not that I'm saying that every bad thing that happens to you just go with it, because it's going to be not like the dude, it sucks when these things happen, but also that hardship and pain you go through, you can learn from it. You can discover what you're here to do on this planet from that information and take it on. And it doesn't have to become your story. It becomes part of the story that you're leading.Brad Crowell 11:59  Yeah, it was an intriguing conversation, because definitely, he's very willing to share the experience that he's gone through. He also has written a whole bunch of books, which is pretty cool too. I mean, the dude's a doctor, right? So he likes to write, apparently. The Day of the Dude. We're just gonna see how (inaudible)The Dude is the doctor.Lesley Logan 12:15  The Dude and everything is The Dude. Brad Crowell 12:18  Well, look, this dude really loved what Stephan said. He said, you have to take action in order to live your life, and the harder it gets, the more action you have to take, which we could not agree with more. When you take messy action, it gives you clarity. It helps create that path that we were talking about. He shared when he lost his wife of 27 years, he never allowed himself to feel loss and grief. He didn't allow himself to feel it. And that was not a win. That was like, he was like, oh, wow, okay. And he just kind of bottled it up. And then he said, actually, the thing that triggered it, that tripped it for him, was a song. And he said, suddenly he was like overwhelmed and overcome by the loss and grief that he experienced, and it really was powerful. He said, despite taking many of the right actions, he had neglected to address those deep emotions. And then with that song, he said it was so beautiful to cry, it was so beautiful to feel whole again because, yes, I can feel whole again even after that loss. I can definitely understand that. Thinking back through my divorce, I remember doubting myself thinking, oh, well, I had my shot. I fucked it up. I guess that was it. He's arguing. No, I can feel whole again. Despite this, he also shared many daily practices of journaling. He said those things that I took for granted, you know, they become my wins. They become my wins list. And this is something we've talked about in the past all the way back at the very beginning of this podcast, where we think it is so important to keep a log of the things that are a win in your life, because it's so easy for us to just focus on beating ourselves up and holding these things. I did this. I did that. I hate myself for this and all this stuff, but we never pull out that card and go but despite all these negative emotions that I have that I'm telling myself, all of these other positive things have happened in my life, so it's so helpful to have a journal of those wins. Lesley Logan 14:16  Yeah, I hope people do it. I just want, we want to. I just want wins to happen all the time. Brad Crowell 14:21  You never know when you're gonna need to read that. Lesley and I, we have been encouraging our clients to post their wins. People feel when they first come into our coaching group, they always feel awkward about it, because it feels like you're bragging, right, and you're sharing it to a bunch of people who you don't know. So are you bragging? Right? But the reality is, it has become the most popular channel in our entire group, because you go there and you just feel that things are possible when you read about this amazing things that have happened for other people in other people's life, because they're taking messy action, because they're trying to figure their way through and then amazing things are happening. It's just so inspiring. So you can even inspire yourself. Lesley Logan 15:05  All the way back to Episode Five. We had someone who was talking about how she, like, kept track at the end of her day about her wins. And then we had Alan Stein Jr. somewhere around episode 100-something, and he talked about how at the end of every day he asked himself, what were his wins for the day, and so this podcast celebrates him on Friday. But, my goodness, can you figure out a way to celebrate every day? What did you do? Like, I washed my hair today. Brad Crowell 15:29  That's a win. Lesley Logan 15:29  That's a win. I'm telling you. I have been putting it off for three days. Brad Crowell 15:33  I did mine last night. Lesley Logan 15:34  Yeah, you look so good. You know what? Stop making it difficult to achieve a win in your life, because otherwise, life is already just hard.Brad Crowell 15:42  Yeah, graduating from college, that's definitely a win, no question about it. But it takes years to get to that point when you can finally say, I graduated, right? There are smaller wins along the way that you can definitely take note of.Lesley Logan 15:53  My senior year, one of the counselors used to have a dry erase board that they showed out their window and how I had to walk to class I don't pass this thing. Brad Crowell 16:00  They put a message on it? Lesley Logan 16:01  They put a message on it, and one day it said, every class, every day. And that was like our mantra, to show up to every class every day. We're like, we can do it. Every class, every day. And every day that we went to every class, we're like, oh, let's go get a latte we did it. So Brad, did you know I cut class? I knew exactly how many classes I could miss in a school year to still graduate with my honor. So I was like, I can miss this third period because I haven't missed it in a while, and I can. So anyways, figure out what the wins can be and make them small and achievable so that you actually start to give yourself the confidence. And I love that Stephan shared that with us, because I think we need that reminder. Brad Crowell 16:38  Yeah, all right, so finally, let's talk about those, Be It Action Items. What bold, executable, intrinsic or targeted action items can we take away from your conversation with Stephan Neff? He explained, for many, gratitude does not come naturally. He said it's a practice, so it's a privilege to be here, be grateful, and practice that. It's a privilege. Then he said the most important bit is to finally stop for a moment and actually try to figure out who you want to be when you grow up. Lesley Logan 17:06  I know, and we're all still growing up, but we're 42 I know someone who's 62 and I was like, oh, that's I have so much time between now and then. Who do I want to be by then? I think it's cool. Brad Crowell 17:15  He said, create that dream in your mind who you actually want to be when you grow up. Change your dream to a vision by becoming very, very, very, very clear. Once you've nailed it down, go to that next feature until your dream has become a very clear vision. Lesley Logan 17:28  I can still hear his lovely accent saying, he's saying that he's so passionate about each of these Be It Action Items. He was so like into this whole section. Brad Crowell 17:35  I know you said New Zealand. I swear I thought he was from Germany. Lesley Logan 17:38  No, he's New Zealand. Brad Crowell 17:39  He's in New Zealand. He mentioned Germany. Lesley Logan 17:42  I know. I'm quite positive because of the time difference. It was like a whole different day. Brad Crowell 17:48  Okay, well, oh yeah, you know what, you mentioned, I think he was traveling to Gisborne. You did mention Gisborne. Lesley Logan 17:57  Gisborne. Brad Crowell 17:58  Gisborne, I don't know how to say it. Lesley Logan 18:00  Gisborne. I don't think the R is as emphasized as we do it. Brad Crowell 18:06  