7 minute read
Gramworthy
Our round up of posts from local businesses on IG that we’ve double tapped (liked) and a Q&A with Brax and Rach from @slowestudionz
Rachael Jones and Braxton Hall were raised on the Shore and started infrared sauna studio, Slöwe Studio, which they say provides the community with space and time to reconnect in mind and body. It’s located on Northcroft Street near the former Department Store building and after their own health journeys, they’re focused on providing a sacred space for customers to restore energy, rehabilitate muscles and reinvigorate the nervous system using advanced infrared technology. Through their own healing, they both sought out infrared therapy and they soon realised the potential for an infrared sauna studio. Coming out of Covid lockdowns, Rach and Brax say they quickly realised how important it was to make this kind of therapy accessible for people, and the potential for the wellness industry as a whole coming out of this pandemic. They speak to Channel Mag about their journey and how social media fits into building and operating their business. CM: Is Instagram a source of inspiration for you? Who do you recommend following and why? Braxton Hall and Rachael Jones. Slowe: Yes absolutely! Being a physical service-based business, Instagram plays a huge part inspiring us to grow and tap into other areas of the wellness industry. The platform also allows us to create an online community, through which we engage with our customers on a day-to-day basis. We personally keep our following quite exclusive as we don't implement false/pushy forms of marketing. We follow local businesses within our community and all brands which are a part of our sales channel. Essentially anyone who took a part in bringing Slöwe to life. We choose not to follow competition within the infrared sauna industry so we stay true to our originality and aren't influenced by what others are doing with their branding. This allows us to tap into our own creative knack and let the vision flow as we grow. CM: Which other local businesses do social media well? Slowe: Kinship is a coffee shop based around the corner from us on Lake Road. Their heart and soul has gone into the space, the whole vibe is just simply amazing and they have great coffee! BFT Takapuna is also an epic community to be a part of, the trainers are so knowledgeable and it really has a family feel there. They're super encouraging throughout their Instagram platform, keeping you updated with daily classes and future challenges. CM: Why infrared and saunas? What are the benefits you've seen? Slowe: The benefits of using infrared saunas are vast but some of the most common reasons customers use them regularly include detoxification, muscle and joint recovery, circulatory issues, energy level concerns and overall immune support. Our intention at Slöwe is to not only provide customers with the technology to aid healing, but to also provide a nurturing, inclusive and welcoming space where customers feel supported. Infrared light can't be seen by the naked eye but it gives off what's called radiated heat, penetrating deep within your tissues, muscles and cells, giving your body all the benefits the sun would without the harmful UV damage. The slow and direct heating of an infrared sauna makes for a much more comfortable experience than a traditional sauna. This comfort allows for a longer sweat and therefore a deeper detox. Sweating is one of the best ways to support detoxification as it is one of the ways the liver transforms and removes waste and toxins from the body. The process of detoxification also helps the absorption of all other healthy habits you might be doing as well, making it the foundation of all wellness concerns. CM: What's next for the studio? Slowe: There are many future plans already in the works for Slöwe! We both have the drive to grow the business as much as we can while keeping control and overseeing everything. Not only are we hoping to expand our studios across New Zealand, we want to manufacture a sustainable loungewear line where these pieces are the perfect combination to throw on after your sweat. A few hints into our future visions are Slöwe escapes (we’ll leave this open to interpretation for now) and potentially constructing and manufacturing our own sustainable Slöwe saunas which can go in your own home. We love the idea of using the Slöwe brand in creative ways to celebrate our homeland and to promote wellness while doing it. @slowestudionz
Local Takapuna favourite linen brand Wallace Cotton has moved down the road to the brand new The Strand development, we’re looking forward to checking out their new space. @wallacecotton
Located on the corner of fleet street and Victoria road, this pop-up is in Devonport until February 2023 and vintage fans will love the treasures on offer. @vintagerecyclednz
We love Beam café in Milford and we know we’re not the only ones! Delicious food and cabinet food with super friendly service! @beamcafenz
By Simon Watts, North Shore MP An economy out of balance
Simon Watts.
Reserve Bank Governor, Adrian Orr, has said: “Inflation is the thief in the pocket.” He’s not wrong; the crippling cost-of-living crisis is robbing cash from practically every household in the country. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
The inflation driving rising prices isn’t solely an unfathomable issue generated by unaccountable offshore forces. The rising prices that we are seeing in groceries, fuel and services can be directly attributable to homegrown events and government policies.
The economy is stuttering through the combination of an incredibly tight labour market and supply chain issues, with these factors combining to drive up the price of practically everything. If companies don’t have the labour to produce the goods, what’s available will go up. If companies don’t have the employees to confidently invest in increased service delivery, they will cut back. In countless ways, an economy in poor health will put the brakes on business growth and sap the country’s overall confidence.
Low unemployment is masking an economy that’s struggling; the cost-of-living crisis we are all experiencing is directly linked to a shortage of workers and government policies that lack a nuanced approach to the labour market.
Using low unemployment as the sole measure of success means that businesses will always lack the employees to feed products into the market, which inevitably prevents the economy growing. National has been pointing out this inescapable fact for some time, arguing that targeted loosening of immigration needs to happen. The government has the levers to balance immigration with protecting workers already in New Zealand, unfortunately it seems to lack the skills to employ them.
Respected economist, Cameron Bagrie, said: "A lot of the stagnancy has just been because of supply. We haven't been able to meet demand because we've seen the damage to the labour force.”
The damage Bagrie is referring to is the shortage of skilled and unskilled labour that’s forcing businesses to retrench. Off the back of a global pandemic, pent up demand exploded in economies around the world, and getting ahead of that should have been the prime focus of New Zealand’s government. Unfortunately, Labour did nothing. That inaction has fuelled a scramble to employ what workers we had in the country, essentially burning up the fuel an economy needs to grow.
It's also a mistake to think that inflation is a temporary problem. Inflation won’t fix itself; there needs to be active involvement from the government that goes beyond hoping the Reserve Bank will find the answers all on its own. The government needs to be ready to take the tough decisions to re-balance our economy.
It's very likely that you have a job and that you’re enjoying a healthy wage right now. But you are also losing much of that spending power because the economy is out of balance. There’s no reason why you can’t enjoy secure employment and good prospects within an economy that’s growing, it just has to be managed that way. We can’t wait for some miracle or overseas event to sort this out, there are parents in remote communities that can’t afford the petrol to drive their kids to school. That’s the reality of our cost-of-living crisis.
Simon Watts — Spokesperson for Local Government, Associate Finance and Associate Infrastructure. Email: simon.watts@parliament.govt.nz Call my office on 09 486 0005,
facebook: @simonwattsmp instagram: @simonwattsmp
Rochelle and Brian.
Venue hire, facilities and full catering service for private and business events.
39 The Strand,Takapuna Beach, Auckland Phone: 09 489-6941 info@takapunaboating.org.nz takapunaboating.org.nz
