The SME Stream

What is it that high performing CEOs, sports stars, and leaders all have in common? James Laughlin knows.
James is a leadership speaker, executive coach, and author of the best selling book 'Habits of High Performers' and believes anyone can become a high performer with the right attitude and belief system.
In the episode, James tells Toni about the habits that the most successful people in society all share, how anyone can become a high performer no matter their background, and why he believes success all comes down to the 'top two inches'.
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Today on the podcast, I speak with Zoë Williams, co-founder of Zoe & Morgan, a consciously created jewellery brand she runs alongside her siblings, Ruth and Morgan.
For 20 years, Zoe & Morgan have been crafting jewellery that celebrates connections and stories, showcasing a vibrant and fully-fledged expression of craftsmanship, individuality, and connection
We talk about:
🤍 The foundations and values that guide every decision
👪 What it takes to build a family-led business with your siblings
🌿 Honouring craftsmanship and connection
🏠 Balancing motherhood and growth
✨ What success really means to her
I adored talking with Zoë. This was such a thoughtful and gentle conversation, Zoe is so genuine and so generous with her time and her story.
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The engineer who helped make GitHub Copilot a global force is building its open alternative from Christchurch
For millions of software developers, GitHub Copilot was the moment artificial intelligence stopped being an abstract promise and became a practical colleague.
Suddenly, AI could sit in the coding environment, suggest the next line, explain unfamiliar code and help turn an idea into working software. It changed expectations of what a developer tool could do, and opened the door to a new generation of AI coding agents.
Igor Costa was there as that shift gathered pace.
The Brazilian-born, Christchurch-based founder of Autohand held senior engineering roles across Microsoft, GitHub and AWS, and played a pivotal role in the development and deployment of GitHub Copilot.
It is an experience that gave him a close-up view of the potential of AI-assisted software development and of the trade-offs that come with putting powerful capabilities in the hands of a small number of global technology platforms.
Now Costa is building an alternative from New Zealand.
His startup, Autohand, is developing AI agents designed to take on more of the repetitive, time-consuming work involved in building and maintaining software. It also treats software as constantly evolving code that refactors itself automatically, avoiding going out of date and becoming a security risk.
But the company’s proposition is not simply that AI should write more code, or work faster. It is that businesses should retain control over the technology doing that work.
That is why Autohand has embraced open source, releasing its code and building around open-source models. For Costa, the issue is one of sovereignty as much as capability. A company using AI to understand its systems, access its codebase and act across its engineering workflow needs to know where its data is going, how its tools behave and what degree of control it can retain.
The market for AI coding tools is becoming crowded, well-funded and increasingly dominated by proprietary platforms. Costa’s bet is that a different model can succeed: powerful AI agents that are transparent, adaptable and deployable in ways that suit the organisations using them.
In this episode of The Business of Tech, Costa talks about the formative years of GitHub Copilot, why he chose to build a company from Christchurch, and why he believes the next phase of software development will be shaped not only by what AI can do, but by who owns and controls it.
It is a conversation about code, autonomy and the possibility that New Zealand can play a meaningful role in building the AI tools of the future.
Listen to the latest episode of The Business of Tech with Igor Costa, founder of Autohand, streaming on iHeartRadio, Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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How do organisations create workplaces where people can thrive while still delivering strong business outcomes?
In this episode of HR Unlocked, Lisa Oakley sits down with Danielle Scott, Manager People & Sustainability at AoFrio, to explore leadership, resilience, employee wellbeing, and the changing role of People & Culture.
Drawing on her experience across operations, customer experience, and people leadership, Danielle shares practical insights into building authentic workplace cultures, supporting leaders through change, developing capability, and helping employees bring their whole selves to work.
From psychological safety and financial wellbeing to AI, sustainability, and leadership development, this conversation explores what modern organisations need to do to create resilient, high-performing teams.
What You'll Learn
Why empathy and trust are essential leadership capabilities

How authentic workplaces improve engagement and performance

The importance of resilience and wellbeing for People & Culture leaders

Why capability building matters more than ever in an AI-enabled workplace

How to support technical experts as they transition into leadership

The connection between sustainability, purpose, and employee engagement

Why organisations are increasingly hiring for potential rather than experience

Key Takeaways
Great leadership starts with self-awareness, empathy, and trust

Employee wellbeing and business performance go hand in hand

Capability and learning agility are becoming more valuable than technical expertise alone

Strong cultures are built by creating space for people to learn, grow, and bring their authentic selves to work

AI will change how we work, but human leadership remains essential

About Danielle Scott
Danielle Scott is Manager People & Sustainability at AoFrio, where she leads people strategy, sustainability initiatives, leadership development, and organisational capability. Passionate about creating authentic, people-first workplaces, Danielle focuses on building resilient teams and helping organisations navigate change with empathy and purpose.
Why This Episode Matters
As organisations navigate AI, changing workforce expectations, and increasing pressure on leaders, creating workplaces where people feel supported, connected, and able to grow has never been more important. This episode offers practical insights for leaders, HR professionals, and business owners looking to build resilient cultures that balance people, performance, and purpose.
Connect
Connect with Danielle on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniellescottnz/
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