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NZ Herald
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
Air NZ Dream Seats: Ambassador Simran Kaur from Friends That Invest on dreams and ‘failing upwards'
This month, Kaur adds another feat to her impressive resume as one of Air New Zealand's Dream Seats ambassadors. Launched last week, the campaign aims to help Kiwis achieve their dream by offering free flight tickets to a destination that will help them get closer to their professional goals. Its six ambassadors, including Kaur, Dame Valerie Adams and Josh Emett, will also each personally mentor two Kiwis. Ambassadors Josh Emett and Simran Kaur at the launch event for Dream Seats. Photo / Air NZ 'I'm very, very excited to mentor ... I love teaching, I love talking to people, and I love helping them figure out a plan for how to make their dreams come true,' says Kaur, who grew up around educators. She was even teaching as a kid, running makeshift tutoring classes in chemistry for her friends at the temple - because she enjoyed it, she says. This wasn't always Kaur's dream. Like so many of us, her dreams changed over the years. At one point, it was to become a fashion designer, which, by her own admission, is 'comical' to think about now. 'My friends know me as the worst fashionable person,' she laughs. Despite the lack of fashion sense, her self-belief never wavered. 'I didn't go, do I dress well?' Society tends to frame the act of going after one's dreams as a brave thing to do. But Kaur doesn't think courage has much to do with it. Or even hard work. 'When you're younger, you have such strong dreams and very little doubt in yourself. And I feel like as we get older, the dreams are big, but the self-doubt starts to grow.' Simran Kaur says her biggest mentors are her parents. People can start to internalise things that may never have been said by asking themselves, 'Who am I?' and 'What can I do?' The investor explains. When Kaur was at school, she wrote a speech about the importance and power of failure. She remains steadfast in that belief today. Many successful people, in her view, 'fail upwards'. What that means is they try again smarter, not harder. Rinse and repeat. She also spoke about failure when asked what it takes to achieve dreams. 'I think it's a mixture of luck and not doubting yourself, and just being okay in failure because you will fail at times, but you just keep going. '[If] you just keep trying smarter, you eventually get to whatever it is that your dream is.' While having the right mindset is crucial, so is broadening your horizons with experience. That is to say, travelling may present one with opportunities they may never have received if they stayed in their comfort zone. For Kaur, it played a 'monumental' role in shaping her professional career. She recalls one of her first international trips when she went to the United States for a TEDx Talk at the Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania to discuss the importance of women investing and how empowering it is to have financial literacy. She met so many people. The trip, she says, 'blew my mind'. 'Being able to travel has just opened so many doors and [it let me meet] such amazing women around the world.' Kaur's brand is popular, having sold more than 100,000 books, reaching 100,000 newsletter subscribers and over 10 million downloads of the Friends That Invest financial education podcast. Simran Kaur with her best friend Sonya Gupthan. Together, they host the popular investment podcast Friends That Invest. But her appeal is also diverse. Kaur's audience spans many cultures, experiences and backgrounds, and yet, she says there is a common thread. They ask her: Are values around money similar in every culture? She's learned that it is. 'We all want to be able to not worry about money. We all want to be able to look after our family. We all want to have a rainy day fund. And those concepts are just universal,' says Kaur, adding that travelling opened her eyes to the fact people are more similar in money values than they are different. If mentees expect Kaur to drip-feed solutions, they will likely be disappointed. Her approach to mentorship is less about being someone with all the answers, and more about being 'a sounding board' and 'someone to hold [mentees] accountable to those dreams". And she can't wait. 'It's gonna be amazing to meet them and to hear what their dreams are and just to allow them to expand their view on themselves and expand their ability to achieve those dreams.' Varsha Anjali is a journalist in the lifestyle team at the Herald. Based in Auckland, she covers travel, culture and more.
