In this episode of Make It Happen, Iyia sits down with Charlotte, founder of &Breathe one of Make It Happens students, to unpack how she went from paediatric ICU nurse to building a fast-growing education business reaching over 15 million organic views in six months. Charlotte shares how solving a real problem for parents led to sell-out online and in-person trainings, the exact social media and collaboration strategies she used to grow without ads, and why giving away free value builds unstoppable trust. They dive deep into content strategy, influencer marketing for service businesses, community building, mindset, and the power of “done is better than perfect,” especially as a mum balancing business and family.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone who thinks starting or growing a business feels impossible, and proof that with the right framework, execution, and values, ordinary people really can build extraordinary results.

Charlottes Links: https://www.andbreathefirstaid.co.nz/

👉 www.makeithappen.org.nz
📲 Socials: @makeithappen

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In the first of two parts on what investors need to know in 2026, we discuss a world preoccupied with the Trump effect.

While markets like Japan and Europe outperformed the States last year, Craigs Investment Director Mark Lister and KiwiBank Chief Economist Jarrod Kerr explain why the US remains a major force. Closer to home, they outline how NZ is getting off its knees and into recovery mode. Is tech and AI concentration in the US S&P 500 something to be concerned about? Are lower interest rates leading to a broader recovery at home beyond dairy? What are the sectors to watch this year? Plus, investing in alternative assets as gold’s record-breaking run continues.

For more or to watch on YouTube—check out http://linktr.ee/sharedlunch

Shared Lunch is brought to you by Sharesies Australia Limited (ABN 94 648 811 830; AFSL 529893) in Australia and Sharesies Limited (NZ) in New Zealand. It is not financial advice. Information provided is general only and current at the time it’s provided, and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation and needs. We do not provide recommendations and you should always read the disclosure documents available from the product issuer before making a financial decision. Our disclosure documents and terms and conditions—including a Target Market Determination and IDPS Guide for Sharesies Australian customers—can be found on our relevant Australian or NZ website.

Investing involves risk. You might lose the money you start with. If you require financial advice, you should consider speaking with a qualified financial advisor. Past performance is not a guarantee of future performance.

Appearance on Shared Lunch is not an endorsement by Sharesies of the views of the presenters, guests, or the entities they represent. Their views are their own.

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Two Kiwi engineers who helped build the future of self‑driving cars in Silicon Valley are now quietly laying the foundations for the next great tech wave: physical AI.

In the latest episode of The Business of Tech, I talk to Harry Mellsop, co‑founder of simulation startup Antioch, and Adrian Macneil, co‑founder and CEO of data platform Foxglove, for a fast‑paced tour of where robotics is really at as Elon Musk talks up his Optimus humanoid robots.

Both founders cut their teeth at the pointy end of autonomy. Harry worked on Tesla’s Autopilot, watching first‑hand how much time and money is burned putting robots into the real world safely. Adrian led key parts of Cruise’s self‑driving infrastructure and developer tooling, helping build the internal platforms that let engineers understand what a robot “saw”, “thought” and did on the streets of San Francisco.

Big dollars for physical AI startups

That experience has now crystallised into two companies sitting at the infrastructure layer of physical AI – and investors are paying attention. Foxglove has raised US$40 million US in Series B funding, led by Bessemer Venture Partners with Icehouse Ventures on the cap table, to build the data and observability backbone for robotics teams. Antioch has secured US$4.2 million US dollars in pre‑seed funding, with Icehouse Ventures again involved, to bring Tesla‑grade cloud simulation to any robotics startup that wants to test thousands of edge cases virtually before a robot ever leaves the lab.

Integration testing for atoms

We explore how these platforms turn messy real‑world sensor feeds into structured insights, shorten development cycles from weeks to hours, and dramatically reduce the risks of unleashing autonomous machines into warehouses, construction sites and farms. Harry explains why “integration testing for atoms” is the missing link in robotics, and how simulation can slash the cost of safety validation. Adrian unpacks the idea of a data flywheel for robots – logging everything, surfacing the rare but dangerous failures, and feeding that back into better models and better code.

