"I’ve got lots on so I’ll just skip my workout tomorrow morning to get to work earlier”
“I don’t have enough time in between meetings so I’ll skip lunch”
“The kids always come first, I’ll squeeze in what I can”
Sound familiar? Sometimes it feels like we’re caught between our wellness goals and life’s daily demands.
That’s why we developed Chia Sisters drinks to be nutritional, energising, and – crucially convenient. A rewarding part of our work is meeting like-minded people who use our products to empower others.
We caught up with Amanda Foubister to learn more about how she helps clients achieve and maintain wellness alongside their demanding lifestyles and careers, and how Chia Sisters functional drinks perfectly support this.
For more than 20 years, Amanda has worked as a movie stunt double, pro bodybuilding judge, and nutritionist for celebrities, CEOs, and professional athletes. Her approach is built on science, wisdom, and accepting that change is the only constant. Her plans are deeply personalised to each client, but they all start with a wake-up call: “Let’s be realistic!”
Amanda believes that many wellness routines fail because they’re not built to withstand the periods of change or pressure that people regularly deal with.
“There are some good programs out there but at the end of the day, the mechanics of them will be very much the same – calories in versus calories out. But the kicker is that people will only see success if their program fits into their lifestyle at the time. And it might work once! But that out-the-box program won’t deliver the same results a second time when you’re in a different stage of life.”
The people seeking Amanda’s guidance are often perfectionists. This “all or nothing” mindset may have fueled their careers, but it can become the Achilles’ heel for their long-term health and wellness. Amanda’s clients often think restriction is the answer, only to beat themselves up and fall back into old habits when the wheels inevitably fall off. Here’s how she tackles it:
“My approach is first to strip back that thought pattern and encourage honesty. Because you’re not going to get up at 4.30 am to make a smoothie when you’ve got a plane to catch, you need that extra 30 minutes to sleep! They might seem like little challenges, but when each one triggers cortisol, our stress hormone, it’s a domino effect that leads to burnout. I find ways to chip off aspects of stress from these micro-patterns so clients are setting themselves up to win.”
Years of experience have shown Amanda that wellness starts in your mind. Though clients might expect rigorous meal and workout plans right off the bat, she encourages them to reflect on what’s brought them to her in the first place.
“I have to ask the right questions to see what problems look like from my client’s point of view. For me to coach them, I first need to understand what their barriers and triggers are, as well as the thought patterns that lead them to make certain decisions.”
Then it’s about putting the clients' vision into context. Nine times out of ten, their goals are so much more than a number on a scale.
“It’s not just losing 10 kilos. It’s asking: what does wellness look like to you? It might be achieving a personal best or winning a competition, or it could be something deeper, like healing from a health issue or regaining confidence.”
A specialised nutritionist, Amanda understands the complex science behind what’s in our food, and how that interacts with our unique bodies. Part of what makes her plans so effective is how deeply personalised they are – not only to someone’s mindset but to their biological makeup.
“Once I’ve passed the preliminary discussions, we dive deep into physiology and biochemistry. We take a look at their hormones and bloodwork, and this helps us come up with a meal plan that ensures they’re getting the macro and micronutrients that are going to work well with their body.”
With just the first three steps, Amanda’s clients are stoked with their results. But she goes a step further, bringing in the fourth, and arguably most important, pillar of her approach – behaviour.
“My goal is that clients become more self-aware, to the point where they can identify their own problems and patterns. I want to get them to the point where they don’t need me anymore, they can listen to their body’s cues and follow a more intuitive practice.”
It’s not easy to teach an intuitive approach to wellness. For one thing, clients come to Amanda for immediate answers. She shares that the first problem she has to treat is decision fatigue – “just give me the plan!”
“So I give my clients a routine at the beginning to satisfy that preliminary need. That also gives me time to delve deeper and adapt the solution that not only fits their lifestyle now but can also grow with them.”
The other major challenge is that our relationship with food and fitness is deeply ingrained, often at a generational level. So to empower her clients to make their own wellness decisions, Amanda has to help them rewire certain behaviours or patterns that they’ve subconsciously developed or inherited. It takes bravery, patience, and persistence, but the testimonials speak for themselves. Amanda has helped people achieve life-changing results.
With access to external tools and knowledge, plus a deeper understanding of what’s going on within themselves, Amanda’s clients can achieve long-term wellness. Through Amanda, they learn resilience and the ability to adapt to change. vWe think that’s pretty epic!
Amanda’s challenge of making nutrition convenient links back to our origin story.
Our co-founder, Chloe Van Dyke, is a neuroscientist and expert in herbal medicine. She spent two years developing the first Chia Sisters formula to create the best fuel for her dad, a world champion swimmer, and her sister Florence, a triathlete.
There were so many challenges to overcome. For example, chia seeds must be individually hydrated to ensure we’re absorbing their protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and micronutrients. So Chloe partnered with Callaghan Innovation to develop custom technology that would ensure that our drinks unlocked the nutrients in every chia seed.
Chloe perfected the formula, leading to the small yet powerful Chia Superfood drinks that caught Amanda’s eye in the supermarket.
“Honestly, it’s the convenience factor that sells it for me.
Homemade smoothies sound good in theory, but no one representing clients in court, catching flights, or leading corporate meetings is going to put a Nutri Bullet mug on the table – it’s too intrusive!
But the Chia Superfood drinks are in a convenient 200ml format. All that nutrition is packed inside a small glass bottle that fits in your handbag or even your pocket.
That convenient source of healthy energy and satisfaction is the difference between feeling run-down and stopping to get fast food on the way home from a big day.”
As a nutritionist, Amanda was impressed by the ingredients list as well…
“I love Chia Sisters because the products have clearly been developed by people who know their stuff.
I see that there’s malic acid to help fatigue, magnesium to help combat stress, fibre to help control blood sugar levels, and protein for satiety and to take the edge off the insulin release.”
As a values-driven business, we want to make a meaningful difference, but often don’t have the budget for donations that reflect how much we care. So when WWF-New Zealand reached out about their Whale Tales campaign – we knew we needed to find a way to make it work.
The best part is that our sweet solution – a charitable juice – achieved so much more for everyone than what could have been done with a donation alone.
Buzzing with the results and reflecting on how we got there, we figured that other small businesses might gain something from what we learned on this journey.
So we sat down with our Marketing Manager Abbie and Whale Tales Marketing Manager Bex– now great mates – to share their insights for conscious businesses that want to make a meaningful difference.
Tīkapa Moana, the Hauraki Gulf, is a treasured marine area. But beneath the waves, this rich ecosystem is on the brink of collapse.
The pollution from urban development and damage from overfishing, combined with a lack of innovative or well-funded management frameworks, has thrown the environment way out of balance. The resulting damage to the ecosystem can be seen at every layer, from poisoned mussel beds to depleting seabirds.
And the graceful giants of the Hauraki Gulf, the Bryde’s whales, are disappearing.
Along with a network of community and local government initiatives, WWF-New Zealand is doing vital work to help protect the Hauraki Gulf and support the kaitiaki (guardians) working hard to restore it.
If you’ve been in Auckland over the past few months, you might have noticed the colourful Whale Tail sculptures dotted around the city. Designed by local artists and children, and sponsored by local businesses, the tails raised awareness about the dire situation of the Bryde’s Whales and their home.
The tails were auctioned and the proceeds will fuel the powerful work taking place to help restore the Hauraki Gulf. And that’s why Bex reached out to Chia Sisters.
As the Marketing Manager for the Whale Tales campaign, it was Bex Waddell’s job to reach out to businesses and form a partnership to support the cause.
During her conversation with the Chia Sisters team, it was clear that although we couldn’t make a hearty donation, we were determined to make something work.
We repurposed one of our bestsellers and gave it a beautiful new label – Fruity Tale – to be sold on our website, by businesses positioned along the Auckland-wide art trail, and at Farro Fresh.
Supporters could buy a Fruity Tale drink while experiencing the Whale Tales trail– or purchase a box from our website to enjoy at home. Either way, our fundraising juice enabled more people to make a meaningful contribution to the cause with a simple gesture.
The success of the campaign boiled down to three things:
Abbie put her strategic and creative mind to work as she and Bex brainstormed what a meaningful partnership could look like.
Abbie knew that our orange and mango pressed juice was popular with our customers and straightforward for Chia Sisters to produce. She noticed the customer profile for the juice, children and families, aligned perfectly with the target audience of the Whale Tales Art Trail.
From there, it was a no-brainer…
“Businesses don’t have to invent a whole new product, system, and process for a charitable cause. Look at what works well in your existing business model, and identify what you can tweak and adapt to suit a fundraising model” – Abbie Tebbutt
It was clear from the get-go that Chia Sisters and WWF-New Zealand are on the same wavelength. Abbie and Bex quickly formed a strong team and became great mates.
It was like we struck gold – two organisations with shared values, run by like-minded people who are open to new ideas.
But what was most meaningful to us was how WWF-New Zealand responded to challenges – because we all know these sorts of projects aren't all plain sailing! Instead of letting a challenge become a roadblock, our shared values and openness meant we could maintain the flow and quickly find a solution.
We were blown away with how an organisation as large as WWF-New Zealand could still be so agile and flexible. And that’s what meaningful partnerships are all about – being committed to making it work and not letting anything get in the way.
We reckon this made our product even more impactful.
“It works because we came into the chat without ego, and led our discussions with “how can we make this work for the cause?” A big part of this work is the alignment of values, this collaboration really demonstrates our shared commitment to the environment.” – Abbie Tebbutt
To make our product shine, we needed a label that showcased the heart of the campaign. We were inspired by the label sculptures and wanted our juice to echo the impact of the whale tails dotted around Tāmaki Makaurau.
We let the creative juices flow and were open to new ideas. And luckily for us, Fleur Woods jumped in to help.
Fleur is a talented local artist. She generously contributed a cross-stitch masterpiece, called Rock Pool.
Rock Pool is a celebration of the diversity and resilience of ocean ecosystems. Inspired by an off-grid adventure in the Marlborough Sounds, Fleur used contemporary embroidery to capture the layers and textures of a magical yet delicate underwater world.
Talk about synergy! This was a perfect fit with our campaign. Our clever graphic designer Geoff Francis curated the Rock Pool design into the iconic whale tail shape, and it became the centrepiece for our beautiful label.
We’re so grateful to Fleur for letting us use her art, and to our team for allowing full creative freedom so that the label could be truly unique. Sure, it’s a little different from our other juices, but that’s the whole point. We know our values are what matter most to our customers – so we weren’t too precious.
“The biggest achievement for us was mobilising Chia Sisters’ brand base and customer loyalty – their New Zealand-made products smashed it out of the park because consumers want to buy local and know that what they’re buying is good for them and for the environment.” – Bex Waddell
Rock Pool by Fleur Woods
WWF-New Zealand has made over $2,000 in sales proceeds from Fruity Tale that will go towards four science-based projects to help improve the home of the Bryde’s Whale:
We’re beyond stoked to have been able to support this cause in a way that showcases our values, our products, and our community of like-minded customers.
By working together with WWF-New Zealand, we’ve compounded the benefits that a single donation could have achieved and come out with so much more – a strong partnership, a new friend, and a winning process for small business-led action.
We hope this story shows that there are meaningful ways to support a cause as a small business – you just have to keep it simple and work together.
You may have heard the news that the Government is proposing a Container Return Scheme to ‘transform recycling’. The proposal is that you will get 20 cents back for returning your empty bottles. But the current proposal is that those bottles will then get recycled, not reused, and while this is a step in the right direction, it does not consider the C02 emissions, extraction of resources and energy-intensive process of creating a new bottle. If we are already collecting the bottles, why not reuse them?
We are proposing that the Government implements and pilots a centralised reuse scheme to wash, sanitise, de-label and return bottles to producers that can be part of the proposed Container Return Scheme which currently only provides for recycling.
