Stretton Unfiltered

Episódios

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  Ep 31: The Children New Zealand Chose Not To Believe 29.07.2026 1h 16min

  For more than thirty years, human rights lawyer Sonja Cooper has stood beside survivors of abuse in state and psychiatric care, people whose stories were ignored for decades.In this episode of Stretton Unfiltered, Sonja and Annah explore what happens when the very institutions meant to protect children become the source of lifelong trauma.Together they discuss the fight for justice, the reality of redress, why so many survivors were never believed, and why breaking the cycle matters far more than simply paying compensation.This is a conversation about courage, accountability and what New Zealand still needs to confront. Connect with us on socials🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Instagram 🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Facebook🌸 Annah Stretton TikTok🌸 Annah Stretton Instagram 🌸 Annah Stretton Facebook🌸 Join our VIP page 🌸 www.annahstretton.co.nzSHOP OUR BOOKS 📖Rag Trade To Mag Trade:Ebook available here Order the physical book here 📚Grit Before Grace:Ebook available hereOrder the physical book here 📚Wise Heart:Ebook available hereOrder the physical book here 📚
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  Ep 30: Still Curious - The Secret To Staying Relevant As You Age 27.07.2026 17min

  Curiosity doesn't come with an expiry date, but somewhere along the way, a lot of us stop giving ourselves permission to try something new. This is a conversation about staying curious, at any age, and why getting older doesn't mean getting stuck.In this Stretton Unfiltered short, Annah sit's down with Rose, senior manager of the Wellington Annah Stretton store. Nineteen years into a career spent watching women change their minds about themselves in real time. This conversation is about what happens when we choose curiosity over comfort, at every age and in every part of life.Rose& Annah share:Why customers who insist "I don't do that" almost always prove themselves wrong once they actually tryWhat happened when a group of older women agreed to add colour to their outfits for a photoshoot, and why they left feeling proudHow staying curious about technology, not fearful of it, is helping their generation stay independent instead of relying on someone younger to fix thingsWhy the changing room is a place where women quietly decide who they still want to beThis is a short, warm conversation about what it costs to stop trying new things, and what it gives back when you do.Connect with us on socials🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Instagram 🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Facebook🌸 Annah Stretton TikTok🌸 Annah Stretton Instagram 🌸 Annah Stretton Facebook🌸 Join our VIP page 🌸 www.annahstretton.co.nzSHOP OUR BOOKS 📖Rag Trade To Mag Trade:Ebook available here Order the physical book here 📚Grit Before Grace:Ebook available hereOrder the physical book here 📚Wise Heart:Ebook available hereOrder the physical book here 📚
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  Ep 29: She Lost Everything. Twice. And Built It Again. 22.07.2026 1h 23min

  One phone call changed everything. Cushla Reed's overseas factory had been seized overnight. Her stock, her equipment, her patterns, years of work, all suddenly locked behind someone else's doors.That single moment is the centre of this conversation, but it's not really the story. The real story is what Cushla lost on the way to building one of New Zealand's most recognised footwear brands, and what she chose to hold onto anyway.Over more than two decades, Cushla built Minx from a family shoemaking business into a New Zealand export success story, then watched it come apart more than once. She lost a factory overseas. She lost her manufacturing partnership when the same people helping her design started competing against her. She lost the business partnership with her own sister, the person she'd built the brand with from day one. Each time, she rebuilt, and each time she came back with a clearer sense of who she was without the business attached to her name.This episode covers:The overnight collapse of her overseas manufacturing operation, and what it actually felt like to lose everything with no warningWhy she and her sister eventually chose to separate the business, and what that decision cost herThe moment a stranger's small act of kindness gave her the push to keep goingHow an exchange rate shift nearly wiped out her export business overnightWhat it means to protect your identity when your business, your partners and even your family are all part of the same storyThis is a conversation about resilience, identity and what's left of you when everything you've built is taken away. If you've ever had to rebuild who you are, not just what you do, this one is for you.Connect with us on socials🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Instagram 🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Facebook🌸 Annah Stretton TikTok🌸 Annah Stretton Instagram 🌸 Annah Stretton Facebook🌸 Join our VIP page 🌸 www.annahstretton.co.nzSHOP OUR BOOKS 📖Rag Trade To Mag Trade:Ebook available here Order the physical book here 📚Grit Before Grace:Ebook available hereOrder the physical book here 📚Wise Heart:Ebook available hereOrder the physical book here 📚
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  Ep 28: The Decisions That Kept Us in Business for 34 Years 15.07.2026 1h 7min

