Rachel Benton is the busy lady behind The Green Room and Plant Collective. Alecia Hodgson sits down with Rach to talk about business. Rachel is ultra-organised so she can get flowers out on time, manage a young family, manage her team, and nail the administration behind the scenes. We hope you enjoy this interesting and varied interview, brought to you by Southern Lakes Motors.

James Hay is an accidental brewer. James’ taste for beer developed from drinking wine in France to drinking cider at university, to drinking beer because he realised it could taste good. Like many of us, he came to Wanaka to chase snow. Working as a builder funded the start-up and the support from the boss helped him to start the beer business as well as learn about the balance of business and lifestyle. The business went from strength to strength. James uses local ingredients to create...

Along with her husband Matt, Kirsty owns and runs the Pembroke Patisserie. Duncan and Kirsty chat about her journey to Wanaka and building one of Wanaka’s tastiest businesses. Her passion stems from her Mum’s cooking and her life growing up on a sheep and beef farm. One of her first jobs was in the kitchen, peeling potatoes, and hospitality has been a constant ever since. As a young woman she went on a student exchange to France and this instilled a love of good food and different flavours, a...

Bob discovered white water kayaking at high school and the sport sparked a love of travel and paddling that has stayed with him for life. Big Hands Bob or Big Water Bob; no matter what you call him, Bob had big plans from a young age. He built a reputation pioneering kayak missions descending remote and difficult stretches of water and he has also worked as a guide for trekking, mountain biking, sea-kayaking and canyoning companies internationally and in New Zealand over the past three decade...

Evelyn Vallillee owns and runs the Dripping Bowl and Velo Café at Bike Glendhu. Her business ethos is all about whole food, local food, wholesome organics and good ingredients. Her food is adventurous and less conventional; focused on sustenance, free-range, flavourful, nutritional wholefood, and sneaking in the health benefits. Her food is approachable, healthy and delicious. Evelyn grew up in Canada, but calls Aotearoa home. Her parents met in culinary school. She followed in their footstep...

Duncan Good hosts his very first Wanaka Podcast episode interviewing Hamish Pepper. Hamish is a sailor who has represented NZ at the Star World Champs, four summer Olympics and the America’s Cup, just to name a few. He is competitive, strategic and ambitious. He is a tactician by nature and he brings this to business as well. Following a holiday, Hamish and his family found themselves enamoured of the lifestyle and environment of Wanaka, so they packed up camp and moved the clan to the Southe...

Jess catches up with Alecia Hodgson from Silver Sixpence Skin Clinic. Alecia is passionate about skin health and skin care. She has carved out a business focused on beauty treatments as well as skin health. Alecia’s love of travel has been influential in her career decisions: work at ski resorts and on super yachts has shaped her delivery today in her clinic. Her passion for business, skin and progression fuelled her drive to get underway. She funded the start-up phase of her business by work...

Jess sits down with Duncan Spear from Puzzling World. Duncan runs this iconic Wanaka business with his wife Heidi. He tells the story of Puzzling World and how the business was created in 1973 by his in-laws, Stuart and Jan Landsborough. The business is a Wanaka ‘must-do’. It’s fun for both adults and kids and it has enjoyed new domestic tourists over the past year. The business philosophy is about fun, being something unique, and pushing the boundaries. Duncan and Heidi are focused on making...