About Brazen

Women’s stories told by women, for everyone. Primarily a podcast with RNZ Morning Report’s Susie Ferguson interviewing women you have, and haven’t, heard of. You’ll hear and read amazing, honest, raw and above all brazen stories.

Susie

Susie Ferguson is a journalist and broadcaster, best known as co-host of RNZ’s Morning Report. During her time at RNZ she’s presented myriad stories including immediate rolling coverage of the 2011 Christchurch and 2017 Kaikoura earthquakes, and extensive coverage of the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings.

Before moving to NZ over a decade ago she was a war correspondent for 6 years from 2003, covering the Iraq War as her first gig in that role. She’s reported from numerous conflicts and countries around the world, including Afghanistan, Sierra Leone, Mozambique, Lebanon and the Balkans. Susie covered the aftermath of the 2004 Asian tsunami from Sri Lanka and 2005 Pakistan earthquake, and made radio documentaries for the 25th anniversary of the Falklands War.

From the start of her radio career in Scotland, and her study at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and London’s University of the Arts, Susie is now Brazen’s interviewer.

Susie lives in Wellington with one adult and two small humans, several chickens and a dog.

David

David Cormack is the co-founder of communications firm Draper Cormack Group. He has spent the past 15 years working in various comms roles, including time as the head of policy and communications for the Green Party.

He is also a political commentator, featuring on Newshub’s The Nation and Three’s 2017 Election Night coverage, and has a weekly column in the Herald. He is also a regular feature on RNZ’s the Panel.

David and his wife, Kim, have an 18 month old daughter, conceived through IVF. They blogged about their journey through infertility which you can read here.

David has also been at various times a stand-up comic, a reviewer, and he once built some wooden shelves.

Lou

Lou O’Reilly caught the business bug early on having grown up with entrepreneurial parents.

She has started and exited 11 ventures over the last 18 years covering marketing, hospitality, and health.

With a delayed love of learning, Lou was inspired by her own health condition to go back to study exercise and human movement science, and human nutrition. This lead to her venture Sweaty Pals, where she is now helping other women to feel great by eating well and exercising regularly.

Lou lives in Wellington with her husband, two children, and three cats. She can usually be found at the gym helping people to have fun with exercise, tweeting and talking about the dangers of fad diets to random strangers, and taking photos of well plated food.

Vic

Victoria is passionate about many things; digital inclusion and equity, growing great businesses and our economy, and supporting women to realise their potential in life. As a business owner, investor and director Victoria champions cultural reform, flexible working conditions, and supportive, inclusive organisations – to benefit both women and the wider organisation.

Victoria donates much of her time to NGO’s and pro bono activities including mentoring of women at all stages of their careers, championing mentoring programmes and initiatives like Return to IT or Mentoring Circles specifically focused on supporting women in the Digital Technology sector to thrive.

Her list of jobs includes Chair of the Charitable Trust Digital Future Aotearoa, Managing Director of the OptimalHQ group of companies, Director and Investor in Noted.com and now as co-Founder of Social Enterprise Brazen.

It takes a village though doesn’t it?

Brazen is produced and edited by Melody Thomas.

Our engineers are William Saunders and John Pilley.

The theme is Be Who You Are by Edie.

Artwork by Pepper Raccoon.

Transcriptions done by Emma Hart.