Emphasized.Lesley Logan 18:06  So anyways, emphasized. Brad Crowell 18:07  Yes, it's the place that they have the first light of the day every day. What about you? Let's get back to our Be It Action Items here. Lesley Logan 18:15  My biggest takeaway was give yourself a hug and spend 15 seconds with yourself after. So, let's do that.Brad Crowell 18:23  Yeah, let's do it right now. Lesley Logan 18:24  Close your eyes.Brad Crowell 18:25  So his hug was like, pretend you can bear hug yourself. So the biggest wrap around your shoulders that you could possibly do, and we're closing our eyes and we're going to do 15 seconds here. Lesley Logan 18:35  Squeeze hard as you can and tell yourself I love you. So, ready? Squeeze. I love you. I love you. 1001, 1002, 1003, do we hug? Do we stop hugging after 15 seconds? Or do we hug and then we spend 15 seconds?Brad Crowell 18:49  Just hug yourself. Lesley Logan 18:50  Okay, well, I'm trying to. Brad Crowell 18:51  Just hug. Just hug. Two, one, awesome. He said he's super good. He's known for giving bear hugs to his friends, but he realized he never gives a bear hug to himself, and I just got chills. I literally just got chills right now. Lesley Logan 19:08  I feel so good. I feel like I could end the day. It feels amazing. So. Brad Crowell 19:12  He said accept who you are, squeeze as hard as you can and tell yourself I love you.Lesley Logan 19:16  Okay, everyone, let us know if you gave yourself a hug. Make sure to tag Stephan. Tag the Be It Pod. I'm Lesley Logan. Brad Crowell 19:22  And I'm Brad Crowell. Lesley Logan 19:23  Thank you so much for listening to us today. Thank you so much for sharing our podcast with your friends. Thank you for your reviews. They really mean the world to us. And make sure that you share your wins with us. You can start celebrating your wins by sending it to us. Brad Crowell 19:36  Yeah, text us. Lesley Logan 19:37  Yeah, that's exactly, or DM us or whatever, you know how to do it. We'll figure it out. And until next time, Be It Till You See It. Brad Crowell 19:43  Bye for now. Lesley Logan 19:45  That's all I got for this episode of the Be It Till You See It Podcast. One thing that would help both myself and future listeners is for you to rate the show and leave a review and follow or subscribe for free wherever you listen to your podcast. Also, make sure to introduce yourself over at the Be It Pod on Instagram. I would love to know more about you. Share this episode with whoever you think needs to hear it. Help us and others Be It Till You See It. Have an awesome day. Be It Till You See It is a production of The Bloom Podcast Network. If you want to leave us a message or a question that we might read on another episode, you can text us at +1-310-905-5534 or send a DM on Instagram @BeItPod.Brad Crowell 20:28  It's written, filmed, and recorded by your host, Lesley Logan, and me, Brad Crowell.Lesley Logan 20:33  It is transcribed, produced and edited by the epic team at Disenyo.co.Brad Crowell 20:37  Our theme music is by Ali at Apex Production Music and our branding by designer and artist, Gianfranco Cioffi.Lesley Logan 20:44  Special thanks to Melissa Solomon for creating our visuals.Brad Crowell 20:47  Also to Angelina Herico for adding all of our content to our website. And finally to Meridith Root for keeping us all on point and on time. Transcribed by https://otter.aiSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/be-it-till-you-see-it/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

New Zealand Food Safety is widening its investigation into how a Gisborne student was burned by a hot school lunch. Haeata Community Campus in Christchurch principal Peggy Burrows spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

A school lunch so hot it gave a Gisborne student second degree burns has resulted in a widened food safety investigation into lunch provider Compass. Ilminster Intermediate School principal Jonathan Poole spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

On today's episode, Health Minister Simeon Brown has come under criticism for ditching a bowel screening programme for Maori and Pasifika that started at age 50, a school lunch so hot it gave a Gisborne student 3rd degree burns has resulted in a widened food safety investigation into lunch provider Compass, the national Pipe Band Championships get underway in Invercargill with 57 pipe bands from New Zealand and Australia competing, we have our weekly Political Panel and we cross the Tasman to get the latest from Kerry-Anne Walsh.

Are you truly aware of the addictions shaping your daily life? Dr. Stephan Neff joins Lesley Logan to explore the hidden addictions we all face, from social media scrolling to workaholism, and how they impact our emotions, identity, and self-worth. In this raw and insightful conversation, Stephan shares his personal journey of addiction recovery, trauma healing, and radical self-compassion. Learn practical steps to regulate emotions, embrace grief, and redefine your identity beyond societal labels.If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to LesleyLogan.co/podcast. If you have any comments or questions about the Be It pod shoot us a message at beit@lesleylogan.co. And as always, if you're enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at LesleyLogan.co/subscribe.In this episode you will learn about:The hidden addictions we all face and their impact on emotional well-being.The challenges of identity loss after major life changes and the journey to rediscovering self-worth.The importance of grief, how it manifests beyond loss, and why allowing yourself to feel is essential for healing.Practical self-compassion techniques to reframe negative thoughts.How taking intentional action and creating a clear vision can transform challenges into opportunities for growth. Episode References/Links:Stephan Neff Website - https://www.neffinspiration.comSteps to Sobriety by Stephan Neff - https://a.co/d/hHY4w9PDepression Lied To Me by Stephan Neff - https://a.co/d/7s6Ddg0Neff Inspiration Podcast - https://stephanneff.podbean.comStephan Neff YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@neffinspirationStephan Neff Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/neffinspirationStephan Neff Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/neffinspirationStephan Neff LinkedIn - https://beitpod.com/neffonlinkedinEsmee The Mindful Mouse - https://neffinspiration.com/booksGuest Bio:Stephan Neff is an anaesthetist, bestselling author, speaker and show host. After studying medicine in Heidelberg, Germany he travelled and worked in Europe and Australia before settling down with his family in beautiful New Zealand. As a pain physician, he developed a specific insight into human psychology. As a man trying to drown his sorrows, he found out the hard way that the critters can swim. But over the last ten years, he made every day a little bit better than yesterday. When he became intrigued about epigenetics, he started training in functional medicine. Once he experienced the power of breathwork he became a breath coach. Not willing to accept getting stiffer with age he became a flexibility coach. His desire to impact humans led him to become a life coach and hypnotherapist. He strongly believes that the past does not equal the future. By taking action in a consistent way, we can experience transformations beyond our wildest dreams. He shares this passion through his podcast and YouTube channel, and through social media (Stephan Neff / Neff Inspiration) There is so much more to Stephan than sobriety. Nevertheless, in his book “Steps to Sobriety” he shares the lessons he has learned as a doctor and as a man. Every addict can turn his life around, one little decision at a time. His books and his show explain how to do it. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure and give us a five star rating and leave us a review on iTunes, Podcast Addict, Podchaser or Castbox.DEALS! DEALS! DEALS! DEALS!Check out all our Preferred Vendors & Special Deals from Clair Sparrow, Sensate, Lyfefuel BeeKeeper's Naturals, Sauna Space, HigherDose, AG1 and ToeSoxBe in the know with all the workshops at OPCBe It Till You See It Podcast SurveyBe a part of Lesley's Pilates MentorshipFREE Ditching Busy Webinar Resources:Watch the Be It Till You See It podcast on YouTube!Lesley Logan websiteBe It Till You See It PodcastOnline Pilates Classes by Lesley LoganOnline Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan on YouTubeProfitable Pilates Follow Us on Social Media:InstagramThe Be It Till You See It Podcast YouTube channelFacebookLinkedInThe OPC YouTube Channel Episode Transcript:Stephan Neff 0:00  One in three people have got chemical addictions. One in three. How many people are scrolling for hours on their social media? These are all dopamine quick hits, your likes, your, whatever you post out there. Oh, look at me, I'm looking so good. That's all a heap of B.S. because ultimately, it's nothing else than a form of addiction.Lesley Logan 0:24  Welcome to the Be It Till You See It podcast where we talk about taking messy action, knowing that perfect is boring. I'm Lesley Logan, Pilates instructor and fitness business coach. I've trained thousands of people around the world and the number one thing I see stopping people from achieving anything is self-doubt. My friends, action brings clarity and it's the antidote to fear. Each week, my guest will bring bold, executable, intrinsic and targeted steps that you can use to put yourself first and Be It Till You See It. It's a practice, not a perfect. Let's get started.Lesley Logan 1:07  All right, loves, I'm so excited for today's episode. We had so much to talk about, so I'm gonna make this intro super quick and grab a pen, paper, because there are so many little nuggets of like, oh, I need to do that. Oh, I need to do that. And I think you'll really like it. So Stephan Neff is our guest toda. We are going to talk about all the ups and downs, trials, tribulations of losing a job, losing a marriage, changing your life, and then also, I just love when I ask people what they're excited about right now, because they can learn so much more, and truly, so many, be it action items in here for you. There's something for everyone. So, here you go. Lesley Logan 1:39  All right, Be It babe. I'm really excited that I get to have another conversation with our guest today. I've been on his amazing podcast, and now he's going to be here on mine. Stephan Neff, can you tell everyone who you are and what you rock at? Stephan Neff 1:49  Oh, thank you very much, Lesley, for giving me the privilege and the honor to be a guest on your show. I'm Stephan, I'm anesthetist. I'm a functional medicine specialist. I'm also a life coach. I'm a yoga instructor. I've got all kind of hats, like hypnotherapy and I've studied that. So I am addicted to becoming the best version of myself, and I've had many opportunities in my life to make choices that were not so great with hindsight, so I had more trauma than I would wish on my worst enemy, and in turn, I have investigated the effects of alcohol, of renzodiazepines, of sex, of a lot of coping mechanisms, food, for that matter. So workaholics, see, the moment I start talking, the more holics are coming to my mind. Because it's not just one escape mechanism. It's not just one thing that you try, you so dabble in many things. I was lucky because being in Germany, England, New Zealand, I was not exposed to various epidemics the United States have seen, and I was never really tempted by harder drugs that whatever, whoever is guiding here this game, they guided me away from those things. And for that, I need to be really, really grateful. However, I became a master escape artist with all the other things. And unfortunately, yes, they work for a little while, because they take away your pain, but ultimately they catch up with you and these demons, they are riding you deep inside. And again, I have been in situations which allowed me to grow so in other words, about 1011, years ago, I ended up in rehab that stopped my alcohol, and that was one of the best things that could have happened to me. Now, at the time, I was certainly not agreeing with that statement, but nowadays, I strongly believe every 18-year-old needed to be in rehab for a month. I think I would make that mandatory on actually, even before you go into college, even before, a 15-year-old, that's probably a better time to actually just learn about your emotions, learn about your feelings, learn about.Lesley Logan 4:24  What if there's a summer camp for emotions like, what if that's what everyone had to do at 15? I'm in. I think so, too, because it's true. I think most of the different addictions that we have are because we are unsure how to regulate or understand the emotions we're feeling, or we were not allowed to feel them, and so we don't know how to feel them, and so we figure out a different way to not feel. Workaholics get away with that addiction because, you know, except that they're annoying to their family, and their family's never to see them. It doesn't seem to be harmful. In air quotes. So unfortunately, the people who have. The addictions to alcohol and drugs, we look down on that like, oh, my God, how could they have let themselves get involved in those things? Stephan Neff 5:06  Which is ludicrous, Lesley, if you think about it, one in three people have got chemical addictions. One in three. How many people are scrolling for hours on their social media? These are all dopamine quick hits, your likes, your whatever you post out there. Oh, look at me. I'm looking so good. That's all a heap of B.S. because ultimately, it's nothing else than a form of addiction. Lesley Logan 5:33  Well, and it's also so hard because everything out there, there are lots of people who are helping your addiction along. So, you know, I mean, in the States, recently, we've heard about who was arrested in the Matthew Perry loss. And yes, he is addicted, and yes, he's the person who's like, doing the drugs and having been to multiple rehabs, and all these things, but the people around him that facilitated that addiction to continue, you know, and I'm not saying that if you'd switch people like that wouldn't happen with other people, but with your social media scrolling, they make sure you stay on. There's all these different things. And so I love the idea of a 15-year-old or an 18-year-old. My goodness, every so many years it's like we have to go do a CPR test every two years. Maybe you also have to just do a little check in on how are you regulating your emotions? Are you doing that? Because there's going to be times in your life where it's not going to go well, and you could be the best regulator in the world that need help. Stephan Neff 6:30  And but that is a privilege, and that is a something. I mean, gratitude is nowadays playing so much a role in my life due to the many traumas and the lessons I had to learn the hard way, and I'm very grateful for them nowadays, and you're so right, things don't end up in all peachy sort of Hollywood ending. It does not. I'm 