GIVE TO GA IN PODC A ST L AUNCHES: CELEBR ATING R AGL A N’S WOM EN IN BUSINESS B Y A N N I K A S T R I C K E R
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his International Women’s Day, a new local podcast is turning up the volume on the voices of women shaping business and community life in Whaingaroa. Give to Gain is a limited-series podcast created for International Women’s Day 2026, inspired by this year’s theme of the same name. Hosted by Katie Lowes and Annika Stricker, the series is a collaboration between the Raglan Business Chamber and Raglan Community Media, celebrating the wāhine behind some of our town’s most impactful businesses. The mission is simple but powerful: to explore generosity in all its forms. Sharing knowledge. Creating opportunities. Offering support. Building community. Lifting others as we grow. Across five episodes, listeners hear honest conversations about the real journey of building a business: the risks, the resilience, the long nights, and the unexpected rewards that come when giving leads to gaining. Each of the following episodes highlights one of those journeys. Together, they offer a snapshot of how women across Whaingaroa are giving to gain in very different ways.
BU ILD IN G H O PE FO R N EU RO D IVERSE FA M ILIES with Annick Janson of Now & Next
O PEN I N G TH E D O O RS EVERY DAY with Jessica Gittings of Wyld
The series opens with Dr. Annick Janson of Now & Next, a peer-led programme supporting families of neurodiverse children and children with disabilities. What began as a grassroots initiative in Raglan is now delivered internationally. For Annick, Give to Gain is about reciprocity and ripple effects. She speaks about trust as the foundation of real change.
Next is Jessica Gittings, co-owner of Wyld Café in Raglan and Frank Café in Hamilton. From launching in 2020 to navigating seasonality, motherhood and multiple businesses, her episode is about consistency and energy. For Jess, giving often means showing up.
“Meaningful change rarely starts with scale. It starts with trust. When people are invited to imagine a future that genuinely belongs to them, they take responsibility for it in ways systems can’t mandate.”“If we can help somebody make a difference in their life that makes me a very happy person.”
THE BACK BONE OF THE CO M M U NITY with Sue Steedman of BizWorx
Behind many local businesses is someone quietly making sure the numbers work. For Sue Steedman of BizWorx Consultancy, giving means empowering others with financial confidence through sponsorships, mentorship and dreams of bringing financial literacy into schools. “If we can help somebody make a difference in their life that makes me a very happy person.”
“One thing I love about Wyld is that connection with the people that come through. You gain so much energy from that which then you can give back. I often say: Money flows where energy goes,” Jess adds. “When I focus my energy in a good space to our people, you see that reflection. We just come in, have a coffee, say hello, connect, and that has a roll-on effect.”
CR E ATI N G A GATH ER I N G PL ACE with Fiona Gates of the Harbour View Hotel For Fiona Gates of the Harbour View Hotel, hospitality is about more than food and drink. Giving for her means creating a space where community gathers, and the gain is watching that space come alive. “Pubs were built to be the centre of town. They were the courthouse, the meeting rooms, the social point. That has always been the philosophy of what we’ve tried to deliver.”
O FFICI A L PO D C A ST L AU NCH A N D N ET WO R K I N G EVENT The Give to Gain series has been broadcasted throughout the week leading up to International Women’s Day on Raglan Community Radio. For those who may have missed it, the episodes are also airing Waikato-wide on FreeFM 89.0 throughout the month of March. All conversations are also available to stream anytime via the Raglan Community Media and FreeFM 89.0 websites, as well as on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Amazon Music. To celebrate, the Raglan Business Chamber and Raglan Community Media are hosting an official podcast launch and networking event on International Women’s Day, Sunday March 8th, 4pm at Wyld Café.
M A K IN G TH E CO M M U N IT Y G LOW with Fabiana Henderson of Raglan Botanicals
For $15, guests receive a drink and nibbles, plus the opportunity to connect with the featured women and the wider business community.
The final episode features Fabiana Henderson of Raglan Botanicals, whose eco-friendly skincare and aromatherapy brand began with market stalls and 4am starts. Her products are designed to help people feel well and confident.
It’s a chance to celebrate the wāhine shaping our town. Because when women give, whether it is their time, knowledge, energy or care, the whole community gains. And when wāhine thrive, Whaingaroa thrives.
“My creations have always been about helping others. When people come in and say, ‘Your products are amazing, they helped me,’ that’s the joy for me. That makes me so happy.” 4 | Raglan Chronicle Magazine Issue March 2026