If you're already convinced, please sign the petition now to show your support to pilot a reuse scheme or read on for more information and our reasons why we cannot miss this opportunity.
The Container Return Scheme is part of the Governments’ Transforming Recycling proposal. It will lift New Zealand's recycling game. The plan in its current form will add a 20c fee to each bottle which will be returned to consumers on deposit at a container depot.
Recycling is a step in the right direction, but it is the worst of the environmentally friendly options available. Speaking on waste in 2019 the World Economic Forum said: "[we need to] focus on avoiding the recycling stage at all costs. It may sound straightforward but preventing waste from being created in the first place is the only realistic strategy."
There is a glaring glitch in the Container Return Scheme. It is focussed on lifting New Zealand's recycling efforts, but recycling is the worst of the environmentally friendly options available so why build our systems around this when we can do much better?
In order to solve the waste crisis, we need to do away with single-use. We need to shift to a reuse system where bottles are washed, sanitised, de-labelled and returned to producers, and the Container Return Scheme is an opportunity to make that happen. We know it's possible because other countries and communities are already reusing bottles before recycling them. In countries like Germany, glass bottles are reused up to 50 times and PET plastic bottles are reused up to 10 times before being recycled.
In New Zealand an estimated 2.57 billion bottles were consumed last year and most are made from virgin plastic, glass and aluminium. Each bottle requires large amounts of energy, resources and water to recycle. For example, significant research conducted on the life-cycle analysis of reusable packaging vs single-use packaging (including packaging that is recycled) shows that the CO2 emissions of a reusable glass bottle are 85% less than single-use glass (1).
Recycling is particularly bad in New Zealand because not all glass, aluminium and plastic can be recycled here. This means we rely on other countries to deal with our waste. Recycling is also becoming more expensive. Regulations are tightening, supply chains are becoming more complex and the cost of oil and gas for freighting offshore is increasing. In addition, plastic bottles in New Zealand can never be infinitely recycled. They require new virgin plastic, usually made from petrol, to be recycled into a new plastic bottle
We propose that the Government implements a centralised reuse scheme to wash, sanitise, de-label and return bottles to producers as part of the container return scheme and incentivises re-use over single-use.
Submissions to the proposal close on Sunday 22 May 2022 and we need your help.
Please show your support for a pilot reuse scheme by signing our petition here.
The more support we get, the greater chance the Government will listen. Please share this with your colleagues, family, friends, friends of friends - anyone you think will want to see New Zealand take the right steps towards a safer climate future for generations to come.
You can read the full submission here or by following the link below.
Image by Isy Harris for The Kiwi Bottle Drive campaign.
If you would like more information, The Kiwi Bottle Drive is a great place to start. The Kiwi Bottle Drive is the public campaign that has been advocating for a comprehensive beverage container return scheme that foregrounds reuse, not just recycling. In partnership with Zero Waste Network, Para Kore and other zero waste organisations, they have created further resources about bottle deposits and a public submission template on the Government proposals on their website.
Footnotes
1. Patricia Coelho, Blanca Corona, Ernst Worrell, Reusable vs Single-Use Packaging: A Review of Environmental Impacts, 2020 https://zerowasteeurope.eu/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/zwe_reloop_executive-summary_reusable-vs-single-use-packaging_-a-review-of-environmental-impact_en.pdf
There are so many reasons to celebrate right now as we end our summer months in Aotearoa. We’re seeing the return of large-scale events and international visitors, with travel opening up and families and friends reuniting. Working from home definitely has its perks, but with CBDs and main centres becoming more vibrant, many of us are gearing up to make the commute back into the office more often.
As workers return to the office, this puts more pressure on the workplace to become a reflection of those workers’ values. Waste features in 3 of the top 10 concerns on Kiwis’ minds in 2022, so it makes sense that the modern workplaces should step-up their waste game as they experience a return-to-work for many of their staff.
So, how can we help make your return to work a little less ‘wastey’?
Well, luckily our friends at Reusabowl have experience in all things waste-reduction and have put together a helpful list of key tips to improve your return-to-work by making it easy to eliminate waste.
Forming a ‘Green Team’ is an essential part of implementing sustainability initiatives within any organisation. The theory is basic - a bunch of the more ‘green’ or ‘eco’ members of staff form a group and initiate sustainability initiatives. Use the following recommendations as a base.
You don’t know what you don’t measure, and you can’t improve if you don’t know where you started. Waste-audits are a great way to understand what you are wasting. It’s also quite revealing. Beware of the skeletons you might discover in the bin!!
Reusabowl (reusable packaging for takeaways) and other reusable products are a great way to encourage staff to avoid using single-use packaging and creating waste. Make sure the reusables are placed in a visible and accessible location. Signs and lunchtime rituals with the packaging are great ways to encourage less engaged staff.
A smelly, unsightly and confusing bin set-up would make anyone embarrassed and discourage correct use. Beautifully designed bins, like Method Recycling bins, can make using the correct waste-stream easier and more pleasant. A great example of design-in-action.
Over-catering is a huge source of food waste. This can be difficult but try your best to not over-cater and if you do end up with extra food, offer it to staff to take home, or ensure it reaches a compost bin. It’s also worth asking your caterer to deliver catering on/in reusable platters and containers rather than single use plastic.
One-third of all the world’s food goes to waste, which accounts for 6.7% of all carbon emissions. All it needs is a little help to reach the correct (and sustainable) destination. First up is Foodprint - an app that allows you to buy discounted food from eateries before it is thrown away. Great for those afternoon cravings. But if the food is too far gone, composting is your best option. There are a number of compost collection services across New Zealand which makes it super easy to do the right thing – checkout Kai Cycle in Wellington and Community Compost in Nelson, or contact your local council for a service near you.
Don’t you hate that scody, leaky, smelly Tupperware that’s basically growing eyes in the back of the fridge? Yep, us too! Fix that problem by creating a Koha Shelf – a designated space in the fridge where people can place food they no longer want / extra food so others know it’s fair game!
Do you know which number plastics are accepted through your local recycling provider? If you answered no, you are not alone! Most Kiwi’s are super confused about recycling and waste in Aotearoa. Help your team understand the wide world of waste by hosting an educational presentation or event. Hot tip - Reusabowl can host a chat - get in touch.
Isn’t it really nice when you order something for the office and it arrives wrapped in layers of unnecessary paper and plastic? Err no. Instead of hoping and waiting for things to change, get in contact with the suppliers and let them know you would prefer not to receive all the extra material. Most suppliers are on a similar journey and are really happy and keen to understand what your goals are and how they can help support your waste-free goals!
Do you send lots of parcels or packages? If so, you might want to think about what you’re wrapping your products with and if there are better options. Paper and cardboard are definitely the best (and most likely to be recycled) materials to use when posting. But even better than that is the packaging you already have! Whack a courier sticker on top of an old box and send it on. People are much more concerned about what’s inside than the cardboard box that carried it!
Getting on top of these waste-free tips will set you in a good sustainable direction for the return-to-work. Outside of waste, we thought you might want two bonus tips to help you lift your sustainability game at work.
Heading in the same direction? Jump in the car with someone from the office and save some carbon, have some laughs and complain about the cost of living - all before 9am. NZ company Hitch is making carpooling super easy for workplaces. Check ‘em out today! Of course, walking or cycling is even better.
Our wallet is one of our more powerful tools to help affect change. Whenever we spend our money, we are basically saying to the organisation ‘We support you. Make more of this please!’. However, identifying who the ‘good guys’ are makes it difficult to choose ethical and sustainable products and services. Until now! Akina have created a super useful directory for corporates wanting to make a difference with their procurement decisions. Sign up to be an impact buyer with Akina and support local social enterprises like Chia Sisters.
We hope these tips were useful in giving you some simple, actionable steps to reduce waste in your workplace.
If you would like any more info on these tips or would like to stock Reusabowl’s packaging in your office, get in touch with the team at hello@reusabowl.nz or on 027 363 2247 - they would be stoked to hear from you.
My time at Chia Sisters started back in August 2017 when there were just five of us working across the fence in the salmon-coloured roof shed (now known as C Moore Building). I knew I wanted to be part of this team as soon as I walked into the interview. Florence and Chloe were super welcoming and laid back - this is me to a tee and is important to me when it comes to employment while being a Mum. My role was created that day and I have continued to build it up and implement new processes and procedures since then.
I went on maternity leave for a year in 2019 working right up until I was 38 weeks pregnant. The team were an amazing support to me then, right through to when I had my third girl. When I returned to work in 2020 so much had changed, we had moved buildings, created a production room and new faces joined the team.
Five years on and I would say I am part of the furniture. I have had a go at dispatch, production, orders, and even a photoshoot. I have enjoyed seeing the company grow from a small family business to a business taking on the world with climate action and challenging the way standard business is done.
So many favourites but I do love our team mountain bike adventures up Codgers (the local Mountain Bike park in Nelson) - so many laughs and fun had. I also love our “fun office” donut day (shout out to Blackbird Eatery for epic donuts) on Friday, although this got out of control and is now once a month.
I enjoy sharing the love of our delicious drinks with family and friends, especially if they haven’t tried them before. I love to see their reactions, and when they speak highly of how nutritious and amazing the drinks are.
I usually walk in the door with a coffee for Kevin (Production Manager) and have a catch up and laughs before logging in and getting on with my day. Shortly after Courtney (Orders Admin and Sales) arrives and we have a quick chat and laugh too. The banter is great.
Exporting product overseas during this pandemic is proving difficult.
Back in 2017 we had a Chia Feijoa and Pink Guava flavour which I absolutely loved but next in line is our Chia Natural Energy Orange and Passionfruit, followed very closely by Sparkling Nelson Boysenberry.
We laugh a lot and have a great close team with amazing support for each other. We’re not a 9-5 corporate - there’s so much flexibility. We feel more like a family than corporate colleagues. I’ve never experienced this before.
I also don’t think people truly understand the huge health benefits our functional drinks provide. I can vouch that these work magic before and after sports events.
I am not one to sit still so I am always super busy at the gym, mountain biking, trail running and being a full time Mum to three beautiful wee girls.
Did I mention I also have a side hustle I do from home where I restore and modernise furniture from my shed – it’s called Twisted Vintage.
Creating the roles and processes and training new team members. Surviving 2020 lockdown working 30-40 hours per week with 3 kids at home doing both orders and admin.
To improve my skill on my mountain bike and to complete a half marathon, something I have been doing each year since my last baby.
The historic resolution, called “End Plastic Pollution: Towards an internationally legally binding instrument” was adopted following a 3 day meeting attended by more than 3400 people in person in Kenya, Nairobi and 1500 people online.
The UN Environment program Executive Director Inger Andersen described the agreement as an insurance policy for future generations: “Today marks a triumph by planet earth over single-use plastics. This is the most significant environmental multilateral deal since the Paris accord. It is an insurance policy for this generation and future ones, so they may live with plastic and not be doomed by it.”
The treaty will cover plastic from its production to its disposal. This is important because plastic has environmental impacts right through its life cycle.
Plastic production is increasing. 2 million tonnes of plastic was produced in 1950. Last year over 360 millions tonnes was produced.
Plastics are impossible to infinitely recycle. Only about 10% of the world's plastic is recycled and when those plastics are recycled they are downgraded, most often to packaging.
The impact of this cannot be overstated: plastics have been found on nearly every part of Earth’s surface, from the Northern most part of the Arctic, to the digestive tracts of most species including humans, insects and whales, to the bottom of the Mariana Trench.
By 2030, our goal is to have 50 per cent of all sales from kegs or refillable vessels.
When it comes to exercise, people tend to talk about carbs first and protein after to rebuild muscle. That may be partly true but when you exercise over a prolonged period, this is just the basics. What you really need is balanced nutrients to refuel and rebuild. This includes carbs, proteins and fats but an endurance athlete also needs minerals, vitamins, essential amino acids and of course, water.
