When we first came up with the idea for Capsule Good B*tch awards, we knew we wanted it to be a celebration – and we had no idea how big that celebration would be. We have been overwhelmed by the response – thank you SO much for supporting us in this – and we already have big plans for expanding the next year. The talent, kindness and vulnerability shown by our GB nominees has always inspired us and we feel so privileged that we were able to share their stories and mahi on Capsule.
With the winners now announced (check out their individual profile stories!) and our People’s Choice – congratulations Caci founder Jackie Smith! – we’ve now collated all 25 of our Good Bitches in this glossary of goodness. Our aim for this story is for it to exist here as a go-to guide for you – when you need inspiration and information about the amazing work going on in Aotearoa – and the women putting their values into action – we want you to head here, scroll through and find the good b*tch you need to get you through.
So, here they are – Capsule’s first ever group of Good B*tches, powered by Shark Beauty!
JOY
WINNER: Morgana O’Reilly
Before she was one of the newest guests to check into the upcoming season of The White Lotus, Morgana O’Reilly has been one of NZ’s most prolific – and delightful! – actors. She won an Emmy for her pandemic series, Inside, and her one-woman show, Stories About My Body, has taken Aotearoa by a storm as she delves into the politics, privileges and unabashed joy of all things body image, pregnancy, birth and postpartum. Morgana uses her own experiences to help other people feel inspired and connected; see – her showing her birth video live on-screen during her one-woman show, which she is now turning into a movie.
She’s everyone’s favourite mate – unafraid to tell it like it is, raw, real and relatable with her yarns and is always willing to dish out a hilarious story or two. Broadcaster, Capsule columnist and author Brodie Kane is the everygirl we always look to for a laugh, a cry or anything else in between with no filters, no bullshit and no holds barred.
Sharyn Casey is not afraid to put herself out there, in good times and in bad. One of our most recognisable broadcasters and presenters, Sharyn is in our ears on The Edge, in our eyes on Dancing With The Stars and in our hearts with her new wellness podcast, Better Me (Hopefully). Sharyn understands that joy is an experience worth holding onto and worth sharing, and uses her own experiences with fertility struggles, baby loss and mental health to highlight the low times that balance out all of our good times.
One of our most regularly featured interviewees, Meg Mansell has featured on Capsule in discussions of body image, postpartum, mental health and loneliness. But as well as her more serious side, Meg is also a living embodiment of sunshine – whether she’s taking part in the latest TikTok dance trend or taking us on the road with her to the Eras tour. Meg is a GB because she will hold your hand through the dark stuff and hold your drink through the good stuff – and that’s why we, and you, love her.
As far as multi-hyphenates go, Hayley Sproull’s title card – stand-up comedian, radio host, podcast host, actor, MC – has to be the most impressive in Aotearoa. Why do we think Hayley is a GB? Unafraid to be honest, vulnerable, relatable and real every day on primetime radio, Hayley’s constant chat on a plethora of subjects – her battles with PCOS, her takes on loving the skin she’s in and her incredible sense of fun and humour – means she’s a true voice and representative for the Kiwi gal whose life can be a little messy, but still bloody glorious and joyful, as personified by her favourite saying ‘drink it while it’s fizzy’. A true GB!
COMMUNITY
WINNER: Sarah Page
When Sarah Page was a new mother, navigating the health system with her young autistic son, she discovered first-hand how fragmented, frustrating and full-time it was to find any answers or help. So, she decided to do something about it, creating Kindness Collective as a go-between resource for those who needed help and those who could provide it. One pandemic, one cost-of-living crisis, multiple weather events and various other disasters later, the Kindness Collective is bringing much needed help, community and happiness to Kiwis in need.
When times are tough, the good bitches get baking. Back in 2014, co-founders Nicole Murray and Marie Fitzpatrick were doing something we can all relate to: commiserating on the state of the world and how many people were doing it tough in their community. They decided to do something about it – putting out a call-out on Facebook for people who were keen to bake for those in need, who needed a reminder of community and care. Ten years later, the movement is still going strong and has chapters throughout NZ.
