More New Zealanders die from bowel cancer than prostate and breast cancer combined. Yet most of us still feel uncomfortable talking about it.

In this episode, we’re joined by Alice Fitzgerald, CEO of the Gut Foundation, for a conversation that could quite literally save your life.

We break down:

1. Why NZ has some of the highest bowel cancer rates in the world
2. The simple signs you should never ignore
3. Why embarrassment is costing lives
4. The alternative to colonoscopy most people don’t know about
5. How 30 grams of fibre a day can dramatically reduce your risk

This isn’t about fear. It’s about awareness, empowerment, and simple actions that make a massive difference.

If you care about your health — or someone else’s — this episode matters.

Talking about poo might feel awkward.

But as you’ll hear… talking sh*t saves lives.

00:40 Meet Alice Fitzgerald, CEO of the Gut Foundation

02:05 Alice’s journey from real estate to gut health advocacy

07:22 What the Gut Foundation does: research, education and awareness

11:34 Gut health explained simply

12:34 Explaining gut health to kids: “gut buddies”

15:54 What unhealthy gut health can look like day to day

16:26 Why checking your poo matters

19:49 What changes in your poo to watch for

22:45 Tim’s story: blood, fear and getting checked

25:46 Why men are at greater risk

27:02 Why acting early matters

28:24 Real story: delayed testing and stage 4 bowel cancer

30:31 Why bowel cancer is rising in younger people

33:17 Why New Zealand’s bowel cancer rates are so high

34:33 The good news: bowel cancer is highly treatable if caught early

35:21 What stops people from going to the doctor

38:10 Public vs private care and long waitlists

39:15 CT colonography vs colonoscopy

42:45 Why you need to advocate for your own health

46:27 The Gut Check campaign: self-check, professional check, social check

48:56 Other warning signs beyond bowel changes

50:34 The power of fibre for gut health

52:14 30 plants a week and easy ways to get more diversity

54:32 Simple food swaps and breakfast ideas for fibre

58:48 Gut health misinformation, diet trends and diversity

01:00:52 Lifestyle factors: exercise, stress and meditation

01:03:07 The gut-brain connection

01:04:40 Why gut health is highly personal

01:09:23 Gut health for kids and fussy eaters

01:10:27 Why gut issues are becoming more common

01:11:48 Ultra-processed foods, advertising and willpower

01:17:35 Personal responsibility vs food environment

01:20:49 Focus on adding good foods, not eliminating everything

01:22:30 Final takeaways: review your poo, get checked, eat more fibre

01:25:35 Closing thoughts and thanks to Alice

01:26:16 Outro: Follow OStudio and learn more

In this episode of the O-Studio Podcast, Tim and Matty break down 10 lessons from 20 years in business, the wins, mistakes, and hard-earned insights we wish we’d known earlier.

From building the right product and culture to creating leverage, managing energy, and making better decisions, this conversation is packed with practical advice for business owners, founders, and leaders.

Whether you’re just starting out or scaling an established business, these lessons will help you build something that lasts.

Topics covered:

• Why business is really about people

• How to create leverage in your company

• Systems that set you free

• Important vs urgent decision-making

• The real rewards (and challenges) of entrepreneurship

• Leadership, energy, and sustainability

Listen to the full episode:

https://ostudio.co.nz

Follow OStudio: @OStudioGlobal

Our purpose is to make recovery and wellbeing as accepted, understood, and practiced as physical fitness - through premium wellness hubs across New Zealand

Own the moment.

00:00 Intro – 10 Lessons From 20 Years

01:20 Why This Episode Matters

02:45 Lesson 1: Build the Right Product

05:50 Lesson 2: Business Is People

10:25 Untouchable Lessons & Experience

12:50 Lesson 3: Reach & Trust

17:55 Being Courageous in Business

22:50 Lesson 4: The Power of Leverage

29:55 Important vs Urgent Work

32:10 Lesson 5: Systems Set You Free

36:55 Harder Than You Think, More Rewarding Than You Imagine

41:05 Lesson 6: Energy & Leadership

44:20 Attitude + Effort = Results

48:00 Execution Beats Strategy

50:10 Learning From Others

52:40 Final Reflections

55:00 Outro

Death is something we all face, yet it’s one of the least talked-about subjects in everyday life.