Let’s take running for example (but any endurance sport will be similar). Usually when you’re new to running you will discover ‘hitting the wall’. This usually happens around 2 ½ hours or 30kms in. At this point your body has used up all your fuel, particularly the fuel in your stomach (glycogen). It begins to tear down the body’s fat and muscle to produce more glycogen to keep going.
At this point you might have an electrolyte drink or energy gel. Or you might snack on high carb foods that are easily converted to glycogen.
This will be fine for a while, but what you might not realise is that you’ve been sweeting out a load of essential minerals that keep your vital body functions operating. Your legs then begin to get weak so your body diverts blood flow from your stomach to support the continual demand for moving your legs. Now your fuel is focussed on one area rather than fuelling you. You stop eating, you throw up, and/or collapse on the ground all white and clammy…It’s not pretty.
Getting the right nutrition to maximise your fuel is critical if you want to avoid situations like this. I am a firm believer that there is no point putting in ‘empty calories’ as you’ll essentially waste stomach processing energy of little return when you could be taking in nutrients to support the varied needs of the body.
I’ve been watching documentaries of races in America and it always baffles me when I see endurance athletes eating noodles, chips etc. I would’ve thought the world would have cottoned-on to eating nutritionally dense foods that include carbs, fats, proteins, mineral and micro-nutrients all in one. Like hemp seed. Like chia seed. Chia in particular!
George after last year's Revenant Race. He'd just come in after 35hrs and the first thing he wanted to start the recovery - a Chia drink!
Chia is well known as an endurance food that nourishes your cells and tissues by prolonging hydration, slowly releasing nutrients, regulating glandular activity of the adrenals and thyroid, and providing electrolyte balance. In fact, the Aztec and Mayan cultures relied on chia seeds for energy as part of their daily diet. And the modern day Tarahumara people of Mexico of ‘Born to Run’ fame still rely on chia seeds to do what they do.
Chia seeds provide the body with protein, minerals, vitamins and trace nutrients. They are about 16% protein and include all essential amino acids needed by the body for proper muscle growth, tissue repair and many other bodily functions.
Filled with omega-3, magnesium, calcium, potassium and iron, they’re also packed full of fibre. But it’s what happens when you soak them in water which is where the magic lies – they develop a gel coating which also makes them super-hydrating. The gelling properties of chia help to slow the conversion of carbohydrates into sugar, providing a long burning fuel source i.e., no spike/crash here, just a steady release.
The nutrient list goes a long way in addressing not only the needs of an endurance athlete but your everyday nutrition needs. It's not a silver bullet providing everything in one, but boy, if you could select just one thing, you couldn't get much better than a Chia drink! And it's totally natural so your body tolerates it much better than something artificial – especially when it's working hard.
I rely on Chia drinks when I'm adventuring to keep me going, and I notice that when it's hot, the Chia keeps me hydrated longer than the other athletes. Running or not, I start everyday with Chia to maintain my daily nutrition. Chia is certainly deserving of the label “superfood” and you don't just need to be an endurance athlete to benefit from it.
Each year Chia Sisters proudly supports Krayzie Kapers - a unique trail running event on the Banks Pennisula that George organises. Entries for the November 2022 event are now open.
On February 28 the IPCC released the Sixth Assessment Report that considers the causes, impacts and solutions to climate change.
It makes for grim reading although we have a narrow window of opportunity to change the outlook.
Here are the standouts:
Businesses are a key driver of climate change and must be part of the solution. Chia Sisters is just one small player but we want to lead by example in this space.
Jo in our production team wears many hats! When she's not making delicious juices, she's out collecting compost for Community Compost Nelson.
When we think about climate change from a global perspective, every person has a role to play. Here are a few things you can do in your workplace:
In March 2021 Chia Sisters became a certified B Corporation, demonstrating that our business meets high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency.
While ethical decision making has always been in our DNA at Chia Sisters, the B Corp framework supports us to keep doing better. We caught up with Chloe, our Chia Sisters co-founder, to share more about our journey as a certified B Corp and why it’s unlike any other certification.
Chia Sisters co-founder Chloe Van Dyke
When I started Chia Sisters I always had this idea of having a business that does things well at every step and in every decision that’s made. At the beginning most people would suggest giving 5 cents per bottle to a charity and then to base our brand around that activity. Which is a lovely thing to do, but I thought surely this shouldn’t just be about one thing. It must be something you spread across everything you do. You must have that integrity at every step of the way and be continually learning, advancing, and getting better.
I didn’t know about B Corp at the time, so I started to create an ethical framework within Chia Sisters to see how we can be both ethical and still be profitable and grow accordingly.
As we grew, I heard people talk about B Corp and the certification process. I had always been unsure about certification processes in general. I wasn’t interested in acquiring a new certification logo or ticking boxes. I wanted something where we would learn and understand what we could be doing better.
I then looked through the free B Corp online assessment and was blown away by the fact it was an ethical framework - something I was trying to evolve all by myself and it already existed! There is a lot of thought and care that goes into the different questions. It’s not perfect, it’s still evolving because ethics continually evolve according to the environment. Once I realised it was just what we needed, I jumped right on board and have learned a lot through the process.
I was really impressed by the level of thought that had gone into the B Corp process. There were a lot of questions in there that I had never thought about before (and I had thought about lots of things quite a lot). So, it wasn’t really a challenge, more of an ‘aha’ moment.
For us it has never been about being the best, it has always been about being one of many.
Bringing our personal values into our business is where it started. Florence and I grew up with solar panels and planting trees. Our parents sold possum fur hats to save the forests, so it’s engrained in us. It was important to us that when we came to work, we didn’t need to be someone else. I think a lot of people have what they do at home, then come to work and act differently. We didn’t want that to be the case for us or our team.
Our team have always been keen to be involved and they’ve got behind initiatives and put forward ideas which have then been implemented such as composting, reusable net covers for pallets, to even using the cardboard toilet roll inners for growing vegetables in. Our community is also really encouraging this – for instance the Nelson Council has declared a climate emergency, so we have a lot of community support for businesses like ours.
In 2021 Chia Sisters implemented reusable rope covers to replace plastic pallet wrap, saving four cubic metres of single use plastic per year.
When we became a supplier for Health Post, we needed to complete a new supplier form which asked questions like are you zero carbon? Are you fair trade? Are you organic? Are you minority owned? Are you a certified B Corp? I thought that was a great way of growing awareness and the importance of ethics throughout the supply chain. It inspired our own supplier forms.
Ethique has a policy around direct trading, so again that’s around trying to understand who your grower is and what the conditions are like for them. This is something I’d really like to get better at.
Raglan Coconut Yoghurt have a cool initiative where the water they wash their tanks with goes to a local farm to water the trees. They’ve figured a way to reuse their water. I love the idea of our production facility being thoughtful in everything and water is an important aspect that can often be forgotten in New Zealand!
Use the B Corp platform as an opportunity to do good holistically in all areas of your business. I think from that, you will enjoy your work a little bit more and those around you will too. Don’t use it as an avenue for ticking what you’ve done, but as a tool to see what more you can do.
Courtney Holden’s journey with Chia Sisters started long before she stepped into her role as the Orders Manager about 5 months ago.
A major fan from way back, Courtney turned to the Chia Superfood drinks for extra nourishment to help her through her pregnancy back in 2019. She loved them so much that she has continued to share her experience with others to help them too.
So, when Courtney popped on our radar to fill our important Orders role, we knew she was the perfect fit. We caught up with Courtney to hear her story.
What is your first memory of Chia Sisters?
The first time I came across Chia Sisters was in a supermarket back in 2019. I was looking for a healthy option to keep me nourished while I was pregnant, and I was super intrigued by the Chia Sisters – they seemed to offer something so different in the health food sector.
I found the Chia Superfood range to be amazing as it helped to combat nausea which was a huge problem for me at the time. They are super high in magnesium which helped me with cramping too, which is also common when you’re pregnant.
I also told my Women’s Health Physio about them and now she recommend the Chia drinks to her clients too.
So I guess I was a major Chia Sisters fan well before I joined the team late last year!
What drew you here?
I’ve always viewed Chia Sisters as an iconic Nelson company that is something special to the region.
I’m inspired by the innovation and foundations that Chloe and Florence have laid to strive forward in the sustainable business space. Chia Sisters is a company who are challenging the ideas and norms of consumers and the food indsutry, and making them think more about how our food and beverages are made.
The drinks are also DELICIOUS too!
Tell us a bit about your typical day at Chia Sisters.
First thing’s first, a catch-up with Kevin (our Production Manager) and Lisa (our Admin Manager) on what’s been happening in the last 24 hours.
I then pop into the warehouse and grab a Chia Gut Health to start my day off right.
Then it’s the mahi. Processing orders from multiple customers including our amazing cafes, supermarkets and other health food and specialty stores. I ensure that everyone's orders arrive in time and intact.
An honourable mention for Friday Mornings – which is the unofficial ‘Doughnut Morning’ organised by Lisa. We think it’s important to keep the balance!
What is your favourite Chia Sisters drink?
I love Sparkling Ginger Turmeric in the summer and Chia Gut Health Blueberry as an all-rounder (and a great nutritious snack replacement).
High moment/s so far?
There have been quite a few but the stand outs for me have been
What do you think everyone should know about Chia Sisters that they probably don’t?
I don’t think people fully realise the health benefits our drinks, particularly our functional range. They’re not just your average juice or soda, they actually make you feel good and provide health benefits unlike any other drinks I’ve had before.
What can we find you doing when you’re not at work?
You’ll find me spending time with my beautiful son Tommy and husband James.
James is a trainer for the Tasman Mako so we love to get friends and family together to support the Mako at their home games. We also like to organise little day trips around the region with family and friends too.
You’ll also find me hitting up a yoga session or two at City Fitness and playing some Tuesday night social tennis with the girls.
Established in 2018 as a volunteer organisation, the team at Single Use Cup Free Wānaka (SUCfree Wānaka) successfully sought funding from their local council in order to launch a fully fledged waste-reduction campaign in their town. Now with two paid employees and a dedicated crew of volunteers, the social enterprise is saving 180,000 single use cups from landfill annually through pioneering a sustainable funding model that supports cafes to opt for reusable alternatives.
Needless to say, we are big fans of reducing single use waste at Chia Sisters. So when we heard about the SUCfree initiative, we jumped on board to support it by donating 10% of our drinks sales from participating cafes back to SUCfree Wānaka.
It’s an initiative that has been led by the hospitality industry, in partnership with SUCfree Wānaka’s umbrella organisation Plastic Free Wānaka and local zero waste organisation Wastebusters.
“We knew that forgetting your cup was the barrier and we needed some kind of cup return scheme… but absolutely the baristas were ready,” says Plastic Free Wānaka member Sophie Ward. “We walked out of our launch and the staff from one of our local cafes, The Big Fig, went up to the owner and said ‘What are we waiting for? Let’s just go tomorrow.’ So we started in October 2019 with eight cafes on board with cup lending schemes.”
Partnering with national organisation Again Again as well as local cup return scheme Wanakup, SUCfree Wānaka now has 28 cafes or caravans providing cup lending schemes to their customers and 11 cafes that are completely single use cup free. If a person forgets their cup - no problem. They can simply pay a small deposit on a reusable cup, take it away with them and bring it back next time to be sterilised and used again.
“It’s a multi-pronged approach. We focus on doing that work on the ground to build up those social norms in the community, and that behaviour change then makes it easier for our hospitality industry,” says Joanna Perry, community engagement manager at SUCfree Wānaka.
“The other part of the equation is the cafes and cup-return organisations that are providing the waste-free solutions at the point of sale.
“There’s been a 12% increase in the percentage of people in Wānaka who are ‘always or almost always’ bringing their own cup since 2019. We’re now sitting at 72% which is incredible and I think that’s a massive testament to the way the community has got involved.”