58. Now, physically, emotionally, spiritually. I'm stronger than I have ever been in the last 30 years, probably emotionally, spiritually than ever in my life. Now, in reality, I have lost my job as an anesthetist. I'm going through a not nice divorce. My children have moved on in their own lives, and they are now overseas, far away, so I'm not getting the good old center support that maybe I deserve, want, need, and so there is a hard time here. But if there's one thing that I have had to learn, that I had the privilege to learn, is that there is a sense behind that suffering, and Viktor Frankl and many other far more clever people than me, before me have expressed that, and it is so hard, it sounds like a cliche. It sounds like something weird, but ultimately, it is a skill, just as much as you have a skill of maybe playing an instrument or going to the gym, being able to lift a certain amount of weight in a certain style, these are all skills that you have acquired. Now, I have acquired many of these skills, but also I have had to acquire some very powerful skills that allow me to regulate my emotions in a beautiful way. Indeed, going through the divorce and losing my job, losing my identity. I mean, I, who are you? I'm Dr. Neff von Stephan. I'm an anesthetist in blah, blah, there and there, well, take all that away. Who are you left with? And many men don't know that answer. They never ask themselves these answers until maybe trauma, physical trauma, stops them being the master carpenter or the mechanic or whatever they identify themselves. I've had so many soldiers on my show who were top alpha predators, and then were on the receiving end of a machine gun. And then, surprise, surprise, their body was no longer alpha. Theirs was not even omega. It was a heap of minced meat. And then, who are they? Lesley Logan 9:16  Who are you? Yeah. Stephan Neff 9:17  And so many men and women suffer from that, and I had the privilege of repeated traumas that forced me to ask those questions and come up with answers, solutions and the right steps forward.Lesley Logan 9:32  Yeah, many years ago, someone said you can't take someone's rock bottom away, right? And because you're trying to help people, and sometimes we're trying to help people. Of course, we should all be helpful, but sometimes people go into their own detriment trying to help someone, trying to make someone better, or see the light or take something away, and it's like some of those rock bottoms are exactly the thing they need to go through so they can learn who they are, so they can handle the next thing. Because I'm sorry to hear about all of those things. It sounds like there is like one and then a space between, and then another. And it sounds like because of one, you might be able to actually handle the next one. Like the divorce is awful, but because you learned how to regulate and feel your emotions and talk about who you are and go through those things, was that helpful when the divorce happened? Or am I, were they all at one time?Stephan Neff 10:22  No, sometimes you wonder if the gods out there in the pantheon are just sitting there and thinking, Stephan, he's doing far too well. What shall we throw at him? And then everyone pikes up. Ah, monkey pox. No, no, no. Divorce. Around with the children. They say, you know what we do, all of them at the same time. Yeah, see how it copes.Lesley Logan 10:43  Oh, my God. Are you watching, I don't know if you have it in New Zealand, there is a show on Netflix called Chaos. It's about the gods. If you can get it, it is worthwhile, because that is exactly what they're doing.Stephan Neff 11:01  I'm sure some writer had a dream about me, and thought, oh, I we're gonna make that show. I want some royalties here. Lesley Logan 11:09  Yeah, yeah.Stephan Neff 11:10  But there's this, shit will happen, and I ended up in quite a dark space over the end of last year and start of this year, and when I did some courses which forced me to live with my emotions, some radical compassion courses, things like that, where I had to learn how to really live with my emotions, not just run away from them, but actually be there, feel them, pour oil onto the fire and be there, feel it, and then afterwards, learn how to calm down and learn how to nurture myself. It was so beautiful. It was one of the hardest courses I've ever done, but that was what allowed me to be here and speak to you today. Many a times, when I thought, well, is my life really worthwhile? I'm fat, ugly, I'm a failure. You know, all these kind of I ams that are coming up, these voices? Now, fact is, we all have got about 80,000 thereabouts thoughts every day. Of these 80,000 about 80% are negative, and mine had a volume cranked up to max. Now we all have them, and that is a problem, because this is all a heap of B.S. that your body is telling you, either focusing far too much onto the history which is gone. You should learn from your mistakes. You should learn from history to prevent making the same mistakes again. You could talk now into politics big time in your country, but we won't go there. Stephan Neff 11:11  Stephan, trust me, every day, I'm like these people need to fucking read a history book. What is happening here? But here's the deal. Then we have talked about education in this country, and that's another mountain to climb, so.Stephan Neff 12:59  Exactly. I think the same applies for us as human beings. Never forget where you came from. Never forget the lessons from the past, but do not relive the hardships or the sadness, unless you need a relief valve. I, oh my God, end of last year, I went to a counselor, just because, you know, that's really the clever thing to do, because these people sort of can see what you're saying, can listen to you, and can also listen to what you're not saying.Lesley Logan 13:41  Yeah, they're talented. So great.Stephan Neff 13:46  So I had this wonderful woman, which I knew. So I said, like, you know that's what I'm going through. And she said, wow, okay, so how is your loss and grief? I said, which loss and grief? I didn't lose anyone? And she just looked at me, you just lost your wife of 27 years. I thought, huh, okay. And so there was a loss and grief, but I never allowed myself to feel that, and it was interesting for me that a song recently triggered me, and that was absolutely amazing, because that song allowed me suddenly to cry, to really sob, snot, tears, you know, you name it, it came out, but it took me the better part of what, eight months, what is it now? September. That was only really in August. So we're talking 10 months, really, in which I was the stoic survivor, in which I did what I had to do. And that's one of the key things. You have to take action in order to live your life. And the harder it gets, the more action you have to take. So I did all the right things, but I neglected that one emotion, and when it finally came out, it was so beautiful. It was so beautiful to cry. It was so beautiful to feel whole again, because, yes, I can journal every day and write down the things that give me the highest anxiety, and take them off immediately, those things that I take for granted that becomes my win list. So I'm actually writing down pretty minuscule things, but these are all things that maybe previously I would have procrastinated about, etc. And here, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, and I write win, little wins next to it. And if I achieve something really big, which I didn't think big win. So I do all that. Yet, whilst I took the right action, there was