If you want to know where AI goes next, why humanoids are still relatively clunky despite the viral demo videos, and how New Zealand founders are quietly shaping the infrastructure every serious robotics company will rely on, tune into episode 133 of The Business of Tech, streaming on iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks to our sponsor, 2degrees.

Show notes

Kiwi Harry Mellsop raises $7.3m for his physical-world AI start-up Antioch - NZ Herald

Physical infrastructure AI firm Foxglove, headed by Kiwi Adrian Macneil, raises US$40m - NZ Herald

The Missing Infrastructure Holding Robotics Back with Adrian Macneil - The Machine Minds Show

Rise of the robots: the promise of physical AI - AFP

Physical AI: robotics are poised to revolutionise business - FT

Humanoid robots take over CES in Las Vegas as tech industry touts future of AI - CNB

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The Reserve Bank spent most of 2025 lowering the OCR, leaving experts to speculate how these changes impacted the economy.

Since then, economic and business confidence has gone up for the start of 2026, but inflation data for the December quarter has raised some concerns

Milford Asset Management expert Brendan Larsen explained further.

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The Official Cash Rate is expected to rise this year, although forecasters say predicting when is tricky.

Inflation was stronger in the December quarter than expected, at 3.1 percent.

Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen is picking a hike in November - with an outside possibility of one in May.

He says other signs in the market signal a possible increase.

"Actual bank rates for longer-term mortgages have already started to increase a touch this year."

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A possible sign of the economic recovery with Michael Hill's New Zealand operation reporting its first positive result in more than two years.

In the six months to December the jeweller made $62 million worth of sales, increasing by 2.4%.

First Retail Group Managing Director Chris Wilkinson says jewellery's a good sign of discretionary spending and consumer confidence.

He told Mike Hosking there are also positive economic signs elsewhere.

Wilkinson says there's a lot of benefits in areas where these large projects are taking place and provinces are doing well, with agriculture also strong.

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When do you stop going it alone with your money—and start getting advice? How do you know if you actually need a financial advisor, and how do you find one you can trust?

In the final episode of the Wealth Kick, we’re talking about what happens when DIY can only get you so far. We cover when it makes sense to bring in professional help, what green flags (and red flags) to look for in an advisor, and how good advice can give you clarity, confidence, and momentum.

Financial advisors Billy and Ed Glennie share what you should expect from a first meeting, Reagan White explains why an objective third set of eyes changed everything for him, and Sharesies co-CEO Brooke Roberts joins us to wrap up the series with a broader take on what “wealth” really means.

This is the seventh and final episode of the Wealth Kick, a limited series to change your perspective on money for the new year. Until the end of January, we’re serving up a little financial soul-searching, easy exercises you can use anywhere, and a few wacky stories.

The Wealth Kick podcast is brought to you by Sharesies Limited in New Zealand. It is not financial advice. Information provided is general only and current at the time it’s provided, and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation and needs. We do not provide recommendations and you should always read the disclosure documents available from the product issuer before making a financial decision. Our disclosure documents and terms and conditions can be found on our website.

Investing involves risk. You might lose the money you start with. If you require financial advice, you should consider speaking with a qualified financial advisor. Past performance is not a guarantee of future performance.

Appearance on the podcast is not an endorsement by Sharesies of the views of the presenters, guests, or the entities they represent. Their views are their own.

Sharesies Investment Management Limited is the issuer of the Sharesies KiwiSaver Scheme. The product disclosure statement (PDS) for the Sharesies KiwiSaver Scheme has been lodged, and may be viewed on the Disclose Register or on our documents page.

Sharesies Financial Limited provides the Spend service, including Investback. The Spend debit card is issued by Change Labs NZ Pty Ltd pursuant to license by Mastercard. Spend fees and Investback earn rate are subject to change.

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Despite Labour raising some concerns with the Government's trade deal with India, the move has been welcomed by rural economists.

Trade analyst Stephen Jacobi says the Government timed the deal perfectly - and might have had to wait years if they prolonged the negotiations.

The Country's Jamie Mackay explained further.

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