  One phone call changed everything.Annah thought her biggest wholesale customer wanted a catch-up. Instead, they ended the relationship, leaving her with a van full of fabric and a business that suddenly needed a completely new direction.It wasn't the last time the business would have to reinvent itself.In this episode, Annah and Sami reflect on the defining decisions that have shaped the company over the past 34 years. Some came from opportunity. Others came from setbacks. All of them changed the business in meaningful ways.They discuss:Losing their biggest wholesale customer and rebuilding from the ground upWhy franchising wasn't the right fitThe unexpected success of their swimwear rangeThe COVID decision that put the brand ahead of short-term salesWhat they've learned about knowing when it's time to changeThis is an honest conversation about resilience, reinvention, and what it really takes to build a business that lasts.Connect with us on socials🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Instagram 🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Facebook🌸 Annah Stretton TikTok🌸 Annah Stretton Instagram 🌸 Annah Stretton Facebook🌸 Join our VIP page 🌸 www.annahstretton.co.nzSHOP OUR BOOKS 📖Rag Trade To Mag Trade:Ebook available here Order the physical book here 📚Grit Before Grace:Ebook available hereOrder the physical book here 📚Wise Heart:Ebook available hereOrder the physical book here 📚
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  Ep: 27 Building True Colours: One Woman's Extraordinary Legacy | Dr Cynthia Ward 08.07.2026 58min

  For more than twenty-two years, Dr Cynthia Ward has quietly stood beside families experiencing every parent's worst fear.As the founder of True Colours Children's Health Trust, she has built one of New Zealand's most respected children's support organisations, providing counselling, nursing care and education for children living with life-limiting illness and the families who love them. Remarkably, she built it without government funding—through community generosity, unwavering determination and a belief that every child deserves to be heard.In this deeply moving conversation, Annah Stretton explores the moments that shaped Cynthia's extraordinary journey, from a twelve-year-old boy who changed the way she understood childhood and dying, to walking through a gang guard at the gate to reach a critically ill child, and the story behind the name True Colours, gifted by Tim Finn.This isn't simply a conversation about illness.It's about courage, compassion, grief, hope, and what it means to dedicate your life to helping others through their darkest days.Learn more about the incredible work of True Colours HERE 🌈🦋Connect with us on socials🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Instagram 🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Facebook🌸 Annah Stretton TikTok🌸 Annah Stretton Instagram 🌸 Annah Stretton Facebook🌸 Join our VIP page 🌸 www.annahstretton.co.nzSHOP OUR BOOKS 📖Rag Trade To Mag Trade:Ebook available here Order the physical book here 📚Grit Before Grace:Ebook available hereOrder the physical book here 📚Wise Heart:Ebook available hereOrder the physical book here 📚
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  Building True Colours: One Woman's Extraordinary Legacy *Short* 08.07.2026 1min

