In property, you need a great team of professionals around you. I call them your A-team. And one of the most important members of my A-team is a great quantity surveyor. They keep a keen eye on your project finances by creating tax depreciation schedules and replacement cost estimations for insurance purposes.

As number crunchers, quantity surveyors are typically a dry bunch, but Mike Mortlock is an exception. A former Olympic distance triathlete, he's a passionate property person with a great sense of humour. I hope you enjoy this episode of Small Talk Big Ideas!

Ian Ugarte is joined by architect Rebecca  Caldwell of Maytree Studios, who is designing the kind of world she wants to live in. Her design philosophy combines ethics and social responsibility with the forward-thinking sensibilities of contemporary architecture. 

Originally from New Zealand, she aesthetically leans towards the rich, textured and rugged forms that define this part of the Antipodes. 

Becoming a mother has strengthened Rebecca’s residential practice by giving her a first-hand understanding of the importance of future-proofing homes to accommodate growing households. The sleep-deprivation of motherhood hasn’t affected her tongue-in-cheek humour, though, which remains razor sharp. 

Enjoy this chat about property, business, and the future of adaptable housing.

This episode of Small Talk Big Ideas takes a diversion from our usual hot topic - 'property investing', and into a realm that I find fascinating and personally transformative. Herbalist, healer, and plant medicine advocate, Rachel Gagen, looks to nature and the body to help her clients reach self-acceptance and balance in their lives. I hope you enjoy her knowledge, energy, and honesty in our conversation.

About Rachel:
Rachel Gagen has studied natural therapies since 2014, now practicing as a ZenThai Shiatsu body worker, Traditional Western Herbal Medicine therapist, teacher, musician and dreamer. Spending her time between the garden, the surf, and the health clinics she works at, she looks to nature for inspiration on living harmoniously in self-acceptance.

“Our sessions focus on the the deep inner workings of the nervous system & the emotional body...  By using the diagnostic tool of Traditional Chinese Medicine, I am able to cater the session specifically to your body’s needs; nourishing the adrenals, calming the mind, soothing inflammation & balancing the body."