still so many things that needed to be addressed, and there was this emotion, and it was there. It's beautiful. Lesley Logan 15:57  I think I love that you're sharing, because it's so easy. I got my tools, I'm doing my things, I'm doing the work, I'm, whatever the work is for you, but I'm not surprised that grief was an emotion you weren't letting yourself feel because it's not an emotion any of us are taught how to deal with. We don't handle grief well, and there's not a model for it, right? If you don't lose someone or have grief when you're a child and it's not modeled correctly, we don't really know. We don't really see how to do that. And then if you see a parent or person who handles grief terribly, they get angry, they bottle it up, they don't process it, then you learn you can't even, you can't express it. And then most people, what do they say? Oh, you'll feel better in time. There's not a lot of great examples of feeling grief, and we also think grief only comes if we lose like a family member. We are not realizing, you lose your job, that's grief, Stephan, because you're grieving what the future that you thought about was, what did you think that was? Like, we moved to Las Vegas, and that was a beautiful, exciting goal that we had, but also it came so suddenly and when it happened during the pandemic that I remember working with my therapist about grieving my L.A. life, not because I wasn't happy in Vegas, but just the day to day that made me feel like me was gone and I had to start over. And your brain, the way grief works, expecting this thing. Oh, I went for a run to the next, Oh, there's no Starbucks here. Even though that sounds silly, that was, part of my day was saying hi to the same five people, seen running with my best friend. There's a grief there. And I think we don't allow ourselves to grieve what could have been when situations don't go well, and we think it makes us something weak, or makes us feel like we're stuck on the path. And really it's giving that space, and going back to the Greeks, like letting that float down the river, like giving it a celebration, right? I think that that is a huge step. It's something that I'm really, and I'm really, I don't know, I'm really stuck on this in this moment.Stephan Neff 17:52  And I guess there's a message there for you, because obviously I've triggered you. And hopefully after the show, you can reflect on that, and can actually see, ah, okay, what's waiting now to be released, what opening is coming up for me to learn something new about me, because that's really the chance that we have got every single day, and we squander so many of these chances we take our life for granted. Two years ago, my life well, from the outside, I was at a pinnacle. You know, I was I made an very, very beautiful income. I had a big house, I had a pool, I had a wife, I had two kids. From outside, hey, you know, on the inside, I was not a happy man, but it was so grumbling and so chronic that I didn't see how unsatisfied my needs were as a man in my marriage, and the same is probably to be said for my wife, her needs were not met and we were unable to express our respective love languages we wouldn't have known them if they would have bitten us in the ass. It is those kind of things, you know. It is those kind of things that ultimately make you unhappy, make you unsatisfied. You're searching for this mission, you're certain, searching for this purpose in your life that you have not yet found. And I think by going through trauma and being forced to change, you get outside of your comfort zone, you experience fear. And if you look at any successful, truly successful person who's got their shit together, then you will see that they have gone through tremendous amounts of trauma, through tremendous amounts of heartbreak, that in their business, they have failed and were sometimes completely, how do you call it in America where everything is taken away from you? You lose your house, you lose your.Lesley Logan 20:01  Bankruptcy, yes, yes, yes. Stephan Neff 20:03  Yes, exactly. Ultimately, many men and women have gone through such scenarios, but those who are successful are those people who have learned and are willing to learn from such trauma. I call it trauma. Trauma is sometimes a word that is. Lesley Logan 20:21  I think there's little T and there's big T, and I also think it's fine they've gone through some sort of like life experience that has flipped them things upside down. Look at Oprah. We forget what her life was like. We forget who she was before she was Oprah. And so you're completely right. And I guess our life is always evolving. And I think your life is a perfect example of it's not like life's a roller coaster, but it's like an ebb and flow. There's like, these highs, these lows, and what we do with the lows to get to the highs really matters. And how we, actually, it sounds like you educate yourself in a low so that you can, like you go through these highs. But now, with this new life change, like, how do you find yourself being it till you see it to the person you want to be on the other side of all this, what are the tools you're using, or what are the or how are you figuring it out as we go?Stephan Neff 21:06  Righty-ho, so over the next three hours where let's talk about. No, no. I give you, I show you one tool, actually, that I've used very, very frequently in the recent months. And it is actually very easy to do. It comes in various versions, but I use my right hand and put it on the dead shoulder. That hand onto that shoulder. I squeeze as hard as I can and say, Stephan, I love you. You're a good man. You're going through shit. I absolutely love you to bits. You are strong. You are a good man. Shit is happening, but you're a good man. Don't forget that. And I do that for 15, 20 seconds, and I'm renowned for my bear hugs to those people who I love, and you never show this love that you show others to yourself. You're a mean bastard to yourself. You speak to yourself in a way that you wouldn't speak to your worst enemy. And I force myself to actually love myself. Warts and all. And I think that sometimes gives me that hug, gives me that release, gives me that reassurance, where I am getting stronger and I feel the panic and the anxiety running away. We already spoke about writing things down. What I shared with you was the win list, because we always look at our failures. We never look at our wins. And I want to celebrate every win. In order to do so, I need to celebrate every chance I get. In order to do that, I need to celebrate being here. I need to be celebrating that I'm here in this moment. I'm not distracting myself, I'm not escaping. I'm living this moment and I live it with joy. I live it I'm here with you, 100% intentional, and I enjoy every second have I had in the past a fear of public speaking? Hell, yes. Are we talking about some quite, you know, not things that I'm not so happy and proud about, and now I'm sharing it with a few thousand, 10,000 million viewers. Well, okay, talk about that. Do you think me showing up is a win? Well, 80% of success is showing up. Me, actually, jumping over my fear and actually just being here, exposing myself to my fear of public, speaking of whatever it is, and suddenly realizing, actually, you know, I'm not eaten up by some magic force or some saber tooth tiger has killed me, although my body inside and all the responses of fight and flight coming onto this show, but now it is those kind of things, so the gratitude and the realization that this is a privilege that