IZMEĐU

Između - Season 1 Episode 7 - Between Being and Becoming with Kirsty Dalton

In the seventh episode of Između, Amy sits down with Kirsty for a conversation about her story leading up to the creation of Bow Studios, navigating the identity shifts that happened throughout various different chapters of her life in her 20s and 30s, and learning to trust herself through seasons of change.
Kirsty shares how her definition of success has shifted away from external validation, and towards something more internal: “genuine happiness” — not the curated version we see online, but the feeling of being at peace with yourself.
She opens up about returning home after living and working overseas, and the feeling of suddenly comparing yourself to others, questioning your path, and wondering if you’re “behind.”
From there, the episode focuses on a season of intense transition.
Kirsty talks about navigating multiple roles at once: working part-time, becoming a mother, and building something of her own from the ground up.
She shares what it was like to go out on a limb and open her own dance studio, Bow Studios, without having everything figured out — and how that decision required trust and willingness to take risks, as well as the support of the people around her. She also reflects on creating and directing her own dance show, 'Unwrapped', which sold out in November 2025 — a milestone that, while exciting from the outside, came with its own pressures behind the scenes. Kirsty speaks about what it was like holding multiple identities at once — being a business owner, a creative, a mother, and an individual still figuring things out — and the reality that growth often doesn’t happen in neat, linear steps.
Throughout the episode, there is a strong emphasis on learning to sit in uncertainty. Rather than rushing to have everything figured out, Kirsty reflects on the importance of trusting your intuition, tuning out external noise, and allowing yourself to move forward even when the path isn’t completely clear.
Have a listen / watch if you are currently navigating change, building something of your own, or feeling the pressure to “have it all together” — for a reminder that growth often happens in the moments where you take a chance before you feel fully ready.
Chapters:
(00:00) What success means: happiness vs “highlight reel”
(06:00) Discipline, pressure & internal comparison
(16:00) Life in a “bubble” & performance culture
(25:30) Knowing when something no longer aligns
(28:00) Returning home & feeling “behind"
(32:00) Pressure, comparison & redefining direction
(35:00) Becoming a mum: identity & life shifts
(42:00) Starting Bow Studios: taking a leap
(52:00) Building something from the ground up
(1:05:00) Creating Unwrapped & selling out her first show
(1:18:00) Holding multiple identities at once
(1:30:00) Trusting intuition & embracing uncertainty
Guest: Kirsty — professional dancer, studio owner (Bow Studios), and mum, currently navigating a season of growth, creativity, and building a life aligned with what truly matters.
If you enjoyed this episode:
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Instagram: izmedupodcast
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Find us on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/0xRlq1plmyvvhIRLkeTRNA?si=26e0f0077f5f4283
Find us on YouTube:
https://youtube.com/izmedupodcast 
Disclaimer: This episode is intended for general informational and reflective purposes only. It is a personal, non-monetised project created during the hosts’ travels in New Zealand. It is not connected to any paid work or business activity, and no income is earned from its production.