If you’ve ever been awake at 4am with a baby who isn’t sleeping well and have googled for answers – chances are (hopefully!) that you have landed in Emily Writes’ arms. Emily is a writer and speaker covering every topic imaginable about parenting and has published three wonderful books (including Rants in the Dark). Her advice, whether it’s about why your baby isn’t sleeping or whether your kid’s homework really is too hard, is always somehow both no-nonsense and sensible, but also comforting and kind. She is someone parents can trust, during the craziness that is the journey of parenthood.
How do you take something giant like sustainability and make it not only achievable, but joyful? That’s what Kate Hall has been showing us all along. In a world that so often revolves around consumerism, Kate instead uses her considerable platform to help us make choices that improve our lives and protect the planet. When the climate crisis feels overwhelming, she’s a reliable and, yes, ethical voice that educates us on what our next right move can be.
She has starred in too many to name of our local TV projects, as well as working steadily over in LA for years. But it’s Kim Crossman’s off-screen work that makes her a community powerhouse – she started the podcast Pretty Depressed, where she interviews well-known people about their experiences with mental distress and how they get through it. By covering a wide range of subjects, Kim helps break down the barriers around mental health and reminds us all that we really are in this together.
PURPOSE
WINNER: Jess Tyson
It takes a special kind of woman to speak on the topics journalist Jess Tyson does – and with such grace, mana and passion. A former Miss New Zealand and a survivor of child sexual abuse, Jess former her own charity, Brave, to raise awareness and help other victims, and uses her own experiences and platform to advocate for a better world. Jess is also passionate about te reo and works full time as a journalist at Whakaata Māori.
Jess’ approach to influencing is simple – be a good person with lots to say, and the people will listen! A true embodiment of the endearing blend of confidence and vulnerability, Jess’ sartorial skills as well as her deeper thoughts on societal issues including injustice, prejudice and inequality make for a perfect blend of content that hits deeper than your usual, and she shines a guiding light for those finding themselves and their own individual purpose in a world that can be unforgiving and uninspiring.
She’s a busy mum of two energetic children, but Holly works tirelessly to make sure New Zealand is a safer place for all our tamariki. An educator, parenting presenter and advocate, Holly – a former highschool teacher – is also the co-founder of Makes Sense, an organisation that is working to protect kiwi kids from illegal content online and keep them safer whilst using devices at home, in schools and on the go. Holly is also a member of MBIE’s Plan of Action Against Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery in NZ.
A powerhouse, a trailblazer, and an entrepreneur, Grace Stratton is a disability advocate who is using her time on earth to make things easier and more inclusive for those living with disabilities, as well as providing them with better and more interesting opportunities. Whether it’s through her work as the director and co-founder of marketing agency All Is For All – which is making the fashion world a more inclusive place, or through producing podcasts like the excellent What’s Wrong With You. Oh, and she’s also studying to be a lawyer, because she’s done all of this in her early 20s.
A tireless advocate for indigenous rights and an unstoppable champion of wāhine Māori, Qiane is an activist, journalist, photographer and founder of NUKU, a story-telling platform for 100 indigenous wāhine (which she self-published and turned into a best-selling and award-winning book, nbd). Based in Ihumātao, Qiane is on the front-line of celebrating and upholding the indigenous strengths, values and wisdom that have shaped Aotearoa for generations, at a time when those taonga are more under threat than ever.
SUCCESS
WINNER: Lucy Blakiston
The little media company that could – Shit You Should Care About was born as an excited dream in a NZ uni lecture theatre, and since its birth has been helmed ably, passionately and hilariously by Lucy Blakiston, the vibe and voice of the brand which has more than three million followers on Instagram and posts news, information and yes occasionally Harry Styles photos for all to enjoy. Tell us how you could be more successful!
When your still quite new skincare business gets the first-ever sustainability tick from Jane Goodall herself, you know you’ve put the work in. On top of that, Emma’s high-end, all natural skin-care products are the real deal – you’ll find those products in each of the Capsule team’s bathroom cabinets, because they WORK. But it’s Emma’s dedication to sustainability – and her world-first move of sharing the patents for her recyclable packaging, to help break down on beauty waste, that makes her in a league of her own.