  For more than twenty-two years, Dr Cynthia Ward has quietly stood beside families experiencing every parent's worst fear. As the founder of True Colours Children's Health Trust, she has built one of New Zealand's most respected children's support organisations, providing counselling, nursing care and education for children living with life-limiting illness and the families who love them. Remarkably, she built it without government funding through community generosity, unwavering determination and a belief that every child deserves to be heard.In this deeply moving conversation, Annah and Cynthia explore the moments that shaped Cynthia's extraordinary journey, from a twelve-year-old boy who changed the way she understood childhood and dying, to walking through a gang guard at the gate to reach a critically ill child, and the story behind the name True Colours, gifted by Tim Finn. Listen to the full story on our latest Stretton Unfiltered episode, out 3pm today
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  Ep 26: The Flight Coffee Story: Building, Losing, Reinventing 01.07.2026 1h 9min

  How do you build one of New Zealand’s most recognised coffee brands in a market already crowded with hundreds of roasters?This week on Stretton Unfiltered, I talk to Nick Clark, co-founder of Flight Coffee, about the reality behind the brand.The wins. The near losses. The reinvention. The brutal COVID hit. The move from café to wholesale, supermarkets, pods, canned coffee and The Hangar in Wellington.What I loved most was the way Flight has kept evolving without losing its values, including its commitment to the coffee growers and communities it works with in Colombia.This is not just a conversation about coffee.It is a sharp, honest look at what it takes to build, almost lose, rethink and keep growing a business in one of New Zealand’s most competitive industries.Connect with us on socials🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Instagram 🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Facebook🌸 Annah Stretton TikTok🌸 Annah Stretton Instagram 🌸 Annah Stretton Facebook🌸 Join our VIP page 🌸 www.annahstretton.co.nzSHOP OUR BOOKS 📖Rag Trade To Mag Trade:Ebook available here Order the physical book here 📚Grit Before Grace:Ebook available hereOrder the physical book here 📚Wise Heart:Ebook available hereOrder the physical book here 📚
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  Ep 25: Will AI Replace You or Make You Richer? 24.06.2026 1h 19min

  Will AI Replace You or Make You Richer? What if you're already being outperformed by AI and don't even know it?Artificial Intelligence is no longer coming. It's here, quietly reshaping business, education, creativity, retail, and the way we work every day. The real question is whether you're using it or being left behind by those who are.In this episode of Stretton Unfiltered, Annah sits down with Matt Browning, entrepreneur, AI specialist, and co-founder of Incredible, a New Zealand company building AI systems and automation tools used by businesses around the world.Matt's journey into AI didn't start in Silicon Valley. It started with curiosity, problem solving, and a determination to teach himself the tools that are now transforming entire industries.Together, Annah and Matt tackle some of the biggest questions facing all of us right now:• Is AI making us smarter or slowly making us obsolete?• Why are so many New Zealand businesses dangerously behind the curve?• Could your job exist in its current form five years from now?• What are the real privacy and security risks nobody is talking about?• How much of your daily work could AI already do better and faster?• What happens to creativity, retail, education, and human connection when machines become collaborators?Along the way, Annah shares how AI has become part of her own daily life, from building business systems and drafting proposals on the move to capturing ideas and conversations she never wants to lose.This is not a conversation about technology. It's a conversation about the future of work, the future of business, and the future of being human.Whether you're excited by AI, sceptical of it, or quietly terrified by how fast it's moving, this episode will challenge what you think you know and leave you asking one question: If AI changes everything, what happens next?Connect with us on socials🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Instagram 🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Facebook🌸 Annah Stretton TikTok🌸 Annah Stretton Instagram 🌸 Annah Stretton Facebook🌸 Join our VIP page 🌸 www.annahstretton.co.nzSHOP OUR BOOKS 📖Rag Trade To Mag Trade:Ebook available here Order the physical book here 📚Grit Before Grace:Ebook available hereOrder the physical book here 📚Wise Heart:Ebook available hereOrder the physical book here 📚
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  Ep 24: Why Perfect Content Is Killing Your Reach | Annah & Sami Stretton 17.06.2026 57min

