Ep 37 - Purpose, Profit & Gold Kiwifruit: People-Ownership, Governance and an Abundance Mindset with James Grafas (Bay of Plenty, NZ)

In this episode of Selling in the Paddock, Georgia sits down with New Zealander James Grafas to unpack how purpose-led governance and people-ownership are reshaping horticulture—especially in gold kiwifruit. James shares lessons from chairing boards across ag and tech, from large-scale orchard development to irrigation automation, and why clarity beats busyness every day of the week.

• From orchard summers to the boardroom: James’ path back to ag and why food, jobs and strong returns drew him home.

• How NZ’s kiwifruit model works: single-desk exports, demand growth and the real constraints (land and capital).

• The economics of development: why licences and capex now top $1m/ha—and how the returns stack up.

• Labour that lasts: hiring for preferences (outdoors, hands-on) and team fit over quick CV wins.

• People-ownership in practice: inviting staff to co-invest, creating genuine buy-in and retention.

• Purpose that performs: giving to community and paying top-quartile wages while delivering shareholder returns—no waste, no trade-offs.

• Eliminating waste through clarity: structure first (e.g., Business Excellence, Community leads), then continuous improvement.

• Governance that serves people and planet: risk appetite (debt, biosecurity, climate), opportunity scanning, and when boards should “overreach” on culture.

• Abundance vs scarcity in sales and growth: why generous businesses think bigger and execute better.

• Leading yourself: journalling, evaluated experience, OKRs, and helping your team win the week.

• Hire for fit (preferences + values) and train for skill.

• Offer ownership pathways to lift engagement and retention.

• Make purpose operational: assign clear owners; measure impact as hard as EBIT.

• Set risk guardrails (especially around debt); pause projects when conditions change.

• Create clarity at every level: 3–5 outcomes per quarter with clear success measures.

• Reflect, don’t just grind: “Only evaluated experience makes you wiser.”

• The Infinite Game — Simon Sinek

• Winners Take All — Anand Giridharadas

• Greenlights — Matthew McConaughey

• Shows: The Morning Show, Slow Horses, The Diplomat

James Grafas — Chair across ag and automation companies in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand; governance adviser and community-builder.

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