PEOPLE’S CHOICE: Jackie Smith
Jackie Smith is one of New Zealand’s most successful businesswomen – and generations of wāhine owe their confidence to her and her team of angels at Caci Clinic. Jackie took Caci from one clinic to its present 80 across the country, and this year the brand celebrates an incredible 30 years of business – and what a business they’ve built! Caci never make you feel like it’s about how you LOOK – rather, it’s about how you FEEL.
If you know you know – clothing brand Augustine is beloved by SO many Kiwi women that wait lists are needed any time a new collection arrives. Designer and businesswoman Kelly Coe says she’s never tried to be the “cool” brand that sells out a shoe at Fashion Week, rather, she dresses us – normal Kiwi women who want a little bit of colour in their lives. And, her approach has been rewarded with an almost cult-like following.
Iyia has almost too many success stories to list – four seven-figure businesses and three seasons of Boss Babes included. Now her mission is to help other women make money with her Make It Happen workshops, where she reveals the secrets to success – but she also shares heaps of advice and knowledge on her social media pages for free, and runs Girls in Business, an online and in-person network for Kiwi women business owners to help get ahead.
LIFE LEADER
WINNER: Morgan Penn
If we’re talking about women who help us get as much out of life as possible, cum on down, Morgan Penn! The sexologist and co-host of the Sex.Life podcast has been on a mission to de-stigmatise sex and kinks and sensuality with her work as a somatic sexologist, and offers tips and tricks for women to get connected within their own bodies. Her openness, humour and kindness in a vulnerable space is an absolute joy.
For four years, Kate was bedridden. Suffering from crohn’s disease, she spent many of those years reliant on a feeding tube, and eventually underwent an ileostomy – a rather daunting change, made all those worse by the feelings of shame and isolation she had afterwards. Her ostomy seemed to be something that was taboo – she’d never seen people openly talk about them or show them. Now, Kate is the role model she never had. She shows off her ostomy and shows others how you can be strong, brilliant, worthy and beautiful AND have an ostomy. Not only is she making the world an easier place for those with an ostomy, but through her instagram she openly speaks about a range of topics to ease the load, whether it’s coping with grief, dating in your 40s or being childfree by choice.
One of the biggest problems facing new mums is that they are often left alone in a world, that is not built for them, to entertain a child or two for hours at a time. If you’ve ever made the mission to leave the house, only to find that the location you’ve picked isn’t child-friendly, doesn’t have parking, doesn’t have a change table… you’ll know the pain. The same week she welcomed her second child, Renata launched her app Roam with Kids to take the guesswork out of where to take your child; each location on her app is detailed with parking, food options, playgrounds, accessibility… currently in Auckland and Hamilton with plans to expand, Renata is out here making the lives of tired mums easier and we salute her.
Kitty Williams (Kitty’s Kitchen)
Social media is littered with at-home cooks and foodies who reckon they’ve cracked the code as to what makes great food content. They don’t come better – or more useful!- than Kitty’s Kitchen. Kitty herself uses only ingredients you can get from the local supermarket, isn’t concerned about calories or macros and simply wants to make good, easy food that Kiwi households will enjoy for years to come, whether that’s her free content on social or through her cookbook.
At 18 years old, Te Kahukura Boynton founded Māori Millionaire in 2022 to help encourage a conversation about financial literacy. By documenting her own journey, she now leads a community of over 30,000 individuals. At 20, she is now working full time as the Director of Māori Millionaire, creating workshops and resources for whanau Māori to learn from. Te Kahukura believes that financial independence will help uplift our communities.
The Capsule Good B*tch Awards has been powered by the absolute good bitches at Shark Beauty. We are incredibly lucky at Capsule to have such an incredible partner who supports our mahi, understands our vision and enables us to tell the stories we think truly matter to New Zealand women, and we thank you immensely!