Scoop
an hour ago
- Politics
- Scoop
Local Business Owner And Community Volunteer, Ben Cox, Selected As ACT Local Candidate For Henderson-Massey Local Board
ACT Local has selected Ben Cox – a small business owner, community volunteer, and Te Atatū Peninsula resident – as its candidate for the Henderson-Massey Local Board in this year's Auckland Council election. Ben runs a local advertising consultancy and serves on the boards of Waitakere Swimming Club and TAP Sea Scouts, supporting youth in the area. Ben is known for his practical, nononsense approach. He wants the HendersonMassey Local Board focused on what really matters — looking after local services and facilities, setting clear priorities, and pushing council to deliver the improvements our area needs. Ben wants HendersonMassey to be a safer, better place for everyone. 'I care about this community because it's my home too,' Ben says. 'People are tired of seeing their rates go up while things like parks, footpaths and community facilities fall behind. We need a local board that listens, plans properly, and isn't afraid to push council on the big issues. "I'll work hard to make sure every rates dollar is spent wisely, that our board advocates strongly and pushes council for safer roads, better stormwater management and wellmaintained facilities, and that HendersonMassey gets its fair share. I want families and businesses to feel proud to live and work here.' – Ben Cox Earlier this year, ACT New Zealand announced it would be standing Common Sense Candidates for local government for the first time — after hearing from New Zealanders across the country who are sick of rising rates, ballooning budgets, and councils that ignore the basics while chasing ideological vanity projects. When you vote ACT Local, you know what you're getting: Fixing the basics Cutting the waste Ending race-based politics Restoring accountability ACT Local Government spokesperson Cameron Luxton says: ' ACT Local candidates are community-minded Kiwis who've had enough of wasteful councils treating ratepayers like ATMs. It's time to take control on behalf of ratepayers — to restore accountability and deliver real value for money. ACT Local is about getting the basics right: maintaining roads, keeping streets clean, and respecting the people who pay the bills. Our candidates won't divide people by race or get distracted by climate vanity projects. They're here to serve, not lecture." – Cameron Luxton
Scoop
an hour ago
- Politics
- Scoop
Business Leader & Associate Chartered Accountant, Peter Mayall, Selected As ACT Candidate For Waikato District Council
ACT Local has selected Peter Mayall – an Associate Chartered Accountant and experienced business leader – as its candidate for the Tamahere–Woodlands Ward of the Waikato District Council in this year's local election. Peter brings extensive experience in strategic planning, financial oversight, and governance, alongside a proven record in communication and community involvement. He has built his career on aligning teams, cutting waste, and delivering results – skills he's ready to bring to council to deliver better value for ratepayers. Peter is standing to restore focus to the essentials: roads, water, and refuse collection. He believes in genuine democracy, where only elected representatives make decisions and every vote carries equal weight. He opposes racebased wards and backroom deals and will fight to ensure local government serves the community rather than pursuing ideological projects. 'Your rates should be spent wisely, not wasted. Council's job is to deliver core services, not frustrate residents with costly experiments like the Birchwood Lane and Telephone Road fiascos. "As an Associate Chartered Accountant and business leader, I'll bring financial discipline, transparency, and accountability to every decision. "I'll protect property rights, cut red tape, and keep council practical – not political. It's time for smarter councils, lower rates, and real representation.' – Peter Mayall Earlier this year, ACT New Zealand announced it would be standing Common Sense Candidates for local government for the first time — after hearing from New Zealanders across the country who are sick of rising rates, ballooning budgets, and councils that ignore the basics while chasing ideological vanity projects. When you vote ACT Local, you know what you're getting: Fixing the basics Lower Rates Cutting the waste Ending race-based politics Restoring accountability Stopping the war on cars ACT Local Government spokesperson Cameron Luxton says: ' ACT Local candidates are community-minded Kiwis who've had enough of wasteful councils treating ratepayers like ATMs. It's time to take control on behalf of ratepayers — to restore accountability and deliver real value for money. ACT Local is about getting the basics right: maintaining roads, keeping streets clean, and respecting the people who pay the bills. Our candidates won't divide people by race or get distracted by climate vanity projects. They're here to serve, not lecture." – Cameron Luxton
Scoop
an hour ago
- Politics
- Scoop
Member's Bill To Hold Boarding House Landlords Accountable
Labour MP Jenny Salesa's Bill to give more transparency around boarding houses has been drawn from the Member's ballot. The Bill will require the creation and maintenance of a register of boarding houses and their owners, and sets up criteria for landlords to be subject to. The criteria will mean a landlord may be disqualified from operating a boarding house if they're under 18, have been imprisoned, or have issues with registration. 'Sunlight is the best disinfectant for ensuring boarding houses are clean, safe, and warm homes for Kiwis to live in,' Jenny Salesa said. 'Some of New Zealand's most vulnerable people rely on boarding houses for basic shelter and sanitation. 'New Zealanders will recall the tragic case of Loafers Lodge which had flown under the radar until lives were lost. I also think of the dozens of boarding homes in Auckland and the many others across the country we still don't know the living conditions of. 'Establishing a register for boarding houses and criteria which landlords are subject to ensures there's accountability and better monitoring to make sure these homes are up to scratch. 'This is about ensuring everyday Kiwis aren't getting fleeced and are living in clean, safe, and warm homes,' Jenny Salesa said.