you are living. Yes, it's a shitty day here. Look outside. It's raining. Damn. Many of my friends are no longer here, but due to disease or trauma or violent deaths, well, you know, it's a privilege to be here, so be grateful and practice that. And you need to just, you actually need to do that. Practice it, because it doesn't come naturally to many of us. Lesley Logan 24:47  Right, right. Stephan Neff 24:48  So practice those things. And then the most important bit is finally stop for a moment and actually try to figure out who you want to be when you grow up. Create that dream in your mind, and dream means leery, flary things that are going on in your head. So if you say, okay, I am 58 now, and I haven't found true love in my life. So if I say, okay, I want to find true love. Well, that's nice. You can think of Valentine hearts, or you can say, what does that actually look like? Okay, there is, there needs to be a partner. This partner probably needs to understand my needs. Or for that, I need to be able to learn how to communicate my needs, but then I need to understand what are my needs? There's a bit of work waiting here to actually figure out what is your dream. Now, that dream, it's nebulous. Please change your dream to a vision by becoming very, very, very clear. So I want to have this dream partner. Okay, how does she need to look like? Well, maybe not the best question that you want to ask, because she might come in a very different package, but it has, it's everything that you need. So maybe a different question might be, which features should she have, which emotions, which style, what makes her burst into laughter and in turn infect you with joy? And then you have to figure out, okay, what affects you or infects you with joy. So what is your joy? So it's those kind of things. So once you've nailed it down, go to the next feature, to the next feature, until you dream that nebulism something has become a very clear vision. And now you need to take action. And that is the cool thing, but not action on that. Don't take someone and try to somehow mold that someone. No, take action on the input and say, okay, I want this loving relationship. So what would I do now? Right now? What ideas, five ideas that would make this relationship with this person a better thing. What input can I put there? What does she need? She needs to be supported. Okay. And how does that work? She needs to know that I will not run away. Well, fair call. Let's do something on that. Or she always feels alone that she is doing all the work in the house. Fine. Let me put that rubbish out, let me paint that corner, let me fix that part of the house, whatever it is. I can control the input. I can't control the output. I can't control the end result, but I can show up and do my best, and that is a beautiful skill. Lesley Logan 27:44  I really love your way of being it till you see it. It's like we always work backwards here. We love that, so that's great. But I also loved how it turned into like, the things you're looking for, you have to know more about yourself so that you can spot it when you got it, because people can't read your mind, and you could say, I want a supportive partner, and then you meet someone whose idea of supporting is financial, but what you really meant was emotional. Well, it doesn't matter. I need to be supportive. I am supporting you, and it's because words matter and we need to be specific. So I think that there's just so many different ways. We just had a coaching call with our group, and this girl wants to open a studio. She's like, where do I start? And I was like, well, what kind of studio do you want? What does that look like? What's happening in the studio? How busy is it? Is our teachers there, like, I can't tell you how to open a studio if I don't know what we're opening because then it's like, you go get a building, you get a lawyer. First of all, it's not inspiring. Second of all, what order of those steps is going to change based on all the things you have to know, what it is that you're wanting to open for us to go with the first action step. So I really, really think that that is so cool. What are you most excited about right now? Stephan Neff 28:57  Well, my house is going on the market, and this house, this town, has a lot of memories, many of them beautiful, many of them not so. So, by all I know, in four days time the house is sold, and then what will happen? And I've got a Toyota Estima, sort of a gray people-mover, kind of soccer mom kind of thing. I've turned that into a Batmobile. So I've ripped out the interior. I've turned that into a stealth camper, into basically an RV. Lesley Logan 29:30  So cool.Stephan Neff 29:32  That was quite a cool thing, something, you know, I'm 58 and I'm a doctor, for crying out loud. I focused my skills on a very different skill set by my experience in different skill sets, not necessarily DIY, not necessarily building. So I had to learn auto electronics and how the car works on the inside, etc. So I did that. So that was cool. I was really enjoying finding things that give me joy. And it was a surprising journey, because. You, those things that gave me joy in the past were no longer as beautiful, and I found new ways of creativity, new ways of looking forward to projects that maybe will increase my wealth again. Any divorce is hugely detrimental to anything. So there's a good reason that I changed my house to a car to actually just recover financially, but that is all part and parcel. So here we are. There are those people who have forever dreamt of the RV lifestyle, of downsizing, of those kind of things. I'm forced to do it, but I choose not to look at it as being forced, but I choose it as an opportunity to see that beautiful New Zealand and actually build up my private practice in functional medicine and. Lesley Logan 30:50  Have you been to Gisborne? Stephan Neff 30:52  Yes, I have. Yes. Lesley Logan 30:53  So that's the first light of day. I feel like you have to go there in your RV. If you do, we have a lovely friend there who likes to serve.Stephan Neff 31:02  Like Gisborne, Napier, there are so many beautiful places here. So I'm looking forward to doing that and in the process of finding myself, of finding out more about me, focusing more on one thing. This, the journey of divorce and getting rid of a house is incredibly disruptive to all your creative things. I was lucky because I was putting all my creativity in designing a very tiny home, and it was beautiful. But now it's time to bring that creativity to the next project. May it be, well, part of it probably will be somewhere, a rundown house that I will renovate and bring up just to a really lovely standard. Lesley Logan 31:46  You know, when you live in it, because we, we live in our van from time to time, and we lived in a tiny apartment before our house. Our van is not finished by any stretch of the imagination. I'm glad we didn't, because we would have made changes. And so what I think is really fun for you is the next house you get, even if it's small, you will, based on what you like and don't like in your RV life, you will make changes so that your home has the things you want at the home versus what you have. So then you'll have two homes, and you'll have one you can travel like it's mobile, and then you'll have one that's a sanctuary. I think it's so cool. Yeah. Stephan Neff 32:09  So, so, instead of saying I've lost my house now, I've lost my life, I have gained freedom. I have gained a new way of life that probably injects quite a bit of you back into