Planting Seeds Podcast

In this episode, I sit down with Riki Nia Nia, CEO of Te Rau Ora, a Māori health organisation committed to strengthening the Māori health workforce, supporting rangatahi leadership, and ensuring whānau receive culturally grounded care and wellbeing support.
Te Rau Ora plays a vital role across Aotearoa through initiatives that support workforce development, mental health and addiction services, kaupapa Māori health frameworks, leadership pathways, and community wellbeing kaupapa.
In this kōrero, Riki shares insights from decades of working within the health sector and why this mahi is deeply personal to him.
We dive into the stories that shaped him, from the influence of his koro and the philosophy of “hiki wairua”, to his māmā becoming the first Tongan wahine involved with the Māori Women’s Refuge movement. He also speaks openly about how his understanding of the health system supported his own whānau during a challenging time with his son.
We explore bigger conversations around rangatahi leadership, learning to agree to disagree, lessons from Native American communities, Te Whare Tapa Whā, and the complex factors that influence whānau wellbeing.
This is a powerful conversation about how our personal stories shape the work we choose to do and the impact we want to have on our people.
This episode is a collaboration between the Planting Seeds Podcast and Te Rau Ora.
🔗 Learn more about Te Rau Ora:
https://terauora.com/

In this Grow With Me episode, I reflect on the inspiration that came from watching one of my closest brothers complete a FULL Ironman in Taupō over the weekend.
I also share insights coming from Week 2 of the Brother to Brother kaupapa, where the theme is Identity.
This week has been powerful. Tāne are stepping into the weight of the roles we carry, while also taking time to look beneath the labels we live under.
Too often we define ourselves by titles, responsibilities, or expectations. But who are we beneath all of that?
These are the four questions we explored together:
1️⃣ What roles do you carry in life?
2️⃣ Who are you beneath those labels?
3️⃣ What are you hiding or putting to the side right now?
4️⃣ What do you genuinely value about yourself?
Many men are wired to operate in the mind and logic, but Brother to Brother is a space helping tāne reconnect with their heart and emotions, while being supported by others walking similar paths.
If you’re a brother who feels the pull to grow, connect, and do some real inner work, you’re welcome to join us.
If you’re interested in joining the Brother to Brother kaupapa, please use the link below to express your interest:

🔗 Register your interest:
https://form.typeform.com/to/lA0kwq8H

In this episode of the Planting Seeds Podcast, I sit down with Kaukaohu Wahilani, a Hawaiian elder and activist who accepted the invitation to share a kōrero during Waitangi this year.
Our conversation explores the deep similarities between Hawaiian and Māori cultures, histories, and experiences under colonisation.
Kaukaohu speaks openly about a powerful identity shift in his life, reclaiming his traditional Hawaiian name, which he describes as a step that emancipated him mentally and spiritually from what he calls “the matrix.”
We also speak about the impact of colonisation on Hawai‘i, the movement to protect Mauna Kea, the devastation caused by the recent fires in Hawai‘i, and the ongoing desecration of Hawaiian lands through military occupation.
This kōrero is one of indigenous connection, resistance, identity, and remembering who we truly are.
If something from this conversation resonates with you, please share your favourite highlight in the comments and follow the links below to stay connected with the kaupapa and mobilisations that Kaukaohu is part of.

🔗 Follow Kaukaohu Wahilani & Stay Updated:
👉 https://www.kalahuihawaii.net/

🔗 Planting Seeds Offerings:
👉 https://form.typeform.com/to/PqdcWDEW

In this Grow With Me episode of the Planting Seeds Podcast, I reflect on the month of February as we’ve already stepped into March.
I unpack some of the gems that came out of our recent wānanga, where the theme was DIRECTION, bringing focus back to what truly matters and creating simple, actionable steps that support clarity and forward movement.
March isn’t about doing anything different. It’s about more of the same. Sticking to structure. Staying grounded. Controlling what’s in my hands.
I share why getting caught in the “bigness” of a month can create overthinking, procrastination, and anxiety AND how simplifying things back to daily structure removes unnecessary pressure.
If you’re someone who tends to overcomplicate growth or feels overwhelmed by what’s ahead, this episode may bring you back to steady ground.

🔗 Planting Seeds Offerings

In this episode of the Planting Seeds Podcast, I sit down with Tāmati Rākena, Far North District Councillor, co-founder of Taiao, and a dedicated father and partner.
Raised around Waitangi and immersed in the many kaupapa of the Far North, Tāmati shares how his upbringing shaped his worldview and commitment to service. We talk about what it truly means to become a councillor and the mahi he is doing within council to support community voice and representation.
Alongside his wahine Jude, Tāmati also founded Taiao, a clothing brand grounded in kaupapa Māori and we kōrero about the intention behind the brand.
A powerful part of this kōrero centres on fatherhood. Tāmati speaks openly about raising their son who is he takiwātanga (autistic), sharing the lessons, growth and the deeper understanding of love and patience that has come through that journey.
If you get value from this kōrero, please share it with someone who would appreciate it.

🔗 Shop Taiao & Support the Kaupapa:
www.mytaiao.co.nz/

🔗 Planting Seeds Offerings:
www.form.typeform.com/to/PqdcWDEW