Između - Season 1 Episode 6 - Between Being and Becoming with Kelly Gardner

In the sixth episode of Između, Amy sits down with Kelly for a conversation about identity, burnout, and what happens when your life looks “successful” on paper but feels misaligned on the inside.
Kelly shares her journey from growing up in South Auckland and studying communications, to working in the advertising industry in New Zealand and London.
What began as a bold fresh start for Kelly following a breakup quickly became a bit of a pressure-cooker: high stakes campaigns, feeling like she was constantly having to prove her herself, and loneliness (which can often come with moving overseas, especially to somewhere like London, but which people don't see on the highlight reel on social media).
A central theme of the episode is the difference between looking successful and feeling successful.
Kelly reflects on how she came to realise that ambition, the need to control, and constantly “moving her bar” kept her in a pretty exhausting cycle of achievement.
She speaks openly about the insomnia she suffered, nervous system overwhelm, the moment she finally admitted to her family that she wasn’t okay, and how she knew when it was time for her to go home.
Kelly then moved back to New Zealand and entered a new kind of uncertainty: letting go of a corporate identity without knowing what would replace it.
She talks about the discomfort of being “between selves,” the fear of being seen (online and in real life), and how experimenting — rather than over-planning — has become her new way forward (even though this is still out of her comfort zone!).
Later, Amy and Kelly discuss what healing your nervous system can involve, how to follow your intuition, and mind–body connection.
Kelly shares why she began studying holistic life coaching and mind–body work, what it’s like to step into a path that doesn’t feel “traditional".
Have a listen / watch if you are currently facing a big life decision for a reminder that real growth often lives inside the choices that scare you.
Chapters:
(00:00) What success means now
(06:30) Studying communications & early pressure to “have a plan”
(16:30) Career path: NZ media → London
(27:30) The reality of moving overseas (and the highlight reel)
(39:30) Burnout, insomnia, and high-stakes work (55:30) Knowing when to pivot
(1:06:30) Coming back to NZ: relief, and realignment
(1:18:00) Identity shifts & starting again
(1:30:00) Choosing a new path: holistic coaching & mind–body work
(1:43:00) Fear of being seen & posting online
(1:55:00) Being vs becoming: intuition, presence, and nervous system
(2:08:30) Advice for anyone facing a big decision “If it’s the choice that scares you the most, that’s often the one that will grow you the most.”
Guest: Kelly — former advertising / brand partnerships professional, now a qualified holistic life and mind–body connection coach, currently exploring a new chapter of purpose-led work.
If you enjoyed this episode:
Hit 👍 and subscribe for more conversations exploring the space between being and becoming, ambition and contentment.
Follow us on socials:
Instagram: izmedupodcast
TikTok: izmedupodcast
Find us on Apple Podcasts: 
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/izme%C4%91u/id1853147874
Find us on YouTube: 
https://www.youtube.com/@izmedupodcast
Disclaimer: This episode is intended for general informational and reflective purposes only. Listening to this podcast does not establish a therapeutic, counselling, or client–practitioner relationship between the guest and the listener. The content shared is not a substitute for professional mental health or medical support.
This podcast is a personal, non-monetised project created during the hosts’ travels in New Zealand. It is not connected to any paid work or business activity, and no income is earned from its production.

Između - Season 1 Episode 5 - Between Being and Becoming with Karla Maria Heredia Bojorquez

In this fifth episode of Između, Amy sits down with Karla Maria — a mother and spiritual guide — for a conversation about success as an inner state, identity, and what it means to live in integrity with yourself rather than external expectations.
 
Karla Maria reflects on growing up in Mexico within a deeply religious and conservative environment, where success, worth, and belonging were closely tied to image, behaviour, and social approval. She shares how early self-development work began in her late teens, but only fully integrated after moving to New Zealand in her twenties.
 
Throughout the episode, Amy and Karla Maria explore how environment shapes identity — and how changing place can create space to question inherited beliefs, roles, and “good girl” conditioning. They discuss people-pleasing, self-abandonment, and the subtle ways we learn to measure our value through achievement, appearance, and perception.
 
A central theme of the conversation is presence versus performance. 
 
Karla Maria describes success not as happiness or productivity, but as awareness, choice, and the ability to meet life without losing yourself in it. Together, they unpack how constant distraction, over-identification with thoughts, and nervous system dysregulation pull us away from that inner stability.
 
The episode also explores accountability and self-relationship. Karla Maria speaks about moving out of victimhood, learning to observe emotions without being ruled by them, and why growth requires both honesty and compassion. Amy reflects on defensiveness, identity, and the discomfort of seeing patterns clearly for the first time.
 
Later, the conversation turns to relationships, motherhood, and "conscious uncoupling". 
 
In the final section, Karla speaks about her work 'Raw Remembrance' — creating spaces for women to reconnect with themselves through embodiment, creativity, and stillness. She explains what “returning to the Divine” means for her outside of religion: not as a belief system, but as a felt state accessed through presence, self-inquiry, and getting out of your own way.
 
The episode closes with a reflection on where real change begins — not in fixing yourself, but in creating enough space to remember who you are beneath thought, story, and expectation.
 
Chapters:
(00:00) Success as an inner state
(06:40) Growing up religious in Mexico
(15:20) Identity, image, and self-abandonment
(25:10) Environment, freedom, and moving countries
(36:00) Presence, nervous system, and decision-making
(47:30) Accountability, defensiveness, and self-relationship
(1:02:00) Relationships as mirrors
(1:15:40) Motherhood and conscious uncoupling
(1:31:20) Returning to the divine beyond religion
(1:48:00) Raw Remembrance and embodied work
(2:02:00) Getting out of your own way
 
“Nothing external will ever fulfil you. If we place our sense of happiness outside ourselves, it will always feel like not enough.” - Karla Maria 
 
Guest:
Karla Maria — mother and spiritual guide, working with women through embodiment, self-inquiry, and spiritual integration
 
If you enjoyed this episode:
 
Hit 👍 and subscribe for more conversations exploring the space between being and becoming, ambition and contentment.
 
