Fast 15 with Chris Brun
1. What is your role at the Print Room?
Production Manager. Oh, and making sure the staff fruit bowl is full.
2. Shoot a portrait of yourself
3. Shoot your workspace
4. What are your hobbies
I spend a lot of time with my whanau, Bel and Olive. We just moved out to the coast to our new house, so I’ve been attempting some landscaping, along with playing on my surfboard - I can’t call it surfing just yet.
5. What's your favourite part of the working day?
Friday beersies with the crew!
I love smoko too, as it’s a time when all of the staff hang out together and attempt to defeat the Stuff quizmaster. I’m shit at it, so I just read the questions, but the staff are weirdly knowledgeable.
6. What’s your go-to coffee?
If I’m making it, it’s an L.B. If someone else’s making it, then a long mac is a wee treat.
7. What's your all-time favourite album/s?
A real mixed bag, I’ll listen to anything from Tina Turner to Lizzo, but a few albums on heavy repeat would be;
Marlon Williams
The Shambles, Hungry Planet
Leon Bridges, Coming Home
8. Your lifelong dream?
Oh shit, that’s a toughy. I’m not sure. Be happy and breathe...
For the Print Room, it would be to be in our solar-powered, purpose-built premise, producing ethically made products that people love and creating an environment & work culture that our staff can thrive in to help them live their best lives.
9. What are you doing to help the environment?
I enjoy teaching Olive about composting and our little worm farm, recycling and ways we reduce our waste.
I think we all need to be more conscious consumers by buying less and when we do buy, buy second hand or at least purchase good quality products that serve a purpose and are made to last. Caring for our environment is a value that all of our staff align with and the Print Room is passionate about, so I do my best to foster that where I can.
10. A pic of you with your favourite plant
11. What were you doing before TPR & What brought you here?
I was a builder for four years before injuring my back & undergoing surgery. Then I studied to become a teacher (teaching five year olds was one of the best jobs I’ve had). It was then that I joined Jon on the Moodie Tuesday Clothing journey.
This led us to want to create & print our own clothing. So, long story short, we started The Print Room. Initially, I was teaching full time & working at TPR after hours until 2017, when I was able to be paid a full-time wage at The Print Room - that was quite a cool moment for me.
12. Shoot something that makes you happy
13. If the borders were to open tomorrow and you could go to one country, where would it be and why?
Definitely Italy. My Pop was born there, and my parents & brother have both visited where our Pop grew up in Veneto, Venice, which is epic, but I’m super jealous. Starting a business has meant making sacrifices & limited time away from the business has meant I haven’t travelled as much as I would have liked.
14. You’re having a dinner a party at your house what do you make?
Definitely something carb-heavy, carbonara or spaghetti bolognese paired with a sneaky red. Then to finish the night off would be a board game and a tipple of gin & soda.
15. You’re allowed 3 famous guests at this dinner party who are they and why?
Yvon Chouinard - the founder of Patagonia & author of ‘Let my people go surfing’. I think Patagonia created a better work culture, story and brand in the early 80’s than many businesses are probably doing now. They were and still are an innovative business that continues to challenge the status quo & has the environment at the heart of everything they do. I’d chew Yvon’s ears off.
Andy Puddicombe - Co-founder of Headspace, a guided meditation app I use a lot. I even used it in the classroom with my kids daily, and they loved it. Although he’s British, his voice has to be the most soothing my ‘listeners’ have come across. It sounds weird and if you picture it, it is even weirder, but a live guided meditation from Andy as I drift off to sleep would be heavenly.
Marlon Williams - He’d just be a bloody good time. He would have to bring the guitar but I reckon he would have some great stories to tell & would love a drink. Oh what a merry time that would be.