  Social media strategy is one of the most searched topics for small business owners right now, and for good reason. The rules keep changing, the platforms keep shifting, and businesses that stop learning risk becoming invisible.In this episode, Annah and Sami get honest about the social media journey behind a 34-year-old fashion brand finding its feet in a world where video is king, authenticity is currency, and a jar of lollies can outperform a polished campaign.From carefully curated Instagram feeds to founder led content that stops the scroll, they unpack what it has actually taken to evolve their digital presence, the mistakes they have made along the way, and why staying relevant online requires ongoing investment, experimentation, and a willingness to adapt.They talk about:Why Instagram Reels outperform static posts and what they are doing differently on TikTok.The paid vs organic split that changed how they show up online.A sugar jar, a bare face, and a woman on the street outperforming carefully planned content.Why being true to your brand voice beats chasing trends every time.Why TikTok is now a search engine and what that means for your business.Why upskilling in social media is now as essential as any other business investment.This is a candid, behind the scenes look at social media from two women who are still learning, still testing, and still adapting to a landscape that never stands still. Whether you are a small business owner, content creator, or brand trying to grow your online presence, this conversation offers practical lessons on what is working right now and why standing still is no longer an option.Connect with us on socials🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Instagram 🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Facebook🌸 Annah Stretton TikTok🌸 Annah Stretton Instagram 🌸 Annah Stretton Facebook🌸 Join our VIP page 🌸 www.annahstretton.co.nzSHOP OUR BOOKS 📖Rag Trade To Mag Trade:Ebook available here Order the physical book here 📚Grit Before Grace:Ebook available hereOrder the physical book here 📚Wise Heart:Ebook available hereOrder the physical book here 📚
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  Ep23: How I Stopped Prison Becoming My Family Legacy 10.06.2026 1h 29min

  Before the justice system ever entered her life, Gail Maney had already survived more than most people face in a lifetime. Domestic violence, poverty, sexual abuse, addiction, and a childhood that never gave her a fair shot. Then in 1997, police charged her with a murder she had absolutely nothing to do with, built on fabricated testimony, witness coercion, and a justice system that failed her at every turn. She was convicted and spent 15 years in prison paying for someone else's crime.In October 2024, the Court of Appeal quashed her conviction, acknowledging a serious miscarriage of justice. But the court ruling is only part of the story. Gail sits down with Annah to share what prison actually does to a human being, what survival looks like when the barriers existed long before the prison gates closed, and what freedom really feels like when the stigma, the criminal record, and the trauma do not just disappear with an acquittal.This is a story about resilience, about the cost of injustice, and about one woman who never stopped fighting for the truth.Connect with us on socials🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Instagram 🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Facebook🌸 Annah Stretton TikTok🌸 Annah Stretton Instagram 🌸 Annah Stretton Facebook🌸 Join our VIP page 🌸 www.annahstretton.co.nzSHOP OUR BOOKS 📖Rag Trade To Mag Trade:Ebook available here Order the physical book here 📚Grit Before Grace:Ebook available hereOrder the physical book here 📚Wise Heart:Ebook available hereOrder the physical book here 📚
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  Ep 22: The Human Cost Of The Gender Debate | Mary Haddock-Staniland 03.06.2026 1h 3min

  For more than 20 years, Annah Stretton has known Mary Haddock-Staniland not as a political talking point, but simply as a friend.In this deeply personal and timely conversation, Mary shares her journey as one of New Zealand’s most prominent transgender advocates, media personalities, and diversity leaders, reflecting on identity, belonging, respect, and the emotional impact of seeing transgender lives debated publicly once again.The discussion explores the wider conversation surrounding New Zealand’s proposed “Definitions of Woman and Man” Amendment Bill, not through political outrage or division, but through lived experience, curiosity, and humanity.Mary speaks openly about growing up in Matamata, navigating gender dysphoria from childhood, building an international executive career, and the personal cost of constantly having your identity publicly questioned. Together, Annah and Mary unpack the difference between acceptance and respect, why dignity matters, and how everyday conversations shape whether people feel safe, seen, and valued.This episode is not about sensationalism or ideology. It is about understanding the human being behind the headlines.A thoughtful, compassionate conversation about identity, kindness, inclusion, and the importance of staying curious in a world increasingly driven by division.Connect with us on socials🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Instagram 🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Facebook🌸 Annah Stretton TikTok🌸 Annah Stretton Instagram 🌸 Annah Stretton Facebook🌸 Join our VIP page 🌸 www.annahstretton.co.nzSHOP OUR BOOKS 📖Rag Trade To Mag Trade:Ebook available here Order the physical book here 📚Grit Before Grace:Ebook available hereOrder the physical book here 📚Wise Heart:Ebook available hereOrder the physical book here 📚
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  Ep 21: Lipstick, Grit & Global Markets: The Karen Murrell Story 27.05.2026 1h 4min

