Between Two Beers Podcast

This one’s an adults-only episode - sexual themes and language throughout, so maybe not for the school drop-off. 18+. Melissa Vranjes is a certified holistic sex and relationship coach, and she joins us to tackle the stuff most couples never figure out how to talk about. Steve plays the sacrificial lamb on mismatched libido, and Melissa reframes the whole thing: it’s not a mismatch, it’s a discrepancy - just a difference, like one of you loving mushrooms and the other hating them. From there: why exhaustion kills desire in the early parenting years, the one tool she gives every couple in a sexless relationship, the weekly relationship check-in she swears by, what “choreplay” actually is and why the mental load is foreplay, and a no-holds-barred listener Q&A on everything from finishing too fast to dead bedrooms to keeping things alive after years together. Plus Melissa’s own story - seven years on superyachts to a workshop in Bali that changed her life - and a “sex lore” segment settling the myths you’ve always wondered about. Between Two Beers is proudly brought to you by One New Zealand. We believe that One NZ connects New Zealand, while Between Two Beers connects New Zealanders. And together, we are NZ's most trusted connection platform. Steve and Seamus are proud to be dressed by Barkers Clothing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if the thing holding back your business - and your life - isn’t a strategy problem, but a story you’ve been telling yourself? This week, business coach Di Foster sits down with Steve to pull apart the quiet narratives running his days: the belief that being constantly connected matters more than being present with his kids, the “survival mode” that kept him buried in the business, and the story about his own body that nearly had him on the sidelines. It’s an honest, practical conversation about time, presence, persistence, and what actually changes when you rewrite the script. In this episode: Why Steve rebuilt his mornings around the hours that matter most The real reason he can’t put his phone down at home - and the simple rule to fix it Moving from survival mode to growth mode, and the one hire that changed everything How a shift in mindset - not circumstances - changed the story he’d been telling himself about his body Why “persistence” might be both his greatest strength and his biggest blind spot Reflections: the new venture capturing the stories of families and the businesses they’ve built This episode is proudly sponsored by Xero - one platform for accounting, payroll, payments and reporting, so your business stays in control as it grows. Start your free trial by searching Xero today. Terms apply. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Content warning: This episode contains frank discussion of addiction, depression, suicide and self-harm, and may not be suitable for all listeners. Please take care while listening. Support details are at the end of this description. Mike King is one of the most recognisable figures in New Zealand. Comedian, broadcaster, mental health campaigner, former New Zealander of the Year: he's been all of them, and he's spent the last few years at the centre of a national conversation about how we look after our young people. But the man behind the headlines is rarely the one the public gets to see. In this wide-ranging kōrero, King sits down for the longest and most personal conversation he's given in years. He traces the whole arc: a childhood spent certain he'd never be good enough, the delayed path through kitchens and the Merchant Navy, the comedy career that made him a household name, and the rock bottom that nearly ended everything. He talks with unusual honesty about getting clean, the moment that made him walk away from comedy for good, and how a late-night radio slot became the beginning of I Am Hope and Gumboot Friday. Along the way he reflects on the criticism that follows him, the toll of the work, and why he recently stepped back from the charity he built. Between Two Beers is proudly brought to you by One New Zealand. We believe that One NZ connects New Zealand, while Between Two Beers connects New Zealanders. And together, we are NZ's most trusted connection platform. Steve and Seamus are proud to be dressed by Barkers Clothing. If anything in this episode brings things up for you, support is available. Need to talk? Free call or text 1737 any time, 24 hours a day, to speak with a trained counsellor. Free counselling for young people is available through Gumboot Friday — http://iamhope.org.nz Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Content note: this contains a tribute to our friend and former guest Becki Ross and touches on assisted dying - please listen with care. In this one: we open by accidentally reading each other's minds (one name, one count of three - you'll hear it). Steve buys a TV with five kids in tow and zero research, we settle who actually owes who a dump-run favour, and we take the Almighty crew on a thirsty tour of Hamilton - the Gardens' new medieval garden, Soul Bowl's new digs, and a Duck Island ice cream we had to eat on camera. Since we last had her on the show, our friend Becki Ross has passed away, choosing assisted dying on her own terms. We sat down to reflect on her, to read her final message, and to hold onto what she gave all of us - "live your life to the fullest, find those silver linings and love your people hard." Thank you, Becki. We get into why we've stayed apolitical for nearly seven years and won't put a sitting politician in the chair, run this week's between two bets, and look ahead to a huge run: Nathan Fa’avae and the Gilbert Enoka re-release out now. We end the episode as we reconnect with One NZ Warriors CEO Cam George the morning after the grand final - a season one win short of the big dance, what the day after a loss like that actually looks like, and leading a club that's become the biggest story in the game. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