Sophie Ward and Joanna Perry from SUCWānaka, and Brona Parsons from the Federal Diner.
This winter the SUCfree team ran their first ever Lucky Cup Winter Giveaway, a 15-week campaign celebrating plastic-free decisions in their community. 23 local businesses donated prizes to be won by customers who used reusable coffee cups at their local, with 10 cafes participating as giveaway spots. From ski passes to restaurant vouchers and even pot plants, the giveaway was a testament to the number of organisations in Wānaka backing the plastic free movement.
“The campaign was to raise awareness, especially among tourists because obviously we get a lot of tourists in the winter.... but also to celebrate where we are already, and to celebrate those cafes and the people who have been behind this campaign from the beginning. It’s been so much fun and the baristas have really loved giving prizes to people,” says Joanna.
“We’ve had a real mix of community members and tourists who have won them, and hopefully those tourists will go back to their towns and talk about the fact that they used a reusable cup and won a prize and in Wānaka that’s just how it’s done.”
While the shift towards zero waste has been driven by the hospitality industry and the community, both Sophie and Joanna are quick to point out the success of local cup return scheme Wanakup. Providing cafes and food trucks with a rotation of thermally insulated cups and an end-to-end sterilisation process, this social enterprise helped to bolster the campaign through the turbulence of COVID19.
“Covid was a big landmark for Wanakup in that respect,” says Joanna. “I think a lot of cafes were very reluctant to accept reusable cups during the first lockdown and Wanakup provided a solution to that by taking the cups away and sanitising them. This year I did a stocktake of all the SUCfree cafes that were accepting reusable cups during Level 3, and it was all but one. This was amazing because it really showed how people are starting to trust the system.”
Building this trust and a new set of social norms has been one of SUCfree Wānaka’s core missions since the beginning. Having already inspired environmental groups in Queenstown with their model, the team now has their sights firmly set on creating a ‘SUCfree Guide’ that can assist other towns around Aotearoa to make a similar shift and support their communities to choose reusable options.
“That was really one of our goals at the start, to do something in our town that would inspire other towns as well,” says Sophie. “And to make it seem possible - often this stuff seems impossible, but we want to make it accessible and create a blueprint for people all over New Zealand.”
Chia Sisters are so proud to support this movement, providing discounts to cafes that jump on board with SUCfree Wānaka. You can follow the team here for their latest updates and check out the list of participating cafes here.
A qualified engineer and former big wave surfer, our production manager Kevin Toughey is happiest when in the wilderness with his bike. Riding roughly four times per week, he’s clocked 3089 kilometres and approximately 129,593 metres of elevation so far this year - and that doesn’t include the running he manages to fit into his schedule. With top ten placings in both Aorere and Phoenix Enduro World Series qualifiers, we sat down with Kev to talk about how he uses the Chia functional drinks to fuel his performance.
Why did you start using Chia functionals in your training and racing regime?
“I used to race cross country, and everybody tells you to take these goos and gels to keep your energy levels up, but I always found that they actually dehydrated me faster. Whenever I took those gels I ended up drinking more water and getting the stitch, taking more bathroom breaks… So I started using Chia drinks instead. I immediately found that my levels of water intake were lower and I was a lot less thirsty during my ride.
One race I’ve been doing for the last couple of years is called the Mammoth, and it’s exactly that. It’s a mammoth ride. I think last year we did 4000 metres of climbing in one day. The Mammoth was the first race where I decided to use Chia throughout. With that length and altitude you usually have to take so much food and liquid with you, and I figured instead of just having my Chia before and after it would be good to have some during. It worked to sustain me throughout the ride, so I’ve been doing it ever since!”
How do you use Chia to fuel you in your endurance training and racing events?
“In regards to training, Chia is a standard pre-ride drink for me. I keep a box of Chia in my car and I’ll have one on my way to my ride, and one after. It’s good to know that I’ve got something there that will help me keep the same pace even when I can't take water for a while.
The day before a race I ride around and drop Chia drinks at certain points where I know I’ll stop, and throughout the race I’ll stop at my transition points and have a Chia drink. I find it’s a great energy boost and helps me stay hydrated for a longer period of time which is a competitive advantage. The next day I ride around and pick up all my empty bottles and you’d never know they were there. No Chia drink is ever left behind!”
What are your thoughts on the science behind the Chia functionals, and your future plans for this superfood?
“I notice that the Chia drink provides a slow-release of energy. The chia seeds are packed with nutrients like electrolytes, magnesium, prebiotic fibre and plant omega 3 that provide additional benefits too.
After a few years of trialing and testing it myself, I’ve finally decided to speak about it to a bunch of my mates. They ride and compete regularly as well, and we’re going to do a trial with them to monitor the effects of the Chia drink. We’re planning a 2-week test to see what they normally drink in a day, monitoring their rides and what sort of breaks they have. Then we’ll ask them to use just Chia at the start of the ride and monitor how much their liquid intake changes. The aim is to investigate whether (Chia functionals) do what I think they do in a performance context.”
What do you enjoy most about mountain biking and competing?
“The fitness aspect of riding. You see a lot of people slowing down and maybe doing nothing at my age, but hopefully I have the drive to keep myself a bit more physical and more active. I also really enjoy the buzz. When I was surfing I used to like big wave surfing and I think that’s where the fun is. If it gives me a bit of adrenaline, I’ll do it.”
Last but not least! What’s your favourite flavour of Chia?
“Blueberry without a doubt. Always has been!”
Kevin will be riding in the social Super D series this summer and looks forward to several Enduro races throughout Tasman and Dunedin this coming March.
In the last week of June I spent four days at Te Hono Bootcamp hosted by Ngāpuhi at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds. Te Hono is a partnership between the leaders of Aotearoa New Zealand’s food and fibre sector, businesses, iwi and government agencies. I was invited on behalf of Future Food Aotearoa: a founders movement to accelerate the growth and impact of future food businesses from New Zealand.
We listened and learned from Stanford University’s top business school professors including Robert Burgleman the brain behind the ‘blue triangle’ ‘green triangle’ business models; Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on the opportunities and challenges facing New Zealand’s agricultural sector; and a global leader on Climate Change Johan Rockström Postdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.
Most importantly we had the opportunity to ‘hono’, to ‘connect’ with leaders across dairy, meat, wool, horticulture, foresty, crop, plant-based foods, iwi, government and trade. We connected in true bootcamp style at 5:30am boxing classes, conference by day and hangi and Kono wines by evening, all from a special place of connection for Aotearoa: the grounds of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
The Maori and New Zealand flags flying at the grounds of Te Tiriti o Waitangi
We delved into and debated some of the big questions around the future of the food and fibre sector in Aotearoa. Here are my top learnings:
The manaaki by Ngāpuhi at Waitangi, from the pōwhiri to the kapa haka performance to the whakawātea was felt by all across the week. We have the opportunity to learn from Maori, to understand manaakitanga and to understand whakapapa. If we can do this in the right way we will have our own unique blueprint for sustainability and best business practice. We will have a leading edge on the world stage and an authentic story worth sharing.
Unless we make radical changes, it will have severe consequences for the generations to come. Dr Rod Carr the Chair of the Climate Change Commission and Johan Rockström Postdam Institute for Climate Impact Research talked through what some of these changes might look like. The impacts of climate change on market behaviour will affect all of the New Zealand food and fibre sector. Mark Kennedy of Kantar discussed how leadership on climate change plays into consumer demands. Taking leadership on sustainability and in particular climate change is not only the right thing to do for the planet; but a core driver of business growth today and in the future. Mariana Mazzucato took this narrative one layer deeper in her session ‘ a Moonshot Guide to Sustainable Growth’ where we discussed mission-oriented research and innovation. We discussed the importance of using new strategies to tackle global issues like climate change through choosing the best public and private partners possible, welcoming uncertainty and placing public value at the heart of innovation.
Hannah Tucker of Disruption Dinners and former co-worker of S. Vice President Al Gore at Generation Investment Management led us through the future of the meat sector globally which is set to diverge on two distinct paths: regenerative meats, purchased at a premium; and artificial meats made in a lab or from plants. New Zealand has the opportunity to succeed in the former, and if we play our cards right, the latter too. They are not mutually exclusive. As market trends shift towards more sustainable options we will see growth in sources of protein that are less intensive on the environment. New Zealand has the opportunity to become a genuine and authentic leader in regenerative, low-carbon, and sustainable farming and can and should be open to partnering and learning from the plant protein sector too.
Leaving the pōwhiri by Ngāpuhi at the Treaty Grounds
Dan Klein of Stanford University shared the power of storytelling. The pandemic has shifted Aotearoa into the limelight globally and strengthened our position as a trusted nation. This provides a better platform than ever before to share our story from. New Zealand Merino’s ZX is a fantastic example of this: the ZQ brand authentically showcases wool produced ethically and naturally on New Zealand farms. By sharing this story globally, New Zealand Merino are increasing market share, and encouraging more New Zealand farmers to shift to regenerative practices.
We learned from Robert Bugleman of Stanford on change in the corporate world and the tensions between ‘blue triangles’ and ‘green triangles’. The bigger a company grows, the bigger the ‘blue triangle’ and the more difficult it is to integrate, innovative, radical ideas known as the ‘green triangle’. This green triangle is what John Brackenridge would describe as essential change. The processes that make a core business strong may also impede positive change and innovation. For ‘blue triangles’ making space for corporate entrepreneurship, through collaboration and partnership, is a critical tool for growth of new ideas. There are opportunities for big and small businesses in New Zealand to collaborate and partner more often. This will enable our biggest companies to remain innovative with the addition of green triangles and it will enable our brightest ideas to gain traction with the resource of our blue triangles.
Regenerative farming, partnerships, and climate change were key themes in almost every session at Te Hono. These concepts are no longer future predictions. They are with us now. I feel fortunate to be a member of Future Food Aotearoa; a smaller business that is at the forefront of these changes and has the agility to continue to push boundaries. It will be more difficult for the bigger players in the food and fibre sector in Aotearoa to make these shifts. But they are critical. They are critical for people, our planet and our economy. The future of this sector will depend on how these players act today. There is a real opportunity for New Zealand businesses and organisations, big and small to get better at talking, learning and sharing with each other; not just at conferences but in genuine, trusting partnerships. When this happens we will see the emergence of green triangles, supported by blue corporates, that enable our food and fibre sector to transition into a new, more sustainable, eco-system that benefits all.
A day at Te Hono captured in words by Pepper Curry
Meet our legendary new General Manager Bonnie Slade. She comes from an award-winning background in marketing and communications – working across broad fields from media to nutraceuticals, most recently heading up sales for iconic New Zealand brand Annies - food you trust, part of the Kono New Zealand family of brands. She's a passionate foodie, part-time mountain biker, and lives in Nelson city with her husband Jason, two kids Willa, 6, and Finn, 4, and her enormous black cat Moe.
Tell us a bit about yourself?
I hate talking about myself! I've been working in the world of management, sales and marketing for over 20 years now (this is making me feel old) and have had some pretty good success in growing the businesses I've worked for. I had an amazing childhood in Nelson but wasn't born here, and after spending many years overseas and in other parts of New Zealand, I now feel incredibly privileged to be able to work and raise my family in this part of the world.
Nelson has so much to offer, so many good food and beverage companies started in Nelson: Pic's Peanut Butter, Proper Crisps, Anathoth Jam, Appleby Farms Ice Cream... On top of that, the region is fast becoming a hub for sustainability leadership. There's some pretty big thinking for a little city. The energy of our climate activists, the innovation within small business, and the genuine community feel of working here is unique. Then on top of that, I love being able to bike out my front door and get on to some of our world-class mountain bike trails within minutes.
Why did you choose to work for Chia Sisters?