Follow us on socials:
 
Instagram: izmedupodcast
 
TikTok: izmedupodcast
 
Find us on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/0xRlq1plmyvvhIRLkeTRNA?si=c7eaebe32d174294
 
Disclaimer:
 
This episode is intended for general informational and reflective purposes only. Listening to this podcast does not establish a therapeutic, counselling, or client–practitioner relationship between the guest and the listener. The content shared is not a substitute for professional mental health or medical support.
 
This podcast is a personal, non-monetised project created during the hosts’ travels in New Zealand. It is not connected to any paid work or business activity, and no income is earned from its production.

Između - Season 1 Episode 4 - Between Being and Becoming with Caleb Johnston

In this fourth episode, Amy sits down with Caleb — a counsellor in private practice in New Zealand — for a conversation about meaning, mental health, and what it can look like to live well without forcing certainty or perfection.
 
Caleb discusses his view on success not as constant achievement or as “happiness”, but as longevity, presence, and the capacity to keep showing up — both for his clients and for his family. 
 
He speaks about burnout in his profession, the importance of boundaries, and why learning not to carry “what isn’t yours” is an act of care, not detachment.
 
Throughout the episode, Amy and Caleb explore the tension between pushing forward and slowing down. They discuss discipline versus self-compassion, resilience versus self-neglect, and why many people oscillate between doing “everything right” and feeling completely empty. 
 
Tools like routines, cold exposure, meditation, and self-improvement are unpacked — not as fixes, but as practices that only work when grounded in a healthy relationship with yourself.
 
A central theme of the conversation is self-relationship — the often-missed middle ground between self-criticism and self-indulgence. Caleb explains why treating yourself like a project to be optimised can lead to burnout, why achievement alone does not guarantee fulfilment, and how learning to see yourself as a person rather than a problem to be fixed can change how you move through the world.
 
The episode also moves outward into culture and identity. Caleb and Amy explore tall poppy syndrome in New Zealand, self-deprecation in the UK, and the discomfort many people feel around celebrating success. They examine the space between confidence and arrogance, humility and invisibility — and why sharing wins can be connective rather than performative.
 
From there, the conversation deepens into the nervous system, trauma, and modern life. Caleb offers clear, compassionate insight into how early experiences shape our subconscious responses, why teenagers struggle with emotional regulation, and how constant stimulation, dopamine overload, and digital noise pull us away from presence. Panic attacks, anxiety, and emotional reactivity are reframed not as personal failures, but as survival responses that deserve understanding rather than suppression.
 
In the final section, Caleb speaks directly to men navigating loneliness, disconnection, and a quiet sense of not being enough. His message sits squarely in the Između space: don’t force answers, but don’t stop looking. Ask for help. Try again. Stay curious about your patterns. Allow discomfort without letting it define you.
 
The episode closes with a reminder that meaning can be found not in constant happiness, nor in relentless striving — but in learning to live honestly in the in-between: between fear and courage, rest and effort, who you’ve been and who you’re becoming.
 
Chapters:
(00:00) Success beyond extremes: presence and longevity
(06:30) Burnout, boundaries, and emotional responsibility
(15:30) Discipline vs self-compassion
(24:00) Tools, routines, and self-improvement as avoidance
(33:30) Self-relationship and internal safety
(43:00) Tall poppy syndrome in New Zealand and celebrating success
(55:00) Confidence, humility, and sharing wins
(1:05:30) Trauma, the nervous system, and anxiety
(1:20:00) Dopamine, distraction, and modern life
(1:38:30) Loneliness, masculinity, and asking for help
(2:07:00) Meaning over happiness
 
" The only guarantee that you won't find [answers] is if you don't look" - Caleb Johnston 
 
Guest:
Caleb — counsellor in private practice, working with adults, young people, and families in New Zealand
 
If you enjoyed this episode:
Hit 👍 and subscribe for more conversations exploring the space between being and becoming, ambition and contentment.
 