  She grew up in Te Awamutu, lost a business partner, started over more than once, fought counterfeiters all the way to China's Supreme Court, and built one of New Zealand's most recognised natural lipstick brands sold across Australia, China, the US and beyond.In this episode of Stretton Unfiltered, Annah sits down with Karen Murrell, the founder behind the iconic Karen Murrell lipstick brand, for a conversation that is as honest as it is inspiring. Karen opens up about the health battles that shaped her resilience, the early careers that quietly built her knowledge of sales, manufacturing and markets, and the moment she Googled how to make skincare in a borrowed computer and launched her first business from scratch.She shares what it really takes to break into international markets, the hard lessons of the Daigou channel, the counterfeiting battle that cost her years and a fortune, and why designing love notes into every product has always been her point of difference.This is a conversation about knowing your craft deeply, backing yourself when no one else will, and building something that endures, not just something that sells.For women in business, for anyone who has had to start again, and for anyone who has ever underestimated how far a good lipstick can travel.Connect with us on socials🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Instagram 🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Facebook🌸 Annah Stretton TikTok🌸 Annah Stretton Instagram 🌸 Annah Stretton Facebook🌸 Join our VIP page 🌸 www.annahstretton.co.nzSHOP OUR BOOKS 📖Rag Trade To Mag Trade:Ebook available here Order the physical book here 📚Grit Before Grace:Ebook available hereOrder the physical book here 📚Wise Heart:Ebook available hereOrder the physical book here 📚
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  Ep 7: The Wins, The Losses - 34 Years of Building Annah Stretton 20.05.2026 1h

  We have re-recorded this episode in celebration of the Annah Stretton brand turning thirty-four. Thirty-four years of building the Annah Stretton clothing brand is worth celebrating. But behind the brand sits a woman who has never been able to stop at just one idea. In this episode of Stretton Unfiltered, Annah sits down with her daughter Sami to take an honest look at the ventures that have run alongside the clothing company over the years. The side hustles, the passion projects, the bold swings that did not quite land, and the ones that exceeded every expectation.This episode unpacks:A wellness retreat born from attending one and deciding she could absolutely do it herselfSewing kits that opened doors across Australia but that no one actually wanted to sewFour Australian stores that never quite clicked with the Aussie beach girlA magazine empire that cost a fortune but introduced Annah to some of the most remarkable women in the country, including a Prime MinisterA rosé that became the signature drink at every event, even if it never quite made business senseOlive's Kitchen, brewed on the kitchen bench and now a thriving New Zealand pet wellness brand with a loyal and growing followingRAW, now 12 years in, quietly changing the lives of women coming out of the justice systemHopefish, opening twice a year for women facing inequality and financial hardship who simply need someone to back them into education.This is a conversation about what it really means to back yourself, repeatedly, across decades, in spaces well outside your lane. About knowing when to hold on and when to walk away. And about why failure is never the end of the story, it is just the part that teaches you the most.If you are building something of your own, or wondering whether your stumbles are worth it, this one is for you.Connect with us on socials🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Instagram 🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Facebook🌸 Annah Stretton TikTok🌸 Annah Stretton Instagram 🌸 Annah Stretton Facebook🌸 Join our VIP page 🌸 www.annahstretton.co.nzSHOP OUR BOOKS 📖Rag Trade To Mag Trade:Ebook available here Order the physical book here 📚Grit Before Grace:Ebook available hereOrder the physical book here 📚
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  Ep 20: Matt Stark on Losing $1M and Reshaping Hamilton 13.05.2026 56min

