i&i blog — interview

Sian Simpson is New Zealand's startup and innovation ambassador to the world. Buying a house on Waiheke, three family suicides, interviewing Helen Clark, biking 350 miles through Zambia, and living all around the world, she has gone through some amazing highs and some tough lows. We talk to her about both and get an insight into her life as a completely remote worker living between living in San Francisco, Australia, London, Paris and Singapore and Waiheke Island in a given year.    How do explain what you do to strangers? I work with entrepreneurs and business owners to help them grow and expand/export their businesses nationally but mainly internationally to global markets such as San Francisco/USA, Australia, UK, Canada, Europe & Singapore.  I’m best thought...

After four years in an emotionally abusive relationship, Irene is teaching women about relationships, emotional abuse and self-love. All the things a gal needs to help prepare (or Prepair her for love.) She is a superstar mum and the older sis many need to have an honest chat and straight up answers about relationships, emotional abuse or self-love. Read more about this amazing wahine and make sure you are following @prepairnz on Instagram!

Jessie Guru is an inspirational woman. Former Journalist, TV presenter, and singer/songwriter, she now lives in Bali working as a content creator, spreading positive messages through her platform, she is an advocate for people (and animals) who don't have a voice, and we are super fangirling her! Read about her physical and mental health struggles, thoughts on social influencers and her move to a plant-based lifestyle (which was encouraged by her ex-All Black partner!!).

"Sadly - Instagram has given people a delusional perspective of the new norm." "I have this thing where I want to be inspirational, and motivational so people can be aspirational. It's about finding a healthy balance." Read more from Grace in our interview for the indigo & iris blog series "What does beauty mean to you?".

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." Jess shares her wisdom with us in our latest interview.   Jess is an absolute inspiration. Running one of the best social enterprises around, FRANK stationery, with a buy one give one model, selling epic stationery and donating over 75k books to children. As well as having a two-year-old boy and working alongside her husband! Read about how she does it and what beauty means to Jess. 

We are PUMPED to have interviewed @lovingelliesbelly aka Ellie Haines and asked her "What beauty means to you" for our blog series. We asked why she started her self-love instagram & what is all about. She is hilariously honest and open about her daily struggles which many of her followers relate to. We were lucky enough to have her involved in our very first indigo & iris shoot where she applied levitate mascara oh so beautifully to her lashes.

Wow. Alice is an amazingly talented singer and all-around good human being. We are so happy to have interviewed her as part of our "What does beauty mean to you?" blog series. She gets REAL with her answers, and suggests some epic reading and listening content - this is not one you want to miss.

"[my biggest fear] is falling into the trap of “I can’t” or “too scared” and getting so worried about what other people will think."  This interview with Seung-woo Hong aka Suggie is photo heavy because he is an incredible creative genius who takes the most epic photos and videos. We ask Suggie about his upbringing in the beautiful town of Nelson, his inspirations and what beauty means to him.

Aasha (@glittergirlclub), her work is beautiful and we have been lucky enough to have levitate mascara worn in some of her shoots. She is an ambivert from South Auckland and we love her. 

if you can embrace everything you think is "wrong with you" and actually love those parts of yourself, then you are the most beautiful woman ever.