He's one of New Zealand's greatest ever athletes - 7x Adventure Racing World Championships, a decade unbeaten on the biggest races on the planet, and a record-breaking 1,000-mile paddle down the Yukon. And he's done all of it with a heart condition. But this conversation goes way past the trophy cabinet. Nathan Fa'avae takes us from a lonely Pasifika kid in 1970s Nelson to the start line of the world's toughest races - and into the moments that actually shaped him: losing his mind after 72 hours without sleep, his outrigger breaking apart 25km out to sea in the dark while leading the World's Toughest Race, and the day his whole world changed on a chairlift when he lost his mum. Along the way: why he built the biggest adventure race on earth for women, the puddle that sums up how he parents, why he raises his kids to struggle on purpose, and why, for him, success isn't winning - it's freedom. Between Two Beers is proudly brought to you by One New Zealand. We believe that One NZ connects New Zealand, while Between Two Beers connects New Zealanders. And together, we are NZ's most trusted connection platform. Steve and Seamus are proud to be dressed by Barkers Clothing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Di sits down one on one with Seamus for an honest session about the thing he finds hardest: using his voice. They get into why he defaults to making everyone else okay at his own expense, where that started (being the youngest, and a childhood of "seen and not heard"), and the real cost of staying quiet when speaking up would save time, money and energy. Then there's the idea Di keeps coming back to: the joy of missing out. Not FOMO, JOMO. Why saying hell yes to what matters means getting comfortable saying "not yet" to everything else, and how Seamus used it to make a call the old version of him never would have. They finish on a listener question every operator will recognise: how do you know when to leave a full-time salary behind and go all in on your own business? Di walks through exactly how she'd do it, step by step. This episode is brought to you by Odoo. New episodes of Accidental Business Owners with Di Foster, out now. Follow wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gilbert Enoka is back with the All Blacks. After 23 years and 304 tests as their mental skills coach - two World Cup wins along the way - he stepped away in 2023, worked with Chelsea and England cricket, and has now returned to the team as leadership and mental performance coach ahead of the 2027 World Cup. This is a big one, recorded during his time away. The first half is the man: a childhood in an orphanage from 18 months to 12, learning to work and fight, and how being "emotionally malnourished" turned into the skill that made him indispensable - reading a room before anyone said a word. The second half is the craft: the no-dickheads policy, standards over values, the "human library" of legends built for 2023, how close the All Blacks came to walking away from the haka, and the Gilbertisms - winge up not down, don't take the sausage, wishbone-backbone-funny-bone - he's spent a career distilling. His book Become Unstoppable is out now. Between Two Beers is proudly brought to you by One New Zealand. We believe that One NZ connects New Zealand, while Between Two Beers connects New Zealanders. And together, we are NZ's most trusted connection platform. Steve and Seamus are proud to be dressed by Barkers Clothing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Steve reports back from the inaugural Halberg Golf Day at Royal Auckland - a celebrity auction, a plus-handicap playing partner, a 21-under round and a great cause. Meanwhile the office golf simulator is quietly destroying everyone's productivity. Dave Wood's back on the show, and the boys are stuck in the gap between knowing the right thing to do and actually doing it - see: the kettlebells that have sat in the garage, still boxed, for two weeks. Plus the monthly "life dinner" relationship hack, a big birthday in Fiji, awards season for the team, a debate that'll split your household (sock-sock-shoe-shoe or sock-shoe-sock-shoe?), and a reflection on the response to the Gloria Masters episode. Heads up - there's a sexologist in the studio next week, so get your questions in. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The thing that gets you to the top is rarely the thing that keeps you there. Dave Wood is the first guest ever invited back on Between Two Beers three times. A former lifeguard and intensive care paramedic, he turned his own battle with chronic pain into a career as one of the world's leading voices on stress, mindset and human performance — working with elite athletes and some of the country's biggest businesses. In his third visit, Dave gets into what pressure really does to high performers, and why pushing harder stops being the answer. He shares the moment that pulled him out of chronic pain, the story behind "be your own voice," knowing when to push and when to pull back, the stories we tell ourselves about our own bodies, becoming a dad —-and how his 79-year-old father's remarkable recovery says everything about the work we can all be doing now to stay healthy and present for the people we love. Between Two Beers is proudly brought to you by One New Zealand. We believe that One NZ connects New Zealand, while Between Two Beers connects New Zealanders. And together, we are NZ's most trusted connection platform. Steve and Seamus are proud to be dressed by Barkers Clothing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Steve, Seamus and Di sat down with two former Between Two Beers guests - Geoff Ross and Grant Baker, the founders behind 42 Below, Moa, Trilogy and Ecoya - and asked them one question: what would you do with the audience we have? This episode is the debrief. The three of them unpack what came out of that room: why "trap money" killed a deal they were considering, why two people who've built a drinks brand said don't launch one, the difference between having a business and having a practice, and the shift from "what's next?" to just 10x-ing the thing that already works. Plus: the value of doing the deep work when everyone else is letting AI write the shell, why the best takeaway wasn't the advice at all - and an Odoo listener question from Mary in Invercargill on how to build a business that runs without you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The silent epidemic harming Kiwi kids - and the survivor determined to end it. For the first sixteen years of her life, Gloria Masters endured abuse most New Zealanders would refuse to believe happens here. She survived - and went on to become a teacher, a child psychotherapist and a communications trainer, dedicating her life to breaking the silence around child sexual abuse and giving parents the tools to protect their kids. In one of the most confronting and important conversations we've had on the show, Gloria shares how she found hope in the darkest place imaginable, why she chose to hand the shame back to where it belongs, and the practical signs every adult should learn to notice. ⚠️ This episode contains discussion of child sexual abuse and suicide. Please take care listening. If anything in this episode raises something for you: Safe to Talk – Kōrero mai (sexual harm): call 0800 044 334 or text 4334, free and confidential, 24/7 Need to talk? Free call or text 1737 any time Worried about a child? Oranga Tamariki: 0508 326 459 In an emergency, call 111 If you want to get in touch with Gloria and her Charity for support here: https://www.gloriamasters.com/ Between Two Beers is proudly brought to you by One New Zealand. We believe that One NZ connects New Zealand, while Between Two Beers connects New Zealanders. And together, we are NZ's most trusted connection platform. Steve and Seamus are proud to be dressed by Barkers Clothing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The boys are back behind the scenes of Between Two Beers. This week a golf simulator lands in the office, the Kane Williamson live podcast at Made, a debrief on meeting Grant Baker and Jeff Ross, Father's Day as a new dad, and Between Two Bets. Plus Mark Law returns three weeks on from his episode - the book selling out through five reprints, where things sit with the fine, the Givealittle campaign for his new emergency-response inventions, and a few stories about strangers picking the wrong guy that didn't make the original cut. Mark's Givealittle page is funding two emergency-response innovations he's developing - a firefighting tank for Black Hawk helicopters and a rapidly deployable bridge for disaster zones. To support that work: https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/mark-law-and-his-kahu-nz-company-supported-by Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Louis Davis is the biggest content creator in New Zealand - 3.8 million followers, 3.5 billion views in a year, and TikTok Creator of the Year. But the numbers are, in his words, background noise. In this episode he takes us back to where it started: a kid from Te Tai Tokerau whose mother told him at five that his words would change the world, a father who showed him what it means to love your family, and the teachers who saw something in him when his school reports said otherwise. He talks about building a career no one gave him permission to have, why he moved home to raise his kids on his whenua, what he wants the world to understand about Māori fathers, and the philosophy behind being "delusionally aspirational" for as long as you can. His new book, The Modern Dad, is out now. Between Two Beers is proudly brought to you by One New Zealand. We believe that One NZ connects New Zealand, while Between Two Beers connects New Zealanders. And together, we are NZ's most trusted connection platform. Steve and Seamus are proud to be dressed by Barkers Clothing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Every founder hits the point where the business stops being something they do and becomes who they are. Marcus Logan - "Marketing Marcus" - built his agency from a one-man band to a team of ten, and in this one-on-one with business coach Di Foster he gets honest about what that actually costs. No boys in the studio this time - just Marcus and Di comparing notes on the things founders don't say out loud: why you don't need to pick one industry to have a niche, why "balance" is the wrong thing to chase, the rebrand from Via Digital to Sapiens, when to move people from contractors to employees, and how to grow hard in the season you're in without pretending it's sustainable forever. An honest, practical conversation for anyone building something and figuring it out as they go. Learn more about Marcus and Sapiens by visiting: https://www.sapiens.nz/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gemma McCaw has played over 250 times for New Zealand and been to three Olympic Games - but this conversation is about who she is when the hockey stops. In a rare long-form sit-down, Gemma opens up on the reality behind high-performance sport, the grind and the near-misses, and what it took to be okay with herself beyond the medals. She talks honestly about motherhood and the invisible load mothers carry, building an identity of her own, and the wellbeing philosophy she now lives and teaches. And yes - she tells the story of how she left Richie McCaw on seen, and what happened next. Warm, funny and refreshingly open. This is Gemma, in her own words. Between Two Beers is proudly brought to you by One New Zealand. We believe that One NZ connects New Zealand, while Between Two Beers connects New Zealanders. And together, we are NZ's most trusted connection platform. Steve and Seamus are proud to be dressed by Barkers Clothing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Behind the scenes on a big week: Steve's son takes the stage at Clarence St Theatre in Hamilton, sharing the bill with some of New Zealand's best-known musicians - a proud-dad night to remember. Plus a Thunder Donk session that shaped a Monday, and a Saturday-morning football stand-off over throw-ins. Then a proper catch-up with Nate Alley, ten weeks on from his episode. He figured a handful of people might hear it - instead 500+ messages landed from around the world, and blokes who'd never said a word started reaching out. Nate on burnout, divorce, the silence in the trade, and what happens after you finally say the hard stuff out loud. Plus reflections on the Mark Law episode, and a look ahead to Gemma McCaw - out next! Hambassadors is proudly sponsored by Stark Property. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mark Law passed New Zealand SAS selection at 18 - the youngest ever to do it - and his life since has read like fiction. In this episode we trace the whole arc: a rugged Whangamōmona childhood, the New Zealand and British SAS, private security work in war-torn Angola, and a string of near-death experiences that would have ended most lives - a parachute that opened at 60 metres, an ambush he barely escaped, and a flesh-eating disease that nearly cost him his leg. Then there's Whakaari. When White Island erupted in December 2019, Mark flew his helicopter to the island and helped carry survivors to safety - an act later recognised with the New Zealand Bravery Star, even as his company faced a WorkSafe prosecution over matters predating the eruption. It's a remarkable, at times harrowing conversation about risk, resilience, family, and what it takes to move toward danger when everyone else moves away. Mark's book, Lucky, You're Tough, is out now. This episode contains descriptions of the Whakaari/White Island tragedy and other themes that may distress some listeners. Between Two Beers is proudly brought to you by One New Zealand. We believe that One NZ connects New Zealand, while Between Two Beers connects New Zealanders. And together, we are NZ's most trusted connection platform. Steve and Seamus are proud to be dressed by Barkers Clothing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The first-ever guest steps into the Accidental Business Owners studio - and it's the man who markets our show, and who’s content you see on our social media channels. Marcus Logan (aka "Marketing Marcus") runs Sapiens, the agency behind Between Two Beers and a stable of NZ's biggest podcasts. In 2026 so far, his team has driven 75 million views for Between Two Beers across social media and YouTube. This episode pulls back the curtain on how it's actually done. Marcus gets into what he calls "platform-driven content" - making content for how each platform is actually watched, not just reposting your podcast everywhere - and why YouTube has become the number one podcast platform on the planet. Plus, the leap from audio-first to video-first, the counterintuitive marketing truths most business owners get wrong: why a post with 80 of the right views can beat one with a million, and his business' rebrand from Via Digital to Sapiens. Learn more about Marcus and Sapiens by visiting: https://www.sapiens.nz/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sean Fitzpatrick is one of the most decorated All Blacks of all time. A World Cup winner, one of the game's great captains, and the man who led the last New Zealand side to tour South Africa and win a series there. With the All Blacks back in South Africa for the first full tour in 30 years, there's no better time to hear it from the man who did it. We sat down with Fitzy for a wide-ranging yarn: the Sacred Heart teacher who gave him three messages he still lives by, the lineout throw he trained nine months to fix, the captaincy he never wanted - and the advice that made him a leader, "be comfortable in your own skin." Plus Jonah Lomu the shy giant, the 1996 series win in South Africa, and 20 years living in London. Then he opens up on the part of his life most New Zealanders have never seen: chairing the Laureus Sport for Good academy, and travelling the world watching sport pull kids out of impossible situations - from India to Sierra Leone to a midnight basketball court in London. A different side of one of our most familiar sporting figures. Between Two Beers is proudly brought to you by One New Zealand. We believe that One NZ connects New Zealand, while Between Two Beers connects New Zealanders. And together, we are NZ's most trusted connection platform. Steve and Seamus are proud to be dressed by Barkers Clothing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Two weeks ago, Israel Dagg sat down for what's become one of the biggest episodes we've ever released, and it turned his fortnight upside down. So we brought him back to find out what all of that has actually been like: the messages from players he hadn't heard from in years, the days he had to switch his phone off, and why he'd still tell anyone in a dark place the same thing. This is the first of something new - we're reconnecting with past guests a few weeks on, and we want your questions. Keep an eye on our socials for who's next and send them through. Plus: The Foursquare conference saga that nearly took us both out, and the moment Steve had to physically hook Sir John Key off stage in front of 350 people. We recap Grant Baker's massive episode on why New Zealand needs a better attitude. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Grant Baker started with nothing - biking to sales meetings and hiding the bike around the corner so clients wouldn't know he couldn't afford a car. He'd go on to build and sell some of New Zealand's best-known companies: 42 Below vodka (sold to Bacardi for $138M), skincare giant Trilogy, and the automotive empire now known as Turners. In this episode he tells the full story of going all in - selling everything he owned to bet on one company, the years of "drinking from a fire hose," the midnight deals that nearly sent him broke, and facing a cancer diagnosis at the height of it all. He reflects on his mentor Eric Watson, his partnership with Geoff Ross building 42 Below, why he believes the real key to success is how much pain you can endure, and how he came to back Kiwi driver Liam Lawson's rise to Formula One. Now a Ferrari collector - 50 and counting - Grant shares hard-won lessons on ambition, resilience, giving back, and why you should never die wondering. Between Two Beers is proudly brought to you by One New Zealand. We believe that One NZ connects New Zealand, while Between Two Beers connects New Zealanders. And together, we are NZ's most trusted connection platform. Steve and Seamus are proud to be dressed by Barkers Clothing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