Otago Daily Times
2 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Fraudster stays in NZ jail after parole denied
By Tracy Neal, Open Justice multimedia reporter A convicted British criminal who duped more than 20 Kiwis into giving him $337,700 after posing as a police courier says he is now disgusted and embarrassed by his actions. Jack Dylan Hennessy, who is in prison for scamming 21 mostly elderly victims in 2024, today told a panel of Parole Board members how truly sorry he was. 'I'm disgusted by my actions. I'm disgusted, embarrassed and feel stupid,' he said. In a letter he read at the hearing, he said he wanted to become the best man he could, rather than be remembered for what he had done if he were to die tomorrow. But the panel was not convinced of his sincerity, because he refused to co-operate with police and tell them who was behind the scam ring he was part of. NZME reported last year Hennessy claimed he was blackmailed into his actions after losing a luxury $200,000 Swiss watch loaned to him by dangerous British criminals. Hennessy told the panel he had wanted to wear the watch to look 'cool' in front of others. The panel declined his release, saying the board needed to be satisfied he had completed rehabilitation programmes that ensured communities he was released back into, in New Zealand and in Britain, were safe from any further offending. The 26-year-old, who was facing deportation upon his release, was jailed in the Auckland District Court last November for three years and three months for the offending, described by Judge Kevin Glubb as 'reprehensible', premeditated and 'carried out with almost military precision'. 'Intense shame' After landing in Auckland on June 9, 2024, Hennessy rented an apartment on Hobson St, then proceeded to steal $337,700 over the next 14 days from 21 people aged from 59 to 92. His victims thought they were assisting an elaborate law enforcement investigation. They were called by scammers posing as police officers. They were then convinced to withdraw large sums of money from their bank accounts in the belief they were assisting undercover detectives in a sting operation targeting counterfeit banknotes. Hennessy used taxis to visit the victims' homes to collect the cash, posing as a plain-clothed police courier. He used prearranged code words including 'aroha', 'totara', 'treetop' and 'Timbuktu' to convince his victims he was a genuine state operative. They believed that after handing the money to Hennessy, it would be whisked to investigators, checked for fake notes, then redeposited into their accounts. In reality, the money was either pocketed by Hennessy or sent to his bosses overseas. Hennessy told Parole Board panel convenor Neville Trendle that he was told to contact a person in Auckland, who took a cut from the money he handed over, and who then transferred the rest as cryptocurrency. Several victims spoke of their intense shame after realising they'd been duped, the devastating financial effects on their retirement plans, and feelings of fear and violation that the scammers knew their addresses and had personally visited their homes. Hennessy was caught on June 24 on his way to pick up $20,000 from an 83-year-old victim who had already handed over $16,000. After being spotted in a taxi in central Auckland, he led police on a brief foot chase before being arrested. He later admitted 27 charges, including obtaining by deception and one of escaping custody. Panel not convinced The hearing panel said that banks had so far covered a lot of the losses incurred, but $28,000 remained outstanding, which Hennessy said he intended to repay. How he might do that was challenged by panel member Sharon Gemmell, who stressed that the people targeted by Hennessy belonged to the most vulnerable sector of the community. Hennessy said he planned to get a job once back in Britain and arrange to have deductions made, possibly through the Ministry of Justice, but he was unsure who to approach and how to go about it. However, Gemmell was not convinced he had tried hard enough to find a way by which he might make good on his promise. She said he was a 'clever young person' who had come to the country and straight away began scamming people, yet he was not able to figure out how to pay the money back. 'I'm very reluctant to see you sail off to the UK and not make any arrangement to pay that back.' Hennessy has previously served time in a British prison for his role in a smash-and-grab gang targeting mobile phone stores. He claimed he only agreed to board the flight to New Zealand and pick up packages stuffed with cash after a British crime syndicate threatened to harm his mother and brother. Hennessy told panel member Olivia Brittain, who asked why he had not co-operated with the police in helping to identify others involved, that giving up names would put the rest of his life in jeopardy. 'They're not people to be messed with,' he said. Brittain said that he was denying his elderly victims. Hennessy said that at the time he was only thinking of himself, but the consequences of what he had done crept up 'day by day'. Trendle said it remained a mystery how Hennessy had become involved. Trendle said that hearing the Briton talk about the restorative justice process he had taken part in, and how sorry he was, did not sit well with the convenor when the prisoner refused to co-operate with the police. 'It means that remorse and indications of repayment are meaningless,' Trendle said. Hennessy would now have to complete rehabilitation programmes and devise a safety plan before being considered again for parole in January.