  At 23, he lost a million dollars.By 24, he was mowing lawns.What followed was a rebuild from the ground up,  from liquidation talks, bank meetings that changed everything, and a decision to keep going when most people would have stopped.In this episode of Stretton Unfiltered, we sit down with Matt Stark, property developer behind some of Hamilton’s most recognisable spaces, including Riverbank Lane and MADE in Hamilton East. Matt shares the raw reality behind building a business, the early days of uncertainty, and how a long-term belief in Hamilton’s city centre shaped everything that followed. We explore the $110M deal, the failures that came before success, and why he believes retail, community, and city making are still deeply human at their core.We explore:Losing everything in his early 20s and starting again.The mindset shift from survival to city shaping.Why Riverbank Lane became a turning point for Hamilton CBD.The thinking behind MADE and its evolving ecosystem of makers and retailers.Decisions that prioritised people over profit.Why relationships, not rent, have driven long-term success.And what comes next when you’ve already built more than you ever planned.This is a story about risk, resilience, and rebuilding a city one decision at a time.Connect with us on socials🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Instagram 🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Facebook🌸 Annah Stretton TikTok🌸 Annah Stretton Instagram 🌸 Annah Stretton Facebook🌸 Join our VIP page 🌸 www.annahstretton.co.nzSHOP OUR BOOKS 📖Rag Trade To Mag Trade:Ebook available here Order the physical book here 📚Grit Before Grace:Ebook available hereOrder the physical book here 📚Wise Heart:Ebook available hereOrder the physical book here 📚
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  Ep 19: Breaking The Cycle Of Crime – 12 Yrs Inside Prison With NZ's Most Complex Women 06.05.2026 57min

  In Episode 19 of Stretton Unfiltered, we take you inside 12 years of working within women’s prisons and the reality of what it takes to break the cycle of crime. This is the story behind RAW, Reclaim Another Woman. A model built not from theory, but from working alongside some of the most complex, high-risk women in New Zealand. Women, many had normalised criminal lifestyles and outcomes Since 2014, RAW has challenged that narrative. What started as a response to intergenerational offending, violence, poverty, and limited opportunity has grown into a deeply connected  and successful model of reintegration. One grounded in inclusion, accountability, community, and real pathways forward.In this episode, we speak honestly about the early chaos, the missteps, and the lessons learned inside the prison system. We unpack the realities of working within prison walls, supporting women inside and at the point of release, and building trust where it has largely been broken. We talk about the transitional homes, the farm sanctuary, and the long-term commitment required to support change beyond the gate.This is not a polished success story. It is a real account of what it takes to interrupt cycles of crime and create possibility. RAW is more than a charity. It is a lifelong living system of support, shaped by the women themselves, and grounded in pono, tika, and aroha. Connect with us on socials🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Instagram 🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Facebook🌸 Annah Stretton TikTok🌸 Annah Stretton Instagram 🌸 Annah Stretton Facebook🌸 Join our VIP page 🌸 www.annahstretton.co.nzSHOP OUR BOOKS 📖Rag Trade To Mag Trade:Ebook available here Order the physical book here 📚Grit Before Grace:Ebook available hereOrder the physical book here 📚Wise Heart:Ebook available hereOrder the physical book here 📚
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  Ep 18: 37 Years In Prison…Rebuilding A Life After Incarceration 29.04.2026 1h 3min