me. I have the opportunity to explore new things. For example, I love juggling. I love spitting fires, so I studied circus arts when I was a younger man. Lesley Logan 32:46  That's so funny. That's not what I thought you were gonna say.Stephan Neff 32:49  But I know that there's a group of jugglers around New Zealand. They meet, typically on the full moon, on the beach somewhere, and have fire and juggle and things like that. And I always thought, oh, wouldn't that be cool? Then it was always the I need to work next day, and I'm busy and there's all that. Well now I have got that freedom to actually do that. Get back into it. Well, I haven't juggled for quarter of a century. I'm sure I will find it again, and I'm sure I will find new ways of finding joy. In finding those new ways, it is likely that I come across people who really infuse me. And who knows, there might be true love waiting there, true love in whatever form and shape it comes. These are all gifts that have come out of trauma, just as much as I have become the phoenix rising out of the ashes again and again over my lifetime. I just didn't expect it that I'll do it with 58 again. But hey, you do what. A man has got to do what a man has got to do. But I take it as a challenge. I take it as an opportunity as, I take it as a positive thing, and that is the only thing, the only true thing that works when it comes to the challenges in life, that you are able to find the meaning, a purpose, a sense in your suffering, that you accept what is happening, that you practice radical self-compassion, that you take ownership when it is due, that you learn to analyze when someone maybe was gaslighting you or was bullshitting you, or the whole kind of messages subliminal that you had been fed, maybe throughout your life, that you're actually able to start analyzing them and say, well, that's actually a heap of B.S. but that is actually not true. I'm not a failure. You know, for 50 something years, I thought I'm a failure. That's my rundown. Now, it helped me to focus and work harder. But to actually say, actually, no, I'm not a failure. I'm resilient, I'm resourceful, I am a survivor, I'm a thriver. I am lovable, I am worthy to learn. I wrote on my website, I wrote an article about the Power of I Am, and it's so important that we use that power, because it's the shortcut to your subconscious. So instead of being the bearded lady in the circus, why don't you start becoming the ring master and actually decide what is happening in your show, in your circus. Okay, you can actually control your thoughts. You can be far more mindful as far as what is happening up there, and that will make you stronger, that will make you a better human. And in turn, you will attract better humans. Inadvertently, or maybe on purpose, you will seek out a different group of people, not the naysayers, those people who give you good advice, for example, about finances when they are themselves, run down and have nothing. Lesley Logan 36:05  Yes, there's a lot of those around. Yeah.Stephan Neff 36:09  Isn't it? But you're an example, Lesley, you are out there. You have gone through your own trials and tribulation, but you haven't given up. And you keep going. And you keep showing up. You keep showing up on your show. And you're there to help others. You bring others on to infuse you. You open yourself up, in this case, by being very honest, and I was triggering you here on the show. So therefore I know you will grow, like it or lump it, by you showing up and making yourself vulnerable, you grow, and you will become a better version of Lesley than when the show started. How cool is that? I think we all can learn from that, isn't it? Lesley Logan 36:54  Yeah, yeah, oh my gosh. We could keep talking forever, but we're gonna take a brief break, and then we're gonna find out where people can listen to your show and read your books and all the amazing stuff. Lesley Logan 37:05  All right, Stephan, where do you like to hang out? Where can we send everyone if they have been inspired by what you've got? Stephan Neff 37:11  Please head over to neffinspiration.com. Neff, N-E-F-F, it's my surname, inspiration dot com, it's my website. From there, you have got links to my YouTube show. We are close now to 500 guests, and Lesley is one of them. You had some fantastic pearls of wisdom there. It's beautiful. So I'm growing through that show. I have in my creativity, written quite a few books, some of them no longer in print because I felt it's probably not so good. I've recently lost 30 kilogram and some of my books were dangerously good German cheesecakes. So that's a bit inappropriate. I still have that out there. I Lesley Logan 37:59  I mean, it's probably okay if people are addicted to cheesecake.Stephan Neff 38:03  I was always joking that because you bake them for such a long time that you bake all the calories out of them. I don't think that's true. I need to write a new recipe book.Lesley Logan 38:16  Okay, if our listeners hit you up for that cheesecake recipe, you have to give it to them.Stephan Neff 38:21  I can live with that. It's a baked German cheesecake. So it's great quality. It's a great taste. It's a little bit more work. I love it. The free books that can give you the most bang for the buck and the most value, I guess, is Steps to Sobriety. That is a book I've written. It's now coming out next month in its third edition. It is a memoir slash recipe book, How to look at recovery from addiction in a step wise, logical approach, and give you step by step way forward. The steps are essentially the 12 steps from AA, but I've taken the god out. I've taken many of those things out that maybe are a bit more difficult to swallow, and I've put it into a modern language, and have explained why these steps are actually a very good system. How to approach a failing business, for example, and I go into details there. So if you were to help a friend who is in trouble, like you are helping other Pilates teachers to create or maybe become better in their systems, well that's exactly you would actually do exactly the same steps as a 12-step program offers. So I'm using that approach. But then there are so many, so many other things that are typically happening, the trauma, the very predictable things, the depression, the mental health problems that will affect one in three of us. So you might as well learn something about it. When you drive a car, you learn how to change a tire, because sooner or later, you have to. But not one of us ever learns the signs and symptoms of depression or how, what is, what help is out there. So, Steps to S,obriety is really a beautiful mental health book in an overall, over encompassing kind of way. I've had another book out, Depression Lied To Me, in which I had the honor of having 14 female storytellers who were sharing their stories about how depression lied to them. And it's wonderful, because depression, as many other mental health problems, they come in all shapes and forms. They come in all disguises. Yet there are common themes, and yet there are the same kind of bullshit lies that these mental health problems tell us. Let there be addiction, let there be depression, etc. To hear 14 different women talk about their experience has been a very enriching insight for me. And last but not least, I will republish Esmee The Mindful Mouse, because I believe that if we start earlier on in life, if we start creating strong, little humans, it's much easier than repair broken adults. So therefore, why should we not start teaching mindfulness at