In this episode, the team opens up an honest, thoughtful conversation about death, grief, and mortality. From sudden loss and fear, to the way becoming a parent reshapes how you see life, to stoic philosophy and the idea of memento mori, remembering that we will die. This discussion explores why death feels so uncomfortable and how facing it can actually bring clarity, gratitude, and meaning.

The conversation also touches on legacy, how we live on through others, cultural approaches to grief, and why reflecting on mortality can help us prioritise what truly matters, without being morbid.

This episode isn’t about fear. It’s about perspective, connection, and making the most of the time we have.

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Why We Avoid Talking About Death

Why this conversation matters and what death can teach us about living

02:00 – Personal Experiences With Loss & Fear

How often we think about death and the moments that shape that relationship

05:00 – Perspective: Does This Really Matter?

Using mortality to reframe stress, conflict, and everyday worries

07:45 – Family, Love & Gratitude

How thinking about death changes how we show up for the people we love

11:00 – Grief, Meaning & Memento Mori

Remembering mortality as a way to find meaning, not fear

14:45 – If You Knew Your Time Was Limited

How priorities, actions, and values shift when time feels finite

18:30 – Legacy: How We Live On Through Others

Passing values, essence, and influence beyond our own lifetime

21:45 – Final Reflections: Living Well Now

How talking about death can help us live fuller, richer lives

Pete Smith returns to the O-Studio Podcast for his fifth appearance and this time we go deep on weight management and why so many people struggle to lose fat (and keep it off).

We unpack the difference between weight loss vs fat loss, why “calories in, calories out” is only part of the story, and how things like thyroid function, hormones, stress/cortisol, insulin resistance, sleep, fasting habits, and even alcohol can quietly block progress, no matter how hard you train.

Pete also breaks down what actually works long-term: small calorie reductions without triggering rebound, smarter approaches to fasted training, the role of muscle in fat loss, and why your best starting point is a personal benchmark because everyone responds differently.

If you’re heading into a new year wanting a better plan (not another short-term reset), this episode gives you practical, science-backed clarity.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Intro + Pete Smith returns (5th appearance)

01:25 Why weight management is getting worse (NZ stats + modern lifestyle)

06:45 Calories in/out: true, but incomplete (why weight gain isn’t “just willpower”)

08:00 Weight loss vs fat loss (why scales & BMI can mislead)

10:20 The hidden roadblocks: thyroid, hormones, stress/cortisol, insulin resistance

14:10 Fuel hierarchy (alcohol → glucose → fat) + why it matters for fat loss

22:10 Keto/carnivore + fasting: benefits, risks, and “organised variation”

28:30 Exercise for fat loss vs muscle gain (fasted training + mTOR + protein timing)

35:30 Habits that sabotage progress (snacking/MMC, digestion, consistency)

41:10 Cold plunge & fat loss protocol (shivering, thermogenesis + women’s considerations)

46:15 Where to start: benchmarks, personalised plan, simple calorie reduction

56:10 Best tracking tools: height-to-waist ratio + metabolism temperature check

01:04:40 Wrap-up + how to contact Pete + outro

In this episode, the team breaks down a more realistic approach to goal setting: simple focuses instead of endless goals, how to actually remember what you set, and why reflecting on progress matters (so you don’t just live in “what’s next?” mode).

They explore the balance between pain vs pleasure as motivation, why ambition can be both powerful and exhausting, and the idea of life “dimmers”, where different seasons require different levels of focus on family, work, health, and social life.

And to keep it grounded (and fun), the team shares personal goals for the year ahead, including one “unreasonably epic” goal that’s purely for the story.