  This is not an easy listen… but it’s an important one. In this episode of Stretton Unfiltered, Annah sits down with Missy Wepper to unpack a life shaped by trauma, survival, addiction, and ultimately, accountability. From early childhood abuse and life in state care… to years inside the prison system… to navigating life on the outside after decades institutionalised, Missy shares her story with a level of honesty that is both confronting and deeply grounding. This is not about excuses. It’s about context. It’s about understanding what sits behind behaviour… and what it actually takes to change. What emerges is something many people never see…the long, lonely work of rebuilding a life. The discipline it takes to walk away from everything you’ve known. And the reality that change is possible… but only if you choose it. A conversation about survival, systems, responsibility… and what it really means to start again.Connect with us on socials🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Instagram 🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Facebook🌸 Annah Stretton TikTok🌸 Annah Stretton Instagram 🌸 Annah Stretton Facebook🌸 Join our VIP page 🌸 www.annahstretton.co.nzSHOP OUR BOOKS 📖Rag Trade To Mag Trade:Ebook available here Order the physical book here 📚Grit Before Grace:Ebook available hereOrder the physical book here 📚Wise Heart:Ebook available hereOrder the physical book here 📚
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  Ep 17: She Turned “Too Old” Into a Business  22.04.2026 50min

  In this episode of Stretton Unfiltered, Annah sits down with New Zealand Silver Fox Modelling Agency owner Rebecca Swaney for a conversation that goes far beyond modelling. From buying a business on instinct to building a nationally recognised agency representing women 30+ and beyond, Rebecca shares the reality of backing yourself, learning on the fly, and creating space in an industry that historically overlooked mature women.This is a story about:Starting with just 11 models and building something meaningfulThe shift towards diversity and representation in fashionThe emotional reality behind running a solo businessWhy women don’t “age out” anymoreAnd what it really looks like to close a business with graceIt’s honest, reflective, and quietly powerful.Because this isn’t just about modelling. It’s about visibility, identity, and the courage to evolve.Connect with us on socials🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Instagram 🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Facebook🌸 Annah Stretton TikTok🌸 Annah Stretton Instagram 🌸 Annah Stretton Facebook🌸 Join our VIP page 🌸 www.annahstretton.co.nzSHOP OUR BOOKS 📖Rag Trade To Mag Trade:Ebook available here Order the physical book here 📚Grit Before Grace:Ebook available hereOrder the physical book here 📚Wise Heart:Ebook available hereOrder the physical book here 📚
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  Ep 16: Haley Bicknell & Punnet Cafe: Booked Out To Burnt Out 15.04.2026 45min

  What does it take to create a business that people will go out of their way for, and keep coming back to? In this episode of Stretton Unfiltered, Annah sits down with Haley Bicknell, owner of Punnet, a rural café in Tamahere that has quietly become one of the Waikato’s most enduring and consistently busy destinations. Not because it follows the rules, but because it breaks them. From its beginnings on a strawberry farm to a multi-layered business employing 40 staff, Haley shares what it really takes to build something that lasts. This is a conversation grounded in the realities of running a high-volume, people-driven business, where growth doesn’t always feel like success, and where burnout can sit just beneath the surface. Together, they unpack:Why “being busy” doesn’t always mean being profitableThe power of defining a clear core purpose and actually living itWhat it takes to scale a business while maintaining consistencyThe hidden toll of customer-facing roles and leadership burnoutHow stepping back, not pushing harder, can sometimes save a businessWhy hiring well and building the right team changes everythingHaley also shares her experience of hitting breaking point, putting the business on the market, and ultimately choosing to rebuild it differently, with stronger systems, better support, and a renewed sense of purpose. For business owners and operators, this episode is a reminder that longevity isn’t about chasing growth. It’s about creating something people genuinely want to be part of, and building a team that can carry it with you. A thoughtful, honest conversation about business, resilience, and redefining what success actually looks like.Connect with us on socials🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Instagram 🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Facebook🌸 Annah Stretton TikTok🌸 Annah Stretton Instagram 🌸 Annah Stretton Facebook🌸 Join our VIP page 🌸 www.annahstretton.co.nzSHOP OUR BOOKS 📖Rag Trade To Mag Trade:Ebook available here Order the physical book here 📚Grit Before Grace:Ebook available hereOrder the physical book here 📚Wise Heart:Ebook available hereOrder the physical book here 📚
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  Ep 15: From Fear to Freedom - Nikki’s Story 08.04.2026 45min