Follow us on socials:
Instagram: izmedupodcast
TikTok: izmedupodcast
 
Find us on YouTube:
www.youtube.com/@izmedupodcast
 
Find us on Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/izme%C4%91u/id1853147874
 
Disclaimer:
This episode is intended for general informational and reflective purposes only. Listening to this podcast does not establish a therapeutic, counselling, or client–practitioner relationship between Caleb and the listener. The content shared is not a substitute for professional mental health support. If you are experiencing distress or require support, please seek help from a qualified mental health professional in your local area.
 
This podcast is a personal, non-monetised project created during the hosts’ travels in New Zealand. It is not connected to any paid work or business activity, and no income is earned from its production.

Između - Season 1 Episode 3 - Between Being and Becoming with Paige Elise

In our third episode of Između, Amy sits down with Paige Hewetson — yoga teacher (mat + aerial), personal trainer, writer, and mum — recorded at House of Wellness in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand.
Paige shares her journey from the corporate world (including American Express and Apple) into freelance life, and what it took to rebuild self-trust along the way.
She speaks candidly about becoming an alcoholic at 17, the turning point that helped her stop drinking at 22, and how learning to regulate her nervous system through breath, movement, and yoga transformed her life. Together, Amy and Paige explore fear of rejection, “rejection dysmorphia,” the pressure to sell yourself in the fitness industry, and why what we fear most is sometimes not failure — but success.
Amy also reflects on leaving her career as a lawyer in London, choosing alignment over a life that looked perfect on paper. The conversation moves beyond yoga as a physical practice into spirituality, presence, and self-inquiry. Paige shares how yoga helped her reconnect with spirituality on her own terms, redefine her relationship with God, and recognise teaching as her path.
They discuss group energy, energetic boundaries, and the responsibility of holding space as a teacher, coach, or leader. They also dive into emotional regulation and healing — why different emotions need different outlets, how anger, grief, and sadness move through the body, and why practices like movement, stillness, and strength training all have their place. In a deeply honest section on motherhood, Paige reflects on how becoming a mum reshaped her identity, success, and nervous system. She speaks about the grief of letting go of her old life, the lack of support many modern mothers face, and measuring success now through presence, resilience, and the foundation she lays for her son.
Finally, Paige shares the story behind the book she’s been writing for over 13 years — a work centred on self-trust — along with the realities of a freelance life: uncertainty, freedom, self-mastery, and alignment.
Chapters:
(00:00) Paige’s definition of success: presence, boundaries, and inner connection
(03:30) Disconnection from the inner world, dissociation, and learning to “check in”
(07:15) Alcohol at 17, interventions at 22, and the moment Paige chose sobriety
(14:30) Breath, nervous system regulation, and coming out of fight-or-flight
(20:00) Corporate life at 19: American Express, pressure, panic attacks, and misalignment
(30:30) The courage to quit — and choosing alignment over external validation
(38:30) Personal training: ego, image culture, and rejection sensitivity
(46:15) “It’s not always failure we fear — it can be success” + learning to handle rejection
(54:30) Getting fired, sitting in grief, and the redirection that changed everything
(1:02:00) Yoga as presence + connection to Source
(1:08:30) Devotion, spirituality, and Paige finding her way back to God
(1:17:30) Holding space, energetic boundaries, and giving yourself permission to feel
(1:26:00) Anger vs grief: how different emotions need different releases
(1:35:00) Motherhood, grief, purpose, and redefining success (1:46:00) Paige’s advice: breath, honesty, journaling, and starting small
“We’re so afraid of being rejected that we will do anything to not feel it.”
Guest: Paige — yoga teacher (mat + aerial), personal trainer, writer, and mum
If you enjoyed this episode:
Hit 'follow' for more conversations on the tension that can be found in being and becoming, growth, mindset, and creating a life you’re proud of.
Follow us on socials:
Instagram: izmedupodcast
TikTok: izmedupodcast
Find us on Spotify, too: https://open.spotify.com/show/0xRlq1plmyvvhIRLkeTRNA?si=c7eaebe32d174294
Disclaimer (visa / non-monetised): This podcast is a personal, non-monetised project created during the hosts’ travels in New Zealand. It is not connected to any paid work or business activity, and no income is earned from its production.