or the first time in seven years, we got the whole team in one room and did something uncomfortable: we audited our own podcast. Eight people, one question on the table - if we rebuilt this from scratch, what would it actually be? What came out of it changed how we think about nearly everything we make. We sit down with Di Foster to work through what's changing and why: why "platform-driven content" is reshaping how they approach every show; treating YouTube as a shop window and audio as a routine, and what that means for the work; the football-team analogy for figuring out who plays which role as the team grows; managing contractors and when to bring them in-house; refining five company values down to three; and why the smartest growth move right now is consolidation - slowing down to speed up, no shiny new things. An honest look at what it takes to keep building a podcast business well past the garage-and-a-microphone stage. Thank you to Odoo for supporting Accidental Business Owners. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Becki Ross was given two to three years to live. Diagnosed at 42 with stage four, incurable bowel cancer, she's a mum of two teenagers, a teacher, and one of those rare people who lights up a room the second she walks in. When we recorded this, Becki had just been told her treatment options had run out - that the cancer was, in her words, "declaring itself," and that her time is now very short. In one of the most powerful conversations we've ever had, Becki talks about planning her own funeral - the plywood coffin, the celebrant, the plan to climb in herself just to make everyone laugh - and about the parts that aren't funny at all: the fear, the reality of leaving her kids behind, and the perspective that's come with facing it head-on. It's a conversation full of light and shade. We talk about the Cancer Crushers, the village of friends carrying Becki and her kids, the health system she's had to fight through, her daughter Maddie's unforgettable words, and the humour that's got her through all of it. Between Two Beers is proudly brought to you by One New Zealand. We believe that One NZ connects New Zealand, while Between Two Beers connects New Zealanders. And together, we are NZ's most trusted connection platform. Steve and Seamus are proud to be dressed by Barkers Clothing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Steven and Seamus go behind the scenes of the Izzy Dagg episode that's gone massive - the research calls, why Izzy almost didn't tell his story, and the reaction that's followed since. Plus: the new dream guest list - who's next after Graham Norton - a big week for the team, emceeing the Master Builders House of the Year awards, and commentating Auckland FC v Tottenham. A very special episode drops next Sunday too, and it’s very different to anything we’ve done before. Full tease in the episode! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Israel Dagg had everything he'd ever chased - a Rugby World Cup, a young family, the life a kid from a Hawke's Bay state house could only dream of. Then he retired, and the question underneath it all hit at once: “if I'm not an All Black, who am I?” In one of the most open conversations we've had on the show, Israel comes clean on the five years that followed - the addiction, the depression, and the spiral he kept hidden while the world saw a highlight reel. After his mum passed away he hit rock bottom: he left his family, moved to Auckland, and spent a Father's Day alone in an apartment wondering how it got so bad. He's honest about what it cost the people who loved him, and clear that no one could have pulled him out but himself. This is the story of how he did it - how ownership became the first step back, why nearly three years sober is the best decision he's ever made, and how he came to see that the happiness he'd been chasing had been in front of him the whole time. Between Two Beers is proudly brought to you by One New Zealand. We believe that One NZ connects New Zealand, while Between Two Beers connects New Zealanders. And together, we are NZ's most trusted connection platform. Steve and Seamus are proud to be dressed by Barkers Clothing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We are back from the World Cup with a case of post-event blues and a bigger question: we built our dream - but, is it still the dream? In this consolidation episode, we share our lists about what we want the next two and a half years to look like - and discover how closely aligned we’ve become. Di digs into what "important" means now that the podcast is commercially sound, why neither of us is a natural galvaniser, and what it takes to bring the wider product team into the vision. Along the way: the "multiplier" that makes a business partnership work, why your best hire is the one that clears your own roadblock, dream guests (the Obama-tier bar), Steve's hips, and a time-audit report card that doesn't quite go to plan. A useful listen for anyone building something and trying to work out when to stop chasing and start consolidating. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Justine Smith has been a fixture of New Zealand comedy for more than 30 years - a Seven Days regular and one of the few women who lasted in a room that pushed most others out. She opens up on the comedy environment younger women were up against, the treatment she swallowed to keep going, and how she turned that guilt into becoming the person the next generation of female comics now comes to. She's also very funny about the rest of it - falling into comedy almost by accident, the terror of her first gig, and three decades of standing in front of a crowd talking about herself for a living. And she tells the remarkable story of her own beginning: adopted as a baby, and reunited with her sister through a single phone call that almost didn't happen. Between Two Beers is proudly brought to you by One New Zealand. We believe that One NZ connects New Zealand, while Between Two Beers connects New Zealanders. And together, we are NZ's most trusted connection platform. Steve and Seamus are proud to be dressed by Barkers Clothing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We debrief on Seamus' dream guest, Graham Norton - with Sammy and Char on the mics to break down how it went, and how dusty Steve was at the 5.30am start. Then the boys dig into whether there's anything to the Argentina World Cup conspiracy doing the rounds, before Steve gets Che’s take on surviving the school holidays and the "spare part" phase of early parenting (plus the questions kids fire at you when you least expect it - did you know Baby Shark has 17 billion views?). There's also a quieter moment as Seamus opens up about presiding over a close friend's dad's funeral, and what a room full of people saying goodbye teaches you about what actually matters. Plus the week's TAB bet and Che’s TVNZ punditry debut, Dr Evil jumper and all. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

He's spent nearly 30 years getting the world's biggest stars to open up - but Graham Norton rarely sits on the other side of the mic. The most famous chat show host on the planet pulls back the curtain on his craft: the psychology of who sits where on that famous sofa, why the guests always outrank him, and the research ritual that's funnier than the show itself. He also goes somewhere he almost never does - the San Francisco hippie commune that set him on his path, nearly dying in his twenties, becoming a debut novelist at 52, and how a chance love of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc became millions of bottles with his name on it. Between Two Beers is proudly brought to you by One New Zealand. We believe that One NZ connects New Zealand, while Between Two Beers connects New Zealanders. And together, we are NZ's most trusted connection platform. Steve and Seamus are proud to be dressed by Barkers Clothing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You can pour everything into the biggest thing you'll ever build - and still find the part you remember has nothing to do with the work. Fresh off three weeks at the FIFA World Cup in North America, Steven and Seamus sit down with their business coach Di Foster for a proper mid-year debrief: the enormity of what they pulled off (19 daily shows, four partners, a whole TV operation), the studio they spent tens of thousands building and then didn't need, and the honest look at what they'd do differently. Along the way: how you actually measure whether a big bet worked, the hire that changed everything, and the case for building rest into growth instead of chasing momentum forever. Plus a listener question - how do you keep the core things humming while you're on the road? - brought to you by Odoo. Try Odoo free, no credit card required: http://odoo.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

He's got a championship ring his own kids have never seen - it lives in a closet. Scott Goldman is a high-performance psychologist who's spent 30 years inside some of the biggest teams in world sport, including the Golden State Warriors, and works across five professional franchises at once. His whole philosophy flips how you think about success: you're not your talent, you're your talent times your environment. Get the environment wrong and the most gifted person in the room fails. Recorded in a hotel room at the Football World Cup - this is Between Two Beers' first-ever episode made overseas - Steve and Seamus go deep with Scott on what actually separates the best teams from the rest, the science of intelligence in sport, why he keeps his trophies hidden, the luxury of choosing your own hardship, and how he stays a present dad while doing "cool shit with cool people" on the other side of the world. Between Two Beers is proudly brought to you by One New Zealand. We believe that One NZ connects New Zealand, while Between Two Beers connects New Zealanders. And together, we are NZ's most trusted connection platform. Steve and Seamus are proud to be dressed by Barkers Clothing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The boys are back on home soil to unpack the most chaotic three weeks of the show's life. They relive the Radio & Podcast Awards and unpack the World Cup experience: 19 daily shows in a row for Between Two Goals, the flying Kiwis march to the Egypt game, Finn Surman's header, and 45 minutes of the best football either of them has ever watched - before the Belgium reality check. Along the way: a 6am video call with bucket-list guest Graham Norton (glass of wine and all), Steven Adams bounding up the stairs to find them at the Belgium game, Eli Just rounding out the tournament as the breakout star, a $666 game of credit card roulette, and one very hard-won premium economy upgrade. Plus a look ahead to Monday's Between Two Beers with Golden State Warriors performance psychologist Dr Scott Goldman - recorded in San Diego. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jason Gunn is one of New Zealand's most beloved entertainers - but behind the energy, the warmth, and the laugh, is a man who has faced some of life's hardest moments. In this episode, Jase opens up about suffering a heart attack at 47, and the moment lying in a hospital bed when his life's priorities became crystal clear. He talks about his son Louis - then a teenager - ripping up his radio contract and telling him "that's not what success looks like, Dad." And he shares the story of losing his mum Janice, the world's greatest storyteller, and what it means to carry someone with you after they're gone. We also get into the rise of the Son of a Gunn show, the magic behind Jason and Thingy, hosting Dancing with the Stars, and why the most confident man in any room still gets incredibly nervous. One of our favourite episodes we've ever done, recorded in 2024 and re-released this week for all our new listeners. Between Two Beers is proudly brought to you by One New Zealand. We believe that One NZ connects New Zealand, while Between Two Beers connects New Zealanders. And together, we are NZ's most trusted connection platform. Steve and Seamus are proud to be dressed by Barkers Clothing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Seamus arrives feeling it: New baby at home. A World Cup project about to go live. A calendar that was built before either of those things was certain, now collapsing on top of each other. He's saying yes to everything - commentary gigs, MC slots, the lot. And somewhere underneath all of it, he's saying no to the people who matter most without realising that's what he's doing. This one covers the procrastination spiral that kicks in when everything feels urgent and equally important, why knowing the problem isn't enough to change the behaviour, and the question every business owner eventually lands on - what is this thing actually a vehicle for? Turns out the answer sometimes involves goats. Thanks Di! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rob Cope has spoken to over 40,000 New Zealand parents about the dangers hiding in their children's online world. In this episode, he delivers the talk every parent needs to hear - and pulls no punches doing it. They cover the reality of what kids are accessing online, why good kids in good homes aren't protected, the neuroscience of screen addiction, what the government is getting wrong, practical tools to keep your kids safe, and Rob's Wild Dad movement getting fathers off their phones and back into their kids' lives. Between Two Beers is proudly brought to you by One New Zealand. We believe that One NZ connects New Zealand, while Between Two Beers connects New Zealanders. And together, we are NZ's most trusted connection platform. Steve and Seamus are proud to be dressed by Barkers Clothing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New Zealand drew 2-2 with Iran in one of the great All Whites performances - scoring twice, leading twice, and finishing top of Group G on goal difference. Eli Just became the first All White to score twice at a World Cup. Steve and Seamus were inside SoFi Stadium in LA when it happened. This episode, recorded the morning after, is their unfiltered reaction from the ground - what the game felt like in the stadium, what Eli Just's night means for NZ football, and what the rest of the tournament looks like from the top of the group. Watch Between Two Goals, streaming on TVNZ+ daily throughout the All Whites' World Cup campaign. Thank you to Ford for supporting Between Two Goals, and to Stark for supporting Hambassadors! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Steve Braunias sat through every day of the Polkinghorne trial - the society murder that gripped New Zealand - and wrote the bestselling book on it. He liked the accused. He chatted with him every morning. And he more than entertains the possibility that Phil Polkinghorne is an innocent man. In this episode, Steve takes us inside the eight weeks that felt like "a carnival": the forensic evidence that won and lost the case, the missing star witness Madison Ashton, the moment the prosecution's case fell apart, and why the national feeling that "he got away with it" collides with everything the facts say. But this is also the story of one of New Zealand's greatest living writers. The Motley Crüe interview that ended with him thrown against a wall. The letter that got him sacked from the Sunday magazine. Failing out of journalism school, learning to type by copying out Sylvia Plath, and 46 years of skewering phonies and squares - plus the surprisingly tender stuff: his late brother Mark, his daughter Minka, and why his dream is to one day stop writing altogether. Between Two Beers is proudly brought to you by One New Zealand. We believe that One NZ connects New Zealand, while Between Two Beers connects New Zealanders. And together, we are NZ's most trusted connection platform. Steve and Seamus are proud to be dressed by Barkers Clothing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Di Foster arrived ready to coach. Then she realised the smartest coaching move was to stop coaching. In this episode she explains why: Between Two Beers is in ‘execution season’, and what sport understands about seasons and rhythms is something most businesses never name. We get into why Steve and Seamus are slightly misaligned on what they really want, the delegation trap of "it takes 2 minutes to do but 15 minutes to explain," how to hand things over without interrupting the week, why the team can't keep running through the founders, and the one job Di's given the boys before the World Cup: be present, have fun, and produce a bloody good product. Thanks to our partner Odoo - the all-in-one business management software that keeps you from drowning in admin. Everything you need on one platform, for one subscription. Start your free 15-day trial at http://odoo.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Futurist Frances Valintine (founder of Academy X and Tech Futures Lab) joins the show to map what New Zealand actually looks like in twenty years, and it's a sobering picture. We're one of the fastest-changing populations on earth: ageing fast, with a birth rate well below replacement and a workforce shrinking from four people per retiree toward just two. Her warning is that we're already late to plan for it. From there the conversation turns to AI and the future of work, where Frances is blunt - every job ahead will have an AI component, and the longer you wait to understand it, the harder it gets. She unpacks how the technology is already changing the way we search, shop and make decisions, why New Zealand's greatest advantage in a chaotic world is trust, and how a small country might carve out a future by being the "slow but really good" partner the rest of the world relies on. Between Two Beers is proudly brought to you by One New Zealand. We believe that One