50th Episode Special: Best of Unfiltered (So Far!)

#55 Lolo Heimuli

For decades, Lolo Heimuli has been one of the most respected figures in New Zealand combat sports — training more than 100 national champions and 10 world champions, including names like Ray Sefo, Mark Hunt, Shane Cameron, and future coaching great Eugene Bareman. In this episode, Dave sits down with Lolo to talk about his journey from Tonga to New Zealand, building Balmoral Lee Gar Gym from a church hall, the sacrifices behind a lifetime of coaching, and shares some hilarious stories from the golden era of New Zealand fighting. A powerful kōrero about purpose, sacrifice, and helping others succeed. Podcast produced by https://fanaticals.co.nz/contact.

#54 Mike Bennetts: The CEO Advice I Needed To Hear | Ex-CEO, Z Energy

It’s tough out there right now. So Dave sat down with Mike Bennetts — Ex-CEO of Z Energy and one of New Zealand’s most experienced business leaders — to ask the questions every business owner is thinking about. From leading one of New Zealand’s largest companies through economic uncertainty, to coaching leaders and founders today, Mike shares practical advice on navigating tough times, looking after your people, using AI to your advantage, and why working harder isn’t always the answer. Whether you’re running a business, leading a team, or trying to build something from the ground up, there’s plenty in this episode that could save you time, money, and a few mistakes.

50th Episode Special: Best of Unfiltered (So Far!)

To celebrate 50 episodes of Unfiltered, we’ve pulled together some of our favourite moments from the journey so far. A huge thank you to every guest who has trusted us with their story, and to everyone who has watched, listened, shared, and supported the podcast along the way. If you’ve enjoyed the first 50 episodes and want to help us keep these conversations going, you can now support the show here: ☕ https://buymeacoffee.com/unfilteredwithdave [https://buymeacoffee.com/unfilteredwithdave] Every contribution helps us continue sharing powerful stories from across Aotearoa. Thank you for being part of the journey. Hosted by Dave Letele and brought to you by Fanaticals [www.fanaticals.co.nz].

#52 Sam Troth

Surviving Sexual Abuse, Now Fighting for Reform This week, Dave sits down with Sam Troth from ‘Road To Healing Aotearoa’ for one of the most powerful conversations we’ve had about survival, healing, and turning pain into purpose. After experiencing sexual abuse as a child, Sam opens up about the spiral that followed — violence, addiction, prison, and years of carrying pain in silence. But instead of letting it define him, he chose to fight for others walking the same road. Sam has now walked & cycled over 5,000kms fighting for reform. He has walked from Bluff to Cape Reinga (2,073km), cycled around the South Island (2,000km), and recently walked from Cape Reinga to Parliament (1,064km) — calling for a minimum 8-year sentence for sexual offending. Please support Sam. One of his petitions is currently working through government: ✍️ JOIN +17,500 OTHERS — REMOVE GOOD CHARACTER REFERENCES SEXUAL OFFENDERS SIGN HERE: https://petitions.parliament.nz/cf986021-083d-40b6-a30f-08dd63dfe70d [https://petitions.parliament.nz/cf986021-083d-40b6-a30f-08dd63dfe70d] Massive shoutout to Sam for coming onto the podcast: https://www.instagram.com/theroadtohealingaotearoa [https://www.instagram.com/theroadtohealingaotearoa] Let us know what you thought of the conversation in the comments!

#51 Anthony Tina

This week, Dave sits down with Anthony Tina from Lifewise — for a powerful kōrero about rebuilding his life after homelessness, and finding meaning again. Anthony opens up about going from hitting rock bottom, addiction and prison to finding community, connection and purpose — and why empathy matters more than judgement, when it comes to homelessness in Aotearoa. Leading up to Lifewise’s Big Sleep Out on 25th June, we want to help raise awareness for people experiencing homelessness — so if you want to support the cause, head over to www.bigsleepout.org.nz [www.bigsleepout.org.nz] and get involved.