Risk, Reward, and Resilience: Ron Trigg & Mike’s Brewery

In this episode of The Business Hour, Jordan sits down with Ron Trigg of Mike's Bistro and Tap Room for a remarkable journey spanning continents, decades, and just about every industry you can imagine.From a childhood in Namibia and Zimbabwe during the Bush War, to national service in South Africa, to fleeing political upheaval and arriving in New Zealand on a three-week camper van holiday that never quite ended - Ron's story is a masterclass in following your gut and backing yourself.Now a Taranaki institution for over 20 years, Ron reflects on a winding path through hydraulic engineering, duck farming, avocado orchards, designing emergency hospitals for the Turkish Red Cross, and ultimately buying White Cliffs Brewery and turning it into the much-loved Mike's. He's candid about the wins, the bruising lessons, COVID, the moves, and what it really takes to keep going when "lesser men would've walked away."Together, they explore:Why being a risk-taker has shaped every chapter of Ron's lifeThe power of constant learning - often by doing it wrong firstHow community and word-of-mouth built the Mike's brandThe marketing psychology behind selling out Oktoberfest every JulyAdapting a business through law changes, COVID, and three relocationsWhy tenacity is a quality we don't celebrate nearly enoughA story of hard graft, sharp instincts, and the kind of stubborn optimism that builds something lasting.Key takeaway: "Fall down, get up, give it another go." Tenacity, Ron reckons, is the one thing we should be teaching far more of.