You can't sell stuff you don't believe in and Chia Sisters make seriously good drinks. Plus the foundations of this business are so strong - two sisters creating some of the best drinks in the world, and running a company that is so clear and defined in its values is really appealing. I could see so much potential and I wanted to be part of helping Chia Sisters as they embark on the next stage of their journey.
How is Chia Sisters different to places you’ve worked before?
Almost everywhere I've worked has had a great team culture but Chia Sisters is next level. You see it as soon as you walk in, everyone (from the factory to founders and even those that surround the business as contractors and friends) are so passionate and positive about working here. It's a crucial part of their success and will continue to be going forward.
What are some of Chia Sisters biggest challenges?
We're right on the cusp of growth, always a challenging time to navigate with small businesses. We are asking ourselves questions like how many resources should we invest? Where do we want to grow? Do we want to aim for fast growth or playing a longer game? How much growth do we actually want (a very real question)? Sometimes, there has to be a lot of faith that things will work!
What would you like to see Chia Sisters do next?
I'd like to see Chia Sisters partner with (more) great companies, both domestically and in export markets, that are committed to ethical business, particularly around climate action. We need collaboration to make environmentally sustainable business practice the norm, we owe it to our future generations.
What do you think everyone should know about Chia Sisters that they probably don’t?
We're a pretty open book, to be honest! One of the cool things I didn't know before starting is that Kevin, our Production Manager, brings a sample of each mornings' production run into the office and everyone gets a taste before he proceeds. Nothing like CHIA or Hemp Smoothie straight off the line!
What’s your favourite Chia Sisters drink?
Chia Sisters Sparkling Ginger and Tumeric all the way!
What's one of your goals outside work this year?
To learn how to do a proper handstand and hold it! I figure if I put it down here I might actually do something about it. Watch this space...
You have to have your wits about you while walking down the supermarket aisle. Product packaging tells you a story it knows you want to hear. Images and colours are designed to make you think handmade, healthy and sustainable. Extensive customer research has gone into understanding you and creating packaging that makes you feel good about the companies you're buying from.
The truth is, the majority of environmental and social damage businesses are responsible for happens behind the scenes. It’s in the supply chain, on the factory floor, and in the warehouse - well before you see a pretty label on the supermarket shelf.
We consider Chia Sisters to be an environmentally friendly company, but we still have plenty of work to do. One issue familiar to nearly all product businesses is pallet wrap, a single-use plastic film used to strap cartons of product onto a pallet to stop them from falling off. Even just to move a pallet from the factory floor to the warehouse, you have to wrap it in pallet wrap.
At Chia Sisters, we used to produce our drinks in our factory, place them on a pallet, then wrap each pallet in 30m of single-use plastic film so that we could move them by forklift to our warehouse 20m away. We would then unwrap the plastic (which could not be used again) to despatch the cartons individually to people, cafes, and supermarkets throughout New Zealand.
The soft plastic pallet wrap was put into soft plastic recycling. This has the unfortunate effect of making it seem okay but it doesn’t take much research to discover that it really really isn't. We called our soft plastic recycling provider to find out what they do with the pallet wrap. They told us they pick it up and send it to another company, who ship it 3,500 nautical miles to Indonesia to make it into a resin. They don't know what happens to it after that. This is business as usual. It's not working.
The solution is obvious, but it first takes the mindset to see 'business as usual' as a problem.
As we move towards zero waste, we are replacing single-use plastic pallet wrap with reusable rope covers for all warehouse movements within our factory. These are nets that go over the pallet during production, safely hold the cartons in place, and then can be removed and used again. Simple and obvious.
The nets cost around $70 per cover (or if you are part of Businesses for Climate Action we have worked out a collective rate). This means that it is not only the right thing to do but also makes economic sense.
Doing this will save four cubic meters of single-use plastic this year and that’s just step number one. Next on the list will be a solution for transporting pallets throughout New Zealand. Some top contenders for this are Pallitte who have set up covers that can be tracked and reused by being passed from one company to the other similar to Chep pallets, and the other is Lock n Pop, a water-soluble and environmentally friendly glue that doesn’t require the pallet to be wrapped, and while it stabilises the cartons when they're together, it also allows them to pop off when they need to be separated.
This is one example of the many ways we need to learn to do better business and work behind the scenes to improve, but there are many many more. Another that comes to mind is how supermarkets require a product to be sent to a distribution centre, often only to be sent back to the region they came from. For example, to supply certain Nelson supermarkets, we have to send our drinks to a Christchurch distribution centre which then sends them back up the country to Nelson?!
The way we do business needs to change, the systems we use need to change, and to do that we need to learn the basics of working within a finite world. Put simply, we need to stop using resources faster than they can naturally be made and we have to stop producing waste and emissions faster than they can naturally biodegrade or be reabsorbed.
We would like to thank the Nelson City Council for their Waste Minimisation Grant which helped us replace our pallet wrap with reusable covers and has assisted many other waste minimisation projects.
]]>Meet our Production Manager Kevin Toughey. Easily the best mountain biker on the Chia Sisters team, Kevin is also an incredible engineer, dedicated juice expert and always knows what to do if something goes awry in the production room. In his own words...
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Meet our Production Manager Kevin Toughey. Easily the best mountain biker on the Chia Sisters team, Kevin is also an incredible engineer, dedicated juice expert and always knows what to do if something goes awry in the production room. In his own words...
I knew as soon as I walked in here that I wanted to come and work for Chia Sisters. I had a conversation with Chloe and Florence and that was it. I went home and talked to my wife Dawn and she said: "If you want to take a chance, do it and if it works out, it works out." It did! I could tell straight away when I met Florence and Chloe that it would just be better for my wellbeing, my mental health. I can ride bikes more often too, because of the hours, which is awesome!
Working here, a lot of things about me have changed. Dawn can't believe it! I no longer drink sugar in my coffee. Dawn used to refuse to buy me a coffee because I'd want a Flat White with four sugars. I also used to drink coke. There was a stage where my friends would say "If you ever see Kevin walking around without a coke in his back pocket, he was sick." I'd have a two-litre coke at work and a two-litre coke at home a day. Now I don't drink it at all. I'm a lot more calm. It's just such a nice environment to be in. There's so much less stress. My two daughters Amy and Meggan will tell you that they've seen a lot more of me too, which is cool.
To be honest, when I first started here, I didn't even really consider what they did. I used to work in an industry where I made racing car gearboxes. Going to racetracks and watching cars race around burning fuel all day. Coming here, we're riding bikes and surfing instead. When you start working in a place that starts making you think about the environment daily, it does change your opinion on the way things are going, even at home. Like recycling and considering different containers because of the waste you're potentially causing... A lot of things about this place have changed my outlook. If you ask Dawn she'll laugh and tell you, these girls have changed Kevin so much.
If I ever did go anywhere else, I'd hopefully be able to encourage positive changes in other businesses. Because it does make so much sense: if everybody made small changes, I'm sure there would be huge changes globally.
My biggest challenge in this place is ensuring we have the right products at the right time. We never want ingredients sitting around, everything has to be freshly made. This means I have to try to predict the way people decide to buy certain products. It's interesting when you compare to the year before, people change their preferences. Potentially it's to do with COVID. Anything with orange now sells well, I think people are looking for Vitamin C.
Out of every single product in this entire place, my favourite is Blueberry CHIA. I also like the Sparkling Boysenberry. I drink Sparkling at work, and I drink tons of Blueberry when I'm riding my mountain bike. I'll probably go through a box in a week. When I go for a ride, I'll take two CHIA with me. One for pre-ride, one for post-ride. It's a better pre-ride drink for me, gels and supplements make me too thirsty. I drink a small CHIA and go for an hour and a half bike ride without needing to take water.
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Recently, we worked with the talented Anna Woodward and Dalton Henderson, who co-founded creative content business 'Pink Elephant' in 2020. Their story is an inspiring one of entrepreneurial spirit, partnership, and perseverance. Here it is for you to enjoy.
What inspired you to start & how was Pink Elephant born?
We wanted to have fun and to do this we wanted to create more.
We'd both recently turned 25 and hitting that quarter of a century milestone was both a time for reflection and planning for the future on how we wanted to spend our lives. At the time we were both working corporate jobs and dreamed of living a life where every day was creative and fun and where we got to use our abilities to come up with ideas versus spending most days feeling like you're just a number.
Dalton already had experience in the media and design space and I had a financial and management background. We had a few clients we were creating material for so we dreamed big and started building the business idea and branding outside of our 9-5 grind. At the end of February 2020 we took the leap and began Pink Elephant full time... talk about timing!
All things considered, it has been the most rewarding and fulfilling experience and we wouldn't change anything.
How does Pink Elephant work?
We provide epic photo, video and design services. We work with local NZ businesses, real estate agents and global companies.
Each day we just want to create, have fun and dream big.
What makes a good story?
We love to embody and provide character to a company's branding. Using eye-catching concepts to provide something different, something new and something better.
How do you two work together?
Don't get me wrong there are definitely things we don't agree on but we eventually come to an agreement sooner or later.
We keep ourselves busy outside of work too whether it's gyming, sauna and cold plunging, gardening, reading or hiking you can always find us doing something. Our most recent project is tinkering with growing mushrooms so watch this space.
Tell us about a challenging moment in Pink Elephant's small business journey so far?
Well, I don't know if we could've picked a more tumultuous year for it! It's our first year in business which is usually tough enough as it is, but we have experienced lockdowns, borders shut and economic turmoil. An apt quote for the journey so far would be "A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor."
What are the values that you want Pink Elephant to stand for?
We want to embody that kiwi ingenuity spirit of "anything's possible". Whether you think you can or can't, you're right.
How do you bring this to life?
By thinking big and just going for it. We could never have imagined creating some of the epic stuff we've done so far!
Tell us about a pinch-me moment for Pink Elephant?
Working with Pic's Peanut Butter hands down! We still find it surreal to work with such a well-known company so early on.
What would your advice for other small New Zealand businesses be?
If you're thinking of starting out, just go for it, you won't regret it and you aren't getting any younger. Even if it doesn't work out the knowledge you gain is invaluable.
Follow your heart too, it is a good compass if you truly listen.
Have faith that you can do whatever you set your mind to, and aim for the greatest thing you can imagine as this ideal will propel you forward.
]]>Occasionally you meet employees and you can't help but wonder if one day you will be working for them. Our Despatch Manager Elliott Moss-Pearson is one of those.
By the time he'd finished his Environmental Management degree at Otago University, Elliott already had three businesses on the go with his friend and business partner Ben (yes THREE.) He said: "I was working full time on my own companies for a few months before I picked up a job here. It wasn't a financial thing, it was because I wanted to be at the coalface of a business that was doing really cool things. I've worked for a few other companies and it's interesting being involved in a business where the only motive isn't profit. I really admired Chia Sisters because of how you balance success as a business with being a role model for good environmental practice."
Elliott has been an essential player in the Chia Sisters team for the last twelve months. During our biggest ever shake-up, COVID-19, he manned the Chia Sisters office and warehouse alone for the full lockdown period. Elliott was just four weeks into his job at Chia Sisters and three months out of uni. To say it was a sink or swim environment would be an understatement. During that time we pivoted to a new eCommerce platform (Elliott helping with the final edits and creating, with his business partner, the Facebook ads that would generate almost our only income for the April quarter), launched six new lines, and an online market with over 16 local Nelson products. He said: "Watching you adapt and transition your models through COVID as rapidly as you did I learnt a lot. You had a real hill to climb considering how heavily you relied on cafes, and I think you adapted really well and I took a lot out of that." When we came back from 12 weeks of working from home, all operations were running smoothly, the warehouse was reorganised to fit in all the new goods for the local market, the office was spick and span, and the only thing that was non-recognisable was Elliott himself - shaded behind a good two inches of lockdown-beard.
