What does real leadership look like at 19?

In this episode of Baskets of Knowledge, we sit down with Mackenzie, a student at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand. She is a youth advocate who is quietly reshaping what leadership, empathy, and impact truly mean.

This conversation explores people-first leadership, the power of reflection, and why real change doesn’t come from titles, it comes from showing up for others.

Mackenzie shares her lived experience working in youth advocacy within a fast-growing rural district, navigating leadership at a young age, and becoming one of only 37 people globally to receive the Zonta International Young Women in Leadership Scholarship.

We dive deep into:

• Leadership driven by empathy, not ego

• Youth voice, advocacy, and community change

• Mental health and social media, the good, the bad, and the dangerous

• Online hate, clickbait media, and resilience

• Grief, loss, and continuing to show up when life is heavy

• Why banning social media won’t solve the problem, conversation will

• The importance of reflection and enjoying the process of becoming

This episode is for leaders, parents, educators, coaches, and anyone who believes leadership starts with humanity.

🎧 Listen now and add this conversation to your basket of knowledge.

What happens when the life you worked so hard for… no longer feels like your life?

In this powerful episode, we sit down with Mina Amso, founder of Notes from the Executive, to explore identity, reinvention, cultural expectations, courage, and the moment you finally choose alignment over approval.

We dive into:
• Career pivots & following your purpose
• Breaking away from family expectations
• How to find your voice and use it with impact
• Why values are the most important part of your story
• How to build a life that feels true, not safe

If you’re feeling misaligned, stuck, or ready for a new chapter, this conversation will speak directly to you.

In this episode of Baskets of Knowledge, we sit down with 18-year-old Adam and 17-year-old Alfie, the young entrepreneurs behind ZenSha, New Zealand’s first matcha protein brand.

They share how they turned a classroom idea into a fast-growing health and wellness business, how they built their startup while still in school, and why consistency and action are the keys to success.

Perfect for listeners who enjoy:

🔹 Entrepreneurship podcasts
🔹 NZ startup stories
🔹 Gen Z founders
🔹 Health and wellness brands
🔹 Matcha culture & protein supplements
🔹 Real conversations about building a business

Stream now on Spotify and learn how two teenagers are reshaping the NZ wellness industry.

In this powerful episode of Baskets of Knowledge, we sit down with Malaysian mountaineer and environmental educator Saravanan Sinniah, a man whose life changed the moment he fulfilled his childhood dream of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro… and discovered the heartbreaking reality of climate change with his own eyes.

From witnessing melting glaciers to leading young people through forests and ecosystems across Southeast Asia, Saravanan shares raw stories about purpose, leadership, awareness, and the importance of travelling the world, or at least your own backyard, to expand who you are.

We explore:
• The shrinking snowcaps of Kilimanjaro
• The shocking changes at Everest Base Camp
• What climate change really looks like on the ground
• Life-threatening moments in the wild (including tigers)
• How to lead by walking beside people, not in front
• Why young people might be the key to saving our future
• Awareness vs willingness, and why both matter
• The life lessons nature teaches us when we pay attention

If you’re craving perspective, purpose, or a deeper connection to the world around you, this conversation will stay with you long after you listen.

Listen now and put something powerful into your Basket of Knowledge.

In this episode of Baskets of Knowledge, Kristin Murray, a leader with 30 years of experience, has a real, unscripted moment of imposter syndrome right at the start of the interview. What follows is one of the most honest conversations we’ve ever recorded.

Kristin opens up about navigating self-doubt, owning feedback, finding her voice, and discovering the framework that changed everything for her:
Evidence → Confidence → Action → More Evidence.

If you’re working on your mindset, leadership skills, personal growth, or career confidence, this episode will resonate deeply.

In this powerful episode of Baskets of Knowledge, Margot Korhonen, a Community Coach and Creative, shares how one simple question, “What if everything did work out?”, changed the course of her life.

From being a single mum dreaming of small comforts to becoming a homeowner, artist, and author of Creating Connected Communities, Margot’s journey is a masterclass in courage, self-leadership, and love.

She opens up about carrying the BRCA1 gene, overcoming chronic fatigue, and learning to lead with compassion instead of perfection.

You’ll learn how to:

• Dream bigger than fear

• Protect your peace through healthy boundaries

• Listen when your body whispers before it screams

• Transform pain into purpose

If you’ve ever felt stuck, tired, or unsure of what’s next, this conversation will remind you that you’re stronger, wiser, and more capable than you think.

Tune in to Baskets of Knowledge on Spotify a podcast about transformation, mindset, and the power of human stories.

Change is inevitable, but growth is a choice.
In this episode of Baskets of Knowledge, we sit down with Janelle Hulin, author, speaker, and proud “emoji enthusiast,” to unpack the beauty and chaos of change.

From raising six children while homeschooling across continents to losing a career she loved, Janelle shares how she discovered the power of the Liminal Space, that uncertain in-between where transformation begins.

You’ll learn how to:
💡 Let go without losing yourself
💡 Build resilience through uncertainty
💡 Bring lightness and laughter into serious change
💡 Find Confident Hope even when life feels messy

If you’re navigating transition, career, identity, purpose, or perspective, this episode will help you find humor, healing, and hope.

What happens when being "one credit short" becomes the catalyst for an extraordinary journey?

Join us for an emotional and inspiring conversation with Liahna Smith, a 23-year-old wahine toa from Taranaki who's redefining what career success looks like. Currently working with Pūhoro STEM Academy (on secondment from Why Ora), Liahna shares her raw and real journey from feeling "not ready" to becoming a voice for Māori rangatahi across five secondary schools.

In this episode, we explore:

• Navigating rejection and turning setbacks into opportunities
• The power of saying YES to uncomfortable opportunities
• Working in kaupapa Māori organizations and connecting with cultural identity
• Mental health, grief, and finding purpose after loss
• The reality of non-linear career pathways
• Why being uncomfortable is where growth happens
• Transitioning from national-level athlete to youth mentor and coach
• Building confidence and finding your voice in professional spaces

Topics covered: Career development, Māori education, STEM pathways, mental health awareness, grief and loss, sports psychology, youth mentorship, cultural identity, professional growth, asking for help, imposter syndrome, work-life balance, finding purpose

Perfect for: Young professionals, educators, career changers, parents, coaches, anyone navigating uncertainty, Māori and Indigenous professionals, STEM advocates, youth workers

Recorded during Mental Health Awareness Week, this conversation is a masterclass in resilience, authenticity, and the courage to take opportunities even when you don't feel "ready."

Baskets of Knowledge brings you real conversations with real people doing extraordinary mahi in Aotearoa New Zealand.

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