Five things we learned in April
1) A good leader is easy to spot
Scott Beard leads with empathy.
The Detective-Inspector, who is into his 42nd year of serving with the New Zealand police, won NZ hearts with his delicate handling of the Grace Millane murder in 2018.
What stood out to us then, and again in our 90-minute chat, was his emotional IQ. The way he talked about Grace, his family, the Queen Street riots, and his cancer battle were smothered in a level of empathy reserved for a man who has seen it all - and come out the other side.
2) Long-form style helps humanise
“I was surprised to see such a high-ranking police officer do a public interview,” one listener said.
Interviews like this are rare – this was Scott’s first ever in New Zealand, but important. Across 90 minutes, guests can’t hide their personality. We see the guests for who they really are. And unanimously, Scott’s life, career and outlook was celebrated. He was authentic, vulnerable and real. This was some of our favourite feedback.
“Loved this one guys. In my younger years I spent some time in jail so was a bit of a cop hater. As I've gotten older I deeply respect their job and role in society. Cheers for this one.”
3) The life of an international superstar is surreal
Elliot Gleave (known as Example) is a worldwide superstar. He’s played 1,360 gigs across 62 countries and has been the frontman of multiple generations, bridging the gaps between electronic, rap, and pop, with his chart-topping singles, sell-out tours, and multiple platinum records.
But he’s also just a regular bloke. Down-to-earth, thoughtful and fun. He apologised via text for being one minute late, he sent voice notes post ep with suggestions for our reels and despite 16 years on the road, seemed to still be loving every second of ‘the grind’.
4) Slow is good
We had such tremendous feedback from our episode with ‘The Ghost in the Machine’, David Galbraith. The elite mental skills coach looks at life differently. He speaks slowly and thoughtfully, loves being connected to the phrase ‘quintessential weirdo’, and genuinely appears to not care at all what anyone else thinks. But his messaging stuck.
”In tears listening to Galbraith this morning,” wrote one tough farmer from down South. Galbraith hits hard!
5) It’s fun to be recognised
We’re so stoked to be named as finalists in NZ’s two biggest media awards nights (NZ Radio Awards and Voyager Media Awards). We’re up for ‘Best Entertainment podcast’ and ‘Best Original Podcast’ and couldn’t be prouder of how our baby has grown. Thanks so much for your on-going support.