We asked him how he'd found his experience working here: "There's a high level of trust within this workplace. There's also an expectation of excellence without pressure being applied. What's unique about this business is that everyone that works here believes in the bigger environmental stuff and the positive externalities of the company existing. Employees here actually are brought into the company brand and want to see the business succeed purely out believing it’s a good thing, not just to keep the boss happy. It's a very forthcoming workplace with helping each other out, covering for each other."
Elliott's focus for the next wee while will be on his business November Rain Co. November Rain is an eco-friendly rain poncho business started in 2017 as a vehicle to fund water projects in Zambia, Malawi and Northern Thailand. Elliott and Ben acquired this company in late 2019 and are aiming to continue that mission and grow its impact on these projects. He said: "November Rain was a bit of a leap of faith, and a venture out of my comfort zone but the opportunity to do business in North America was too good to pass up. While the apparel industry is new to me, the improvements we can make right from the get-go means this is a great opportunity for us and it is another company which allows me to practice philanthropic and sustainable business!"
Thank you for your fantastic contribution Elliott! We're really excited to watch you grow your own company from Wellington and if you ever get sick of the wind and want to come back to sunny Nelson, the door is always open, even if it is just for a bike ride or a bit of banter.
Meri Kirihimete,
Christmas to Chloe and I is about celebrating community. Our immediate community of family and friends. Our small business community of Nelson foodies, fellow climate activists and good sorts. And you, our amazing community of supporters.
In 2020 the sense of comradeship and family has never been stronger.
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Meri Kirihimete,
Christmas to Chloe and I is about celebrating community. Our immediate community of family and friends. Our small business community of Nelson foodies, fellow climate activists and good sorts. And you, our amazing community of supporters.
In 2020 the sense of comradeship and family has never been stronger.
In January, we teamed up with ethically made, NZ owned, beverage companies (some would call competitors) to form 'Nudes', Jayden from For The Better Good, Joe from Six Barrel Soda, and Rich from Batchwell Kombucha.
In March, as we head into lockdown, our production manager Kevin brings his daughters Amy and Meggan, and wife Dawn in to run our juicery within their family bubble.
In April, after losing 100% of our cafe sales and considering closing for good, we shift online and send the message out to you. We give a hurray for every order and by the end of the day have sent a few hundred juices and smoothies to Kiwis across the country.
We also connect with Pic's Peanut Butter and Proper Crisps to create our Little Box of Sunshine, the essential box of goodies to fuel foodies and to help Nelson businesses stay afloat
In May, we put our Mum's family favourite homemade muesli in a brown paper bag and offer it to you guys, batch made to order every week.
As Chloe & I sit down and write this, we acknowledge all the amazing people that make up our Chia Sisters Community, those that we couldn't have done 2020 without. And that includes you.
Meri Kirihimete,
Chloe & Florence, and the entire Chia Sisters team (all nine of us!!)
]]>Introduction
In Aotearoa forty-two billion dollars is spent each year on goods, services and works from third party suppliers to build infrastructure and provide public services. Spending this money responsibly and locally is the greatest untapped government opportunity for positive economic, cultural, social and environmental impacts in Aotearoa.
Extending the Government Procurement Rules to all Public Sector spending will have a positive impact on the wellbeing of our workers, on our regions, on our Maori and Pasifika communities, on our carbon emissions, levels of waste and the conservation of our land and species. At the same time, it will incentivise collaboration between small New Zealand businesses; encourage Kiwis to use the ingenuity that we are known for to create local solutions to local problems; and harness the skills of the highly talented workforce returning to Aotearoa in 2020.
Positive Social and Environmental Impact
Extending the Government Procurement Rules to more government entities will achieve greater positive social, cultural and environmental impacts. The Priority Outcomes set out in the Procurement Rules Government Charter include improving conditions for workers, reducing waste, supporting the transition to a net-zero emissions economy, ensuring our environment is protected and preserved and engaging with our regional, Maori and Pasifika businesses and our social enterprises.1 When these Outcomes are taken into account, businesses that have positive social, environmental and cultural impacts are more likely to win tenders. In turn, these businesses will grow more quickly and their impact will be greater.
1 Government Procurement Rules 2019 (4th edition) accessed 11 November 2020 https://www.procurement.govt.nz/assets/procurement-property/documents/government-procurement-rules.pdf
There is an assumption that social enterprises or more ethical companies may come at a prohibitive price. However, these assumptions are often unfounded. In many cases (including in the non-alcoholic beverage industry) the price offered by social enterprises will be on par with traditional procurement. In addition, when businesses are granted the opportunity to scale, that comes with winning Government tenders, prices will drop further. This is before including the value of positive, social, cultural and environmental outcomes. In addition, the quality is often higher. In 2020 businesses are largely responsible for the poor state of our environment and the imbalance of human wealth. At a time when eight people have the same amount of money as half the world; and humans’ are on trend to use the equivalent of two planets’ worth of resources by 2030; it is critical that businesses are incentivised to act responsibly and ethically.
Positive Economic Impact
Extending the Government Procurement Rules will give New Zealand companies a better opportunity to win tenders for government spending. This will put more New Zealand tax payer dollars back into the New Zealand economy. Spending money with New Zealand companies has a multiplier effect as New Zealand businesses, particularly small New Zealand businesses, recycle a larger percentage of their money per dollar back into the local economy.
The multiplier effect continues if the reduction of Government spending elsewhere is considered. For example, the Government has allocated three billion dollars to spend over three years on the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF). The goal of the Fund is to “ensure that people living all over New Zealand can reach their full potential by helping build a regional economy that is sustainable, inclusive and productive.” The Procurement Rules encourage support of regional businesses. Likewise the Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Act (the Zero Carbon Bill) sets ambitious carbon reduction targets that businesses will be required to comply with. Extending the Procurement Rules to include all of the Public Sector will enable the Government to reach targets set out in the PGF and Zero Carbon Bill as well as many other environmental and social targets more quickly, therefore reducing public spending in other areas.
Encouraging collaboration
Extending the Procurement Rules may curtail some flexibility and options for the public sector. However, it also provides an incentive for small New Zealand companies, which make up 97% of total businesses nationally, to work together to craft solutions where there is a need for them.
Extending the Procurement Rules will encourage collaboration and collective efforts on a local level where previously international companies have dominated. For example, in the non-alcoholic beverage industry, which is traditionally saturated by Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Co, we have worked with three other small and sustainable New Zealand companies, Six Barrel Soda, Batchwell Kombucha and For the Better Good to create a full fridge option of non-alcoholic beverages. We have formed a new distribution company, Nudes which is owned by all of the companies it distributes for. While we are all competitors, we all have much to gain from sharing resources, our channels to market, freight, sales reps and fridges.
Extending the government procurement rules would encourage New Zealand companies to work together to create industry-led collaborations in a similar way. Once formulated in New Zealand, these products and services could be taken to the world stage in industries and channels that have previously been inhibitive for a country of our size.
Encouraging innovation
New Zealanders are known for our number 8 fencing wire ingenuity. We have a can-do attitude and ability to think laterally to solve a problem. When given an opportunity to create a solution, New Zealand’s small businesses are known for their ability to act quickly. Extending the government procurement rules to include all of the Public Sector will harness this ability in three ways.
Firstly, it will encourage companies to think laterally to create goods, services and products that preserve the environment, reduce waste, carbon emissions and pollution. Secondly, it will mean that procurement managers are working more closely with companies in their own backyard. This could foster innovation as businesses tailor services and products to specific public sector needs and may also allow for a less disruptive supply chain.
Thirdly, it will provide more opportunities for the talented cohort of New Zealanders returning home. As Covid-19 curbs work internationally, New Zealand has an unprecedented opportunity to harness the skillsets of some of our brightest minds coming home. Extending the Procurement Rules, which focus on innovation solutions, will create those opportunities.
Conclusion
Extending the Government Procurement Rules is a win-win for Aotearoa. It will improve the wellbeing of our workers, help our regions and Maori and Pasifika communities prosper, reduce our carbon emissions and levels of waste and help to conserve our land and species. These areas are already points of focus for the New Zealand Government. Spending procurement dollars in areas that New Zealanders have voiced as priority areas is a win-win. In addition, the emphasis on innovation in the Government Procurement Rules will incentivise collaboration between small New Zealand businesses and provide opportunities for the highly-skilled cohort returning to Aotearoa.
Florence Van Dyke
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Why did you choose to run Chia Sisters together?
Florence: We both wanted to do work we were passionate about and the timing clicked. Chloe is the entrepreneurial spirit of Chia Sisters. She had the foresight to start hydrating chia seeds in 2012 - well before they were known in the Western World. Around three years later, I was realising that the corporate law life was not for me. I ditched the heels for a hairnet and jumped into the juicery.
Chloe: Because I grew up with my sister, I know how motivated she is. If she wants to achieve something, whether it is being the first woman over the Southern Alps in the Coast to Coast, working for the UN, or making a difference in the world by tackling climate change through business-led initiatives, she will make it happen. It is insane how motivated she is - who wouldn’t want that level of passion on their team?
What was your relationship like growing up?
Florence: Our family is very close. Growing up we spent weekends hiking and planting trees in the river next to our house. Our first business was selling bird callers at the Nelson market one summer around ‘94. I was five years old, Chloe was 10, so she was on finances. My first year of primary school was her last year and I remember her walking to school with me. A generous offer for a 10-year old that needed to hold my hand crossing the road.
How has it changed in more recent years?
Florence: We have come to understand what makes each other's brain tick (and just as importantly what doesn’t!) We both enjoy the outdoors and use outdoor activities as a way to build our relationship outside of work. I am also lucky to spend a lot of time with my three year old nephew, Chloe’s son, Eli. Our favourite activities are swimming at Riverside Pool, train rides at Founders Park, jumping in puddles on a wet day (and enjoying boysenberry ice cream at Roma Gelato - but his Mum doesn’t know that!)
Chloe: I think Chia Sisters has made our relationship stronger. Running a business means weathering some huge storms, as well as celebrating the wins, and we’ve been through all those experiences together. Often in business we don’t show vulnerability, but being in business with your sister means you can, which I think makes us more resilient.
How is the rest of the family involved in the business? What roles do they play?
Florence: Everyone in our family is hugely involved in our company. From Dad helping us out on the bottling line in the early days, advising us on getting our e-Commerce up and running, to Mum’s knack for spreading the good word (and baking a great muesli of course!) Our little brother chips in with weekly advice too: he created the original Chia Sisters logo and is always a sounding board for legal and economic queries.
How do you work together?
Florence: Over the years we have worked hard to reflect on our personality types: what motivates us? How do we respond to positive business achievements and setbacks? At what times do we praise others and when do we feel defensive? Spending time reflecting on the strengths and weaknesses of our personalities is important. And just as important is understanding the personalities of others. We are all experiencing and reacting to the world differently, yet all too often, we assume that every person in the room is having the same inner thoughts as ourselves. It is a privilege working together so closely that we can start to understand how the other is experiencing the environment around us, even when it might be quite different from our own interpretation.
Chloe: We are different personalities and that is part of our businesses success. Our skill sets complement each other - I’m creative and have ideas, and Florence knows how to be detailed in actioning them.
What’s your favourite and least favourite thing about working with your sister?
Florence: I love that we can be honest and vulnerable with each other; we know when to push and when to give each other a break.
Chloe: Many times Florence has encouraged me to do something that I might have not pursued myself, and I am forever grateful for that. She also allowed me to completely step out of the business for six months when I had my son Eli, which was a pivotal point in my life. My least favourite thing is it feels hard to measure up sometimes, because she is so brilliant.
How do you share leadership? In which situations does each of you take the lead?
Florence: We aim to split our leadership roles: Chloe on innovation, production and formulation and me on sales and marketing. In reality, we all do a bit of everything and like any small businesses, we battle our fair share of fires where every leader, colleague, friends and family steps in.
Chloe: We aim to have a flat hierarchy at the Chia Sisters Juicery. This means we encourage all of our team to take leadership roles and provide input on key business decisions. Let’s just say there is no shortage of chiefs.