___

Chapters

00:00 – Welcome to The O-Studio Podcast

01:30 – New Year’s resolutions vs real goal setting

03:30 – Forgetting what you once wanted (hedonic adaptation)

05:10 – Why reflecting on progress actually matters

06:30 – Is pain or pleasure the stronger motivator?

08:25 – Goal setting in professional sport

10:35 – Never being satisfied vs enjoying your life

12:25 – Responsibility, meaning, and ambition

14:45 – Journey vs destination vs the people you do it with

16:00 – Turning 40 and setting personal milestones

17:55 – Skydiving, fear, and unreasonably fun goals

20:45 – Events, fitness goals, and running challenges

22:30 – Chasing feelings instead of tick-box goals

24:00 – Morning routines and setting up your day

28:10 – You don’t need to wait for Monday or January

30:00 – Letting go of over-optimisation

32:40 – Life “dimmers”: work, family, social and health

36:50 – Seasons of life and shifting priorities

39:05 – One simple tip for goal setting

40:40 – Do something unreasonably fun

41:55 – Final reflections and wrap-up

As we wrap up 2025, we’re taking a moment to pause, reflect, and look ahead.In this episode, we share honest reflections on the year that was, personally and professionally. Including the lessons we’re leaving behind, the habits that helped us most, and what we’re intentionally carrying into 2026.

We also unpack a huge year for O-Studio: new studios, new communities, major milestones, and the continued mission to make recovery and wellbeing as accepted, understood, and practised as physical fitness.If you’re looking for a moment to reflect, reset, and head into the new year with clarity, this one’s for you.

Listen, reflect, and take what you need into 2026.

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Welcome to the O-Studio Podcast & setting the tone for the 2025 wrap

01:10 – “What are we running?” Energy check & breaking the fourth wall02:20 – Why we’re reflecting on 2025 (and inviting listeners to do the same)

03:00 – What we’re leaving behind in 2025 (perfectionism, pressure, pace)05:10 – Aging, perspective & gratitude for getting older

07:20 – Creating space, intentional living & “being where your feet are”10:05 – Small habits and rituals that made a difference this year

13:30 – Connection before productivity: how people make everything better16:45 – Podcast reflections & why these conversations matter

18:50 – 2025 at O-Studio: new studios, communities & growth

22:40 – Innovation, studio learnings & owner collaboration

26:30 – Expansion, milestones & looking beyond New Zealand

30:45 – Looking ahead: personal intentions for 2026

35:10 – Family, relationships & new seasons of life

39:20 – O-Studio’s mission, brand intention & the future

44:50 – Final reflections, encouragement for listeners & sign-off

Today we’re wrapping up 2025 with a light, honest, end-of-year Christmas episode. No deep dives, just real chat.

Tim, Elizabeth and Sophie reflect on a massive year for O-Studio: new hubs, new people, new lessons… and the chaos and joy that always comes with the holiday season.

They share:

• What they’re personally looking forward to this summer

• How to handle the financial + emotional pressure of the holidays

• Why simplicity is the secret to a great break

• Their top three holiday season tips

• Fun games, routines, and ways to slow down and reset

• Why “tan lines on your feet” = the sign of a good life

You’ll walk away with practical reminders, some laughs, and a nudge to create a holiday season that actually feels good — not stressful.

If you’re looking for a simple, meaningful gift this year, pop into any O-Studio for a wellness experience someone will actually use.

Sauna, ice bath, float, massage - the gift of time, space and calm.

As part of our O-Studio Owner Series, we’re sitting down with Rebecca Thompson - or as most of us know her, Bex.

Each of our owners has a unique story of how they came to love recovery and wellbeing, and ultimately why they chose to bring those experiences back to their community. Bex’s journey is a powerful place to begin.

Soon to open O-Studio Mount Maunganui with her husband, Russ, Bex shares a raw and honest story of pain, healing, resilience, and the mind–body connection that completely changed the direction of her life.

A special episode to kick off a special series.

Stay up to date with O-Studio The Mount on Instagram and sign up to their community here.

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Want to learn more about owning your own O-Studio - click here.

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