NZ connects New Zealand, while Between Two Beers connects New Zealanders. And together, we are NZ's most trusted connection platform. Steve and Seamus are proud to be dressed by Barkers Clothing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The boys are back behind the scenes, and the World Cup is almost here. Seamus and Steve break down the wild Tim Payne phenomenon - how an All Whites right-back with 4,000 followers became bigger than the All Blacks in 48 hours after an Argentinian content creator made him the face of the tournament. Seamus has known Tim since he was 16, and with Between Two Goals heading into the exact camp that's now the most talked-about in world football, the dream scenario of exclusive access starts to take shape. Then it's all systems go for the trip: the daily Between Two Goals TV show following the All Whites across America and Canada, the mobile studio, walk-and-talk intros, and the small matter of Steve not knowing which city he's flying to. Plus reflections on two cracking recent episodes - former All Blacks manager Darren Shand on 20 years inside the machine, and futurist Frances Valentine - and a well-earned shout-out to the newly honoured Dame Susan Hassall. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matthew Ridge is one of New Zealand's most recognisable sporting figures - All Blacks captain, NRL star, television personality. But behind the swagger and the highlights reel is a story most people have never heard. Originally released in 2024 and one of our most popular episodes, we're bringing this one back because it deserves to be heard again. Ridgey sits down with Steve and Seamus to tell it all. At 16, he was wrongfully convicted of aggravated robbery - three High Court trials, a 14-year sentence hanging over his head, and a sports career that nearly never happened. He talks about growing up without his father, finding mental toughness through tennis, and the moment he got a voicemail from Graham Lowe asking if he wanted to play rugby league for Manly. He opens up about the NRL years, the TV relationship with Marc Ellis - and he talks honestly about his meth use, functioning as an addict while the cameras rolled, and the moment he looked at a photo of himself and saw no light in his eyes. This is Matthew Ridge like you've never heard him before. Between Two Beers is proudly brought to you by One New Zealand. We believe that One NZ connects New Zealand, while Between Two Beers connects New Zealanders. And together, we are NZ's most trusted connection platform. Steve and Seamus are proud to be dressed by Barkers Clothing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s been our biggest six months ever - landing on TVNZ+, heading to the World Cup, and sitting down with Steven Adams. Steve and Seamus sit down with business and mindset coach Di Foster to pull back the curtain on how it all actually came together, the chaos behind the scenes, and what it really takes to turn a podcast into a mainstream media brand. They break down the TVNZ deal, how they landed four World Cup sponsors at 100% conversion rate (and why that's actually a red flag), and the Steven Adams episode that had Seamus too nervous to speak for the first five minutes. Plus - the mindset that keeps it all in check. Because the most dangerous thing you can do when things are going this well is start believing your own BS. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For 20 years, Darren Shand was the most powerful person in All Blacks rugby that nobody knew about. As Team Manager across four Rugby World Cups - including the back-to-back title wins of 2011 and 2015 - Shand sat above the coaches, managed the operation, and helped build the cultural architecture of the most successful international rugby team in history. He worked alongside Sir Graham Henry, Sir Steve Hansen, Sir Wayne Smith, Richie McCaw, Dan Carter, and some of the greatest players to ever pull on the black jersey. He talks about the 2004 wake-up call that forced the entire culture to change. The private battles with depression. The end of his marriage. The moment a former Crusaders teammate came to his house to tell him he was fired. He shares stories that have never been made public - including a stunning incident before the 2015 Rugby World Cup final that nearly ended his campaign entirely. And he gives his most honest assessment yet of what happened to the All Blacks after he left - and why Ian Foster never really had a chance. Between Two Beers is proudly brought to you by One New Zealand. We believe that One NZ connects New Zealand, while Between Two Beers connects New Zealanders. And together, we are NZ's most trusted connection platform. Steve and Seamus are proud to be dressed by Barkers Clothing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Hambassadors, Steve and Seamus reveal their biggest project yet: a dedicated All Whites fan show heading to Vancouver for the FIFA World Cup. They're going in camp with the team, bringing the families, and building something that hasn't been done before in New Zealand sports media. Also this week: a behind-the-scenes look at the Joseph Parker x Barkers event (with some Chatham House rules intel that stays in the room), gut health is officially on the agenda, and the guys reflect on the overwhelming response to the Nate Alley episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stacey Morrison has been a fixture of New Zealand television and radio for thirty years - but this is the story behind the story. In this episode she opens up about growing up embarrassed by her Māori identity, a gruelling fifteen year journey to te reo fluency, the heartbreaking loss of her mum Sue, and finding the love she never thought she'd have with Scotty Morrison. Between Two Beers is proudly brought to you by One New Zealand. We believe that One NZ connects New Zealand, while Between Two Beers connects New Zealanders. And together, we are NZ's most trusted connection platform. Steve and Seamus are proud to be dressed by Barkers Clothing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.