Između - Episode 2 - Between Being and Becoming with Sam Kelsen

Becoming a values-led business owner with Sam of 'Little Guy Coffee and Bagel House'
Our second episode of Između features Sam Kelsen, co-owner of 'Little Guy' in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand. Sam opens up about his unexpected journey from university music student to small business owner, reflecting on the courage it took to start, the discipline needed to keep going, and the importance of staying present rather than constantly chasing the next milestone.
He shares the reality behind running a small hospitality business: the pressure, the learning curve, and the importance of creating a happy workplace.
Amy and Sam dive into the realities of hospitality, why culture matters more than hierarchy, and how a people-first approach can transform the workplace (and the positive impact this can have on the community).
Rather than focusing on the glamorised idea of what business should look like, this conversation leans into the honest, human side of growth — staying grounded, living by your values, and creating something you’re proud to stand behind.
In this episode we discuss:
(00:00) From music student to small business owner: Sam’s evolving definition of success
(02:00) Sam’s move to the Mount with $30 to his name, a broken Honda — and an unexpected reset
(06:15) Working in the very café he would later co-own: the full-circle moment
(10:00) The origin story: a conversation at the Mount hot pools
(14:20) Taking the leap into hospitality with passion (not perfection)
(18:00) The values behind Little Guy — and building a culture him and his co-owner, Will, are proud of
(24:45) Creating a people-first workplace in a high-pressure industry
(32:00) Hospitality as the “third space” and why the small interactions really matter
(42:00) Emotional intelligence, code-switching and reading people
(58:00) The misconceptions of running a small business (and the real workload)
(1:05:30) Sacrificing old ideals of happiness and redefining fulfilment
(1:12:00) Fear of failure, high standards and avoiding a complacent life
(1:20:00) Alignment, self-esteem and “Would you go for a beer with yourself?”
(1:25:25) Sam’s advice: Don’t wait for perfect timing — start, persist, become
“Are you living with integrity? Are you an honest person? We're not perfect. None of us are perfect. But if you are living up to the version of yourself that you are telling the world that you are…no one can take that away from you.”
Guest: Sam – co-owner of Little Guy
Connect with Little Guy
Instagram: @littleguy.3116
Disclaimer:
This podcast is a personal, non-monetised project created during the hosts’ travels in New Zealand. It is not connected to any paid work or business activity, and no income is earned from its production.

Između - Episode 1 - Between Being and Becoming with Johnny Nicodemus

Episode 1 — From Rock Bottom to RAW: Redefining Success with Johnny Nicodemus
Our first episode of Između features Johnny Nicodemus, owner of RAW Fitness HQ in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand.
Johnny opens up about his journey from feeling like he was “nothing” in his early 20s, working a trade, exhausted, broke and unhappy… to taking a huge leap into the fitness industry, backing himself when he had nothing, and slowly building the life he has now.
We talk about why happiness is his definition of success, how he uses training to stay grounded, and the unglamorous, repetitive foundations found in creating a meaningful life.
We cover:
(00:00) Why happiness—not money—is Johnny’s definition of success
(03:30) Hitting rock bottom at 22–23 and feeling left behind
(08:20) Choosing fitness, taking a leap and becoming “a sponge”
(13:40) Failure as a teacher and why he now invites it
(20:15) Observing, reflecting and being a “life learner”
(26:00) Kindness, community and the power of saying “hi” and “bye”
(32:10) Boundaries in business and protecting gym culture
(40:00) Mental health, depression and learning to catch your thoughts
(47:30) Training, routine and loving the “boring” basics
(55:00) Balancing CrossFit athlete life with running a business
(1:02:00) Asking for help and not doing everything alone
(1:08:00) “Are you happy?” – the question he still asks himself every day
(1:13:00) Johnny’s advice if you feel stuck or behind in life
“The small time of suffering is worth it for the longevity you’re going to have in your happiness.” – Johnny
Connect with RAW Fitness:
Instagram: rawfitnesshq
Website: https://www.rawfitness.nz/?utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnk47IBD8kqmt_TekSOkAj6T-ixX7CkdELLJtT9iAKHDYtdb-YCcJOUiGh418_aem_4gD8030mnQbfQz1HbRaLbg
Disclaimer:This podcast is a personal, non-monetised project created during the hosts’ travels in New Zealand. It is not connected to any paid work or business activity, and no income is earned from its production.

The Između Podcast - Season 1 - Teaser Trailer

In a world full of extremes, this cinematic podcast explores the space between.