Baskets Of Knowledge

What if the challenges you wish you could avoid are helping shape the person you become?

In Episode 212 of Baskets of Knowledge, Tahira shares her journey from Pakistan to New Zealand, the power of lifelong learning, navigating cultural differences, and how she chooses to respond when life gets difficult.

We explore why crying can be an act of strength, how to protect your peace without ignoring difficult emotions, and why one person's actions should never define an entire community. Tahira also shares practical cybersecurity lessons that everyone should know.

Her reminder? Every breath brings hope.

Listen for an honest conversation about resilience, personal growth, positive mindset and the small choices that can make a difference in our lives and the lives of others. Follow Baskets of Knowledge for more real conversations and stories that stay with you.

What if one question could change the way you make decisions, build your business and approach your life?

In Episode 211 of Baskets of Knowledge, we sit down with Sarah Davies, entrepreneur, business coach and founder of Beyond the Hourly Rate, to explore the power of having one clear focal point.

Sarah has used this simple idea to move from England to New Zealand, build and sell businesses, navigate motherhood, relocate to Singapore and climb the tennis rankings.

Her question? “Will this get me there?”

But this conversation goes much deeper than setting goals.

Sarah shares why having a strong reason behind your goals matters, how your values can guide difficult decisions, and why the people you surround yourself with can shape the life you create.

We also explore one of the biggest mistakes business owners make: assuming they know what their customers want.

Through her proof-first methodology, Sarah explains how asking better questions and speaking directly to potential clients can reveal what people actually need, value and are willing to invest in.

In this episode, we explore:
• How to find your focal point and turn it into a practical roadmap
• Why curiosity beats assumptions in business
• How to identify your ideal clients and understand what they really want
• The role of personal values in decision-making
• What moving countries can teach us about identity, relationships and belonging
• Why energy management matters as much as time management
• How to build a business that supports the life you want

Two powerful takeaways: get clear on where you want to go, and get curious before deciding you already know the answer.

🎧 Listen to the full conversation with Sarah Davies on Baskets of Knowledge.

Connect with Sarah:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-davies-business-coach
Win More Work assessment: https://win-more-work.scoreapp.com/
Website: https://www.beyondthehourlyrate.com/

If you could use one question to guide your next big decision, what would it be?

Baskets of Knowledge is a podcast about real stories, meaningful conversations and the knowledge we can all take into our own lives.

What happens when the future you thought you had planned suddenly changes?

For Navneet Kaur, it came down to four credits.

After working hard through Year 13, Navneet thought university was the obvious next step. Then her results came out. She had passed NCEA Level 3, but she was four credits short of University Entrance.

Her first thought was: “I’m a failure.”

But that setback became the beginning of a very different journey.

In Episode 210 of Baskets of Knowledge, Navneet talks openly about university, disappointment, confidence, finding your voice, young leadership and what happens when you start putting yourself into rooms where you don't necessarily feel like you belong.

We get into the moments that shaped her, from discovering new interests after missing University Entrance to GirlBoss, youth leadership, LinkedIn, public speaking, political engagement and learning to deal with nerves and uncertainty.

And there is one theme running through all of it:

You don't need to have your whole future figured out to take the next step.

Nav puts it simply:

“You miss the shots you don't take.”

And:

“Closed mouths don't get fed.”

This is a conversation about resilience, self-belief, personal growth, career direction, confidence and finding the courage to put yourself forward.

If you're feeling behind, questioning your next move or waiting until you feel ready...

Press play.

You might look at your own setbacks differently afterwards.

What if awareness isn't enough?

In Episode 209 of Baskets of Knowledge, we sit down with Jacqlin Richards, Parenting Alchemist, author and founder of the Resourced Parenting Method™, for a conversation that starts with parenting and goes somewhere much bigger.

Into the way we think.

The stories we carry.

The fears that drive us.

The patterns we inherit.

And our capacity to choose what happens next.

Jacqlin has just released her book, F:-)ck Up Your Kids with Grace & Humour, but this isn't simply a conversation about parenting.

It's about being human.

We explore:
• Why awareness helps us see what's driving us
• Why capacity determines what we can actually do with that awareness
• What depletes our emotional capacity
• The difference between reacting and responding
• Why our thoughts and feelings aren't necessarily facts
• “If you're hysterical, it's historical”
• How fear can become quieter when we acknowledge it
• Why vulnerability can be more powerful than perfection
• The pressure to keep everyone happy
• People pleasing, conditioning and “beige” ways of being
• Why authenticity can cut through the noise
• Why discomfort can be the place where growth happens
• And the alchemy of turning the messy parts of life into something meaningful

This is a conversation about parenting, mindset, self-awareness, emotional resilience, vulnerability, authenticity, personal growth and the human behaviour underneath it all.

You may come for the parenting conversation.

You might stay for the conversation about you.

CONNECT WITH JACQLIN

Want to find out more about Jacqlin, her work or how to work with her?

🌐 jacqlinrichards.com

GET THE BOOK

📖 F:-)ck Up Your Kids with Grace & Humour

You can buy the book through Jacqlin's website, with options for New Zealand & Australia and worldwide via Amazon.

🌐 Buy the book / Jacqlin Richards

What happens when the life you thought you were supposed to live suddenly doesn’t feel like yours?

In Episode 208 of Baskets of Knowledge, we sit down with Wendy Su to talk about mental health, psychology, identity, cultural expectations, career choices, university, personal growth and the uncomfortable process of becoming your own person.

Wendy originally planned to pursue medicine. But after arriving at university, she realised something was wrong: she was going to classes because she felt she had to, not because she wanted to.

That moment changed everything.

She moved into psychology and neuroscience, explored cultural psychology and mental health, moved from Otago to Auckland, navigated expectations within her Chinese family and community, and learned what it means to build a life that actually aligns with who she is becoming.

We talk honestly about:
• Choosing a different career path when everyone expects something else
• Mental health and Wendy’s own journey from high school onwards
• Chinese and New Zealand cultural identity
• Leaving home and discovering that you become a different person
• Why being an “outlier” might actually be completely okay
• Career uncertainty and feeling like you’re on a different timeline
• Volunteering, holding space and supporting others
• Creativity, vlogging and capturing the process of life
• Following your gut when something feels right or wrong
• Values, morals and knowing when it is time to move on
• And the powerful reminder Wendy leaves us with: give yourself grace

This is a conversation about identity, belonging, mental health, personal growth and finding your own direction when the traditional path doesn't quite fit.

Wendy’s basket of knowledge?

Have a listen to find out

🎧 Listen to the full conversation and decide which part belongs in your own basket of knowledge.