How do you manage when you’ve seen too much of each other (does this happen?!)
Florence: Usually this doesn’t happen unless we have spent too much time on the business together! The best remedy is always to be outdoors, to clear the mind from work and remember that it is people and the planet, not our little business, that is the most important.
Chloe: Going for a mountain bike ride (even if it is together!)
How do you support each other when things get tough?
Chloe: We understand each other's tipping points very well. When one of us gets close we encourage them to stop and do what is needed. This might be telling them to go for a run, get some sleep, go home to family, take some time out, give each other a hug. If one person has put a lot of work into something then it’s important to acknowledge it. When things get hard, we usually come together and become stronger.
What have the biggest challenges been as sisters in business?
Florence: I struggle seeing my sister balance the roles of Mum and business owner. She does everything she can to give each role 100% her all. And that is a constant challenge.
Chloe: The biggest challenge for me is that I see how much Florence has to offer the world, and her potential to make great things happen, I never want the business to hold her back.
What would your advice to other siblings looking to go into business together be?
Chloe: The important thing for us has been wanting what is best for each other, inside and outside of the business. This means looking after each other, working to understand each other, and challenging each other. But I don’t think this works just for siblings. What if all colleagues wanted what was best for each other inside and outside of work?
Like any boundary in business, finding a solution offers opportunity.
Creating a framework for collaboration between competitors
For the first time, we have teamed up with other beverage producers to form 'Nudes', a distributor of New Zealand owned and ethically made beverages, owned by all of us. In working with our competitors it is easy to focus on the problems because there are many, and be protective because everyone has worked hard for their slice of the pie, but together we are stronger and everyone benefits. We share our resources, our channels to market, we share freight, we share sales reps, and we share fridges. You may see them popping up in your local cafes. It also makes business fun; we share ideas and brainstorms with Jayden from For The Better Good, Joe from Six Barrel Soda, and Rich from Batchwell Kombucha. All are companies facing similar challenges and opportunities. What could New Zealand achieve if we created industry-led collaborations to compete together on the world stage?
Working together locally, to regenerate our economy
Project Kōkiri in Nelson Tasman is focussed on the region’s economic response to the pandemic through to 2023. The goal is to ensure that the region is “regenerated” rather than “rebuilt”. The Project kicked off with the “We’ve got this” campaign as a way for locals to share with the world their favourite things about Nelson Tasman. Some Nelson companies, including ourselves, will be labelling our products with “We’ve got this” as a way to show support. Project Kōkiri will inspire local, creative and collaborative ways to shape the region’s future. It ensures that our immediate economic response to Covid-19 also takes advantage of the once in a lifetime opportunity to regenerate our economy in new, innovative and sustainable ways.
Supporting local procurement policies
We, like many businesses, have been overwhelmed by New Zealanders who are supporting local when we need it the most. But will we see businesses and organisations adopt the same approach? In our industry, the biggest buyers of beverages in New Zealand include universities, hospitals, and supermarkets, many of which have contracts with Coca-Cola or Frucor. This inhibits New Zealand owned beverage companies from selling at these venues. The same framework exists in other industries too. If our nation's biggest buyers of goods, particularly government entities like schools, universities, hospitals and libraries considered local supply it would foster the growth of many businesses that are currently struggling. The cycle would be perpetuated as those businesses considered local suppliers too.
Putting people at the forefront of business
During last lockdown we got to know our team. We got to know their kids, animals, partners and their preferred working hours. Spending more time at home had its pros and cons. For those with families and side hustles it was near impossible to fit in the same number of hours of work. Some decided that they wanted to have more flexibility in their work hours, so we hired to fill in the gaps. Were we the only businesses to hire, while struggling to survive? Maybe. It was stressful hiring and training over Zoom. We didn’t meet our new employee, Brit, until after lockdown. But it was a great move. Staff have chosen to maintain that flexibility. They are happier with their work-life balance and we are in a better position to deal with workload fluctuations as we go into future lockdowns.
New Zealanders have demonstrated through this period that we are people that care for one another. We individually think and act like a country, rather than thinking and acting for ourselves. This is what has enabled us to combat our challenges so effectively. But fighting a virus is not the only advantage that it can bring. We can extend this mentality into the way we choose to run our businesses. Our next challenge is to build better and more resilient businesses by acting collaboratively, locally and with our people at the forefront.
]]>Even though I was sponsored by another supplement company for sports drinks while I was training, I always asked for a box of Chia Sisters.
Reason was, the other sports drinks that we took while training are sugary filled fluids that are only useful if you are training A LOT and lose a lot of sweat. It’s not ideal for your teeth nor out of training consumption. So, I wanted something that I could take that would make me feel better, and give me the added nutrients without needing to take pills.
I have been lucky enough to know Chia Sisters Co Founder Florence from her Triathlon days back in Dunedin. I have been following her and Chloe’s journey from the start. Finding a healthy drink (the healthiest drink you could buy) on the shelves was damn near impossible.
I love seeing Chia drinks in stores, especially those little stores in suburbs where kids go down to after school. They have $5 to spend on something and most often it is spent on lollies, chips, sodas or chocolate. Until now there hasn’t really been any tasty, nutritious drinks or food! I love seeing the Chia drinks giving that option to young kids.
This one I have usually for dessert, which is yummy and healthy.
Peanut butter, banana and chia seeds on toast. Very healthy and a great way to start the day especially on fresh baked brown bread.
By Chloe Van Dyke
Like you, we have been thinking about what we want a post-COVID world to look like.
Will we return as quickly as possible to ‘business as usual’ or will we hang on to some of the positive changes we made during this time? Will we forget or will we remember, and which is preferable?
Are we still concerned about global warming or has this taken a back seat? Are we still in too fortunate a position to talk about this while many have just lost their jobs? What does treading carefully mean when it comes to this discussion?
What we do know is that now is a time for cohesion. We are in this together, and it is together that we must tackle the challenges to create our new future.
Here are some of our thoughts on what individuals, businesses and organisations can do:
Individuals
Businesses & Organisations
The Rameka Carbon Sink in Golden Bay where Chia Sisters offsets its carbon emissions by 120%.
This is our week-by-week story since the day we entered Level 3.
Week one: The day after Level 4 Lockdown my sister, Chloe, and I assess Chia Sisters’ options. We call cafe customers so that we can understand their positions. The response is mixed. Many are optimistic and relieved to be back at work. They talk of their loyal customers that flood in to support them. Some are struggling with the logistics of takeaway deliveries or creating a website. Others are looking to sell or have closed their doors for good.
Reasonably, none are ready to purchase juices and smoothies. They have leftovers from before Lockdown, and cold drinks do not fit the takeaway model, especially when cash is tight. It is a strange time for us. We have never had to push sales, but now when we need them it feels entirely inappropriate. We know that the focus must be on building these relationships and supporting each other. We have to find cashflow another way.
Week two: Where can we cut costs? Chia Sisters sales remain at less than 50%. We think about who we are. Chia Sisters is Zero Carbon, and Living Wage certified. Our juicery runs on solar-power. Some are questioning whether sustainability is relevant in the current conditions. Is this an area that we can cut back on? We do not think so, more than ever we need to stay true to our values.
We think about our staff, this has not been easy for them. Work fluctuates wildly. We have massive days implementing new procedures followed by empty days without sales. Our team is our most valuable asset. Some want to spend more time with their families, others have side-hustles. All have enjoyed the flexibility of hours during Lockdown. To retain this flexibility we hire another part-timer. We must be the only suffering business to hire during Level 3. Are we thinking straight?
Week three: We hold an innovation hui over breakfast and brainstorm the positives of Lockdown. We consider what we do have: staff needing secure work, New Zealanders looking to support local, cafes requiring income, nutritious and local ingredients, the ability to deliver to New Zealanders’ homes. Our Mum’s home-made muesli has come out of the oven. It tastes better because it is fresh. Many Kiwis have enjoyed the freshness of home-cooked bread, muesli and baking while in Lockdown. Could we recreate this experience for our customers?
Week Four: Here we go. We launch Chia Sisters Mum’s Muesli on our website. A local cafe, with extra capacity will batch-make it weekly. We home-deliver from the oven to New Zealand doorsteps so Kiwis can enjoy this muesli fresh like they did in Lockdown. We do not know if this will work. There is no money for market research but now is the time to innovate and adapt. Will New Zealanders embrace a fresh, home-delivered service?
Future: The concept of failure has changed for us. We accept it as a possibility for the future. This makes us fearlessly innovative. We are acting on ideas that in other times would be shut down as too hard or too risky. If others feel this way it will be exciting to see the ideas born in the coming months. Now is the time to support creative thought, New Zealand owned and made, make the penny go round, and look after our neighbours. The pandemic is a pivot point. We do not need to go back to normal, we can create something better.
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We can change the world.
Businesses have taken from the environment for too long. We all know that nothing comes for free; there’s not such thing as a free lunch, yet businesses have been profiting at the expensive of the environment . We know because we are in business too.
Our vision to change the world is to change Business as Usual. We need to change the ethos of what it means to be a business leader. As this ethos changes, and it is, we will see a greater respect for the environment and we will create a planet that future generations can enjoy. Done right this can lead to not only a better world but a profitable business model. We want three bottom lines, profit, environment, and community – and we want them to all be in the black.
Our vision has been inspired by the greatest global issue of our generation: climate change.
We realised to make change we need to start with our company. This is our story.
Being environmental change-makers is not something that has come to us overnight. The environment has always been important to us. Our parents introduced us to the outdoors at a young age. We grew up in a family where hiking in the local National Parks was a common weekend activity; we took cardboard boxes to the supermarket rather than using plastic bags back in the 90’s, we planted trees in the park across from our house in an effort to bring back native flora in our local community, and later solar panels lined the roof of our family home.
It was at university 10 years ago that we were first confronted by the concept of climate change. I worked on the founding documents for Generation Zero, a youth-led organisation that started to champion climate change in Aotearoa in 2010 and now has a 40,000 strong following across the country. Generation Zero is responsible for the first draft of the Zero Carbon Bill, designed to make New Zealand net carbon zero by 2050, that was unanimously passed into law last month.
Generation Zero was formed by a bunch of 20 years olds. We were asking ourselves what we wanted our country to look like for the generations that came after us. What could we do to make that happen? For the very first time, we thought about the impact that our actions would have on the environment for those that came after us.
Fast forward ten years and we were running a sustainable and nutritious juice business and being confronted with the realisation that the industry we are playing in is one of the worst examples of a model based on business for profit without accountability, the Beverage industry. In waste, it accounts for the disposal of more single-use plastic than any other product type.
Despite the key players’ significant profits, factory workers are more often than not paid minimum wage. Two offshore-owned corporates dominate the marketplace in New Zealand effectively blocking New Zealand companies with the genuinely nutritious and sustainable choices consumers are ever more asking for. We decided to tackle this industry, from our very own solar-powered juicery in Nelson.
What we at Chia Sisters ultimately want to help make possible is a better future:
Where the impact on the environment from humans is positive instead of irreversibly negative because the environment is now part of the business equation and included in the balance sheet.
Where the atmosphere temperature rise is slowing now that businesses are accountable for reducing and offsetting CO2.
Where the cost to the environment is now a standard feature on every organization’s business plan as we head towards a sustainable future, where we become good ancestors.
To us, this is an entirely possible outcome. But that doesn’t mean to say it is easy because it’s not! It’s scary and it’s hard. Being in business is already hard, every day in business we go from cloud nine to the bottom of a pit and back. Several times over.
We are not experts in any of this but we do want to out line a few things that we are doing to include our community and environment in the way we do business and the way we are inspiring other business to follow suit.