  What does it really look like to love someone through chaos… and still find your way back to yourself? In this episode of Stretton Unfiltered, we sit down with Nikki, her story will stay with you long after the conversation ends.From a stable upbringing to a life shaped by low self-worth, abusive relationships, and years of fear, Nikki bravely shares what it was like to live inside a world that felt impossible to escape. We talk about the quiet realities so many women carry, staying when it hurts, protecting children while breaking inside, and the invisible weight of believing you’re not worthy of more. Nikki opens up about life alongside Ben through prison, addiction, violence, and the turning point that changed everything. Not overnight, not easily, but through accountability, honesty, and the slow rebuild of two people choosing something different. This is a conversation about survival, about what it costs to stay and rebuilding yourself from nothing. It’s also about hope. About forgiveness. About the possibility of change, even when everything says otherwise. And most importantly, it’s a reminder that if you are in something hard, you are not alone. There is support. There are people who will stand beside you. Taking that first step is enough. If you’ve ever questioned your worth, stayed longer than you should have, or wondered if life can look different, this conversation is for you.Resonated with something in this conversation? Explore more of the work we do with RAW here: www.raw.org.nzWhere to get help? waikatowomensrefuge.co.nz24 HOUR CRISIS HOTLINE: 07 855 1569 Connect with us on socials🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Instagram 🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Facebook🌸 Annah Stretton TikTok🌸 Annah Stretton Instagram 🌸 Annah Stretton Facebook🌸 www.annahstretton.co.nzSHOP OUR BOOKS 📖Rag Trade To Mag Trade:Ebook available here Order the physical book here 📚Grit Before Grace:Ebook available hereOrder the physical book here 📚Wise Heart:Ebook available hereOrder the physical book here 📚
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  Ep 14: Holding It All Together Until It Falls Apart - Nadene's Journey 01.04.2026 42min

  Some of the women who fall the hardest…are the ones holding everything together. From the outside, it can look like capability. Success. Control. But underneath, it can be pressure. Responsibility. And decisions made quietly, just to get through. In this episode of Stretton Unfiltered, Nadene shares the story behind what happens when that pressure builds over time… and eventually gives way. Not all at once. Not dramatically.But slowly. A business growing faster than the support around it. A refusal to ask for help. A belief that it can still be fixed. Until it can’t. What follows is a journey through the justice system, prison, and everything that comes after.The reality of being seen differently.The weight of rebuilding.And the quiet work of starting again. Because this is not a story about failure. It is about what happens when capable women carry too much, for too long…and what it takes to rebuild from there. Through RAW, this is something we see often. Not women defined by their worst moment. But women who choose, step by step, to move beyond it. Take a moment to listen.Resonated with something in this conversation? Explore more of the work we do with RAW here: ⁠www.raw.org.nz⁠Where to get help? ⁠waikatowomensrefuge.co.nz⁠⁠24 HOUR CRISIS HOTLINE: 07 855 1569⁠Connect with us on socials🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Instagram 🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Facebook🌸 Annah Stretton TikTok🌸 Annah Stretton Instagram 🌸 Annah Stretton Facebook🌸 Join our VIP page 🌸 www.annahstretton.co.nzSHOP OUR BOOKS 📖Rag Trade To Mag Trade:Ebook available here Order the physical book here 📚Grit Before Grace:Ebook available hereOrder the physical book here 📚Wise Heart:Ebook available hereOrder the physical book here 📚