an early stage? And I've written a beautiful, written and photographed and produced with a friend, a beautiful book about this little mouse who lives in our beautiful redwood forest here, and who is vivacious, but with her vivaciousness also sometimes makes her friends angry, and she needs to find out the difference between, am I a bad mouse, or have I done something bad that has angered someone else? Again coming back to the power of I am and, needless to say, her friends love her for who she is, but she needs to learn that lesson, and you will find links to all those books and more a neffinspiration.com so check it out, guys, but first, please press the like and subscribe button on Lesley's show, because that's so bloody important, because we all grow with algorithms on YouTube and other places, and if you've heard something cool today, hopefully it will enrich your life, but also send it to someone else, and send a link to Lesley show so that they can get better insights and we grow and start becoming this community of growing people.Lesley Logan 42:37  Thank you for that. Please do all of those things everyone. You've given us a bunch already. I feel like, so feel free to repeat something you've said, because I feel like you did. But there are so many gems of like, how we could be it till you see it, but bold, executable, intrinsic or targeted steps, the action someone can take, if they're like, yes, okay, what can they do next? What would you like them to do?Stephan Neff 42:57  Immediately now, I want you to give yourself a hug. I want you to actually give yourself a hug and spend 15 seconds with yourself just after the show is finished, immediately, 15 seconds, if it is safe to do so if you're driving, maybe not, okay? Maybe pull over, okay? But I want you to close your eyes and be with yourself and whatever is happening with you, whatever goes through your mind, whatever is happening, I want you to give yourself a big bear hug and just accept you for who you are, that beautiful human being who is probably going through some shit, because otherwise you wouldn't listen to a show like this. You would be distracted with living this most beautiful, suckering, sweet Coca Cola advertisement life, which, yeah, how about that? Okay, no, I want you to be real, and I want you to show compassion to yourself, because it all starts with that, yeah, just to tell that inner child of you, to tell that that right now, big child that is sitting there or standing there, whoever is around you, just give yourself that big hug, squeeze as hard as you can, and tell yourself, I love you. Lesley Logan 44:17  That's beautiful. Thank you so much. You guys, go give yourself a hug, and then please make sure that you share this with a friend. And if you have takeaways, please tag Stephan. Tag the Be It Pod. We want to hear them. We want to celebrate what you're doing. Y'all, you heard him say wins all the time. We actually have a wins episode that comes out on Fridays where we love to celebrate your wins. You can actually send them in and we read them out loud, so that sometimes when you hear your own win, it's on a day you really need a reminder that you had a win recently, and until next time, Be It Till You See It. Lesley Logan 44:50  That's all I got for this episode of the Be It Till You See It Podcast. One thing that would help both myself and future listeners is for you to rate the show and leave a review and follow or subscribe for free wherever you listen to your podcast. Also, make sure to introduce yourself over at the Be It Pod on Instagram. I would love to know more about you. Share this episode with whoever you think needs to hear it. Help us and others Be It Till You See It. Have an awesome day. Be It Till You See It is a production of The Bloom Podcast Network. If you want to leave us a message or a question that we might read on another episode, you can text us at +1-310-905-5534 or send a DM on Instagram @BeItPod.Brad Crowell 45:33  It's written, filmed, and recorded by your host, Lesley Logan, and me, Brad Crowell.Lesley Logan 45:38  It is transcribed, produced and edited by the epic team at Disenyo.co.Brad Crowell 45:42  Our theme music is by Ali at Apex Production Music and our branding by designer and artist, Gianfranco Cioffi.Lesley Logan 45:49  Special thanks to Melissa Solomon for creating our visuals.Brad Crowell 45:53  Also to Angelina Herico for adding all of our content to our website. And finally to Meridith Root for keeping us all on point and on time.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/be-it-till-you-see-it/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Tairāwhiti Gisborne is launching a "first-of-its-kind" tourism campaign to attract remote workers under the new visa changes. Trust Tairāwhiti chief executive Doug Jones spoke to Alexa Cook.

People with ADHD often fidget more than those without. Why might this be? Does it help them focus? Or distract them further? An Auckland Bioengineering Institute researcher has teamed up with the Mātai Medical Institute in Gisborne to investigate this using advanced MRI techniques. And at Waikereru ecosanctuary, local birds are being enlisted in a trial to help speed up the regeneration of native bush.Guests:Professor Justin Fernandez, Auckland Bioengineering InstituteDr Gil Newburn, Mātai Medical Institute Professor Dame Anne Salmond, Waikereru EcosanctuaryLearn more:In 2017 Alison Ballance did a story about The 1769 Gardenwhere she spoke to the garden designer, curator and local botany expert.To learn about the Mātai Medical Institute, listen to The advances in MRI coming out of Gisborne from November 2024.The Mātai Medical Institute is also involved in research into recovery post meth addiction, concussion in teenage rugby players, and muscle development in children with cerebral palsy. Sign up to the Our Changing World monthly newsletter for episode backstories, science analysis and more.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

On Our Changing World, Claire Concannon heads to Waikereru Ecosanctuary, a privately owned conservation project on the lands of Professor Dame Anne Salmond. New Zealander of the year in 2013, she's most widely known for her writings and work as a Professor of Maori studies at the University of Auckland. But when she and her husband bought land a couple of kilometres outside Gisborne twenty-five years ago, it was the start of their conservation journey. Today the ecosanctuary encompasses an education space for school groups, a harakeke collection, a living library of rare local plants called the 1769 seed archive, a small patch of bush open to the public called Longbush Reserve and one hundred hectares of steep-sided hills. When they first bought the land, these hills were bare. Dame Anne Salmond explains to Claire Concannon how they've gone about revegetating them, including recruiting the local manu to help.

Heavy rain warnings have been issued for the Coromandel Peninsula as well as for Gisborne north of Tolaga Bay. MetService Meteorologist John Law spoke to Corin Dann.

A stern but caring mentor, a lion, a taniwha and a keen golfer - those are just a few of the words mourners used to describe Dame Iritana Tawhiwhirangi at her tangi at Gisborne's Te Poho-o-Rawiri Marae. A founder and champion of the Kohanga Reo movement - Dame Iritana will be laid to rest this morning at Rahui marae in Tikitiki near East Cape. Maori News Journalist Pokere Paewai has this report

A Gisborne marae is hosting a clinical study on the use of silocybin to treat methamphetamine addiction.