Twelve months ago our business was in a perilous position. The company that made and bottled our juices went into liquidation and was closing suddenly without notice. We had near permanent installation of hundreds of thousands of dollars of bottling equipment in their factory that we had painstakingly designed years before and there was no plant or manufacturing facility in the country with space to take on our equipment at such short notice. Our choice was this, close the business or move in. It was a decision that we thought hard about. We decided to take out a bank loan and take over the factory. We were well out of our depth. To say the least.
We had a brainstorm of how we could make use of the fact that we now had our own factory. There were a lot of negatives: we needed an updated food safety plan, we needed new employees, we needed to clean to food-grade standard. We had rates to pay and double rent while we moved in.
But when we started brainstorming the opportunities, we realized that our “critical” position had actually turned out pretty well. We figured out that we could tighten up production and decrease our manufacturing by 10%. And most importantly it meant that we could start living and breathing the sustainability values that we had put in place when we launched our business. We could use the factory as a platform for doing good business and make a stand for ideas that were core to our business ethic. We could take this opportunity to become closer to ‘do business and do good’ ethos.
Firstly, we lined our factory roof with 32 solar panels to become New Zealand’s first solar-powered juicery. [pride] The solar panels can harness up to 16,000 watts of energy from the sun each hour. Our factory uses 8,000 watts when it is at full capacity. When the sun is shining and we are creating more than we need, we send what we do not use back to the grid.
The sun has been named, alongside wind-power, as the best future source of energy to solve climate change. It provides clean, virtually free, energy every single day. If planet Earth could harness all of the sun’s energy for just two minutes it could power the Earth, as it currently stands, for an entire year. We live in the sunshine capital of New Zealand so it made sense.
The second shift was that we hired staff that fitted our team culture and we paid them well. The whole team, including every staff member on the bottling line receive the Living Wage or higher instead of the minimum wage they were previously on.
The Living Wage is a great concept. It is 25% higher than the minimum wage in New Zealand and has been calculated as the hourly wage a person needs to pay for the necessities of life and most importantly participate as an active citizen in the community. Our team is our most important asset.
How do we afford this? Because we have less staff turn around, and better productivity. Our staff are committed, reliable and we have CV’s coming in daily to work for us so we can hire the best.
Our third shift came last month when we finished our journey of becoming Carbon Neutral and Climate Change Positive Company. This means the overall activity of Chia Sisters reduces carbon in the atmosphere. In New Zealand the main causes of carbon emissions come from food, agriculture, transport and waste. Carbon is released as fossil fuels are burned and other gases are emitted. The more carbon in the atmosphere the more greenhouse gases trapped up there the more global warming.
It started with conversations that we’d been having about climate change. In 10 years time it is predicted global warming will become irreversible. We consider ourselves, probably like many of you, to be environmentally conscious but we realised that we did not understand how to solve this problem. It seemed elusive. We knew we should eat less meat and fly less, we knew that businesses were the biggest contributor, so what could our business do? The answer was this.
1. We didn’t know how much CO2 we were producing. The solution was to measure it. We used a local company EKOS to help us calculate the greenhouse gases we produced through waste, power, freight, flights, mileage, and air conditioning. It came to a total of 22.55 Tonnes of C02 in the past year. The process itself enabled us to identify problem areas
2. We found ways to lower our carbon emissions through generating renewable energy, reducing our waste, switching to electric vehicles, and reducing air freight.
3. We offset by 120% by contributing to the Rameka Carbon Sink, a native forest in Golden Bay certified under the carbon emissions scheme.
4. We made sure this cost was built into our budget.
The fifth step and the most important one is inspiring other businesses to follow suit. If every business went through this process it would change the world. Sea levels would drop and weather patterns would return to pre-industrial times as temperature decreased. Global warming would be reversed.
We acknowledge that Chia Sisters is one small player in an interconnected world. Our true goal is to share our stories and lessons with others. It this that has the potential to shake up Business as Usual.
To acehive this goal we have launched Zero Carbon Nelson. We are using this as a platform to share our story and encourage others to follow suit. Zero Carbon Nelson has three goals: 1,000 Nelson businesses Zero Carbon by 2021; Zero Carbon Nelson by 2025; and Nelson as a Zero Carbon blueprint for every city globally by 2030.
Given the huge amount of public, private and iwi support and buy-in we are on track to reach these goals. And we are driven to reach these goals by bringing all along with us; we acknowledge that a transition to a climate-safe planet will only happen when we include everyone. We also acknowledge that we must pay tribute to oil companies and dairy farmers and some of the other biggest emitters for having put our country in the prosperous economic position that it is in; for the privileged upbringings we have had. Nevertheless, these cannot be barriers for a climate-safe world.
Through speeches, and workshops that we have presented in conjunction with local Council, Bank of New Zealand; PWC accounting firm; New Zealand Trade and Enterprise and Chamber of Commerce in the last quarter, hundreds of businesses are transitioning to carbon neutral including two of Nelson’s top ten emitters. This is having a snowball effect on the local community. At the Nelson Climate Strikes we called out Business as Usual “What is being done to tackle climate change? This is a question that every business and organization needs to be able to answer”. At the New Zealand and Australia Climate Change and Business Conference we encouraged businesses in the audience, including Fonterra and Air New Zealand to take the first step and take it now.
We are sharing with other businesses the relative simplicity of this shift. What we are experiencing is relief from those we speak to. Many businesses want to act but they don’t know how. This issue has been previously painted as a threat rather than an opportunity. The issue is too big, it needs to be simplified. So we decided to open our doors and become transparent.
This is our carbon footprint. You can see what has been measured – fuels, refrigerant, company vehicles, emission losses, milage, taxis, rental cars, waste, freight, and flights. By going through this process we were able to identify the low hanging fruit. Freight is quite clearly the low hanging fruit.
By focusing on what our biggest contributors were and how we could utilise our environment – the sun, and modern technology already available to us such as electric vehicles. For freight – we switched to sea freight. And it is worth pointing out that all of these decision made not only environmental sense but economic sense too.
These stories are resonating with local businesses, particularly when we show them the financial benefits of this process too. And what has surprised us the most is the willingness to act, to be a part of the solution. But also because it makes economic sense.
Since we became zero carbon 5 months ago, our sales have grown by 40% domestically and that percentage is continuing to increase. We have gained a huge amount of free publicity and have encouraged other companies to consider putting their marketing budget into doing good for a similar response.
We need support. We are lucky to have a huge amount of support for our business but community change is not something we have embarked on before.
To ensure global change we need to start with our community in Nelson, New Zealand. Our Mayor has declared Nelson in a State of Climate Emergency. We need to ask our community how they as people would like to respond to the biggest global issue of our generation. And how do we as businesses want to respond? When that answer is the same we will begin to see great change. Business will start seeing their obligation to act and as the changing tide of consumer and employee preferences shift they will start being rewarded for it. Business as Usual is shifting. The bottom line is changing and we must get the our environment and communities back in the black.
We sat down with Angela Lim, co-founder of Clearhead, to learn more about what her start-up is doing to help New Zealanders be well.
Chances are you know someone who has suffered from anxiety or depression. Maybe that someone is you. Despite the rise of yoga and #selflove posts, not to mention a wellbeing budget this year for New Zealand, one in five Kiwis are affected by mental illness every year; and 50-80% of us will experience mental distress or addiction challenges or both in our lifetime (source).
Clearhead was born from a belief that technology has the ability to close that revolving door to illness. In fact, Clearhead empowers the individual to close the door themselves. The current health system does not provide individuals tools to stay well, or sometimes because of the expense, there is a limit on use. Not only is Clearhead is free to use, it is designed as a long-term solution.
Something cool about Clearhead is that is has been co-designed with users and stakeholders (for a quick summary on what co-design is, in the context of wellbeing, check out this blog from Lifehack). During the co-design process, Clearhead learned that people are more open to disclosing their concerns, challenges and unhealthy behaviour if responding digitally rather than face-to-face with a GP or even to people close to them. In this way, Clearhead provides a judgement-free way for people to understand what’s going on for them.
How Clearhead works
It’s as simple as signing up on the website or on the app (the app will be out in August). You then land on the equivalent of Google - only it’s a more trustworthy online doctor than Dr. Google itself. The platform uses a chatbot to help guide the information you provide into an informal diagnosis of your symptoms (not to be replaced with GP advice). In the often murky waters of mental illness, the summary is a remarkable tool for gaining clarity.
The platform’s other features include online resources, a national directory and booking system for therapy with mental health professionals, and a mood tracker. It really is a one stop shop for people feeling depressed, or perhaps when you are feeling low after a hard week.
Chia Sister Floss got us buzzing with inspiration at her goal to compete in the Kathmandu Coast to Coast. We checked in with Floss to hear how she was doing at the coalface of one mighty big goal.
What has been going really well - what small wins have you been celebrating?
I visited, via kayak, the Waimakariri Gorge on Sunday. It is one of the most beautiful places on earth. Think aqua water, steep cliff faces, blooming rata and waterfalls without a road or person insight. But a bigger win than the scenery was the fact I managed to paddle the Gorge without falling out.
I’ve also met a bunch of inspirational people while training. One that springs to mind is Dan Busch, one of Nelson’s top kayakers. Even though it dramatically impacted his race result Dan let me be his partner in a double kayak in a 3 hour race on Saturday to gain experience #thanksfortowingmeDan
What are the challenges that have been really tough (since we last interviewed you)
It’s easy to see a finish line photo of an athlete and think ‘wow they look fit, they must have nailed their training.’ So it’s been a challenge to become ok with feeling off as the training load gets heavier. Some days I’m flying and others you could only describe it as plodding.
On a lighter note, an unexpected challenge is fitting my tshirts as my biceps have doubled in size thanks to all the training I’m putting in.
What goals do you have in mind to smash on race day?
The first two are definitely all about me and how I race. I want to make it through the Waimakariri Gorge without falling out of my kayak; and I want to place in the top 10 women.
But I also have another goal: in the true spirit of the two day event I want to treat my competitors as comrades. The chances are someone around me will need help at some point. Maybe they need a sugar hit or an extra gulp of water. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone needs a hand when they get stuck between a rock and a hard place (literally) mid-way down the Gorge or up Goat Pass. This comradery is something that drew me to the event in the first place, so I’m keen to get amongst it on race day.
Talk to us about race food.
I’ll be gulping my way through more than a few bottles of Chia and Awaka Sparkling Coconut Water over the Coast to Coast weekend. The magnesium is awesome for muscle recovery and the electrolytes keep me hydrated.
Em’s Power Cookies will keep me going on the run and paddle with Pure Nutrition and a handful of chia seeds in my drink bottle.
Who or what has been inspiring you as you chug through the training?
Last week I met a 16 year old girl who has entered the individual event. She was riding in a bunch for the first time and is yet to ride 70km - the distance of just one of the bike legs at Coast to Coast - but has no doubt she’ll nail it on race day. Not to mention her Uncle David who using the race as a chance to raise money for four charities.
And even though it’s only me racing on the day, I couldn’t do it without the support of family and friends. I’m in debt to Graham Dawson and David Ayre who took me and training buddy Frances down the river in full flood for the first time, Dad and Wei Wei who will be my support crew, and Mum for keeping up my supply of her homemade muesli.
You’ve mentioned the kayak is your greatest challenge. What have you been doing to prepare for race day?
For the last 4 weekends I have embarked on a 3-5 hour paddle, either in the sea or down the river. At times, it’s been tough. The minutes snail by and my arms feel like lead for the rest of the weekend. I am hoping that I’ll feel some improvement in my last big paddle on Sunday.
I’m also grateful for the advice I have been given by Chris of Kayak HQ. Some of his top tips for newbies are what I have been living / paddling by:
Last words for people wish they could set and keep to a scary goal?
Break it down. When tiny achievable goals come together, good things can happen.
Photo cred to Hollie Woodhouse (the awesome woman behind Say Yes to Adventure), the Kathmandu Coast to Coast team and CHIA photographer Marc Gutenstein.
Crafted by Chia blogger, Anna Watson.
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