Paddy Gower’s Post

On July 6 this year, Jon Bridges and I were made redundant amid massive disruption to the media. Since then, we have: •Formed Believer Media because we believe in media - and we believe in ourselves. This is our first small business, a production company that will create journalism that everybody can believe in. •Gone into partnership with Stuff, creating something called “positive news”! It is called “TFN” - “The F#$%ing News”. •Worked with Stuff’s hi-tech studio and visual journalists to make TFN, which showcases “Great Kiwi” who share their life lessons, “Good Kiwi” (community heroes), and “Brainy Kiwi” (inventors/entrepreneurs). Big push on this coming in 2025. •Completed a nationwide live tour, spreading my positive message of “Connection-Optimism-Purpose-Change” based on how I have overcome my own mental health and addiction problems to become happier and stronger. Visited 14 towns and cities from Stewart Island to Waitangi. Attended by thousands of people of all walks of life craving connection. •This was enabled by Toyota New Zealand Limited, which has shared values of wanting to help build stronger communities in Aotearoa New Zealand. Toyota also shares my focus on sustainability since reporting from Antarctica, and we used the all-electric bZ4x for the roadie from South to North. •Developed a commercial opportunity with Stuff for purpose-led companies called “Paddy Gets Into: …” that helps them communicate important work. Successful projects completed with Kiwibank on helping people get into homes through co-ownership, and with Animates Vetcare NZ on its efforts to help animals by banning private fireworks. •Worked with 2degrees on a “Team Talk” to give our Olympians (and ourselves!) a boost. This was a first-time social media influencing job and it won a Silver at the Pressie Awards! Also worked with 2Degrees to highlight its impressive carbon-zero by 2040 goal. •Secured the return of “Paddy Gower Has Issues” in 2025, returning to Three with Warner Bros. Discovery ANZ and on Stuff. This is thanks to the support of NZ On Air. Watch this space (literally). •Stayed in 17 different Quest Apartment Hotels around the country! We are always made welcome by the local owner-operators (one even let us stay at his own house when we forgot to book!) and I could not do the mahi around the country without the support of Quest. •Marvelled at our “The F#$%ing News” brand being turned into a tattoo on a man in Invercargill. We proudly developed the branding ourselves thanks to the incredible creatives at Daylight. We never thought of it as a tattoo though! It goes without saying it has been an insane year for all of us in media. But Believer Media is well and truly underway. Thank you to everyone who believed in us and helped make this happen. So what have we learned? People want more positivity. For us that starts from within. Believe in the Possible! #Believer #Believers #Belief #BelieveInThePossible #Positivity #Redundancy