When Statistics New Zealand announced that local authority rates contributed 13% of total national inflation, they quietly documented the biggest wealth transfer from private citizens to local body bureaucrats in New Zealand's peacetime history.¹

From Walmart to Toyota, some of the world's most successful businesses share a common thread – they're family-owned enterprises that have stood the test of time.

You think you have time. We all do. It's perhaps the most dangerous illusion we carry—this belief that time stretches endlessly ahead of us, that there will always be tomorrow to have that conversation, next weekend to visit family, or next year to finally prioritise what truly matters.

The morning had been perfect for my friend Paul’s brother. The Queensland sun warmed his skin as he hitched his modern caravan to his Nissan SUV, ready for a weekend at the beach. The open road beckoned, promising relaxation and the soothing sound of waves.